"This is robbery, this is thuggery! Just because you're a prince doesn't mean you can disregard the law and act arbitrarily!" Gu Chaoxi cursed angrily, her slender white hands clenched into fists, pounding on Lu Zhao's chest, arms, and even his face.
If she had the whip on her body right now, she could give him a lash.
Gu Chaoxi scolded him but he wouldn't listen, and he hit him but he ignored her. In anger, he bit Lu Zhao's shoulder.
"Hiss—" Gu Chaoxi put a lot of force into this bite, and Lu Zhao gasped.
"Even the places where we bite are the same, and you still won't admit it?"
After Gu Chaoxi started cursing, hitting, and even talking, Lu Zhao was basically convinced that the arrogant and bold woman was the little woman in front of him.
He insisted that she admit it herself.
Lu Zhao strode into the woods, but not deep inside. Just on the outskirts, he put Gu Chaoxi down, put his arm around her waist, and pinned her against a thick tree trunk.
"If Miss Gu is unwilling to tell the truth or admit it, then I'll have to help you recall." He was so angry that he even forgot to address himself as a prince.
"What are you going to do! If you dare, I... I'll bite you to death!" Gu Chaoxi was like a cat with its fur standing on end, her already large eyes wide open, puffed up with anger, uttering a threat that had no power at all.
Lu Zhao felt a surge of desire and considered letting her go, but then he thought that if she didn't admit it today, she certainly wouldn't admit it in the future. He grabbed one side of her collar and pulled it aside with almost no effort, dragging the bright red dress down her shoulder to reveal a fair and smooth shoulder and collarbone.
Even more striking were the clusters of red plum blossoms adorning her shoulders, blooming vibrantly against the backdrop of pure white. The red marks grew denser and denser as she moved down her shoulders. The view below was obscured by her light pink undergarment, but Lu Zhao knew that the marks beneath were no less numerous.
Gu Chaoxi's skin was delicate; even a slight bump would leave a large bruise. Although Lu Zhao was injured that day, the medicine he had been given had also taken its toll on her, and two days later, the marks had not completely disappeared.
Lu Zhao's gaze darkened instantly. Recalling the scene from that day, he felt a surge of heat throughout his body, and his voice became involuntarily hoarse.
"Since you only stayed in the room, how did you get these marks on your body?"
As he spoke, Lu Zhao bent down slightly and lowered his head, his nose catching a faint fragrance from her body, the same fragrance he had smelled during that day when he was lost in passion.
The person in my arms fell silent and didn't speak for a long time.
Lu Zhao looked down and saw that the person in his arms was still staring with wide eyes, but her eyes were unconsciously red. She was biting her red lips tightly with her pearly teeth, gritting her teeth to hold back her tears, but her whole body was full of grievances.
Lu Zhao felt a pang of panic. He had seen her bold and passionate, her feigned timidity, and her angry threats—all of which were vivid and endearing. Now, seeing her so wronged and silent filled Lu Zhao with a deep, overwhelming tenderness.
He regretted his actions.
He, a man approaching thirty, had just acted like a young boy, bullying a teenage girl over a fight.
She was clearly drugged that day as well, and was also powerless to resist. She had already felt wronged and dared not speak out because she had lost her virginity to a stranger. She was probably still heartbroken and crying at home these past two days. It was really too much for me to force her to admit it like this.
Thinking of this, Lu Zhao's eyes were filled with guilt.
Lu Zhao pulled up her collar and straightened it. "I'm sorry, I was too anxious just now. I shouldn't have pressured you like that."
Gu Chaoxi was somewhat surprised that Lu Zhao actually apologized to her? Judging from his tone, he didn't seem angry that he had been tricked.
Lu Zhao continued, "You were also drugged that day, so you were a victim too. Did you manage to find out who drugged you afterwards? Do you need my help?"
Lu Zhao actually thought that he and she had been framed?
However, he wasn't wrong; it was exactly what she had planned.
Gu Chaoxi admitted that she was a bully who preyed on the weak. Lu Zhao's tone had been unfriendly, and he had been pressing her relentlessly. Moreover, he was not only powerful and influential but also tall and imposing. She couldn't beat him in a fight, and her family background was no match for his. She had been so frightened by him that she almost cried.
Hearing the high and mighty Regent Prince apologize to her, Gu Chaoxi felt the situation wasn't so bad after all. Lu Zhao might give her a little leeway, but she'd give him a taste of his own medicine.
She reached out and forcefully pushed away the tall man in front of her. Lu Zhao also released her, his narrow phoenix eyes fixed on her small face.
The little girl's aggrieved expression disappeared, replaced by a spoiled and smug look.
Gu Chaoxi admitted, "I was indeed the person in the woodshed two days ago. Now that Your Highness knows, what are your plans?"
Seeing that her eyes were no longer red with grievance, Lu Zhao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and began to ponder her words.
What are your plans?
Gu Chaoxi was his first woman, and he should take responsibility for her and give her a proper status, no matter what.
Besides, he didn't dislike her proximity; in fact, he was somewhat infatuated with her body. For the past two nights, he'd dreamt of their intimate moments, a desire he'd never felt before. She had given him a taste of something new.
Lu Zhao forgot to ask who had drugged him, and said in a softer voice, "Of course I should take responsibility."
Using the light filtering through the trees, Gu Chaoxi glanced up and saw the lustful look on Lu Zhao's face, and understood immediately.
What we can't have is often the best; what we get too easily is often not cherished.
Marrying him because of losing one's virginity makes one vulnerable to being looked down upon.
In order to continue to act arrogantly in the future, Gu Chaoxi firmly refused, "Your Highness, you don't need to take responsibility for me. What happened two days ago... was just an accident, not something we agreed to."
“I won’t act like an ordinary young lady who would die over losing her virginity. You don’t need to give me a title out of guilt. Let’s just pretend it never happened.”
Lu Zhao's expression froze. Gu Chaoxi's words were clearly not what he expected. After thinking for a while, he came up with a reason, "I heard that you were rejected by the Zhao family. Is it because of me? If so, then I should take responsibility."
Gu Chaoxi shook her head. "I broke off the engagement with the Zhao family. Young Master Zhao is not the husband I want. I don't want to marry him. If I can't meet someone I truly love, I would rather never marry and stay by my grandmother's side forever."
She said she wouldn't marry someone she didn't like, and she even rejected me. Does that mean I'm not someone she likes?
Having sorted out this thought, Lu Zhao couldn't explain why he felt a little lost.
He did want to keep her by his side, but decades of pride prevented him from desperately trying to keep her after being rejected.
He didn't want to use the methods he used in the imperial court on such a delicate young girl.
Lu Zhao sighed, "Have you thought it through?"
"I've thought it through."
Gu Chaoxi curtsied and was about to turn and leave.
He had only taken two steps when he heard a whooshing sound as a sharp arrow shot from in front of him, heading straight for Gu Chaoxi's face.
Lu Zhao's expression changed. "Be careful!"
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