Qiao Zhen looked at Yuan Zhao with a half-smile, "Does it hurt to be slapped in the face?"
Yuan Zhao probably didn't understand what Qiao Zhen meant by asking, so he remained silent.
Qiao Zhen looked at his silent appearance and widened her eyes slightly. "You're not going to give up after just one failure, are you? You need to have the spirit of a long march, okay?"
"What?" Yuan Zhao was completely confused and didn't understand what Qiao Zhen was saying.
Qiao Zhen explained, "It's all about perseverance."
"Hmm." Yuan Zhao responded hesitantly, looking at Yuan Lin and the Yu family girl under the lantern tree on the shore. "Did you reveal my identity to Yuan Lin just now?"
"Hmm?" Qiao Zhen turned to look at him, only to see him staring at something on the table. Her eyesight was terrible at night, and she could only make out the faint shadows of the lantern tree in the distance. "Yes, your father values his reputation the most. If you acknowledge your identity, you'll be under his control, but if he still cares about his reputation, he won't do anything too outrageous to you. Besides, I told Uncle Jiang about your 'Yang Jade Flesh' to help me put on this act, so everyone should know you have it now. But who would take it seriously? If your father were to cut off your flesh because of a joke—ha! He'd probably want to be drowned in spit."
Yuan Zhao silently moved closer to Qiao Zhen, turning his head to look at her beautiful profile. "Why are you so good to me?"
Qiao Zhen smiled and replied, half seriously and half jokingly, "If I said I came because of you, would you believe me?"
Yuan Zhao grinned like a silly deer as he leaned against the fence. "I believe you."
Qiao Zhen's lips curled up; she guessed she had gained the trust of her mission target. "Shall we disembark?"
"No, I haven't finished eating yet." Yuan Zhao refused. He had previously cowered in a corner of his heart, watching Yuan Zhao eat candied hawthorns, tug at Qiao Zhen's clothes, and eat with Qiao Zhen on the big ship. Now, thinking about it, he still felt a little sour.
"Tch." Qiao Zhen scoffed, turning to look at the diverse group of people on the boat, all of whom seemed to be well-off. "I saw someone I know, I'll go say hello. Do as you please."
Before Yuan Zhao could say anything, he saw that Qiao Zhen had already walked away.
Qiao Zhen looked at the plump Boss Song and said, "Good evening, Boss Song."
When Boss Song saw Qiao Zhen, he grinned from ear to ear. "Miss Qiao, how have you been? Thanks to your advice, I made a fortune." He pointed to a handsome young man in a bamboo-green robe standing by the railing, holding a folding fan. "What do you think of my son? He passed the imperial examination a few months ago and I'm thinking of sending him to the capital for the final exam. He's also quite skilled in martial arts, and his earning power is outstanding. His future is limitless."
Qiao Zhen's lips twitched slightly. "Don't joke around, Mr. Song. Young Master Song has a limitless future; he'll have plenty of noble ladies vying for his hand in marriage. I'm just a divorced woman; aren't you insulting me?"
Perhaps Mr. Song had drunk a bit too much, for he swayed as he put down his glass. "It's my fault. I tend to talk nonsense when I'm drunk. Don't take it to heart, Miss Qiao." He rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle. "Here, here, this stuff is practically priceless right now. It's yours!"
"Well...so rich and powerful," Qiao Zhen thought, "I like dealing with people like this." She took the glass bottle without any hesitation. "Then I'll thank you in advance, Boss Song."
The young man in the bamboo-green robe turned around and saw his father, Boss Song, whose face was flushed from drinking. He quickly went over to support Boss Song, saying, "Miss, this is my father. If he has offended you in any way, I apologize."
Qiao Zhen shook her head indifferently, "It's nothing. Mr. Song has had a bit too much to drink, so I won't bother him any longer."
"Thank you, young lady." Young Master Song grabbed Boss Song by the back of his collar and easily lifted him up, leaving without even breaking a sweat.
Qiao Zhen was dumbfounded. This young master Song looked so gentle and weak, but it turned out he was a real hidden talent. She turned to look for Yuan Zhao, but found that Yuan Zhao was talking to Li Luo. Seeing Li Luo approach Yuan Zhao, Yuan Zhao still didn't make any big moves.
Qiao Zhen, who had just swallowed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), turned around and left behind a cold back view. She wondered if she should also find a cute guy so she could produce her own dog food.
Before she could find her target in the crowd, someone shouted that a fight had broken out. With the thought that if there's a show to watch, you're a fool not to, Qiao Zhen silently followed the crowd that was gradually gathering. She then discovered that the two people in the middle were Li Luo and Yuan Zhao.
The two of them were fighting bare-handed, relying entirely on brute force. Yuan Zhao's face was covered in bruises, while Li Luo had dark circles under his eyes. The carefree Qiao Zhen almost burst out laughing.
Seeing the two fighting more and more fiercely, but no one daring to stop them, Qiao Zhen easily pushed through the crowd and walked in, tightly hugging Li Luo's waist. "Stop fighting! Aren't you ashamed? One of you is the Hall Master of Qingfeng Palace, and the other has been the leader of the martial arts alliance for a few days. No one dares to stop you. If it weren't for me, would you still be fighting to the death?"
Yuan Zhao's eyes reddened as he looked at Qiao Zhen's arms clinging to Li Luo. He forcefully pried Qiao Zhen's arms off and pulled her away, saying, "Let's go!"
Qiao Zhen turned to look at Li Luo, winking and hinting that Li Luo should come over and coax Yuan Zhao. In her eyes, the fight just now was just a lovers' quarrel; otherwise, why wouldn't they use their inner strength? They should have fought like a Hollywood blockbuster, splashing water everywhere.
But Li Luo winked at Qiao Zhen, then calmly turned away, leaving behind a tall, slender figure.
Qiao Zhen: You guys are bound to break up sooner or later!
Qiao Zhen broke free from Yuan Zhao's hand. "I just hugged Li Luo for a bit, is it really necessary to be so jealous? Your wrist is almost red."
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