Chapter 41: Honey Trap

When their eyes met, Xia Tong drew back her head somewhat unnaturally and took a sip of tea. She didn’t know why the villain could say such a thing. Didn’t his conscience hurt?

He often withheld food from her and threatened to throw her to the snakes. How was that “not letting her suffer”?

“But that… that guy with the big square face…” she mumbled, glancing up with a hint of hope in her eyes.

Gu Qin lightly stroked the jade wine cup in his hand and glanced at her indifferently. “What do you want?”

“N-nothing much… It’s just that he’s really annoying. Maybe you could transfer him to guard the city gate?” Xia Tong’s eyes lit up, but she quickly coughed to hide her excitement.

Gu Qin remained silent. Just then, the butler’s voice came from outside the room. “Your Highness, Lord Zhang requests an urgent audience.”

Xia Tong was surprised that someone in court dared to openly associate with the villain. Not wanting to disturb them, she quickly stood up and softly said, “Then I will take my leave first.”

She hadn’t expected Gu Qin to stand up for her anyway. A little complaint was enough for now. As she exited the room, Xifeng was still standing tall, guarding the door. Xia Tong glanced at him, adjusted her hair, and headed back to her courtyard.

On the way, she encountered a burly, bearded man following behind the butler. He was likely Lord Zhang, whom the butler had mentioned. With just one look at his build, Xia Tong could tell he was a military general. The two exchanged a glance, and Xia Tong hurried her pace to leave quickly.

Watching the graceful young woman walk away, Zhang Quan couldn’t help but look at the butler with confusion. “Why is there a woman in the regent’s residence?”

He remembered the prince had always been indifferent to women.

The butler smiled and explained, “Lord Zhang, you’ve just returned to the capital and may not know. That was the eldest daughter of the Xiahou family, the prince’s newly married princess.”

The butler then lowered his voice and added, “The princess is deeply favored by the prince. You’ll understand more in time.”

Hearing this, Zhang Quan frowned and glanced again at the woman walking away. Why had the prince married someone from the Xiahou family…?

*

Back in her room, fortunately, Fang Yu had already returned. Outside, Hongxue was still guarding the door with a vigilant expression. Xia Tong had many questions but pretended she wanted to take a nap and asked the others to close the door.

Inside the bedchamber, Fang Yu glanced around cautiously before pulling out an object wrapped in black cloth from under the bed, her expression serious.

“Why were you gone so long?” Xia Tong quickly took the item and asked curiously.

Fang Yu glanced at the windows and whispered, “On my way back, I ran into the crown princess. She asked about the master’s recent situation, so I was delayed for some time.”

The bundle was quite large. As Xia Tong sat on the soft couch and rummaged through it, she couldn’t help but scoff. That fake friend still remembered her, but with her limited intelligence, how could she ever outsmart the heroine?

Inside the bundle were several account books and a map. Xia Tong didn’t recognize the location, and the account books contained key evidence of the villain’s corruption over the years—land grabs, elimination of rivals, and personal profiteering. These were already well-known and hardly a secret.

The most important item was a letter, written in hurried, messy handwriting, likely due to an urgent situation. Its contents revealed that the villain had been secretly raising and stockpiling troops with the intent to rebel.

Xia Tong glanced at the map and began to understand its significance. It wasn’t surprising the heroine had obtained such critical evidence. No wonder the villain wanted her dead.

“Master, what are you going to do?” Fang Yu asked in a low voice.

Xia Tong felt like she was holding a hot potato—she couldn’t throw it away, but keeping it was dangerous too. The villain hadn’t yet tried to kill her, so there was no need to take risks with the heroine. However, holding onto these items was like keeping a ticking time bomb, one that would eventually blow her to pieces.

“I must save her, but I can’t hand over this evidence. If the prince is implicated, I won’t be spared either. Unless the prince wants to take action against the Xiahou family, we can only pretend that we have never seen this thing.”

Hiding them in any obvious place wouldn’t work. After searching for a while, Xia Tong decided to stash the items in a secret compartment where she kept her personal garments. No maid would dare touch her cabinet, especially not the hidden compartment only she used. No one would be so perverted as to search through her undergarments.

“How do you plan to save Miss Shen?” Fang Yu whispered, her eyes cautiously watching the door.

Xia Tong, equally troubled, relayed Xiao Ming’s message to her.

Hearing this, Fang Yu suddenly leaned closer and whispered, “Tomorrow is the annual Lantern Festival. Why not take the prince out for a walk? That way, you’ll avoid any commotion in the residence. Even if the prince rushes back, it will be too late.”

Xia Tong leaned back on the soft couch, pondering for a moment. The problem was, how could a villain like him agree to go out with her? That would only happen if it rained red from the sky.

But, she had to try. To save the heroine, Xia Tong felt she had no choice. It seemed the only option was to try using a honey trap!

The next day, the cold wind still howled, and dark clouds loomed over the horizon. Outside the study, everything was as solemn and strict as always. Xifeng was giving orders to the guards, all of whom nodded seriously with tense expressions. From a distance, the residence was so well guarded that not even a fly could get through.

Yet, as a striking figure slowly approached, the guards’ attention shifted.

The woman had delicate, arched eyebrows and soft, red lips. Her elegant hairstyle was adorned with subtle ornaments, making her even more charming. She wore a graceful cherry-red gown embroidered with delicate cloud patterns, her appearance gentle and captivating. As the breeze blew, her light brocade cloak fluttered gently, creating a picturesque scene amidst the autumn hues, one that was hard to look away from.

The princess was indeed quite beautiful. No wonder the prince doted on her so much. For a moment, the crowd couldn’t help but secretly sigh in their hearts.

Xifeng cast an unusual glance at the princess—had she finally learned how to please the prince?

Leaving Fang Yu outside, Xia Tong quietly pushed open the door, first poking her head in to take a look. She saw the man at the desk, focused on writing something, his expression serious and meticulous. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and stepped inside.

As she closed the door, it creaked softly, but the man at the desk remained unmoved.

Xia Tong swallowed nervously, then awkwardly approached him. She stood beside the desk, expertly grinding the ink as she softly asked, “Is Your Highness feeling tired?”

The gentle voice sounded close to his ear, accompanied by a faint fragrance. Used to women trying to flatter him without reason, Gu Qin didn’t even lift his head. He simply had no time to entertain her today.

Seeing that he completely ignored her, Xia Tong felt a bit defeated. She moved behind him, tentatively placing her hands on his shoulders, massaging them lightly as she continued in a soft voice, “These matters are endless. No matter how important they are, your health should come first. Without any time to relax, you’ll wear yourself out sooner or later.”

Her restless little hands made it impossible for him to focus on a single word. Gu Qin suddenly raised his head, locking eyes with a delicate face flushed like peach blossoms. His expression subtly changed.

Their eyes met, and Xia Tong was startled. The “honey trap” she had meticulously planned vanished from her mind.

“Are you trying to seduce me?” His gaze darkened, sweeping over her exquisite features.

Xia Tong, caught off guard by such bluntness, stumbled over her words in panic, hastily explaining, “I’m only concerned for Your Highness. If you say it like that, how will I ever dare speak to you again?”

Gu Qin’s expression remained unchanged, his lips barely parting as he said, “Get to the point.”

Clearing her throat awkwardly, Xia Tong went straight to the point: “I heard there’s a lantern festival today. I was hoping we could go together.”

As she spoke, she shyly lowered her head, the pink beads on her hairpin swaying, catching the prince’s eye. Gu Qin’s brow twitched slightly before he suddenly pulled her into his arms, wrapping an arm around her waist. His hand rested gently but firmly on her soft waist, his tone light but carrying weight. “For those who don’t tell the truth…”

“Actually—” Xia Tong’s expression shifted. Though she was clearly uncomfortable with this posture, she blushed and stammered, “People… they all say I’m not favored by Your Highness. If we go together… no one will say that anymore.”

Surrounded by his masculine scent and with his hand resting on her waist, Xia Tong’s face flushed crimson. She was so nervous that she didn’t know where to place her hands.

She felt that she was sacrificing too much to save the heroine—her dignity was being thoroughly trampled.

In the quiet study, an ambiguous atmosphere hung in the air. The man continued to knead her soft waist, his gaze deep and intense. He lowered his head, staring into her eyes that kept darting away nervously, his voice steady and piercing. “Why do you think I would go with you?”