Chapter 20

He still maintained a gentle and refined appearance, but his inner strength and gloominess had already begun to show in front of Sang Yin.

Sang Yin couldn’t help but start to doubt whether it was a correct decision to let Sang Yao follow him in the first place.

But now that things had come to this, it seemed that there was no room for going back.

Forget it.

Sang Yin tightened his grip on the wine glass and thought to himself that Lu Ting probably just suddenly wanted to see Sang Yao. Anyway, the matter had already been settled, and he was not an outsider. If Lu Ting wanted to see her, so be it.

It wasn’t a big deal. No one was consistent in their actions and words. If he were to confront Lu Ting over this matter alone, it really wouldn’t be worth it.

It was already late in the evening.

Sang Yao had already gone to sleep. However, the attendant by her father’s side suddenly returned home and asked her to go to the Magpie Terrace to meet Lu Ting.

The timing of this invitation was indeed very strange. However, since the messenger was an attendant by her father’s side, it meant that her father probably couldn’t refuse. The situation was urgent, and although Sang Yao was anxious, she still followed.

The night market was busier than she had imagined. When she arrived at the door of the Magpie Terrace, the attendant raised his hand and said, “Miss, please.”

Sang Yao rarely visited such places of revelry and felt somewhat uncomfortable. She did not enter directly.

It was at this moment that she suddenly felt someone watching her and subconsciously looked up.

She met Lu Ting’s gaze.

He was standing upstairs, looking down at her, with bright lights behind him. He raised his glass and his eyes contained a mysterious smile as he nodded at her from afar.

Sang Yao avoided his gaze and followed the attendant inside.

As she ascended the stairs, it only took a moment for Sang Yao to reach the two men. She first looked at Sang Yin, but he pursed his lips, and his face didn’t look good. Sang Yao’s heart skipped a beat.

“Yao Yao, you’ve finally come.”

Lu Ting spoke first, his tone slightly flirtatious due to the alcohol. Sang Yao suppressed her discomfort and obediently greeted Lu Ting.

Sang Yin took the opportunity to point to the seat beside him and said, “Your Highness still remembers you. He said the moon is beautiful tonight and invited you to admire it together. Come, please sit down.”

Sang Yao nodded and was about to take a step forward when she heard Lu Ting say, “Yao Yao.”

Sang Yao turned around and saw Lu Ting smiling as he patted the round stool next to him, saying, “Come sit beside me. From here, the moon looks especially beautiful.”

He didn’t even ask, but directly gave the order.

Sang Yao pursed her lips, her legs stiff.

But after hesitating for a moment, she still turned around and sat down beside Lu Ting.

She comforted herself, thinking it wasn’t a big deal. Sooner or later, she would have to get used to this man. Today, she would just consider it an early exercise.

As soon as she sat down, Lu Ting leaned over. Sang Yao couldn’t avoid it, and the man almost leaned on her arm.

He raised his hand and picked up a glass of wine, pouring it for Sang Yao himself. The wine was clear and slowly poured into the cup.

The man’s voice sounded clear in her ears, accompanied by his strong alcohol scent, “Yao Yao, this wine is good. Have a taste.”

Sang Yao stiffly murmured in agreement and then held the wine glass in her hand.

Sang Yin hesitated and said, “Your Highness, Yao Yao has never touched alcohol since she was young. I think it’s better…”

Lu Ting interrupted him, his expression gentle but his tone somewhat displeased, “Master Sang, why so many objections tonight?”

He smiled, still very close to Sang Yao, and said softly, “Since Yao Yao belongs to me, I naturally have a sense of propriety.”

Sang Yao had never felt so uncomfortable. The cup was icy, and she listened to Lu Ting’s seemingly ambiguous words, feeling uncomfortable all over.

What does he mean, “belongs to him”? It’s too early to say that now.

Sang Yin closed his mouth, his face becoming even worse.

Lu Ting, pretending to be affectionate, said a few words to Sang Yao, and Sang Yao forcefully suppressed her resistance and embarrassment, softly agreeing.

This innocent and obedient appearance greatly pleased Lu Ting. Her nervousness did not offend him; those unintentionally revealed emotions were vivid on her delicate and charming face.

He wanted to caress and destroy her.

Indeed, she was worthy of being the woman he had singled out at a glance.

Lu Ting’s gaze was completely unabashed. He raised his hand to cover Sang Yao’s hand on the wine glass. Sang Yao instinctively wanted to pull away, but then remembered her current situation and forced herself to endure.

But the man began to knead her little finger, and this feeling was suffocating. It was as if when picking flowers, his hand touched a large green caterpillar. She felt extremely suffocated.

In the end, she couldn’t help it and subtly avoided him, her voice tinged with panic, “Your Highness…”

Lu Ting grasped her wrist.

Why does he like to touch her so much!

She looked panic-stricken, her mouth pouting, and looked at Sang Yin for help.

Before Sang Yin could speak to stop him, as if knowing what Sang Yin was going to say, Lu Ting said slowly, “Master Sang, didn’t you say you still have matters to attend to and need to leave early tonight? Go ahead, I’ll take care of Yao Yao.”

Sang Yao was stunned, and even forgot to resist.

Lu Ting’s intentions are unclear, but it seems he is suggesting something inappropriate.

Sang Yin’s expression also froze, unable to believe what he had heard. “Your Highness, what do you mean by this?”

The redness on Lu Ting’s face had not yet faded. He had drunk quite a bit tonight, but he was not out of his senses. The voices of those women just now had indeed piqued his interest, so he had impulsively called Sang Yao over.

Mixed with alcohol, the woman beside him was at the peak of her attraction to him at this moment.

Sang Yao would sooner or later be in his pocket; these few days didn’t matter at all.

He suppressed his eagerness and almost explicitly said, “Master Sang, rest assured, I will personally send Yao Yao back tomorrow morning.”

With these words, how could Sang Yao not understand?

She widened her eyes, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion and fear. Lu Ting could actually say such things. She opened her mouth and whispered to Sang Yin, “Father…”

Sang Yin’s face was livid, gritting his teeth as he said, “Your Highness, please be cautious with your words.”

“Master Sang, don’t be nervous. I will definitely do as I say.”

Before Lu Ting could finish, Sang Yin suddenly stood up, knocking over the wine glass in front of him, which shattered on the ground with a loud noise.

The atmosphere became extremely tense. Lu Ting’s voice stopped abruptly, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Sang Yin’s face, which often carried a cautious or flattering expression, was now extremely dark. He reached out to Sang Yao and said, “Yao Yao, come here to me.”

Sang Yao forcibly broke free from his hand, stood up, and hid behind Sang Yin.

“What do you mean by this, Master Sang?”

Sang Yin said, “Your Highness, I do have some business today, so I won’t accompany you any longer.”

Lu Ting stared at Sang Yin’s face, looking displeased. “What are you and your daughter doing? Have you forgotten that Sang Yao is supposed to be my concubine?”

Although Sang Yao often said she was Lu Ting’s concubine, in reality, her status as a secondary wife was much higher than that of a concubine. Even if Lu Ting was a prince, she would not actually become his concubine. Lu Ting’s words showed that he completely disregarded Sang Yao.

Sang Yao tightened her grip on Sang Yin’s sleeve, not wanting to face it anymore. “Father, let’s go.”

Lu Ting adjusted his clothes and said, “I’m telling you, don’t forget, after all, Sang Yao will ultimately be mine—”

Lu Ting was abruptly punched in the face.

With a bang, Sang Yao even heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh.

Sang Yao screamed in shock, her mind blank, and the scene immediately became chaotic.

Because Sang Yin’s action was sudden, the attendants around Lu Ting did not react in time. Two or three of them rushed out and grabbed Sang Yin.

Sang Yin put all his strength into that punch, and his knuckles were even starting to bleed. His face was red as he said, “Do you still think my daughter can’t do without you?”

Lu Ting fell to the ground, spitting out blood, and touched his lips, not reacting for a moment.

Sang Yin’s chest heaved, enduring for a long time before finally saying, “You still dare to dream of becoming the Crown Prince. Dream on! Bah!”

With that, Sang Yin turned and left with Sang Yao.

She followed Sang Yin passively, and the two of them walked away quickly, leaving the Magpie Terrace behind.

It wasn’t until they were on the carriage that Sang Yao hadn’t recovered from the shock. Her face was blank, feeling like she was dreaming.

Sang Yin sat beside her, breathing heavily, obviously furious.

Sang Yao couldn’t believe how things had turned out.

As the carriage slowly moved, the night breeze seeped in, dissipating the alcohol and calming them down.

Sang Yao’s face was pale, her mind filled with despair.

Sang Yin patted her hand and said, “Don’t be afraid. In the future, don’t pay any attention to him.”

Sang Yao murmured, “Father, is everything really okay?”

Sang Yin said, “It’s fine.”

But Sang Yao lowered her gaze and saw that Sang Yin’s hand, which had just hit someone, was trembling slightly.

Sang Yao silently looked away, realizing the seriousness of the situation. She couldn’t help but shed tears uncontrollably. She wiped away her tears and said, “Father… how about you go first, and I’ll go back to apologize to him.”

Sang Yin frowned and showed a look of disappointment. “Why are you so weak-willed?”

He waved his hand, turned his face away, and said, “The punch has been thrown. It’s embarrassing enough. He won’t spread this everywhere. Don’t worry, go back and have a good sleep.”

“I’ve had too much to drink tonight. I’ll rest for a while. Don’t disturb me.”

Sang Yao didn’t dare to speak again. Only the sound of the carriage wheels turning could be heard inside the carriage.

Sang Yao knew her father hadn’t fallen asleep. His fists were still clenched tightly, his neck stiff. This was how he behaved when he was nervous.

Sang Yin was not a straightforward person. On the contrary, his ability to swim in the court these years was related to his flattering nature.

In the eyes of those clean officials, her father, besides never being corrupt or killing anyone, was not much different from a villain. He was accommodating to those above him and exerted pressure on those below him. When he was in power, he was very imposing, and when he was down, he could smile at anyone. Such a person who lifts up and puts down others is not likable.

Sang Yin had taught her since she was young that when encountering someone formidable, you must get out of trouble early; a little humiliation won’t cost you anything. Think long-term; go after big opportunities, butter up where needed, and avoid making enemies.

Her father had practiced these principles for years.

So, this was the first time Sang Yin had retaliated so fiercely against someone they couldn’t afford to provoke.

Sang Yao pulled her clothes tightly and leaned against Sang Yin, feeling panicked and helpless. But she dared not show it, only silently shedding tears.

Her father didn’t say it, but she knew that Lu Ting would seek revenge. This matter would definitely not end well.

The Sang family was not powerful, and their position in court was not stable. If Lu Ting really wanted to deal with her father, they had no way to resist.

Silent all the way, after returning to the Sang residence, Sang Yin hastily exchanged a few words with Sang Yao and then left.

Sang Yao looked at her father’s silent figure and returned to her room without saying a word.

She didn’t sleep all night.

The next day, Sang Yin went to court as usual.

Sang Yao was always uneasy, but fortunately, in the following days, there was no news from the court.

Just when Sang Yao thought this matter might pass, an old case from several years ago when Sang Yin was still the magistrate of Xunshan was suddenly brought up.

The censors accused him of neglecting his duties, and the Emperor was originally going to demote him to Danzhou. However, Lu Ting intervened, saying that there were still doubts about this matter, so it would be better to detain him first and discuss it after the investigation was cleared.

The Emperor agreed on the spot and ordered Lu Ting to take full responsibility.

For the Sang family, this was a bolt from the blue.

When the news came, Sang Yao was sitting in the courtyard in a daze. By the time she learned about it, the mansion was already in chaos.

Ran Dong didn’t know the inside story and was still comforting Sang Yao, “Miss, don’t worry. Thanks to His Highness’s mediation, the master has always been upright in his actions. His Highness will definitely clear the master’s name.”

“It’s also thanks to the engagement between you and His Highness…”

But things were not so simple.

Lu Ting’s actions were too obvious. Even if Sang Yao was not very clever on weekdays, she realized his intentions today.

He didn’t choose to directly deal with her father but left room for maneuver.

But what did Lu Ting want?

It wasn’t hard to guess.

He just wanted to tell them that he, Lu Ting, could easily control them. When they turned away and left, openly disrespecting him, Lu Ting was forcing them to admit their mistakes.

Sang Yao clenched her fingers in silence.

In circles, if she wanted to save her father, she had to beg him.

And as for how to beg, there was only one way.

Back then, when he wanted, she didn’t give in. Now he was making her go begging for his favor.