Chapter 66: Teasing

Xia Tong stared at the impeccably dressed man in front of her with a look of disbelief, her small hands clenched into fists. Clearly, his initial display of self-restraint had been an act!

Taking a deep breath, she bit her lower lip in frustration and chose to remain silent, reluctantly accepting the situation. She glanced down at the street performers, initially wanting to throw down a silver ingot. However, realizing her aim wouldn’t be precise enough, she decided to push a silver ingot toward the man beside her, signaling him with her eyes.

Without lifting his head, the man moved his fingers slightly, and suddenly, a silver ingot dropped into a plate already filled with broken coins on the performance stage. The sound of it hitting the plate rang out like a distant bell, causing the crowd to look around, curious to see who had been so generous.

Xia Tong felt a pang of envy at his accuracy. Just as she noticed Shen Xin was about to leave, she gritted her teeth and turned to the man beside her. “I… I’m going down to buy some candied hawthorn.”

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Xia Tong quickly slipped out, her urgency making her feel a bit anxious. Perhaps because he was afraid that something might happen to the princess, Xifeng at the door followed her slowly.

Once outside the teahouse, she spotted the familiar figure in pale purple ahead and rushed up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Sister Shen!”

Shen Xin paused and turned around, her gaze meeting Xia Tong’s familiar face, though her attention quickly shifted to Xifeng standing behind her.

Noticing Shen Xin’s focus, Xia Tong turned slowly as well. When she saw Xifeng had followed her, she whispered, “Go buy me a candied hawthorn.”

Xifeng frowned, casting a wary glance at Shen Xin but ultimately obeyed the request of the princess and stepped back.

“You came out with Gu Qin?” Shen Xin asked.

Xia Tong said nothing, which was her way of agreeing.

Seeing this, Shen Xin looked around before suddenly pulling her arm and leading her into a secluded alley, where she began recounting everything she had seen and heard the previous night.

Upon hearing this, Xia Tong was taken aback. She hadn’t expected the heroine to truly know what had happened last night, and it was shocking to learn that Gu Qin had been ruthlessly controlling the old emperor with opium. No wonder the emperor had been so lenient with Gu Qin’s actions.

“This person is ruthless and will stop at nothing. I’m worried that staying close to him will put you in danger. You need to stay alert. Also… how did such a massive fire break out at the Xia residence last night?”

Shen Xin fixed her gaze intently on Xia Tong’s face. Many people had died in the Xia residence fire, yet there was no trace of sorrow on Xia Tong’s face, indicating that there was something fishy about the incident.

Xia Tong adjusted her fox fur coat, lowered her head, and said softly, “It’s a long story and a family scandal that shouldn’t be aired in public. It’s better if you don’t know, Sister Shen.”

This wasn’t a pleasant matter, and she didn’t want to bring it up again.

Even if she didn’t speak, Shen Xin could guess part of it. Among the noble families, things were never as peaceful as they appeared. The Xia family had a history of wrongdoing, how could that traitor let the others go just because of Xia Tong?

Gripping her slender arm, Shen Xin adopted a serious expression. “The old emperor left behind a decree stating that after his death, he would pass the throne to the crown prince while banishing other influential princes to remote areas. He’s effectively paved the way for the crown prince, so he won’t bear the blame for suppressing his brothers. Xiao Ming is already planning to unite with the other princes to fight back. As long as that traitor doesn’t interfere, he has a good chance of success.”

Their eyes met, and Xia Tong was momentarily speechless. She hadn’t expected the plot to take another turn. This was how it was in the original story as well—the second male lead united with other princes to oppose the male lead and almost succeeded. After all, the second male lead was cunning and never took on a challenge without confidence. But in the end, he lost because of the heroine. However, this time the heroine was on the second male lead’s side, making the outcome uncertain.

Back then, the villain had merely taken advantage of the chaos and hadn’t helped either side. It was only when the male lead began to suppress him that he took action, but of course, the villain could never compete with the male lead’s aura. Now, how would the plot develop in this situation?

“Sister Shen, since you say you’re just ordinary friends with the Fifth Prince, why wade into these murky waters? I’ve already persuaded the prince not to kill you, but you know that whoever takes the throne won’t spare the prince. So no matter what, I’ll stand by his side. I don’t want us to become enemies, do you understand?”

After speaking, Xia Tong gave her a deep look before turning back to the teahouse. Since a rebellion was inevitable, she thought it best to let the two of them suffer heavy losses. Whichever side won would be severely weakened, making it easier for Gu Qin to take advantage of the situation. She believed in taking action when necessary. The old emperor had little time left. There was no reason to delay, especially with that cunning old tutor being a hassle.

Upon returning to the teahouse, she casually took the sugar-coated hawthorn sticks that Xifeng had bought and smiled, “I’ll ask the prince to raise your monthly salary next time.”

Xifeng’s expression changed, turning pale.

After taking a bite of the sugar-coated hawthorn, the coldness made her teeth hurt. Xia Tong quickly spat it out onto her handkerchief and sipped some hot tea to warm up.

“In a few days, let’s invite your fathers over.”

A faint male voice suddenly rang out beside her. Xia Tong turned to see the man still engrossed in his book. In just a few days, it would be New Year’s Eve, and it was indeed time for families to reunite.

Shifting her gaze, she leaned closer, looking at him eagerly. “Everyone gets gifts during the New Year, I want one too.”

The man seemed not to have heard her at all, not even glancing in her direction. Xia Tong pouted, feeling quite angry. She had never seen such an unromantic man. He had no sense of romance whatsoever.

She had originally planned to embroider a nightgown for him, but now it seemed unnecessary.

After spending only a little time in the teahouse, they headed back. Gu Qin returned to the study while Xia Tong stayed in her room, eating her lunch. However, Qing’er brought her some news.

“Today, the clan leader sent someone to look for you, but you weren’t at home. That person left without seeing you. I wonder what the clan leader wanted. Should we go visit him?” Qing’er asked earnestly.

Wrapped in a blanket, Xia Tong leaned back against the soft couch, reading a book while nibbling on pastries. She replied lightly, “No need. It’ll be fine to visit him after the New Year.”

The incident at the Xia residence was a devastating blow to the entire clan. The Xia family’s foundation had suffered greatly and was now inferior to other noble families. It was no wonder the clan leader was anxious. Although the people of the Xia residence had acted unjustly, the others in the clan had not followed the old matriarch’s lead. Moreover, her father was also a member of the Xia family. If the clan leader and the others were willing to submit to Gu Qin, that would be the best outcome.

“That’s true. As long as you speak to the prince, he will surely take care of the rest of the clan,” Qing’er said with a smile.

But suddenly recalling something, she leaned in mysteriously and said, “I heard that Princess Changyang is returning to the capital.”

Taking a bite of osmanthus cake, Xia Tong glanced sideways, “Which Princess Changyang?”

At this, Fang Yu, who was organizing the wardrobe nearby, couldn’t help but laugh. “Princess Changyang is the emperor’s most beloved princess. She was once supposed to be betrothed to the prince. However, Princess Changyang’s mother, Concubine Liu, fell ill suddenly and passed away a year ago. Therefore, Princess Changyang asked to go to the royal tomb to observe a year of mourning. Calculating the days, she should be returning to the capital soon.”

“And I heard that Princess Changyang is extremely beautiful and exceptionally talented. If Concubine Liu hadn’t fallen ill suddenly, who knows if she would have really married the prince,” she added.

Qing’er wore a somewhat resentful expression. “But now that you’ve become the princess, it’s evident that you and the prince are truly fated.”

Taking a hearty bite of osmanthus cake, Xia Tong frowned and said nothing. She didn’t expect that this villain had a scandal in the past. Now that it was mentioned, she recalled that there had indeed been a princess in the book who had informed the villain, betraying the male lead. As for what happened next, she couldn’t quite remember.

“You just know how to talk nonsense. Don’t mislead the master.” Fang Yu shook her head as she passed by Qing’er with a stack of laundry.

Once she finished speaking, Qing’er immediately fell silent, and Xia Tong continued to read without saying a word. She wasn’t worried. If something had happened, they would have known about it by now.

However, that evening, a maid came to relay a message asking her to go to the Hot Spring Hall. Xia Tong suddenly remembered her promise to Gu Qin.

There was no escaping. She felt anxious as she followed to the Hot Spring Hall. Outside, Xifeng stood tall and straight, ignoring the biting cold wind. No one could match his dedication.

Noticing this, she hesitated before entering and waved him over to the side, whispering, “In an hour, you need to loudly remind the princess that it’s time for her medicine.”

Xifeng looked at her with a serious expression. He was worried that if he spoke up, the prince would have his skin flayed.

Seeing his silence, Xia Tong handed the lantern to Qing’er, asking her to move a bit further away. Then she leaned in and whispered, “Missing the time for taking medicine would be bad. I believe the prince won’t blame you for it. Also, if you help me with this, I’ll help you get closer to Fang Yu. How does that sound?”

Xia Tong wore a knowing smile. She wasn’t foolish, she could see that Xifeng had been visiting Fang Yu for a reason. If she didn’t intervene, her own position could be compromised.

Upon hearing her, Xifeng’s expression grew more serious. After hesitating, he finally nodded. He figured he could always say it was the princess who had threatened him into doing it.

Satisfied with his agreement, Xia Tong smiled and pushed the door open to enter. A thick mist enveloped her as she walked in, and she spotted a figure by the pool, casually leaning against the wall while reading. The sight of his bare upper body made Xia Tong blush, and she quickly closed the door and lowered her head as she approached.

In the hazy mist, she moved slowly, her pink floor-length skirt swaying gently as if she were worried about something.

“Come here.”

Taking a deep breath, Xia Tong gathered her courage and walked over. From her angle, the man’s well-defined physique was on full display, with chiseled abs almost tempting her to act against her better judgment.

Without looking at her, the man leaned against the wall and said lightly, “Rub my back.”

Xia Tong immediately sighed in relief and hurriedly dampened a towel from the table. Rolling up her sleeves, she began to scrub his back diligently, her face focused with determination.

“Aren’t we supposed to attend the New Year’s Eve banquet in a few days? Can’t we skip it? I don’t want to go out in this cold,” she suddenly said as if recalling something.

At her words, the man frowned, his tone displeased. “Haven’t you eaten?”

Xia Tong: “…”

Gritting her teeth, she exerted all her strength, scrubbing his back fiercely. The heat from inside the room made her fair forehead bead with sweat.

The man continued reading, his sharp features displaying no emotion. Suddenly, his lips parted slightly, “Harder.”

Xia Tong felt like she might faint but had no choice but to comply.

“Left side.”

“……”

“Above.”

“……”

“Hurry up.”

Biting her lower lip tightly, her face flushed bright red, and in a fit of frustration, she threw the towel aside and exclaimed, “You… you’re bullying me!”

How shameless! He was clearly teasing her on purpose!

The towel splashed into the water, and Gu Qin turned his head, casually sweeping his gaze over her flushed face, raising an eyebrow, “How am I bullying you?”

Their eyes met, and Xia Tong felt her eyes well up with anger. How could he say such lewd things and not consider it bullying?

“You’re shameless! I’m leaving! Kill whoever you want, it’s none of my business! Hmph!”

She shot him a furious glare and turned to leave, but before she could take a step, her wrist was suddenly yanked, and she found herself splashing into the warm water, creating waves all around.

Choking on several mouthfuls of water, she was abruptly pressed against the surface of the pool. She looked into his deep, dark eyes filled with a strong desire.

Swallowing hard, the man’s large hand brushed against her soft body, his voice low and heavy, “You’ve gained weight.”