Chapter 85: A Slip-Up

Xia Tong exchanged a glance with him, her lips curling into a slight smile as she spoke lightly, “In this world, there’s really no such thing as a perfect solution. What more could the Emperor possibly want now?”

Some things are simply a matter of personal choice. The male lead had chosen the throne back then to avoid offending Gu Qin. Now, what was the point of discussing it? Perhaps he was just feeling embarrassed since he had almost married her.

“I think you know what I want,” he said, his gaze intense.

Xia Tong felt a strange shift in the atmosphere. Suddenly lowering her head, she replied, “I don’t understand, nor do I wish to. It’s getting late, so I’ll take my leave first.”

With that, she turned and exited the room. The shopkeeper quickly followed her, closely guarding her side, fearing any unexpected occurrences.

Watching her graceful figure retreat, Xiao Jing stood with his hands clasped behind him, his gaze deepening. Whatever Gu Qin could offer her, he could too. Why did she look down on him so? Did she really think he was inferior to that traitor?

As soon as they stepped out of the teahouse, Xifeng and Fang Yu returned, seemingly surprised to see the Princess leaving so quickly. Before they could ask anything, they noticed the shopkeeper’s grim expression, suggesting something had happened inside.

Once in the carriage, Xia Tong leaned against the wall while munching on snacks. She asked the people outside, “Xifeng, do you prefer a woman’s beautiful appearance or a personality that matches your own?”

Xia Tong thought for a moment, realizing she didn’t have much else to offer aside from her looks. What was the male lead trying to imply with his cryptic remarks?

Xifeng paused momentarily, unsure how to answer. He glanced at Fang Yu beside him and suddenly said, “While looks are important, a compatible personality is even more crucial. It’s like a dish: a beautiful presentation can enhance it, but in the end, it’s the taste that matters. Otherwise, even the prettiest dish can be hard to swallow if it doesn’t suit your palate.”

Xia Tong was surprised by Xifeng’s deep understanding of this topic. No wonder he managed to win over her Fang Yu. She smiled and chose not to respond. In truth, she liked Gu Qin’s looks, but what she cherished more was his contradictory personality. He often threatened to throw her into a snake pit, yet she was doing just fine now—he just loved to scare her.

The carriage rolled slowly down the bustling street, with pedestrians quickly stepping aside. The material of the carriage made it clear that its occupants were either nobility or royalty, people the commoners could not afford to offend.

Surrounding them were the calls of street vendors, but suddenly, a group of “commoners” emerged from the crowd, brandishing sharp swords, and charged toward the carriage.

“Ah! Assassins!”

The sudden turn of events startled the pedestrians, sending them scattering like frightened birds. Outside the carriage, Xifeng’s expression hardened as he drew his sword, its swift edge slicing through an assassin’s neck, but more attackers continued to swarm in.

Inside, Xia Tong realized what was happening and didn’t dare to look outside. It seemed today was not her lucky day after all.

Xifeng did not leave the carriage, as the hidden guards who had been following quickly emerged to confront the attackers. The assassins couldn’t get close to the carriage. It wasn’t until Fang Yu suddenly cried out and fell that Xifeng immediately leaped forward to catch her.

In that instant, a masked man in black suddenly jumped onto the carriage. As the curtain was abruptly pulled aside, Xia Tong was startled by his sudden appearance. However, when she met his familiar eyes, her expression immediately tensed up.

The black-clad man seemed intent on abducting her, pressing a dagger against her throat. Xia Tong stared at him and suddenly said, “I remember that you still owe me a bet, Your Highness.”

The man’s eyes flickered with surprise. But in the blink of an eye, a sharp blade of energy suddenly pierced toward him. He quickly rolled off the carriage to avoid it.

However, the blade didn’t stop. It slashed across Xia Tong’s arm, leaving a bloody gash. Xifeng’s expression changed dramatically upon seeing this.

Realizing they couldn’t catch her, the assassins began to retreat. Moments later, patrolling guards rushed over, asking if the princess was unharmed upon seeing the bodies scattered on the ground.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen! Damn it!” Xifeng frowned, guilt written all over his face.

As the assassins retreated, Xia Tong let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t mind the wound on her arm, it was just a half-finger-long cut. A quick bandage would suffice. Seeing Xifeng so alarmed, she felt reassured that she was not so fragile after all.

“You can apologize after we return home,” she said.

Hearing this, Xifeng quickly turned the carriage around, but he remained filled with self-reproach for having injured the princess.

Once they returned to the residence, Fang Yu hastily bandaged her wound. By the time the residence doctor arrived, Gu Qin followed closely behind. His face darkened upon seeing the bandages on Xia Tong’s arm.

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy. The doctor trembled as he reported, “Your Highness, the princess only suffered some superficial injuries, and they are not serious. As long as she avoids water, the wounds will scab over in no time.”

“Just superficial injuries?” Gu Qin shot a cold glance at the gathered people, his voice dripping with disdain. “A bunch of useless fools!”

“I deserve to die!” Xifeng immediately knelt, followed by the hidden guards. Even Fang Yu and Qing’er dropped to their knees. Xia Tong felt a chill run down her spine, realizing that she would never be allowed to leave the residence again after this incident.

“Get out,” Gu Qin said, unwilling to look at them any longer.

Understanding that punishment was inevitable, the group quietly withdrew. When only the two of them remained in the room, Xia Tong shrank back in fear, not daring to speak. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to plead for Xifeng, she was simply too concerned about her own safety.

As Gu Qin stepped closer to the bed, he looked at the timid woman and pulled her injured arm gently. His gaze was inscrutable. “I should have gone out with you today.”

To her surprise, he didn’t blame her but instead seemed to be reproaching himself. Xia Tong quickly shook her head in guilt and grasped his warm hand, saying softly, “I was being foolish. I knew it wasn’t safe outside and should have thought twice before leaving. For the child’s sake, even if I have to stay in for ten months, I can manage. Don’t worry, I won’t think about going out again.”

Her small face was filled with self-reproach. Gu Qin’s eyes flashed, he understood that she was more responsive to gentleness than force. With this, she surely wouldn’t want to leave the residence anymore.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, lightly stroking the layer of white gauze, his voice softening. This woman never made it easy for him.

Xia Tong moved closer, nestled against him, and murmured, “I’m not that fragile.”

Suddenly recalling something, she lifted her head and said, “I saw Xiao Ming. He was trying to abduct me, but luckily, Xifeng drove him off. So could you be a little lenient with his punishment?”

Xia Tong knew that Gu Qin had to manage his subordinates, but she was aware of his ruthless methods. If he went too far, even Xifeng wouldn’t be able to bear it. Moreover, Xiao Ming was truly despicable. Last time he had tried to abduct her wasn’t enough, and now he wanted to try again. It seemed she would have to stay in the residence for the next few months. Doing nothing was better than losing her life.

“If anyone can approach you, what use are they to me?” Gu Qin’s expression turned slightly cold.

Xia Tong hung her head, feeling that his words carried a deeper meaning.

Sure enough, in the next moment, he suddenly pulled her away, his expression serious, and his thin lips parted slightly. “What did you talk about with him today?”