Seeing the ambiguous look in their eyes, Yu Xinruo couldn’t help but give each of them a light smack on the head and scolded with a smile, “You two little rascals, if you think Du Qiuluan is a good catch, you should know I’m no pushover either. With your behavior, someone might think I’ve been taken advantage of!”
Xiao Li giggled shyly and said, “I’m just thinking of Young Master Qu. That Du Shao is really something. He’s coming again tonight, so for Young Master Qu’s sake, you must resist the temptation, Miss.”
Xing’er burst into laughter and said, “Xiao Li, Miss knows her own limits. You’re so anxious. Should we send you to accompany Du Shao tonight instead?”
Xiao Li quickly shook her head, “No, thank you. I don’t have Miss’s self-control.”
“Alright, stop joking around. Go and prepare breakfast for me,” Yu Xinruo instructed.
After sending the two maidservants away, Yu Xinruo sat down, unable to stop thinking about Qu Yao’s cold and moon-like handsome face. After just a day apart, she was already missing him. She decided to write a letter to send to the Qu residence.
That evening, Du Qiuluan indeed came again, wearing a white robe embroidered with green bamboo and holding a fan adorned with blue bamboo. He looked both dashing and refined, and his devilishly handsome face still carried that charming, flirtatious smile, leaving Xiao Li and the other maidservants in a daze.
Yu Xinruo couldn’t help but be impressed. This guy was truly a heartthrob; he looked captivating no matter what he wore.
With a light flick of his fan, Du Qiuluan gave Yu Xinruo an ambiguous smile and said, “Xiao Ruoruo, tonight we can have a cozy time together again.”
Yu Xinruo rolled her eyes and said, “If Young Master Du is so rich he doesn’t know what to do with his money, I wouldn’t mind spending the night with you every day. However, tonight’s fee will be doubled.” She held up two fingers and wiggled them in front of him. “Twenty thousand taels of gold.”
The onlookers gasped in surprise. They had never seen someone exploit their master so openly.
To their surprise, Du Qiuluan smiled calmly and said, “Twenty thousand taels it is. I’ve got more money than I know what to do with, and besides, it’s for my woman, Xiao Ruoruo. Why not?”
Yu Xinruo’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. “Young Master Du, please understand. I, Yu Xinruo, am not one of your courtesans, nor can I be bought.”
Du Qiuluan blinked his captivating eyes and said nonchalantly, “That’s fine. Whether you feel you’re not worthy of me is your business. As long as I think you’re worth it, that’s enough. Let’s save our conversation for the bed later. I’ll go ahead, and Xiao Ruoruo, hurry up and join me. Don’t make me wait too long.”
With that, he took advantage of Yu Xinruo’s distraction to steal a kiss on her cheek, then, with a mischievous grin, walked toward the royal suite in the back hall.
Yu Xinruo was first stunned, then fuming. She wiped her face vigorously under the astonished gazes of the others, cursing silently, “Rogue!”
“Endless dreams, just empty longing.”
Qu Yao looked at the two lines of poetry on the note and couldn’t help but smile. “Did the princess really send this to me?”
“Yes,” the maidservant replied respectfully.
Qu Yao’s heart was instantly filled with joy. He had been missing her all day. After a moment’s contemplation, he stood up and instructed, “Tell Qu Ping to prepare the horses. I’m going to the princess’s residence.”
The maidservant looked surprised. “Young Master, it’s quite late, and you’ve just returned from the palace. Going to the princess’s residence now might be exhausting for you.”
Qu Yao waved his hand. “It’s fine. Just have the carriage ready.” Knowing she was thinking of him, he wished he could fly to her side immediately.
Soon, the carriage was ready, and Qu Yao, without even having dinner, hurriedly set off for the princess’s residence.
After some time, he finally arrived at the princess’s residence.
Qu Yao got out of the carriage and saw the sign that read “Former Empress’s Inn” and was slightly surprised. Although Yu Xinruo had mentioned turning the grand princess’s residence into an inn, seeing it in person was still shocking. Her audacity was remarkable.
The guest hall was brightly lit. Xiao Li and Xing’er were gossiping with several maidservants about Du Qiuluan’s flirtatious exploits when they suddenly saw Qu Yao enter. They were taken aback and stared at him in shock.
“Where is the princess? I’d like to see her,” Qu Yao asked, puzzled by their shocked reactions but not dwelling on it.
“Um,” Xing’er hesitated for a moment, then approached with a smile. “Young Master Qu, it’s so late. Why have you come? Please have a seat. I’ll bring you some good tea.”
Qu Yao shook his head and smiled slightly. “No need. I just want to see the princess and will leave soon.”
Xiao Li furrowed her brow and said with a smile, “I’m sorry, Young Master Qu. The princess has had a long day and is already asleep. Perhaps you can come back tomorrow?”
If Young Master Qu knew that the princess was currently with another man, there would definitely be trouble in the back hall.
Qu Yao’s handsome face showed a hint of disappointment. Seeing this, Xing’er felt some sympathy and said, “Young Master Qu came personally to find our miss. If she knew, she’d be very happy. Why don’t you stay and have some tea while I go and wake her up?”
Xiao Li quickly poured a cup of tea and brought it over, but Qu Yao didn’t drink it. He smiled and said, “In that case, I’ll go with Miss Xing’er to find the princess.”
Xing’er looked troubled. “Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”
“What’s inappropriate about it?” Qu Yao asked, looking at her with a gentle smile. “I’ll soon be marrying the princess, so we don’t need to be too formal about these things.”
Xing’er was speechless, taken aback by his words. She awkwardly smiled and, with a resigned expression, led him slowly toward the back hall, silently praying for her mistress, “Miss, please don’t do anything improper with Du Shao.”
Soon, they reached the royal suite where Du Qiuluan was staying. Two maidservants waiting outside greeted them and said with a smile, “Miss Xing’er, are you here to see the princess? She’s currently resting with Du Shao inside.”
Noticing Qu Yao’s cold expression, the two maidservants were suddenly struck with awe and admiration, “Who is this young master? Is he also here to see the princess?”
Hearing this, Qu Yao’s smiling face turned dark. His eyes grew icy, as if someone had thrown a bucket of cold water over his burning passion.
Just one day apart, and she’s already with another man. It seemed he had misjudged her.
Seeing Qu Yao’s change in expression, Xing’er’s heart sank. Blaming the two maidservants for their loose tongues, she quickly grabbed Qu Yao and said, “Young Master Qu, please don’t misunderstand. The princess is just discussing something with Du Shao. Please wait a moment, and I’ll call her out.”
Qu Yao, with a stern face, said nothing. He shook off her hand and walked directly toward the room. Hearing Yu Xinruo and another man’s flirtatious voices from inside, his gaze grew colder. He forcefully opened the door!
Inside, Du Qiuluan was comfortably lying on the bed, his narrow phoenix eyes half-closed. Yu Xinruo was straddling his back, her sleeves rolled up as she cleaned his ears and said with a smile, “Du Shao, don’t move, or I might hurt your ears.”
The handsome young man teased, “It’s okay. If you damage them, you can just take care of me.” Then he pretended to be in pain and said, “Ah, my little Ruoruo, be gentle. Do you really want me to go deaf?”
“Go away!” Yu Xinruo retorted, “I’d rather take care of pigs and dogs than a pervert like you!”
Just then, the door was thrown open with a loud bang. Yu Xinruo turned in shock, her smile frozen on her face. “Qu Yao?! What are you doing here?”
The intimacy with which he called her name ignited a surge of anger in Qu Yao. His eyes were as cold as a thousand-year-old ice, glaring at the couple in a compromising position.
His heart felt suddenly stabbed, aching and sour.
“Qu Yao! What are you doing here?” Yu Xinruo was first stunned, then relieved, and quickly jumped off Du Qiuluan’s back, rushing to Qu Yao with bare feet. “Why are you here? Is there a misunderstanding?”
“Sorry, Qu Yang shouldn’t have intruded on the princess’s good time. I’ll take my leave now!” With that cold remark, Qu Yang turned and walked away.
“Wait! Brother Qu Yang!”
It was over—he really misunderstood! Yu Xinruo quickened her pace, ignoring Xing’er’s calls for her to put on shoes.
Qu Yang, handsome as the stars and cold as the moon, truly lived up to the title of the Cold Moon Prince. Du Qiulian, propped up on one arm, lazily lay on the bed, watching the chase between Yu and Qu with a smirk on her lips. She deliberately called out loudly, “Little Ruoruo, when you come back, we’ll continue our intimate moments. I’ll make sure to cherish you well!”
Damn it! Always causing trouble! Yu Xinruo cursed in her heart, and in no time, she reached the front hall. Seeing Qu Yang boarding the waiting carriage, she felt even more anxious.
But the carriage didn’t leave immediately. She hurriedly ran over and quickly jumped inside. Qu Yang sat inside, expressionless, his beautiful eyes closed in feigned sleep, exuding an invisible coldness that made people hesitate.
Yu Xinruo sniffled and looked at him with a hint of guilt. After a moment of silence, she shook Qu Yang’s arm and said pitifully, “Brother Qu Yang, I’m sorry.”
Qu Yang kept his eyes closed and remained silent.
“Brother Qu Yang, don’t be like this.” Yu Xinruo hugged his arm, resting her head on his shoulder, and looked at him with sorrowful eyes. “It was truly a misunderstanding. There’s nothing between me and Master Du, it’s just a boss and customer relationship. And the way I acted was unavoidable. Please don’t be angry.”
Qu Yang opened his eyes and looked at her coldly, a trace of barely perceptible hurt in his gaze. “Is the relationship between a boss and a customer that close?”
Upon receiving a message of longing from her, he rushed to see her, only to encounter such a scene…
“Brother Qu Yang, please don’t misunderstand. I was really forced to clean that scoundrel’s ears.” Yu Xinruo hurriedly explained, “I swear it! If you don’t like it, I’ll never do such things again. Will you forgive me?”
She gazed at him with pleading eyes, her clear eyes full of tenderness.
Seeing her imploring look, Qu Yang’s heart softened instantly. He took a deep breath and said, “I don’t like seeing you being close with other men. It makes me very upset.”
Yu Xinruo quickly nodded vigorously, “I understand, Brother Qu Yang. Don’t worry, I won’t act that way with other men again. I truly care for you, so I’ll never do anything to make you unhappy again. Will you forgive me this time?”
With the icy demeanor replaced by warmth, Qu Yang sighed and gently held her in his arms. “Does it hurt?”
“What?” Yu Xinruo, nestled in his warm embrace and finally relieved, was puzzled by his sudden question.
“Your feet. You ran out without shoes—doesn’t it hurt?”
Qu Yang lifted her foot and carefully inspected it, his tone filled with tenderness. “Look, your feet are scratched.”
Yu Xinruo then felt the sharp pain from her feet and winced, pouting as she said, “I was just afraid you’d leave and ignore me.”
“You…” Qu Yang shook his head, heart aching, and took out a silk handkerchief to bandage her injured foot.
Feeling his tenderness and care, Yu Xinruo’s heart was filled with sweetness. After he finished bandaging her foot, she wrapped her arms around his neck and passionately kissed him.
Qu Yang, momentarily stunned, quickly responded with fervent kisses. Her taste always intoxicated him.
The previous displeasure was quickly forgotten.
After a passionate kiss, they finally separated, both breathing heavily.
Yu Xinruo almost collapsed in Qu Yang’s arms, clinging to his neck, her eyes full of flirtation, and softly whispered in his ear, “Brother Qu Yang, will you stay with me tonight?”
Qu Yang, looking at her enchanting demeanor, couldn’t help but lightly peck her red lips. Although he was tempted, he restrained himself and said regretfully, “I’d love to stay with you, but my father has important matters to discuss with me tonight. I must go back. How about I come to see you in a few days instead?”
Yu Xinruo pouted and pressed her face against his chest, feeling wronged. “If you come back in a few days, I might miss you so much.”
“The emperor is busy with state affairs, and we officials need to help him. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come to accompany you in a few days,” Qu Yang promised, holding her close.
After another affectionate exchange, they reluctantly parted ways.
Yu Xinruo put on the shoes Xiao Li brought and returned to the front hall, where Xing’er hurried over to tell her, “Miss, Master Du is calling for you to come quickly!”
Upon hearing this, Yu Xinruo narrowed her eyes and sneered, “Tell him I don’t have time for him! Also, send him the twenty thousand taels of gold he brought and tell him to leave immediately with the money!”
That lecherous man nearly ruined her and Qu Yang, and she was tired of seeing him.
Xiao Li and Xing’er’s eyes widened in shock. “Miss, are you sure? That’s twenty thousand taels of gold! You really don’t mind giving it up?”
If it were them, they’d rather go back to accompany Master Du than return the shiny gold.
“What’s there to regret? Twenty thousand taels of gold—I don’t even care!” She rolled her eyes and called Xiao Li back, “Wait, just return ten thousand taels. The remaining ten thousand is for the mental anguish he caused me.”
She had a scare, and it wouldn’t be right not to charge him for emotional distress.
Autumn Rain Tower. Autumn Rain Pavilion.
The sound of bamboo flutes and soft singing filled the air. Red silk danced gracefully, and the scene was enchanting.
Several handsome young men sat together, enjoying the music and dance, chatting and laughing.
“Brother Qiulian, I heard that the undefeated Brother Qiulian recently pursued a beauty but was turned away. Is that true?” The delicate youth sitting to the south took a sip of tea and smiled at the elegant young man in fine clothes, his eyes filled with mischief.
Another refined young man glanced at Du Qiulian and joked, “I’ve heard this too. It seems the whole city is talking about it. How could this woman not appreciate our city’s top handsome man? It’s a shame.”
Du Qiulian put down his teacup, glanced at them with disdain, and said with a smile, “That’s not quite right. Many women I know are attracted by my looks and the Du family’s wealth. This woman rejecting me just shows she’s different—she values a person’s heart, not their appearance or money. Such women are rare and worth my effort to pursue.”
Even though he found an excuse for himself, Du Qiulian still felt frustrated and angry. He was vexed that Yu Xinruo, whom he considered far superior to the wooden Qu Yang, had left him for Qu Yang and even driven him away. It deeply hurt his pride. On top of that, he had to give her ten thousand taels of gold as compensation, which pained him even more.
To make matters worse, someone had spread the news, leaving Du Qiulian embarrassed in the entire city.
The delicate youth and the refined man exchanged glances and couldn’t help but laugh. “Brother Du, you speak well. We wish you success in your pursuits and hope you win the beauty.”
“Thank you, thank you.” Du Qiulian smiled and thanked them, but his heart was more bitter than eating bitter melon.
After some idle chat, Du Qiulian smiled at the delicate youth and said, “I heard Brother Ximen got a minor injury the other day. I hope you’re feeling better?”
The delicate youth, Ximen Xiuling, smiled faintly. “Much better, thank you for your concern.”
Du Qiulian’s narrow eyes flashed with curiosity. “I don’t understand. With Brother Ximen’s skills, how could you be injured?”
Ximen Xiuling’s expression changed slightly, and he awkwardly smiled. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but I was caught in an ambush. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been injured by such despicable means.”
He recalled that day…
That day, he disguised himself and sneaked into the residence of Prime Minister Qu to find something. However, he was unexpectedly discovered by a beautiful maid. He pretended to be a new servant, and she led him to a room where he intended to harm another beautiful woman. But he was caught in the act and had to flee. He quietly infiltrated the residence of the Seventh Prince, planning to ask the insider there about the situation. By coincidence, he was discovered by Seventh Prince Jun Aoyun and the dark guards in the residence, leading to a fight. If it hadn’t been for his previous poisoning and injuries before coming to Dayuan, he wouldn’t have ended up defeated and had to return.
“By the way, Brother Ximen, what is your intention in coming to our Dayuan capital this time? If you plan to be our enemy, I, Zhuge Qingfeng, won’t let you off,” said the handsome Zhuge Qingfeng in a joking tone.
Ximen Xiulang smiled faintly and said, “Brother Zhuge, you’re joking. I came to Dayuan personally to find something according to the orders of our sect’s astrologer, not for the reasons you might think.”
Du Qiuluan looked at him with a slightly meaningful smile and teased, “That’s best. Otherwise, if your Wan Hua Sect were to be enemies with the Jun Kingdom, we wouldn’t have the chance to sit together and enjoy tea and beautiful women in the future.”
Ximen Xiulang, not missing the underlying meaning in her words, gave her a sidelong glance and said, “Both Brother Du and Brother Zhuge are indeed patriotic people. Please rest assured, I, Ximen Xiulang, am also originally from the Jun Kingdom’s capital. Unless absolutely necessary, I would never do anything to harm my own country.”
Du Qiuluan and Zhuge Qingfeng exchanged glances and felt reassured. However, they became more curious about Ximen Xiulang’s background. They had known him for two or three years but had never known he was also from the Jun Kingdom.
Zhuge Qingfeng smiled and said, “It seems we were narrow-minded. I apologize to Brother Ximen. May I ask where you used to live in the capital?”
Ximen Xiulang seemed reluctant to talk about his past and gave a vague answer. Du and Zhuge didn’t press the issue. After some light conversation, they went their separate ways.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152