"Are you courting death?!"
To hell with a golden marriage, it sounded so grating.
A sharp pain suddenly struck her waist. Ye Luan looked up, meeting the man's chilling, murderous gaze filled with fury. A sense of vengeful pleasure welled up in her heart.
"Isn't your humble servant doing as Your Highness wishes? Why is Your Highness so enraged?"
It was so much fun to see him flustered.
"If you provoke me with your words again, I will destroy the Bai Estate tomorrow."
His chilling words were extremely grating.
Ye Luan wisely fell silent.
Crazy lunatic.
You want to threaten me into begging you? Dream on!
Xiao Chi Zhan would absolutely not allow her to marry into the Zhen Guo Duke's mansion. How could such a madman tolerate someone he had intimate contact with marrying another?
She was curious to see who would crack first.
"It's so late, why isn't Your Highness leaving?"
Xiao Chi Zhan released her, killing intent flickering in his crimson eyes.
He walked to the couch and casually picked up the wedding dress on it, sneering, "You're quite fast."
"The wedding date is urgent, and it's thanks to Your Highness."
Before she could finish speaking, Ye Luan watched her wedding dress being torn into pieces by his hands, like a rain of crimson flowers.
She watched calmly, remaining silent, a faint smile playing on her lips.
"Your Highness ruined my wedding dress, remember to give me a new one."
Xiao Chi Zhan walked over coldly, "What if I don't?"
Ye Luan spread her hands, "Why should Your Highness be angry? I've already accepted my fate. I will obediently marry into the Zhen Guo Duke's mansion as you wish. Why is Your Highness here to cause trouble so late at night? Could it be that Your Highness would only be happy if your humble servant was a slave in your mansion?"
Her sarcastic demeanor sent Xiao Chi Zhan's anger surging.
"Can't you just yield a little?"
"Can Your Highness yield a little?"
Her words were utterly treasonous.
Ye Luan regretted them as soon as she spoke them.
She touched the hidden weapon on her wrist, watching the madman nearby warily.
However, seeing him enveloped in a terrifying aura, her legs felt involuntarily weak.
Heaven knew she couldn't defeat him.
She was scared.
She cherished her life.
A cold wind whistled in through the window.
Ye Luan curled up from the cold, her expression turning indifferent. "Is Your Highness still not leaving?"
She was freezing to death.
He ignored her words and walked towards her bed, pinning her against the headboard.
"This prince has never known what it means to yield, teach me?"
"Ah—"
The familiar scent enveloped her, making her earlobes tingle. A strange feeling arose in Ye Luan's heart.
She hastily pushed him away and went to close the window.
"I'm freezing to death."
As the north wind blew, the sparse plum blossoms in the courtyard scattered. The blue stone lanterns hanging high under the red eaves swayed precariously, making the scene appear even more desolate.
In the empty and silent courtyard, two faint footsteps approached.
Ye Luan frowned, a glint of cunning flashing in her eyes.
She immediately closed the window and said coldly to Xiao Chi Zhan, who was lying on the bed, "Your Highness is skilled in martial arts, I believe you can evade detection. Please leave?"
Someone was monitoring her the very first day she returned. How interesting.
"You're not living very well in the Ye estate either."
He propped himself up and smiled lazily.
Ye Luan heard the footsteps drawing closer. They clearly intended to catch her red-handed.
She knitted her brows, "It won't sound good if it gets out that Your Highness barged into a lady's boudoir in the middle of the night. You should leave quickly."
"Aren't there already enough rumors about us in the capital? One more won't matter. I'd like to see how Lu Fei Bai reacts when he hears the news. Will he break off the engagement?"
The teasing and maliciousness in his eyes were almost overflowing.
Ye Luan lowered her gaze. If Ye Xue really caught them, being confined to the ancestral hall would be the least of it; the commotion would be detrimental to her.
She walked forward and directly pulled Xiao Chi Zhan up, roughly pushing him towards the wardrobe on the left. "Your Highness, go hide."
Xiao Chi Zhan leaned against the cabinet door, his tall and straight body standing before it, making him appear even more slender.
"Are you kidding me? You want me to hide in this shabby cabinet?"
Ye Luan squeezed past him, opened the cabinet door, and pushed him inside. "Stop dawdling and get in."
"No."
He was ill-tempered and stubborn.
Ye Luan was furious and pushed him hard, but he remained motionless, watching her with amusement.
"With such little strength, save it." After a pause, a wicked smile curved his lips. "Beg me, and I'll go in."
What strange taste. He just wanted her to beg him.
Ye Luan pushed him irritably, "I beg you."
"Tsk, no sincerity at all."
Xiao Chi Zhan touched her face, his voice hoarse, "What should you call me?"
"You've always been so disobedient, what did I tell you to call me in private?"
Ye Luan's eyes turned cold. "I'm getting married soon, it's not appropriate to call you that."
"Marry, marry, you only think about marrying? As long as I wish it, an imperial decree to annul the marriage can be issued tomorrow." Xiao Chi Zhan suppressed his anger and gripped her chin. "Call me."
Ye Luan heard the footsteps getting closer. The door to the outer room had already been pushed open, and figures carrying stone lanterns were slowly approaching.
In her haste, she whispered, "Chi Zhan Gege."
After saying it, she immediately pushed him inside, locked the cabinet door, and then nimbly put on the robe that had fallen on the ground, walking to the round table to pour tea.
"Good, Ye Luan, you've indeed hidden a man. Come out!"
Ye Xue, with her maid, pushed open the door and rushed in, bringing a gust of cold wind that made Ye Luan quickly cup her hand warmer.
"In the middle of the night, bringing people to barge into my room, what does Second Sister intend to do?"
Ye Xue scanned the room, her eyes widening. How was this possible?
She had clearly heard a man's voice just now.
Moreover, the guards stationed at Yue Ya Garden had clearly said there was movement inside. Where was the person?
"Where did you hide him? You slut, you're already betrothed, yet you're still restless, meeting with an outside man in the middle of the night. You're just like your mother—"
Before she could finish her scolding, with a "snap," Ye Luan's face turned cold, and the teacup shattered on the floor.
"Who taught you such uncivilized words?"
Ye Xue narrowed her eyes slightly. This slut hadn't died from poison, yet she had changed like this.
"Am I wrong to say this? You must have slept with the Prince, otherwise, why would he let you off so easily? You're just a slut who knows how to seduce men."
"Xiao Bi, search, find the person and see how she argues?"
Several maids and wet nurses began rummaging through the room.
Ye Luan sat calmly at the round table, looking at the broken pieces on the floor.
"Glazed flower hairpin, ten taels—"
"Celadon Canaan brocade vase, hmm, it should be worth a hundred taels."
"Zitan stand with a great official kiln mirror—"
Ye Xue glared at her sarcastically, her eyes filled with unconcealed malice. "You're only thinking about money."
She hated Ye Luan's status as the legitimate eldest daughter, always being overshadowed by her, especially her face, which made her want to ruin it.
Ye Luan said, "Remember to compensate for whatever you break."