"Wuwuwu… Your Highness, she—she bullied Wanwan..."
"Cousin? Where are you?!" Jiang Yunting's frantic voice echoed across the riverbank as he rushed in after Su Yiyi. But she was nowhere to be seen. All he could find was a soaked veil drifting in the current, clutched tightly in his trembling palm.
Nalan Xiao had no intention of caring whether Su Yiyi lived or died. Without hesitation, he helped the disheveled woman out of the water and brought her to the deck. Stirring too much attention now would only cause unnecessary chaos.
Su Wanwan stood drenched, her robe clinging tightly to her skin. Her belt had slipped, and her curves were accentuated beneath the soaked fabric—bold and scandalously exposed.
"Ahh!" she cried as realization struck her. All eyes—male and wide—were fixated on her with blatant hunger. Never in her life had she been seen this way, let alone by strangers. The shame and fury twisted her features, tears running freely down her cheeks.
Nalan Xiao's gaze darkened. He tore off his outer cloak and draped it over her, then turned to the onlookers with a killing intent sharp enough to cut steel.
"If anyone dares speak of what happened today, don't blame me for being merciless!"
The threat was effective. In the blink of an eye, everyone averted their eyes, silently swearing to forget everything.
"Cousin! Where are you—!" a desperate shout rang out from the river. Su Wanwan and Nalan Xiao turned just in time to see Jiang Yunting dive into the water again, searching furiously.
That stupid girl! Su Wanwan clenched her jaw in rage, the humiliation boiling within her. How dare that idiotic girl make her lose face in front of so many people? How could someone like her even have that much strength?
But so what?
Let her drown.
A useless thing like Su Yiyi was better off dead. She should've reincarnated long ago rather than linger in the world making trouble for others.
Nalan Xiao's eyes held no sympathy. Maybe this was Su Yiyi's fate. Drowning quietly in a river, fading away into a joke of the world.
Meanwhile, Old Bai's attendant had already led a group of sailors to the deck. One by one, they jumped into the river to assist Jiang Yunting in the search. Chaos spread across the boat.
But elsewhere—
"Haha, Left Guardian, my cousin's looking for me, so don't trouble yourself with sending me back, alright?"
At this moment, Su Yiyi was hanging like a wet loach over the Left Guardian's shoulder. The wild and cool man carried her as if she weighed nothing—completely ignoring her protests!
She had originally planned to slam Su Wanwan into the water so hard that even her own mother wouldn't recognize her. But just as she raised her hand, a large arm yanked her up and whisked her away onto a flower boat, all without a single soul noticing.
The man in black moved like a phantom. By the time Su Yiyi came to her senses, she was already tossed into a room. The tall figure stood by the door, staring at her like a predator eyeing prey.
"Serve me well, or else..." the cold Left Guardian slid his thumb across his neck in a chilling gesture.
"Serve? Serve who?!" Su Yiyi stared, dumbfounded.
His eyes gleamed. "You've earned yourself a great deal."
Four big golden words flashed across Su Yiyi's mind: Forcing good woman into prostitution!
At this point, her veil had long been lost in the river. Her pig-like face was now on full display as she begged pathetically, "Sir, please have mercy! I'm really, really unpleasant to look at!"
"…" Heaven knows how much self-control it took for the Left Guardian not to kick this strange woman out the window. He had no taste for her kind, but... though she was ugly, her figure was honestly quite…
Su Yiyi noticed his wandering gaze and instinctively lowered her head. Her soaking dress clung tightly to her narrow waist and generous chest. Though she considered herself modern and liberal, she couldn't stand the predatory glint in this ancient pervert's eyes.
Suddenly, the entire atmosphere shifted.
The pitiful damsel vanished.
In her place stood a fierce tigress baring her fangs.
Without warning, she launched a flurry of bizarre martial arts moves—Mantis Fist, Monkey Fist, Drunken Fist—all mashed together in a chaotic yet oddly effective barrage. The Left Guardian had never seen anything like it.
"Don't think all women turn submissive when the lights go out! I'm clearly the type that can't be swallowed whole!"
"…"
"What's all the ruckus? The Lord is still unconscious—can't you be quiet for once... Miss Third?!"
Lord Bai, drawn by the commotion, stepped out only to freeze mid-sentence. His brows lifted in disbelief as he spotted Su Yiyi with wariness in her eyes.
Could it be…? When Zuo said someone aboard had the ability to deal with His Majesty, was he referring to Xiangfu's Third Miss?
That voice—Su Yiyi's eyes sparkled like sunlight hitting gold. She rushed forward and grabbed Lord Bai's hand tightly.
"Aren't you the famous, elegant, and talented Lord Bai? I've long admired your name. But now that I've seen you in person, it's clear your name doesn't do you justice. My admiration is like the Yangtze—flowing endlessly. So… can I hug you?"
All she could think about was the treasure hidden in this man's hands. Just one item would be enough to feed her for three lifetimes! Why wouldn't she want to cling to a man like this? It would be a waste of her excellent judgment not to!
Hug his leg?
Lord Bai was momentarily stunned, then looked at the strange woman groveling before him. A flash of realization crossed his mind.
"I heard the Third Miss had a head injury and lost her memories? I didn't expect… this… after all this time."
Jiang Yunting had mentioned their past connection. Perhaps she and Lord Bai were once sworn siblings?
"Were we sworn siblings?" she asked with a careful expression.
"No… but Bai has always admired your talents, Third Miss."
A cold voice echoed from behind, "We've caught up enough, Lao Bai. Before Jun Moyan returns, go tend to His Majesty. I'll go investigate the Fire Clan! How dare they ambush His Majesty—I'll make them pay!"
Ambush?
Su Yiyi's expression shifted.
"That beauty got hurt?!"
It was the first time in Lord Bai's life someone had dared call His Majesty "that beauty." "...His Majesty has been poisoned by cold energy and hasn't fully recovered. He was ambushed by Fire Clan assassins and fell unconscious."
Su Yiyi clutched her chest.
Who would be so heartless as to harm such a breathtaking woman?
Even she couldn't bear to touch a hair on her head!
Whoever did this deserved to be single for life!
"Where is she? Take me to her, now!"
"This way, Miss San."
Behind the veil of steam in a private chamber, a handsome man lay soaking in a pool. His long black hair spilled over his shoulders. Sweat, glistening like dew, traced the sharp lines of his collarbone and muscular chest.
His wickedly beautiful face looked like something carved by the gods, as if it were made from the most delicate jade. His pale lips were sinfully alluring—delicate enough to awaken primal desires. The more fragile those lips looked, the more one wanted to ravage them.
Su Yiyi was no exception.
"Currently, Lord Bai has used medicine to stabilize His Majesty's cold poison. I wonder if Miss San has any methods to—"
"Miss San? Miss San?!"
Lord Bai's voice cut off as his eyes fell on Su Yiyi.
Two long streams of blood were flowing freely from her nostrils. Her expression, once blank, snapped back to reality.
"Ah? Nosebleed? Who, me? No way! I'm not the type to take advantage of someone in distress… hehehe…"
In that moment, Su Yiyi finally understood what the cold Left Guardian meant by "a huge reward."
She wanted to cry for the heavens, for the earth, and especially for the Left Guardian!
He really delivered the sleeping beauty straight into her hands—like a roasted duck garnished with scallions, practically shouting: Come and eat me!