As Li Ji closed the door, Yun Xi's alarm bells went off instantly. She rushed to the window, eyeing him warily and shouting coldly,
"What do you want? You're drunk now. I advise you not to do anything you'll regret!"
The man's flushed face and bleary eyes suggested that he was indeed drunk.
Yun Xi knew better than to argue with someone in such a state of inebriation. She hoped that Yu Zhu and Cui Er would return soon and decided to stall him for the time being.
Hearing Yun Xi's words, Li Ji gave a sheepish smile.
This ladies' man, who was usually a frequent visitor to the flower - filled world, now resembled a young man experiencing his first love. He stared at Yun Xi's stunning face almost obsessively and softly soothed her,
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you. Please sit down. Let's have a good talk."
Yun Xi frowned and flatly refused,
"I have nothing to say to you. If you're a gentleman, leave now. I'll act as if you were never here and won't tell anyone about your disgrace."
Judging from his fine clothes, he must be a wealthy and noble young master from a well - bred family, who would surely value his reputation.
Yun Xi's voice carried the unique softness of Jiangcheng, but at this moment, it was extremely cold. Her sparkling eyes stared coldly at Li Ji, making him feel a bit embarrassed as he touched his nose.
His gaze fell on the incense burner by the door. Li Ji picked it up and took a couple of deep sniffs. Then he smiled and changed the subject,
"What a delicate fragrance! Does Miss Yun like this kind of incense? Could you please tell me if there are any special spices in it?"
Li Ji intended to engage Yun Xi in conversation and make her lower her guard.
However, not long after he placed the incense burner on the table, he felt a sudden dryness in his mouth and a burning heat all over his body. He tugged at his collar.
Yun Xi, standing close to the window, realized that he recognized her when he called her "Miss Yun" and saw his action of pulling at his collar. She immediately thought of this strange "Feast of the Hongmen" and angrily shouted,
"This incense was brought by the maid from the Prime Minister's Mansion. If you want to know the recipe, ask her! Please leave now, or I'll call for help!"
Li Ji had felt his head getting heavy ever since he smelled the incense. Hearing Yun Xi's words, a look of surprise flashed across his eyes.
He picked up the incense burner again and sniffed it carefully. His face suddenly changed color. He quickly threw the incense burner away, but the fragrance spread out even faster.
"This is an aphrodisiac incense!"
Li Ji cursed under his breath, and Yun Xi heard it clearly. Her face turned as white as a sheet. She quickly covered her nose and mouth and opened the window beside her wider.
This private room was well - sealed. There was only one window besides the door. Fortunately, she had been standing in a well - ventilated area, so she hadn't inhaled much of the fragrance. Li Ji, however, wasn't so lucky.
Since he had been standing by the door and had taken several deep sniffs of the incense, he was now in a state of confusion. Driven by his desires and instincts, he slowly approached Yun Xi step by step.
"Come, beauty. Let me give you a hug... You'll be mine sooner or later, and I'll never treat you badly!"
Li Ji opened his arms and lunged at Yun Xi the next moment. Yun Xi crouched down and dodged his embrace, then ran straight towards the door.
She tried to pull open the bolt, but her hands trembled involuntarily. She felt weak all over, and cold sweat began to break out on her forehead.
Oh no! The incense was taking effect on her too!
Yun Xi wanted to call for help, but her voice was so weak! Just as she was panicking and hesitating, Li Ji suddenly hugged her from behind. His face was full of lust, and he was about to lean down and kiss Yun Xi's lips when she mustered all her strength and hit him on the chin with her head.
Li Ji rubbed his painful chin. Anger flashed in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and grabbed Yun Xi's wrist tightly.
"You won't accept an offer of toast but will take a forfeit!"
Due to the physical difference between men and women, Yun Xi was easily overpowered by him. In a hurry, Yun Xi reached out and grabbed the tablecloth and yanked it hard!
Instantly, all the porcelain plates on the table fell to the ground, hitting Li Ji all over his head and body. This completely enraged him!
"You asked for this!"
Li Ji stared at her with wide - open eyes. All his former gentleness was gone. He crazily reached out and grabbed Yun Xi's neck.
Yun Xi struggled desperately, but at this moment, she felt like a fish out of water. The feeling of suffocation was quickly approaching her. Just as her consciousness was gradually fading and she thought she was going to die, the door was suddenly kicked open from the outside!
Then, a tall figure walked in, full of thunderous anger. Li Ji, like a sack, instantly flew towards the wall and fainted.
Yun Xi felt herself being lifted up. When she saw that familiar, scowling face, she completely relied on the person in his arms. Like a kitten, she pitifully murmured softly,
"Qi Rong, I feel so uncomfortable."
Qi Rong's initial impulse to kill instantly subsided when he heard this.
His cold eyes glanced sharply at Aunt Qin, Zhao Chunsheng and others who had rushed in from the next room after hearing the commotion. He said in an extremely cold tone,
"A bunch of useless people! If you can't even protect your own master, you might as well leave as soon as possible!"
"It's not their fault."
Yun Xi's fingers clutched Qi Rong's robe. Her voice was almost inaudible.
She never would have thought that her own grandmother, who always valued her reputation, would use such a vicious way to plot against her!
And she shouldn't have trusted Cui Er's words so easily, which had led her into such a situation.
"There won't be a next time!"
Killing intent flashed in Qi Rong's eyes, making the others shiver. They watched Yun Xi being carried away by Qi Rong with full of guilt and hurriedly followed behind.
After Yu Zhu left, Cui Er led her in silence. Her hasty steps almost made Yu Zhu unable to keep up.
Looking at the deep alley in front of her, Yu Zhu felt something was wrong as she walked. She asked Cui Er several times where they were going and what they were going to do, but Cui Er remained silent and quickened her pace.
"Cui Er, what's wrong with you?"
Yu Zhu couldn't bear it any longer. She ran after Cui Er and suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her back. To her surprise, Cui Er was crying. Her shoulders were shaking, and her face was full of panic and guilt. Her words were also jumbled,
"It wasn't me. Really, it wasn't me! I was forced. I had no choice..."
Yu Zhu was shocked. Just as she was about to ask further, a sense of foreboding flashed through her mind.
"Miss!"
Yu Zhu's face showed panic. Without thinking, she turned around and ran back! Just as she got out of the alley, she heard a familiar female voice,
"Yu Zhu, where's Yun Xi? Why aren't you with her?"
The moment she saw Zhen Bao, Yu Zhu seemed to see a savior. Tears immediately welled up in her eyes,
"Miss Zhen, you're just in time. Please, go and save our miss!"
Seeing Yu Zhu in such a hurry and hearing her words, Zhen Bao couldn't remain calm any longer. She immediately grabbed Yu Zhu's arm and said,
"Let's go! Take me to Yun Xi quickly!"
She knew that the old lady couldn't have good intentions. That's why she had been wandering around nearby, planning to go to the Jade Tower for a meal later and have an accidental encounter with Yun Xi.
Who would have thought that she would stumble upon such a big event!