"Don't come any closer! I was just joking. It's embarrassing with so many people watching."
Yun Xi forced a smile and dodged Qi Rong's attacks from side to side.
If she let Qi Rong smear her face randomly, she would be so humiliated!
Thinking this way, Yun Xi seemed to completely forget that just a while ago, she had been quite pleased with herself after applying a funny makeup on Qi Rong.
However, how could Qi Rong, who had sacrificed his own image just to make her happy, let her off so easily?
He grabbed Yun Xi's slender arm, pushed her onto the armchair, and blocked her way with his body.
With a funny face, he teased, "My lady needn't be shy. I'll order everyone in the mansion to smear their faces with rouge so they can keep you company."
As soon as he said this, everyone present was shocked and couldn't help sighing in their hearts:
No way! They already had to watch the prince dote on his daughter - in - law, and now they even had to "accompany the prince at the cost of their dignity" just to make the beauty laugh?
Was this still their serious and cold - blooded prince?
It was simply unimaginable!
Just as everyone was looking at each other in dismay, at a signal from Qi Rong, someone immediately carried a basket of rouge into the yard.
"Your Highness, can I..."
Zhan Feng, who was in charge of carrying the rouge in, stammered.
As a former soldier in the military camp, he considered himself a tough man who believed "a scholar can be killed but not insulted". He thought it was an insult to a man to touch women's things.
So, in order to preserve his dignity, he spoke up under great pressure. But before he could finish his words, Qi Rong interrupted him indifferently, "Okay."
As soon as Qi Rong said this, Zhan Feng's face lit up.
Wushuang, who already hated Yun Xi to death because of Qiao'er's being sold and Qi Rong's favor, immediately said, "Your Highness, I have a headache and want to go back and rest."
Knowing that Qi Rong hated others questioning his words once he had spoken, Wushuang deliberately changed her way of speaking.
After all, she was half the mistress of the mansion in name, and she didn't want to ruin her delicate makeup and be laughed at!
"Okay."
Qi Rong answered with just one word again, but his face darkened.
"You don't have to follow my orders. But as long as you've seen me like this, just blind yourselves and get out of the mansion."
Qi Rong didn't get angry, but his tone was so cold that Zhan Feng and Wushuang instantly turned pale.
Just because they had seen the gentle and patient side of the Prince of Xian when he was treating the Princess of Yongning, they almost forgot how cold - blooded and violent he was.
They had no doubt about Qi Rong's sincerity when he said this!
Seeing Zhan Feng and Wushuang hanging their heads in silence and one of them picking up a box of rouge, Yun Xi's face stiffened. She knew she couldn't escape.
Looking at everyone looking at her with resentment but not daring to say a word, Yun Xi gritted her teeth and was extremely sure in her heart:
This must be Qi Rong's real intention. He had just given her the power to manage the mansion a moment ago, and now he was deliberately causing a rift between everyone and her! It was as if he couldn't stand it when she was a bit idle!
Because of Qi Rong's order, soon, everyone's face was smeared with red rouge. They stared at each other, and no one looked better than the other.
However, seeing the extremely funny faces of the familiar people around them, everyone couldn't help laughing. Some even held their stomachs and laughed out loud, and then began to smear each other more maliciously.
At this time, Yun Xi was not spared either. Not only was her face painted red like a monkey's buttocks by Qi Rong, but her neck was also smeared red. Unwilling in her heart, she began to fight back. She snatched the rouge from someone else's hand and threw it directly at Qi Rong!
The atmosphere in the mansion, which had been dull before, became extremely lively!
By the time Yun Xi finished taking a bath and sat down to eat, she was so hungry that her stomach was growling and she was completely exhausted.
Although the dinner in the Prince of Xian's mansion was very sumptuous, the taste was not as good as Yun Xi had expected. It was rather plain and flavorless, without any characteristics at all.
Through some subtle inquiries, Yun Xi learned from Ye Ying that Qi Rong was not very particular about food. Even the cook in the mansion was a former military cook.
The soldiers in the military had very low requirements for food. As long as they could be full, good taste was a luxury!
The reason why this military cook later became the cook in the Prince of Xian's mansion was that he had once served under the old Duke Luo. He had even blocked a hidden arrow for the young Qi Rong. Later, he became lame and was alone. So after the old Duke Luo passed away, Qi Rong brought him to the Prince of Xian's mansion.
Yun Xi originally wanted to invite Chef Fang from her own yard over in a few days, but after hearing Ye Ying tell this story, she decided to think it over carefully.
The most urgent thing now was to rescue her father first. Everything else was secondary!
At night, Yun Xi originally wanted to ask where her own yard was, but when she learned that Qi Rong hadn't prepared one for her, she decided to squeeze in with Yu Zhu for the time being.
Since Yu Zhu was more senior and had a separate room, but as soon as she stepped into Yu Zhu's room, Qi Rong directly grabbed her and took her back to his own yard.
"What are you doing?"
Yun Xi shook off Qi Rong's hand and said dissatisfiedly, "Since you've given me the power to manage the mansion, where I want to live should be my freedom, right?"
"I've heard that Ye Ying and Wushuang both have their own yards. Why don't I have one?"
She hadn't even found a yard for herself yet, and he just came over and forcefully took her away. What was this all about?
Looking at Yun Xi's angry look, Qi Rong's lips curled slightly. His deep eyes sparkled like the stars in the sky, extremely charming.
"Don't think about it. You'll live in the same yard as me."
Yun Xi was not an ordinary woman. How could he let the fat he had finally caught slip away? Even if he couldn't have her for the time being, he had to keep her by his side to feel at ease!
"What? I don't want to!"
Yun Xi was shocked and stared at Qi Rong suspiciously, thinking that he must have some evil intentions.
Not to mention that she wasn't mentally prepared yet, even if something happened between her and Qi Rong, she was determined to leave the Prince of Xian's mansion in the end.
So, the closer they were and the more they got along day and night, the harder it would be for her to cut off her feelings in the future, and the more difficult it would be for her to gain real freedom.
Qi Rong didn't know what was on Yun Xi's mind, but seeing her repelling him, a trace of displeasure gradually rose in his eyes.
"You don't have a say in this! Since you've decided to let me save your father, you have to follow all my arrangements."
It was said that a forced melon was not sweet. He understood that by forcing Yun Xi to be his concubine in that way, she must be very unwilling in her heart.
He knew the drawbacks of doing so, but in order to allow her to easily get away when he was in trouble one day, he had to do it!
One day, he would explain the reason to her seriously, but not now!