Chu Junyi intended to make her anxious. Especially since she didn't want others to know about their relationship, the more he was determined to let others find out.
At this moment, the footsteps downstairs were getting closer. The flirtatious voices of men and women, along with all kinds of explicit remarks, pierced into their ears.
Li Xinyue struggled desperately, trying to break free from his grasp, but Chu Junyi held her tightly.
Tears welled up in her eyes due to the anxiety, but her sobs were muffled by his big palm.
"Shh!"
Li Xinyue felt even more aggrieved.
"Woo... " Chu Junyi! I'll never reconcile with you!
"Do you admit your mistake?" Chu Junyi stared at her sternly. He listened intently towards the door for a while, then turned back to glare at her.
However, what he saw was a tear - streaked face of a beauty. The hatred in her eyes was like two flames, searing his conscience.
He was stunned for a moment, and a dull pain gradually welled up in his heart.
But when he thought of what she had done, he forced himself to harden his heart.
"Admit your mistake! If you still don't, just wait to be watched by the eldest princess!"
"Woo..."
Li Xinyue nodded heavily with tears in her eyes.
"Where did you go wrong!"
"Woo..." Her gaze landed on his hand and she tapped it lightly.
Chu Junyi paused for a moment. Thinking that she didn't dare to cause any trouble, he released his hand covering her mouth.
Li Xinyue wanted to curse, but was intimidated by Chu Junyi's fierce look and didn't dare to move. Reluctantly, she said, "I... I shouldn't have played tricks on you, and I definitely shouldn't have pushed you to the eldest princess and let her take advantage of you. It's all my fault. I deserve it. I'm a jerk. Are you satisfied now?"
"Good. That sounds more like something a human would say."
A slight smile appeared on Chu Junyi's face, and the hand pinching her gradually loosened.
"Scoundrel! You..."
"Hmm?"
The newly - freed little hands were once again firmly grasped.
Li Xinyue was so angry that she lost her temper. She glared at him with tear - filled, resentful eyes. "Then give me back the five - hundred - tael silver note! I've already apologized to you!" So he didn't deserve her five - hundred - tael silver note anymore!
Chu Junyi averted his gaze. "I'll lead them away. Find an opportunity to leave."
"Don't change the subject!"
"Do you want them to see you then?"
Li Xinyue, "…Thank you" to your whole family!
The corner of Chu Junyi's mouth twitched slightly. He straightened his body, feeling a sense of vindication.
"Here you are." The ring slipped from his finger onto hers, just as it had once slipped from her finger to his.
Li Xinyue was dazed for a moment at this familiar action. When she came to her senses, seeing that he was about to go out, her body reacted faster than her mind, and she actually grabbed him.
"Don't..."
Chu Junyi said, "Isn't this exactly what you wanted? Now that your wish has been fulfilled, are you starting to feel guilty?"
Li Xinyue fell silent.
Suddenly, Chu Junyi had an urge to tease her. "Unless you want to make our relationship public?"
Li Xinyue quickly let go of him.
Chu Junyi looked at his empty palm, and his eyes dimmed.
Li Xinyue turned her head away and stammered, "How about I compensate you? As long as it exists in the Great Yan Dynasty, I'll surely search it out for you."
Chu Junyi's voice deepened, with a hint of annoyance in his tone. "Keep it for now. I'll tell you when I think of something." Then he walked out of the door.
Hearing the sound of the door closing, Li Xinyue's gaze slowly shifted. The room was empty, but from outside the door came his calm voice.
"Your Highness, the eldest princess, I have something to ask of you."
Li Xinyue's ears were buzzing, so she couldn't hear a single word of what they said later. All she could hear were the fading footsteps.
Her heart felt heavy and sour, and she was extremely uncomfortable.
Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the ring. It still carried his warmth, but soon it was replaced by her own.
It was exactly what she had wished for, but why did she feel so bad?
She sighed, put the ring back on her finger, then took it off restlessly, stuffed it into her purse, and climbed out of the window.
Just then, three people were walking below the window and were about to enter the restaurant.
Although they were in disguise, from their figures, it was obvious that they were Nanny Zhou, who served the queen, and two little eunuchs.
She remembered that according to the schedule, the queen's people should indeed be here.
Originally, this was a trap she had set for Chu Junyi, but now she decided to deal with them on his behalf, as a way to repay his "life - saving grace" just now.
So, the foot that had just stepped out was retracted. Li Xinyue pushed open the door and walked downstairs.
Nanny Zhou and the little eunuchs were about to go upstairs.
The two sides met on the stairs.
"Your Highness the princess!" This time it was Nanny Zhou who was frightened. She forced a smile on her lips.
Li Xinyue sighed at the turn of fortune. This time, she straightened her body and asked very officially, "Nanny Zhou, are you also here for supper?"
"This..." Nanny Zhou lowered her head and bit her lip, not knowing how to answer.
Looking at her own disguise, it was obvious that she was doing something shady, so it was really difficult to explain to Li Xinyue.
After thinking for a while, she could only say, "Yes. But..." She quickly added, "But it seems that the restaurant is closing. In that case, I'll take my leave first." After saying that, she quickly slipped away.
Li Xinyue curled the corner of her mouth knowingly. "There's a saying in this world that money makes the mare go. As long as you pay enough, you can even order a ghost around, let alone a person. Nanny Zhou, whatever you want to eat, I'll treat you!"
Nanny Zhou's heart skipped a beat.
In the end, she was forced to stay.
In the private room, Li Xinyue cast a sidelong glance at the wall, trying to calm her pounding heart. Then she turned her eyes back, propped her chin with one hand, and stared intently at Nanny Zhou, whose smile was gradually fading, and the two little eunuchs.
"Does the queen know that you're out of the palace tonight, Nanny Zhou?"
She began to fish for information bit by bit. She asked very directly. After all, as a princess, if she wanted to use her power to intimidate others, there was nothing others could do.
Nanny Zhou tried several times to answer euphemistically or to gloss over the matter, but Li Xinyue saw through her every time.
So this meal made Nanny Zhou extremely nervous. She didn't accomplish her task, but instead, a lot of information was fished out of her. If the queen found out, she would surely kill her.
Although the information she revealed wasn't very important, it was enough for her to realize the danger of Princess Yuanyang.
While Li Xinyue was having fun teasing Nanny Zhou, she was also wondering what exactly Chu Junyi had said to the eldest princess to lead her away, and whether he had managed to get away safely.
Although the eldest princess wouldn't force others, her reputation had always been bad. She was really a bit worried that Chu Junyi's innocence might be at stake, although he had none left anyway.
Perhaps because of the guilt in her heart, after seeing off Nanny Zhou, she sent Jing Bai to check on him. If he really couldn't get away, she would think of another way.
Sigh—
After giving the order to Jing Bai, Li Xinyue stood on the outer corridor of the private room for a while, filled with mixed emotions.
Originally, it was a trap she had set for Chu Junyi, but in the end, it became a trap for herself.
The feeling of digging a hole for oneself and then jumping into it was really sour and refreshing.
At this moment, Chu Junyi was sitting upright opposite the eldest princess. The two of them were separated by a low table, talking about something.
Finally, Chu Junyi seemed to understand something. He stood up and thanked the eldest princess.
The eldest princess nodded appreciatively.
Chu Junyi then got up to take his leave.
Just a few steps out of the eldest princess's mansion, he saw a familiar figure dodging around in the distance and gradually walking away. Chu Junyi looked up and recognized it as Jing Bai, who had just crossed paths with him.
Presumably, he was sent by Li Xinyue to pick him up. Seeing that he was safe, he was going back to report.
Chu Junyi scratched his nose and an answer popped into his mind.
Wasn't the purpose of his meeting with Li Xinyue tonight to get an answer?
It seemed that he had one.