Su Mingyu flashed a grin. “Really? I never suspected I had a natural talent for it.”
She relaxed when Gu Ruobai’s expression softened; she seized the moment. “So the prince forgives my little bout of recklessness, then?”
Gu Ruobai watched her ingratiating smile and, finally, the shadow between his brows eased. “You made a good wish. I’ll let it slide this time.”
She was about to say something else when her stomach betrayed her with an embarrassed rumble. Su Mingyu scratched her head and turned her face away. “We’ve been out all day. I only had a bit of roasted fish, and between Su Yueyue and Prince Yu feeding each other, I didn’t get much.”
Gu Ruobai shook his head with a helpless look. “You’re usually clever. Why do you always forget yourself when it matters most?”
It wasn’t really Su Mingyu’s fault—she’d spent years in the field where speed mattered. Tasks had to be done at once; there was no time to fuss over oneself. Putting the mission first had become second nature.
Seeing her pout, Gu Ruobai sighed softly. “I came in a hurry and didn’t bring much. But there are some snacks—let’s have a bite.”
That was enough. Su Mingyu brightened and darted down below to fetch them.
He had been right—there were no warm dishes, only biscuits and cakes. She had the small table brought out to the bow with the stools and the food, and when the spread was set between them Gu Ruobai raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing? I’m not even hungry.”
She sat without ceremony and poured herself a cup of wine, then poured one for him. “On a night like this, why just watch? Let’s have some wine and snacks and enjoy the view while it lasts.”
He frowned at her like someone scolding a silly page. “You sound like the tips the patrons use to ply the girls at the brothels.”
Su Mingyu’s gaze cooled, though her smile stayed in place. “I didn’t expect Your Highness to know about brothels. I suppose you’ve visited a few of those pleasure houses in the capital?”
Gu Ruobai feigned contemplation. “I used to lead troops. No time for such things. Only recently, while I was laid up with a leg injury in the capital, some young lords, bored with me, took me out to see the sights.”
Su Mingyu tilted her head. “And how did you like the experience?”
He pretended to weigh the memory. “The courtesans in the capital are…demanding. Many are ordinary, but a few are worth the attention.”
She slammed her cup down with a flash of temper she tried to hide. “So Your Highness is quite taken with the capital’s courtesans. Why not bring one home as a concubine, then?”
Gu Ruobai’s eyes lit with amusement at her jealous little outburst. “Alas, I’ve not found one to my liking. My heart belongs to a single, spare—slim, young girl who’s not yet fully grown.”
That sounded almost human.
Su Mingyu jammed a cake into her mouth and widened her eyes until the reflections of the lanterns on the water looked like a sky full of stars. The sight of her cheeks puffed out made even the prince’s lingering annoyance evaporate. He took a silk handkerchief from his sleeve and, before she could pull away, brushed a smear of crumbs from the corner of her mouth. “You’re a grown woman. You don’t need to eat like a child.”
His touch burned her cheeks; she turned red as an apple and looked away. Trying to change the subject, she said, “I’m starting to gain Su Zhengyi’s trust after getting him released. But if Su Yueyue and Prince Yu marry before he slips up and reveals his hand, it’ll be much harder to find evidence—about the exam leaks, the bribes, everything.”
If the two families were joined by marriage, they’d be tied together. It would be infinitely more difficult to make them turn on one another.
Gu Ruobai took a sip of wine and glanced over at the other boat where Prince Yu and Su Yueyue were. “I’ll handle that. You keep running your organization.”
She felt insulted—back in the twenty-first century she’d been a top operative in her organization. Why did he always treat her like a harmless nuisance here? Before she could flare, he answered her thought. “If you were by my side, I’d be distracted.”
Hearing that made her flush again, but she straightened her chin. “I still need to take back what’s mine.”
This body was the legitimate daughter of the Su family, but the privileges and status had been handed to Su Yueyue. Su Mingyu meant to wrest those rights back.
He didn’t argue. He only warned her to be careful and to come to him immediately if anything went wrong. She agreed readily, and they went on drinking and nibbling, talking about trivialities.
“I heard your pawnshop has been acting strangely lately,” Gu Ruobai said finally.
Su Mingyu didn’t miss the implication. Qin Chu had always seemed obedient in public, but who knew what resentments seethed beneath the surface. “I know. But I’m waiting. You can’t strike before the snake shows its belly.”
She was waiting for Qin Chu to expose more of himself—hit the right spot and the whole thing would unravel.
The wine was light but heady; by the end of the night Su Mingyu’s tongue was getting sluggish. She laughed louder than she intended, the reflection of the lanterns shimmering across the water as the world tilted pleasantly around her.