Su Rong could no longer endure the vulgar words from Ye Chu and Pang Shao. She stood up abruptly, knocking the table with a loud clang that nearly toppled the tea set and startled Ye Chu and Pang Shao, who were drinking.
“Can we leave now?” Su Rong’s gaze was icy, tinged with clear disgust. If not for Zhang Su’er, she would never sit with such debauched scoundrels.
Pang Shao turned to look at Su Rong standing there, her long legs slender, her skin radiant as snow. The narrow skirt accentuated her graceful and exquisite youthful figure, brimming with the most captivating charm of a young woman. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and in her faintly angry, shy eyes, a cold allure flowed.
Pang Shao had seen many beauties, yet he could not help feeling a surge of admiration. Though he could not possess such a woman, merely looking at her was pleasing to the eye.
“What is the hurry? It is rare to meet outstanding young talents like us. Having you accompany us is a blessing!” Pang Shao dropped his earlier flippant manner. His expression turned somewhat cold. He was accustomed to arrogance and would not tolerate anyone raising their voice at him. Even a beauty had no special privileges in his presence.
“We have done what we promised! Can we leave now?” Su Rong stared stubbornly at Pang Shao, unable to hide the disgust in her eyes.
“No woman has ever shouted at this young master. Today, until I say you may go, if anyone leaves, Zhang Su’er must spend the night with me…” Pang Shao was growing angry. A woman from a small kingdom dared to act this way towards him, the heir of an imperial aristocratic family. Did she really think that in Yao Country she could turn him into a tame cat?
Seeing Su Rong and Zhang Su’er flushed with fury, Ye Chu could not help smiling inwardly. Su Rong’s temperament was still the same, proud and unyielding. But against someone as domineering and chauvinistic as Pang Shao, such a personality was not an advantage.
“You…” Su Rong trembled with rage, her face turning crimson.
Pang Shao shrugged indifferently. “Women should be obedient and learn the three obediences and four virtues. That is better than anything else! Come, keep us company and drink tea!”
With that, Pang Shao ignored Su Rong, sat back down, and continued sipping his wine.
Liang Shan watched Su Rong shaking with anger and silently clicked his tongue. Pang Shao truly had no pity for the fairer sex. But since Pang Shao insisted on her staying, Su Rong probably could not refuse.
Just as Liang Shan sighed inwardly, Ye Chu stood up, walked forward, and took Su Rong’s hand. The skin he touched was delicate and smooth.
“What are you doing?” Su Rong jumped as if shocked, her voice sharp with alarm and fury. “Get away!”
“Fine! I was going to take you with me, but since you want to stay, I will not bother.” Ye Chu shrugged, appearing completely unconcerned.
“Su Rong! Do not worry about me! Go!” Zhang Su’er bit her lip. In her view, both Ye Chu and Pang Shao harboured ill intentions and were equally despicable.
Su Rong clenched her teeth, stepped forward, and took Ye Chu’s hand herself, suppressing her revulsion. Her tone was cool. “Take us away!”
Liang Shan stared at their joined hands, frozen in place. Bastard! He was using this method to take advantage of the woman of his dreams. What a beast! Such shameless, filthy behaviour. If it were him, he certainly would not… pass up the chance!
Pang Shao watched the three leave, equally stunned. Suddenly he felt he had been tricked by Ye Chu again. Otherwise, why had the fellow not taken them away from the start? Why wait until he and Su Rong were at odds before stepping in?
“Bastard! Using me again! He gets to play the good guy, and I am the villain once more!”
…
Pulled by Su Rong out of the room, Ye Chu could guess without thinking that Pang Shao was almost certainly cursing him for being shameless and vile.
“Can you let go of my hand now?” Once outside, Ye Chu thought it better to speak first and seize the initiative rather than wait for Su Rong to fling his hand away. “I know my hand is warm and rather endearing. But after all, men and women should not touch casually. If you keep holding it, what if no one wants me in the future?”
“Ah…” Su Rong released his hand as if electrocuted, her face flushing scarlet. What did this scoundrel mean? Was he saying she was shameless for holding his hand? Had he forgotten that everything was forced by him and Pang Shao?
Zhang Su’er stared in astonishment. Ye Chu actually knew about propriety between men and women? Even more ridiculous was him claiming Su Rong was taking advantage of him. Who did he think he was?
Su Rong took several deep breaths to calm her near-exploding emotions. In a restrained, quiet tone she said, “Thank you for your help this time.”
“No need for thanks. Just curse me a little less behind my back in future.” Ye Chu smiled. The words made Zhang Su’er’s pretty face turn red. She had certainly cursed him plenty in the past.
Looking at Ye Chu leaning casually against the wall, with a somewhat roguish and unrestrained air, Su Rong thought for a moment before finally saying, “You should not have returned to Yao City! You must know your reputation here. Without the Ye family to protect you, many people would gladly cause you trouble.”
“If they dare come, let them come!” Ye Chu maintained his careless demeanour, but a trace of dominance lurked in his lazy tone.
If the old Ye Chu had been a thug and scum, the current Ye Chu exuded more of a dissolute nonchalance. These were two entirely different auras. Thinking of Ye Chu’s changes today, Su Rong still asked, “What have you been doing these three years? Why does even Pang Shao listen to you?”
“Ah!” Ye Chu had not expected Su Rong to ask this. Staring at her gorgeous face, he suddenly laughed. “If I told you I once took Pang Shao to the Seventy-Six Caves and snatched one of the cave masters’ wives to make her Pang Shao’s concubine, would you believe me?”
Su Rong and Zhang Su’er exchanged a glance, then both shook their heads. They knew they would get no real answer from Ye Chu. As for his words, they simply ignored them.
What kind of place were the Seventy-Six Caves? The combined strength of the seventy-six caves surpassed that of an ordinary small kingdom. Any single cave master visiting Yao City would make the king nervous. For Ye Chu to claim he had taken Pang Shao there to steal a cave master’s wife, was that not a joke?
“Fine! Since you do not wish to say, forget it! But one final warning: Yao City is very dangerous for you. Whether you listen is up to you.” Su Rong reverted to her earlier coolness. She said this only to repay Ye Chu’s help this time. Seeing his indifference, she said no more and left with Zhang Su’er.
She had said all she could. If Ye Chu refused to listen, he would bear the consequences himself.
Watching Su Rong depart, her slender waist swaying, Ye Chu smiled, turned to head back, but spotted Liang Shan standing nearby with a sleazy grin.
“Heh heh! Holding the hand of the woman of your dreams felt great and blissful, did it not? I really do not know where you get the nerve!”
Hearing Liang Shan’s words, Ye Chu rolled his eyes and ignored him completely. No matter what he said, Liang Shan would insist he was still infatuated with Su Rong and had returned to Yao City because of lingering feelings!
