Seeing Fang Xinhu’s arms tremble, veins bulging on them, many people began to gloat with malicious delight. Many of them had been bullied by Ye Chu in the past, but back then they could only swallow their anger because Ye Chu had the backing of his powerful family. Now, however, Ye Chu had been expelled from the Ye family, and this was the perfect moment to settle old scores.
Ye Chu stood there calmly, his expression completely unchanged even as Fang Xinhu brandished his fists. Liang Shan, however, tugged at Ye Chu’s sleeve and whispered urgently in his ear, “Run! Don’t ever come back to Yao City. You can’t beat them now!”
But Fang Xinhu clearly had no intention of letting Ye Chu escape. He ordered his men to block all exits, then smirked at Ye Chu and said, “This young master has not forgotten the day you forced me to kneel on the ground and bark like a dog. If you kneel and beg for mercy today, and crawl between my legs, I might be in a generous mood and let you go.”
Ye Chu did not even spare him a glance. He continued leaning lazily against the wall, his eyes fixed on Su Rong. “Su Xiaorong,” he said, “you are the daughter of the Prime Minister now, a person of status and standing. Surely you don’t need to keep stray cats and dogs around you. A fellow who opens his mouth and demands someone crawl through his crotch to smell his stench, which wafts for hundreds of miles, ought to be driven far away from your side.”
“You bloody stink for hundreds of…” Fang Xinhu roared in fury, his fist already flying forward. How could he stink? How?
“Enough!” Fang Xinyuan barked, stepping in to stop his younger brother’s outburst. He did not care whether Ye Chu lived or died, but today they were hosting an important guest. If he could forge a connection with that person, the Fang family might rise to greatness. This was no time for Fang Xinhu to ruin everything.
Having silenced his brother, Fang Xinyuan turned his gaze to Ye Chu. “If I were you,” he said coldly, “I would get as far away from Yao City as possible, instead of lingering here without any shame. You would do well to look after yourself.”
With that, Fang Xinyuan led his group away. Su Rong glanced once at Ye Chu, then left as well. Seeing Su Rong act this way, Zhang Su’er gave Ye Chu a contemptuous smile. Su Rong was still ignoring Ye Chu completely, which was exactly as it should be. How could a man with such a ruined reputation ever catch Su Rong’s eye? In Zhang Su’er’s view, even a single word from Su Rong to Ye Chu would be an undeserved gift, and from start to finish Su Rong had not spoken to him at all. That was the true, proud Su Rong.
Only when the group had gone did Liang Shan let out a sigh of relief. “That scared me to death. If they had attacked, you would have been in serious trouble today. Thankfully a VIP is arriving, so they held back.”
“A VIP?” Ye Chu asked, puzzled.
“Yes. Rumour has it he is the young heir of an ancient hereditary family from the empire. Though Yao is a kingdom, it cannot compare with a family that has been deeply rooted in the empire for countless generations. Even the king invited him to the palace as a guest. The Prime Minister, the Great General, and many ministers of the royal capital have all tried to host him, but apart from accepting the king’s invitation, he has refused everyone else.”
Ye Chu was quietly surprised. For someone in the royal capital of Yao Kingdom to refuse face to both the Prime Minister and the Great General, he must indeed have extraordinary status. Without it, he would long since have been destroyed.
As Ye Chu and Liang Shan were speaking, a young man entered from the other end of the flower boat. He was short and extremely fat, his round face glistening with oil. His eyes were narrowed into slits, and from time to time those tiny eyes swept over the women around him in a thoroughly lecherous manner.
The moment he appeared, Fang Xinyuan hurried forward and said respectfully, “My lord! You have arrived at last!”
Fang Xinyuan was thrilled. This was a person even the Prime Minister could not invite, yet he had succeeded. If he could establish even the slightest connection, his future would be boundless. If this young lord would speak on his behalf, he would even dare to ask the Prime Minister for Su Rong’s hand in marriage.
“Hm,” the fat youth grunted. His gaze lingered on Su Rong and Zhang Su’er before moving away. A smile spread across his face as he slapped Fang Xinyuan hard on the shoulder. “Good. Very good. Coming to this flower boat was worth it.”
Those words sent Fang Xinyuan into raptures. He waved his hands eagerly. “As long as my lord is pleased, I would charter the boat for a whole year.”
“No need for that,” the youth said, shaking his head. “This young master has just toured the boat. The girls here are acceptable, but none are worthy of me.”
“Indeed, indeed,” Fang Xinyuan and his group hastened to agree. Even the women present took no offence at the remark; instead, their beautiful eyes turned towards him with interest. Though the youth was unattractive, his exalted status was enough to win their favour.
Only Su Rong and Zhang Su’er frowned slightly, but they said nothing. They knew his background was extraordinary and, however much they disliked him, they had to endure it.
Seeing the youth, Liang Shan could not resist a scornful laugh. “A moment ago he was strutting about so arrogously, yet in front of this young man he grovels like a dog.”
Almost immediately, though, jealousy overtook him. “Fang Xinyuan has had incredible luck to make such a connection. If I could do the same, people like Fang Xinyuan would be nothing but dogs before me.”
As he spoke, Liang Shan turned to Ye Chu and noticed that Ye Chu was staring at the fat youth with an odd expression. Liang Shan assumed Ye Chu was awed by the youth’s prestige and thought no more of it. When he glanced back, however, he saw Fang Xinhu looking at them with disdain, his posture towards them completely opposite to the servility he showed the fat youth, full of arrogant contempt.
Fang Xinhu muttered scornfully, “Two useless wastes. I’ll deal with you sooner or later.”
“My lord, is there anything else you require? We shall prepare it at once,” Fang Xinyuan said to the fat youth.
“No need,” the youth replied, shaking his head. Then he suddenly pointed at Zhang Su’er and said slowly, “Let her accompany me to bed.”
The words brought dead silence to the entire scene. Everyone stared at the fat youth in shock, then turned their stunned gazes to Zhang Su’er. No one had expected him to make such a demand.
Su Rong and Zhang Su’er were both dumbfounded, their eyes instinctively turning to Fang Xinyuan. After a brief pause, he forced a loud laugh. “My lord is surely joking. Miss Su’er is the daughter of Baron Zhang, not a courtesan from a brothel.”
“This young master is not joking,” Pang Shao said, fixing his stare on Fang Xinyuan. “I toured the entire flower boat and found no woman suitable to share my bed. Of the two here who caught my eye, the king’s adopted daughter is naturally out of the question, so I shall settle for the next best.”
His serious tone drained the colour from Zhang Su’er’s face. She stared desperately at the group of young men, hoping one of them would stand up and refuse on her behalf. Yet the men who usually trailed after her now all turned their heads, pretending they had seen nothing.
“I will not!” Finding no one to speak for her, Zhang Su’er could only shout it herself.
“That is not for you to decide,” Pang Shao said with a laugh. “Even if you asked your king, he would send you to me.”
No one doubted the truth of his words, not even Su Rong or Zhang Su’er. Zhang Su’er’s body began to tremble uncontrollably. She looked pleadingly at the men around her, hoping someone would intervene, only to find them all keeping their distance.
“Come with me to my room,” Pang Shao said, still laughing. His laughter grated harshly against the oppressive silence, yet no one dared interrupt it.
Zhang Su’er’s face was ashen. Finally she fixed her gaze on Fang Xinyuan, her eyes filled with desperate entreaty. Su Rong sent the same pleading look.
Though his scalp prickled under the stares of the two women, Fang Xinyuan stepped forward and summoned his courage. “My lord, perhaps I could find another woman to…”
Before he could finish, Pang Shao thundered, “Who do you think you are, daring to speak before this young master?”
Pang Shao gave Fang Xinyuan no face at all, nor did he need to. The furious shout struck like thunder, reducing everyone to chilled silence. Fang Xinyuan’s face went white, and he did not dare utter another word.
Su Rong felt only disappointment. Zhang Su’er felt the same. They had never imagined that Fang Xinyuan, who always presented himself as a gentleman, would fall silent after a single rebuke, willing to watch his companion be delivered into danger.
All light faded from Zhang Su’er’s eyes. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks. She seemed to lose all strength, swaying in the heavy silence and clutching a stool to keep from collapsing.
She glanced at Fang Xinhu. He had always claimed to adore her, even swearing he would die for her, yet now he avoided her gaze entirely. Her heart turned to ashes. She bit her lip until blood appeared.
Just as Zhang Su’er resigned herself to her fate, gave Su Rong a bleak smile, and prepared to leap into the icy lake, she noticed a figure slowly stepping forward from behind Su Rong. It was the same young man, still wearing his habitually lazy expression.
