A Virtuous Woman Who Guards Her Chastity
Jasper Cheng arrived at Suxin Pavilion. As a notorious spendthrift, he never cared how much he spent—as long as it was flashy and gave him face, he was happy.
Business was booming at Suxin Pavilion. Jasper even paid extra for a private room on the second floor, which happened to overlook a large, elegant estate across the street.
"Waiter, what's that place across the way? It's huge, and the building looks pretty impressive," Jasper asked.
The waiter grinned and replied, "Oh, sir, you must be from out of town, huh? That place across the street is Eight Treasures Bistro, run by Princess Mira. It used to be the most famous restaurant in the Capital, but ever since our princess opened Suxin Pavilion, we've completely overshadowed them. Now, Suxin Pavilion is the number one spot in the city—no one can compare! Sir, dining here is truly a mark of taste and status."
The waiter's flattery made Jasper Cheng feel absolutely delighted. He glanced at the menu, saw the rare and expensive dishes, and didn't bat an eye at the prices.
Jasper didn’t care how much silver he spent; he ordered a whole table of extravagant dishes without a second thought.
Meanwhile, Cynthia Green sat beside him, head down and shoulders hunched, quietly replaying the waiter’s words in her mind.
So, the Eight Treasures Bistro across the street was run by Lily Evans, but Princess Mira’s Suxin Pavilion had stolen all her thunder.
Cynthia secretly rejoiced—seeing Lily Evans fall from grace made her feel incredibly satisfied.
The dishes arrived quickly, and Jasper Cheng sat alone, feasting and drinking. Naturally, no one else was qualified to join him at the table.
Cynthia Green diligently waited on Jasper Cheng as he ate. Jasper, feeling satisfied with her service, handed her a few plates of leftovers he didn’t care for and said, "I’ll reward you—go ahead and eat."
Cynthia was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Thank you, Young Master!"
She instinctively carried the plates to a small stool in the corner, squatted down to eat, never daring to sit at the table. In her eyes, it was only natural—she’d always been treated this way, eating on the floor like a dog begging for scraps.
Even though she lived like a dog—beaten, scolded, and humiliated every day—Cynthia still felt she was lucky. At least she could stay by Jasper Cheng’s side. He was her first man, and for the rest of her life, she would remain loyal, determined to be a virtuous woman.
===
Prince of Qin's Manor
At that moment, Lily Evans was drafting lesson plans when a maid reported that White Pete and Xenia had arrived.
Lily quickly invited them in.
White Pete looked pale, his fists clenched tightly. As soon as he entered, he dropped to his knees at Lily Evans’s feet and pleaded, "Princess, please, I beg you—show mercy and save my daughter!"
"Mr. White, please get up and speak!" Lily personally helped him to his feet. "Mr. White, what’s happened to your daughter?"
White Pete was too choked up to speak, so Xenia, looking troubled, explained, "Princess, here’s what happened. I had arranged with a friend to redeem Mr. White’s daughter and take her home, but when we arrived, they suddenly changed their minds and refused to let us take her."
"They refused to let you take her?" Lily frowned. "Didn’t you tell them you were from the Prince of Qin’s Manor?"
Xenia’s expression grew complicated. "Princess, we did tell them… but they said if anyone else wanted the girl, they could negotiate. If it was someone from the Prince of Qin’s Manor—even if it meant killing or maiming her and tossing her to the wild dogs—they refused to hand her over."