“Just as I was about to stab Liu Hu in the heart with my knife, she stopped me. Somehow the dagger ended up back in her hand, and then she slashed Liu Hu’s throat—he was dead in an instant!” At this point, Dongdong’s tone was clearly excited. Honestly, when you see your enemy die, who wouldn’t be happy?
“She did that to keep you safe, didn’t she?” Ivy Shen said calmly.
“Exactly! When everyone saw Liu Hu get killed, they totally freaked out. She immediately announced her name and told everyone who she was—if anyone had a grudge, they could come for her. Then she paid to bury my fiancée and took me away in her carriage!”
“So you just got captured by her like that?” Butterfly Rogue couldn’t help asking. That’s all it took?!
“Of course not! My mistress took me far away—I had no idea where we were headed. We traveled for days, and then, on a sunny afternoon, she tossed me a bag of silver and told me to fend for myself.” Dongdong said this while unconsciously touching his waist.
“Huh, that’s a pretty weird way to handle things!” Ivy Shen couldn’t help but laugh. This Yvonne Li was definitely not what she expected!
“She let me go and even told me which road to take to avoid the authorities. I knew she announced her name so the officials would come after her, not me. I mean, I’m no hero, but I know how to repay a debt. She killed my enemy for me—I owe her for that.”
“And then?” Butterfly Rogue, who always loved a good story, suddenly perked up.
“Then Yvonne Li must’ve just accepted you, right?” Caleb Miles rolled his eyes at Butterfly Rogue, then picked up a pastry and popped it into his mouth.
“Of course not!” Dongdong hurriedly denied.
“Huh?” Ivy Shen was intrigued by Dongdong’s denial. “Go on!”
“She didn’t want me tagging along. She said she only saved me because I looked like a stray dog—pitiful and scruffy.” Dongdong lowered his head as he spoke.
“Oof, that’s way harsh!” Butterfly Rogue blurted out. How could she compare someone to a stray dog? That’s just mean!
“I knew she did it on purpose. She turned me down, but I just wouldn’t give up. Later, when their carriage started moving, she literally kicked me off and told me to get lost.”
Hearing this, Ivy Shen couldn’t help but laugh. That move was seriously badass—her impression of Yvonne Li was starting to improve.
“Like I’d just give up that easily! I chased after their carriage for two whole days. By the time I finally spotted it again at the market, I was basically half-dead.” Dongdong’s eyes sparkled as he spoke.
“After that, she told me if I really wanted to repay her, I could do it by becoming her male concubine—just there to warm her bed.” Dongdong said this with a bright red face.
“Whoa, seriously? She just came out and said it like that? No shame at all!” Butterfly Rogue shouted.
“Yeah, couldn’t she at least be a little subtle? That’s just way too blunt!” Li Yaomei chimed in.
But Ivy Shen just kept that faint smile on her face—because she alone knew what Yvonne Li’s real motive was. She probably wanted Dongdong to give up and leave.
“I agreed!” Dongdong blurted out, shocking everyone.
“What?!” Aside from Ivy Shen, Eli Crane, Adrian Night, and Ethan Chu, everyone else was totally stunned. That was way too casual!
“Dude!” Butterfly Rogue clapped Dongdong on the shoulder. “You’re way too chill about this! Besides, your fiancée’s body hasn’t even been buried a week, and you’re already with another woman? Isn’t that a little… much?”
“Back then, I just wanted to repay her. I didn’t really think it through.” Dongdong hung his head, clearly embarrassed by Butterfly Rogue’s question.
“She never actually touched you, did she?” Ivy Shen asked mildly. Then she picked up her wine and took a sip, smiling unconsciously. “Did you prepare this wine?”
“Oh, it was my mistress! She called me over earlier and said if you guys won, I should serve this.” He looked puzzled. “Is there something wrong with the wine?”
“Oh, nothing. Go on!” Ivy Shen mused, Should I call you a kindred spirit, Yvonne Li, or just say we’re both a little twisted? She even guessed my favorite wine! This peach blossom brew must have been carefully treated and buried under the peach trees for years. The scent is amazing—Yvonne Li, you’re really something!
Ivy Shen’s curiosity about Yvonne Li kept growing. Maybe they really could be friends—if Yvonne proved herself worthy of genuine trust.
“When I agreed, my mistress dragged me onto the carriage and started tearing at my clothes…” Dongdong’s face turned even redder.
“Wait a sec!” Liam Willow suddenly interrupted. “You said you saw her at the market, right? So she just pulled you onto the carriage and started stripping you down—in the middle of the street?”
Everyone turned to Dongdong, curious. Yeah, he did say it was on the street. Was Yvonne Li really that bold?
Dongdong nodded, mortified. “But it wasn’t what you think! Now I get it—she was just trying to scare me off. Good thing I didn’t chicken out.”
“Bet you cried!” Adrian Night suddenly jabbed at Dongdong’s weak spot.
Dongdong hung his head and nodded, embarrassed. He looked tough, but that situation had freaked him out. It was pretty humiliating.
“After my mistress brought me back, I found out there were lots of male concubines here. Most had unusual backgrounds, and nearly all were picked up by her. Sure, she acts a little… off, but she’s never forced anyone. If you don’t want to, she won’t make you. Oh, and half a year ago, a prince from Chu Kingdom was sent here—my mistress never laid a finger on him!” Dongdong hurried to explain, wanting everyone to believe him.
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No one said anything after that. They all knew these memories were painful for Ethan Chu.
“But your mistress didn’t treat him well, did she? I heard it was the Black-and-White Fiend Duo who did that bone-piercing thing!” Ivy Shen’s tone turned icy—she knew how much that must have hurt.
“You’ve got it wrong! Yes, the Black-and-White Fiend Duo did the piercing, but if it weren’t for them, that Chu prince would’ve died long ago!” Dongdong blurted out.
Ivy Shen frowned and asked, “What happened?”
Seeing Ivy Shen take interest—and misunderstand the city mistress—Dongdong quickly explained: “Back then, the person who drugged and delivered the Chu prince wasn’t a stranger. It was his own older brother! When my mistress learned their identities, she was shocked. She couldn’t understand why a brother would treat his sibling that way. Later, the crown prince explained that his younger brother wasn’t really his blood kin, and that he was a threat to the throne. He claimed Ethan was manipulative and wanted to steal the crown. But, out of some twisted sense of brotherhood, he didn’t want Ethan to die outright—he said their mother would blame him. So he decided to send Ethan here. My mistress has a bad reputation, but people don’t realize she’s actually a good person.”
Hearing Dongdong’s story, Ethan Chu’s hand clenched tighter and tighter, pain flaring in his chest.
“My mistress saw the Chu prince unconscious and, for whatever reason, agreed to take him in and let the crown prince go. But the crown prince said they had to run iron chains through Ethan’s bones, or else he’d escape—he said Ethan was really strong. My mistress refused, but the crown prince promised huge profits for Lark City and kept pushing. Basically, if she didn’t agree, Ethan would die. So, she agreed to save his life.”
“How could a brother do that?” Liam Willow frowned deeply, feeling the pain of being betrayed by family.
“So what happened with the bone-piercing?” Ivy Shen pressed anxiously. Was there some hidden truth?
“It was the Black-and-White Fiend Duo who did it. But my mistress told them not to kill him, so they only pierced his shoulders. Do you know where his brother wanted the chains? He wanted them through Ethan’s thighs and neck—if they’d done that, he’d be crippled for life! Even if someone rescued him, he’d be ruined forever.” Dongdong hurried to explain.
With a sharp crash, Ethan Chu’s wine cup slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
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PS: [This year, for the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, YiYi has decided to do a bonus update as a gift to all the readers on National Day, hehe~~~]