Seeing Fang Xinhu’s arm trembling with bulging veins, many people began to gloat. Back then, quite a few of them had been bullied by Ye Chu. At the time, they could only endure because Ye Chu relied on his family background. But now Ye Chu had been expelled from the Ye family. This was exactly the moment to teach him a proper lesson!
Ye Chu stood there calmly, showing no change in expression despite Fang Xinhu’s raised fist. Liang Shan, however, grabbed Ye Chu and whispered urgently in his ear, “Run quickly! Do not come back to Yao City anymore. You cannot fight them now!”
But Fang Xinhu clearly had no intention of letting Ye Chu escape. He had his companions block the way and sneered at Ye Chu. “This young master has not forgotten how you made me kneel and bark like a dog back then. Today, if you kneel and beg for mercy, then crawl through my crotch, perhaps this young master will be in a good mood and let you off.”
Ye Chu did not even glance at him. He remained leaning lazily against the wall, his gaze fixed on Su Rong. “Su Xiaorong! You are the daughter of the prime minister and now a person of status. You cannot always keep cats and dogs by your side. Someone who opens his mouth demanding others crawl through his crotch to smell that stench wafting nine hundred li away should be driven far from you.”
“You bloody… wafting nine hundred…” Fang Xinhu roared in fury, barely holding back from swinging his fist. How was he wafting? How bloody wafting!!
“Enough!” Fang Xinyuan shouted, stopping his younger brother’s outburst. He did not care whether Ye Chu lived or died. But this time they were hosting an important figure. If they could build a connection with that person, the Fang family might soar to great heights! At a moment like this, Fang Xinhu could not be allowed to ruin everything!
Fang Xinyuan scolded his brother, then turned his gaze to Ye Chu. “If I were you, I would roll far away from Yao City! Not stand here shamelessly like you are doing now! Take care of yourself!”
With that, Fang Xinyuan led the group away. Su Rong glanced at Ye Chu and also left. Zhang Su’er, seeing Su Rong’s reaction, gave Ye Chu a contemptuous smile. Su Rong still ignored Ye Chu completely. That was how it should be. How could someone with such a rotten reputation ever catch Su Rong’s eye? In her view, Su Rong speaking even one word to him would be a favour. Yet from beginning to end, Su Rong had not said a single word to him. That was the true pride of Su Rong!
Once the group left, Liang Shan finally breathed a sigh of relief. “You scared me to death! If they had attacked, you would have been in serious trouble today. Fortunately, an important figure is coming, so they held back.”
“Important figure?” Ye Chu asked curiously.
“Yes! Rumour has it he is the heir of one of the empire’s ancient inherited noble families. Although Yao is a kingdom, it cannot compare to those ancient clans rooted in the empire for who knows how many generations. Even the king invited him to the palace as a guest. The prime minister, the grand general, and many ministers in the royal city tried to invite him, but apart from the king’s invitation which he accepted, he rejected all the others.”
Ye Chu felt some surprise in his heart. He thought this person’s status was indeed noble enough. In the royal city of Yao Kingdom, to disregard even the prime minister and grand general’s invitations without strong backing would have led to death long ago!
While Ye Chu and Liang Shan were talking, a youth entered from the other end of the flower boat. The youth was not tall, rather plump and chubby, with an oily sheen on his round face. His eyes were narrowed into slits, occasionally scanning the women around him with a lecherous gaze.
The moment this youth appeared, Fang Xinyuan hurried forward and bowed respectfully. “My lord! You have finally arrived!”
Fang Xinyuan was thrilled inside. This was a figure even the prime minister could not invite, yet he had managed to secure him. If he could build even a slight connection, would he not soar to greatness? If this lord were willing to speak for him, he would even have the courage to propose marriage to the prime minister for Su Rong.
“Mm!” The plump youth grunted. His gaze shifted away from Su Rong and Zhang Su’er. A smile spread across his face as he slapped Fang Xinyuan’s shoulder hard. “Good! Not bad! This flower boat was worth coming to!”
These words made Fang Xinyuan beam with joy. He waved his hands repeatedly. “As long as my lord is pleased, I would be willing to book it for a whole year!”
“No need for that!” The youth shook his head. “This young master just took a tour of the boat. The girls here are decent enough, but none are worthy of accompanying this young master!”
“Indeed, indeed!” Fang Xinyuan and the others quickly agreed. Even the women present showed no resentment at his words. Instead, their beautiful eyes flickered as they stared at him. Though the youth was not much to look at, his noble status alone was enough to make them fall for him.
Only Su Rong and Zhang Su’er frowned slightly, but said nothing. They knew his background was special. Even if they disliked him inwardly, they had to endure.
Liang Shan, seeing the youth, could not help sneering. “He was so arrogant just now, yet in front of this youth he grovels like a dog!”
But soon Liang Shan grew jealous. “Fang Xinyuan really stepped in dog shit luck. How did he manage to connect with him? If I could build a connection like that, Fang Xinyuan and his lot would be dogs before us!”
After speaking, Liang Shan turned to look at Ye Chu, only to see Ye Chu staring at the plump youth with a strange expression. Liang Shan assumed Ye Chu was intimidated by the youth’s prestige and thought no more of it. But when he turned back, he saw Fang Xinhu looking at them with contempt, completely different from his fawning attitude toward the plump youth. Toward them, he was full of arrogance.
Fang Xinhu muttered disdainfully, “Two wastes! Sooner or later I will deal with you!”
“My lord! Do you have any other requests? We will prepare them at once!” Fang Xinyuan said to the plump youth.
“No need!” The plump youth shook his head. Suddenly he pointed a finger, slowly indicating Zhang Su’er. “Let her accompany this young master to bed.”
One sentence plunged the surroundings into dead silence. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the plump youth, then blankly at Zhang Su’er. No one had expected the plump youth to make such a demand.
Su Rong and Zhang Su’er were stunned. Their gazes involuntarily turned to Fang Xinyuan. Fang Xinyuan froze for a moment, then burst into loud laughter. “My lord truly loves to joke. Miss Su’er is the daughter of Baron Zhang, not a girl from a pleasure house.”
“This young master is not joking!” The plump youth stared at Fang Xinyuan. “This young master toured the entire boat and found no suitable woman to accompany him. Among those here, only two caught my eye. Naturally, His Majesty’s adopted daughter cannot accompany me, so we settle for the next best.”
His serious tone made Zhang Su’er’s face turn pale. She stared straight at the group of men, hoping they would step forward to refuse on her behalf! But the men who usually followed her now all turned their heads away, pretending not to see.
“I will not accompany!” Seeing no one speak for her, Zhang Su’er could only shout it herself.
“That is not up to you! Even if we ask His Majesty, he would send you to me!” The plump youth laughed.
No one doubted the truth of those words, including Su Rong and Zhang Su’er. Zhang Su’er’s body trembled uncontrollably. She looked pleadingly at the group of men, hoping they would stand up, but found they all kept their distance.
“Come with this young master to the room!” The plump youth laughed, but his laughter clashed harshly with the oppressive silence around them. Everyone found it grating to the extreme, yet no one dared interrupt.
Zhang Su’er’s face was deathly pale. Finally, she turned her gaze to Fang Xinyuan, filled with pleading, while Su Rong cast a similar look of appeal.
Faced with the stares of two women, Fang Xinyuan felt his scalp tingle. Still, he stepped forward, gathering his courage. “My lord, could I perhaps find another woman to accompany you…”
But before Fang Xinyuan could finish, the plump youth roared angrily, “What are you? How dare you speak in front of this young master!”
The plump youth showed Fang Xinyuan no face at all, nor did he need to. This furious shout was like a thunderclap, silencing everyone around. Fang Xinyuan turned pale and dared not say another word.
Su Rong felt disappointed. Zhang Su’er felt disappointed. They had never imagined that Fang Xinyuan, who always prided himself on being a gentleman, would be cowed into silence by a single rebuke, simply watching his companion be sent into the tiger’s mouth.
Zhang Su’er’s eyes lost all vitality. Hot tears streamed endlessly from them. Her whole body seemed to lose strength. In this suffocating silence, she could barely stand and had to grip a chair to keep from collapsing.
Zhang Su’er glanced at Fang Xinhu. He had always liked her and once swore he would die for her. Yet now he too avoided her gaze. Zhang Su’er’s heart turned to ashes. She bit her lip until scarlet blood welled up.
Just as Zhang Su’er resigned herself, giving Su Rong a tragic smile and preparing to jump into Cold Lake, she noticed behind Su Rong a youth slowly step forward. He still wore that same lazy posture.