Chapter Twenty: I Heard Your Little Companion Isn't Doing Well

Watching as the woman stared at him with an almost reverent admiration, her eyes locked on him while she shamelessly let a string of drool escape, Bai Lixian wordlessly dragged his stool a little farther away. He was genuinely worried that if she decided to throw herself at him without any regard for propriety, he might very well lose his entire dinner from earlier that night.

Rumors are never to be trusted! Rumors can kill!

Liu Ling’er wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, fixing her gaze on Bai Lixian in his splendid wedding robes. “So you really are that psychotic fiend, Bai Lixian—the one who frightened several brides to death on their wedding night.”

Bai Lixian’s handsome face fell, turning darker than the bottom of a pot. The corners of his mouth twitched in silent protest.

Since he didn’t say a word, Liu Ling’er took his silence as confirmation. Overhead, Su Yun Yun, perched on the roof beam, was startled by Liu Ling’er’s bold accusation. Such insolence! If Bai Lixian took offense, she would surely be in trouble. He himself hadn’t expected Bai Lixian to look like this. It seemed his own intelligence was sorely outdated.

Having feasted her eyes on such beauty, Liu Ling’er had long since forgotten that Bai Lixian was a dangerous man. With a fearless spirit, she winked exaggeratedly at him. “Prince Xian! With looks like yours, why bother with a mask? Honestly, with that face, if you went to a pleasure house you’d be the king of the stage, earning a fortune just by standing there! No—more than a fortune every hour!”

Bai Lixian’s expression grew even darker, and he silently wished he could strangle her and restore some peace to the world. This damnable woman wanted him to work in a brothel—as a male courtesan, no less! To be the king of the ducks! For a so-called respectable young lady, did she have no sense of shame?

Sensing the murderous intent radiating from him, Liu Ling’er quickly shrank back, lowering her head in haste. “Come on, I was only joking! This phoenix crown is pressing on my neck—it’s killing me!”

Bai Lixian completely ignored her little act. She thought she was being subtle, but he missed nothing. His senses were sharper than most, especially when it came to danger; a hint of malice was all it took for him to notice.

Liu Ling’er quietly stowed away a silver needle, her movement slight but obvious to his keen eyes. Yet he let it pass, his curiosity about her only deepening.

With no one speaking, silence settled over the room. Liu Ling’er felt a chill creep into her heart. With Xiao Tao gone and the handsome man across from her exuding a cold, intimidating aura, she was sure something terrible would happen if this continued.

Fidgeting with her skirt, Liu Ling’er bit her lip before looking up at Bai Lixian. “Prince Xian, rumor has it your… little friend doesn’t work. Is that true?”

Bai Lixian, completely baffled, sipped his tea and asked, “Little friend? What little friend? The friends I had as a child were all perfectly fine. I’ve never heard of anyone who wasn’t!”

Was she being too cryptic? Or was Prince Xian just feigning ignorance? Either way, Liu Ling’er couldn’t help but feel a bit of contempt for him. “Prince Xian! It’s like how a madman never admits he’s mad. Even if you’re… lacking in that area, you shouldn’t deny it! If you’re ill, you should seek treatment. After all, I am your princess now—there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Later, I can give you a prescription that will guarantee you nine rounds in a night! Threesomes will be easy, and even more won’t be a problem.”

Pfft! Prince Xian, in the midst of drinking his tea, spat it out entirely, staring at Liu Ling’er as if she were a ghost. If she hadn’t been a maiden before him, he would have thought she was here to peddle aphrodisiacs.

Su Yun Yun, enduring torture on the beam, had never heard a woman make such bold claims so casually. Liu Ling’er’s face didn’t flush in the slightest, while he felt his own cheeks burning red as tomatoes.

Bai Lixian’s hand, hidden beneath his wedding robe, clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. He was seriously tempted to strangle Liu Ling’er. Could this really be the sheltered daughter of the Liu family? Had she been possessed by a lustful spirit?

Giving her a frosty glare, Bai Lixian sneered, “Is the princess questioning my capabilities? Would you like to find out if I can manage nine rounds in a night?”

The moment Liu Ling’er met his predatory gaze, a chill ran down her spine. She was courting disaster! She had poked the hornet’s nest, fully aware but unable to stop herself.

Her eyes darted to the wine jug on the table. Instantly, she turned to Bai Lixian. “Prince Xian! According to wedding tradition, shouldn’t we be sharing a ceremonial cup?”