Chapter 37: The Cunning Fox

"Why?" Hearing her question, a flicker of unknown fury seemed to ignite in the man's bright eyes. "Is Her Royal Highness truly oblivious, or merely pretending to be?"

Facing his inexplicable anger felt like a heavy blow to her face; what on earth was he talking about? She had no idea what he meant. Why did he marry her? Wasn't it just a marriage decreed by the Empress?

"I shall not debate this further with Your Royal Highness. Add the value of everything you emptied from my room, plus that garnet night-pearl." His long, fair fingers danced skillfully over a golden abacus; the rhythmic clicking sounded like a form of art.

He looked up, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "There, twenty thousand taels in total. Please settle the account, Princess."

Ha! Was there something wrong with this boy's math? For so many items, twenty thousand taels was nothing—it was cheap. She could earn that easily by sketching a few designs. She waved her hand with a grandiose air. "Fine, I'll pay you back the twenty thousand taels later. I wouldn't want you to think this Princess is stingy or prone to defaulting on debts."

"Twenty thousand taels... of gold."

Her hand froze as if struck by a lightning bolt from a clear sky, leaving her charred and stunned. She moved her lips in disbelief, struggling to force out a few words: "How much did you say?"

He grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, his gaze brimming with a hint of malice. "Twenty thousand taels of gold."

She twitched her mouth. "And what if I don't pay?"

His eyes were as cunning as a fox. "Then I shall go to the Emperor and ask him to preside over this matter for his concubine."

Infuriated, she stared at him in disbelief. "You... you're actually going to tattle on me?!"

He waved the golden abacus in his hand, looking smug. "Why not?"

*Cunning fox!*

She had to think of something, or he would surely force her to pay up today. What could she do? As the saying goes, one must strike a snake at its seven-inch mark. What was it that Murong Xi feared most?

The hourglass in her mind spun rapidly until it suddenly stopped. She had it!

Yun Qiange, dressed in a red gown, blinked her eyes pitifully, looking like a rabbit that had suffered a thousand grievances. "Xi... Xi..."

Truth be told, if her face were prettier, it might have been touching, but Yun Qiange's peerless ugliness gave Murong Xi quite a jolt.

An ominous premonition arose, and he fell silent, unsure of how to react.

"..."

As she drew closer, Yun Qiange seemed to lose all strength, collapsing into his arms. She gazed at his starry eyes with a seductive, languid look. "Xi... Xi... Xi..."

A chill ran down Murong Xi’s spine. He suddenly felt that the Princess was terrifying today. Seeing her pouting red lips leaning in, Murong Xi pushed her away as if his eyebrows were on fire, treating her like a hot potato as he retreated several steps.

He tucked the small golden abacus into his robes and glanced toward the window. The situation was dire; it looked like he had to retreat. As he backed toward the window, he waved his hands, trying to maintain distance. "...What are you doing?! Don't come any closer!"

A rosy flush bloomed on the woman's cheeks as she feigned shyness. "Little Xi... don't go. Since... since I have no money to pay you back, I have thought about it for a very long time... and decided... to pay my debt with my own body. Just let me serve you."

With that, Yun Qiange made a move to shed her outer red gown, leaving only a layer of crimson gauze and a faintly visible light-red bodice.