Chapter 21 “I Do Not Accept Threats”

Chapter 21: "I Am Not Threatened"

I deliberately returned to the chancellor’s residence to change my attire. When Xiao Man heard my unusual styling request, his jaw dropped in astonishment. Hesitantly, he asked, "Young Master, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, just do as I say."

Only after hearing my response did Xiao Man breathe a sigh of relief and begin helping me get dressed.

After all the effort, I stared blankly at my reflection in the bronze mirror—red lips, fair skin, a delicate red plum blossom painted on my forehead, eyes upturned at the corners, the mole beneath them concealed with powder. I wore a pomegranate-red skirt with wisteria patterns, a jade pendant loosely tied at the waist. My figure was delicate, and my demeanor was presentable.

I nodded at Xiao Man. "Well done. I’ll bring you some pine nut cakes when I return."

Xiao Man looked bewildered, staring at my face in a daze. After hesitating for a long while, he finally asked, "Y-Young Master, haven’t you always hated it when others mistake you for a woman? Why... why this time..."

I understood his underlying meaning and heaved a long sigh. "I have my reasons. Don’t worry. Go prepare the sedan chair."

Heart-Reflection Lake was the most renowned scenic spot in the capital. Lovers with budding affections loved to come here for boat rides and heartfelt conversations.

During the day, the lake rippled gently, shrouded in mist. At night, the paths grew more secluded under the slanted moonlight, with an endless stream of boats on the lake—elaborate ornate pleasure boats for the nobility and simple, swaying canopy boats for commoners.

The deeper parts of the lake were dotted with lotus seed pods. I never liked the extravagant and cumbersome pleasure boats, preferring instead the light and delicate small boats. Drifting gently on the lake, basking in the sun, sipping a little wine, and peeling a lotus seed—it was sheer bliss.

But at this moment, my mood was far from relaxed.

I sat quietly in the canopy boat, forming a circle with my hands and squinting with one eye to observe the exquisite, luxurious pleasure boat.

The octagonal boat at the center of the lake was adorned with colorful lanterns swaying in the gentle breeze. The summer light streamed through the boat’s latticed windows, refracting into splendid patterns.

Xie Yan had never taken me out for fun. Whenever he had free time, he was only focused on supervising my calligraphy and chess. Now, it seemed he had found a taste for romance. Hah, I cursed him a thousand times in my heart.

Outside the boat were two people—a man and a woman. The man had heterochromatic eyes, a high nose, and wore dark clothing, his expression cold. The woman had her hair styled in the currently popular flying fairy chignon, with delicate features and an elegant indigo traditional jacket and skirt, her demeanor cultured.

"A talented man and a beautiful woman—they look so well-matched," I couldn’t help but remark, then added with a cold laugh, "It’s a pity this heartless person is here to drive a wedge between them."

"Boatman, row the boat closer to that pleasure boat."

"Alright, miss. Please sit tight."

I made no reply, my hands gripping the pomegranate-red skirt beneath me tightly. The humiliation and resentment in my heart left my thoughts in disarray. I could only force myself to stay calm and keep my gaze fixed on them.

The atmosphere between them felt strangely off. Unlike other couples who laughed and chatted intimately or exchanged flirtatious glances, there was more of a strained and uncomfortable feeling.

The woman seemed better off, occasionally turning to initiate conversation with Xie Yan. But Xie Yan’s lips seemed glued shut—I only saw him nod occasionally and shake his head often, his gaze never settling on the woman’s face.

After multiple attempts, the woman’s expression grew somewhat embarrassed. Yet, she had excellent composure, not prone to fits of temper like me, and remained remarkably patient.

It was the woman who noticed my arrival first. Her almond eyes widened as she looked me up and down, a flash of admiration in her gaze followed by a friendly smile. She reached out her hand to me. "Miss, take care."

Her friendliness caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily unsure how to proceed. Mindful of the boundaries between men and women, I avoided her hand and elegantly boarded the pleasure boat.

Xie Yan had always been arrogant. Initially, his gaze was fixed on the distant landscape. Only when I approached did he lower his eyes to look at me.

His cold gray eyes held a hint of mocking gleam, his gaze lingering on the spot beneath my eyes as if surprised by the absence of a tear-drop mole. There was no trace of panic at being caught in the act.

Ignoring him, I seized the moment to perform while everyone was present.

I surreptitiously pinched my thigh inside my sleeve, then pointed a finger at Xie Yan. Covering half my face with a handkerchief, I revealed only my eyes welling with tears and said to the woman:

"Sister, I shouldn’t have come, but I truly had no other choice."

"I am carrying the Crown Prince’s child. He coaxed me into sleeping with him, but when he found out I was pregnant, he abandoned me."

"Sister, don’t be fooled by him. He’s a heartless man, a scoundrel, a womanizer."

I cried with genuine emotion, my voice trembling with tears as I accused him.

The woman was stunned by my outburst and quickly glanced around to see if anyone else was nearby. Seeing only the three of us, she relaxed slightly and softly advised, "Let’s go inside to talk, alright?"

"Nonsense."

Before I could respond, Xie Yan cut me off, his tone filled with strong condemnation as if I had committed some grave sin.

Through my tear-blurred vision, I could only see his dark expression, his thin lips pressed into a stern line, his demeanor gloomy like an impending storm. Without another word, he lifted me by the waist, his steely arm squeezing me painfully tight, carrying a warning and punitive intent.

He glanced coldly at the woman and finally explained, "He’s always been fond of spouting nonsense. Don’t take it seriously. I’ll take him inside to talk. Wait here."

What did he mean by "nonsense"?

Recently, he had stirred my lips and tongue relentlessly, slept in the same bed with me at night, always holding me in his arms to rest peacefully. Once, in a fit of anger, he nearly took liberties with me. If not for my fear, we would have already crossed that line.

Yet now, in front of this woman, he called my words nonsense, eagerly distancing himself from me. He explained himself to her, but had he ever explained their relationship to me?

I bit my lower lip hard until it bled, but it couldn’t mask the bitterness in my heart.

"Oh, alright."

The woman didn’t dare disobey Xie Yan and avoided looking around.

Unlike her, I had never been compliant or meek. I struggled relentlessly to break free from Xie Yan’s grasp, but he restrained me with raw strength.

As my struggles grew more frantic, he grew impatient and actually slapped my rear. Instantly, I froze like a cat whose life had been threatened, not daring to move.

Afraid the woman might see, I glanced back and found her staring at me in a daze, her eyes filled with compassion and pity.

I hated it. Xie Yan, this heartless man, was unfaithful to me and now humiliated me in front of my rival.

I bit down hard into his shoulder. His expression remained indifferent, neither avoiding nor resisting, as if merely tolerating the bites of a frantic kitten. The more he ignored me, the angrier I grew, wishing I could tear the flesh from his body.

Xie Yan carried me through the boat’s long corridor into the inner chambers—a spacious area with many partitioned rooms. One of them was a chess room, but Xie Yan walked straight past it and brought me to the bedchamber.

He pressed me against a wooden cabinet, his cool fingertips brushing my lips and smearing some of my rouge. His expression was aloof and cold, but I detected a roiling desire hidden in his eyes. His voice was hoarse as he began to scold me, "What kind of trouble are you stirring up? Hmm?"

I slapped his hand away from my lips. I hated that he had kept this secret meeting from me, and I hated even more that he explained himself to others while disregarding my feelings. I retorted fiercely, "Xie Yan, if you dare meet secretly with others behind my back again, I’ll make sure your life is thrown into chaos every day and your reputation is ruined."

As soon as I finished speaking, Xie Yan’s expression turned extremely unpleasant. He looked at me as if I were an unreasonable troublemaker, full of disdain. He curled his thin lips into a mocking smile, his eyes devoid of any warmth. "I am not threatened."

In the midst of my anger, he actually thought I was threatening him.

He had done so many intimate things with me yet could openly meet with others without a care for my feelings, offering not a single word of explanation. And now, he referred to himself as "I" in front of me.

"I?" I murmured in disbelief. Xie Yan had always referred to himself as "I" in front of me, reserving "I" for others.

I had once thought I was special and secretly rejoiced over it. But who could have guessed that now, with the appearance of the woman he liked, he would create distance between us?

I remembered our countless kisses, the entanglement of our lips and tongues, the intimacy of our bodies. When he kissed me, it was as if he wanted to devour me whole, and he had even attempted to take our relationship further.

But now, I was nothing.

Suddenly, I found myself utterly ridiculous. Laughing bitterly, I began to shed tears.

"Please forgive my presumption, Your Highness."

I had never addressed him as "Your Highness" in private, always daring to call him directly by his name, "Xie Yan, Xie Yan." Looking back now, how presumptuous I was. Clearly, I was nothing but dust in his eyes, yet I foolishly aspired to stand beside the sun and moon.

Hearing my words, Xie Yan seemed momentarily stunned. He hesitated, then reached out as if to comfort me as he always had, but I refused, turning my head away just in time to avoid his touch. I pressed myself closer against the wooden cabinet, trying to stand a little straighter—at least not to appear defeated in front of him.

I haphazardly wiped away my tears and lifted my head to meet his gaze. The man before me was still breathtakingly beautiful, like the cold moon reflected in water. I was the monkey trying to clutch the moon, making a spectacle of myself all night, yet gaining nothing. How ridiculous.

At this thought, I suddenly let out a soft laugh, my eyelashes trembling as tears rolled down.

I thought I saw a flicker of alarm in Xie Yan's eyes, but it must have been my imagination. Why would Xie Yan ever feel alarmed because of me?

I forced myself to smile at him with the same fawning expression as before, saying obediently, "Your Highness, it was my presumption. I will go explain things to that young lady now. My apologies."

The light inside the pleasure boat was not as bright as outside. Xie Yan's figure was shrouded in the interplay of light and shadow, his expression obscure and cold as frost. I had no mind to decipher his thoughts anymore and simply continued.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to serve by Your Highness's side in the future. I only hope Your Highness will soon meet the right person and enjoy safety and good fortune."

After saying this, I felt as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Then I pointed to the pouch at his waist and said, "Please return the ring to me. It is too crude and unworthy of Your Highness's noble status."

That ring was like my hopeless affection for Xie Yan—in his eyes, it had always been shallow and cheap, only deserving of casual treatment.