The manor was filled with silence. Hua Zhu Yu felt her heart sink. She stopped her steps and looked back to see all of the servant girls staring at her with panic. All of their eyes seemed to carry the same message: “You’re finished……”


  Hua Zhu Yu really didn’t know what exactly was the problem that would make Xiao Yin – who was with his concubine – so angry. She could only walk up and hope that Xiao Yin had forgotten the siqin was her and wouldn’t specifically make things difficult for her.

  “Are you the siqin for today?” Xiao Yin’ voice carried from the bed. His voice didn’t hold a trace of its former happiness.

  “It was this servant!” Hua Zhu Yu said in a low voice, hoping that he wouldn’t recognize her voice.

  “Pull her out and tingzhang 20 times!” Xiao Yin quietly said. Even though his voice was quiet, however, as the whole manor was silent, his voice was extremely clear and strong.

  (TL: tingzhang – a punishment where the victim must be hit by wooden sticks viciously)

  A couple servants walked up and were about to pull Hua Zhu Yu away.

  “Wait!” Hua Zhu Yu suddenly raised her eyes and coldly said.

  The candles flickered faintly reflecting the wisps of smoke in the room. The figure in the curtain was in a lazy posture. A jade-like arm was currently wrapped around his neck.

  “Don’t know what this servant has done wrong that would make your highness give such a punishment.” Being tingzhang 20 times was not a light punishment. She currently didn’t have her internal force to protect her and so she couldn’t possibly be able to stand such a punishment.”


  “Your highness, is this the servant girl that you brought back? Why are her nerves so big?” The female’s voice floated into the room. It still carried a coquettish tone.

  “The blankets are cold. You actually dared to let bendianxia sleep on cold blankets?” Along with Xiao Yin’s cold voice came the sharp gazes of two people.

  Hua Zhu Yu slightly froze. Could it be that she really needed to warm the blankets? On the battlefield in such an arduous environment, he could still calmly survive. This type of person, would he really care about his blankets being cold? He most likely knew that the siqin today was her and was purposefully torturing her!

  “Your highness, this servant actually does not have any crimes. I had already warmed the blankets before. However, your highness returned too late. The blankets had already cooled down by then. If your highness still feels that it is cold, then this servant will immediately go and warm it up.”


  “If it is so, then you must warm the blankets for bendianxia again. If you do so, then bendianxia will forgive you!” Xiao Yin lazily said.

  “Of course!” Hua Zhu Yu slightly released her breath. She didn’t realize that Xiao Yin would actually say such nice words this time.

  However, after she waited for a little bit, no one pulled the blankets out. She looked around and saw that one of the servant girls was looking at her with sympathy. It seemed like Xiao Yin was purposefully making things difficult for her again. He was probably guessing that she didn’t dare to get the blankets and because of this, she would still receive punishment.

  Hua Zhu Yu coldly smiled and pushed aside the thin silk curtain.

  This movement caused the servant girls behind her to all suck in a breath of cold air and look at her with surprise.

  Xiao Yin was leaning on the bed. His hair was scattered around messily. Though he was still wearing his rope, however his chest was still exposed. A jade hand was pressed against his chest. There were two red agate bead bracelets around her wrist. It seemed bright against her pale white skin.

  Hua Zhu Yu leaned down and calmly used her left hand to grab the blankets on the bed.

  Xiao Yin’s concubine let out a breath of air. Her delicate and pale finger pointed at Hua Zhu Yu: “You……you……such big nerves!!”


  “Do all South Kingdom woman have as large of nerves as you?” Xiao Yin’s eyes were narrowed as he looked at Hua Zhu Yu with a deep expression.

  Hua Zhu Yu let out a light laugh as she said coldly: “How does this count as having big nerves? If your highness dares to expose, then why do I not dare look?”


  This was actually not the first time she had seen. Once, she had accidentally seen the generals in the army washing in the river. She had been frightened and turned to leave, however, a couple of the soldiers mocked her saying that she had never taken a bath with them before and that she didn’t have enough respect. A couple people had surrounded her and pulled her down to wash with them. That time, she had gotten extremely angry and had beat up a couple soldiers before finally escaping their evil clutches.

  Even though while they were fighting, she had tried not to look at then, however, she had still seen a little.

  After that, she had explained that she had caught an illness and could not longer wash in the ‘cold’ river. However, even the sky knows that it was the hot summer at that time and so washing in the river was naturally also comfortable.

  Hua Zhu Yu pulled the blankets from the bed. The concubine who had only been wearing clothes half-on, was quite exposed without the blankets. She squealed and hit behind Xiao Yin’s back.

  Xiao Yin narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. He jumped off the bed, which caught the attention of Hua Zhu Yu’s bright eyes. He still exposed his chest as he walked toward Hua Zhu Yu with big steps.

  Hua Zhu Yu couldn’t help but move back a couple steps. Xiao Yin continued to walk forward until she was pushed to the wall. He stretched out both hands and pressed them on the wall on either side of Hua Zhu Yu’s head.

  His handsome face was very close to her’s. His purple eyes seemed to glitter in the candle light as he stared at her deeply.

  Hua Zhu Yu frowned but still raised her head in pride. As her eyes met with his shining gaze, her heart couldn’t help but pound. She really couldn’t tell what sort of expression Xiao Yin had.

  “What do you want to do?” Hua Zhu Yu asked.

  Xiao Yu suddenly grabbed onto her chin and forced her stare at him straight in the eye. Although she was extremely distressed in her heart, on the surface, she appeared to be strong and calm.

  Xiao Yin’s purple eyes seemed to let out a cold aura as he quietly said: “Let me tell you, bendianxia is not someone who anyone can look at. I will return this favor sooner or later. bendianxia is not someone who can be put at a disadvantage!” When he finished speaking, he released her chin and released a brilliant smile.

  Hua Zhu Yu felt her heart turn cold at his smile. She bent her waist and moved out away from him. She carried the blankets and quickly left.

  In the outer manor, the other servant girls had already prepared a stove. Hua Zhu Yu had then just realized that the blankets could be warmed using the stove. She crouched on the ground, warming the blankets. However, just as she was doing so, she saw Xiao Yin’s concubine wearing her clothes neatly, leaving the manor. She hadn’t even slept with him yet had already had to leave. It was probably because of the vent earlier that had caused Xiao Yin to no longer have interest. As the concubine walked past Hua Zhu Yu, her cold gaze stared at Hua Zhu Yu before then arrogantly walking away.

  That gaze was really too stern. Hua Zhu Yu couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile. It seemed like she had offended another person. The later days in the residence would definitely not be without difficulty.