Chapter 4

Chapter 4

After Qiaomei and I got engaged, I returned to the Prince’s Mansion for duty.

After I came back from night patrol, Wang Hu dragged me furtively into the duty room.

His face was livid as he said, “Lin Xiaowu! Have you lost your mind?! You actually hooked up with the man from Lotus Garden!”

My heart gave a violent thump.

For the past half month, I’d been sneaking over behind everyone’s backs. How did Wang Hu know?

Wang Hu was so angry he twisted my ear. “Every day you’re as quiet as a gourd. Hit you with a palm and you wouldn’t even let out a fart, yet without a word you’ve gone and done something this huge! Xiao Tao was assigned to Lotus Garden to serve that man! He told Xiao Tao that if you don’t go see him again, he’ll make a scene in front of His Highness and drag you down with him even if it destroys you both!”

My heart went ice-cold.

Sure enough, the prettier a person was, the more poisonous they were.

What had I ever done to him?

I hadn’t held his hand. I hadn’t kissed him. And now he wanted my life!

Wasn’t I too wronged?

Wang Hu looked me up and down for a long while, then snapped, “If you like men, spend some silver and find yourself a pretty boy to relieve your boredom. Qiaomei is virtuous and gentle. She won’t make a fuss with you over it. But you just had to be bold enough to hook up with His Highness’s man. Hurry up and go coax him, then slowly break things off.”

I was so angry my head hurt.

Just what had that Begonia Demon told Xiao Tao?

Clearly, nothing had happened between us, but from the look on Wang Hu’s face, it was as if I’d gotten him pregnant!

Wang Hu abused his authority for personal reasons and transferred me to duty at Lotus Garden.

I barged into the Begonia Demon’s room in a fury, ready to have it out with him properly.

He was sitting by the window drinking wine. When he saw me come in, he smiled at me.

I dropped to my knees in front of him with a thud and begged for mercy. “I was blinded by lust! Please be magnanimous and let me off this once. After all, I did save your life!”

He propped his chin on one hand, his beautiful eyes studying me as if he were considering how to deal with me.

After a while, he asked, “Have you ever liked another man?”

I answered honestly, “Yes.”

His gaze turned cold, scraping over me like blades of wind, and he asked again, “Then did you like him more, or do you like me more?”

How was I supposed to compare that?

With Lin Qingyan, affection had grown over time. With the Begonia Demon, it was lust at first sight. They were completely different in nature, weren’t they?

I secretly glanced at him and decided to lie.

“I don’t like either of you anymore.”

In truth, I liked them both.

His brows lifted. He smashed his wine cup into my arms and said furiously, “Who gave you permission to stop liking me?!”