Chapter 16

Hearing Jin Qianbao's nonsense, Lan Biyue's beard and hair bristled with rage, her black face turning a purplish eggplant; she didn't bother to dissect the flaws in his words, slammed her hand on the bedframe, and leapt down, clearly intent on immediately seeking out Situ to cause trouble.

Jin Qianbao dared not let her leave—otherwise, once they confronted each other, he would surely be tortured to death.

So he quickly called out to stop the Princess, forcing a smile he thought charming, and whispered, "Biyue, don't rush. Why hurry to find trouble for Situ? Now that I've seen your beauty, my heart is overflowing with joy. Why not first untie me? Let us drink some wine together, then seek some pleasure afterward?"

Hearing Xiao Baozi's words, Lan Biyue felt her whole body go limp; she lowered her head shyly, blushing and irritated, asking, "Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course it's true."

"You're not lying to me?"

"Why would I lie to you? Hurry up."

Lan Biyue's eyes reddened; she murmured softly, "Though everyone in the imperial palace has praised my beauty since I was a child, I always felt something was off—but I never imagined they were all telling the truth… Ah… Xiao Taizi, I'm so happy."

Watching the black Princess, whose eyes already shimmered with tears, Jin Qianbao felt a pang of guilt—he realized this girl, though crude and ugly, was astonishingly simple-minded.

Yet despite his guilt, Jin Qianbao still cared more about his own safety; so he forced himself to suppress his unease and rallied his spirits to say, "My arms have been tied too long—they're going numb."

"My beauty, don't worry—I'll untie you!"

Moments later, with a swift extension and tug of her short, thick arms, the ropes binding Xiao Baozi snapped clean.

Seeing how effortlessly she had snapped the rope woven with fine iron and soft gold, Jin Qianbao cried out, "Ashamed!" He thought to himself: I'm truly a disgrace—even without demonic power, as a leopard, my strength should far exceed that of a mortal.

Yet this rope, which he had struggled endlessly to break, now snapped in Lan Biyue's hands like a thin strand of noodles…

But at least now he could move freely; Jin Qianbao glanced at his body, clad only in undergarments, swallowed hard, and muttered awkwardly, "Biyue, your clothes look nice—but I'm still naked."

His intention was to prompt Lan Biyue to fetch him clothes—but he forgot this girl was utterly beyond normal logic.

As expected, upon hearing him, Lan Biyue immediately slapped her forehead, reached out with her fat hand, and ripped off her skirt.

Since she had already removed her outer robe, she now wore only a chemise and underpants, exposing four thick, black limbs—nearly making Jin Qianbao vomit.

"See? It's all my fault for being careless. But now we're both only in undergarments—if you're still not satisfied, I can take off my top too."

"No no no…"

Jin Qianbao's heart nearly leapt from his chest—this was terrifying. He glanced at the bewitching incense; though it had burned down considerably, it still remained as long as a finger.

"Come on, let's drink!" Lan Biyue had no idea what Jin Qianbao was thinking; flattered by his praise, she was overjoyed, treating this handsome man as her husband, even considering whether to love only him from now on and never again entangle herself with other men.

After a few cups of wine, Jin Qianbao realized his plan to get the Princess drunk was hopeless—this wine was excellent, and Lan Biyue, accustomed to drinking it daily, grew more alert with each sip, while he himself grew increasingly dizzy.

Knowing he'd be the one passed out if he kept drinking, Xiao Baozi stopped drinking and turned his thoughts again to breaking out the window.

Thinking of this, Jin Qianbao deliberately imitated the style of Great Tang poets—he picked up his cup, strolled casually to the window, pointed at the waterfowl playing in the pond outside, and smiled, "Guan guan ju jiu, zai he zhi zhou. Yao Tiao Shuan Nu, jun zi hao qiu."

Lan Biyue's eyes grew hazy; an unprecedented sense of happiness surged through her body with Jin Qianbao's voice. She could no longer resist her emotions, suddenly grabbing Xiao Baozi in a tight embrace and cooing, "Xiao Taizi, you recited poetry for me… I'm so happy, Biyue."

The sudden embrace, and the overwhelming force of Lan Biyue's arms, jolted Jin Qianbao back to reality from his perfect plan.

He had assumed this crude black Princess, unable to understand poetry, would react like an ignorant little girl—gazing at him in awe and asking for an explanation.

Then he could have used "you must listen carefully to understand" as an excuse to make her close her eyes, letting him slip out the window—but… but… why the hell wasn't she following the script?

Jin Qianbao was speechless again. He wanted to scream at Lan Biyue: "What the hell—are you sent from heaven just to mess with me? Why does everything you do contradict me?"

Oh, I told you I was tied up by choice, and you thought I liked that kinky stuff; fine, then I said you were dressed and I wasn't—and instead of fetching me clothes, you stripped off yours too…

Now, after racking my brains to come up with those two lines of poetry to trick you into asking their meaning, you just… you just hug me?!

"Easy… easy… Biyue, ease up…" Xiao Baozi felt he couldn't breathe—her strength was simply too excessive.

"I… I didn't even use any force… You're so mean, teasing me like that."

"You didn't use any force?" Jin Qianbao felt he was going mad. With all his strength, he finally pried her arms loose enough to gasp, "Biyue, don't you want to know what those two lines mean?"

"Huh? I don't need to think—it's from the Book of Songs, a man courting a woman. I learned it since I was a child!"

Jin Qianbao was speechless. The same "fool" feeling he'd felt that day in the Mountain Cave surged back into his heart—truly, "It's not that you fear the Princess being ugly and fierce—it's that you fear the Princess having culture."