Sure enough, a goblin! Shuangshuang cursed in her heart.
"Sister, why don't you speak?" He propped his jaw with one hand, stretched out his greenish-white fingers to pick up a teacup and played with it in his hand. His pink and transparent nails reflected warm light in the afternoon sun.
Beneath his long eyelashes, there was a trace of nonchalance in those watery, almond-shaped eyes. It seemed that he was very patient.
Xiangming glanced at Shuangshuang, whose expression remained unchanged, and said in a low voice, "My young lady has been unable to speak since she was a child."
"Oh." His long eyelashes trembled, but there was no ripple in his eyes. He said faintly, "I was just passing by. I happened to see my sister walking in. I originally wanted to thank her for saving my life yesterday. But... my sister ignored me." He put down the cup, stood up, walked around the table to Shuangshuang's left. His eyes suddenly flickered, then sank, and there was a trace of displeasure in his tone, "Sister, do you know what a woman's capital is?"
"... " What was he talking about?
He sneered, "A woman's capital is her appearance! But my sister doesn't cherish herself. No wonder... no wonder the whole capital knows that the Xuan Prince's concubine has been divorced!"
He didn't care about her feelings at all and said it bluntly. His eyes swept over the scars on her face and fell on the purple marks on her neck.
Shuangshuang's expression turned cold. She cast a sidelong glance at him, took Xiangming's hand and was about to leave.
Hmph! It wasn't that she was divorced, but that she divorced that beast! Where were these people's eyes looking!
Moreover, she knew that she looked ugly now, but did he have to say it out loud? He was so straightforward, really thinking that just because he was good-looking, he could humiliate others like this.
"Sister..." He hurriedly grabbed Shuangshuang, but he didn't expect her to suddenly turn around and bite his white wrist hard. It wasn't until blood oozed out that she let go of him.
Staring blankly at her provocative look and then at his slightly bleeding wound, a smile appeared on his face, with a trace of bitterness and loss. What was this? Calling it even? He bit her, and she bit him back.
Mother, did you lie to me?
"Sister, this is medicine for wounds. Maybe it will work on your scars." He took out a small bottle and put it on the table, his tone a little colder. Then he turned around and walked away with a swaying gait. When he reached the door, he suddenly looked back, smiling weirdly, "Sister, Hualou is a good place. It can teach you how to tie down your man. The Seventh Prince seems to like that place too."
With lotus-like steps, he disappeared into the bustling crowd like a ghost.
Leaning on the exquisite couch covered with petals, his eyes were deep as he stared at a peach blossom in front of him, his voice filled with infinite desolation.
"Mother, you said that the first person who saw me would be my fate. But it seems that it's not her. Should I kill her then?"
He asked softly to himself. The flower in his fingertips was instantly crushed, leaving only a trace of fragrance on his fingers.
"Xiangming, what kind of place is Hualou?"
"Well..." Xiangming mumbled, blushing and said, "It seems to be a brothel. But it's not an ordinary brothel, because the people who go there are either extremely wealthy or high-ranking officials and nobles."
Walking on the street, Shuangshuang realized that people were watching her from all sides. Just as she was confused, she suddenly heard people talking and laughing.
"Look at the scars on her face. She must be that shameless woman who was divorced."
"Yes, she was divorced just after getting married!"
"Look at her appearance. It's no wonder she was divorced. I heard she's both deaf and dumb!" There were also slight jeers mixed in the whispered discussions.
"Such a woman still had the cheek to take the initiative to marry the prince."
"Yes. She was divorced as soon as she entered the door. I just heard that Mrs. Lou was so angry that she jumped into the well!" Someone suddenly said this, which made Shuangshuang panic immediately. She felt a faint unease in her heart. Turning around, she found that Xiangming was gone.
Looking again, she saw Xiangming standing motionless in the crowd, her face pale and painful. Beside her stood two women with smiles on their faces — Li Yi and Liulu.
Looking at the two figures coming in, the masked man took a deep breath, suppressed the killing intent in his heart, and looked up at Shuangshuang, whose eyes were blindfolded.
"Li Yi, have you found out the details of Hualou?"
"Master, everything is done."
"Good, then we'll wait for Xiao Yunxuan there tonight." He slowly stood up, hands behind his back, walked to Shuangshuang, and a flame suddenly rose in his cold eyes, "This woman." He paused, trying his best to restrain himself, "dared to leave on her own initiative! It seems that we can't put all our bets on her. How is the Lou Mansion handled?"
Hualou? It's Hualou again! Shuangshuang's mind suddenly recalled what that goblin said, that Hualou was a good place.
"Everything is ready. Mrs. Lou's body has been fished out of the well." Li Yi replied expressionlessly.
"Hmm!" The masked man nodded with satisfaction, raised his hand, removed the gauze from Shuangshuang's eyes, grabbed her jaw, and looked down at her, "Lou Wanling! You're bolder than I thought! But you know the consequences of defying me! Today I'll give you two choices: either go back to the prince's mansion obediently and get Xiao Yunxuan's dragon-patterned jade pendant and half of the map. Or go back to your Lou Mansion in style and prepare funerals for everyone in the Lou Mansion!"
You... bastard! Shuangshuang's body swayed. The hand that had long been clenched into a fist made a slight creaking sound.
She didn't want to go back to the prince's mansion, didn't want to go back to endure those humiliations! But... what about the Lou Mansion? Although these people had no connection with her, and she didn't even know what they looked like, as a police officer, her inherent sense of justice made her have to give in.
She was a police officer. Although she had been a 'police officer' in the dark for many years, she had never forgotten the obligations and responsibilities of being a police officer — to protect the country and the people!
"Well?"
Somewhat despaired, she closed her eyes. Xiao Yunxuan's wanton voice rang in her ears again. Lou Wanling, this prince bets with you that you will beg me to return the divorce letter to you today!
Shuangshuang, this time, you miscalculated! You forgot you're a police officer!