Patting the fair and delicate face of the person beneath her, Zhou Shengsheng let out two crazed laughs like a complete creep.
She wasn’t stupid—this man had come to a brothel, so wasn’t he planning to do something?
Definitely up to no good!
A lecherous scoundrel!
After cursing Song Weiqing’s face a few times, Zhou Shengsheng decisively flung open the window, ready to jump down.
Then a cold gust of wind made her shrink back.
Wait… wasn’t this the third floor?
When the madam discovered Zhou Shengsheng had escaped, she flew into a rage and brought her men to hunt her down.
She’d known it! Among all the girls in her establishment, why did that one just now look so unfamiliar?!
But when she barged into the room, she found it completely empty.
Neither the runaway "Little Red" nor the visiting gentleman were anywhere to be seen.
By the wide-open window, only a makeshift "rope"—woven from all the fabric in the room—snaked its way down to the street below.
---Where Did Song Weiqing Actually Go?---
Had Jiang Zhiyu gone back yet?
The streets were bustling under the glow of lanterns at dusk.
Blushing maidens shyly handed embroidered handkerchiefs to their sweethearts.
The warm, cozy atmosphere under the hazy lights even softened the weary expressions of passersby burdened by life’s hardships.
Yet amid this lively, romantic festival, one girl stood out like a sore thumb.
She stood in the middle of the street, dazed and disheveled.
Damn it… her little thunderbolt—no, her "Little Fish"—was missing.
She’d assumed Jiang Zhiyu would return to the inn after they got separated, but when she rushed back, there was no sign of her.
Had she been kidnapped too?
Surely not. The female lead shouldn’t be as unlucky as her.
The idea of reporting it to the authorities nagged at Zhou Shengsheng, but she ultimately dismissed it.
"Miss, you seem like you could use some help?" A clear, jade-like male voice suddenly spoke from behind her.
Though pleasant to the ear, the sound sent a chill down Zhou Shengsheng’s spine, and she immediately bolted.
Unfortunately, the man seemed prepared. The moment she took her first step, a swift chop to the back of her neck knocked her out cold.
Getting knocked unconscious twice in one day—what a record.
Since they were in a crowded area and Song Weiqing was exceptionally striking in appearance, his actions drew shocked and suspicious looks from the onlookers.
Holding Zhou Shengsheng in his arms, he gazed down at her with tender amusement before calmly explaining, "My apologies. My wife and I had a little disagreement. I had to resort to drastic measures to bring her home."
The crowd nodded in understanding, and some even teased loudly, "Such a pretty little wife! Better ‘comfort’ her properly when you get back, young master!"
The remark made unmarried girls nearby blush furiously.
As mentioned before, the Zhen Kingdom had liberal customs, and Song Weiqing, being the crown prince, was no exception.
With a faint smile, he replied, "You’re absolutely right, good sir. I’ll be sure to ‘comfort’ her thoroughly."
The crowd erupted into even louder cheers, assuming this dignified and handsome gentleman must dote on his wife immensely.
And so, amidst the clamor, Song Weiqing carried the unconscious Zhou Shengsheng away in broad daylight.
---I Kinda Want to Be Kidnapped by Qingqing Too---
"Shengsheng, Shengsheng, Shengsheng..."
Why so many "Shengshengs"? Her head throbbed as if she’d been beaten up twice in one day.
"You big jerk! You said she’d wake up soon! Give me back my Shengsheng!" A girl’s tearful voice rang out, worsening Zhou Shengsheng’s headache.
"If she’s not waking up, it’s because you’re too noisy," a refined male voice replied, laced with impatience.
Zhou Shengsheng found it oddly familiar.
Sounded like that black-hearted scoundrel Song Weiqing.
Wait—Song Weiqing?!
Her consciousness snapped back, and she jerked her eyes open, only to immediately shut them again from the blinding lantern light.
Hearing movement, Jiang Zhiyu rushed over.
"Shengsheng! You’re awake! You scared me to death!"
Seeing Zhou Shengsheng weakly open her eyes again, Jiang Zhiyu’s eyes welled up with tears.
"Little Thunder..." Zhou Shengsheng croaked.
Jiang Zhiyu’s tears spilled over. "Shengsheng, have you gone stupid? I’m not ‘Little Thunder,’ I’m Little Fish!"
Calling her stupid—what a brat.
Closing her eyes to steady herself, Zhou Shengsheng asked, "How long was I out?" Please don’t say months—though her body did feel like it had been lying around forever.
"Half an hour. Lucky you woke up, or your body would’ve started rotting," a teasing male voice chimed in.
Zhou Shengsheng turned her head to glare at the culprit.
"Your Highness, long time no see."
[Ugh, now I have to get up and bow.]
She obediently scrambled to her feet and bowed, keeping her eyes downcast.
Seeing her well-behaved act, Song Weiqing twirled his prayer beads and smiled. "Miss Little Red, so you recognize me now?"
Zhou Shengsheng’s fists clenched invisibly, but her voice remained sweet. "Your Highness jests. This servant had no choice."
[You rotten scoundrel! You knew it was me all along and still played along with that ‘handsome patron and pretty courtesan’ act!]
[Pervert!!]
This was the first time in his life Song Weiqing had been called a pervert.
But she had it all wrong.
He wasn’t playing the "handsome patron and pretty courtesan" game—he was going for the "incognito crown prince and fallen palace maid" storyline.
"No choice, hm?" He chuckled softly, then slowly walked over to where Zhou Shengsheng still knelt.
Looking down at her, he mused, "So you offended the imperial consort and were sold all the way to the Zhen Kingdom to become a courtesan..."
Her teeth nearly ground to dust. This bastard really couldn’t let her off easy, could he?
But Zhou Shengsheng had to maintain her character, so she kept a straight face and explained seriously, "This servant did not become a courtesan. The madam kidnapped me because she thought I was beautiful and forced me into it."
Even Song Weiqing fell silent at that.
He couldn’t help but wonder if Zhou Shengsheng misunderstood the definition of "beautiful."
"Ahem..." He cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"Zhang Jian," he called.
A man in black stepped forward from behind him and pulled out a very familiar item from his sleeve, presenting it to Zhou Shengsheng.
"Is this yours?" Song Weiqing asked with a ‘kind’ smile.
Pursing her lips, Zhou Shengsheng stared at the dark cloth strip in silence.
[Perfect! I can sell this again!]
"Zhang Jian, take it back," Song Weiqing suddenly ordered, his usually calm voice sharp.
Zhang Jian swiftly snatched the cloth back without expression.
Under Zhou Shengsheng’s gaze—a perfect pie chart of three parts fury, three parts shock, and four parts heartache—Song Weiqing took the cloth strip from Zhang Jian’s hand with a radiant smile and said,
"Never mind whether it’s yours or not. I recall the Great Yong Emperor’s birthday is in a few days. This will make a fine gift for him."
"Don’t worry, I’ll have it wrapped elegantly," he added, his jade-like features tinged with playful mischief under the lamplight.
Zhou Shengsheng: "..." I should’ve just died out there.
