Chapter 355: I Did It Willingly

Leaving the place of intoxicating luxury behind, Qin Mian returned to the quiet rear courtyard. Apart from a few honored guests, she did not need to remain in the front hall at all times. The people below could handle ordinary customers well enough.

"Sister Qin!" A man standing guard in the rear courtyard greeted her.

Qin Mian stopped in the courtyard and looked around. "Where's the Proprietress?"

"She went back to her room!" the man replied, then added, "An Taiping from the Tofu House came too. He went into the Proprietress's room."

An outside man had entered Su Zhao's private chamber? Qin Mian froze briefly, then turned and headed that way. She assumed the two wanted to discuss something privately and had deliberately avoided others, so she intended to see what was going on. She made her way to Su Zhao's door and raised a hand to knock. Then the sounds coming from inside made her hand freeze in midair.

For a moment Qin Mian thought she had heard wrong. She even glanced left and right, wondering whether she had somehow come to the wrong room. The sounds from inside were simply too unbelievable. Yet the facts soon proved she had not made a mistake.

She was far too familiar with those sounds that were scarcely fit for the ear. After spending so many years at Among the White Clouds, she knew exactly what was happening inside the instant she heard them. And it was intense.

Even more unbelievable were the occasional dreamy murmurs from Su Zhao. The few words that could be made out did not sound like someone being forced. If anything, she sounded lost in ecstasy. Qin Mian's expression twitched. Her raised hand nearly shoved the door open. In the end, however, she slowly lowered it. She turned and stood beneath the eaves instead.

Watching the night deepen while the sounds behind her went on and on for a long time, Qin Mian's expression grew exceptionally grave... When the clouds finally dispersed and the rain ceased, the room fell quiet again. On the couch lay two completely naked bodies. The man lay flat on his back. The woman, her long hair in disarray, lay curled on her side with her back to him. Yuan Gang stared blankly at the ceiling, dazed. More than anything, he felt vexation and regret.

He had never imagined he could do something like this. In the confusion and impulse of his emotions, he truly had come here with a certain purpose. But now that he had calmed down and regained his clarity, he regretted it. How could he have done such a thing?

Su Zhao lay curled on her side with her back to him, the curves of her bare body graceful, her skin white as snow. Her disordered hair veiled almost her entire face, and her silver teeth bit down on her lip for a long time without releasing it. Just now, she had almost felt her soul leave her body. Now she had sobered as well. And in that clarity she knew exactly what she had just experienced. She too was bewildered.

Why had it happened like this? She had plainly possessed the strength to refuse him. Yet that fierce masculine presence had seemed to turn her into a little woman in an instant. She felt herself fall almost immediately. Reason and intoxication had struggled against one another. In the end, reason had been lost in the confusion of passion, and she had completely surrendered. Now her mind alternated between lucidity and turmoil. She was lucid because she knew perfectly well what had happened.

She was confused because Shao Pingbo's image kept surfacing in her mind. It felt as though she had done something that wronged him. She and Shao Pingbo had once promised each other a lifetime. She had always believed it was only natural that she would ultimately end up with him. Yet after passing through this dreamlike encounter, some things suddenly seemed clear. That supposed inevitability with Shao Pingbo had always been something she herself regarded as inevitable.

The man who truly moved her heart was the man beside her now. She had simply buried that feeling beneath what she had convinced herself was only natural, leaving herself unable to distinguish the truth. Thinking back now, she could see it clearly. She had felt something from the very first moment she saw this man. That was why she had deliberately tested him afterward. That was why she had deliberately drawn close to him.

Only now did she clearly understand what she had been thinking back then. She had merely chosen to blur it in her own mind. After what had just happened, the confusion she had woven for herself finally cleared. Deep down, she had always known. She had spent time with Shao Pingbo and understood what sort of man he was. To Shao Pingbo, the realm mattered more than anything else.

Once he achieved success and fame, he would never marry a woman with a reputation like hers. She had always known that. She had always understood it. Yet she had still clung to a thread of hope. Now the man beside her had completely severed that hope. He had also given her a reason and the resolve to bring it to an end.

She did not know whether her submission to him just now had been the expression of some buried desire in her own heart.

"I'm sorry," Yuan Gang said softly.

He did not know what else to say. All he could offer was an apology. Nor did he dare look at her now. Only now did he seem to remember that propriety forbade looking.

Su Zhao shifted slightly and asked with her back still turned, "Why are you apologizing?"

Yuan Gang did not know how to explain. He braced himself with one arm and was about to sit up. Still facing away, Su Zhao reached an arm back and pressed her palm against his solid chest.

"You don't need to apologize. I did it willingly."

To a certain extent, that was indeed true. Otherwise, Yuan Gang could not have forced her. Yuan Gang slowly turned his head toward her. Su Zhao slowly rolled over. The moment her body turned beneath his gaze, embarrassment overwhelmed her. She simply threw herself on top of him, wrapped her arms around Yuan Gang, and pressed him back down. Lying against his chest, she met his eyes.

"By now, you should know that I'm not the Prince of the Western Court Hao Yunsheng's woman."

There seemed to be another meaning beneath the reminder. You must take responsibility for me. Yuan Gang remained silent, not knowing what to say.

Su Zhao said, "There are some things I can't explain to you right now, and they can't be explained clearly in a few words. In any case, you shouldn't remain in my room too long. Go. Leave quickly. Leave this place immediately, and don't tell anyone about what happened. I'll come find you another day and give you an explanation."

Her features were picturesque, her cheeks still flushed with lingering color. She slowly lowered her head.

"No matter what you're thinking, I don't regret it!"

With that, she quickly sat up, seized the brocade quilt, and wrapped it around her body. She turned her face away, not daring to look at his solid, sculpted body. The mere thought made her blush again.

"Go. Hurry!"

Yuan Gang sprang up, picked up his clothes, and dressed quickly. Without looking back, he opened the door and hurried away almost as though fleeing. When he reached the entrance to the rear courtyard, a servant extended a hand politely.

"Proprietor An, take care!"

But just as Yuan Gang passed him, the servant abruptly struck. One finger jabbed Yuan Gang in the waist. Yuan Gang's thoughts were still in chaos. It was the moment when his vigilance was at its lowest. Another man flashed over from the side to cooperate. Without making the slightest noise, the two subdued Yuan Gang. Before long, the unconscious Yuan Gang was dragged back by the pair. They looked toward Qin Mian, who stood cold-faced among the pavilions. Qin Mian flicked her sleeve.

The two servants immediately dragged Yuan Gang away. Qin Mian turned and headed toward Su Zhao's room. This time she did not knock. She shoved the door open. Inside, Su Zhao was getting dressed. Yuan Gang had left her thoroughly exhausted, and her movements were somewhat awkward. When someone suddenly barged in, her guilty conscience made her jump.

Seeing it was Qin Mian, she covered her chest and snapped angrily, "Have you forgotten all the rules? Don't you know how to knock?"

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized from Qin Mian's abnormal behavior that something was wrong. Panic immediately rose inside her. For an instant, she even had the thought of killing Qin Mian to silence her. But she could not simply make such a move.

Qin Mian bent down, picked up a torn piece of clothing from the floor, and slowly walked over to the couch. Her gaze fell on the scattered spots of crimson staining the bedding.

Then she ground out, "Did he force you?"

Su Zhao was silent for a moment.

"Could he force me? I did it willingly."

Qin Mian immediately looked heartbroken.

"Foolish! Absolutely foolish!"

Su Zhao did her best to calm herself and continued dressing.

"This is my own private affair. It won't affect the organization. I'll handle the aftermath myself. You don't need to worry about it. Remember this: don't interfere in things you shouldn't interfere in!"

Qin Mian said, "Mr. Bai told me to look after you. If something happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to him?"

"I'll explain things to Master myself. You don't need to answer for me!"

Qin Mian threw down the torn clothing in her hand and pointed at the crimson marks on the couch.

"You'll explain? Everyone knows you're the Prince of the Western Court's woman. How are you going to explain that? An Taiping has the Huyan clan behind him. This could create enormous trouble! You're already living in an environment like this. Remaining untouched was the best explanation of all. Now that you're no longer untouched, how are you going to explain yourself to Shao Pingbo? You're destroying your own future!"

Su Zhao turned to look at her.

"Why should I explain myself to him? He and I have no formal status between us. We're not even betrothed. Why do I owe him any explanation?"

Qin Mian said, "You personally gave Mr. Bai your word. Have you forgotten?"

"Public matters are public matters. Private matters are private matters. No one ever decreed that I must give my entire life to Shao Pingbo. I'll continue doing what I should do. You don't need to worry about that. I'll say it again: don't interfere in matters you shouldn't interfere in, and don't bring trouble onto yourself!"

Her sidelong gaze turned cold.

"You..."

"Enough. I'm tired."

Qin Mian clenched both fists, her cheeks rigid. Then she turned and left. Once she had finished dressing, Su Zhao slowly sat before the dressing table. She stared at herself in the mirror for a long time.

The scenes from earlier were too embarrassing to think about, yet they remained branded deeply into her mind and refused to fade. Everything felt like a dream. But after waking from a dream, one still had to face reality. Qin Mian knew now. That meant trouble was likely coming. Suddenly, Su Zhao's expression changed. A thought had struck her. If Qin Mian knew, would she really allow An Taiping to leave safely? Anxiety flashed in Su Zhao's eyes.

She shot to her feet and ran outside. With her hair still loose, she hurried out and found a servant.

"Where did Qin Mian go?"

The servant looked somewhat surprised at her disheveled appearance and pointed in one direction.

"Toward the interrogation room!"

The moment Su Zhao heard "interrogation room," her anxiety intensified.

She hurried away. Inside the interrogation room, the lighting was dim. The unconscious Yuan Gang had been bound to a punishment frame. Qin Mian stepped from the shadows and stopped in front of him. After studying the unconscious man for a moment, she raised one hand, gripped his chin, and forced his mouth open. A red pill appeared between the fingers of her other hand.

She flicked it into Yuan Gang's mouth, then used spiritual power to drive it into his abdomen and help the pill dissolve inside his body...

Bang!

Su Zhao burst through the door like a gust of wind. She saw Yuan Gang bound there unconscious. She also saw Qin Mian's hand still pressed against his body. Qin Mian turned her head toward her.

"Let him go!"

Su Zhao rushed forward and swept Qin Mian aside with one motion. She immediately began examining Yuan Gang's body, but found nothing abnormal. Her head snapped around. She stared coldly at Qin Mian.

"What did you do to him?"

Qin Mian said, "That Spirit-Torment Pill Mr. Bai gave me. I rewarded him with it!"

"You damned bitch!"

Su Zhao cursed sharply. She had no time to settle accounts with Qin Mian now. Her palm pressed against Yuan Gang's abdomen as she prepared to use spiritual power to make him vomit the pill back out.

Qin Mian said, "You're too late. I've already helped him refine it."

[End of Chapter 355]