Chapter 701: The Threat of the King of Hailing

Song Qingshu was genuinely perplexed by Huang Rong’s reaction. By all rights, after the way he had treated her, she should have turned hostile long ago. Yet she remained silent. Adhering to his own principle of never letting a free benefit go unclaimed, he wasn’t foolish enough to forgo such a splendid opportunity.

At first, he had his reservations—only daring to lean in close to her ear and, under the guise of speaking softly, accidentally brushing against her earl0be. But after several such attempts, noticing that Huang Rong showed no sign of protest, Song Qingshu’s nerve grew bolder.

No longer content with such fleeting t0uches, he gradually began to k!ss the smooth, snowy nape of her neck, even her cheeks… In truth, as he did so, Song Qingshu was deeply anxious, fearful that if Huang Rong were to turn against him, their relationship would be irrevocably shattered. Yet, as his advances became ever more brazen, all he observed was her skin gradually reddening—no other reaction at all.

Could it be that, in order to save her husband, she was deliberately allowing him to take advantage of her—so as to devote herself even more wholeheartedly to the rescue?

A thought flashed through Song Qingshu’s mind. On one hand, he marveled at how Huang Rong was willing to make such sacrifices for her husband; on the other, he silently cautioned himself, ‘I have so many beautiful confidantes who would no doubt sacrifice for me. For their honor’s sake, I must be ever vigilant, lest I end up as another man’s captive and subject them to blackmail.’

In his previous life, Song Qingshu had seen these scenarios countless times on television—the fate of the male lead hanging by the thread of a villain’s whim, with the heroine (or the second female lead) forced to sacrifice her purity in order to save him, leaving herself to be exploited at the villain’s mercy.

The most outrageous example was from a drama—its title now lost to memory—whose absurd plot had left a deep impression on him: the primary, secondary, and tertiary female leads were all taken by the villain for various reasons, yet the male lead hadn’t even been touched!

“What the hell is this?!” Song Qingshu muttered under his breath. In his previous life, domestic drama screenwriters—whatever possessed them—seemed obsessed with plots where the hero was cu*k0lded by the villain, leaving an indelible scar on his once-innocent heart.

‘In this world, I’m not going to be that foolish protagonist. I intend to be a winner in life!‘ he vowed silently while holding Huang Rong close.

“Hey, you can let me go now, can’t you?” Huang Rong sighed softly, snapping Song Qingshu out of his reverie.

Sensing her struggle to stand, Song Qingshu couldn’t bear to let her go. Clutching her waist tightly and savoring the warmth and softness of her b0dy, he whispered, “Rong’er, let me hold you a little longer.”

Inwardly, Huang Rong seethed—‘first he took advantage of me, and now he’s becoming even more pushy!’

Noticing the anger building in her eyes, Song Qingshu realized she was on the verge of exploding. Desperate to divert her attention, he said, “Rong’er, why does your fragrance seem so familiar? Which shop’s perfume do you use?”

Huang Rong’s heart skipped a beat—she hadn’t expected him to reveal a slip-up in that regard! Yet she quickly recovered; after all, Song Qingshu’s question was nothing more than idle chatter. “Aren’t all women’s perfumes essentially the same anyway?” she replied hastily.

“It does seem so,” Song Qingshu answered with an awkward smile. Not being particularly attuned to subtle scent differences, he dropped the matter.

“How much longer do you plan on holding me?” Huang Rong thought, knowing that if their intimate contact continued, Song Qingshu might detect other discrepancies—especially since she still bore the unmistakable marks of his wildness from last night.

“Honestly, I wish to hold you like this for a lifetime,” Song Qingshu murmured. But seeing a chill descend upon her face, he quickly raised his hands, “Alright, alright, I’ll let you go… I’ll let you go…”

Huang Rong snorted and awkwardly disentangled herself from his embrace.

“Eh?” he murmured. Only moments ago, while he had been embracing her from behind, he hadn’t noticed—but now, as she faced him with her blouse slightly unfastened, Song Qingshu’s keen eyes caught sight of some red marks on her neck, around her collarbone, on her snow-white skin.

“Rong’er, what happened on your neck? Are you injured?” he asked instinctively, stepping forward to examine her.

Huang Rong’s heart skipped; she quickly covered her neckline and retreated a step. “It’s nothing.”

Frowning, Song Qingshu said, “Rong’er, I’m not trying to take advantage of you. It’s just that yesterday you clashed with several top experts under Wanyan Liang. If any hidden energy was left on you by them, it could be dangerous. It’s best to catch it early and treat it as soon as possible.”

*What hidden energy of experts? These are clearly the marks you acquired last night!*

Fuming, Huang Rong stamped her foot. Yet unable to speak plainly, she forced a strained smile and replied, “You’re overthinking it. Don’t forget, no matter what I say, I am the head of a faction—how could I possibly be unaware if I were injured?”

“It appears I overthought it,” Song Qingshu conceded with a bitter smile and a nod.

“I must go prepare the supplies for tonight’s rescue,” Huang Rong said. One hand still pressed to her neckline, the other brushed back the slightly tousled strands of hair that Song Qingshu had disturbed. With that, she left in a hurry—as if fleeing.

Watching her delicate, graceful back, Song Qingshu mused: ‘if those red marks weren’t caused by hidden energy, then what were they?’ For a moment, he hesitated. ‘Perhaps they were kiss marks after all…’

*****

Before long, night fell, and the once-peaceful city of Kaifeng erupted into chaos. 

In the residence of the Jiedushi, Wanyan Liang furrowed his brows and hurriedly asked his subordinates, “What’s happening outside?”

“Reporting, Your Highness, it appears that several parts of the city have been set on fire.”

“Fire?” Wanyan Liang mused. “Which directions are these occurrences?”

“From the south, the north, the east, and the west of the city,” came the reply.

“Fire in all four directions at once?” Wanyan Liang sneered. “I suspect someone has deliberately set fires.”

“Your Highness, it seems that Kaifeng’s fire brigade is rather stretched thin. Should we dispatch some men to assist the Prefect?”

Wanyan Liang shook his head. “Rest assured, although the fire appears rather fierce, it will be extinguished before long. This tactic is clearly designed to lure our forces away. Pass on the orders: everyone must remain at their posts and be alert for any attempt at a prison break.”

“Understood, Your Highness!”

Pushing open the window and gazing at the faint, flickering flames in the distance, Wanyan Liang allowed a playful smile to curl his lips. “Huang Rong, is that you?”

Recalling Huang Rong’s exquisite beauty and the mature allure that radiated from her every gesture, he felt a stirring warmth deep within. 

Speak of the devil—no sooner had that thought crossed his mind than, not far off, came a clear voice: “Wanyan, you dog b*stard, release my husband at once!”

Though her voice was laden with anger, Wanyan Liang couldn’t help but be enchanted by its crisp, melodious quality. He mused that such a delightful tone, even when used to issue commands, must be irresistibly enticing.

‘After scouring everywhere in vain, I’ve obtained it with no effort at all!’

Determined to claim Huang Rong at any cost, and seeing that she had willingly walked into his trap, Wanyan Liang’s resolve surged. Unable to contain his eagerness, he rushed out. At that very moment, several of his top experts—having heard the commotion—stepped out to investigate, subtly forming a circle around him.

Looking up into the hazy moonlight, Wanyan Liang beheld a figure that resembled a celestial fairy standing on a nearby wall. 

Her hair was styled in a Lingyun bun, lending her an air of dignified ease, while her delicately arched, willow-like brows and eyes—imbued with a hint of sorrow and grievance—made the hearts of the men in the courtyard skip a beat. None could fathom what melancholy might burden such a breathtaking beauty.

Draped in a gown as blue as clear water, with a ribbon gracefully tied around her slender waist, she appeared both tall and fragile, exuding an otherworldly elegance. Standing atop the wall, her black hair fluttered in the breeze and her green skirt billowed softly, imbuing her with an aura of transcendent detachment.

What a peerless and enchanting beauty she was!

This was the unspoken consensus among all the men present—they longed to embrace this ethereal figure and lavish her with affection. Yet deep in their hearts, they knew that tonight, such a stunning beauty could belong to only one man: the King of Hailing, Wanyan Liang.

“Madame Guo, we meet again,” Wanyan Liang said, his eyes flashing with a trace of greed as he glanced appreciatively at Huang Rong’s ample bosom.

“Hmph, I’d rather never see you again,” Huang Rong replied coldly.

Unperturbed by her words, Wanyan Liang did not rush to order his men to seize her. Being so close, he was confident that she could not escape his grasp. After all, if she did manage to slip away, his top experts would be so humiliated they might as well beat themselves to death.

“Such a wish is hardly likely to come true. Madame, you are destined to be entangled with me for life,” Wanyan Liang declared triumphantly.

“Shameless!” Huang Rong shot him a cold glance.

Wanyan Liang’s expression turned serious as he continued coolly, “Whether shameless or a dog b*stard, your husband’s life now rests in your hands. As long as you agree to spend one night with me, I will immediately release Great Hero Guo. But if you dare to refuse—heh heh—Master Ouyang has long been eager to kill him, and tonight, I’ll have Guo Jing’s head roll!”

“Dog b*stard, prepare to die!” Incensed by his lewd proposition, Huang Rong swiftly brandished her dog-beating staff and lunged at him.

Wanyan Liang stepped back with a chuckle and cried out, “Catch her alive!”

Murong Bo grunted and stepped forward, interposing himself between them. Miraculously, his bare hands managed to parry each strike of her impeccable dog-beating staff technique. As more Jin guards began to gather around, Huang Rong scolded, “Wanyan, you dog b*stard—I’ll let you live a few more days.”

With that, she darted away, using the momentum to fly out of the compound.

Wanyan Liang immediately grew anxious. “Madame, do you intend for Guo Jing to die tonight?”

Hearing his words, Huang Rong paused momentarily on the wall and replied, “If Brother Jing dies, you’ll never have me!” With a final flick of her toe, she leapt down from the wall.

Noticing the softening in her tone, Wanyan Liang was overjoyed. He quickly ordered, “Murong Bo, Qiu Qianren, and Young Hero Yang, go and capture Huang Rong for me immediately!”

Murong Bo and Qiu Qianren grunted their assent and promptly set off in pursuit. However, Yang Guo made no move. 

A flicker of displeasure passed through Wanyan Liang’s eyes, but he quickly recovered, “Young Hero Yang, your loyalty is indeed admirable. I know you have a longstanding relationship with that couple, so you needn’t trouble yourself with this matter.”

Yang Guo nodded, casting a deep, lingering glance in the direction where Huang Rong had vanished—his eyes filled with an inexplicable emotion. After a brief hesitation, he turned and departed.

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