Yan Yihuan was dumbfounded. He suddenly had the feeling that his eldest brother had come to catch him. He hurriedly pushed Liu Qiao away, stood up, and straightened his clothes.
But halfway through his actions, Yan Yihuan suddenly realized something was off. He was just here to spend money on drinks, what was there to be so nervous about? In fact, he now felt like thanking these people for rescuing him from an awkward situation.
Of course, while he thought that in his heart, he couldn’t lose face. He pretended to be angry and slapped his folding fan onto the table with a loud snap.
“Where did you people come from, barging in and ruining this young master’s fun!”
“Oh?” A cold and frosty voice drifted closer. “What sort of ‘fun’ are we talking about?”
That voice was all too familiar, so familiar that it startled Yan Yihuan before it ignited his fury.
“It’s you again!” he shouted, pointing at the person who had entered, trembling with rage. “Zhao Chufeng, do you have some kind of grudge against me?”
How could he be so unlucky? He’d run into him inspecting the flower boat, and now he was even inspecting a brothel. Unless he’s really in charge of overseeing these red-light districts!
The owner of Fengyue Tower hurried over upon hearing the commotion. Seeing their official uniforms, he dared not be negligent and offered a nervous smile.
“Officers, is there some issue here?”
“I heard there’s an unregistered prostitute here,” Zhao Chufeng’s stunningly beautiful face seemed frozen in a cold hardness, his eyes like sharp knives fiercely staring at Liu Qiao, who was hiding nearby.
The boss and Liu Qiao both turned pale upon hearing this, but Yan Yihuan, somewhat puzzled, asked,
“What’s an unregistered prostitute?”
“Officer, Liu Qiao has just arrived and hasn’t had the chance to register yet. Please have mercy and give him a way out, officer,” the boss pleaded.
Liu Qiao immediately knelt down with tearful eyes and began kowtowing desperately. Seeing the beauty who had been in his arms earlier now trembling pitifully like a sieve, Yan Yihuan suddenly felt a heroic urge to rescue him. He strode fiercely to Zhao Chufeng.
“Zhao Chufeng, you’re deliberately picking a fight with me, aren’t you?”
“I’m here to investigate unregistered prostitutes, you just happen to be here. How can you say I’m picking a fight with you?”
“Then why is it that wherever I go, you show up too?”
“That you should ask yourself,” Zhao Chufeng said, raising an eyebrow. “Why is it that every time I inspect a brothel, I find you there?”
“I…” For some reason, being caught repeatedly by Zhao Chufeng in places like this actually made Yan Yihuan feel a hint of guilt. But with a sneer, he quickly regained the demeanor of the Third Master Yan.
“What I choose to do is none of your concern.”
“Is that so?” Zhao Chufeng’s gaze shifted meaningfully between Yan Yihuan and Liu Qiao. “It seems that unless you’re taught a lesson, you won’t know the height of the sky and the thickness of the earth1不知天高地厚 describes someone who is ignorant of their own limits, overly arrogant, or unaware of the realities of the world.”
“Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to meddle in my business!” Yan Yihuan fumed, this Zhao Chufeng, relying on his current position in the capital, was utterly arrogant. Even though Yan Yihuan had no official rank, he was still a son of King Yan. How could he tolerate being repeatedly humiliated like this?
Yet, before Yan Yihuan could build up his momentum, Zhao Chufeng slightly raised his hand and ordered his subordinates,
“Take him down.”
Take him down? Yan Yihuan instinctively glanced at the trembling Liu Qiao. But the next moment, he felt a tight grip on his arms as they were twisted behind his back, causing him to cry out in pain and break out in a cold sweat.
Why… why was he the one being taken down?
“Ah! That hurts! Zhao Chufeng, you bastard, what are you doing to me?!”
Zhao Chufeng frowned and glared at the officers restraining Yan Yihuan. Startled, they quickly loosened their grip. Yan Yihuan felt the pain in his shoulder subside and was about to struggle free when Zhao Chufeng’s voice rang out again.
“Tie him up and take him back.” He paused, but seeing that Yan Yihuan was about to explode with curses, he added, “Gag his mouth too.”
After giving these instructions, Zhao Chufeng walked over to Liu Qiao, who was still kneeling, and said in a deep voice,
“Expel this unregistered prostitute from the capital immediately.”
“Please spare me, officer!” Liu Qiao cried bitterly, his once charming face now devoid of its allure. Suddenly, a sword appeared before him, the scabbard brushed against his arm.
“If you say one more word, I’ll chop off whichever part of you that touched him.”
Liu Qiao immediately shut his mouth, convinced that the person before him would truly follow through with the threat!
Thus, Yan Yihuan, with his hands and feet tied and his mouth gagged, was thrown into a large carriage amidst the astonished gazes of everyone at Fengyue Tower. Zhao Chufeng sat beside him shortly after, even kindly adjusting his position and placing a soft cushion next to him.
“Enough. Don’t bother trying to talk, I don’t want to hear it,” Zhao Chufeng said, his gaze flickering slightly as he scrutinized Yan Yihuan.
“I’d advise you to save your energy for now.”
Yan Yihuan was furious, but all he could manage were muffled grunts through the gag. He couldn’t understand how Zhao Chufeng had suddenly become a completely different person. Even if a seventh-rank official in the capital had more authority than a fifth-rank provincial officer, it was still incomparable to the status of the Yan royal family.
The carriage rumbled along, the curtains that were occasionally lifted by the wind, let some light slip inside. Yan Yihuan stole a sideways glance at Zhao Chufeng. Even in the dim interior of the carriage, that profile was enough to make his heart skip a beat.
He’s always prided himself on his own looks, considering himself at least among the upper standards. But after meeting Zhao Chufeng, he silently downgraded himself to merely “decent.”
This bastard is so beautiful, it’s almost unreal.
As he was lost in thought, Zhao Chufeng seemed to sense his gaze and suddenly turned to look at him, his star-like eyes staring straight at him.
Even in his current embarrassing state, Yan Yihuan felt his ears grow hot. He shot Zhao Chufeng a fierce glare before turning his head away, scooting as far as possible to the other side of the carriage, distancing himself from Zhao Chufeng. He couldn’t help but silently curse himself for being so pathetic.
The carriage swayed gently for what felt like an eternity before finally coming to a stop. Yan Yihuan perked up his ears, trying to catch any sounds from outside. He could faintly hear a few murmured exchanges, followed by the slow creak of a massive door being opened. The sound was heavy and deliberate, definitely not just an ordinary courtyard gate.
Could it really be the prison??
Yan Yihuan was genuinely a bit panicked. He didn’t care about his pride anymore, and hastily wriggled his way over to Zhao Chufeng, bumping his shoulder.
“Mm! Mm!”
“What are you ‘Mm’-ing about?” Zhao Chufeng leaned back slightly, and Yan Yihuan bumped into empty air, falling into Zhao Chufeng’s arms. He tried to scramble back upright, but with his hands and feet bound, he only ended up sliding further down.
“We’ve arrived. There’s no need to throw yourself into my arms like this,” Zhao Chufeng smiled down at him. Meanwhile, he casually picked up a strip of cloth from who-knows-where.
“This place is sensitive, you can’t be allowed to see it yet.”
Before Yan Yihuan could react, his vision went dark. That damned Zhao Chufeng had blindfolded him, tying it snugly with a secure knot.
Unable to move, unable to speak, unable to see.
Yan Yihuan had never experienced anything like this before. He flailed about like a fish thrown onto dry land, letting out muffled grunts and groans in a futile attempt to yell.
Suddenly, a powerful force pinned him down. Startled, Yan Yihuan struggled even harder, but it was no use. Eventually, he was left panting and utterly exhausted.
He’d known since that night in Linjing that despite Zhao Chufeng’s alluring face, his strength was terrifyingly immense, and he was also a trained martial artist. It didn’t take long for Zhao Chufeng to subdue him completely. That night, if Zhao Chufeng hadn’t been drunk and didn’t expect his sudden vicious bite, Yan Yihuan might have been completely overpowered a year ago.
Yan Yihuan suddenly felt dizzy as he was lifted clean off the ground. Someone was carrying him, but he had no idea where they were heading.
This feeling was too strange. Yan Yihuan was scared and couldn’t help but struggle again, but suddenly a warm breath brushed against his ear,
“Yan Yihuan, you’d better behave.”
Author’s note:
Little Yihuan, your husband’s strength isn’t the only big thing~
