Chapter 38: Is Heroine Luo Afraid I Might Misunderstand?

Luo Ning blinked, clearly intrigued by this remark, and lifted her wine cup to take a small sip.

"Could it be that the Princess has taken a fancy to you?"

"I am but a poor lad from the Liangzhou border. My talent is decent and my appearance is passable, so it wouldn't be a surprise if I caught her eye. If I had a sweetheart, I could use the excuse of 'not casting aside one's humble wife' to decline, but if the Emperor's own sister desires me, what can I do?"

"..."

For some reason, Luo Ning felt a jolt in her heart upon hearing this, wanting to call Ye Jingtang a liar. Yet, Ye Jingtang’s appearance and talent were truly exceptional; it would be perfectly logical for the Princess to take him into her harem, and he would have no way to resist. If he were to become the Princess’s consort, he would be bound to serve her for a lifetime, completely severing ties with all other women...

But this little thief had kissed her and touched her—what was she to do? Though the thought was inappropriate, from a rational perspective, even if she didn't like this little thief, since he had taken advantage of her, he owed her a period of consideration. How could he just go off and become the Princess's consort after having his way with her?

Luo Ning downed several cups of wine in quick succession before saying coldly, "A man of standing—how can you submit to a woman’s knees to beg for wealth and status?"

"Do those men beheaded at the marketplace want to be executed by the Emperor or the Princes? Do the concubines in the palace truly wish to marry the Emperor?"

"..."

Luo Ning was unable to refute this. After a moment of thought, she took a light breath. "You... you little thief, you have already offended me, and I have yet to decide how to make you pay. Until then, you had best be careful. Hmm... if the Princess truly has improper thoughts about you, you can say that you already have a sweetheart..."

"If the Prince of Jing asks who it is, what should I say? I can't just pick someone at random, can I? If I reject the Princess's favor, it is tantamount to ending my career..."

*Slap.*

Luo Ning tapped the table lightly, her eyes turning cold. "You were the one who acted lewdly first. Whether I choose to let bygones be bygones or make you pay, it is entirely up to me. Until I have decided, you must wait obediently. Only when I forgive you may you go and cling to the Princess. Just try saying 'no' and see what happens."

The swordswoman was fierce.

Ye Jingtang poured her another cup of wine. "I can wait, but since Lady Luo is already married, you are destined never to give me a chance to turn over a new leaf..."

"And what if I am married?"

After several cups of wine, Luo Ning’s cheeks were flushed. Looking rather indignant, she retorted under the influence of the alcohol, "Just because I am married doesn't mean I can't remarry! Can't I be a widow? Or perhaps my husband has a peculiar habit—he likes men, and we are only married in name?"

"Cough, cough..."

Ye Jingtang nearly spat out his wine. Stunned, he glanced left and right to ensure they were alone before leaning in toward Lady Luo, whispering in disbelief, "He likes men?"

Luo Ning spoke with righteous indignation, "That's right, my husband loves men! And he is insatiable; he can't keep his eyes off handsome men like you. Do you have any idea what the consequences will be if he finds out you have been pestering me?"

"?"

Ye Jingtang felt a tightening in his gut and his scalp went numb. "What consequences?"

Seeing that she had frightened the lawless little thief, Lady Luo felt emboldened. She lifted her chin, which was as fair as an iceberg lily, and put on a threatening expression. "Whatever you do to me, she will do to you!"

"Ah?!"

"And she is overbearing and aggressive. She will certainly be harsher than you, you little thief. She will pin you down, bind you, and bully you mercilessly. You won't be able to defeat her, and no matter how much you scream, no one will be able to save you. You will just be bullied night and day..."

The claim was utterly absurd. But what was even more absurd was that Ye Jingtang felt as if Luo Ning were telling the truth!

Goosebumps erupted all over Ye Jingtang. He scooted a little further away and raised his hands. "Alright, alright, say no more."

Luo Ning had always been the one being bullied, and seeing Ye Jingtang finally cower, her confidence soared. Influenced by the wine, she looked more vibrant than usual, using her ethereal, icy, and mature voice to mock him: "What? Are you afraid? Where did the courage go when you were pinning me down to bully me? If you ever dare to be disrespectful to me again, I only need to go back and say one word, and you will suffer such a fate..."

Ye Jingtang was truly unnerved. He downed two more cups of wine to steady his nerves before asking, "Lady Luo, how did you end up marrying such a pervert? Were you forced into it?"

Luo Ning blinked, her expression tightening and becoming a bit more serious. "That is a long story. Once I rescue Qiu Tianhe, I will tell you. Until then, you are not to go and cling to the Princess..."

"I'm afraid that won't work. Since your husband is such a pervert, what if I get caught? I don't think there is a safer place in the world than the Prince of Jing's mansion."

"?"

Luo Ning realized she had pushed too hard, scaring the little thief into wanting to cling to the Princess's skirts. She quickly explained, "Hmm... you don't need to worry too much. I am the one who makes the decisions in the house. As for the things you did to me, as long as I don't say anything, she won't do anything to you."

Ye Jingtang thought for a moment, dragged his stool closer to Luo Ning, and asked, "Your husband likes men, and you two have no real affection for each other. You only married as a sham to cover up his perverted habits?"

With the man suddenly sitting so close, Luo Ning couldn't help but stiffen, yet she maintained her air of authority. "Something like that. But I am not as pathetic as you think. She needs me to handle matters for her, so I help her conceal the ways she differs from other men. It is merely a partnership."

"So, Lady Luo is actually unmarried and single, not a married woman?"

"..."

Luo Ning felt something was wrong—she seemed to have revealed everything without realizing it.

"In the eyes of the martial arts world, I am indeed a married woman. If you dare to be disrespectful to me again, you know the consequences."

Ye Jingtang deliberated, "I feel it would still be better for me to seek the protection of the Prince of Jing..."

*Slap.*

Luo Ning was getting annoyed and tapped the table. "As long as I ensure your safety, no one can touch you. What are you afraid of? Do you want to submit to the Princess's skirts that badly? Where did your previous courage go?"

"..."

Watching Luo Ning’s "frustrated" eyes, Ye Jingtang finally understood—she didn't want him to cling to the Prince of Jing to become a consort, nor did she want him to be afraid of that "pervert"...

Ye Jingtang nodded slightly, said no more, and picked up his wine cup. "Let's drink, let's drink. Enough talk."

Seeing this, Luo Ning stopped using the Sect Leader of Pingtian to intimidate the little thief. She picked up her cup, clinked it against his, and drained it in one gulp.

The two chatted aimlessly for a long time, and before they knew it, they had gone through three rounds of drinks. Luo Ning had never touched a drop of alcohol before, but having spewed such a chaotic mess of words today, she was clearly tipsy. After a few more cups, she felt lightheaded.

As she drank, she caught a glimpse of the remarkably handsome little thief drinking his wine in silence. His expression remained cold and distinguished, with a hidden touch of scholarly grace, but his eyes seemed distracted, as if he were lost in deep thought and unhappy.

Seeing this, Luo Ning’s intoxication faded slightly as she reflected on their conversation—if one didn't know the Sect Leader of Pingtian was a woman, it sounded rather wrong.

Here she was, a woman of ethereal beauty, pretending to be married to a perverted man for the sake of certain goals, and she was clearly reliant on that pervert in her words... If a man who viewed her as a "pure and pristine fairy" were to hear this, his favorable impression would likely plummet, any affection would vanish, and he might even cast her aside like worn-out shoes...

"..."

Luo Ning’s cold and peerless face showed a hint of tension. Though she had no feelings for this shameless little thief, she realized that to stop him from daydreaming, she had resorted to self-defilement, ruining her own clean image and causing him to misunderstand or even despise her—it seemed the cost was not worth the gain.

Luo Ning stole a few glances at Ye Jingtang and, after a moment, spoke up again.

"You... don't let your imagination run wild. She and I are only helping each other; there is nothing intimate between us in private, and I am not the kind of woman who would disregard her reputation for a goal... The details are complicated, and I cannot tell you for now, but it is definitely not what you think. Once Qiu Tianhe is rescued, I will explain it to you. You will then realize it was a perfectly normal matter; it only sounded strange because you didn't know the inside story..."

Ye Jingtang turned his gaze and saw the fairy-like older sister, her cheeks flushed, whispering a drunken explanation. He curled his lips into a smile.

"Is Lady Luo afraid that I might misunderstand?"