The Female Regent’s Daily Guide to Spoiling Her Wife - Chapter 47

Lu Zhao affectionately brushed past Yunxia’s ear and whispered, “Xiaxia, don’t move. I still need you to play along with my free-spirited, untamed image!”

Yunxia’s face flushed crimson. Knowing that Lu Zhao was putting on a show for others, she stopped struggling.

Wen Yuan sidled up to Lu Zhao with a cheeky grin. “Lu Xiaozhao, I’m tired from riding too! Why aren’t you holding me?”

Lu Zhao shot him a cold glance and called out to the person behind him, “Ziyan, carry him over!”

A flicker of amusement flashed in Song Ziyan’s dark eyes as he gazed tenderly at Wen Yuan. Softly, he asked, “A-Yuan, do you need it?”

Amid the noisy tavern, Song Ziyan’s voice pierced straight into Wen Yuan’s ears. His heartbeat quickened uncontrollably, and the tips of his ears gradually tinged pink. Awkwardly, he stepped forward and muttered under his breath, “I was talking to you, why drag him into this…?”

Ever since discovering that the masked youth was Song Ziyan, Wen Yuan had tried every possible way to get closer to him. Yet Song Ziyan always evaded him, even as he seemed to appear by his side at every turn. This left Wen Yuan feeling frustrated. Countless times, he had wanted to confess his feelings, but he feared scaring Song Ziyan away and ruining even their friendship.

Song Ziyan quietly moved to his side and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, “A-Yuan, where does it hurt? I’ll massage it for you tonight.”

The youth’s soft lips unintentionally brushed against his cheek, and a warm breath caressed the back of his ear, enveloping him in Ziyan’s distinct scent. Wen Yuan’s heart pounded like a drum. He hung his head even lower, choking back emotion. He had been teased by Song Ziyan yet again! What did he even mean by this? Next time, Wen Yuan would definitely tease him back! When it came to romantic affairs, Gao Wen Yuan had never lost to anyone!

Just as everyone had settled into their seats, a drunken man staggered unsteadily toward them.

The man’s luxurious robes hung loosely on his frame, giving him a dissolute, unruly appearance. A lecherous grin plastered across his face, his bleary eyes fixed unwaveringly on Yunxia.

Today, Yunxia wore a light green gown with an off-white outer robe. Her ink-black hair cascaded down her back, and her slender waist looked as if it could be snapped with a single grasp utterly captivating.

Lu Zhao frowned, wrapping an arm around Yunxia’s shoulders and using her own body to block the man’s line of sight.

The man lewdly reached out to touch Yunxia’s arm, his tone flirtatious as he said, “Little beauty, come have some fun with me.”

The man was Sun Huan’s younger brother, Sun Qi. He routinely relied on his brother’s power to gallivant around, bully the weak, and abduct common women. He had noticed Yunxia the moment she entered and had long been scheming about how to overpower and torment her.

Before Sun Qi’s hand could even graze Yunxia, Lu Zhao flicked her cup, sending it flying sideways. The impact sent Sun Qi stumbling, and he collapsed against a nearby table.

Seeing the displeasure on Lu Zhao’s face, Yunxia knew she was angry. Worried that the situation might escalate because of her, she gently slipped her small hand into Lu Zhao’s, her nails lightly tracing Lu Zhao’s palm in a soothing gesture.

Lu Zhao imperceptibly tightened her grip on Yunxia’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, her cold eyes fixed sternly on Sun Qi.

Clutching his chest, Sun Qi cursed and staggered to his feet, his words slurred. “How dare you hit me! Have you even asked who I am? In this Changzhou, being noticed by me is an honor for you!”

Wen Yuan patted his ear and chuckled lightly, “Well, Changzhou is probably beyond saving if every stray cat and dog can yap around here!”

Sun Qi’s face flushed bright red with rage, and he stepped forward to grab Yunxia. “Today, I’m taking her home with me. Let’s see who dares to stop me! I’ll make sure you all know who truly rules Changzhou!”

Lu Zhao, his face full of impatience, called out sternly, “Ziyan!”

Song Ziyan’s expression turned serious in an instant, and he swiftly shot several silver needles, striking precisely the tendons on the back of Sun Qi’s hand.

Sun Qi felt his arm go numb immediately, the pain so intense he couldn’t lift it, and he let out a sharp cry, “Ah!”

The servants nearby rushed to support Sun Qi, exclaiming repeatedly, “Master! Oh, master!”

Sun Qi’s eyes were bloodshot, glaring furiously at Lu Zhao and his companions, his voice trembling as he roared, “You just you wait!”

With that, Sun Qi fled upstairs with his servants in tow.

The waiter hesitated, wanting to say something to Lu Zhao and the others. After a moment’s thought, he earnestly advised, “Sirs, I think you’d better flee for your lives! That man is the younger brother of our county magistrate. He’s the most domineering bully around. If you’ve crossed him, I’m afraid you won’t find peace in Changzhou!”

Lu Zhao lowered his gaze as he served Yunxia various newly arrived dishes, replying calmly, “It’s fine. There must still be rules of etiquette and law. No matter how tyrannical he is, can he really override the king’s law?”

The waiter leaned in closer and whispered urgently, “Ah! I can tell you’re from out of town! In Changzhou, the Sun family is the highest law!”

Wen Yuan, lounging casually against the windowsill, laughed and said, “Thank you for the warning, young man. But we’ve come to Changzhou to do business, and sooner or later, we’ll have to deal with them.”

Seeing that his earnest advice had fallen on deaf ears and the group continued to eat with unshaken composure, the waiter shook his head and left.

In the largest private room upstairs, Sun Huan sat in the center. Sun Huan had an upright posture and wore an elegant moon-white robe that gave him a scholarly air. However, a glance at his face revealed an extremely ugly appearance the right side of his lips was sunken, though his eyes were sharp and piercingly dark.

The crowd surrounding Sun Huan buzzed with flattery, each person vying to show their loyalty and curry favor.

“Big brother! Big brother! Ouch, it hurts so much!” Sun Qi groaned in pain as he burst in from outside.

Sun Huan frowned in displeasure and cast an unhappy glance toward the door.

Sun Qi clutched his arm, tears and snot streaming down his face. “Big brother! There’s some bastard downstairs who dares to disrespect you! By teaching me a lesson, they’re teaching you one!”

Sun Huan’s dark eyes were unreadable as he stared calmly at Sun Qi and said in a low voice, “Are you causing trouble again?”

Sun Huan had always doted on this younger brother, but Sun Qi had become increasingly unruly. It started with minor mischief, but now he was mingling with Yang Laiyuan, the adopted son of the Yang family, bullying men and harassing women, earning the resentment of the entire Changzhou.

Sun Qi shrank back nervously, awkwardly rubbing his nose and clearing his throat twice. “Big brother! This time it really wasn’t me causing trouble. There are some outsiders downstairs who insulted me first!”

Someone nearby chimed in with a laugh, “That’s right, how could Second Master Sun be the type to stir up trouble? It must be some fool who offended our Second Master!”

Sun Huan’s face darkened as he slowly asked, “Outsiders?”

A few days ago, a noble from Yindu had sent word that the Shun’an Emperor had dispatched the Regent to Changzhou. Could he have arrived so soon? After all the effort it took to get where he was today, he couldn’t afford to capsize in a ditch now!

Sun Huan’s face darkened as he rose to his feet and delivered a sharp kick to Sun Qi’s body. “Go back and sober up properly!” he snarled. “All you do is cause trouble for me!”

“Second Master, Second Master,” the others chimed in, helping Sun Qi up while trying to placate him. “We’ll avenge you!”

Sun Huan descended the stairs gracefully, intent on confronting this outsider himself. Whether the man was the Regent or not, if he posed a threat, Sun Huan would eliminate him on the spot no loose ends.