Chapter 27：Retribution

Fu Yanqing tried not to react when she said 'I really love him a lot'. His eyes darkened and he lowered his head to hide his expression on her hair.

Coincidentally, he could smell the light hibiscus scent on her fine tresses, effectively dispelling any negative emotions inside him.

"His name is Li Dabao but His Highness probably knows that already. "

He hummed against her, affirming her words.

Zhao Yan had already expected that he investigated her family background but it still made her uncomfortable after knowing it.

She shook her worries away before beginning her tale from the very start. She hadn't been so talkative before because Prince Li's mansion were full of judgmental eyes. Even a small action could be criticized.

Zhao Yan has always thought it was all b ▪ l l s h ▪ t from the very start but when she found herself scolded and punished for being uncultured and insensible, just because she was better at chess than her brother, knows more poetry than her brother and could play the zither better than her brother, she thought that maybe the world was wrong itself.

How could it be that she was faulty just because she was good at something that her brother failed to excel in?

When she was free and had started to live on her own, she found that all is not what they appear to be. No matter how much she talked and chattered outside, no one would tell her she was uncultured because there would also be women gossiping in groups. There was nothing wrong in expressing one's thoughts and there was nothing wrong in expressing her talents and abilities.

It was her family who had misunderstood her.

She always did wonder why it was hard for them to give her atleast one single praise or compliment. She did everything.

She had done so much for her family and for her brother.

Zhao Yan has even taken her meager allowance to give to her brother because he wants to use the money to buy Wei Gao Xi a customize folding screen before.

They weren't even married and Zhao Yan has repeatedly told her brother that it wasn't good for his reputation to offer these kinds of things because they look like betrothal gifts and people would misunderstand.

"Xi'er is the only woman I love. What is there to misunderstand? We'll marry sooner or later."

Zhao Yan was disappointed at her brother for being naive.

That wasn't the last time he had borrowed her money.

Although he said he would borrow it but not a single coin came back to Zhao Yan.

After thinking about, she realized that she was very stupid and naive herself. She has only grown smarter and more aware when she had started to live on her own because her family has always restricted her on everything. The freedom she managed to obtain right now made her happy beyond words.

It couldn't even be compared to how she lived her life under the roof of Prince Li's mansion and her so called family members who were more like strangers than relatives.

"Yan'er, this child, don't wear these gaudy accessories. People would think you are showing off."

"Yanyan, women are best suited to stay indoors. People might gossip if they find out that the fourth young lady likes to go out and waste money on commoner foods. Ugh..."

"A lady must be gentle, kind and virtuous. One should know how to keep their mouth shut when necessary."

"Why can't you go out? You are a woman, that is enough reason."

"We have raised you for years so you could grow up as a virtuous woman, not a harlot!"

Zhao Yan felt her mind spinning as she remembered all the ridiculous excuses they told her.

She felt stupid for letting herself get bullied. Now that she has experienced the outside world, she realized that she wasn't wrong.

She could gossip and chatter with Chun Lan and no one would think she was being inappropriate.

Even right now, as Zhao Yan recounted everything in front of Fu Yanqing, his expression didn't change and she heard nothing from him that indicated she was wrong for having some skills.

This made her more motivated to tell him everything. Thinking simply, she had gotten impulsive and let slip the fact that her brother left her with a lecherous fiend and that she had rendered said fiend impotent for attempting to take advantage of her.

"Ah... well... he didn't succeed and I took his all his money before leaving." She boasted proudly.

"As long as I have my needles, I will never be a defenseless chi-kyaah!" She made a loud noise of protest when he lifted her up to sit his on his lap.

"Very good. You did good taking all his valuables." Fu Yanqing said in a calm manner. Inwardly, he kept the name on the back of his mind and reminded himself to teach the b ▪ s t ▪ r d of Duke Ying's residence a lesson later.

The same can be said for the two idiots who planned the whole thing.

What his little woman didn't know, wouldn't hurt.

Fu Yanqing wasn't a saint. He had already experienced being stabbed by his own brother. It was already a mercy that Fu Yanqing didn't kill his brother and allowed him to be a simple figurehead without power. This was only because his sister pleaded with him.

But for those who had nothing to do with him, he would remain merciless just like what he used to do.

"...I wanted to paralyze him that instant for the rest of his life but people would suspect me if I did that so I did something else instead." Zhao Yan mumbled under her breath.

"Am I too cruel...?" She asked him.

Fu Yanqing wanted to say that she was too soft. That she should have killed the b ▪ s t ▪ r d and fed his body to the wolves but he merely gave her a mysterious smile and said, "You don't have to lower yourself to his level. This prince will deal with him for you."

She blinked worriedly at him.

"What if Your Highness gets hurt again? You were poisoned two times in a row... Don't trouble yourself with something insignificant." Because I would be in trouble again, Zhao Yan thought.

He weakly flicked her nose.

"Are you saying that this prince is weak?"

Zhao Yan shook her head immediately.

"That's not it..."

"Then let this prince handle it. Don't refuse anymore."

Zhao Yan thought for only a few seconds before obediently conceding. That Tian Luo nearly ruined her life. He deserves retribution for all his wrongdoings.

Zhao Yan's eyes flickered over Fu Yanqing. Her view of him was slowly changing. He did not seem as bad as she expected...

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