Chapter 12: How About You Try Me?

Li Goule gazed at Moqi Haoyu with the ravenous intensity of someone who had been starving for days, ogling him incessantly and batting her eyelashes with exaggerated, lecherous intent.

Just as she was scanning him like a radar, Yun Xiaoge suddenly stepped in front of Moqi Haoyu. "I tried him out last night, and his taste was nothing special. Why don't you try me instead?"

Yun Xiaoge was merely speaking flippantly, completely unaware that the face of the man behind her had darkened like a scorched frying pan. "His taste was nothing special" — an insult! This was a naked, stinging insult.

Li Goule looked at Yun Xiaoge's mottled, dark-red face with disdain. She tried to bypass her to grab Moqi Haoyu’s hand, but before she could even touch his sleeve, Yun Xiaoge kicked her to the ground without mercy. She planted her foot firmly onto Li Goule’s hand, her voice icy and chilling to the bone: "You should be grateful you didn't manage to touch him."

"Let go of me! Someone help! Save me, my hand is going to be crippled! Ow, ow, ow!" Li Goule cried out in agony, feeling as though her hand were about to be crushed. *Damn you, Yun Xiaoge,* she thought, *I will settle this account later.*

Yun Xiaoge let out a mocking laugh. "Whoever dares to step forward, I will truly break her hand."

No one dared to challenge her words. Firstly, no one was unaware of the "Cruel Princess" reputation, and secondly, the cold, oppressive aura radiating from the woman before them was that of a superior—a weight so heavy it made them struggle to breathe.

"You... don't forget you still owe me 500,000. If you can't pay it, hand over your husband!" Li Goule’s gaze was venomous, as if she wanted to devour Yun Xiaoge whole.

Yun Xiaoge looked at her with contempt, as if viewing a mere ant. "My man is not something for others to touch. A measly 500,000—come back in three days."

After Li Goule and her gang departed, Yun Xiaoge dropped her sullen expression and turned to the silent man behind her, waving a hand in front of his eyes. "What's the matter? Scared silly?"

"The Princess is truly full of surprises." What surprised him was that she hadn't handed him over. It was common practice for a wife to use her husband to settle debts; even if a husband were used as payment, he was expected to offer no complaints. According to the "Men’s Precepts," relieving a wife’s burdens was a husband’s duty. This was the tragedy of men in this era. He had assumed he could not escape such a fate, yet she had...

Yun Xiaoge patted her chest, speaking with heroic, masculine swagger: "What's there to be afraid of? Big sister has got you covered."

Sunlight danced across the woman’s dark-red, blotchy face. At that moment, what should have been a terrifying visage struck Moqi Haoyu as not so hard to accept after all. Perhaps it was the perfect light, perhaps it was the woman’s genuine, straightforward nature that he found admirable, or perhaps it was a mere illusion—but the Princess seemed to be growing beautiful.

However, there was one thing he felt compelled to clarify. He asked, "My taste was 'nothing special,' was it? Would the Princess care to elaborate on what that means?"

"Ah???" Yun Xiaoge was stunned... She dearly wanted to ask: Moqi Haoyu, where has your sense of propriety gone?

It was midday, and the streets of the capital were bustling with life. The cries of street vendors, the laughter of children, the clatter of passing carriages, and the sounds of street performers filled the air—a vibrant scene that reflected the prosperity of the Tianyuan Dynasty.

Yet, those walking the streets were almost exclusively women. Any man who passed by wore a veil, head bowed, hurrying along. In this era, unmarried men were kept in the inner chambers, and married men remained at home to manage the household and raise children. To step outside required a wife’s consent; otherwise, it was considered a violation of the "Men’s Precepts," and one would be drowned in the spit of public scorn.

"My Lady, that is the Yinyuan Clothing Store ahead. Shall we take a look?" Dieyi pointed to a towering building not far away and exclaimed.

"Yinyuan Store... why does that sound so familiar?" Yun Xiaoge, wearing her silver mask, rubbed her temples. She felt as though she had heard the name somewhere before.