âYour Highness, your humble consort feels like his face is burning! Could you please just allow me to apply some ointment first?â Rather than speaking ill of Xingyi, Zixiu presented the most convincing evidence. If Xingyi was telling the truth, that she had taken the matter into her own hands just to sober him up, why hadnât she applied the ointment for him by then? Or his face wouldnât have swollen to this point! Besides, as Zixiu couldnât stand the pain anymore, he was worried that he might black out at any time if left untreated.
Nangong Du had figured out what was on Zixiuâs mind, but instead of yelling at Xingyi, he only ordered calmly, âXingyi, go fetch the ointment.â
â⦠Yes!â After hesitating for a while, Xingyi walked out obediently.
âYouâve made quite a scene, havenât ya?â As soon as Xingyi left, Nangong Du narrowed his enchanting eyes while curving his lips up into an uninhibited smile. âDid you sing the obscene song because you were feeling lonely without me last night?â
âHow were my songs obscene? Canât you see she was just slinging mud at me?â Zixiu retorted with his face twisted out of pain, throwing all caution to the wind.
Nangong Du didnât seem annoyed. âDo you mean I should punish Xingyi?â he asked with a smile.
Zixiu was so delighted at his words that he almost clapped his hands in approval. However, he managed to stay calm, as if he didnât hear what he said. âThis pervert and that skank are confederates, so he wonât punish her easily. Iâd better wait and see.â
Sure enough, Nangong Du shifted the topic next.
âBut you have to tell me what the hell happened last night. The last thing I want to do is wrong an innocent person!â
âAn innocent person? How come you addressed such a vicious woman as an innocent person?â Zixiu sneered inwardly.
âHoney, why donât you tell me about last night? Is that because you feel youâre in the wrongâ¦â
âI wonder what makes you think this way!â Zixiu interrupted him angrily when he heard Nangong Du ask him in a skeptical tone. âYour Highness, you promised me that you would never find fault with me again, but now even a maidservant dared slap me. As nobody takes me as the princess, your humble consort would rather be a doorman!â
âWhat?â After freezing for quite a while, Nangong Du suddenly burst into laughter. âDarling, is this some kind of a joke? Youâre my legitimate wife. How can I send you to work as a doorman?â
âYour Highness, you canât even bear to degrade me to a doorman, but how come you turn a blind eye to the maidservant bullying me?â Zixiu said, sounding even a little enraged. âAs this jerk said I was his legitimate wife, Iâm going to fight for the right of this title! Whatâs more, that vicious woman should pay for calling me âb*tchâ!â he thought.
âHoney, looks like youâre not gonna take it lying down unless I punish Xingyi with due severity.â
âThatâs not the case. Your Highness, do you still remember the agreement between us? Your humble consort only wants to remind you to keep your promise,â Zixiu said with a mysterious look, but actually, he hadnât remembered what kind of agreement he had signed with that pervert yet. As since they signed the agreement, Nangong Du had treated him much better than before, he took it for granted that the agreement was binding on him to some extent. Now he was taking it as his bargaining chip!
âDarling, are you threatening me?â Nangong Du said with a quirk look crossing his slightly narrowed eyes.
Thankfully, as Zixiuâs face hurt so much, he was propping his chin with a frown, which served as the ideal cover-up for his tension. âYour humble consort dares not!â After he spat out the words slowly, the two of them ended up in a subtle deadlock.
A short moment later, Xingyi returned.
âYour Highness, Princess Liuxu, hereâs the ointment!â
âApply it for Princess Liuxu!â Nangong Du ordered coldly.
Xingyiâs heart sank as she was keenly aware that Prince Mu was not in a good mood. âYes!â Biting her lip, she walked over to Zixiu with the ointment and said gently, as if full of concern, âYour Highness, this might hurt a little bit. Please hold still!â
âHumph!â Zxiuxiu didnât want to talk to her, so he closed his eyes with a snort. âNangong Du is still hesitating about whether to punish Xingyi, so obviously, I lost the game! Iâm so stupid! How can I count on that damn unequal agreement!
âAhââ
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, so Zixiu finally cried out loudly.
Almost at the same time, Xingyi, who was applying the ointment for him, went down on her knees with a thump. âYour Highness, itâs all my fault! I shouldnât have exerted that much strength. Your Highness, pleaseâ¦â
âXingyi, whatâs wrong with you? If you had applied the ointment earlier for Princess Liuxu, âherâ face wouldnât have swollen like this!â Zixiu was so surprised that he froze on the spot when he heard Nangong suddenly yell at Xingyi.
âYour Highness, I should be blamed for that. I was about to get Princess Liuxu the ointment last night, but, but⦠â With that, Xingyi suddenly burst into tears. âThe medical room is usually open in the morning, and as I didnât have the key, I failed to get the ointment in timeâ¦â Covering her mouth with her hand, she sobbed miserably while trembling, as if she had been grievously wronged!
Zixiu blushed with anger. He grabbed the pillow on the couch tightly and was seized with the impulse to throw it in the face of this lying b*tch. However, Nangong Du not only believed what Xingyi said but also let her go after merely asking her a few more questions.
âCalm down, Darling. You said once that rage might be detrimental to oneâs health.â After sending Xingyi away and comforting Zixiu for a moment, Nangong Du sat down on the soft couch, picked up the ointment on the table, and was about to apply it to Zixiuâs cheek.
Zixiu turned his head with his lips twitched. He didnât need anyoneâs insincere care!
âItâs not worth getting mad at a maidservant. Xingyi already realized her mistake,â Instead of losing his temper as usual, Nangong Du coaxed him in a soft voice.
However, as Zixiu had had enough of his tricks, he didnât respond.
âI know Xingyiâs story is not entirely credible, but can you swear that you didnât say anything insulting to me last night?â
âYes, I cursed you! So what? Donât you think you deserve it?â Zixiu thought, rolling his eyes at Nangong Du with contempt.
âLiu Zixiu, youâre too naïve! Youâre just trying to set me against Xingyi, arenât you? But I know better!â Nangong Duâs patience was worn out finally. But he was right was right about one thing. Zixiu meant to use him to teach that arse licker a lesson.
âYouâre not going anywhere outside your chamber until that swelling has subsided!â With that, Nangong Du threw the ointment to Zixiu and left with a grim look.