Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

Seeing Xiao Lie enter leisurely, Lin Wan'er slightly lowered her expression and gave a standard bow.

This made Xiao Lie pause, almost thinking he had made a mistake.

Has Lin Wan'er changed her personality after not seeing her for so long?

"Please come with me, Your Highness."

Lin Wan'er pushed open the door, and Xiao Lie followed unhurriedly. Chunxue, quite perceptive, closed the door for them and watched from outside. Even when Sixteen wanted to follow, Chunxue stopped him.

"What are you, a servant, doing following your master while he's talking?"

Sixteen choked, but gritted her teeth and said defiantly, "Who knows what your young lady is planning? This isn't the first time your young lady has harmed the young master, so it's natural that I'm worried."

Chunxue was angry but also felt guilty, so she could only glare at him angrily.

"Having served the young master for so long, he still doesn't know the rules. No wonder he's just a mere personal guard."

Sixteen, not to be outdone, retorted sharply.

"What, what glorious future could a mere maid like you have? Aren't you just like me, guarding the gate?"

"you!"

The two started arguing, and a heated argument broke out, with neither willing to back down.

The two people inside the room remained unusually silent.

Lin Wan'er didn't say anything more, but simply handed the letter to Xiao Lie, and he understood everything.

After a long while, Xiao Lie finally spoke.

"What does this mean? Abandoning darkness for light?"

Lin Wan'er clenched her fists and sneered, her eyes full of mockery.

"Say what you will, but I don't want to continue like this."

She was used as a pawn in the Duke's mansion, her own life and death not even in her own hands. She had had enough of this kind of life. Rather than being a tool of the Emperor and Prince Kang, she would rather make herself at ease and avoid living in constant fear.

This letter was her test. If Xiao Lie could show her even a little leniency, she wasn't incapable of...

Xiao Lie concealed the coldness in his eyes and slowly smiled.

"You made a wise choice. Since you've given me a favor, I'll reciprocate. But I doubt that after I've come to trust you, you'll collude with Prince Kang to plot against me."

A hint of hesitation flashed in Lin Wan'er's eyes, but she quickly dismissed it with a polite, standard smile.

"Of course not. Once you've chosen a team, don't change it easily. That's the only way to survive in the long run. I understand that rule."

"Oh……"

The more easily Lin Wan'er spoke, the less Xiao Lie believed her. Lin Wan'er had first been entangled with Prince Kang, and then worked for the emperor. If she suddenly broke down and switched sides, Xiao Lie simply wouldn't believe it.

The breach of defenses may be real, but the defection may not be.

After all, he wasn't much better than the Emperor and Prince Kang. Besides, Lin Wan'er had previously harbored deep resentment towards him, so it was even less likely that she would truly switch sides. Lin Wan'er's gesture of goodwill was actually an attempt to use him for something.

Xiao Lie smiled slightly, not revealing his inner thoughts.

He simply said, "Don't worry, you'll get your share of the benefits."

"But we hope you can maneuver around the Prince of Kang a bit more."

Lin Wan'er frowned. "What do you want to do?"

You'll find out later.

Two days later, Xiao Lie sent a veiled letter to Prince Kang, inviting him to the Yuelai Tower to discuss the debt.

"Your Highness, will Prince Kang come?"

"He will come. After all, I've had those people spread the word a lot these past few days. I've already given him a way out. If he doesn't come now, he'll really become a laughing stock in other people's eyes."

In recent days, Jiang Heng has not only been ridiculed by the common people, but even officials' sons like Gu Mingheng have dared to gossip about him behind his back. Although they dare not embarrass him to his face, such gossip behind his back is still quite hurtful.

Jiang Heng clenched his fists tightly, wishing he could devour Xiao Lie alive.

Jiang Heng got up and walked outside.

"Your Highness, where are you going?"

"Let's go see what Xiao Lie is up to."

Inside Yuelai Tower, Prince Kang's expression was slightly somber, his face so dark it seemed to drip water.

Xiao Lie smiled and poured him a glass of wine. "Your Highness, why are you so unhappy? Paying back debts is a matter of course. Now that I know of Your Highness's difficulties, I have taken the initiative to invite Your Highness here to discuss this. Isn't this a great thing?"

"You!" Jiang Heng was furious. He had never seen such a shameless person.

This enormous debt was clearly something this person had dumped on him out of thin air, yet now they were putting on an act as if it were for his own good. This made Jiang Heng seethe with anger, and he appeared to be internally injured with rage.

"Xiao Lie, you're doing very well."

"Just tell me directly, what exactly do you want? Stop beating around the bush with me."

Jiang Heng picked up his cup of tea and drank it all in one gulp, completely lacking his usual composure, clearly having no intention of having a long chat with Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie's smile deepened. "Your Highness harbors too much hostility towards me. I invited you out today because I genuinely want to resolve this matter properly..."

Just then, a teacup came crashing down on them. If Jiang Heng hadn't dodged in time, he would probably have been smashed on the head.

With a loud crash, the teacup landed on a nearby pillar and shattered into pieces. Jiang Heng's face darkened, and several guards drew their swords to protect him. They looked in the direction of the sound and discovered that several rough and ruthless men at the table behind them had started fighting at some point.

A burly man with a thick beard grabbed a handsome young man with a sword and started cursing.

"You bastard, how dare you touch my wife! I'll beat you to death!"

The young man dodged while retorting, "Xiao Cui and I are mutually in love. If you really like her, then please grant us your wish."

Enraged by these words, the burly man's eyes nearly spit fire. "You...you dare to mention it again? If I don't make you crawl out of this Yue Lai Lou today, I'm not a man."

This incident even attracted a crowd of onlookers.

The two men turned and fought, stumbling and falling as they approached them.

King Kang felt disgusted and vaguely found the play somewhat jarring, so he angrily flung his sleeves.

"To choose a place like this, to be among these lowlifes, the young master Xiao's tastes are truly questionable. Isn't the Xiao family supposed to be wealthy and powerful? How come they can't even afford a private room?"

Xiao Lie frowned slightly, seemingly feeling somewhat embarrassed. He called the innkeeper over and asked him to rearrange a private room and lead Prince Kang over. The innkeeper nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Seeing the group leave in a grand procession, Xiao Lie gave Sixteen a wink. Sixteen immediately understood, and with his right hand behind his back, he gestured to the two wrestling men. Upon receiving the instruction, the two men fought even more fiercely, blocking Prince Kang's path in the chaos, which prompted Prince Kang to curse loudly.

"A bunch of lowly commoners, how dare you offend me, Your Majesty! Seize them at once!"

But the two men's expressions changed, and they immediately apologized. Seeing the guards closing in on them, the two men turned and ran, forcing the guards to chase after them.

King Kang was furious. "A bunch of useless trash! You can't even catch these two people. What use are you to me?"

Amidst the chaos, Xiao Lie quietly left without anyone noticing.