If you force me to take the blame, I'll spend a day in jail and gain a year's worth of spi

Xiao Meier held her wine glass, her peach blossom eyes giving Zhang Yu a half-smile.

Just now, while pouring wine, she "inadvertently" brushed her fingertips across the back of Zhang Yu's hand.

The touch was warm, but Zhang Yu recoiled as if he had been burned, and a suspicious blush appeared on his ears.

"Oh……"

Xiao Meier couldn't help but chuckle softly, her voice as clear as a silver bell, yet with a hint of amusement.

I guessed right!

I was right!

This peerless genius before us, who could render the royal patriarch helpless, who could control the Heavenly Prison Array, and whose mind was as sharp as a demon, was actually... so innocent when it came to matters of love!

Zhang Yu felt a little uncomfortable at her laughter. He coughed lightly, picked up his wine glass and took a sip as a cover-up, his gaze wandering, avoiding her eyes.

Before he transmigrated, he was a typical shut-in college student who spent his days playing games or scrolling through his phone. He had never even held a girl's hand, let alone dated.

After transmigrating, he struggled to survive in the intrigues of the Marquis's mansion every day, so he had no time or opportunity to meet women.

Although Jiang Luohan was nominally his fiancée, she only despised and exploited him, never giving him any chance to get close.

Ultimately, deep down, he was still that innocent yet naive college student, emotionally blank.

Looking at his clumsy, evasive yet feigned composure, Xiao Meier felt a surge of accomplishment, even stronger than when she first successfully used her charm to bewitch a high-ranking official.

This is Zhang Yu!

A powerful figure whom even grandmasters fear!

A prodigy who single-handedly confronts the entire royal family!

At this moment, however, he was like a greenhorn in front of her, a "veteran of love," feeling nervous, embarrassed, and at a loss.

This stark contrast filled Xiao Meier with an unprecedented sense of excitement and...pleasure.

"Young Master Zhang,"

Xiao Meier put down her wine glass, leaning forward slightly. "Are you afraid of me?"

"Afraid?"

Zhang Yu instinctively retorted, but his voice was somewhat stiff and unnatural, "Your Highness is joking. Why should I be afraid of you?"

"Aren't you afraid?"

Xiao Meier chuckled, extending her slender finger to gently tap the back of Zhang Yu's hand, which he had just retracted. "Then why do you become so... nervous when I approach?"

At this moment, she had switched to a charming and alluring persona.

Because this persona is best used when it involves teasing innocent young men.

When Zhang Yu was touched by her fingertip, his arm trembled slightly as if he had been electrocuted.

He instinctively tried to pull his hand away, but Xiao Meier's gaze held him firmly in place, preventing him from moving.

He felt his cheeks burning and cursed himself for being so weak, but his body's instinctive reaction was completely out of his control.

"I... I'm just not used to getting too close to people."

Zhang Yu forced himself to calm down, trying to make his voice sound calm and even, but his slightly reddened ears betrayed him.

"Oh? Is it because you're not used to getting too close to everyone, or... is it just because you're not used to getting too close to me?"

Xiao Meier pressed on relentlessly, her tone tinged with a playful grievance, yet the smile in her eyes grew ever wider.

She discovered that teasing this "emotionally naive" girl was far more fun than playing with those self-proclaimed charming princes and noblemen.

Those men, upon seeing her, were like flies to blood, only making her feel disgusted and weary.

Zhang Yu, on the other hand, possesses terrifying strength, yet his heart remains as pure as a blank sheet of paper.

Every touch, every attempt, leaves a clear and interesting "mark" on him.

"no……."

Zhang Yu was somewhat at a loss.

Xiao Meier knew when to stop and didn't press the issue any further.

She sat up straight again, picked up her wine glass, and resumed her aloof and arrogant demeanor.

It was as if the woman who had been pressing him so aggressively and exuding such allure was just Zhang Yu's imagination.

Zhang Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but his wariness of Xiao Meier only intensified.

This woman is terrifying!

She is not only meticulous and skillful, but also unparalleled in manipulating people's hearts.

She can seamlessly switch between "aloof ally" and "seductive enchantress," making her impossible to guard against.

But he had to admit that talking to her did indeed spark many new ideas.

Moreover, this novel experience of being "teased" and "tested" made him feel embarrassed, but it was not entirely unpleasant.

Zhang Yu shook his head, casting aside these distracting thoughts, and refocused his mind.

Meanwhile, Xiao Fenghua, who was completely ignored, looked at the two people chatting and laughing in an ambiguous atmosphere, her face so gloomy it could drip water.

Her fists were clenched so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, drawing blood, but she was completely unaware of it.

She lost.

A crushing defeat.

In terms of scheming, tactics, and understanding of men, she was no match for Xiao Meier.

A deep sense of powerlessness and... inexplicable bitterness gnawed at her heart like a venomous snake.

She stared intently at Zhang Yu, the man who made her feel frustrated and humiliated, and then looked at Xiao Meier, the woman who drove her mad with jealousy.

"I won't lose... I absolutely won't lose!"

She screamed wildly in her heart, a hint of madness and determination flashing in her eyes.

She remembered Aunt Liu's words: to win a man's heart, you must first win his manhood; men are all animals that think with their lower bodies.

She coldly glanced at the servants around her, as well as Xiao Sheng and Xiao Yun watching the show in the corner.

A single glance is enough.

The servants and attendants who had been standing by immediately and silently withdrew from the main hall of the prison.

In the blink of an eye, only Zhang Yu, Xiao Meier, Xiao Fenghua, and Xiao Sheng and Xiao Yun in the corner remained in the huge hall.

Alarm bells rang in Xiao Meier's mind. She didn't know what Xiao Fenghua was planning, but this clearing-out operation was definitely not simple!

"Sister Fenghua, what do you mean by this?"

Xiao Meier stood up, her smile vanished, and her eyes sharpened.

Xiao Fenghua still didn't look at Xiao Meier, her gaze fixed on Zhang Yu, and said in a deep voice:

"Young Master Zhang, the following conversation will involve some... private matters."

Shouldn't unrelated individuals also avoid the area?

As she spoke, her gaze swept meaningfully toward Xiao Sheng and Xiao Yun in the corner.

This request was extremely abrupt, even rude.

"Princess," Zhang Yu's voice turned colder, "Xiao Sheng and Xiao Yun are here, which doesn't seem to hinder our conversation."

"Young Master Zhang,"

Xiao Fenghua looked at Zhang Yu with unwavering eyes. "This matter... is very important. It concerns your background."

Zhang Yu's heart stirred.

He has his own intelligence network and knows a little about his bloodline.

But the matter was from a long time ago, and the specifics weren't very clear, so he nodded silently.

He raised his hand to release the formation that restricted Xiao Yun, then glanced at Xiao Meier and Xiao Sheng, telling them to go out first.

Seeing that Zhang Yu agreed, Xiao Fenghua breathed a sigh of relief and simultaneously turned off the surveillance video of the Imperial Clan Court.

After doing all this, she silently put her hand into her bosom, which was the last resort her aunt had given her.

Xiao Yun, whose restraints had been lifted, immediately ran out excitedly to stretch his muscles, while Xiao Sheng followed closely behind with a puzzled look on his face.

Although Xiao Meier was dissatisfied, she couldn't openly refute Zhang Yu, so she got up and started walking out.

As she passed Xiao Fenghua, she saw her reach into her bosom, grab at the contents, and ask with a smile, "Sister, what good things are you hiding here?"

Xiao Fenghua quickly dodged, but in her nervousness, she accidentally crushed the porcelain bottle containing the love potion in her arms.

The porcelain bottle shattered, and the love potion instantly vaporized, which Zhang Yu and the other two inhaled through their mouths and noses.