Young Master Gao? Call me Little Grand Secretary!

The courtyard gate creaked shut, shutting out the sounds of people and vehicles outside the alley.

The gentle, obedient, and polite Xiangnu's shy smile vanished instantly, replaced by deep hatred.

This person gave her hope, but then plunged her into the abyss!

If she hadn't acted decisively and made a quick decision, she would probably have become a laughingstock and the most despised person in the building.

Even so, all the hard-earned money she had painstakingly saved and endured humiliation to earn was swindled away!

Whenever he thought of that scoundrel's face, he gritted his teeth and wished he could eat his flesh and sleep on his skin!

I thought I would never meet this person again in my life, but I never expected that he would appear in front of me so brazenly.

"The arising and ceasing of conditions, the arising and emptiness of inherent nature—truly wondrous!" Gao Zhao met Xiang Nu's angry gaze with a smile, slowly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Miss Xiang Nu, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

"You cunning bastard!" Xiangnu's face was as cold as ice. Seeing the other party's fearless appearance, she knew that he had once again found her weakness. She was so angry that her eyes were spitting fire and her teeth were grinding to powder.

"How can you say that! You don't want Fan Tong to find out about our affairs, do you?"

Gao Zhao walked up to Xiang Nu with a smile, reached out and lifted her chin, raised an eyebrow, and said softly, "Miss Xiang Nu used to call me 'My Lord' and 'My Husband,' but after only a few days apart, you've become so cold-hearted. It truly breaks my heart!"

Xiangnu trembled violently, recalling the time when Gao Zhao had teased her. She forcefully turned her head away, shaking off his hand, and staggered backward.

"Don't try to humiliate me with your past hypocrisy! You heartless and treacherous scoundrel, you betrayed my sincere heart and swindled me out of my money, may you die a horrible death!"

"That's no fun!" Gao Zhao took two more steps forward, forcing her to retreat until her back was pressed against the wall, with nowhere left to go.

Gao Zhao braced one hand against the wall, trapping her in his arms, and placed his other hand on her chest, saying sarcastically, "I'm asking you this: are you being sincere? It's one thing to deceive others, but don't deceive yourself too!"

One sentence instantly shattered all of Xiang Nu's pretense. Her face darkened, and the panic in her eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by icy coldness.

Gao Zhao nodded repeatedly, impressed by the woman's composure; she had calmed down so quickly.

"So you really did come here on purpose to scheme against me!" Xiangnu said coldly, looking at him. "I don't know where I offended you, that you have to go to such lengths to deal with me!"

"I didn't put in any effort, I just thought it was fun!" Gao Zhao raised his hand, feeling a little uncomfortable through his clothes, then slipped his hand inside his collar, chuckling, "Do you remember Xu Qing? That student from Biyong, the one who fawned over you!"

The image of the impoverished scholar flashed through Xiangnu's mind. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she asked suspiciously, "Are you doing this to avenge him?"

"No! That kid holds a grudge against me because I called you a prostitute, and he caused me some trouble in Biyong!" Gao Zhao said, then suddenly chuckled, "So, I wanted to taste the flavor of his goddess, and to be honest, it was quite good!"

"Just because of this, you've ruined me so badly!" Xiangnu ignored his teasing, her face full of disbelief.

Just because of a verbal dispute between students, he ruined everything for himself, as if it were a game!

Gao Zhao's nonchalant reply was like several steel needles piercing Xiang Nu's heart.

"At first, I never intended to lie to you, but your greed piqued my interest! So I decided to play along and play along."

Gao Zhao shook his head and explained the reason. He then looked at Xiang Nu, whose eyes were filled with humiliation, and continued, "I was originally prepared to end this game, but your wonderful performance in front of the Biyong Hall made me change my mind."

"What exactly do you want?" Xiangnu sensed that he wasn't going to let her go, so she reached out and shoved him hard in the chest, shouting sharply, "If you push me too far, then we'll all fight to the death!"

Gao Zhao was pushed back two steps by her, but he wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, he said with a grin, "By the way, we've known each other for so long and have such a deep friendship, but I still haven't told you who I am!"

"My father is Gao Qiu, the Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guard and the Military Governor of Fengguo Army. Brothers in the Jianghu, please give me face and call me Gao Yanei!"

Gao Zhao stepped forward, lifted her chin, looked at Xiang Nu's dazed expression, lowered his head and kissed her red lips, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Are you sure you, this little fish, can break through my net?"

Xiangnu's beautiful eyes widened, first with anger, then with surprise, and then a sharp glint flashed in them.

Gao Zhao knew she would react this way, and laughed heartily as he put his arm around her waist, saying, "My identity can't be faked. You can go ask Fan Tong; he's my good brother."

Xiangnu had clearly considered this as well, but she gave a cold laugh and said indifferently, "This humble servant is of such lowly appearance that I fear I am unworthy to enjoy your favor, young master!"

Gao Zhao pinched her chin and lifted it upwards. Xiang Nu obediently raised her head, looking like she was being treated like a fish on a chopping block.

"If judged solely by your looks, while you may be beautiful, you're not even worth a second glance from me. Compared to your character, you're utterly insignificant!"

Gao Zhao stared into her eyes and laughed, "I've heard the saying 'buying the casket and returning the pearl,' and thought it was Han Feizi's slander against the people of Zheng. Today I realize that such fools are everywhere. They only see your beauty, but they don't know your true value!"

Xiangnu shuddered, her eyes darting towards the young man before her.

She grew up in a place of pleasure and moved among her patrons. Although she flattered those men, she secretly held them in contempt.

Most of the men who came to seek pleasure were only attracted to her physical appearance, and with a little scheming, she could easily coax them into spending lavishly. This was the basis for her ability to accumulate a large fortune.

She never expected that what Gao Zhao valued was her shrewdness and cunning.

"Young master, please don't tease me. I have now reformed and only wish to live a simple and peaceful life."

Gao Zhao gently stroked the delicate skin on her chin with his fingertips, the playful smile on his lips not fading at all. Hearing this, he chuckled softly, tightened his grip slightly, and held her firmly in front of him, leaving her no room to escape.

"A stable life? That's not for you. Your eyes tell me you're not the kind of person who's content with a mundane life."

Xiangnu was held quite tightly by him, but she didn't struggle. She simply pressed her face against his chest and said softly, "Young Master, you've mistaken me..."

Before he finished speaking, Gao Zhao suddenly picked her up and carried her to the backyard.

The maid, who had just finished making the bed, was startled when she kicked open the bedroom door. She stared at the two of them, dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

Gao Zhao tossed Xiang Nu onto the bed, then pulled out a warrant and stuffed it into the maid's collar, teasingly asking, "Together or to keep watch?"

The young maid blushed, glanced at Xiang Nu on the bed, hesitated for a moment, then turned and ran out, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

Gao Zhao walked straight to the bed, about to make his move, when Xiang Nu stuck out a foot and pressed it against his chest, her eyes filled with seductive allure as she said, "I'm your good brother's woman!"

"Just superficial brothers!" Gao Zhao grabbed her foot, glanced at the embroidered shoes, and laughed, "I like these shoes, you're not allowed to take them off later!"