Upon hearing the young noble speak to her in such a manner, Qiu Liuyue felt an ominous premonition. She had just considered disregarding everything and leaving with the Second Prince, planning to come up with excuses later, but it was already too late.
The young noble had been rejected by Qiu Liuyue at the Wonder House, humiliated by Yue Hengyan, placed under house arrest, endured the scorn and torment of servants, and finally, driven to desperation, had killed his own niece just to regain his freedom. Yet, the moment he stepped outside, he encountered yet another unpleasant situation—someone who refused to kneel, kowtow, and beg for his forgiveness. To make matters worse, the damned shopkeeper had the audacity not to side with him.
This series of misfortunes had built up a mountain of rage within the young noble. Now, seeing Qiu Liuyue, all that pent-up fury exploded, and he lashed out without restraint.
Unaware of the Second Prince’s identity, the young noble cast a disdainful glance at him before turning his mocking, furious gaze back to Qiu Liuyue. “What’s this? It hasn’t even been that long, and you’ve already switched to another lover? So, was rejecting me back then because you looked down on me? Thought I wasn’t as handsome as these two men of yours? Pah! A cheap slut like you dares to pick and choose? Take a good look at yourself—what kind of trash are you?”
The Second Prince’s face darkened instantly—both at the young noble’s insolence and at the implications about Qiu Liuyue. If she truly had been involved with other men, what did that make their relationship? Was she cuckolding him? As this thought crossed his mind, his gaze toward Qiu Liuyue grew increasingly strange.
At this point, the Second Prince wasn’t yet so deeply in love with Qiu Liuyue that he couldn’t let her go. Moreover, he had always harbored some resistance toward the woman his mother had assigned to him. Now that this scandal had erupted, his priority was naturally the dignity of the royal family.
Besides, any man—let alone a noble and pampered prince like him—would hardly react kindly to a woman who might have cuckolded him. If this were true, not only Qiu Liuyue but even the Duke’s residence would face repercussions. After all, this wasn’t just an insult to the prince’s dignity and reputation—it was a stain on the entire imperial family. No matter how lenient the Emperor might be, such a matter wouldn’t be brushed aside lightly.
Feeling the mocking and disdainful gazes of the onlookers shift toward her, Qiu Liuyue hastily defended herself, “No! You’re lying! Don’t slander me like this!”
“Slander you? What a joke!” The young noble scoffed, utterly unbothered. “Look at yourself—a used-up whore, and you think you’re worth my time to slander? Don’t even try to deny it. You and your previous lover were all over each other at the Wonder House—how many people saw that, huh? And you dare say I’m slandering you? Ridiculous!”
At the mention of the Wonder House, a couple of bystanders scrutinized Qiu Liuyue and the young noble, suddenly recalling the earlier incident.
One of them had been present during the altercation between Qiu Liuyue, Yue Hengyan, and the young noble at the Wonder House. Though he hadn’t paid much attention at the time, the reminder now jogged his memory. The commotion back then had been quite noticeable, and since he knew Yue Hengyan, he had observed the interactions between him and Qiu Liuyue. At the time, he had assumed they were already involved, given how intimate they seemed (unaware that it had been their first meeting).
Now, seeing Qiu Liuyue with the Second Prince so soon after supposedly being with Yue Hengyan, he couldn’t help but marvel at her audacity.
As whispers spread among the crowd, the Second Prince’s guards discreetly investigated the matter. The prince’s expression grew increasingly stern, while Qiu Liuyue’s face paled.
Her previous smooth-sailing life had made her bold and reckless, but now she found herself on the verge of ruin. Meanwhile, the young noble, basking in the crowd’s growing support, grew even more smug.
As rumors about Qiu Liuyue and Yue Hengyan spread, some recognized her identity. Many patrons of this shop were from the upper class, and Qiu Liuyue’s reputation as a “talented scholar” was well-known.
The young nobles jeered, while the scholars looked at her with disappointment and sorrow—mourning the fall of a once-brilliant woman who had thrown away her dignity.
Though the Great Zhou Dynasty was relatively lenient toward women, with no strict segregation between genders and even allowing widows to remarry, certain proprieties were still expected. Qiu Liuyue’s behavior—flaunting intimacy with one man and then swiftly attaching herself to another—was too much for the self-righteous scholars to stomach.
Compounded by her carefully cultivated image as a “hardworking, resilient, and virtuous scholar,” their disappointment in her was all the greater.
Qiu Liuyue, rarely flustered, scrambled for excuses, while the Second Prince waited coldly for her explanation. In truth, though, the prince was inwardly delighted.
While he resented the stain on the royal family’s reputation, he couldn’t deny that Qiu Liuyue’s scandal worked in his favor. After all, she had been chosen by the Imperial Consort as his concubine. Her disgrace now reflected poorly on the Consort’s judgment, making it harder for her to interfere in his affairs in the future.
Moreover, this incident would tarnish his own reputation slightly, making it more difficult for his mother to push him toward the throne—something he secretly welcomed.
Still, as a prince, he had to maintain a stern front. Letting such behavior slide would damage the imperial family’s image, and that was unacceptable.
As the situation escalated, guards urgently relayed the news to the Imperial Consort and others.
Just then, Han Xinbai, Lin Jiarui, and Yue Hengyan arrived at the shop’s entrance. Sensing the strange atmosphere, they paused, confused.
Spotting Yue Hengyan, the young noble immediately pointed at him. “Well? Isn’t this your previous lover? Go on, tell me—how exactly did I slander you?”
Yue Hengyan, suddenly the center of attention, pointed at himself in bewilderment. “Huh? Since when did I have a lover? I don’t remember this at all.”
Seeing Yue Hengyan and Lin Jiarui, Qiu Liuyue quickly seized the opportunity to shift the blame. Putting on a pitiful, tearful expression, she approached Yue Hengyan. “Brother Yue, please tell them the truth! It wasn’t what they think between us!”
What happened next, however, left her utterly humiliated.
Yue Hengyan, looking even more confused, scanned the crowd before awkwardly clearing his throat. “Ahem… Miss, may I ask… who are you?”
He wasn’t trying to embarrass her—he genuinely didn’t recognize her. If they were supposed to clarify something together, he at least needed to know who she was.
Qiu Liuyue had assumed Yue Hengyan would never forget her, that her beauty and charm had left an indelible mark on his heart. Reality, however, dealt her a harsh blow—Yue Hengyan had long since forgotten her. The one who couldn’t let go was, in fact, Qiu Liuyue herself.
A few stifled laughs erupted from the crowd. Qiu Liuyue’s face burned with humiliation.
“…Miss?” Yue Hengyan blinked innocently at her.
Han Xinbai, ever the troublemaker, studied Qiu Liuyue and recognized her. As Lin Jiarui’s close friend, he was familiar with Qiu Liuyue by association. Moreover, having witnessed the events at the Wonder House, he knew exactly what had transpired between Qiu Liuyue, Yue Hengyan, and Lin Jiarui.
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