I put my arm around the strong man's slender waist

Chapter 18

The proud princess frowned and said, "I need to see what he looks like before I can decide whether to run away or stay tonight."

What illogical thinking! I looked at her incredulously. So you hadn't decided whether to get married or not before you came here?

She pouted and said, "My father forced me to come here, but I will absolutely not marry someone I don't like, at least not someone uglier than me. The person I marry will either be a peerless hero or a stunning beauty." She poked me again, "Are you going or not?"

I was about to refuse, but then I thought better of it and asked, "Are you familiar with the terrain here?"

She smiled mysteriously and pulled a map from her bosom. "Before I came, I had someone draw the terrain inside and outside Licheng Palace, in preparation for escaping the marriage!"

"Very good!" I stuffed the half-embroidered handkerchief into my bosom, grabbed her wrist, and said, "Why look at the little prince? I know there's a peerless beauty imprisoned in this Licheng Palace, a woman of unparalleled beauty. Why don't we go see her first? She's definitely more beautiful than that little prince!"

Chapter 22, Part 21

The princess was indeed a woman of action. With just a few words of encouragement, she got me to do it without any regard for whether I was a good person or a bad person. She dragged me out the door.

Her naivety made me feel a little guilty, since it was wrong of me to lie to her and ask her to take me to the young master. But the young master is definitely a beauty, and I really didn't lie to her.

I figured the young master and Lu Mingxiu were probably locked in the dungeon. We slipped out of the side hall and studied the map of Licheng Palace for a long time before discovering the problem.

The topographic map is very detailed, accurate, and error-free.

The dungeon is also in the Licheng Palace, without a doubt.

but……

The princess frowned at me and asked, "Can you read a map?"

I was shocked. "You can't do that?!"

The princess shrugged innocently, "Does a princess of the dignified Little Ye Kingdom need to know how to read a map?"

"Your Majesty..." I pressed my forehead, heartbroken, and said, "Excuse me... what's the use of bringing a map if you can't read it!"

"I thought you could!" The princess glared at me with disdain. "Otherwise, why would I have brought you along?"

I clutched my chest, my heart aching terribly. Even if it was exploitation, there was no need to be so direct about it...

The princess tossed the map aside in annoyance. "So what do we do now? How are we going to see the beauty? We can't possibly go back, can we? I don't want to."

"What can I do if you don't want to?" I was too lazy to play along with the princess's arrogance. I looked around the path and found that where we were was a shady path with four paths leading up, down, left, and right. The path on the bottom was where we came from, and I didn't know where the other three led.

Perhaps it was too remote, because there wasn't even a guard in sight.

The princess looked around and said, "Why don't we just find someone to lead the way?"

I turned back to her with a weak smile, "You're really smart... Excuse me, there's not a soul in sight around here, who are you looking for to lead the way?"

Princess Jinglian pushed aside the vines and branches by the roadside and pointed with her slender hand to another path, "Look, isn't there a fat man over there?"

I looked up and saw a round, fat man squatting on another path, intently trying to crawl into the vines, his alluring buttocks swaying back and forth.

Princess Jinglian said to him, "Hey, Fatty."

The fat man was startled and turned around in a panic. I immediately laughed. He really looked prosperous and lucky! His chubby face was like a steamed bun, white and plump, and his small eyes were bright and alert!

Seeing that she was about the same age as the young master, he noticed Princess Jinglian's small eyes widen in fear.

See? You scared them.

I leaned over, putting on a friendly smile, and said, "Little chubby brother, you don't need to be afraid, we're not bad people."

His whole body shuddered, and he plopped down on the ground.

Huh? I touched my face. I thought my smile was quite gentle, but it looked like I was about to cry from fright...

Princess Jinglian said impatiently, "Fatty, come here."

"Being so fierce isn't good," I thought. I saw tears welling up in the little fat boy's eyes, so I quickly nudged Princess Jinglian and said gently, "Little fat boy, could you come over here for a moment and lend a hand?"

He looked at Jinglian with his round little eyes, then at me, hesitated for a long time, and then scrambled to his feet. Hey! I thought he looked round because he was squatting, but now that he's standing up, he's still a round ball. He's wearing a robe with gold trim and embroidered flowers, and he swayed over like a chubby white bun.

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. The chubby boy gave me a long, resentful look, looking utterly aggrieved. "My name isn't Fatty, and it's not Little Fatty..."

"I know, I know." I quickly put on a smile and said gently, "Little Fatty, what are you doing?"

His chubby face flushed red. "Look at the beauty."

"Looking at beautiful women?" I asked in surprise. "What beautiful women are you looking at there?"

He glanced quickly at me and Princess Jinglian and said, "Are you from there too? I've never seen you before."

Then I remembered that the side hall where we were placed was behind the shady tree. I glanced at him knowingly and was surprised to find that he was a chubby little boy!

"Disgusting!" Princess Jinglian was clearly impatient, grabbing his collar and saying rudely, "I'm asking you, do you know where the dungeon is?"

The chubby boy's fleshy chin trembled as he was pulled, and tears welled up in his little eyes again. "I know."

Princess Jinglian then asked, "Do you know the way?"

The chubby boy thought for a moment, his eyes brimming with tears, and said, "I know him."

“Very well.” Princess Jinglian released him, crossed her arms, “Then take us there, or else…” She clenched her fist, making a cracking sound.

The chubby boy covered his mouth in fright, and asked with tears welling up in his eyes, "Will you hit me...?"

I pulled Princess Jinglian's hand down and said to him seriously, "Yes, she has a very bad temper, so you have to be a good girl and take us to the dungeon."

The chubby boy nodded, looking aggrieved, "Then you have to hold her tight..."

I nodded sincerely to him.

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I never expected that this lecherous chubby boy would be so familiar with Licheng Palace. He walked along the tree-lined paths, choosing the deserted routes as we requested, and surprisingly, he didn't get lost.

He was having some difficulty moving around. He was afraid of Princess Jinglian, and after being yelled at by her, he was so upset that he didn't dare to walk any further. Before long, he was covered in sweat, panting heavily, and looking at me with a resentful expression.

I eagerly raised my sleeve to wipe his sweat, coaxing him, "Hang in there a little longer. If you stop now, she'll definitely beat you up."

The chubby boy grunted and stole a glance at Princess Jinglian, but was too frightened to speak by her waving fist.

I was quite surprised to find that there wasn't a single person in sight along the way, and couldn't help but ask, "Such a large palace like Licheng Palace, doesn't it even have a single guard?"

"Yes," the chubby boy said breathlessly, pointing to the main road not far away. "They're all on that road. This little path is for the Queen; they can't just walk on it."

Huh? I looked out of the grove in alarm and sure enough, I saw shadowy figures. My heart pounded with anxiety. "They...can't see us? Are we really...okay, walking so openly?"

"What's there to be afraid of!" Princess Jinglian said disdainfully. "At worst, they can just take us back. Can't we just go for a stroll?"

Princesses are so innocent and naive...

Looking at the chubby little boy in front of me, dressed in a brightly colored outfit, I felt a vague unease. Could it be... such a coincidence?

This is a bit too...unexpected.

I was uneasy the whole way, and when I finally made it to the dungeon, I hid in the shade of the trees and looked at the heavy guard of soldiers, feeling somewhat melancholy.

Just as the chubby boy was about to speak, I suddenly saw someone walk out of the dungeon. I hurriedly covered his mouth and dragged him away to hide.

Princess Jinglian reacted quickly and followed me inside, peeking out as she whispered, "What's wrong?"

I didn't answer, but watched as the Alliance Leader, dressed in white, walked out of the prison under the dappled sunlight, followed by the Gu siblings and Lu Mingxiu.

The female official leading the way spoke humbly, and the leader returned the greeting with a graceful smile, his white robes gleaming in the sunlight.

They left the dungeon chatting and laughing, and drove away into the distance.

As soon as I let go of the chubby boy's mouth, sure enough, the Alliance Leader rescued Lu Mingxiu effortlessly...

"You know them?" Princess Jinglian nudged me and said, "The man in white at the front is quite handsome."

"You'd better not get involved with him," I kindly advised. "There's a type of person called a hypocrite."

Princess Jinglian looked at me with great interest, "You seem to know him quite well? Could it be... that he seduced you and then abandoned you!"

I couldn't be bothered with the princess's logic and wild imagination. Looking at the heavy guards, I pondered for a moment and tentatively asked the chubby boy, "Um... chubby brother, could you take us in?"

The chubby boy looked at me resentfully, "My name isn't chubby..."

"I know, I know," I coaxed him softly. "Then can you take us inside?"

"Hmm..." He nodded first, then thought for a moment and looked at me, "It's possible, but if you don't tell me what you're going in there for, I won't take you in."

Oh my, you've fought back, little fatty!

I nudged Princess Jinglian, and she instinctively clenched her fist, saying fiercely, "Are you taking us in or not?"

The chubby boy covered his mouth and whimpered, looking at me with teary eyes, feeling very aggrieved. "You said you wouldn't let her hit me... Liar!"

I smiled and pinched his cheek. "We're going in to see some beauties. Do you want to see them?"

The chubby boy's round eyes lit up, and he nodded, saying, "I do, but you can't lie to me."

"No, no," I replied sincerely.

He added, "And you can't call me Fatty!"

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After much coaxing, the chubby boy agreed to lead us inside. I thought that when the guards saw him at the entrance to the dungeon, they would either bow or arrest him, and they would know his identity.

As we followed him inside, the guards acted as if they didn't see us at all, completely ignoring us. I couldn't help but pinch my cheek and whispered to Jinglian, "Can't they see us?"

Jinglian whispered back to me, "I could see it. I just saw that guard glance at that fat guy sideways."

Completely baffled, I followed the chubby boy into the dungeon. Looking at the two rows of iron bars, I whispered to him, "Young... young master, could you ask where the newly captured young master of the Saluo Sect is being held?"

The chubby boy swayed over to the jailer and asked, "Where is the newly arrested beauty locked up?"

The jailer remained stiff, neither looking at him nor speaking, but simply pointed inside.

I was stunned, and then I saw the chubby boy running in that direction, and suddenly he let out a surprised groan.

Princess Jinglian and I hurried over and saw the little fat boy lying on the prison door, hugging the iron bars, his small eyes filled with tears as he gazed into the prison.

"What's wrong?" I looked inside in surprise. In the dim light, I saw the young master squatting on the ground in a loose white prison uniform. His hair was untied and loose over his shoulders. He was intently playing with ants on the ground with chopsticks.

Just then, the sunlight streaming through the skylight filtered inch by inch onto his profile, the interplay of light and shadow making his face appear like luminous white jade. I hadn't noticed it before, but now his hair was loose, extremely long, flowing like black satin over his shoulders and to the ground, with a few strands of downy hair brushing against his neck and collarbone, creating a soft, shimmering effect.

The way he focused intently on circling the ants with chopsticks was so innocent and childlike.

I heard the chubby boy grunt and cover his mouth, saying, "Beauty..."

Hearing the sound, the young master looked up, his long, curled eyelashes fluttering, casting a shadow around his eyes. When he saw me, a smile appeared on his lips, revealing a sweet dimple. "Su Su!"

Then I heard Princess Jinglian beside me say, in a daze, "So beautiful..."

That's right, my young master is definitely a beauty who stands apart from the world. I have to admit that there are many beauties in the Demonic Sect. Although Yan Shu is flamboyant, his aggressive yet languid beauty is breathtaking. No one in the entire Central Plains can match him.