It's all ruined, who cares about the chastity arch

He was the current Emperor Xuan, and at this moment he was pointing at a lantern with a mandarin duck painted on it, with a faint smile on his face, and whispered, "I want this."

Upon hearing this, the shop owner quickly took down the lantern, with a respectful smile on his face, but he was a little embarrassed when he answered: "Sir, I'm really sorry, this lantern already has an owner."

Before he finished speaking, the owner had already handed the lantern to a young girl next to him who looked uneasy and was wearing a simple dress.

The girl was wearing a random but messy bunny mask, which made her stand out.

Emperor Xuan couldn't help but turn his gaze to the girl. After a careful look, his face gradually darkened and he muttered in dissatisfaction, "Where did this ugly girl come from!"

His words were neither loud nor soft, but they just happened to fall into the ears of the girl wearing the rabbit mask, carrying a hint of contempt and displeasure.

Tan Xinyue, the woman known as the "ugly girl", suddenly turned around and looked at the arrogant young nobleman.

The night was hazy and the dim light of the lanterns danced between them, adding a touch of drama to this encounter.

Under the soft yellow light, another mysterious man wearing a white mask was staring at Tan Xinyue. His clothes fluttered in the wind, his temperament was extraordinary, and the folding fan swaying in his hand revealed a casual and unrestrained attitude.

Tan Xinyue had never had a good impression of such a playboy, not to mention that she had no special interest in lanterns.

However, faced with the sudden provocation at this moment, the unyielding spirit in her bones was aroused.

She extended her hand to the shop owner and said firmly, "I'll pay first, and the lantern will naturally belong to me."

The shop owner smiled awkwardly, obviously not wanting to offend anyone. He bent down and carefully handed the lantern to Tan Xinyue, while apologetically saying, "Sir, this girl is right. This lantern is indeed hers. Take a look at the others. Maybe there will be one that suits your taste better?"

Tan Xinyue took the lantern steadily, her eyes inadvertently swept to Emperor Xuan beside her, and a contemptuous and sarcastic smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

Emperor Xuan saw this smile as a challenge to the majesty of the imperial power. He was immediately displeased and said coldly to the shop owner, "No, I want the one in her hand."

The shop owner looked embarrassed and tried to mediate: "Sir, this lantern has indeed belonged to that girl. Why don't you take a look at this lotus lantern?"

As he spoke, he held up an exquisite lotus lantern in an attempt to divert Emperor Xuan's attention.

However, Emperor Xuan's brows furrowed even more tightly. He waved his hand to reject the shopkeeper's kindness, and said firmly: "No, I must have the one in her hand."

At this moment, the originally ordinary lantern seemed to have become a treasure that he could not give up. This stubbornness and persistence were undoubtedly inherited from his equally stubborn father.

Tan Xinyue is a proud person by nature, and she is the one who responds to soft words rather than hard ones. The other party first accused her of being an "ugly girl" and now wants to forcibly take the lantern away from her. How can she swallow this?

Especially the three words "ugly girl", which seemed to have been heard somewhere before, but she couldn't remember where for a moment, making her feel inexplicably familiar and confused.

In order to prevent the situation from escalating further, the shop owner looked at Tan Xinyue helplessly, his eyes full of pleading: "Girl, please give the lantern to him. I can give you two more rabbit lanterns as compensation."

Seeing the shop owner in a dilemma, Tan Xinyue's heart softened, but she didn't want to give in. She turned her eyes and said to Emperor Xuan, "If you want me to sell the lanterns, it depends on whether the price you offer can satisfy me."

Hearing this, Emperor Xuan's face became even more angry, and his brows were almost twisted into a "chuan" shape. Normally, he never needed to spend any effort on what he wanted, but this "ugly girl" dared to go against his wishes in public and challenge his patience.

Anger burned in his chest, but reason prevailed.

He slowly took out a heavy gold ingot from his arms. The golden light was glittering and dazzling. He asked coldly, "Is this enough?"

Tan Xinyue shook her head slightly, with a playful expression on her face, and seemed to be very interested in the almighty emperor in front of her.

"Why? A piece of gold?"

There was incredible anger in Emperor Xuan's voice, and then he took out the second gold ingot somewhat unwillingly. The two glittering gold ingots lay quietly in his palms, emitting an alluring glow.

However, Tan Xinyue still shook her head gently, with a cunning light flashing in her eyes.

Seeing this, Emperor Xuan simply went all out. He poured out all the silver coins in his pocket. The jingling sound was particularly clear in this noisy street market.

"And what about these?"

There was helplessness and a hint of amusement in his words, as if he was testing the bottom line of this "ugly girl".

Tan Xinyue's eyes lingered, and she carefully looked him up and down, not leaving out any corner of his clothes, but she still shook her head gently, and her dark eyes reflected the other party's astonished look: "It's still not enough."

Emperor Xuan was filled with rage. This woman had an ordinary appearance, but she seemed to have an insatiable appetite and was so greedy that it was disgusting.

However, the anger was only fleeting in his heart, and he succumbed to some unspeakable power and obediently took out the last heavy gold ingot that shone with an attractive luster from his pocket.

Today, he ignored Eunuch Jiang's dissuasion and left the strict walls of the palace without permission, taking only these belongings with him. Now, all these savings were gently jumping on his fingertips and were finally carefully handed into Tan Xinyue's palm: "It's all here," his tone could not hide a trace of reluctance and helplessness.

Tan Xinyue's eyes turned slightly, and seeing that he was short of money, a trace of satisfaction appeared on the corner of her mouth. She took the heavy money and said, "This is more decent."

After saying this, she smiled as if a spring breeze was blowing on his face, and handed him an exquisite lotus lantern. The light was so gentle that it seemed to illuminate the deepest part of people's hearts: "Sir, you must hold it firmly."

Emperor Xuan looked at the twinkling light in her eyes. At that moment, the noise around him seemed to be quietly muted. He took the lantern in a daze.

On the lamp, a pair of delicate mandarin ducks were cuddling each other, and their tenderness and love seemed to quietly seep into his originally cold heart.

"Thank you for your generosity tonight!"

Tan Xinyue weighed the heavy gold and silver in her hands, her voice clear and with a hint of teasing and joy.

After saying this, she turned around lightly, straightened her back, and walked confidently and resolutely, like a meteor streaking through the night sky, and instantly blended into the bustling city with dim lights and noisy voices.

"you!"

Emperor Xuan held the lantern in his hand, but instead of feeling the expected satisfaction, he felt an indescribable anger.

"stop!"

He growled, his voice sounding particularly heavy in the night wind.