After her mind was read, the spoiled brat became the darling of the whole group.

Xie Xing felt a chill run down his spine.

She held her fingers together, met Song Yingqiu's somewhat bewildered gaze, and gave a forced smile, laughing awkwardly twice: "Hahaha, is that so?"

"Your Highness truly has discerning eyes. My brother prepared a human skin mask for me, just in case someone falls in love with me as easily as Your Highness."

"Ha ha…"

Song Yingqiu: "..."

Not knowing what to say, Song Yingqiu reacted quickly and added, "Oh, right."

Chao Le understood immediately, "So that's how it is."

He turned his gaze to Song Yingqiu, "May I ask who you are, and how you come to possess something like a human skin mask?"

Song Yingqiu: "..."

He glanced at Xie Xing behind him and said, "I am a businessman. My sister and I are the only ones in my family."

“My sister is too beautiful. For ordinary people like us, beauty is not a good thing. If we can’t protect my sister, we can only ask her to cover up her beauty.”

Chao Le nodded knowingly. "I see. So, dressing up as a man is also an option?"

Song Yingqiu: ?

He turned to look at Xie Xing.

Xie Xing chuckled.

Song Yingqiu quickly replied, "Oh, right, that's right. In this world, it's difficult for women to survive, so I made her dress as a man from a young age."

"I see." Chao Le nodded, looking at Song Yingqiu with great emotion: "My darling is so fortunate to have such a brother."

"It's so touching."

Chao Le wiped away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and continued to ask, "So, the tiger was also something you specially prepared for your sister, brother?"

Song Yingqiu: Huh?

tiger?

me?

Song Yingqiu turned to look at Xie Xing.

Xie Xing grinned: Hehe.

Helpless, Song Yingqiu had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Oh yes, that's right, the tiger, I caught it."

"After all... alas, Your Highness, you don't understand, in this world, how are women treated..."

Chao Le already knew what he was going to say, so she went along with it: "The world is really too harsh on women these days."

Song Yingqiu coughed lightly.

Chao Le sighed softly, "I originally intended to accompany Jiao'er directly to her parents, but I never expected to be so lucky as to run into Jiao'er's brother on the way."

"My dear," Chao Le said reproachfully to Xie Xing, "Why did you pretend not to recognize your brother when you saw him just now?"

Xie Xing: "...Uh...Your Highness! You don't know, I'm afraid, I'm afraid my brother will beat me!"

She glanced timidly at Song Yingqiu, then said, "After all, my brother treats me like a father. I'll go out for a while and come back with a husband."

"Anyone would be angry if they knew, right, brother... haha."

Song Yingqiu smiled.

He punched Xie Xing on the head and said with a forced smile, "But really, what a big surprise."

That's what he said, but Song Yingqiu's eyes were full of...

You'd better tell me what's going on.

This place is thousands of miles away from Shengjing. How did Xie Xing come here from Shengjing?

Could it be that they came here with the Xie family on their expedition?

He really will thank me.

The Xie family really should go bankrupt.

That's what Song Yingqiu was thinking, but he never expected that the Xie family was really on the verge of bankruptcy.

As Xie Xing's elder brother, Chao Le waved his hand and took Song Yingqiu to the city lord's mansion as well.

Before seeing the tiger, Song Yingqiu had no idea what Xie Xing's concept of raising tigers was.

He knew that he was now truly eye to eye and nose to nose with this tiger.

Song Yingqiu fell silent.

Song Yingqiu fell into a deep silence.

Chao Le, who was standing to the side, said with great emotion, "Ordinary people would run away at the sight of a tiger. This is the first time I have ever seen a brother like you who directly catches a tiger and lets his own sister raise it."

"To have such skill in catching tigers, one must be extremely brave and skilled in battle, right?"

Chao Le stared intently at Song Yingqiu.

Song Yingqiu: "..."

Xie Xing quickly replied, "Your Highness, my brother doesn't have such great abilities."

"The moon was saved by my brother and me when we were young, and it has been with me ever since."

Upon hearing this, Chao Le sighed with some disappointment: "I see."

Song Yingqiu: "..."

After exchanging pleasantries, Chao Le clapped his hands and had two large boxes of gifts prepared.

"I wish to take your sister as a concubine, brother. These are the betrothal gifts I have prepared. Please accept them."

Song Yingqiu did not accept it immediately, but looked at Xie Xing with worry in his eyes.

Xie Xing nodded to Song Yingqiu and said, "Brother, please accept it."

"Your Highness is handsome and elegant, and I am willing to follow you."

"Moreover, Your Highness, a prince of such high status, is actually willing to condescend to give gifts to my brother, it's truly..." Xie Xing racked his brains for a string of compliments, but in the end, he could only manage to utter:

"Good man!"

"He's a good person, brother!"

After all, someone who could secretly burn down an entire army's supplies was incredibly cunning.

Because of differing perspectives, Xie Xing couldn't offer any praise.

Unexpectedly, Xie Xing's praise touched Chao Le's heart.

His eyes gleamed, and he took Xie Xing's hand with deep emotion, saying, "My darling understands me."

"In this life, having only my beloved daughter as my confidante is enough for me. I am very satisfied."

Xie Xing gave a forced smile: "Haha."

Song Yingqiu: "..."

With a smile on his face, he calmly separated the two and then said, "Since Your Highness and my sister are so in love, I, as their older brother, have no reason to disagree."

"So, Your Highness, please give my brother and me some time to talk alone. From now on, my sister will be one of Your Highness's concubines!"

Song Yingqiu practically gritted his teeth as he uttered the word "concubine."

Chao Le was also straightforward.

They immediately gave the two of them some space.

After everyone left, Xie Xing and Song Yingqiu looked at each other in bewilderment.

Song Yingqiu's face was grim.

Xie Xing's eyes darted around, and under Song Yingqiu's oppressive aura, he actually seemed somewhat guilty.

Song Yingqiu did not ask immediately.

After all, this was Chao Le's residence, and he knew the saying "walls have ears."

He gave her a deep look, then sighed and said, "Are you really sure you want to marry this prince as a concubine?"

Xie Xing's eyes were filled with tears: "Yes! Brother!"

I didn't want to either, but I was just unlucky and got caught right away.

[If I don't want to die, this is the only way for now. I'll find a chance to escape later.]

After the war started, I didn't believe Chao Le would still have the time and energy to focus on me.

Hearing Xinwen's words, Song Yingqiu's expression was indescribable. "How did you meet this prince?"

Xie Xing looked around and didn't dare to say anything out of turn.

Walls have ears; who knows if Chao Le sent someone to eavesdrop?

She pondered her words for a moment, then spoke: "That night, I took the moon out hunting, and unexpectedly, I encountered Your Highness."

"At first glance, just one glance, we fell deeply in love with each other."

Song Yingqiu: "..."

He revealed a half-closed eye and said speechlessly, "Speak properly."