Arrogant and domineering because of his good looks: His Majesty always pretends to be righteous

Chapter Eighty: Losing Face

"Prefect, please take a look at my flowers..."

Li Muling mustered her courage and spoke.

She lowered her eyes, not daring to look directly into those bright, piercing eyes.

The prefect narrowed his eyes slightly, and his expression became serious.

She slightly raised her eyes and focused her gaze on the white peony.

The peony blossoms looked exceptionally charming under the sunlight, but appeared so vulgar when contrasted with the green oranges.

"How can you compare rouge and common women to each other?"

Li Muling's heart skipped a beat, and the words that were on the tip of her tongue could only be swallowed back.

"For everyone here, the winner of this flower show, this chrysanthemum, shouldn't you all feel no significance?"

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent instantly; after all, who would dare to disagree when an adult had spoken?

"I will leave everything to the Prefect's decision."

Several sycophantic officials stood by, their faces beaming with smiles, their thick, fleshy features trembling slightly.

“Young lady, sell these flowers to me, I’ll offer one hundred taels…”

"I'll offer two hundred taels..."

Everyone present eagerly offered their desired price, wishing they could take this lush green chrysanthemum home.

In an instant, it became the center of attention, with everyone's eyes fixed on it, and everyone eager to possess it.

Xia Rongliu felt flattered and overwhelmed. She hadn't expected everything to go so smoothly, and she had also hoped to achieve success.

But I never imagined it would all happen so suddenly.

Looking at everything before her, Li Muling clenched her teeth and fists, her joints creaking and groaning.

Xia Rongliu watched as the cheers from the crowd grew louder and the prices offered increased.

For a moment she was at a loss, and in her panic she suddenly felt a pair of hands on her shoulders.

She looked up in surprise and saw that familiar face.

"Don't be afraid... I'm here with you, what are you afraid of?"

"It's such a wonderful thing that your sister's flowers will get the attention of Kuaishou and adults. You should be happy."

Xia Zhanxin saw the worry in his eyes and comforted him.

"Who cares who's afraid? It's none of your business."

Xia Rongliu pretended to be calm and acted as if nothing was wrong.

"Stop arguing! I'll offer eight million taels!"

The loud voice broke the noise, and everyone fell silent instantly. All eyes turned to the direction of the sound.

When one's gaze is drawn to the center, one sees the prefect with a broad smile on his face.

"Eight hundred...how about you give it to me? I really love the chrysanthemum in your hand. It's so unique, and its fragrance is so captivating."

Are you satisfied with the price I quoted?

"Satisfied!"

Xia Rongliu's face instantly blossomed into a smile as beautiful as a flower.

"I'm certainly satisfied with the price you offered. I'll send the flowers over to you right away..."

Xia Rongliu stole the show at the flower market and made a fortune, returning home beaming with joy.

She hummed along as the young man's face beamed with happiness.

Her graceful figure flitted among the tall reeds, like a butterfly about to take flight.

The golden sunlight shone on him, adding an indescribable beauty to his appearance.

Looking at the pretty and graceful woman in front of her, Xia Zhanxin felt a strange sensation in her heart.

"A money-loser..."

"Money-losing stuff!"

Suddenly, a shrill cry caught Xia Rongliu's attention.

She walked in the direction of the sound and saw a familiar figure in the distance.

The frail woman curled up on the ground, her eyes brimming with tears, crystal-clear tears streaming down her face.

If you look closely, you'll see various wounds on his body, large and small, with mottled bloodstains that look shocking.

"You good-for-nothing..."

"You damned brat! It's such bad luck for you to live in this world."

The man spoke these words menacingly, while the leather whip in his hand mercilessly lashed her body.

"Stop!"

The man's hand stopped abruptly in mid-air. His eyes widened in anger as he stared in astonishment at the figure before him.

"Wang Runfa! Are you even human? How could you beat your own daughter like that? No matter what, you shouldn't do that."

"Xia Rongliu, mind your own business. This is my family matter no matter what."

"Save my Miss Xia! Please persuade my father, or he's going to beat me to death."

The woman kneeling on the ground spoke slowly and deliberately, her eyes already red from crying.

She looked at her father with a resentful gaze.

My heart is filled with endless anger and hatred.

"Wang Runfa, buy these flowers I'm holding."

"How about it?"

He instantly regained his composure, his eyes widening as he stared intently at the lush green flowers.

A slight smirk appeared on his lips, revealing a wicked smile.

"I don't like your lousy chrysanthemum at all, and I don't want it at all."

"You brat, get out of the way. You'd better not meddle in our family's affairs."

As he spoke, he shoved Xia Rongliu with great force, almost knocking her over.

"Sister, be careful..."

Xia Zhanxin reacted quickly and supported her slender waist.

"If you continue to treat me like this, I'm going to tell the governor about this."

"Don't you know about today's flower show? I won first place! Why don't you want these flowers even if I give them to you at a discount?"

Xia Rongliu's round eyes widened, and a stubborn look appeared on her face.

Upon hearing this, Wang Runfa's previously furious expression vanished.

He looked at Xia Rongliu with a smile and eagerly took the chrysanthemum from her hand.

"Look at me, I'm just a roughneck, don't take my actions too seriously."

"Did I hurt you? Just tell me how much you want and I'll buy this chrysanthemum. But don't tell anyone what I just said."

Xia Rongliu's sharp gaze swept across his face, a smile playing on her lips.

"It's easy to keep me from telling anyone: eight hundred taels! Just give me that money and I won't say a word today."

"How about it?"

"You brat, aren't you doing this on purpose? You might as well just rob me."

Wang Runfa was so angry that he trembled all over, his eyes wide open, as if he wanted to devour the girl in front of him alive.

Xia Rongliu smiled slightly, unconvinced.

"Alright then, this is the price set by the Prefect. If you're not willing..."

Before he could finish speaking, he turned to leave, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.

"Let's talk this out. I'll buy it, okay?"