Qing Qin's words made Su Yi's eyebrows furrow slightly. What did she mean by that?
Zhou Zhili sensed that something was amiss and quickly smiled, "Young Master Su, are you planning to leave with Miss Tea Jin?"
"That's right," Su Yi nodded.
Zhou Zhili had asked casually, but he never expected to receive a definite answer from Su Yi, and he couldn't help but be taken aback.
Was he savoring the taste and planning to take Tea Jin as his own?
"You can't bear to part with her?" Su Yi asked with interest.
Zhou Zhili's face stiffened slightly, and he forced a smile, "It's good that Young Master Su likes her. It's a great fortune for Miss Tea Jin to serve by your side."
He looked at Tea Jin, hoping to see some resistance and hesitation in her expression, but to his surprise, all he saw was obedience.
Qing Qin coldly snorted, "Just an artist after all, destined to be played around by men."
Tea Jin's eyebrows furrowed slightly, then she pursed her lips and chuckled, "Lady Qing Qin, why does it sound a bit sour when I hear your words? Could it be jealousy?"
Qing Qin became displeased and said coldly, "Who would be jealous? Am I supposed to envy an artist whose fate is not in her own hands?"
"She's not just an artist. Her background is no worse than yours," Su Yi said calmly.
Qing Qin was taken aback and clearly didn't believe it. She said, "You're comparing her to me? That's too ridiculous."
Su Yi turned to Tea Jin and said, "You tell them."
Tea Jin hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath and looked proudly, "My true identity is Shen Changkong, the legitimate daughter of one of the 'Eight Great Princes' of the Great Wei. I am also an inner disciple of the Moonwheel Sect, the number one holy land in the Great Wei. Lady Qing Qin, do you think I am qualified enough to compare myself to you?"
A silence fell over the entire scene after her words.
"You are from the Great Wei?" Zhou Zhili was shocked and couldn't believe it.
The Great Wei and the Great Zhou were longstanding enemies, with a deeply strained relationship.
Who could have imagined that Tea Jin was actually from the Great Wei and had an extremely special status?
"An inner disciple of the Moonwheel Sect..." Qing Qin's expression changed, and she was also somewhat surprised. How could an inner disciple of the Moonwheel Sect disguise herself as a geisha and appear here?
"You approached me before with ulterior motives!" Zhou Zhili's face turned ugly. In the past, he thought he had won Tea Jin's favor with his charm.
Who would have thought that the truth would be so cruel?
"Prince Liu, you should blame your second brother for this. If it weren't for his orders, do you really think I would willingly have any contact with you?" Tea Jin's gaze turned cold, and a hint of disdain appeared in her eyes.
Zhou Zhili was deeply affected, and his face darkened.
"You, as a prominent disciple of the Moonwheel Sect, serving the Second Prince, must have ulterior motives, right?" Qing Qin said coldly.
Tea Jin calmly replied, "That's correct."
In this moment, she no longer disguised or concealed herself, nor did she need to laboriously play the role of a geisha. Her words came straight from her heart, and she felt an indescribable sense of liberation and ease.
Zhang Duo and the others became vigilant, their expressions turning hostile. To them, Tea Jin from the Great Wei was now an enemy to be eliminated!
"Young Master Su, may I take care of this woman?" Qing Qin's eyes, as sharp as a blade, gleamed with a cold light.
Su Yi couldn't help but smile and said, "Don't you think your request is too audacious?"
Qing Qin widened her eyes, puzzled. "Audacious? She is an undercover agent from the Great Wei, hidden by the Second Prince, and even attempted to get close to the Sixth Prince. It's obvious that she has malicious intentions."
Su Yi's smile turned cold, and his eyebrows furrowed. He said, "Aren't you the one who claims to be a practitioner, unconcerned with worldly matters? Why have you changed your attitude now?"
Qing Qin's expression froze, momentarily speechless.
Tea Jin spoke softly, "Young Master, the reason is simple. The Dragonblade Sect of the Great Zhou has always viewed our Moonwheel Sect as enemies. Qing Qin, being a disciple of the Dragonblade Sect, naturally dislikes me."
Qing Qin angrily said, "Who gave you the right to speak, you spy? Do you believe that I can kill you right now?"
She exuded a fierce aura, with killing intent surging through her body.
"That's enough," Su Yi's gaze turned icy.
Qing Qin angrily said, "Su Yi, are you trying to protect her? Or perhaps your judgment is clouded by desire, deceived by this wretched woman?"
Slap!
A resounding slap landed on Qing Qin's stunning face, leaving behind a bright red imprint of five fingers.
The entire scene fell silent.
Even Qing Qin was stunned, looking at Su Yi in disbelief. She never expected that Su Yi would actually slap her!
"Remember this clearly, she is currently a maid by my side, and I couldn't care less about her identity."
Su Yi's eyes were indifferent as he said, "Considering the little friendship we have, I won't dwell on this matter too much. But if you continue to push the boundaries, don't blame me, Su, for turning my back on you."
Qing Qin's delicate body trembled, her face pale and green, filled with embarrassment, suffocation, incomprehension, and an inexplicable sense of loss.
She never expected that Su Yi would slap her for Tea Jin's sake!
This feeling was something she had never experienced before, leaving her momentarily blank in the head.
Zhou Zhili, Zhang Duo, and the others had been shocked by this scene, exchanging glances with one another.
Even Tea Jin herself was surprised.
Could this be considered as Su Yi protecting her?
Wasn't he afraid of completely offending the Dragonblade Sect and the Sixth Prince?
Tea Jin's heart was also in turmoil, unable to calm down. She suddenly realized that she had a hint of satisfaction and happiness...
This feeling left her dumbfounded.
Why was it like this?
Su Yi didn't think so much. A loyal dog still had to look to its master, let alone Tea Jin, who was still useful to him. How could he just hand her over?
Of course, what really annoyed him was Qing Qin's attitude. She had mocked him unexpectedly when they first met, and now she dared to overstep her boundaries. Did she really think he had a good temper?
His gaze turned to Zhou Zhili. "What about you? Will you see me as an enemy because of Tea Jin?"
Zhou Zhili was startled and considered his words carefully. "If Young Master Su keeps Tea Jin by his side, it must have a deep meaning. For me, it means one less hidden danger by my side. In that regard, I should thank Young Master."
Facing Su Yi's indifferent gaze, the Sixth Prince also felt immense pressure.
"You gave a decent answer," Su Yi nodded and, no longer interested in staying, walked away.
Tea Jin hurriedly followed him.
"Indeed, he doesn't even care about my Moonwheel Sect. How could he care about the Dragonblade Sect and the Sixth Prince..." Tea Jin murmured to herself, looking at the tall and imposing figure in front of her, lost in countless emotions.
Being oppressed and subdued in such a humiliating manner, she should despise Su Yi with all her heart.
But for some unknown reason, after going through the turmoil just now, her internal resentment had dissipated slightly. She even felt a hint of secret joy.
This left her in a state of great distress and struggle.
As Su Yi and Tea Jin left, Zhou Zhili breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of ease throughout his body. However, when he saw Qing Qin, who remained silent, his heart tightened, and he quickly asked, "Master, are you alright?"
Qing Qin's gaze was icy cold, and she replied expressionlessly, "He slapped me. Do you think I'm alright?"
Zhou Zhili's voice was bitter as he said, "Master, I didn't expect Su Yi to be so ruthless, to the extent of tearing his relationship with you for the sake of Tea Jin."
Then, he took a deep breath and continued, "But don't worry, when I ascend to the throne in the future, I will seek justice for you, Master!"
Qing Qin sneered, "He is only seventeen this year, just at the Qi Gathering Realm. Yet he kills Grandmasters as easily as slaughtering chickens. By the time you have a chance to ascend the throne, he will likely already be unparalleled in the cultivation world. How can you seek justice then?"
"This..." Zhou Zhili was at a loss for words.
Seeing his awkward appearance, Qing Qin shook her head and said with a sense of disappointment, "Let's go. I don't want to stay in Yunhe County anymore, and I never want to see Su Yi again!"
With her final words, she couldn't help but reveal her suppressed resentment.
"Alright, we will set off for Gunzhou City tomorrow!" Zhou Zhili hastily agreed, patting his chest.
...
As they walked out of the Langtaosha Gate, Su Yi suddenly remembered that Huang Qianjun had not yet come out.
"Forget it, I won't wait for him. Maybe he's still in the mood, and it would be a downer to call him now."
As a normal man, Su Yi naturally understood that it was not appropriate to ruin the mood at a time like this.
"Do you know how to drive a carriage?" Su Yi asked.
"Um..." Tea Jin hesitated for a moment and quickly replied, "Yes."
Su Yi walked directly to the carriage, lazily leaning against it, and ordered, "Back to Hulugang Alley."
Tea Jin: "..."
In the next moment, she bit her cherry lips lightly and took on the role of a coachman, holding the reins with her delicate hands and driving the carriage away.
Along the way, they attracted countless surprised and admiring gazes, and the sound of hearts breaking from numerous men could be heard.
It's hard to understand how that despicable person could make such an exquisite beauty do the work of a coachman. He deserves to be cut a thousand times!
For Tea Jin, it was an experience she had never had before. After all, as an inner disciple of the Moonlight Sect and the legitimate daughter of a prince in Da Wei, she was accustomed to a life of luxury and had never been involved in tasks like driving a carriage.
But in Su Yi's eyes, it seemed natural for her to drive a carriage...
"It seems like he really treats me as a servant..." Tea Jin sighed softly in her heart, feeling inexplicably complicated. What would her father, her master, her friends, and fellow disciples think if they saw her in this situation?
Su Yi, on the other hand, had no reaction at all. Until they arrived at the humble residence of Zhuo'an, he lazily reclined on a wicker chair inside the pavilion.
There was no helping it; he was always lazy when he wasn't cultivating.
"Do you know how to pour tea, pour water, wash clothes, and cook?" Su Yi asked.
Tea Jin forced a bitter smile. Indeed, in his eyes, she had fallen to the level of a maid or a servant.
After thinking for a moment, Tea Jin whispered, "I haven't done those tasks before, but I can learn."
Su Yi nodded slightly in approval. Her attitude was commendable.
He instructed, "Starting from tomorrow, you'll be responsible for washing and folding my clothes, pouring tea and water. In your free time, you'll clean the courtyard and trim the flowers and plants. As for the rest of the time, you can manage it on your own."
Tea Jin's scalp went numb. Was he planning to make her take care of all the trivial chores alone?
She cautiously asked, "Sir, why not hire some maids and servants?"
Su Yi looked at her and said, "Do you feel aggrieved?"
Tea Jin quickly shook her head. Even if she did feel aggrieved, how could she dare to say it out loud?