Back at the mansion, the Prime Minister never brought up the matter of Apricot Blossom Alley, and neither did the Prime Minister's wife. On the surface, they were as usual, but only they knew in their hearts that they could never go back to the past. Unconsciously, they began to distance themselves from each other and guard against one another.
The Prime Minister tried many ways to appease his wife, knowing she couldn't get over it. But he didn't regret his actions. After all, those two sons outside had a gift for learning and could inherit his legacy well.
Although the three young masters of the Prime Minister's mansion appeared to be fraternal and respectful towards each other, they were actually competing in secret. With such a limited family fortune, each feared being at a disadvantage.
Now, to suddenly hear that there were more little brats outside the mansion competing for their inheritance? How could this be possible? For the first time, the three were united against an outside threat. They thoroughly investigated Liu Niangzi's children, even abandoning their habits of drinking, whoring, and gambling. The three spent their days whispering together, plotting how to deal with the two children.
Yes, in their eyes, those two were children, about the same age as their own sons.
Although the Prime Minister didn't care about Liu Niangzi's life or death, he did care about her children and feared any harm coming to them. He sent people to protect them in secret and, upon learning what his three sons were up to, summoned them to the main courtyard and severely reprimanded them.
This only caused the Prime Minister's wife and her sons to become more resentful and more cautious in their actions.
Wu Caiwei kept a close watch on every move of the Prime Minister's mansion. It was she who unintentionally discovered the matter of him keeping a mistress. Since the Prime Minister's wife enjoyed causing trouble for herself, Wu Caiwei decided to give her something to do.
Zhou Hanxiao felt her mother was too useless. After so long, she hadn't managed to get the money from her stepsister. If this continued, she herself would be married off to a distant place by her father. She deeply felt she couldn't place all her hopes on her mother and had to take matters into her own hands.
She took a carriage from the Zhou mansion, intending to sit in a restaurant opposite Wu Caiwei's shop to observe her movements.
However, not long after leaving the Zhou mansion, she was stopped. The curtain was lifted, and she saw the Third Prince, who had ill intentions, blocking her way. She knew things were about to go wrong.
The Third Prince kicked the coachman away and jumped into the carriage. His attendants quickly drove the carriage away.
The coachman often accompanied the second young lady on outings and knew some of their affairs. For a moment, he didn't know what to do and could only wait for the second young lady to return before making a decision.
Seeing the Third Prince, Zhou Hanxiao instinctively recoiled. But the carriage was small; where could she retreat to?
"They say men's words are unreliable. I think a woman's heart is like a needle in the sea. One day she's vowing eternal love, and the next she's unreachable. Now she tries to hide when we meet," the Third Prince said indignantly.
The more Zhou Hanxiao retreated, the closer he got. They were almost touching, their breaths mingling.
"It's not like that. My father betrothed me without my consent. I'm to be married next month. There's no hope for us anymore, so I thought it's better to end it quickly and not see each other again," Zhou Hanxiao instinctively felt this Third Prince was extremely dangerous and quickly fabricated an excuse.
"Your father actually disagrees with our marriage? Am I not good enough for you? No matter what, I am a prince, the Emperor's son. What does your Zhou family have? Your grandfather was a farmer who tilled the land, and your Zhou family's reputation is in the mud, and you still look down on me?" The Third Prince was so angry he laughed. He knew that although people outwardly showed him respect, in reality, many looked down on him behind his back.
But those who looked down on him were either of noble birth or held great power, and he couldn't do anything about them. However, if the Zhou family also looked down on him, it would be incredibly presumptuous. Dealing with a lowly official was more than enough.
"My father doesn't look down on you. It's just that I wouldn't dare mention such a thing to him. He doesn't know at all. The marriage brokers have already completed the formalities, and there's no room for backing out. We can only go along with it," Zhou Hanxiao saw his expression and knew where his thoughts were heading. She quickly defended her father, fearing his retaliation.
"I finally took a liking to you, how can we just go along with it? This matter isn't over," the Third Prince's mood improved significantly upon hearing her words, and his tone softened.
Zhou Hanxiao breathed a sigh of relief, yet her heart tightened. She felt her heart pounding wildly, regretting provoking him.
In the past, she was vain and wanted to marry into a prestigious family. Where could be more noble than the royal family? So when she discovered he was the Third Prince, she was so excited she couldn't sleep for days and nights, trying her best to get close to him and maintain a vague relationship.
After her father had a serious talk with her last time, although she hadn't given up the idea of attaching herself to wealth and status, she no longer wanted to associate with the Third Prince. But some things aren't as you wish them to be, like the current demon playing with her hand in the carriage.
She wanted to pull her hand back, but she dared not, fearing she would anger him.
To break the awkward atmosphere, and noticing the carriage starting to jolt, clearly not within the city, she curiously asked, "Where are we going?"
"To the outskirts, to one of my manors," the Third Prince replied casually.
"What are we going to a manor for? There's nothing fun there. We've been traveling for so long and haven't arrived yet. I need to get home quickly," Zhou Hanxiao didn't know what he was up to and inexplicably had a bad premonition.
"Why the hurry? You'll know when we get there," the Third Prince said with a sly smile after appraising her from head to toe.
Zhou Hanxiao's heart sank to the bottom. She forced a smile and said, "I suddenly remembered I have something to do. How about we do this another day?"
As she spoke, she made a show of standing up and walking towards the carriage door.
The Third Prince grabbed her hand and, with a subtle move, pulled her into his arms.
Zhou Hanxiao, regaining her senses, found herself sitting on his lap. As if burned, she quickly stood up. The carriage jolted, and she lost her balance, falling back into his embrace.
"You're so eager to throw yourself at me, I'm almost embarrassed," the Third Prince said, tightening his grip on her.
Zhou Hanxiao knew he was doing it on purpose but still wanted to defend herself.
At this moment, what shocked her even more was that the carriage stopped, and the Third Prince was the first to jump out.
She tightly clutched the carriage. The Third Prince threatened her with his eyes while pulling her forcefully.
A woman could not match a man's strength. She could only be despairingly dragged out of the carriage.
"We can't do this. Please consider me. How will I be able to face people in the future? Let me go," Zhou Hanxiao quickly pleaded with him, tears streaming down her face without realizing it.
"Didn't you once say you dreamed of being with me? Once the raw rice is cooked, your father won't be able to object," the Third Prince said expressionlessly, his actions not ceasing.