The Dandy's Duchess

Chapter 131: Mutual Rescue (1)

Before Yun Qianyue could finish her muttering, dust suddenly started to fall from the Buddha statue closest to Rongjing.

"Yun Qianyue, just think about it. So many women take turns enjoying him; how many times would it even be your turn? And when it is, don't you think it's dirty? Could you really go through with it?" Yun Qianyue continued her inner rambling, louder now rather than quieter.

More dust trickled down from several Buddha statues, lightly tapping the ground as it landed. Rongjing remained as still as a statue himself, unmoving.

Yun Qianyue didn't notice the changes in the statues. She only felt the burning heat inside her was finally subsiding again, and she let out a sigh of relief, lying back on the ground, gasping for breath, hoping it would last a little longer this time.

But after merely two sips of tea worth of time, the fire within her flared up once more.

She resumed her rambling aloud. "Hey, Yun Qianyue, why don't you listen? He really is Rongjing. For a lot of noble families, playing with women is the least of it. Some even play with men! Remember that Spring Pavilion you burned down? They had male courtesans there too. You know, in some clans, men and men together aren't unheard of either. If you throw yourself at this man, you'll be stuck marrying him in this godforsaken place. Once he's tired of you, he'll bring in other women. And after he's tired of all those women, he'll bring in good-looking men. Just think—your later years might be spent waiting in line not just with women but with men to be with him..."

Before Yun Qianyue could finish, all the dust on the Buddha statues cascaded down with a loud rustle.

Rongjing suddenly turned to look at her, his usually clear eyes now dark as a deep lake.

Once again, her desire was suppressed, although it took great effort this time. Panting, Yun Qianyue stared at the statues, her mind not quite comprehending why the once-dusty Buddha statues were now gleaming as if freshly polished. She stared for a while before crying out, "Oh my, these statues are made of gold!"

Rongjing simply looked at her, saying nothing.

"Hey, Rongjing, did you see this? These Buddha statues are gold! We've struck it rich!" Yun Qianyue cheered, waving him over. "If we smash all these statues, we'd be set for ten lifetimes!"

"You have one hour left. If you can't withstand the aphrodisiac, you'll bleed to death from all seven orifices. Even if these statues could form a mountain of gold, you wouldn't be able to enjoy it," Rongjing said flatly.

Yun Qianyue's face fell. "Oh, come on, Heaven, you can't be this cruel..."

Rongjing said nothing further, merely watching her.

After a moment, Yun Qianyue looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "Hey, I don't want to die. Will you be the antidote for me? It's too unfair to die over something like this. Virginity? Integrity? Those are just thin layers of pretense. Trading them for my life is worth it, don't you think?"

She looked at him expectantly. "What do you say? I'm not bad-looking, and while my figure is still developing, it's not too shabby. Besides, you're a man. In matters like this, it's usually the woman who gets hurt. You'd benefit, really. And if you don't want to marry me, that's fine—I don't want to marry you either. Once we're out, we can just forget it happened. But if you do want to marry me, I guess I'd reluctantly agree. When you get tired of me and bring other women home, I'll just keep out of your way. What do you think?"

Rongjing remained silent, as if he hadn't heard a word.

"Hey, did you hear me?" Yun Qianyue grew anxious. These golden statues were true gold! To enjoy them, she couldn't let herself die here. Back when she first joined the National Security Bureau as a small-timer, her supervisor had told her to always make every penny count and never waste resources. So to avoid wasting these golden statues, sacrificing a little of her purity to save her life was a worthy trade.

"I heard you," Rongjing finally replied in a calm tone.

"Then do you agree?" Yun Qianyue asked. She was big on respecting people's choices, and if he disagreed, she couldn't force it.

"No," Rongjing answered decisively.

The stars in Yun Qianyue's eyes dimmed instantly, and her face fell again. "Why not? Am I not good enough? You're not even losing out."

"How am I not losing out? If I sacrifice myself to save you, you'll end up fighting me for these golden statues. You're just a woman who can't do much besides look halfway decent. There are plenty of women who look better than you. I couldn't even force myself to enjoy it. If you die, I could take these statues and marry all the women in a city. Or, as you said, I could gather all the handsome men in a city. Why would I sacrifice myself for a useless woman like you?"

Yun Qianyue was speechless. Was he a mind reader? Did he hear her mutterings just now? Or did he know sign language? Or had she unconsciously spoken her thoughts aloud? She suddenly felt like crying.

After a moment, Yun Qianyue stubbornly continued, "Who says I'm useless? I could help you gather women and men. However many you want, I'd scour the land to find them. Not just one city's worth, even a hundred cities wouldn't be a problem."

"Other people could do the same. Money can make ghosts work. With these golden statues, I don't need to worry about finding people to do it," Rongjing said, glancing at her with no hint of interest.

"But no one else is as clever as I am! They might even trick you. I'm still your best choice!" Yun Qianyue persisted, trying to convince him.

"Oh, really?"