Her captivating face was further enhanced by a seductive tenderness. Merely standing in the candlelight made two men wish to protect her from any harm.
"Nangong Yue, I can't believe you're so audacious! To dare to do this."
"You forced me," Nangong Yue stated, not backing down. It was the truth. If he had treated Liu'er well, he would have buried his feelings deep in his heart his entire life.
But he didn't cherish her, and even wanted to abort her child. Therefore, she could only bring her out of the palace.
"By bringing her out, you wanted her to become the courtesan queen of a brothel?"
The thought of this sent Feng Xie into a frenzy. Liu'er was the noble empress. How dare he bring her out to be a courtesan in a brothel? The mere thought made him so furious that he wanted to kill Nangong Yue on the spot. He reached out, holding Bu Xiangyin tightly, and said softly, "Liu'er, leave here with me."
"Me?" Bu Xiangyin looked from one man to the other, unsure how to respond. The air was thick with a chilling, icy tension.
Liu Liu, who had been sitting on the second floor, was surprised that Nangong Yue had even appeared, and that he had become Bu Xiangyin's husband. No, it should be *her* husband. What was going on?
She had initially intended to ignore them and let them fight it out while she drank tea and watched the show from the second floor. But in the end, she couldn't bear it any longer. Looking at Feng Jiu on the other side, she said, "Let's go down and take a look."
With that, several figures flashed, landing on the platform.
Liu Liu and Feng Jiu, along with Dai Mei, descended to the platform and carefully observed Bu Xiangyin. This Bu Xiangyin was truly identical to herself, even their expressions were very similar. Her eyes were cold, her demeanor elegant, and her every move was remarkably precise.
Liu Liu couldn't help but feel a prickle of unease. If she weren't Liu Liu, she would surely believe that the woman before her was herself. Then why could someone imitate her so perfectly? Who exactly was Bu Xiangyin?
Liu Liu watched as Nangong Yue and Feng Xie, both exceptionally outstanding men, pulled Bu Xiangyin by the arm from either side. She spoke indifferently, "Who is this?"
"Yes, brother Liu, who is this?" Feng Jiu followed up with a question, looking at everything before him with curiosity. The woman was beautiful, no doubt, but not so much that two imposing men would fight over her in front of everyone.
Feng Xie and Nangong Yue spoke in unison, "She is my woman."
Liu Liu was stunned. These two men were truly shameless. When had she become their woman? At most, one was her benefactor, and the other was her ex-husband. Yet they both claimed her as their man. She wasn't promiscuous.
"It won't do for the two of you to quarrel like this. This is a brothel, after all. Why don't we find a place to sit down and discuss who this Miss Bu truly is?"
As Liu Liu uttered the last two words, her voice became heavier. Bu Xiangyin quickly lifted her head, a fleeting shadow flashing in her clear, cold eyes.
Although it was only for an instant, Liu Liu saw through it. This Bu Xiangyin hadn't lost her memory at all. So, what was her purpose in impersonating her?
However, this woman wasn't foolish. Knowing that a stalemate wasn't the solution, she immediately spoke calmly, "Yes, standing here isn't a solution either. Why don't we sit in my flower hall and try to figure out who I am together?"
Bu Xiangyin's small face appeared very confused, clouded with bewilderment, her eyes bright, as if she had a strong desire to find out who she was.
As she spoke, Nangong Yue and Feng Xie agreed. It seemed that a beauty's words were still effective. Although this beauty was currently herself, Liu Liu still sighed. The group followed behind Bu Xiangyin and walked down from the platform.
Seeing that they had resolved the matter privately, the proprietress naturally didn't trouble them. She quickly led her people to the side, watching the men with swords and knives warily, a cold sweat beading on her forehead.
After everyone had left, she dared to take out a handkerchief and wipe herself, muttering curses under her breath.
"These damn bastards, they've really made things difficult for this old madam," she cursed, but immediately looked up to see if anyone had heard her. Then, waddling her plump body, she strutted off to solicit business elsewhere.
Bu Xiangyin led the group to her private courtyard. Although the courtyard wasn't large, it was exquisite, with a small bridge, flowing water, rockeries, and mountains, all complete, creating a serene environment.
Bu Xiangyin was actually already free. Nangong Yue had redeemed her from the brothel. However, she refused to leave Xuexiang Tower because she feared she wouldn't be able to find her lost memories if she left. Since she had appeared in a brothel, there must be a reason, and she wanted to find that reason.
Nangong Yue had no choice but to indulge her. Therefore, Bu Xiangyin didn't have to entertain guests, sing, or accompany them. She would only play music when she was bored and help Xuexiang Tower build its reputation.
Unexpectedly, today she encountered a man who called her "my wife." Didn't she already have a husband?
In the small flower hall, the atmosphere was somewhat bleak. Nangong Yue and Feng Xie glared at each other, their deep eyes seeming to want to devour each other to protect the woman before them.
"Yue, are you truly my husband?" Bu Xiangyin asked Nangong Yue with a hint of doubt, a cold persistence on her lips.
Nangong Yue was taken aback, his handsome, glazed eyes flashing with pain. "Liu'er, why would I lie to you? I am your husband, Nangong Yue! Haven't I already told you?"
Bu Xiangyin nodded, then turned and pointed at Feng Xie, whose face was pale, his body radiating a chilling aura, his eyes about to spew fire. He glared at Nangong Yue through gritted teeth. How dare he utter such treasonous words! Didn't he remember that Liu'er was the current empress?
He, a mere commoner, dared to covet the empress! He would confiscate his entire family and exterminate his clan.
As Feng Xie thought of this, he realized that Nangong Yue had no family to exterminate. He had been living alone in the palace since childhood. This ungrateful wretch! He had doted on him in vain.
"Nangong Yue, you scoundrel!" Feng Xie flashed forward and swiftly attacked Nangong Yue's ethereal, handsome face.
However, Nangong Yue didn't let him succeed. He tilted his head, dodging the blow, and quickly extended a hand to grab Feng Xie's arm. The two hands, filled with force, resisted each other, shaking up and down.
Bu Xiangyin, standing nearby, clearly startled, cried out, her face turning somewhat pale, her lips trembling slightly.
"Please stop fighting, my head is a bit dizzy." She leaned back onto the couch. Upon hearing this, the two men immediately released their grip and nervously surrounded Bu Xiangyin, asking with concern, "Liu'er, are you alright?"
Seeing that they had stopped fighting, Bu Xiangyin shook her head and said tiredly, "Please don't fight anymore, it makes my head hurt." She looked extremely weak. Although Nangong Yue and Feng Xie were furious and wanted to kill each other, since Bu Xiangyin had spoken, the two men naturally stopped fighting and nodded in agreement, "Alright."
Liu Liu watched everything unfold. It looked like a farce to her. Neither angry nor annoyed, a mocking smile played on her lips as she looked coldly at Bu Xiangyin. Although she didn't know why Bu Xiangyin was impersonating her, she definitely had a hidden agenda. She wanted to see what she was planning. With this thought, Liu Liu spoke out with a casual, cool demeanor.
"Since both of you claim that this Miss Bu Xiangyin is your wife, then please produce witnesses to prove that this lady is indeed your wife. Otherwise, what do we do? This stalemate can't go on forever?"
Liu Liu's crisp, indifferent voice carried a hint of mockery. Nangong Yue finally focused his attention on the person speaking before him. A silver mask, like a butterfly's, covered her face, revealing only a pair of radiant, dazzling star-like eyes.
These black eyes, as bright as flames, flickered with an arrogant, untamable dominance, stirring his heart. He felt a sense of familiarity towards the man before him. Who was he?
Liu Liu's words were met with everyone's agreement. Feng Jiu, Dai Mei, and even Bu Xiangyin nodded in agreement with this method. Otherwise, the two of them would just keep fighting. They proposed that the two men find witnesses to prove who Bu Xiangyin's husband truly was.