Chapter Six: Huo Zhanting’s First Act of Defiance

A shrill, agonizing wail from a man echoed through the air, punctuated by the wet, rhythmic sounds of flesh being struck.

Yu Lan’s pretty face turned deathly pale in an instant, and she bit her lip in distress. Huo Zhanting, however, seemed intent on terrifying her further. His golden eyes were fixed intensely upon her, reflecting her fragile form.

"What is it? Does my Mistress wish to go to the backyard and see how we punish those who betray us?"

"No, no, no, that won't be necessary."

Yu Lan waved her hands in a frantic refusal. Watching Huo Zhanting’s tall, powerful frame, she feared he might simply hoist her up with one hand and carry her to the back. She couldn't help but tilt her head back and retreat, looking like a startled cat, her face full of terror and every hair on her body seemingly standing on end. After stepping back a few times, her round head collided with the hard chest of Su Xingye, who was standing behind her.

Seeing this, a flash of discontent crossed Huo Zhanting’s golden eyes.

Caught between a lion and a wolf.

Terrified, Yu Lan scrambled to stand straight and hurried to the side. She took a deep breath, puffed out her chest, and cleared her throat twice.

"I have something to tell you both."

Huo Zhanting remained where he was, his gaze fixed on her with an unreadable expression, appearing utterly uninterested. Su Xingye was slightly better; perhaps due to their recent intimate encounter, his deep green eyes remained on Yu Lan. His gaze soon drifted uncontrollably from her small, delicate nose down to her soft, fragrant red lips.

She smelled so incredibly good!

A surge of heat spread from Su Xingye’s neck.

Yu Lan cleared her throat and spoke quickly: "First of all, I want to say that I am sorry for what happened tonight. It was my fault."

She then gave a quick, formal bow to the two of them. Her apology was particularly sincere when she faced Su Xingye.

"I’m sorry, Xingye. I shouldn't have secretly used a stimulant on you to induce your rut when I knew you didn't like me."

Although the original owner of the body had done it, now that she had transmigrated here, in everyone's eyes, the actions of the original owner were her own. She couldn't let this slide without an explanation, and given her personality, she felt compelled to apologize to Su Xingye.

A female apologizing to a male? This was truly the first time in history. If word got out, other males would surely mock her, saying she must have lost her mind in her sleep.

Su Xingye blinked, his eyes curving slightly as he gave his response. "It’s fine, don't worry about it. You gave me the sedative in the end anyway."

Hearing that Su Xingye had forgiven her, Yu Lan let out a sigh of relief. She pursed her lips, creating a soft, plump pout. The two men watched as Yu Lan’s eyes suddenly brightened, and she looked at them with extreme sincerity.

"In that case, let’s call off the engagement."

"You don't need to call me Mistress anymore."

"Let’s just pretend that nothing happened during this time, and that you never knew me, all right?"

This was the best solution Yu Lan could think of at the moment. Remaining with these proud, high-ranking fiancés while she was merely a "useless female" without healing powers was dangerous. If she accidentally offended them, she wouldn't even know how she died. It was better to cut ties and avoid them entirely. With her status as a princess, she could surely live a peaceful life.

As Yu Lan naively fantasized about this, a sharp, mocking chuckle broke the air. It came from Huo Zhanting. The man’s cold, stern features seemed amused by her, the corners of his lips curling slightly upward.

Yu Lan looked at Huo Zhanting, completely baffled, and asked cautiously, "Did I say something wrong?"

Huo Zhanting let out another cold laugh, devoid of any warmth. "Mistress, if this is a new game of 'hard to get' you’ve learned, I regret to inform you that you have failed once again."

"Without the support of your males, are you certain you can survive for even three days on the Central Planet?"

"Take a look at your bank balance first."

What!

Yu Lan’s eyes widened. She hurriedly lowered her head to check her bank balance on her phone. She had to admit, the glaring "0.00" in the balance column broke her heart.

"W-why is it like this?"

Yu Lan stood there blankly, her beautiful peach-blossom eyes losing all their color. She had thought that by transmigrating into a princess, she would live a life of luxury. Why was she a pauper?

"You might want to look a bit closer," Huo Zhanting reminded her with mock kindness.

Is there anything in the world more unacceptable than waking up to find you are broke? If there was, it would be waking up to find you are broke and drowning in debt.

Ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, hundred thousand, million, ten million...

Yu Lan tapped her finger on the screen, finally losing all hope. Ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand!

Heavens!

Yu Lan’s legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed to the ground. Her eyes blinked as the realization hit her. Although the original owner was a princess, it didn't mean she had unlimited funds. Furthermore, because she had lost her healing abilities, she lacked the most fundamental trait of a female.

Consequently, her monthly allowance was limited. Provoked by the subtle taunts of Louisa, the original owner had gone mad, spending money recklessly, indifferent to the massive debts she was accumulating. Imperial law dictated that, to protect the rights of females, a female had the right to share in her male partner’s assets after they were joined.

So what if she was in debt? She could just find a few wealthy and powerful males to marry. It was no wonder the original owner had been so enraged by the rejection of these seven men, even going as far as using stimulants to force them.

Thinking of how she had just boldly declared her intention to break ties with Huo Zhanting and Su Xingye, Yu Lan’s face turned bright red with shame. No wonder Huo Zhanting thought she was playing hard to get.

What if they thought she was trying to trick them?

Yu Lan’s voice was strained as she spoke with great difficulty: "It’s okay, I can pay it off myself."

A royal princess received a monthly allowance of one million star coins. If she sold all the luxury goods the original owner had bought as second-hand, she would surely be able to pay it off eventually.

"Hah!"

Huo Zhanting let out a cold, mocking sound, his golden eyes gazing coldly at Yu Lan. "I hope you can keep your word."

"Don't come bothering us again."

Yu Lan nodded quickly, promising desperately, "I will definitely keep my promise."

*Wuwuwu*, ninety-nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand. How many years would it take to pay that off?

Wait! That wasn't right.

She didn't have a single cent in her account right now. How was she going to pay for her living expenses tomorrow?

Yu Lan frowned, deeply distressed.

The next second, her phone chimed with the sound of money being deposited.

Su Xingye, who was standing behind her, spoke up. "I believe you truly want to change for the better now."

"Take this money as a loan. You can pay me back slowly later; there’s no rush."

Su Xingye had transferred ten million to Yu Lan.

*Wuwuwu!*

Yu Lan was moved to tears, her face still flushed with embarrassment. "Don't worry, I will definitely find a job and earn money to pay you back as soon as possible."

A female working to earn money? Only an incompetent male would allow that. Su Xingye frowned, about to say something.

The next second, a sharp, blaring alarm echoed across the entire Central Planet.

[Warning, warning! The Dark Planet has launched another surprise attack, trapping 500,000 civilians in the Thirteenth District. We request Marshal Huo and Major General Su of the First Legion to return to their posts immediately, reach the battlefield, and evacuate the crowd.]

[We request Marshal Huo and Major General Su of the First Legion to return to their posts immediately, reach the battlefield, and evacuate the crowd.]