Chapter 4: Tonight.

Propping himself up with his hands, Qian Junyou struggled to sit up from the bed. Reluctantly opening one eye halfway, his instincts told him he needed to sleep a little longer to feel truly alive.

But the moment he remembered that he had successfully survived until the fourth day, a strong sense of achievement surged up. He couldn’t help but break into a smile.

“Go tell Miss Bai that this young master went to the pleasure quarters early this morning to have some fun!”

Sure enough, surviving by lying low is the true way! All other worldly desires are nothing but crooked paths!

But he couldn’t hide like this forever, could he? How long would it take for this plot segment to finally pass?! If only he could… kill her… No, she’s a female lead! She has a halo! Walking the villain route like this—wasn’t that just courting death…

“Young Master, Miss Bai came very early this morning. When the prince left, he already told Miss Bai that you were still in your room. Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

A maid beside him interrupted Qian Junyou’s life reflections and spoke with some embarrassment.

“Then tell her that I drank too much last night and probably won’t wake up until evening. Um… also remind her that if she’s here about her father’s matter, there’s no need to look for me anymore. It’s useless!”

After speaking, he flopped back onto the bed. If he could sleep, he would sleep. Even if he couldn’t, he didn’t want to get up.

“So, has Young Master already lost interest in Miss Bai so quickly?”

A clear and gentle voice came from Nalan Xueya. She tilted her head curiously as she asked.

Qian Junyou’s heart tightened. Was she angry at him for being so fickle? He seemed to feel Xueya’s icy gaze filled with killing intent and contempt staring fiercely at him… So he hugged the quilt and didn’t dare speak, pretending he hadn’t heard.

However, just as he lay down, another servant hurriedly ran in.

“Young Master, the Second Prince has also come to see you!”

Qian Junyou let out a deep sigh. It seemed this sleep was not happening.

Who was the Second Prince? He was the one who had invited Qian Junyou to the pleasure quarters on the night of the Hero Soul Festival.

But to avoid the original plot where he would be stabbed to death by the protagonist, Qian Junyou had naturally stood him up and didn’t want to get involved with him any further.

Because this person was one of the final major villain bosses—a demonic cultivator who had infiltrated deep and colluded with the Crown Prince to bring disaster to the entire dynasty.

Mixing with him would lead to ruin sooner or later. But right now, he didn’t dare expose him directly. Exposing a final boss at this stage would undoubtedly be suicidal.

To make it easier to distinguish this bunch of princes and imperial grandsons, Qian Junyou simply called him “Second Demon Prince” in his heart.

“Go invite the Second Prince to the Zhongming Pavilion. Don’t let Miss Bai know.”

He couldn’t just leave a prince hanging, after all. As for standing him up last time, he could find an excuse and apologize. The problem shouldn’t be too big. Thus, Qian Junyou arranged for the servants to keep the two separated.

The Prince Rui’s residence was built on a lake heart island in “Guanghua Lake” north of the capital. It consisted of one main island and five auxiliary islands. The total clean area was equivalent to one-fourth of the imperial palace here, or… half an international airport.

The scenery was beautiful, with lake views and mountains, weeping willows lining the shores for a hundred li, and countless lotus flowers blooming in the lake.

“Yo, which wind has blown Your Highness the Prince here?”

With a cheeky grin, Qian Junyou put on an act and stepped forward to salute the Second Demon Prince.

“Heh, when did the heir become so polite with me?”

The Second Demon Prince turned around, closed his folding fan, and replied in the same exaggerated, mocking tone as Qian Junyou. At a glance, the two clearly looked like old fox-and-dog friends who shared the same stench.

Yet he wore a dragon-patterned brocade robe, had refined features, an extraordinary bearing, and elegant manners. It was truly hard to tell he was a villain. This was also Qian Junyou’s first time seeing the Second Demon Prince since transmigrating, and he almost thought he had called the wrong person.

“That day something came up at home and I couldn’t make the appointment. I was truly rude. Your Highness, please don’t hold it against me.”

“Tsk, forget it! Still saying something came up at home… What could be so important? You were being all secretive. I only found out later that you took a concubine that day. If I had known, I wouldn’t have disturbed you.”

Thinking the Second Demon Prince was going to press the matter, Qian Junyou froze for a moment when he heard him mention “concubine.” Then he realized the other was talking about Nalan Xueya and felt secretly delighted.

With a wicked smile, the Second Demon Prince waved his hand and continued:

“Congratulations, brother, on winning a beauty. That Miss Bai is probably already in your grasp as well, right? When do you plan to marry her?”

But the moment the girl who had killed him seven times was mentioned, Qian Junyou’s face showed difficulty, and the spot on his back where he had been stabbed throbbed faintly.

“Um… that… let’s forget about Miss Bai for now. I’m not considering it at the moment.”

Hearing that Qian Junyou planned to give up on Bai Shuxi, the Second Demon Prince looked surprised. He frowned and pressed:

“No way? You spent such a huge price… You put in so much effort pursuing Miss Bai before, even breaking off your engagement. Now that she’s delivered herself to your door, you’re just going to drop it?”

“Um… I just took a concubine recently. It wouldn’t look good, and Father seems to be taking this case quite seriously.”

The other party looked utterly shocked, as if even more anxious than Qian Junyou. His eyes widened, his jaw nearly dropping as he grabbed Qian Junyou’s hand and said excitedly:

“Has the sun risen from the west? You’re actually worried about how it looks? Have you ever done anything that looked good? With the Bai family’s current situation, marrying her as a wife would be easy, let alone taking her as a concubine. Prince Rui dotes on you so much—are you afraid you can’t persuade him? I don’t believe it.”

As if he had heard some earth-shattering news, the Second Demon Prince completely abandoned his handsome young master image, looking like a frightened bird.

Qian Junyou listened with a face full of embarrassment. Just how bad was his usual image?

Seeing that Qian Junyou didn’t speak, the Second Demon Prince remained silent for a long time with a grave expression, then sighed and put on a smile again.

“Ah, forget it, forget it. Miss Bai is the number one beauty in the capital. Brother, you should think it over carefully!”

Then he wiggled his eyebrows at Qian Junyou, gave an evil charming smile, and continued:

“By the way, brother… are you free tonight? Shall we make up for the banquet we missed that day?”

Still immersed in the fear dominated by Miss Bai, Qian Junyou’s heart suddenly pounded with excitement.

He had been transmigrated for so long, constantly stuck in the cycle of “cutting off the protagonist’s opportunities—searching for treasures—getting killed.”

Up until now, he didn’t even know where the pleasure quarters were, and the mysterious power inside his body often stirred his blood into turmoil.

Especially when he saw Miss Bai, his blood would boil. Yet as a vigorous young man in his early twenties, he could only take care of it himself…

Now Miss Bai was stuck at his residence, and the Second Demon Prince’s invitation was hard to refuse. Even out of basic social courtesy, he shouldn’t push it away anymore, right?

“Yes! Of course I’m free! Extremely free!”

His brain departments instantly reached consensus. After setting the time, he sent the Second Demon Prince off and returned to his room.

“Young Master has made an appointment with the Second Prince?”

Xueya brought in freshly brewed tea, her expression calm as she asked.

“Mm… I didn’t go last time, so he came to invite me again. It wasn’t easy to refuse…”

“Mm, it will be cold at night. Young Master, remember to wear more layers and be careful on the road.”

After placing the tea on the table, Xueya turned and left.

“On the road… be careful?!” Qian Junyou suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, his hair standing on end. Even the hand holding the teacup softened for a moment.

She wouldn’t try to kill me on the way, would she? She was probably just cursing me, right? Or maybe… she was angry? That made sense. She was forced to become a concubine, and her lord went to that kind of place every day. Who could endure that?

It seemed he really couldn’t go to such places anymore in the future. Otherwise, who knew when she might lose control and just kill him.

Even though he thought that, when evening came, Qian Junyou still climbed excitedly into the carriage, his heart filled with anticipation.

Before leaving, he specially instructed the servants to wait two quarters of an hour before telling Miss Bai that he had an appointment with the Second Demon Prince and had already left.

Although he felt a bit sorry for Bai Shuxi, she was after all a woman who could take his life at any moment. He couldn’t worry about that now.

The carriage arrived at the entertainment district, passing through bustling alleys, and finally stopped in front of an eight-story grand building with a solid foundation, brightly lit, and magnificent.

The prince had already reserved a private room on the top floor. Along the way, many noble young masters greeted him, while others hid their faces.

The private room was already filled with the finest delicacies and precious wines. The entire room was resplendent, with ornate pavilions and flowing vermilion.

As soon as he entered, beautiful women came forward to welcome him. Inside, there was singing and dancing, with the harmonious sounds of zither and flute.

“Royal Brother, I’m not late, am I?”

Seeing the Second Demon Prince with beauties in both arms, Qian Junyou hurriedly went up to greet him politely.

“What are you saying? We’re just here to have fun. Don’t overthink it. Sit!”

On the open-air terrace right in front of the banquet stage, looking into the distance revealed the brilliantly lit city.

“Tonight happens to be a celebration. Fireworks will be set off a bit later. This spot is perfect for watching!”

While chatting, the Second Demon Prince personally filled Qian Junyou’s cup with wine.

After only a few bites, he began pouring drink after drink for him. The two chatted and laughed, cups clinking nonstop.

Qian Junyou, overjoyed, didn’t think too much. Since he had transmigrated into a young master, he might as well enjoy the young master’s life for once.

But someone who usually drank beer at barbecue stalls couldn’t handle this. Before even three rounds of wine, he already felt dizzy and his mind began to blur.

“Brother? Heir? Are you okay? We princes live under Father Emperor’s watchful eyes, so it’s not convenient to stay out too late. You understand. Sorry about this—I’ll take my leave first.”

Half-conscious, Qian Junyou didn’t notice the Second Demon Prince leaving at all. Alone and drunk, he became disoriented, his emotions swinging wildly.

When he came back to his senses, he found that everyone had left—including the musicians, dancers, and serving girls. The entire room was empty, with only the brilliant lights flickering.

“Where is everyone?!”

He shouted somewhat discontentedly toward the outside. For a moment, he felt a wave of loneliness…

Outside the window, lanterns and decorations lit up the night, with thousands of homes glowing. Inside the room, it was resplendent, yet every seat was empty.

After coming to this world, he had no friends, no one who understood him, no one to talk to, and no one to share his true feelings with… Only the repeated pain of death, constantly reminding him to find a way to survive.

The door was gently pushed open. A young girl dressed in exotic white dancer’s attire walked in. Her sexy figure and elegant steps felt somewhat familiar to Qian Junyou.

The girl slowly walked closer and gently removed her veil. That peerlessly beautiful face awakened a deep fear within Qian Junyou’s heart.

“Bai… Bai Shuxi?!”