Future Beast World: Becoming A Pampered Beauty-Chapter 509 - 448: I Am Not Impotent

Crown Prince Yun Hua looked at Sang Luo, his gaze cold and remote.

He... didn’t know why, either.

He had never been one to frequent such pleasure quarters. But ever since the assassination attempt, his mind had been restless. Today, for reasons he couldn’t explain, he had passed by that street. On a whim, as if possessed, he had entered the establishment—and happened to run right into her.

Of course, Crown Prince Yun Hua wouldn’t say any of this. He lowered his long lashes, his gentle voice carrying a hint of distant coldness. "The Imperial City strictly forbids officials from visiting places of ill repute. Any who are discovered will be dismissed from their posts. I was investigating those who violated the order."

He actually produced a list, on which were written the names of a dozen or so officials, both high and low ranking, who had violated the ban.

Sang Luo was momentarily speechless. ’So he really was on official business!’

The atmosphere fell silent once more.

After a moment, the Crown Prince asked her, "You are the Oiran?"

"Yes." Sang Luo nodded. She didn’t have a proper identity in the Mortal World, so now that he had asked, she decided she might as well go along with it.

"A place like that..." Crown Prince Yun Hua frowned, seemingly displeased. "You’re perfectly able-bodied. Why would you debase yourself to make a living in such a place?"

Although brothels had Dancing Girls who claimed to sell their art and not their bodies, anyone who had been to such places knew they were dens of iniquity that devoured people whole. No one could escape unscathed. It was only a matter of time before they were consumed, body and soul.

Sang Luo raised a hand to caress her own cheek and gave a seductive smile. "Who can I blame for being born with such a peerless face? In this world, rather than being coveted and ruined by scoundrels, it’s better to make good use of this beauty. The money comes much faster than doing any other dirty, tiring work~"

The Crown Prince looked at her in silence. ’Using her beauty to find a path to survival... In a way, she’s a clever one.’

’She is extremely skilled at currying favor with the powerful, and he... he would one day be the supreme authority in this land.’

"I can give you a place to call your own."

Sang Luo smiled. "Crown Prince, are you thinking of taking me as a concubine?"

Yun Hua’s gaze landed on her face, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. "Stay with me, and I can guarantee you a life of ease, splendor, and riches."

The space in the carriage was limited. No matter how spacious it was, they were still just sitting across from each other, extremely close. Suddenly, the carriage jolted, and with a delicate cry, Sang Luo fell into Yun Hua’s arms, landing astride his lap.

The man’s body instantly went rigid.

She looked up into Yun Hua’s long, deep-set eyes and saw what seemed to be surprise, yet also a hidden trace of anger.

But he didn’t push her away, tacitly accepting her clumsy little trick. Sang Luo leaned in close to his lips, her breath warm and fragrant as she chuckled, "I am a woman of the pleasure quarters, Crown Prince. If you were to take me as a concubine, wouldn’t the ensuing scandal be rather unseemly~?"

Yun Hua inhaled her fragrance, his composure faltering for a moment. He lowered his long lashes,

and spoke slowly,

"That day at the Hunting Ground, what did you do?"

"..."

Sang Luo’s body stiffened for an instant before she scrambled back to her original seat, suddenly prim and proper. "What is the Crown Prince talking about? I don’t know."

"Wasn’t that you at the Hunting Ground that day?" His gaze was as sharp as a blade.

"What Hunting Ground? Where is that? I’ve never been there." Sang Luo’s voice was even more bewildered and innocent.

She had been wearing a veiled hat that day, her face completely obscured. Sang Luo was certain Crown Prince Yun Hua hadn’t gotten a clear look at her. ’As long as I refuse to admit it, he’ll never be able to confirm my identity!’

Yun Hua frowned, a seed of doubt planted in his mind. ’Could it really not have been her?’

’But this woman before him... she gave him the exact same feeling as the Goddess he had met at the Hunting Ground that day.’

He withdrew his gaze and asked no more questions. For the rest of the journey, he closed his eyes and rested, not speaking to Sang Luo again.

Upon arriving at the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Yun Hua arranged a residence for Sang Luo.

"Wuyou Palace is currently vacant. You will live here from now on. I will have people clean it shortly and arrange for furnishings and servants to attend you."

’This palace is quite close to the Crown Prince’s own quarters. It’s perfectly suited for me to protect him at all times.’

Just as Sang Luo was about to nod in agreement, Eunuch Wang, who was standing to the side, interrupted. "Your Highness, have you forgotten? Wuyou Palace is meant for the future Crown Princess Consort!"

"While you have not yet chosen a Crown Princess Consort, there are still three Beauties in the palace. If they were to find out that the Crown Prince brought a dancer back from the outside and even bestowed Wuyou Palace upon her, I’m afraid they would be quite displeased. Beauty Jiang in particular... will not be easy to handle!"

Eunuch Wang was fraught with worry. He never would have imagined that the Crown Prince would go out for a stroll this morning and return in the evening with a woman from the pleasure quarters. If word of this got out, who knows what kind of criticism he would face!

If he had simply bestowed a low-ranking title on this dancer, it would have been within the rules. But for the Crown Prince to want her to move into Wuyou Palace right away... never mind the resentful gossip that would come from the other Beauties, if the Emperor were to find out, he would surely reprimand the Crown Prince for indulging in sensual pleasures.

"This is my Eastern Palace. Do I need an outsider’s permission to decide who moves in?" The man’s voice was laced with ice.

Eunuch Wang broke out in a cold sweat, not daring to utter another word.

"As you command. This servant will immediately send people to arrange this lady’s accommodations."

The Crown Prince started toward the study. Noticing the person behind him hadn’t followed, he turned, beckoned, and called out, "Come here."

Sang Luo paused for a moment, then obediently followed him. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

...

The Crown Prince sat before his desk, with Sang Luo standing by his side.

Yun Hua picked up his brush. Seeing that she remained motionless, he said, "Help me grind the ink. I’m going to draft a decree to give you an official title."

"...What title does the Crown Prince intend to bestow on me? A concubine?"

"Concubine."

’Tsk. Still a concubine, just one with a slightly more prestigious title. It’s not even a high-ranking Concubine.’

Crown Prince Yun Hua noticed she seemed unhappy. After a moment’s thought, he explained, "You come from the life of a dancer. Without an official title, you would find it impossible to survive in the palace. A Crown Prince’s consorts must come from the families of officials. I can only give you the rank of Concubine for now. There will be opportunities for promotion in the future."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your consideration." Sang Luo’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. She turned to look out the window and asked casually, "So the Eastern Palace has three Beauties to attend to you? From Eunuch Wang’s tone, it sounds like your favorite is this Beauty Jiang."

"Those Beauties were all forced on me by the court ministers. I am not familiar with them, nor have they ever... attended my bed."

Sang Luo hadn’t expected him to offer an explanation. She turned back, her gaze growing even more suspicious. "The Crown Prince is a young man in his prime, yet you haven’t favored any of the Beauties in your residence? I’ve heard that young lords of the Imperial Palace and aristocracy have chamber maids to instruct them in the carnal arts as early as thirteen or fourteen."

The tips of the Crown Prince’s ears turned slightly red as he denied it. "I have never touched them! Nor have I ever... done that sort of thing with any woman!"

Sang Luo’s stare grew even stranger.

’This isn’t the Beast World; males here aren’t bound by a mate’s mark. Is this Crown Prince really a virgin?’

’Could it be that he has... a problem in that department?!!’

For some reason, Crown Prince Yun Hua felt a surge of frustration at her suspicious gaze. His face darkened as he explained, "When I was born, an enlightened master prophesied that I had a Death Tribulation in my fate and was destined for a short life. My Father Emperor sent me to a temple to study asceticism and celibacy under an eminent monk. I only returned to the Imperial Palace at eighteen. The master once warned my parents that before my coming-of-age ceremony, I must preserve my Primordial Yang and not engage in carnal relations with any woman."

He enunciated every word with emphasis,

"I do not suffer from impotence."