Long Xiyue shook her head, overcome with shy delight. "I never doubted you. You're a true gentleman, the most openhearted and selfless person I know."
Hu Xiaotian, renowned for his shamelessly thick skin, actually blushed. How could he not? Long Xiyue thought far too highly of him. He had never imagined he was so noble and pure in Princess Anping's eyes. After receiving such praise, even he felt embarrassed about indulging in anything vulgar. In truth, even if he had wanted to take liberties with her last night, he would not have been capable of it.
He had originally intended to seize the chance to tease the beautiful princess, but now it seemed better to treat her with courteous respect. Remembering Long Xiyue's unhappy fate, Hu Xiaotian felt a surge of pity and said softly, "I might not manage it with others, but toward you, Princess, I harbor not the slightest disrespectful thought." The moment he finished speaking, even he wanted to give himself a vicious slap. Could you have a little shame?
A moving radiance shone in Long Xiyue's bright eyes. "I believe you!"
Fortunately, Xinning Palace was just ahead. Had they walked much farther, Hu Xiaotian would surely have been so mortified that he would have looked for a hole to crawl into. Trust and respect, it turned out, could sometimes become an unbearable weight upon one's life. Preserving his gentlemanly image in Princess Anping's heart was no ordinary challenge. Princess Anping apparently did not understand him well enough. I'm no gentleman. I'd rather be a scoundrel.
A thousand people saw a thousand different Hamlets. The gentleman in Long Xiyue's eyes was, in fact, the scoundrel in Empress Jian's.
Even calling Hu Xiaotian a despicable scoundrel did not sufficiently vent her anger. Yet scoundrels often prospered, and even