On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2255 You Deserve to Go to Hell

Yan Ruyu did not answer Zhou Zhenghang's question, but just looked at him quietly.

A moment later, those originally clear and gentle eyes suddenly narrowed slightly, and a glint of light seemed to flash deep within their pupils.

The once peaceful gaze instantly turned sharp, as if it possessed a certain penetrating power, landing directly on his face, tracing his eyebrows and eyes, his expression inch by inch, as if trying to see through him from the inside out.

Zhou Zhenghang felt extremely uncomfortable under her gaze, and cold sweat quietly broke out on his back.

He instinctively tried to look away, but the gaze seemed to have a magnetic pull, making him unable to move.

He forced himself to remain calm, but his unease grew stronger—Yan Ruyu's gaze was very strange; what was she looking at?

Yan Ruyu's gaze fell on Zhou Zhenghang's face, and in just a moment, she saw through the disguise mask to reveal his true appearance.

A self-deprecating thought crossed her mind. She had spent her days dealing with people and considered herself meticulous, but she never expected that the real Zhou Zhenghang had been hiding right under her nose for so long. She had never thought to examine his face closely. It was truly a case of trying to hunt geese all day, only to have her eyes pecked by the goose herself.

Zhou Zhenghang felt uneasy under her gaze. He forced himself to maintain his drunken state, swaying slightly, and said in a deliberately naive tone, "I just had a few drinks, and I didn't like someone on the street corner. We argued for a bit and then got into a fight."

What a trivial matter! How could I dare trouble the Princess to come in person?

"I am truly unworthy of such an honor, I really am unworthy of it."

As he spoke, he subconsciously shrank back, trying to avoid Yan Ruyu's sharp gaze.

Yan Ruyu's smile remained, but her eyes grew even colder: "Whose pursuit are you hiding in the prison to avoid?"

A simple sentence, yet it struck Zhou Zhenghang's heart like a heavy hammer.

He paused, the drunkenness on his face instantly fading, a surge of panic rising in his heart. He forced himself to remain calm and said, "Your Highness, I truly do not understand what you mean."

The prison is dark and damp; who would want to hide there? They've only committed a crime and deserve punishment.

Yan Ruyu's gaze swept slowly around the cell, over the mottled walls, the damp floor, and the pile of withered yellow straw in the corner. Her tone was flat and mocking: "The prison is a place to detain lawbreakers. You have indeed broken the law, but you do not deserve to be locked up here."

Zhou Zhenghang frowned, full of doubts, and was about to ask further questions.

Then Yan Ruyu casually added, "You should go to hell."

"Your Highness!" Zhou Zhenghang's expression changed drastically, and his voice rose several decibels. "This humble subject was indeed wrong; I shouldn't have drunk and caused trouble. But that person wasn't innocent either. He insulted me first, which is why I took action!"

Besides, even if it was a fight, it doesn't warrant the death penalty, does it? How can the Princess make such a judgment?

Yan Ruyu ignored his explanation, took out two pieces of paper from her sleeve, handed them to the wooden bars of the cell, and gently unfolded them.

The dim light fell on the paper, and the writing on it was barely visible.

Zhou Zhenghang squinted and leaned closer. When he could see the contents of the paper clearly, his eyes widened, his breathing became rapid, and his heart pounded like a drum.

That was actually an old tea menu from Baixing Teahouse!

On the other page was his ledger.

Comparing the two, it's clear they are different handwritings!

"This...this is something from my humble shop, how did it end up in the Princess's hands?" His voice trembled, and his mind was momentarily confused.

He wore this disguise mask for a long time and put a lot of effort into imitating the real Zhou Zhenghang's words and actions. However, his handwriting was the only thing he could not completely imitate, despite his efforts.

To avoid revealing any flaws, he had long ago destroyed all the receipts and slips that might have left traces of writing. How could Yan Ruyu still have them?

A blurry figure suddenly flashed through his mind—the old beggar who had lingered at the shop entrance a few days ago and whom he had sent away.

At that time, the old beggar called him something like "Seventh Brother" and kept saying that he was his relative.

Could it be... that it's actually true?!

That old beggar wasn't a beggar at all, but a real relative of Zhou Zhenghang, a member of the Zhou family.

Yan Ruyu watched with great interest as his expression changed from confusion to shock, and then to panic.

A hint of mockery flashed in her eyes as she slowly asked, "What? Not drunk anymore?"

Zhou Zhenghang's breath hitched, his throat tightened, and he forced down the turmoil in his heart, saying with a stiff upper lip, "I don't understand what Your Highness means."

Yan Ruyu didn't care about his denial. She gently put the two pieces of paper away, her fingertips casually stroking the edges of the paper: "Whether you understand or not is irrelevant."

Whether you are the real Zhou Zhenghang or a fake, this princess knows it all.

Even if you stubbornly refuse to admit it, it won't change anything.

She paused, her gaze falling on his flustered face, a hint of amusement in her smile: "I was just figuring out how to get you out of here, but now that you've walked right into jail, it's saved me a lot of trouble."

Zhou Zhenghang's eyes widened, and his heart turned ice-cold, as if he had been doused with ice water.

Only then did he belatedly realize that his act of hiding in prison was not to avoid trouble at all, but to walk into a trap!

What a serious mistake he made!

Yan Ruyu's smile deepened slightly, her tone carrying a hint of subtle intimidation: "Didn't Mr. Mo tell you that I, the Princess Consort, am more terrifying than your Miaoqin?"

“Mr. Mo…” Zhou Zhenghang trembled, his face turning ashen, his lips trembling, “You…you know Miaoqin?”

Yan Ruyu did not answer his question. Instead, she changed the subject and said in a calm tone, "Manager Qi and Accountant Liu will soon be reunited with you."

As if remembering something, she shook her head slightly and added, "Oh, no, I'm afraid Accountant Liu is no longer able to work; he's already dead."

But it doesn't matter, you people are all going to hell anyway, we'll meet again sooner or later.

After saying that, she didn't look at Zhou Zhenghang again and turned to walk out.

"What do you mean?" Zhou Zhenghang lunged at the wooden railing, gripping the cold wood tightly with both hands, his voice filled with urgent questioning, "How did Accountant Liu die! What exactly do you want?"

Yan Ruyu paused, turned around and stared at him intently, her eyes calm and unwavering: "You're not suited to be locked up here. You need to be moved somewhere else."

After saying that, she left without looking back.

Zhou Zhenghang gripped the wooden railing, his heart filled with fear and unease, and for a moment he forgot to struggle.

A short while later, footsteps were heard again.

Then, Cui Chong, the head constable of the governor's mansion, led two constables in, escorting in a prisoner who bore a striking resemblance to Zhou Zhenghang in both build and appearance.

At Cui Chong's command, the bailiffs opened the prison door, pushed the prisoner inside, and then grabbed Zhou Zhenghang's arm.

Zhou Zhenghang finally came to his senses and tried to resist, but found himself powerless. His limbs felt as if all the strength had been drained away, and he could only let the constables drag him out, uttering futile roars.

The cell door slammed shut, shutting out the double and Zhou Zhenghang's screams.