Ye Luan had never imagined she could leave the prince's manor so easily and openly.
The scorching sun baked the earth. She shielded her face with her sleeve, gazing up at the blue sky and white clouds, the smile on her lips no longer containable.
"Miss, shall we return to the Ye manor?"
Of course not. Xiao Chizhan's words clearly indicated he intended to cause her trouble. If not now, then when? She had to quickly escape with her companions.
"No, we'll go find Granny Fang."
"Let's go."
The three-tiered courtyard was hidden amidst the bustling city. By the alley entrance stood a willow tree, its branches and leaves lush and dense.
As Ye Luan walked briskly, she spotted an elderly Granny sitting beneath the willow tree, embroidering shoes.
The bright sunlight cast a glow upon her coarse cloth.
"Granny Fang."
The familiar voice carried with the gentle breeze.
Granny Fang turned her head and saw a woman with striking,妖-like features, dressed in a bright red gown, flying towards her, as if carried by butterflies, incredibly dazzling.
She rubbed her eyes, not quite recognizing her.
Fu Dai immediately rushed forward, supporting Granny Fang as she rose, and said with a sweet smile, "Granny Fang, this is the eldest young lady, you don't recognize her?"
"Eldest young lady?"
As she drew closer, Granny Fang took a careful look, tears streaming down her aged face.
It truly was the eldest young lady.
Before, the young lady's makeup was dreadful, gaudy with bright colors. Now, seeing this radiant beauty at first glance, she truly didn't recognize her.
"This old servant pays respects to the eldest young lady."
"Please rise, there's no need for such formality." Ye Luan continued, "Let's go back first."
The scenic villa was pleasant, with a hundred-year-old tree standing in the center of the courtyard.
It had just rained, and fallen blossoms lay scattered on the pebble-paved path. The autumn wind swept through, carrying a lingering fragrance.
"This old servant has been waiting for Miss here for a long time."
Ever since the young master brought her here, she had eagerly awaited the eldest young lady's arrival every day.
Ye Luan sat in the main hall, receiving the bundle handed over by Granny Fang, and let out a sigh of relief.
With money, self-defense weapons, and poison, all she needed now was a travel permit to leave the capital.
Xiao Chizhan intended to retaliate against her. Knowing she planned to leave, he would surely fly into a rage and try to stop her. Considering this, she quickly explained her plan to the two of them.
"You want to go to Jiangnan?"
Granny Fang had spent half her life in the capital.
Ye Luan understood and said promptly, "Granny can continue to stay in this villa. I will secretly return to the Ye manor to retrieve your deed of sale for you."
"As for the financial matters, I will also make arrangements for you."
Before she could finish speaking, Granny Fang immediately knelt on the ground, her eyes red, and said, "The Madam is gone. Miss is the old servant's only master. Where the master goes, the servant will follow."
Ye Luan seemed to have anticipated this. She helped the woman up.
"If that is the case, you two wait here at this villa for two days. Until I obtain the travel permit, you must not expose your whereabouts."
"Yes."
Fearing that any delay might lead to complications, Ye Luan sought out Bai Muheng that very night.
Outside Wangyi Tower, the autumn wind was brisk, and the lights stretched endlessly, creating a scene of great festivity.
Bai Muheng, clad in a blue robe, walked in gracefully. Upon seeing the woman standing by the window, a look of surprise appeared on his handsome face.
To be able to leave the prince's manor safely, his cousin was surely the first.
"Cousin."
The gentle voice drew Ye Luan back from her thoughts. She turned, her eyes red, and bowed, saying, "I implicated cousin that day. I am guilty of a thousand crimes and have no words to defend myself."
"Hurry and rise. It has nothing to do with you."
Ye Luan subtly withdrew her hand, secretly relieved.
She had truly feared that this unfamiliar cousin would harbor resentment towards her because of that incident.
In this capital, he was the only one she could ask for help.
"Cousin, how is your injury?"
"It's nothing, don't worry. How did you get out? Where is the Prince?"
Ye Luan feigned wiping away tears, "The Prince drove me out. Next, he will likely deal with me."
"Ah—"
Bai Muheng's expression faltered for a moment. Looking at the lively streetscape, he frowned deeply.
Ye Luan's voice sounded again, "Cousin, I want to leave the capital."
This news further stunned Bai Muheng. He stared at the scene, his brow furrowed.
The legitimate daughter of the esteemed Minister's manor, faking her death and leaving the capital without permission, was a grave offense.
"Since everyone in the Ye manor believes I am still confined in the prince's manor, they won't look for me. If I can obtain a fake travel permit to leave, everyone will believe I died in the prince's manor."
"So, you are looking for me to get a travel permit."
This matter was indeed a small one for the Bai family.
"But—"
"Cousin, do you truly wish to leave?"
The prosperity of the Ye family, the honor of being a noble lady, did she not want them anymore? The ancestors—did she not want them either?
Ye Luan gave a desolate smile, "Whether I want to leave or not is not within my control. If I stay, the Prince will not let me go. Although he might not take my life, my remaining years will be buried in the prince's manor's backyard."
She, Ye Luan, did not wish to be beautiful for others, nor did she want to compete with so many women for a madman, living in perpetual gloom.
The humiliation Xiao Chizhan had inflicted upon her was already enough.
She no longer cared about those matters now. All she wanted was to survive, to live well, and to see the splendor of this vast world.
"Ah Luan, if the Prince of Dingbei refuses to let you go, your escape will be in vain wherever you go."
Ye Luan knew this all too well.
Back then, she had also confidently told Lan Murou that she would kill Xiao Chizhan and leave without any worries. But even her most prized poison could not harm him.
He was giving her an opportunity to leave now, and she wanted to seize it, even if it was just a sliver of a chance.
"Cousin, what if I were to leave Da Liang?" Ye Luan chuckled softly, "Can the Prince of Dingbei's influence reach Bei Qi?"
Bai Muheng was shocked, "You want to go to Bei Qi?"
"I also hope he doesn't force me to this extent." She paused, "Cousin, you know very well that with the Prince of Dingbei's status and power, his manor will have countless women in the future. Cousin, you wouldn't want me to spend my life buried in the prince's manor's backyard, would you?"
Bai Muheng recalled the widely spread news in the capital, his heart heavy.
The matter of the Minister's manor sending its legitimate daughter into the prince's manor to be tormented and humiliated was widely rumored in the capital. She had willingly become a servant, and as a legitimate young lady, she had lost her virginity before marriage, her reputation so tarnished that she could hardly be married off.
Moreover, as Ah Luan had said, the Prince of Dingbei was not a good prospect.
Perhaps leaving the capital was the best course of action.
"Alright, I will handle this for you. Tomorrow afternoon, go to the stir-fried goods shop in the west of the city and ask the shopkeeper for it."
"Cousin, your consideration is thorough."
"When do you plan to leave?"
Ye Luan smiled brightly, "The sooner the better." She then added, "Be very careful, lest you be followed."
Bai Muheng's footsteps paused. He turned back and gave her a gentle smile, "Don't worry, I know."
"Oh, and is your concealed weapon still suitable?"
Ye Luan shook her wrist, smiling brightly, "Thank you, cousin. It's very good."
Bai Muheng looked at her smiling face, his usually gentle eyes faltered for a moment, then he quickly concealed the change in his gaze and turned to leave.
Ye Luan, being who she was, had keenly captured this subtle shift in his expression. She sighed inwardly.
Looking at the bustling long street outside the window, her mind could not stop recalling Xiao Chizhan's words before she left, a sense of unease growing within her.
Xiao Chizhan had let her out, and he must have a contingency plan. He would absolutely not tolerate her leaving the capital. She needed to act quickly.