Ye Luan started, immediately retracted her saber, bent her legs, and kicked ruthlessly towards his abdomen.
Xie Beihan sneered, grabbed her leg, and lifted it upwards.
"Your flexibility is quite good."
Damn him.
He was going to break her legs.
"Let go."
Xie Beihan teased, "I won't."
"The Crown Prince saved my life. I don't want to make things too difficult between us. Crown Prince, don't force me."
"What do you intend to do?"
Ye Luan was indifferent. She twisted her hand back and plunged the saber towards herself.
"What else can I do? I'll kill myself, alright?!"
Her movement was too fast. Xie Beihan's eyes narrowed slightly. He swiftly grabbed the saber in her hand and knocked it to the ground with a clang.
"I never knew a woman could be driven to suicide by me."
Ye Luan remained silent. She forcefully retracted her leg and pushed him away.
"Crown Prince, please don't do such inexplicable things again. They are annoying."
As she spoke, the air fell silent, punctuated by the faint chirping of cicadas.
Xie Beihan cast her a sinister glance, grabbed her hand, and let out a cold laugh.
"You don't have this attitude towards Xiao Chizhan."
'That has nothing to do with the Crown Prince.'
Ye Luan patted the creases in her skirt and bent down to pick up the saber from the ground.
Xie Beihan watched her hand holding the saber with a smile. "Where did you buy that piece of scrap metal? I'll have the craftsmen forge you an exquisite dagger out of profound iron. I'll give it to you another day."
"I won't trouble the Crown Prince."
"Little girl, can you stop calling me Crown Prince every day? My ears hurt from listening."
Ye Luan turned to look at him. The soft, white light slanted through the eaves, falling onto his sinister yet handsome face, adding a touch of refined elegance. His entire being seemed to be bathed in a layer of radiance.
She modulated her tone, "Aren't you supposed to be going to the Hall of Diligent Governance? What are you dawdling for here?"
Xie Beihan chuckled, "You'll come with me."
The Hall of Diligent Governance sounded like a place for men to discuss state affairs. Would she be taken as a spectacle if she went?
"I'll wander around with Miss Shen's family until the banquet begins."
As soon as she finished speaking, before Xie Beihan could reply, a group of people suddenly appeared around the corner ahead. The man at the forefront spoke with a cold voice.
"What are you two talking about?"
Ye Luan was taken aback and turned to look. She saw Xiao Chizhan walking towards them with a dark expression, followed by a group of envoys.
His excessively enchanting red eyes stared ferociously at Xie Beihan, radiating a ghostly malevolence.
Xie Beihan chuckled, "King Dingbei arrives just at the right time."
"Not at all. I came looking for her."
Sunlight filtered through the sparse leaves, casting faint shadows.
The surrounding air was filled with a deathly stillness.
Ye Luan felt as if needles were pricking her back, causing her pain all over.
"Your Highness, are you saying you came looking for my Crown Princess?"
Xiao Chizhan's gaze, sharp as a blade, lingered on Xie Beihan, and he sneered, "Your Crown Princess?!"
The surrounding envoys had all seen Ye Luan's true appearance in Zhongzhou. At that time, she had attended as the betrothed fiancée of King Dingbei. In the blink of an eye, she had somehow become the Crown Princess of Bei Qi.
Everyone was bewildered. Looking at the two of them, it seemed as if lightning crackled in the air, striking sparks of confrontation.
Ye Luan couldn't bear the stares directed at her and quietly took a few steps back. While the two were locked in a fiery exchange, she slipped away.
She quickened her pace as if fleeing from a ghost.
She was truly tired of being caught between the two of them. However, she suddenly became curious about the nature of their conflict.
What kind of deep-seated animosity did they have?
Xie Beihan was willing to ruin his own reputation just to enrage Xiao Chizhan to death.
"A'luan."
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from ahead.
Ye Luan withdrew her thoughts, raised her eyes, and saw Lan Murou running towards her, holding up her skirt.
Her hand paused. She didn't want to acknowledge her, but upon closer inspection, the woman was covered in dirt, her skirt stained with water, looking dishevelled.
"A'luan, it really is you."
Lan Murou looked at the person in the garden with surprise, her beautiful eyes shining with a moist glint.
Ye Luan quickly pulled her closer and frowned, "What happened to you? What's wrong?"
Her hair was so messy, and her skirt was stained with water. Had she been bullied?
"I'm fine. I'll change my clothes later."
She was used to it by now. These noblewomen in the capital were always capricious and willful. Her disposition was naturally cold, and she disliked socializing, which inevitably led to her being isolated and bullied.
With people coming and going around, appearing in this state would certainly make her a laughingstock.
Ye Luan scanned the surroundings, took her hand, and walked through the arched gate to the west, heading directly towards a small side room behind.
"Where is Tantai Ye? How could he let you be bullied?"
Lan Murou's small face paused, and her tone carried a hint of sarcasm. "Who knows."
He insisted she come, then abandoned her among the noble ladies, while he chatted with that郡主, God knows where he was off fooling around.
"He's just a shameless cur, a dog. Don't take him seriously."
Ye Luan cursed fiercely.
Lan Murou chuckled softly, "Mm."
It was a side room. The furnishings were simple. Ye Luan casually opened a cabinet, took out a piece of clothing, inspected it carefully, and handed it to her.
"Change into this."
"Okay."
While Lan Murou was changing, Ye Luan glanced around. She noticed that the hidden guards who had been following her seemed to have disappeared. She frowned slightly, vigilantly observing the surroundings.
"A'luan, are you marrying the Crown Prince of Bei Qi?"
Ye Luan closed the window and turned back. Seeing her combing her hair, she said calmly, "It's fake."
Lan Murou wanted to ask a few more questions, but seeing that Ye Luan had no desire to elaborate, she remained silent. Playfully, she changed the subject.
"I wonder how much longer this banquet will last. It's so boring and filled with trivial matters."
"Were you pushed into a pond?"
Seeing her concern, Lan Murou briefly explained.
"Don't worry, I fought back. I don't know which young lady it was. She probably still wants to cause trouble for me, so I'll avoid her for a while."
Ye Luan raised her eyebrows in displeasure. "Tantai Ye, that scoundrel, is truly unreliable."
Lan Murou pursed her lips and said nothing.
Even if he were reliable, he wasn't her pillar of support.
When would she ever be able to live a peaceful life?
'Let's go out--'
Before Ye Luan could finish her sentence, she suddenly heard two sets of hurried footsteps approaching from outside.
She was startled and quickly grabbed Lan Murou's hand, hiding behind the screen.
"No, no, we'll be discovered."
Saying that, she pushed open the cabinet, rummaged through the pile of clothes, and pulled her in to hide.
"Shh, don't speak."
With a creak, the door was pushed open.
Ye Luan peered through the gap in the cabinet and saw the two people who entered. Her expression stiffened slightly. She couldn't help but glance at Lan Murou, who was hiding beside her, and reached out to hold her.
It was Tantai Ye and a woman dressed in luxurious attire, whose identity was unknown. The two appeared to be behaving intimately.
Lan Murou smiled and shook her head at Ye Luan.
It's okay. This day will come sooner or later. She only hoped he would get tired of her quickly and let her live.