Chapter 3 Beauty of Southern Xinjiang

look at Yun Qianyue; if stares could kill, Yun Qianyue would be skewered by now."Big Sister looks really bad. Women should indeed care about their appearance. Big Sister used to be very beautiful but...Chapter 3: Beauty of Southern疆 (This seems to be a place name and should remain untranslated)

Yún Muhán walked closer, looking at Yún Qianyue with a displeased expression, focusing on her injured arm. His tone was slightly heavy as he asked, "Why are you standing in the rain Don't you know that you need to rest and recover"

"Brother, every time I see you, your face is either cold or scolding me. When will you say something nice for a change" Yún Qianyue looked at Yún Muhán; she noticed he seemed exhausted and hadn't slept well in the past two days, probably due to chasing after the murderer. She couldn't help but feel concerned. "If we can't find the killer, it's because they wouldn't dare openly assassinate me and Róng Jing during broad daylight if it were that easy. Humans aren't machines; you always scold me, but don't you realize you need to take care of yourself too"

Yún Muhán paused in his steps.

"I know you're worried about me. I'll definitely rest and recover properly. You should go back to bed as well!" Yún Qianyue added another sentence before turning around, holding an umbrella and leaving. She felt a bit chilly after being out for such a short time; she thought it would be more comfortable to lie down in her room. The best thing would be to drink some ginger soup, she mused silently.

Yún Muhán watched Yún Qianyue leave and stood still without saying another word. His eyes flickered between brightness and dimness until Yún Qianyue's figure was far away; he didn't turn his gaze back for a long time.

"Young Master, Princess Qingwan is causing trouble, the Emperor requests you to return to the palace once again!" Yun Meng hurriedly rushed over, urging Yún Muhán with panted breaths. "Please hurry!"

"No need." Yún Muhán turned his gaze away and threw two words back before walking off.

Yun Meng was stunned. "Young Master, where are you going"

"Back to bed!" Yún Muhán walked towards his own courtyard without looking back.

"But... how can that be... it's hard to explain to the Emperor..." Yun Meng hurriedly followed after Yún Muhán.

Yún Muhán didn't slow down, speaking coldly. "I said I won’t go. If I die, will it then be easy for you to explain to the Emperor Tell those people that I’m exhausted and ill, needing bed rest. As for Princess Qingwan, they can find another expert."

Yun Meng only now noticed Yún Muhán's fatigue and pale face; he realized these past few days of relentless pursuit of the killer had truly exhausted his lord. He stopped walking and respectfully said, "Yes, Your Excellency. May you rest well, I will inform those who came."

Yún Muhán no longer paid attention to Yun Meng and walked away.

Yun Meng turned around and hurriedly left towards the main gate.

Upon returning to her Qianyue Pavilion, Cai Lian, Zhao Mama (an honorific for an older woman), Ting Xue, Ting Yu, and others were all holding umbrellas waiting at the entrance. Seeing Yún Qianyue return, everyone seemed relieved. She smiled as she looked around and said, "I only went to see Grandfather, what's with all this fuss"

Zhao Mama, Ting Xue, and Ting Yu didn't speak; Cai Lian couldn’t help but complain, "Miss, you're the one saying this! Your appearance when you left truly frightened your maid. I wondered if something terrible had happened!"

"There's nothing serious! Let’s go back inside. I want to drink some ginger soup with brown sugar and jujubes; please prepare it for me." Yún Qianyue instructed as she walked towards her room.

“Yes, Miss,” Zhao Mama hurriedly ran off to comply.

Cai Lian followed Yun Qianyue into the house. She secretly glanced at Yun Qianyue's face and noticed that Miss seemed in high spirits; she opened her mouth but then closed it again.

"Speak up! Keeping things inside isn’t good for you." Yun Qianyue turned back and gave Cai Lian a glance.

“Miss, what about Prince Róng You just sent him away in anger. What if he stops talking to you” Cai Lian indeed couldn't hold her tongue; although she didn’t want to ruin Yun Qianyue’s mood, she spoke up when ordered.

Ting Xue and Ting Yu followed behind, listening attentively. They had come to consider Prince Róng as one of their own in recent days; naturally, they hoped for Miss and Prince Róng to reconcile again, since he was perfect in every way. If Miss truly liked him, it would make them happy too.

"If he ignores me, I’ll ignore him! Does having a temper mean anything" Yun Qianyue snorted and waved her hand at Cai Lian and the others. "Stop hanging around me if you have nothing to do. Don't worry about things that aren’t your concern. Get ready quickly; in two days, it will be my mother's memorial day. My hands are injured, so I can't embroider anything for her spirit. Each of you should make two prayer charms for me to offer as a token of filial piety."

The three women immediately dropped their idle thoughts upon hearing this serious matter and nodded in agreement, "We’ll start right away!" Then they hurried back to their rooms.

Yun Qianyue dismissed the trio with a sigh of relief. Looking at her slightly desolate room, she frowned and pulled back the covers before lying down. After staying up for a day and night, how could she still be sleepy She picked up Róng Jing's half-read romantic novel from the headboard and started reading.

After looking for two pages, she couldn't help but curl her lips; it turned out that he liked trashy romance novels! How pretentious of him!

But even though they were low-quality, they could still serve to alleviate boredom.

Mrs Zhao brought in a bowl of ginger soup, which Yun Qianyue drank. It warmed her stomach. Just as she was about to praise Mrs Zhao's skill, she heard familiar footsteps approaching outside. She thought that Yun Meng, the chief steward, truly had a hard time; he started his day early and worked until late at night, walking over one hundred miles every day.

"Miss, the young princess of Nanjiang has come to visit you. I turned everyone else away who came to see me, but this person is special. I am specially informing you; do you wish to see her" Yun Meng stood at the door and reported to Yun Qianyue.

"The young princess of Nanjiang You mean that number one beauty of Nanjiang, Ye Qian " Yun Qianyue was taken aback.

"Nanjiang's king has only this one little princess; it is indeed Ye Qian!" Yun Meng nodded in agreement.

“She came to see me” Yun Qianyue was momentarily at a loss. She recalled that wasn’t Ye Qian brought here by Night Qingran yesterday Today she’s already come to visit her, do they have some kind of relationship

"Yes, she is currently waiting outside and says it's to see you." Yun Meng said.

“Please invite her in!” Yun Qianyue thought that since someone had walked right up to their doorstep, why not meet them She was quite curious about Ye Qian. Especially considering that she wasn’t just the daughter of Nanjiang’s king but also definitely had a deep connection with the person behind the soul-separation curse which attempted to assassinate her and Rong Jing—she was the female lead in Night Qingran and South Lingrui's muddled account.

"Yes, I will immediately invite Princess Ye inside!" Yun Meng received his orders and hurriedly left.

“Miss, they say Nanjiang is proficient with curses that use insects as a medium. Now that Viscount Jing has left… It’s not wise to meet this princess without precautions…” Mrs Zhao looked disapprovingly at Yun Qianyue.

"It's fine, who would harm others and then go looking for them You may leave now, I'll take care of it," Yun Qianyue handed the empty bowl to Mrs Zhao with a smile.

Mrs Zhao thought that she was probably right. She took the empty bowl and left without saying anything else.

Before long, Yun Meng led someone towards the Yanyu Pavilion. When Yun Qianyue heard footsteps approaching, she looked outside. A slender figure followed Yun Meng under an umbrella. Wearing a set of fiery red robes that were uniquely cut and vividly colored, her skirt trailed behind her as if it wasn't dampened by the ground at all—she exuded an aura without even showing her face.

Yun Qianyue was secretly impressed in her heart. Apart from Rong Jing, only Ye Qian could make her admire someone before seeing their face. She thought that Night Qingran and South Lingrui were outstanding individuals; the women they fancied must also be wonderful.

"Miss! Princess Ye has arrived!" Yun Meng said upon arriving at the entrance.

“Princess Ye, please come in!” Yun Qianyue politely invited her with a hospitable manner.

Ye Qian retracted her umbrella and passed it to Yun Meng. He immediately accepted it and helped open the curtain for her as she stepped into the room.

Only then did Yun Qianyue get a chance to see Ye Qian's face; her eyes sparkled with admiration. She thought that Ye Qian truly lived up to being called Nanjiang’s number one beauty. She believed Qin Yucui was already very beautiful, and the appearance of this body was also extremely beautiful. However, she still felt stunned by how mesmerizingly beautiful Ye Qian looked.

Her eyebrows were like crescent moons, her face as fair as jade, her skin smooth as fat, her lips naturally red without makeup; her facial features seemed to be the work of a skilled craftsman, adding or subtracting from them would make one appear too plump or thin. Especially her eyes, which were bright and clear like after spring rain. The fiery red dress she wore did not overwhelm her appearance but instead made her even more eye-catching.

Yun Qianyue felt that perhaps no one in this world could wear red as well as Ye Qian did—like how nobody else dared to wear the moon-white brocade robe except for Rong Jing. She looked at Ye Qian and didn't hide her admiration.

While Yun Qianyue was sizing up Ye Qian, Ye Qian remained standing by the door as she sized up Yun Qianyue too. Although there was a hint of admiration in her eyes, compared to Yun Qianyue's purely admiring gaze, it had more complex emotions.

After sizing each other up for quite some time, Yun Qianyue spoke first: "Princess Ye has piqued my curiosity for a long time. Today seeing you in person is indeed as famous as your reputation suggests. Many thanks for visiting me. As I am bedridden and recuperating, I was unable to meet you personally. Please forgive any disrespect on my part."

“You’ve also piqued my curiosity for a long time. Perhaps even longer than how long I've been curious about you.” Ye Qian stopped examining Yun Qianyue and walked in, coming directly to her bedside with an easygoing smile: "There's no need to call me Princess Ye; it sounds strange when you say it. Just call me Qian if you want, and I'll do the same for you."

Yun Qianyue felt that she must be a straightforward woman who didn't mind conventions after hearing what she said, forming quite a good first impression of her. She readily agreed: “Alright! Then it's Ye Qian. If you don’t mind, I’ll give up half my bed to have a chat.”

“Chat about what” Ye Qian didn't move and looked at Yun Qianyue with a smile.

"For instance, why are you so curious about me Since when For example, why did those hundred or so killers sent to kill both myself and Rong Jing fall victim to the soul-separation curse from Nanjiang that is not publicly known; for example, have you been in this city long or were you really only here for two days I need answers to these questions from someone, and it seems fitting if they are given by you," Yun Qianyue tilted her head slightly with a faint smile as she looked at Ye Qian.

“I’ve been curious about you not because of your reputation as the wastrel whom everyone knows is decadent but due to an extremely annoying person who used to nag me about you for years. About ten years now, I think! At first it annoyed me, later on I became curious,” Ye Qian said.

Ten years Yun Qianyue was stunned, "Who"

"If they are annoying people, do you really think I will tell you" Ye Qian shot a look at Yun Qianyue and suddenly reached out to lift up her quilt. She quickly kicked off her shoes and climbed onto Yun Qianyue’s bed before the latter could react, saying: "Move over more so that I can make room for myself."

Yun Qianyue chuckled and thought to herself that she was indeed not courteous, so she moved over a bit to give Ye Qian some space.

Ye Qian pulled the blanket covering half of Yun Qianyue's body over herself, threw away the pillow, took another one and arranged it comfortably before lying down. She then turned her head toward Yun Qianyue and said, "It’s more comfortable here at your place. The bed in Night Qingran’s residence is so hard that no matter how I lie down, it just doesn’t feel right. I couldn’t sleep well last night."

Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows and asked, "You stayed over at Night Qingran’s residence yesterday"

"Yes, as soon as I arrived in this Divine Capital Tian Sheng, I only know him. Where else should I stay but his place" Ye Qian replied.

Yun Qianyue thought that it was indeed reasonable for her to live at Night Qingran’s residence since they were already an established couple. She felt the question she asked was pointless and so changed the topic, "You haven’t answered my previous question yet."

"What are you asking I only want to sleep now. After traveling for more than ten days to reach this capital city, the moment I arrived yesterday Night Qingran took me to the morgue in the Ministry of Punishment and didn't let me rest before dragging me all the way into the imperial palace. I finally fell asleep late at night but was forced to get up early today by him to search for evidence. Now that I’ve managed to sneak away while he’s not paying attention, do you think I still have energy left to answer your questions" Ye Qian raised her eyebrows.

Yun Qianyue noticed the obvious signs of fatigue around Ye Qian's eyes and fell silent for a moment. She thought that Night Qingran was being too inhumane. Even though he’s on their side, there wasn’t any need to overwork him like this. Who could tolerate such treatment Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qian with pity and said helplessly, "Then go ahead and sleep!"

"Okay! I’m going to sleep now. If Night Qingran comes, you block him out and tell him that I’m not here. But don’t say that he can break through your defenses though." Ye Qian closed her eyes.

"I really can't stop him!" Yun Qianyue thought about how Night Qingran had the ability to barge into people’s rooms, even entering her room multiple times before.

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t block him. Just make sure he doesn’t wake me up. Can you do that” Ye Qian asked again.

Yun Qianyue thought about it and nodded, promising, "This I should be able to manage."

"Good!" Satisfied, Ye Qian fell asleep and soon her steady breathing filled the room.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qian who had fallen asleep without any hesitation, occupying Yun Qianyue’s bed. She thought that this kind of person was probably unique in the world and she felt like laughing but also realized it was just Ye Qian's personality. There were people she had seen countless times yet couldn't be close to them or even like them such as Jade Ning; on the other hand, there were others who she liked instantly after meeting only once, becoming close friends the moment they met, for example, Ye Qian.

"Miss This... Princess Little Leaf..." Cai Lian and the others came out of the room when they heard that Ye Qian had arrived. They all knew how powerful the insect curses from the southern frontier were and were afraid that Yun Qianyue would suffer a loss, so upon seeing through the door that Ye Qian was actually sleeping on their young miss’ bed, everyone was surprised.

"Don’t worry! Go back to your work now. She’s fine and is just sleeping here in my room." Yun Qianyue waved her hand outside while smiling at Cloud Meng who had remained behind, saying, "Uncle Meng can go back to his duties too. There’s no need to be concerned about this place. If anything comes again, block it."

"Yes!" Cloud Meng thought that Miss Yun Qianyue was already unique enough and never expected that Little Princess Leaf would also not fit the ordinary mold.

Everyone who had gathered at the entrance dispersed as the room fell quiet once more. Yun Qianyue continued reading the book in her hand, but in her mind, she recalled what Ye Qian had just said about someone whom she hated very much and who had been saying that since a decade ago. Who was this person And how many secrets did the owner of this body have

She felt a headache thinking too deeply so decided to stop.

About half an hour later, there were footsteps outside that rushed into Pavilion Shallow Moon. These footsteps were extremely light and fast like a sudden gust of wind. In an instant, they arrived at the entrance of Yun Qianyue’s room.

Yun Qianyue put down her book thinking that Night Qingran had come very quickly. She looked over at Ye Qian who was still sleeping soundly and chuckled before telling him outside, "Be careful! It’s not like she can run away from here."

Night Qingran lowered his hand which had been about to push the door open as it slowly opened. He walked in with a serious face only for Ye Qian lying on Yun Qianyue's bed to catch his eye, making him stop and say angrily, "She’s quite good at finding places to stay! Coming here!"

"We’re all on the same side right Is there any need to treat her like this Didn’t you see how exhausted she was You still couldn’t let her rest. There's no rush for us to find the murderer," Yun Qianyue glared at Night Qingran.

Night Qingran stopped in his tracks and looked at Yun Qianyue in disbelief, "Are you defending her"

"Your ears aren’t deaf right You can hear that I’m defending her. Be a bit gentler with women okay Don't you understand If not, let me teach you," Yun Qianyue looked at Night Qingran as if he was stupid. Such an excellent woman like Ye Qian would eventually run away if she kept being treated by him like this. The reason why Ye Qian hasn’t left yet is because of his charm, but once it runs out, he should be prepared to be dumped.

“What did she tell you” Night Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue.

"Can't be much else right She said that since her arrival here, you never let her rest," Yun Qianyue glared at Night Qingran.

“She actually blames me for not letting her rest” Night Qingran was furious when he heard this. "What is she saying now that you believe her This woman always makes up nonsense. She’s correct in not having rested since arriving here, but it wasn’t to search for the person behind all of this; instead, she roamed around every single entertainment venue and place of enjoyment throughout the entire Divine Capital Tian Sheng. I’ve been following her everywhere from yesterday until now, and when she got tired, she came here to sleep at your place. Tell me, isn’t that evil She’s actually making false accusations," Night Qingran raged.

Yun Qianyue was stunned, "Is it really like this"

"What did you think it would be You’re an idiot and have been tricked by her. Now you even defend her as well." Night Qingran looked at Yun Qianyue with disappointment.

Yun Qianyue turned to look at Ye Qian, and saw that she seemed unaware of Ye Qingran's entrance; it was as if she had not noticed anything. She continued sleeping soundly. Yun Qianyue looked at her speechlessly.

"That stinking woman! Get up immediately!" When he saw how deeply asleep Ye Qian was, Ye Qingran became even more infuriated. He walked over to the bed and reached out to pull her awake in an extremely rude manner.

"No, let her sleep," Yun Qianyue hurriedly stopped him. She felt both exasperated and amused.

"No way! Grandpa Emperor is waiting for her to enter the palace! How can she be sleeping like this I must go give a report as soon as possible." Ye Qingran’s forehead was covered with veins, clearly indicating that he was very angry.

"Is it her first time coming to Heavenly Saint City" Yun Qianyue asked.

"Hmph!" Ye Qingran grunted in response.

"That's right then. If this were my first time in Heavenly Saint City, I would have enjoyed myself like she did too. She looks so exhausted; let her sleep for a while. You’ve used the method she taught you to preserve those dead bodies, haven’t you Since they are properly guarded now, the investigation of the culprit won't be affected by this." Yun Qianyue said.

"You’re letting her off that easily" Ye Qingran was seething with anger. He glanced at Ye Qian, his teeth grinding together in frustration.

"When she wakes up, you can deal with her隨便處置她好了," Yun Qianyue said with a smile.

Ye Qingran slowly let go of his hand and glared at the sleeping Ye Qian before giving an icy snort. "I’ll spare her on your account this time, but when she wakes up, I’m going to make her miserable!"

Yun Qianyue thought that he really respected her a lot! She smiled and nodded.

Ye Qingran turned around and walked over to the table. He picked up a cup of tea and gulped it down in one breath, drinking several cups without taking a break.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qingran; he was clearly exhausted. His clothes were still those she had seen him wear yesterday, as if they hadn’t been changed for days. His hair was disheveled and his face clean but unshaven, which made Yun Qianyue laugh inwardly. "How long have you not rested"

Ye Qingran put down the tea cup and glanced at himself uneasily before snorting, “I don’t know either; it’s been several days, I suppose."

Yun Qianyue was speechless but somewhat touched. For her words that day about a thorough investigation, he had run around for several days with Yun Muhan without stopping. She softened her tone and said gently, "You should go back to rest; you can’t keep going like this. Even if we don’t find anything, the culprit will eventually be exposed; there’s no need to rush."

"No way. I have to watch that woman!" Ye Qingran shook his head and glared at Ye Qian viciously.

“She won't escape; I'll keep an eye on her for you.” Yun Qianyue thought the little devil, Ye Qingran, usually caused headaches for others. She hadn’t expected that he would be troubled by a person like Ye Qian now.

"I’m not comfortable with you watching her. She’s just a sly fox; how could a stupid girl like you possibly match her If she sells you out, I bet you’ll even help her count the money." Ye Qingran shook his head again, pulled off his robe and tossed it onto Yun Qianyue's soft couch before sitting down.

Was she really that foolish Yun Qianyue looked up at the ceiling for a moment before suggesting to him with a smile: "How about this I have an empty room next door which has already been prepared. You can go sleep there, and my maidservant will get you water so you can take a bath and change clothes. This state of yours would scare away even grandmas, let alone pretty ladies."

Ye Qingran frowned at her words, looked down at himself doubtfully, and asked: "Am I really that messy now"

"You certainly are!" Yun Qianyue nodded with certainty.

Immediately, Ye Qingran stood up and stepped out of the room. He instructed Cai Lian as he left, "Go to Duke De's residence and pack my clothes for me; I’ll be living here from now on."

Yun Qianyue was taken aback.

Cai Lian gasped in alarm: "Young Master Xiao王爺，您要住在我家小姐這裡？, did you say that right"

"Hmph! You heard correctly; hurry up!" Ye Qingran nodded decisively.

“That’s not possible. How can Your Highness stay here If this spreads out, it’ll be terrible for my mistress…” Cai Lian shook her head.

"Why can’t I if a weakling like him could" Ye Qingran raised his eyebrows and waved at her dismissively: "Stop talking nonsense. When you speak to that weakling, do you dare to say anything unnecessary Don’t think I’m easy to deal with; one more word from you and I’ll sell you to the brothel. Your mistress won’t be able to stop me.

"You're saying the weak beauty left" Night Qingran was taken aback, as if only now remembering that he hadn't seen Rong Jing.

"Yes, she did leave. She returned to the Yong王府."

Rain Lotus immediately replied.

"Isn't it better that he left This little prince doesn't want to see him anyway." Night Qingran was impatient with Rain Lotus's chatter and commanded her, "Hurry up and go!"

"Young Master, I'm not refusing to go. It's just that even if I go to the Duke De王府, will your servants allow me to bring over your belongings" Rain Lotus said with a grimace.

"True!" Night Qingran frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Then have Old Qi go instead. He'll certainly be able to fetch it. Also, find two people to get a bucket of water for this little prince; I want to take a bath." With that said, Night Qingran pushed open the door to the adjacent room.

Rain Lotus knew further persuasion was pointless and could only look inside the room and follow Yun Qianmo's instructions.

Yun Qianmo finally spoke up and asked Night Qingran, "Why do you want to stay here I just wanted you to rest for a while, not bring all your belongings over."

"I want to keep an eye on Ye Qian. She had such a sweet sleep here today; tomorrow she'll definitely stay without leaving," Night Qingran gave his reason.

So that's it! Yun Qianmo couldn't help but smile, "Alright then, you can stay." Finishing her sentence, she instructed Rain Lotus, "Do as the young master said."

"Yes, Miss!" Rain Lotus understood roughly what was going on and realized that this little prince had moved in because of Little Princess Ye. She felt reassured and hurried to prepare according to Night Qingran's instructions.

"This stinky person!" Ye Qian suddenly muttered.

Yun Qianmo turned her gaze to Ye Qian, who was frowning with a pout, and couldn't help but chuckle. She whispered, "You actually deceived me If I told him you're awake now, do you know what he would do"

Ye Qian immediately opened her eyes and gave Yun Qianmo an ingratiating smile, whispering back, "I knew you'd be kind to let me deceive you. Otherwise, I wouldn't bother."

"So being deceived makes me happy" Yun Qianmo raised an eyebrow.

The pretty face of Ye Qian turned a little bashful, and she whispered in return, "I know it's wrong; I won’t deceive you again. That little devil is so troublesome, that’s why."

Yun Qianmo made an acknowledging sound.

Ye Qian closed her eyes again, preparing to sleep.

"Oh right, Nan Lingrui is also staying in my residence. You know" Yun Qianmo suddenly spoke up.

Ye Qian's just-closed eyes snapped open, "What He’s staying at your place too"

"Shh! Don’t let Night Qingran hear you're awake; I can't protect you if he does." Yun Qianmo put a finger to Ye Qian's lips.

Ye Qian immediately fell silent but looked struck, muttering in disbelief, "Why would he be staying at Cloud王府 Isn’t he supposed to be in the imperial palace"

"Have you been playing since arriving and not paying attention to anything else" Yun Qianmo asked Ye Qian.

Ye Qian nodded.

"Nan Lingrui has been living at my residence for several days now. He moved in even before I attempted the assassination." Seeing Ye Qian's face go through multiple changes, Yun Qianmo felt reluctant to dampen her spirits but couldn't help it: "He likes to come around my courtyard every day. He hasn’t shown up today."

Ye Qian immediately looked as if she saw a ghost; she pulled the quilt over her head and mumbled, "I'm dead, don’t talk to me!"

Yun Qianmo was taken aback for a moment before bursting out laughing. She found Night Qingran, Nan Lingrui, and Ye Qian so amusing that they definitely had the quality to entertain her.

"Little girl, what are you laughing at" A voice came from the adjacent room, belonging to Night Qingran.

Ye Qian's body stiffened immediately.

"Oh, I'm reading a book and just reached a funny part!" Yun Qianyue said to the room next door: "Can't you stop eavesdropping Hurry up and take a bath, then go to sleep! I'll watch over him for you; he won’t run away."

"What kind of book makes you laugh so much" Night Qingran asked again.

"The Mandarin Ducks Pillow!" Yun Qianyue made something up on the spot.

"Such a trashy book, what's there to laugh at" Night Qingran snorted disdainfully.

"Mm-hmm, I won't read it anymore; there’s nothing funny about it," Yun Qianyue nodded sincerely.

No longer did Night Qingran say anything. From next door came the sound of splashing water.

Ye Qian suddenly pushed back her blanket and sat up, saying seriously: "No way! I have to leave right now!"

Yun Qianyue watched her with a smile and asked, "Where are you going Don’t tell me that you’re heading back to the Southern Frontier As long as you haven’t made things clear about what happened in the South, I won’t allow you to go there."

"Of course not. Celestial Holy City is so fun; I’m still not done enjoying it!" Ye Qian got off her bed and began looking for shoes at a speed that rivaled that of an army soldier.

Yun Qianyue looked at Ye Qian, suddenly had an idea, and asked with a smile: "Do you like Night Qingran or Southern Lingrui"

"Of course I like Night Qingran. Who would like that playboy prince" Ye Qian answered immediately.

"Mm-hmm, then hurry up and leave! While Night Qingran is busy bathing, I’ll help you cover for it," Yun Qianyue nodded with a smile.

Ye Qian suddenly paused her actions. She took off the half-laced shoe from earlier, got back into bed, pulled the blanket over herself, and closed her eyes as if she was going to sleep again. Her movements were swift and seamless.

"Why aren’t you leaving" Yun Qianyue asked in puzzlement, tilting her head slightly.

"This place is so comfortable; I don't want to leave it," Ye Qian huffed. "I’ll just sleep here regardless of whether he comes or not. From now on, this will be my home."

Yun Qianyue was speechless: When did her room become such a desirable place for everyone

"Don’t talk to me! I want to sleep!" Ye Qian stressed.

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes and replied with a helpless tone, "Alright, I won’t speak. You can go to sleep." Just then, she heard familiar footsteps approaching the Hall of Shallow Moon. Lifting her head towards窗外，她同情地看了葉倩一眼，低聲說：“恐怕你不跟我說話我也睡不著了。南淩睿來了！”

Yun Qianyue's words hadn't finished when Ye Qian suddenly rolled over, rolling off Yun Qianyue and into the large bed. She pulled the blanket tightly around herself in an instant, warning Yun Qianyue softly: "Don’t tell him that I’m here! If you help me, I’ll find out who’s behind this for you. But if you don’t, then neither will I. Even if Celestial Holy Emperor orders me to go, it won’t matter."

"Alright, I’ll help. However, I can only try my best; if things get out of control, it won't be my fault," Yun Qianyue smiled.

Ye Qian did not say anything more and accepted this as a default response. She remained motionless under the blanket, not even exposing her hair. She looked like a large cocoon standing straight up.

Yun Qianyue smiled and turned to look out the window. Seeing Southern Lingrui walking in step-by-step with an umbrella depicting a woman reclining gracefully, she thought that this person was truly romantic; he fully exploited women’s beauty without any reservations. She didn’t give any order to stop him.

Upon seeing Southern Lingrui arrive, Cailian and others put their ears close together, listening for any sound from the room. When they did not hear Yun Qianyue give an order to block his entry after waiting for a while, they didn’t go out to stop him either. During these days, they had understood Miss’s personality well enough; if someone was particularly disliked by their master like Crown Prince Night Tianqiong, then that person wouldn’t even be allowed near the door. Master treated this Lingrui Prince fairly.

"I heard that Young Nobleman Rong Jing has left. I’m curious to know whether you still want to listen to That Peach Blossom Laughter," Southern Lingrui said as he pushed open the door and walked in casually, closing his umbrella with a snap. He winked at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue wanted to ask how he knew that Rong Jing had left but did not dare to say it after being warned by Ye Qian earlier. She smiled back and said to him: "Your information is quite accurate!"

"Young Nobleman Rong Jing has a reputation for having an evil heart. I don’t want my jade fan to be destroyed in his hands," Southern Lingrui walked in, paused halfway through, and fixed his gaze on Yun Qianyue’s bed with surprise: "You have someone hiding under your blanket Who dares to sleep in your room without that certain person's permission Could it be that Young Nobleman Rong Jing has returned"

Yun Qianyue thought he should not mention Rong Jing, so she gave him an icy look and said: "No one. Just a large red cat!"

The moment Yun Qianyue finished speaking, Ye Qian’s stiff body trembled slightly.iful autumn harvest. This year's largest yield has been seen in the Northern Frontier compared to other regions around the land.This secret letter usually excluded news about the Eastern Sea Kingdom,...