"Outrageous! You dare to assault the princess?"
One of the imperial guards pulled his sword out of its sheath and stepped toward Hua Qiyue. He was a few feet away when Yun Shimo grabbed his arm. The guard tried to pull away, but Yun Shimo's grip was like steel.
"Prince Nan, please do not make this difficult!" the guard whispered to him.
Princess Huiling could feel the bloody cuts on her hands and screamed bloody murder at Hua Qiyue
Princess Huiya said, "Sister, do not be angry at Miss Hua. It was an accident."
"An accident? She's harmed a member of the imperial family — a crime punishable by death! Bring Hua Qiyue to the dungeon!"
Ji Feng had seen everything clearly, and the corner of his mouth twitched as he heard Hua Qiyue whisper, "Princess... I didn't do it on purpose... I saw a frog in the grass and I wanted to catch it, and I accidentally pushed you..."
"You're lying! How dare you lie to a member of the imperial family!"
Ji Feng asked, "How do you know she's lying?"
"Because there was no frog! I tripped her—"
Princess Huiling shut her mouth, but the damage was already done.
"That's right, princess," said Ji Feng. "You tripped Qiyue and she reached out to grab something as she fell, which happened to be your dress. I see no crime, here."
Yun Shimo said expressionlessly, "I saw it, as well."
Princess Huiling laughed in affronted disbelief as the guard bearing down Hua Qiyue returned his sword to its sheath.
If word got out about this, she'd bring shame on the Emperor and would surely be punished, not to mention her reputation ruined.
"I'm sorry, Qiyue! It was… it was just a joke!"
"Sorry, what was that, princess? I was looking for the frog, but it ran away!"
"Yes, I'm sure it did. It's late, and I believe I will return home. I'll find you tomorrow, Brother Ji!" She pushed herself to her feet and laughed forcefully.
Princess Huiya's heart sank as she realized that her sister had her eye on Ji Feng, too.
"Sorry, but I'm busy tomorrow," Ji Feng replied with a grin. "I'll be helping Qiyue catch frogs."
The jilted princess wanted to have him punished for treating her so badly, but the Ji's were quite powerful, and there would be repercussions if she did.
This was all Hua Qiyue's fault!
"Well… that's alright. I'll find you when you're next free!" She stormed haughtily away, followed by Princess Mingzhu. Princess Huiya turned, casting an apologetic glance at Hua Qiyue before following her sisters.
Twilight had fallen, and Lvxin and Qiuyun insisted on taking Hua Qiyue home immediately.
Yun Shimo and Ji Feng walked towards Prince Nan's residence, with Ji Jing close behind.
When they'd arrived, the chefs hurried to provide supper for their master and his guests.
The large dining room was placed beside a small pond, allowing for a perfect view of the clear water and colorful fish while dining. A lotus was placed in the middle of the pond, with water droplets glistening on the circular leaves.
The silver moonlight shimmered on the pond's surface as the sounds of pleasant conversation came from within. The sound of a woman laughing rang through the night air like a silver bell.
"Brother Yun!" Ji Jing exclaimed. "This is even more beautiful than the rest of the capital. I would have come here earlier if I'd known!"
A faint smile appeared on Yun Shimo's handsome face. "Jing is always welcome."
As they entered the dining room, Huangfu Xuan turned to glare at Yun Shimo. "It's a bad idea to spend time around that stupid girl!"
Yun Shimo looked at him casually. "Brother Huangfu, do you really think that Hua Qiyue is as simple as she appears to be? Only I bet on her victory amongst everyone here. Who is the fool in this scenario?"
Huangfu Xuan snorted as Ji Jing interjected, "Yeah, how could a brainless man like you understand how sister Qiyue wins?"
She turned to Yun Shimo. "Brother Yun, why do you let him stay? He only spoils the good mood!"
Yun Shimo rubbed his temple as he felt a headache coming on. Pleasant or not, Huangfu Xuan was still the son of an aristocrat, and his family only treated Yun Shimo with respect on the surface, because they did not see Prince Nan as true royalty. But they did see him a useful link to the imperial family, and thus Huangfu Xuan was constantly in Yun Shimo's presence.
"Well, Jing, in Brother Huangfu's defense, he is not the only one to have misjudged Qiyue."
Ji Feng smiled. "Right! And she sure showed them all! They even lost silver on it, the fools!" Her eyes gleamed. "We should let her treat us tomorrow with all the money she earned from the match! We can't go back to Dong Hai restaurant, but I heard about another one called Wangyue Restaurant. The food there is supposed to be spectacular."
She turned to Yun Shimo, and said, " Brother Yun, you should come, too!"
Yun Shimo was caught off-guard by Ji Jing's cheerful onslaught, but quietly nodded.
"Brother Yun, you are mad!" Huangfu Xuan complained loudly. "Do you remember how Hua Qiyue tried to molest you? Yet you still seek out her company?"
Ji Jing gasped and Ji Feng looked sharply at Yun Shimo.
"Is this true?" he asked.
Yun Shimo shook his head. "Brother Huangfu, I believe that was just a misunderstanding."
Ji Jing and Ji Feng visibly relaxed, pleased to hear they hadn't misjudged Hua Qiyue.
Huangfu Xuan jumped up to his feet with a sour look on his face, causing all the dishes on the table to vibrate. "A misunderstanding? I think she did it on purpose! Brother Yun, when did you become so soft?"
Ji Feng cleared his throat and shared a glance with Yun Shimo before laughing and raising his cup. "Come, come, Brother Huangfu! There's no need to be angry! Eat! Drink!"
Seeing that Yun Shimo did not react, Huangfu Xuan sighed and lifted up his cup to toast Ji Feng.
Ji Jing smiled and ushered a servant to her side, whispering softly in his ears. The servant stared silently at Huangfu Xuan before turning around and leaving.
Before long, a servant from Prince Nan's residence rushed into the room, reporting that Huangfu Xuan's house had flooded.
Huangfu Xuan's face sank as he heard the news. He issued hurried goodbyes as he rushed out the door.
Ji Jing laughed and Ji Feng shook his head helplessly. "Jing, if you lie, do not make the lie so serious. Did you see Brother Huangfu's expression? He deeply cares for his house."
The solemn advice was undermined by Yun Shimo's barely contained laughter.
Ji Feng shot him a warning look, and Yun Shimo took a deep breath to calm himself.
"Your brother is right. Xuan's mansion was constructed under the personal supervision of his mother, Emperess Jin. When she died, the mansion is the best thing he has left to remember her by."
Ji Jing stopped laughing. She and Ji Feng had lost their mother, too, and suddenly the prank didn't seem so funny.
Eventually, Ji Feng cleared his throat and changed the subject.
"That Hua Qiyue is really something, isn't she? She managed to trick dozens of nobles out of almost 10,000 taels of silver in one go!" Ji Feng changed the topic, smiling.
Yun Shimo nodded, picturing Hua Qiyue in his mind. She had a cunning heart hidden underneath that ignorant façade.
And she was still pulling it off — very few people seemed to suspect that Hua Qiyue's ignorance or cowardice were an act.
Ji Feng dropped his voice to avoid being heard by eavesdroppers. "From what people were saying even after the tournament, almost everyone thinks she's a lucky idiot. But… well, Brother Yun, you saw her footwork. What do you think?"