CHAPTER TWENTY‑ONE — SHE REALLY DARES
"Ai, don't go! Let us study this properly. This prince thinks it entirely feasible—using a mouse to chase Shaoyi away. Hahaha! The very thought of it is delightful!"
Ye Lan Chen, brimming with mischief, darted forward and blocked Tang Ke Xin's path. At eighteen, he possessed neither the solemn dignity expected of a prince nor the calculating restraint of the imperial family. He was a creature of impulse—playful, reckless, and utterly unrestrained.
Tang Ke Xin, halted by his enthusiasm, could only maintain the persona she had crafted: a girl who delighted in absurdity.
"Yes," she said thoughtfully, "and we could even add special effects. A few firecrackers, perhaps…"
Even Ye Lan Chen—who was usually the one shocking others—stared at her in disbelief. Then, with a delighted clap, he exclaimed,
"Excellent! That's an excellent idea. Let us do exactly that!"
"Tang Ke Xin!"
The Prime Minister's face turned a shade of green that suggested imminent collapse.
Special effects?
Firecrackers?
Why, of all the daughters in the world, had Heaven given him this one?
"Your Highness," he said stiffly, turning to Ye Lan Jue, "my daughter is far too mischievous. I beg your forgiveness."
Ye Lan Jue did not respond immediately. Instead, he regarded Tang Ke Xin with eyes bright as starlight—deep, unreadable, and impossibly calm. His lips curved ever so slightly.
"Miss Tang is truly…"
He paused deliberately, letting the silence stretch.
Then, with a soft, measured tone, he added,
"…special."
The word fell lightly, yet carried a weight that made Tang Ke Xin's heart jolt.
He was not praising her.
He was observing her.
Assessing her.
And she had no idea what he had concluded.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your praise," she replied with perfect composure, though her pulse quickened beneath her calm exterior.
The Prime Minister nearly fainted.
Praise?
Was she truly taking that as praise?
Ye Lan Chen snorted. "This is the first time I've heard Third Brother praise anyone. And to call someone 'special'—that is indeed rare."
His eyes sparkled with mischief as he leaned closer to Tang Ke Xin.
"Tell me, have you offended Third Brother?"
It was meant as a joke—light, teasing, harmless.
But the Prime Minister stiffened.
Offended the Third Prince?
Surely not.
Surely she would not dare.
Ye Lan Jue's brow moved—so subtly it was almost imperceptible.
Tang Ke Xin, maintaining her innocent façade, replied earnestly,
"How could I possibly offend His Highness? I did not use a wolfhound to chase him away. Nor did I use a mouse…"
"Tang Ke Xin, be silent!" the Prime Minister snapped, mortified. He very nearly clapped a hand over her mouth. This girl truly dared to say anything.
Ye Lan Chen burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! There is no one else in the world who would dare speak such words. I would not even think them, let alone say them aloud. Using a mouse to chase Shaoyi away is one thing—but using it on Third Brother? That is beyond imagination!"
He shook his head, still laughing.
"She must still be recovering from her foolishness. She doesn't understand the implications, so she dares to say such things. Third Brother won't take it to heart."
But then—
"Perhaps," Ye Lan Jue said quietly, "given Miss Tang's courage… she truly would."
His voice was soft, emotionless, almost gentle.
Yet the moment the words left his lips, a chill swept through Tang Ke Xin's body.
There was no anger in his tone.
No threat.
No killing intent.
But the weight of his gaze—the quiet certainty behind his words—was enough to make her blood run cold.
Because Ye Lan Jue was not joking.
And he was not underestimating her.
He was acknowledging, with unsettling clarity, that she truly would dare.