CHAPTER TWENTY‑FIVE — DISREGARD HIM
"Master, the carriage is ready."
The Prime Minister's guards approached with a respectful bow.
"Oh—oh, yes," the Prime Minister replied, though he made no move to step forward. His gaze drifted instead to the Fourth Prince, who still stood rooted to the spot, looking as though his soul had momentarily departed his body.
Who on earth did Xin'er whisper to him about?
What name could possibly shock the Fourth Prince to such a degree?
"Fourth Prince," the Prime Minister called gently.
"…"
Ye Lan Chen did not respond. His eyes had drifted away from his elder brother and settled once more upon Tang Ke Xin. His expression was a tangled knot of emotions—confusion, disbelief, and something else entirely.
Why is he looking at me like that? Tang Ke Xin wondered.
Only she and Ye Lan Chen knew what she had whispered. And judging by his expression, he was still recovering.
"Fourth Prince," the Prime Minister repeated, this time raising his voice.
"Ah!" Ye Lan Chen jolted, turning his head slowly toward the Prime Minister. He blinked, dazed, before finally regaining his senses. "Oh. The Prime Minister may enter the palace first. This prince will escort Miss Tang to see the Queen Mother."
At least he had not forgotten his duties.
"Very well," the Prime Minister sighed. The Fourth Prince was… unreliable at best, but his words were clear enough. And with the Emperor summoning him urgently, he could not delay. He boarded the carriage at once.
Only after the Prime Minister departed did Ye Lan Chen turn back to Tang Ke Xin with a faint scowl.
"But now that I think about it," he muttered, "I came here in Third Brother's carriage."
In other words—he had no carriage of his own.
Tang Ke Xin resisted the urge to rub her temples.
Of course he didn't.
"Have the Prime Minister's estate prepare another carriage," she said calmly. It was a simple matter, and far easier than dealing with the Fourth Prince's whims.
But Ye Lan Chen's eyes gleamed mischievously.
"Xin Xin… are you avoiding Third Brother?"
Tang Ke Xin nearly choked.
Avoiding him?
Despising him?
Was he trying to start a war?
She was trying to avoid Ye Lan Jue—desperately so—but that was hardly something she could admit aloud. And Ye Lan Chen's careless words had just thrown her carefully crafted composure into chaos.
"The Third Prince has countless matters to attend to each day," she replied through gritted teeth, forcing her tone into something calm and natural. "How could he possibly trouble himself with me?"
Her voice was steady. Her expression serene.
Inside, she was screaming.
But Ye Lan Chen, oblivious as ever, turned cheerfully toward his elder brother.
"Third Brother, are you busy?"
Tang Ke Xin stared at the heavens.
Is he a spirit sent to torment me? Did a mischievous monkey deliver him to this world?
Ye Lan Jue did not answer. He merely cast a single glance at Tang Ke Xin—cold, sharp, and utterly unreadable—before turning and walking toward the carriage.
That one glance froze her blood.
It was too cold.
Too piercing.
Too dangerous.
"Get in."
Ye Lan Jue had already stepped into the carriage. His voice, low and steady, carried a weight that left no room for refusal. He did not specify who should get in—yet the command hung in the air like a decree.
"Alright!" Ye Lan Chen replied brightly, leaping into the carriage without hesitation.
Tang Ke Xin stood frozen.
Was she supposed to get in?
Or should she stay where she was?
Which choice would lead to survival?
Her mind spun in frantic circles.
And the Third Prince waited.