CHAPTER TWENTY‑SIX — THE WORLD FELL SILENT
"But don't worry—come along. Although Third Brother is a little frightening, he doesn't actually eat people. He won't eat you."
Ye Lan Chen narrowed his eyes in a fox‑like grin, his tone far too gleeful for the situation. His words were utterly inappropriate—so wildly off‑key that it seemed he wished for nothing more than to plunge the world into chaos.
Tang Ke Xin exhaled quietly.
Yes, she knew the Third Prince would not eat her.
But she was increasingly convinced that the Fourth Prince's mouth alone might be the cause of her untimely death.
"What are you waiting for? Do you want someone to carry you up?"
Before she could even take a step, Ye Lan Chen's voice rang out again, loud enough to stun everyone present.
Tang Ke Xin closed her eyes for a brief moment.
Inhale.
Exhale.
She lifted her gaze once more, smoothing away every ripple of emotion until her expression was calm, serene, and unreadable.
Only then did she walk toward the carriage.
---
Inside, Ye Lan Jue and Ye Lan Chen were already seated—one on the left, one on the right—each occupying a side with effortless authority.
Tang Ke Xin hesitated for the briefest heartbeat before choosing the right side, settling beside Ye Lan Chen. Unreliable as he was, lacking propriety and sense, he was still infinitely safer than the Third Prince.
"You—why are you sitting so close to this prince?"
The moment she sat down, Ye Lan Chen jerked away dramatically, as though she were a ferocious beast lunging at him. His expression even carried a hint of panic.
Tang Ke Xin nearly choked.
Close?
She was more than a metre away from him.
He was doing this deliberately.
"Why don't you sit with Third Brother instead?" he added meaningfully.
Ah.
There it was.
The true purpose behind his theatrics.
And it was endless.
"There is a window here," Tang Ke Xin replied smoothly. "One can admire the scenery along the way."
It was a perfectly reasonable excuse. She rose and moved toward the window, which happened to be positioned between the two princes. Naturally, this brought her closer to Ye Lan Chen again.
She lifted the curtain, gazing outside—though her attention was equally fixed on the Fourth Prince.
Ye Lan Chen's lips parted. He was clearly preparing to speak again.
Tang Ke Xin leaned slightly toward him, her voice soft and pleasant, her expression gentle.
"Ye Lan Chen, if you utter one more word of nonsense, I will cripple you. You may test me if you wish."
Her tone was light, almost affectionate. Her lips curved faintly, as though she were sharing a harmless secret.
But the words themselves were enough to chill the blood.
There was likely no one else in the entire empire who would dare threaten the Fourth Prince in such a manner.
She even leaned closer intentionally, giving him a perfect excuse for whatever reaction he might have next.
Ye Lan Chen froze.
For a long moment, he simply stared at her, utterly stunned. His eyes widened, filling with a complex mixture of disbelief, shock, and something dangerously close to fear.
She?
She dared to say that?
She looked gentle—beautiful, even—but her words struck him like a blade. And the most terrifying part was that his first instinct was to believe her.
He believed she would truly do it.
That brief moment earlier—when she had whispered to him—had already shaken him. He had only ever felt such fear in the presence of the Third Prince.
But now… this girl…
Ye Lan Chen swallowed hard and instinctively shifted away from her—just as she leaned closer to the window, closing the distance again.
Tang Ke Xin smiled faintly at the scenery outside. Her expression was soft, serene—like a spring breeze rippling across still water.
She did not notice the figure behind her.
Ye Lan Jue's lips had curved—slowly, subtly—into a smile so enchanting it seemed carved from moonlight. A smile that seeped into the bones, impossible to decipher, impossible to escape.