CHAPTER THIRTY‑SIX — IT'S RATHER SEXY
"Pfft—!"
Even Tang Ke Xin, who prided herself on her composure, was utterly undone. The tea she had just sipped sprayed from her lips in a fine mist.
Unfortunately, it sprayed directly onto Ye Lan Jue.
A few droplets struck his cheek, slid down the sharp line of his jaw, and traced a slow, glistening path along his neck. When they reached his throat, he swallowed once—just once—and the droplets scattered like beads of light.
For one absurd moment, Tang Ke Xin thought—
Good heavens… that's rather sexy.
So sexy it could make a woman commit crimes.
But Ye Lan Jue's expression was anything but seductive. His face darkened, his eyes turned glacial, and the air around him seemed to drop several degrees.
Of course he was furious.
Who wouldn't be, after being sprayed in the face?
Ye Lan Chen, meanwhile, had collapsed onto the ground in sheer shock at the Empress's earlier words. He looked as though his soul had fled his body.
"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Tang Ke Xin said quickly, mortified. She reached for the handkerchief the Empress had given her and, acting on instinct, leaned forward to wipe Ye Lan Jue's face.
A perfectly normal gesture for a modern woman.
Ye Lan Jue's eyes flickered, but he neither moved nor spoke.
"Xin'er!"
The Empress's voice cracked with alarm.
"How can you offer Your Highness your handkerchief?"
Her son was ignorant of etiquette—she could forgive that.
But Xin'er?
And more importantly—
Why was the Third Prince allowing it?
With his temperament, he would normally have broken someone's wrist before they came within an inch of touching him. Even in the Empress's presence, he never tolerated offence.
Yet now… he simply sat there.
Tang Ke Xin froze mid‑movement.
She had forgotten—this was not the modern world. Men and women did not casually touch each other. Her handkerchief hovered dangerously close to his face, the corner brushing his cheek, momentarily veiling his eyes.
From her angle, she could see his lips—cool, refined, and far too alluring.
It was a dangerously beautiful sight.
"Record this down to your list," Ye Lan Jue said suddenly.
His voice was soft, but the coldness in it swept through the courtyard like a winter gale. The atmosphere froze instantly.
Tang Ke Xin's heart plummeted.
Record… what?
What did he mean by "to your list"?
What else had she done to offend him?
Her mind raced.
The pond?
Could he be referring to that?
No—surely not. If he had known, she would already be dead.
Even so, her blood ran cold.
The Empress, too, stiffened.
Ye Lan Jue was not a man who involved himself in trivial matters. If he wished to punish someone, he did so immediately. He never spoke in riddles.
What did he mean?
Was there something between Xin'er and him?
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She had the distinct feeling that Ye Lan Jue's words were not only directed at Xin'er—but at her as well.
He had seen through her earlier probing.
He was responding deliberately.
But what was his intention?
A man like him could win a woman's heart with a single glance. Xin'er was innocent, inexperienced, and easily swayed. If he so much as smiled at her…
She would fall.
And if he was not sincere—
The consequences were unthinkable.
"Muhou, please don't joke like that," Ye Lan Chen finally managed, climbing to his feet and rubbing his bruised backside. His expression was pitiful.
The Empress sighed.
Her son was hopeless.
"Your Majesty invites the Empress to the imperial study," Eunuch Liu announced.
The Empress composed herself. "Very well."
But before leaving, she turned to Ye Lan Jue.
"Third Prince, perhaps you should go and change—"
Her words died on her tongue when she met his icy gaze.
She dared not interfere further.
"Esteemed Empress, this way please," Eunuch Liu urged gently.
"Xin'er, come with me," the Empress said, then paused. Seeing Ye Lan Chen still dazed, she added, "Chen'er, send Xin'er back to the Prime Minister's Estate."
"Oh—yes," Ye Lan Chen replied, though his expression was oddly strained.
The Empress departed toward the study, leaving Tang Ke Xin and Ye Lan Chen to walk in the opposite direction.
Once they were alone, Ye Lan Chen took a deep breath and turned to her.
"Tang Ke Xin, this king… this king did not expect Mother to say such things. This king knows you like someone else now, and although this king knows he would never like you, this king will still—"
"Pfft—stop right there."
Tang Ke Xin burst into laughter.
"You and I are impossible. We're cousins—close relatives. Children born from close relatives are often deformed or mentally impaired."
Ye Lan Chen blinked.
"What? What do you mean? What close relatives? What deformities?"
"In short, we cannot marry," Tang Ke Xin said firmly. "But we can be friends. Like brothers."
Her first friend in this ancient world.
"What brother? You're a girl," Ye Lan Chen muttered, though a smile tugged at his lips. "But… fine. Whatever you say."
Tang Ke Xin grinned brightly.
Ye Lan Chen grinned back—then his expression shifted.
"But Heart… what did Third Brother mean earlier? Have you offended him?"
"No! How could I possibly offend him?" Tang Ke Xin replied far too quickly.
Ye Lan Chen narrowed his eyes.
He didn't believe her for a second.
"I really haven't," she insisted. "The Third Prince is simply petty and vengeful. If I had offended him, would I still be alive?"
That, at least, was true.
Ye Lan Chen frowned, still unconvinced.
"Are you sure?"
A deep voice answered from behind them.
A voice filled with cold authority.
A voice that could freeze blood.
Tang Ke Xin's entire body stiffened.
She swallowed hard—nearly biting her tongue.
Her vigilance was usually razor‑sharp.
How had she not noticed him standing so close?
Had she said anything incriminating?
Had she revealed anything?
No—absolutely not.
She hoped.