CHAPTER FORTY‑EIGHT — HE LIKES HER
Ye Lan Jue withdrew a fraction, granting her a sliver of space. Yet Tang Ke Xin could not calm the frantic pounding of her heart.
He bit her.
He—bit—her.
Was he a dog?
No, that was not the point.
The point was—
he had bitten her.
In broad daylight.
In a world where men and women were meant to maintain strict propriety.
And worse—far worse—
the place he had bitten was only a few centimetres from where that man had bitten her on that dreadful night.
He had not bitten hard enough to break skin, but the pressure had been unmistakable.
Tang Ke Xin, usually composed, rational, and quick‑witted, stood frozen like a carved statue.
Was it an accident?
A coincidence?
Or… something else?
She did not know.
And that terrified her.
Ye Lan Jue, however, seemed thoroughly satisfied with her stunned reaction. The corner of his lips lifted slowly, revealing a smile so devastatingly beautiful it seemed to seep into one's bones.
At that moment, Ye Lan Chen returned—and stopped dead in the doorway.
Tang Ke Xin stood motionless, eyes wide, looking as though her soul had fled her body.
And the Third Prince—cold, aloof, untouchable Ye Lan Jue—was smiling at her.
Smiling.
Ye Lan Chen had never seen such a thing.
He had always believed his Third Brother incapable of smiling.
Yet here he was, smiling as though the sun had risen in his eyes.
The sight was so bizarre that Ye Lan Chen felt the world tilt.
"What… what happened to you two?" he asked, voice trembling.
Ye Lan Jue's smile deepened, as though amused by his shock.
Ye Lan Chen's gaze darted to Tang Ke Xin—
and he froze again.
"But Heart—what is wrong with your neck?"
His eyes were sharp. He had spotted the faint red mark immediately. Though Ye Lan Jue had not bitten hard, Tang Ke Xin's skin was pale enough that the mark stood out vividly.
Ye Lan Jue's eyes flickered.
His lips curved, but he said nothing—clearly waiting to see how she would respond.
Tang Ke Xin's mind raced.
Could she say she had been bitten by the Third Prince?
Absolutely not.
She would be dead before the sentence finished.
"It's nothing," she said lightly, though her heart was screaming.
"Nothing? It looks like something bit you," Ye Lan Chen said, frowning.
Tang Ke Xin glanced at Ye Lan Jue.
He was smiling—smiling—and she suddenly felt a reckless impulse rise within her.
"Yes," she said solemnly. "His Highness bit me."
Ye Lan Jue blinked.
He had not expected her to be so direct.
Ye Lan Chen stared at her—then burst into laughter.
"Heart, what nonsense are you spouting? The Third Prince bit you? You dare to imagine such things? If you told me the heavens rained red, I might believe you. But that the Third Prince bit you? I would not believe it even if you beat me to death!"
Tang Ke Xin smiled faintly.
Exactly as she had predicted—he did not believe her.
Which meant he would stop asking.
She had said it precisely to divert him.
But Ye Lan Jue…
Ye Lan Jue was watching her with a strange glint in his eyes.
"Third Imperial Brother, she said you bit her—" Ye Lan Chen began, still laughing.
"Yes," Ye Lan Jue said calmly. "This king bit her."
Silence.
Ye Lan Chen's laughter died instantly.
His eyes widened until they resembled full moons.
Tang Ke Xin also froze.
If she said it, no one would believe her.
But if he said it…
"Third Imperial Brother… are you joking?" Ye Lan Chen asked weakly.
"No," Ye Lan Jue replied, his tone flat and unhurried.
Tang Ke Xin felt her stomach drop.
Ye Lan Jue's gaze slid toward her, sharp and unreadable.
He had clearly realised why she said what she said—
and he was displeased.
She had tried to avoid misunderstanding.
So he had deliberately created one.
Tang Ke Xin wanted to cry without tears.
Ye Lan Chen stared between them, utterly lost.
"So… this is true?" he whispered.
He knew the Third Prince never lied.
If he said he had bitten her, then he had.
But why?
His gaze shifted from Tang Ke Xin to Ye Lan Jue, then back again.
"But… why? Why would Third Imperial Brother bite Heart?"
Tang Ke Xin looked at Ye Lan Jue.
She wanted to know that answer too.
Ye Lan Chen's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
He looked at Tang Ke Xin.
Then at Ye Lan Jue.
Then back again.
Finally, he inhaled sharply.
"Third Imperial Brother… have you fallen in love with her?"
The room fell silent.
Tang Ke Xin's breath caught.
Ye Lan Jue's expression did not change—
but something in the air shifted, dark and dangerous.
And Tang Ke Xin realised—
Whether Ye Lan Chen's guess was right or wrong,
the Third Prince's reaction would be terrifying.