CHAPTER 81 — CAUGHT IN THE ARMS OF THE WRONG MAN
Ye Lan Jue did not spare Nangong Yi a glance. He simply rose and walked out of the room with quiet, decisive steps.
"Ye Lan Jue—wait! Is the Crown Prince still in the teahouse?"
Nangong Yi's eyes widened in alarm. What on earth was Ye Lan Jue planning? And why with such urgency?
The Ye Lan Jue he knew was always composed, always measured. He never acted impulsively—especially not at a time like this.
"What else do you think he could discover?" Ye Lan Jue replied coolly, sweeping him with a brief, cutting glance. "After what happened just now, even if the Crown Prince suspected something, he would find nothing."
He paused.
"I have something else to attend to."
"You're not thinking of going after my Xin'er, are you?"
Nangong Yi's lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. He understood perfectly well that very few things could shake Ye Lan Jue's composure—but Tang Ke Xin was one of them.
The imperial guard standing nearby pressed his lips together.
Lord Nangong was far too direct. His master would never answer such a question.
"Yes."
The single word fell like a stone into still water.
The guard froze.
Nangong Yi froze.
Even the air seemed to stop.
Ye Lan Jue had admitted it—openly, bluntly, without hesitation.
Nangong Yi stared at him, stunned. He had suspected there was something unusual about Tang Ke Xin, but he had never imagined Ye Lan Jue would acknowledge it so plainly.
Had Ye Lan Jue truly fallen for that girl?
She was indeed extraordinary—sharp, unpredictable, utterly unlike the other women of the capital. Even Nangong Yi found her captivating.
He had been testing Ye Lan Jue from the beginning—probing him, teasing him, pushing boundaries. He wasn't sure whether he was testing Ye Lan Jue's limits… or his own.
But now, watching Ye Lan Jue stride away with such certainty, Nangong Yi felt a faint, unexpected despondence.
He was not as free as Ye Lan Jue.
Not as decisive.
Not as fearless.
Perhaps he would lose simply because he hesitated.
Ye Lan Jue left the room without another word.
But instead of seeking Tang Ke Xin, he walked straight out of the teahouse.
His guards exchanged bewildered looks.
Hadn't their master just admitted he was going after Miss Tang?
Why was he leaving instead of searching for her?
But they did not dare question him.
Where he went, they followed.
---
In another private room, the Crown Prince's guard leaned close and whispered, "Your Highness, the Third Prince is also here."
"No matter," the Crown Prince replied lazily. But his narrowed eyes gleamed with calculation.
A decision had formed in his mind—sharp, sudden, and dangerous.
---
Once Ye Lan Jue had left, Nangong Yi no longer needed to hide. He strode straight to Tang Ke Xin's room and flung the door open with dramatic flair.
"Xin Xin! At last—I've found you again!"
Tang Ke Xin did not even turn her head.
But her shoulders stiffened.
This man truly was like a persistent ghost—impossible to shake off.
"These past months have felt like years—blame it on how much I've missed you. The day I last saw you was the day my heart wandered off with you, and I swear I didn't even know what longing was until you disappeared with it—"
"Stop."
Even Tang Ke Xin, usually calm and composed, could not endure another word of his nonsense.
Ye Lan Chen, who had been frozen in shock, finally exhaled. His gaze flicked between the two of them.
"Xin'er… do you know Mayor Nangong?" he asked cautiously. From Nangong Yi's behaviour, it was clearly more than a simple acquaintance.
"Xin Xin is my wife. Do you think we would not know each other?" Nangong Yi answered before she could speak.
Tang Ke Xin closed her eyes briefly.
"Lord Nangong, please stop looking for me. Go look for His Highness instead. Wouldn't that be better?"
She rose and walked out without waiting for a reply.
Ye Lan Chen stared after her, utterly baffled.
Nangong Yi was equally stunned.
Look for Ye Lan Jue? What did she mean by that?
---
Later, back at the Prime Minister's Estate, Tang Ke Xin dismissed the other maids and kept only Dong'er with her.
"Dong'er," she said quietly, "is your qinggong any good?"
Dong'er blinked. "It's… not bad. Miss, what are you planning?"
"Prepare a few things for me. And make sure no one notices."
Dong'er's eyes widened as Tang Ke Xin listed the items.
Her face drained of colour.
"Miss… what do you need these for?"
Her voice trembled.
She had a very bad feeling.
"Just do as I say. I need them."
Dong'er swallowed hard. She obeyed, though unease gnawed at her.
---
That night, when Tang Ke Xin pulled Dong'er to the shadows outside the Mu Residence, Dong'er nearly collapsed.
"M-Miss… you… you're not planning to break into the Mu Estate, are you?"
The Mu family residence—one of the most heavily guarded estates in the capital. Its security rivalled that of the imperial palace.
Tang Ke Xin nodded calmly.
Dong'er almost fainted.
If she had known this was the plan, she would never have prepared those items—even under threat of death.
"I've already scouted the route," Tang Ke Xin said, unrolling a simple but precise map. "Once we enter, we follow this path."
Dong'er stared at her, horrified.
"Miss… why are we here?"
"To retrieve the jade pendant," Tang Ke Xin replied with a serene smile.
"Retrieve? Miss, that's called stealing!" Dong'er whispered fiercely, her voice cracking.
"It sounds so harsh when you say it like that," Tang Ke Xin said lightly. "I prefer 'borrowing for a while'."
Dong'er pressed a hand to her forehead.
The young miss had truly lost her mind.
But Tang Ke Xin continued calmly, "Mu Shaoyi used the pendant to threaten me. If I don't return it, he won't annul the engagement. And since the original is gone, I must take the one he still has."
Dong'er exhaled shakily.
"So… Miss wants to steal Young Master Mu's pendant and return it as if it were yours?"
Tang Ke Xin's eyes brightened.
"That is an excellent idea."
Dong'er nearly wept.
"Miss… shall I go in alone?" she offered desperately.
"No," Tang Ke Xin said firmly. "I know the route better. And I'll need you to watch my back."
Dong'er swallowed her terror.
Tonight, they were truly going to break into the Mu Residence.
Once they slipped into the courtyard, Dong'er—who had been trembling with nerves only moments before—found herself struck speechless.
Her young mistress moved with a precision and quiet confidence that no sheltered noble girl ought to possess. Tang Ke Xin knew no formal martial arts, yet her steps were lighter, her reactions sharper, and her awareness keener than Dong'er's own. Every gesture was efficient, every movement purposeful.
During the day, Tang Ke Xin had already bribed a servant from the Mu Estate, memorised the patrol routes, and mapped out the guards' rotations. Now, under the cloak of night, everything unfolded exactly as she had planned.
Within minutes, they reached Mu Shaoyi's chambers.
He was not inside—because Tang Ke Xin had arranged for someone to delay him elsewhere. He would not be returning anytime soon.
Tang Ke Xin had expected the search to be troublesome, perhaps even lengthy. But Dong'er, with surprising deftness, knelt beside the bed, pressed a hidden latch, and revealed a concealed compartment beneath the wooden frame.
Inside lay a single object.
"Miss, this is the one," Dong'er whispered, lifting the jade pendant with both hands.
Tang Ke Xin took it swiftly.
"Retreat."
Her voice was crisp, decisive—utterly unburdened by guilt.
Dong'er stared at her. "Miss… when did you learn to behave like a bandit?"
Tang Ke Xin's lips curved. "Do not worry. If I ever become a bandit, I shall certainly take you with me. You make an excellent accomplice."
Dong'er nearly choked.
Who could joke at a time like this?
She wisely held her tongue.
They slipped back through the shadows toward the outer wall. Tang Ke Xin secured the rope she had prepared earlier and scaled the three‑metre wall with startling ease.
Dong'er followed, heart pounding.
Tang Ke Xin swung her leg over the top, pushed off—
—and dropped straight into an embrace.
Not onto the ground.
Not onto the grass.
Into arms she recognised instantly.
Arms that were strong, steady, and entirely too familiar.
Arms that made her breath catch and her heart jolt in alarm.
She froze.
Because the person holding her was the last man she wished to meet at this exact moment.
And the only man who could make her tremble—not from fear of discovery, but from something far more dangerous.