CHAPTER 98 — WHEN THE FOX CAUGHT HIS RABBIT IN THE GARDEN
"But in truth, in my heart, this king…"
Ye Lan Jue's expression shifted—subtle, solemn, almost earnest. He looked at her with a seriousness that might have unsettled anyone else.
Tang Ke Xin cut him off before he could finish.
"Enough. Stop acting. We're in a carriage. The Crown Prince can't see us."
Her tone was crisp, composed, and entirely unimpressed.
She straightened her back, her expression returning to its usual calm. Even her form of address shifted back to polite distance.
Ye Lan Jue's dissatisfaction flickered for a moment, but he swallowed it. He knew too well that if he pushed her too hard, she would bolt—just as she had with the Crown Prince.
He had originally believed she agreed to act as his "lover" because it was him.
But her reaction now…
It deflated that confidence entirely.
He could not allow her to perform such a scene with another man.
He would not tolerate it.
So he reined himself in.
"Very well. This king will take you back."
"There's no need. This humble girl can return on her own—"
"The Crown Prince's people are still following," he interrupted smoothly. "You were clinging to me in front of him. If I now throw you out of the carriage, what do you think he will assume?"
She fell silent.
He had her there.
She sat obediently, though her mind churned.
He was far too enthusiastic about this arrangement.
Suspiciously enthusiastic.
Was he truly only avoiding Feng Qingyan's entanglement?
Or was there another reason?
She studied his face, searching for clues.
But his expression was unreadable—far more controlled than the Crown Prince's.
She sighed inwardly.
She truly did not wish to be entangled with him.
Even if the Crown Prince had been the man from that night, she believed she could still find a way to handle him.
But Ye Lan Jue…
Even if he wasn't that man, he was far more dangerous.
A man who could be utterly ruthless in private yet flawlessly composed in public—
that was the kind of man she feared most.
---
"Are you satisfied?"
His low, magnetic voice brushed her ear.
Tang Ke Xin jolted, snapping out of her thoughts.
He had moved closer without her noticing.
His face—handsome to the point of distraction—filled her vision, smiling gently.
Her heart skipped.
"Are you satisfied with this king's appearance?" he asked, tone patient, almost indulgent. "If you are, that is good."
She stared at him, speechless.
"Your Highness… can you be serious?"
He looked genuinely offended.
"Serious? You ask this king to be serious? You stare at this king with such hungry eyes—this king thought you meant to eat him. How serious can this king be?"
Tang Ke Xin choked on her own breath.
She understood exactly what he meant by "eat."
She had merely been thinking—thinking!—and somehow he had twisted it into that.
There was no communicating with this man.
She decided silence was safer.
Fortunately, the Prime Minister's estate was close.
---
"Actually," he murmured, "it would not be strange if you did eat this king. After all, we are lovers now."
Tang Ke Xin nearly leapt out of her seat.
"Fake! Fake—we're only pretending!"
Her reaction was immediate and emphatic.
Ye Lan Jue sighed inwardly.
She truly had no intention toward him.
Why did his charm fail so completely with her?
He would have to proceed slowly.
---
When the carriage stopped, Tang Ke Xin practically fled, hopping down before he could speak.
Ye Lan Jue raised an eyebrow.
Was he truly so frightening?
He wasn't a beast.
He wouldn't eat her.
Not yet, anyway.
---
"Xin'er, you're finally back!"
The Prime Minister beamed, rushing forward.
"My heart has returned—come, let Mother look at you properly," the Prime Minister's wife added warmly. Her complexion had improved, and her smile was gentle.
"You've been gone for more than ten days. Did you suffer? Were you safe? Nothing happened, did it?"
Tang Ke Xin smiled.
"No, Mother. I'm well."
"Then why have the guards not returned? And the carriage? How did you come back?" the Prime Minister asked, puzzled.
Tang Ke Xin froze.
They hadn't returned?
She had told them to return after ten days.
They should have arrived before her.
"Dong'er and I wanted to sightsee, so we left early. They should be back soon," she said lightly.
"You—this girl!"
The Prime Minister's face darkened. "You dare wander without guards? What if something happened?"
"Father, I'm fine. I came back safely."
"You're too bold! Even men wouldn't dare what you do. You are not to go out again."
Tang Ke Xin turned pleadingly to her mother.
But the Prime Minister's wife shook her head.
"On this matter, I agree with your father."
Tang Ke Xin fell silent.
---
"There is a banquet in the palace tomorrow," her mother added gently. "You should go. It has been some time since you visited the Empress."
"What banquet?" Tang Ke Xin frowned.
"General Gu has returned victorious. The palace is celebrating. Since you're back, accompany your father. I cannot go."
She squeezed Tang Ke Xin's hand.
"And perhaps visit the Empress early. I hear she has been in low spirits."
A faint glimmer passed through her eyes—gone before anyone noticed.
Tang Ke Xin nodded.
"Very well."
She had been away too long.
She was worried about the Empress too.
---
The next morning, she entered the palace early.
The Empress was being dressed in formal attire, but despite the splendour, she looked visibly weary.
Yet when she saw Tang Ke Xin, her eyes brightened.
"Xin'er, you're back! Come, let me look at you."
She rose, pulling Tang Ke Xin close, asking question after question—concerned, relieved, affectionate.
Her hand brushed the jade bracelet on Tang Ke Xin's wrist, and she exhaled softly.
As long as Xin'er wore that bracelet, she would be protected.
The Empress did not mention anything troubling.
She simply chatted, keeping Tang Ke Xin close.
There were matters she did not wish Xin'er to know.
When the banquet preparations called her away, she sent Dong'er to accompany Tang Ke Xin through the palace.
Tang Ke Xin had been mildly startled to see Dong'er within the palace walls, but the surprise quickly softened into understanding. The Empress had always been meticulous in her care, and this small gesture—sending Dong'er to accompany her—was yet another quiet proof of that devotion. Tang Ke Xin felt a faint warmth stir in her chest.
When the hour of the banquet approached, the Empress was called away for official matters. She instructed Dong'er to escort Tang Ke Xin to the main hall.
They took the garden path, where the winter sunlight filtered through the lattice of bare branches. As they passed a pavilion, Tang Ke Xin's steps faltered.
Under the shade of the pavilion roof sat Ye Lan Jue and Ye Lan Chen, the Third and Fourth Princes, facing one another over a chessboard. Their expressions were solemn, their attention wholly absorbed in the game.
Tang Ke Xin hesitated.
Should she go forward and offer her greetings?
Or… should she pretend she had not seen them at all?
After yesterday's ordeal—after the carriage, the kiss, the unbearable closeness—she had no desire to approach the Third Prince unnecessarily. Her heart still felt unsettled, as though one wrong step might plunge her into another of his traps.
Her decision made, she lightened her steps and attempted to slip past quietly.
But not far away, Ye Lan Jue's eyes narrowed.
Before she could escape, a clear voice drifted across the garden.
"Greetings to Your Highness the Third and Fourth Princes."
Feng Qingyan had arrived, her posture graceful, her tone perfectly measured. She bowed from a distance, her gaze lingering—far too long—on Ye Lan Jue.
The Third Prince lifted his head at once.
His hand stilled above the chessboard.
His gaze shifted—not to Feng Qingyan, but to Tang Ke Xin.
Her heart sank.
Her attempt at stealth had failed entirely.
Tang Ke Xin stopped, composed her expression, and bowed properly.
"This humble girl greets Your Highness the Third Prince and Fourth Prince."
Ye Lan Jue's eyes did not move from her face.
"Come here," he said.
His tone was not loud, but it carried a weight that left no room for refusal. There was no warmth in it either—only a quiet displeasure, as though he had caught her doing something she ought not to do.
"Yes," Tang Ke Xin replied softly.
She stepped forward, acutely aware of Feng Qingyan's presence beside her—and of the Third Prince's unwavering gaze fixed upon her alone.