CHAPTER 122 — THE SECRET HE ONLY SPOKE TO HER
Tang Ke Xin turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.
She was no longer surprised.
Ye Lan Jue had a way of appearing without warning — silent as a shadow, inevitable as a storm. One moment the corridor was empty, the next he was simply there, as though he had stepped out of the air itself.
She lowered her gaze, preparing to bow.
But the Third Prince's expression darkened ever so slightly.
"Tell me," he said, his voice low and steady, "why are you looking for the Suo Yan Sect?"
The question struck like a pebble dropped into still water — small, quiet, but sending ripples through her chest.
Before she could answer, Ye Lan Chen brightened beside her.
"Ah, Xinxin, perhaps Third Brother knows! You can ask him!"
Tang Ke Xin resisted the urge to pinch the Fourth Prince.
Ask Ye Lan Jue?
She would sooner swallow needles.
Even if he did know, he would not tell her easily. And even if he did tell her, she could not let him know why she needed the Suo Yan Sect.
Some things were too dangerous to let him near.
Her silence stretched.
Ye Lan Jue's eyes narrowed.
She could almost feel the shift in the air — a subtle tightening, a faint chill, the quiet displeasure of a man who noticed far too much.
She could laugh and tease Ye Lan Chen without restraint.
She could scold him, joke with him, even shout at him.
But with Ye Lan Jue…
She measured every word.
Every breath.
Every glance.
And he hated it.
If he had not known she had business in the palace today, he might have dragged her away already — consequences be damned.
"Xinxin," Ye Lan Chen urged, oblivious to the tension, "what do you need? Tell Third Brother! Even if he doesn't know how to find the Suo Yan Sect, he can definitely help you!"
Tang Ke Xin nearly groaned.
Ask the Third Prince for help?
She would rather not.
"Nothing," she said lightly. "I simply heard someone mention the Suo Yan Sect and thought it sounded interesting. So I asked."
Ye Lan Jue's gaze sharpened.
"Just asking casually?" he repeated, his tone deceptively soft.
His jaw tightened.
He did not believe her.
No one asked about the Suo Yan Sect "casually."
Not even fools.
And Tang Ke Xin was anything but a fool.
"This king knows how to find the Suo Yan Sect," he said suddenly.
Tang Ke Xin's breath caught.
He knew?
But before she could speak, he added coldly:
"But since you're only asking casually… then forget it."
Tang Ke Xin's fingers twitched.
Of course.
He would not give her anything easily.
"Third Brother, you really know?" Ye Lan Chen gasped, eyes wide with excitement. "How do we contact them? Tell us!"
Ye Lan Jue did not even glance at him.
"If she wants to know," he said, voice cool and sharp, "she can ask this king herself."
Tang Ke Xin stiffened.
He was angry.
Truly angry.
He had told her he knew — and she had not reacted.
She had not asked.
She had not even looked at him.
How deeply did she guard herself against him?
Was he a monster?
A threat?
Something to be feared?
He did not know that in her mind, he was far more terrifying than beasts or storms.
Tang Ke Xin hesitated.
"Since this humble girl has asked," she said carefully, "does Your Highness will answer?"
Ye Lan Jue's eyes flashed.
"If you do not ask," he said, "how would you know whether this king will answer?"
His tone was sharper than usual — edged with irritation, frustration, and something else she could not name.
Ye Lan Chen nudged her eagerly. "Ask him, ask him! Third Brother's meaning is very clear!"
Tang Ke Xin inhaled slowly.
She lifted her gaze.
Ye Lan Jue stepped closer.
So close she could feel the warmth of him.
So close she could smell the faint sandalwood on his robes.
So close she could hear the quiet, controlled rhythm of his breath.
He leaned in — not touching her, but close enough that his lips brushed the shell of her ear when he spoke.
"The people of the Suo Yan Sect," he murmured, "exchange information at the Wordless Restaurant on the west side of the capital. At noon. On the eleventh day of every month."
His voice was low, intimate, meant for her alone.
Tang Ke Xin's breath hitched.
She stared at him, stunned.
Was it truly that simple?
If it were, why had no one else found them?
Why had Mu Shaoyi failed?
Why had the sect refused his commission?
Why did Ye Lan Jue know?
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
She doubted him.
And he saw it.
His expression darkened instantly.
He clenched his jaw, teeth grinding so hard she could almost hear it.
She doubted him.
He had shared something he had never told anyone — not even Ye Lan Chen — and she doubted him.
This woman would be the death of him.
"Third Brother!" Ye Lan Chen protested loudly. "Why did you whisper it to her? Why didn't you tell me too?"
Ye Lan Jue did not answer.
He simply cast Tang Ke Xin one last, cold, frustrated glance — a look that said you infuriate me more than anyone alive — then turned sharply and strode away.
"Third Brother? Third Brother!" Ye Lan Chen called after him, bewildered. "Why did he leave like that?"
Tang Ke Xin exhaled slowly.
Ye Lan Chen turned to her. "But Xinxin, what did he say? I couldn't hear clearly."
Tang Ke Xin smiled faintly. "His voice was too soft. Even if he was close, I couldn't hear."
Ye Lan Chen stared at her, scandalised. "Too soft? He was practically breathing into your ear!"
Tang Ke Xin shrugged. "Volume matters more than distance."
Ye Lan Chen frowned. "Do you think Third Brother was just teasing us? He wouldn't do something so boring… would he?"
Tang Ke Xin said nothing.
Ye Lan Jue was many things — cold, dangerous, unpredictable — but bored was not one of them.
And she could not shake the feeling that he had told her the truth.
Or at least… a truth he wanted her to have.