CHAPTER 161: WE GOT MARRIED AND PROPSED
The scene before Tang Kexin was so astonishing, so utterly beyond expectation, that for a heartbeat she wondered whether she had stepped into some absurd dream.
Two men lay upon the bed—one before, one behind.
Both bare from the waist up.
Both close enough that their bodies nearly touched.
And Ye Lanjue's hand…
His hand rested firmly upon Nangong Yi's shoulder.
From where she stood, the tableau was unmistakable.
The Third Prince and Nangong Yi, half‑naked, lying together in a position far too intimate to be explained away.
Dong'er, standing beside her, was equally struck dumb. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open, her entire body frozen in shock.
The moment the door had been kicked open, Ye Lanjue's head snapped toward them. His gaze first landed on the steward blocking the doorway, and then—through that narrow gap—met Tang Kexin's eyes.
For the briefest instant, he froze.
"Tang Kexin," he said sharply.
But even in that single utterance, she heard it—
The strain.
The restraint.
The desperate attempt to keep control.
After leaving the palace, he had intended to go straight to the Prime Minister's estate to find her. But fate had intervened. He had encountered Nangong Yi on the road—poisoned, gravely so.
Their relationship, though private, was not unfriendly. And the poison was vicious, the sort that ordinary physicians could not hope to cure. Nangong Yi had come to him because he had no other choice.
To expel the poison, both men had removed their outer garments. The process required absolute stillness—no movement, no speech, no disturbance. Any interruption could have endangered them both.
Thus, when the steward had called for him earlier, he had been unable to respond.
And then—
A dart had shot from behind the bed, aimed directly at the back of his head.
He had no choice but to fall forward, dragging Nangong Yi with him.
And that was the moment the door had burst open.
A perfect storm of misunderstanding.
"Cough… well then, you two continue…" Tang Kexin murmured, her voice polite, her expression unreadable.
But inside, she was already turning away, determined to leave as quickly as possible. She had no desire to intrude further.
Ye Lanjue stared at her, momentarily stunned.
Continue?
Continue?!
Did this woman truly believe—
His jaw clenched.
His teeth ground together.
"Tang Kexin!" he barked, unable to contain himself.
But she was already turning, already stepping away, already fleeing the scene she believed she had interrupted.
His face darkened to a dangerous shade.
This woman—this infuriating, maddening woman—was going to be the death of him.
If Nangong Yi had not still been half‑poisoned, he would have leapt from the bed, seized her, kissed her senseless, and shown her—very thoroughly—whether he preferred men or women.
But he could not move.
Not yet.
Fortunately, most of the poison had already been expelled. Nangong Yi was recovering quickly. The man even had the audacity to smile.
"My, my," Nangong Yi drawled, amusement dancing in his eyes. "It seems your beloved has misunderstood."
"Do you believe I won't let you die from the poison?" Ye Lanjue snapped, his voice low and lethal.
Nangong Yi only grinned wider.
If he had known this would happen, Ye Lanjue thought savagely, he should have let Nangong Yi die on the roadside.
The steward, realising the enormity of the misunderstanding, exhaled shakily and closed the door. His face was pale.
Dong'er, still trembling, whispered, "M‑Miss… was that truly His Highness and the Young Master of the Nangong family?"
Tang Kexin did not answer. She simply looked at her.
"Miss… could it be… His Highness truly likes men…?" Dong'er whispered, horrified.
Tang Kexin sighed softly.
"Dong'er, it is not a terrible thing. Love is love. Everyone has the right to choose."
The steward, overhearing this, nearly collapsed on the spot.
Inside the room, both men heard her clearly.
Nangong Yi choked on air.
"Well," he said dryly, "I did not expect her to be so open‑minded. Congratulations, Third Prince."
Ye Lanjue's glare could have frozen fire.
Nangong Yi only smiled wider, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Ye Lanjue dressed in record time—dangerously fast, given the lingering poison—and strode out of the room.
He had to find her.
He had to explain.
He had to stop this absurd misunderstanding before it became permanent.
Nangong Yi called after him, voice dripping with mischief.
"She's a very determined girl. Even if you explain, will she believe you? She saw it with her own eyes."
Ye Lanjue's steps faltered.
His expression darkened further.
"Do you want my help?" Nangong Yi asked innocently.
"If you dare to meddle," Ye Lanjue said coldly, "I will attack Phoenix City tomorrow."
Nangong Yi laughed.
Ye Lanjue ignored him and strode out.
He found Tang Kexin still in the courtyard. Relief flickered across his face before he masked it.
"This prince must explain what you saw just now," he said, stepping toward her. "It was not what you think. You must not misunderstand."
Nangong Yi emerged behind him, leaning casually against the doorframe, smiling like a fox.
He wanted to watch the chaos unfold.
Ye Lanjue opened his mouth to explain—
But Tang Kexin spoke first.
"Your Highness," she said calmly, "we are getting married."
Silence fell like a stone.
The entire courtyard froze.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Ye Lanjue stared at her, utterly stunned.
Nangong Yi's smile vanished.
Dong'er's jaw dropped.
The steward nearly fainted.
Tang Kexin stood there, serene and composed, as though she had not just detonated a bomb in the middle of the Third Prince's residence.
And for a long, breathless moment—
No one moved.
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CHAPTER 162: A FALSE MARRIAGE AGREEMENT
For a heartbeat, Ye Lanjue simply stared at her—eyes widened, breath caught, composure shattered. Even a man as self‑possessed as he was could not disguise the shock that rippled through him.
He had prepared an entire explanation.
He had rehearsed it in his mind—how to tell her the truth, how to convince her that what she had seen was not what she thought, how to ensure she believed him.
And yet he had not spoken a single word.
Because she—
She had just declared she wished to marry him.
Did she mean… there was no misunderstanding?
Did she truly believe nothing was amiss?
But only hours earlier, in the Imperial Palace, she had begged the Emperor to annul their engagement. Why, then, was she now proposing marriage of her own accord?
Suspicion flickered through him—yet beneath it, something warm and uncontrollable surged in his chest.
Joy.
Dangerous, unbidden joy.
Nangong Yi's smile froze mid‑curve. He stared at Tang Kexin as though she had grown wings and flown into the sun. He had imagined many outcomes, but never this one.
The steward and Dong'er were equally stunned, their expressions blank with disbelief.
"Heart," Nangong Yi said at last, his voice half‑teasing, half‑bewildered, "are you… proposing to the Third Prince?"
Dong'er, meanwhile, was on the verge of panic.
"Miss, you—you must be mad! You clearly saw—how could you—"
She could not finish the sentence in front of the Third Prince, but her meaning was painfully clear.
You saw him with Nangong Yi.
You saw everything.
Why would you marry a man who likes men?
"Eh?"
Ye Lanjue's gaze sharpened, his brows lifting slightly. The single syllable carried all his confusion, all his demand for explanation.
He wanted to hear her reasoning.
He needed to hear it.
"We can have a false marriage," Tang Kexin said calmly, "husband and wife in name only—nothing real."
She did not bother to hide her thoughts. After what she had witnessed, she had devised a plan that would benefit them both.
The Emperor was forcing her to choose a prince.
She could not choose the Crown Prince.
She had never met the Second Prince.
And the Third Prince—dangerous though he was—seemed far less threatening if he preferred men.
After all, she had seen the scene with her own eyes.
Nangong Yi nearly choked.
A false marriage?
With Ye Lanjue?
He could guarantee that if she truly married Ye Lanjue, the man would devour her whole—body, heart, and soul—without leaving even a bone behind.
She had misunderstood spectacularly.
And yet… he found himself strangely entertained.
Ye Lanjue's eyes narrowed, a strange light flickering within them.
A false marriage?
With him?
What on earth was going on inside that little head of hers?
But he said nothing.
Because, unexpectedly, he found the idea… agreeable.
"The Emperor is forcing me to marry," Tang Kexin continued. "I refuse to marry the Crown Prince. I have never seen the Second Prince. So—why not a false marriage? It benefits us both."
Ye Lanjue's lips curved faintly.
She did not want to marry the Crown Prince.
She did not want to marry the Second Prince.
She had chosen him.
For whatever reason, she had chosen him.
And that alone pleased him more than he cared to admit.
"Tell me," he said, voice low, "what benefit does this king gain?"
Tang Kexin cleared her throat delicately.
She glanced at Nangong Yi before speaking.
"With our marriage, it will perfectly conceal the relationship between His Highness the Third Prince and the Young Master of the Nangong family. You may be together freely."
The steward nearly collapsed.
Dong'er was speechless.
Nangong Yi's face twitched violently.
This woman's imagination was truly extraordinary.
But… if there were something between him and Ye Lanjue, then yes—her plan would be the perfect cover.
Nangong Yi looked at Ye Lanjue, waiting.
Ye Lanjue's expression did not change, but something in his eyes gleamed.
"Very well," he said. "This king agrees."
His tone was calm, but inside, his heart was anything but.
If she wished to misunderstand, then let her misunderstand.
Once they were married—once she was his—he would show her very clearly whether he liked men or women.
This was a trap she had dug herself.
And she had jumped into it willingly.
He could hardly be blamed.
Nangong Yi sighed inwardly.
Poor little rabbit.
She had no idea she was walking straight into the wolf's den.
"However," Tang Kexin added quickly, "the Third Prince must promise me one thing. If I wish to leave, you must not stop me."
Ye Lanjue's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Leave?
She had not even married him yet, and she was already planning her escape?
"If you wish to leave," he said slowly, "there must be a time limit. You cannot flee the moment we are wed. What benefit would this king gain then?"
Tang Kexin nodded.
"I will not leave immediately. I will stay at least one year."
Nangong Yi nearly laughed aloud.
A rabbit entering a wolf's den, thinking she could leave after a year?
Impossible.
"Then," Tang Kexin said, "if Your Highness has no objections, we should establish an agreement. To avoid future trouble."
"An agreement?" Nangong Yi echoed, startled. "What kind of agreement?"
Ye Lanjue was not surprised.
He simply watched her.
"A marriage agreement," Tang Kexin explained. "Since our marriage will be false, it is best to put the terms in writing."
She looked at Ye Lanjue.
"What does Your Highness think?"
"Yes," he said softly.
He turned and walked into the room.
At the moment he turned, a faint smile curved his lips—hidden from Tang Kexin, but not from the steward, who saw it clearly.
Miss Tang was clever.
But she was still no match for his master.
Tang Kexin followed him inside.
She drafted the agreement swiftly and handed it to him.
Ye Lanjue accepted it, lowering his gaze to read.
The first clause she had marked was bold and unmistakable:
"A husband and wife in name only."
His eyes narrowed, and a deep, unreadable emotion stirred within them.
The game, it seemed, had only just begun.