Shen Yue’s hand trembled at the sound.
So soon? Those two are truly unreliable—couldn’t they have stalled a bit longer?
With Ruo Rumeng arriving early, there was no choice but to knock her out.
Decision made, her fingers undoing buttons fluttered like dancing butterflies, speeding up dramatically.
Meanwhile, just as Ru Meng was about to push the door open, a young man in white blocked her path. Looking closer, she recognized him as the one who had spilled wine on her earlier.
Bai Yunfei bowed deeply with scholarly courtesy. “My earlier clumsiness soiled your dress. I sincerely beg your forgiveness.”
Seeing him apologize without offering compensation, Ru Meng couldn’t help but pout.
“Never mind. Just visit me more often in the future, young master.”
With that, she moved to enter.
“Wait, miss!”
Bai Yunfei appeared somewhat embarrassed. “Your beauty rivals that of a celestial being. I’ve developed deep admiration—might we enjoy the moonlight together tonight?”
Inside the room, Shen Yue couldn’t suppress a chuckle.
She needed to hurry, or A Fei might truly have to sacrifice himself for the mission.
Song Xianzhi seemed to hear the commotion outside too, mumbling drowsily, “Mmm… Who’s there?”
“No one, you misheard, Young Master.”
Shen Yue spoke softly while peeling off his outer robe. Her hands slipped beneath his inner garment, searching until they found the thick stack of banknotes.
A sly smile curled her lips as two slender fingers deftly plucked the notes, silently tucking them into her sleeve.
Song Xianzhi felt as if thousands of ants were crawling over his body, completely unaware of her actions. His face flushed, he puckered his lips and leaned forward, repeatedly murmuring, “My beauty… let this young master kiss you…”
“Coming!”
Shen Yue called back while kicking him deep into the bed, then leaped out the window in one fluid motion.
Caught off guard, Song Xianzhi’s head collided with the bedpost with a loud “thump.”
Hearing the noise outside, Ru Meng assumed Song Xianzhi was angered by their conversation. Whispering “another time” to Bai Yunfei, she hurriedly abandoned him and rushed inside.
Through the crack in the door she left ajar, Bai Yunfei peered in and saw no sign of his Director, slightly relaxing.
She must have succeeded by now?
Meanwhile, the man on the bed was burning with desire. Seeing a beauty approach, he no longer cared about her identity, transforming into a ravenous wolf as he pounced.
Soon, sounds of “smack smack,” “mmm,” and “ah” gradually filled the room.
Hearing this, Bai Yunfei’s face flushed crimson.
Not daring to leave without permission, he returned downstairs to await further instructions.
Outside the window, the moon shone brightly.
Shen Yue slipped into a secluded alley and counted the banknotes from her sleeve—exactly five thousand two hundred taels.
“Not bad, even with extra profit.”
Overjoyed, she tucked two hundred taels into her robe and prepared to whistle for Lao Zhang and A Fei.
But as she raised her fingers to her lips, no sound emerged.
She hesitated.
Five thousand taels, plus the dagger tucked at her lower back—this was enough not just to buy the antidote, but to purchase her life dozens of times over.
With this money, she could focus on finding the antidote without returning to the prince’s estate as someone’s servant.
After detoxifying, she could slowly write the stories she loved, perhaps even open a bookshop to share her works with the world.
She had to admit—she was tempted.
However, this mission wasn’t undertaken by him alone. There was also Lao Zhang and A Fei.
She could escape, but what about them?
What fate awaited them?
In the distance, within an inconspicuous courtyard, shadow guards from the First and Third Divisions stood in neat rows, long swords in hand.
Changfeng stood atop the roof ridge, gazing sharply in her direction with hawk-like eyes.
Jiang Da and Yao San, having stood for some time, tentatively asked, “Head Guard, when do we move?”
Changfeng cast them a cold glance. “Wait a while longer.”
The prince had given orders: if Shen Er showed any signs of fleeing with the money, she was to be executed on the spot without mercy.
But if she didn’t flee, no one was to lay a hand on her without authorization, nor let her know they had been there.
In the distance, Shen Yue seemed conflicted, standing dazed in the alley for a long time before finally blowing a whistle.
Soon, Zhang Dayong and Bai Yunfei arrived by her side. Changfeng’s grip on his sword loosened.
“Return to the manor.”
Cheng Wang Manor was brightly lit.
Xiao Yuheng sat at his desk, holding a copy of Zizhi Tongjian, but found himself unable to focus.
Baozhu came to serve tea and, noticing his distracted state, couldn’t help but advise, “Your Highness, perhaps you should rest first. When Head Guard Changfeng returns, this servant will have him report to you.”
Xiao Yuheng lifted his eyelids. “Who said this prince was waiting for him?”
Baozhu, who had been smiling, didn’t dare say another word upon hearing his suffocating tone and retreated disgruntled.
As she left, Changfeng happened to enter.
“Changfeng, how did it go?”
Whether it was an illusion or not, Changfeng sensed urgency in Xiao Yuheng’s tone.
He bowed respectfully before replying, “Shen Er has succeeded and is on her way back to the manor.”
“Good!”
Xiao Yuheng snapped his book shut, his voice unconsciously rising.
Seeing his reaction, Changfeng couldn’t resist saying, “Your Highness, although Shen Er didn’t flee with the money, she is, after all, from the Netherworld Hall. Infiltrating this manor must be for some scheme.”
“This prince knows.”
Xiao Yuheng looked out the window, his gaze profound. “The Netherworld Hall branch has been destroyed. Shen Er is a fine blade—this prince intends to make her my own.”
“But Your Highness…”
“Say no more.”
Xiao Yuheng withdrew his gaze. “Fetch Qiao Er’s bundle. This prince will give it to her personally.”
“…You never concerned yourself with such matters before,” Changfeng muttered under his breath, only to meet his master’s piercing stare.
Startled, he stumbled back a step. “This subordinate spoke out of turn. I’ll go at once.”
“Don’t forget to receive your caning first thing tomorrow morning,” Xiao Yuheng reminded.
“…Yes.”
Just as Changfeng delivered the bundle, Shen Er returned to the manor with Zhang Dayong and Bai Yunfei in a grand procession.
The three seemed quite cheerful, having bought pig’s head meat and peanuts to share with their division over drinks. But before they had taken more than a few steps, Changfeng stopped them.
“Why haven’t you reported back after completing your task?”
Changfeng found Shen Yue somewhat irritating at the moment and couldn’t help frowning as he spoke.
“…This subordinate thought His Highness had already retired.”
Shen Yue clicked her tongue. “Besides, according to division rules, I should report to you, Head Guard, and then you report to His Highness. Here are the banknotes His Highness requested.”
As she spoke, she pulled out the banknotes and handed them to Changfeng.
The implication was clear: once the money was handed over, his responsibility ended. As for whether he went back to drink or do anything else, that was none of her business.
Yet Changfeng effortlessly sidestepped the issue. “His Highness is waiting for you in the study. This matter cannot be delegated.”
Seeing no way to avoid it, Shen Yue had no choice but to brace herself and head to the study.
As soon as she entered, she slapped the banknotes onto the desk. Xiao Yuheng, however, didn’t even glance at them, his gaze fixed intently on her lips.
Why would a man have lips so red? And not just red—they were slightly pouted, with a delicate fullness at the center that carried an unexpected, almost coquettish charm…
He frowned. “What have you applied to your lips?”