"Y-Yun Fan..." Ming Chengli was still quite unaccustomed to this form of address.
Shi Changying cast a careless glance at Xu Yunfan. "Dad, is he your brother?"
Ming Chengli tugged at her sleeve. "Changying, call him Uncle Yun Fan."
Shi Changying was still reading her book. She shook her head, seemingly quite disappointed. "Do you not know how to deal with brothers? Especially the ones older than you."
"Huh?" Ming Chengli was a bit bewildered. He asked subconsciously, "Deal with them how?" No one had ever told him he had brothers before.
Shi Changying shifted into a more comfortable position against the bed. "Kill them, of course. Are you going to wait for him to kill you first?"
Silence fell over the hospital ward. The elderly woman in the next bed secretly pricked up her ears.
Xu Yunfan’s expression turned cold. Yesterday, he had only heard Old Madam Xu describe what had happened. Seeing Shi Changying’s attitude with his own eyes today, he found her to be exactly as described—absolutely lawless and lacking any upbringing!
"Y-Yun Fan, Changying’s fever has addled her brain. She just likes to spout nonsense sometimes." Ming Chengli broke out in a cold sweat. "How about this? I’ll bring her back home once she’s recovered."
"For Chengli’s sake, I won’t hold what she just said against her." Xu Yunfan scrutinized him for a few seconds. "Zhao Yu has a heart condition, and the Xu family has spent a long time nursing her health. I don’t want her condition to worsen after you two return."
"We won’t, we—" Ming Chengli didn’t get to finish his sentence.
Shi Changying interrupted, "Annoying. You are dismissed."
She completely nailed the haughty posture of an Emperor. It was as if she would have him beheaded if he didn’t leave that very second.
Xu Yunfan let out a breath and left with a cold sneer. He figured there was no need to lower himself to argue with a brat. Once she was in his hands, he would teach her what the word "submission" meant.
"Changying, you scared me to death." Ming Chengli patted his chest. "I know you were sticking up for me, but please don’t be so impulsive next time. Uncle Yun Fan graduated from a military academy. He has plenty of ruthless methods up his sleeve."
Shi Changying keenly caught the word "military" and looked up. "A commander? How many men does he have under him?"
Ming Chengli thought for a moment. "A few hundred, I think. He’s quite impressive."
"Oh." Shi Changying lost interest. "Multiply that by a hundred, and it still wouldn’t be enough for me to bother fighting."
Ming Chengli choked on his words. "Changying, be a good girl and rest up. I’ve left your lunch here. Dad has to go to work now."
Empress Taichu was naturally rebellious. The more someone forbade her from doing something, the more she wanted to do it.
Before leaving, Ming Chengli gave her one final warning. "Also, absolutely do not go to Sui Jin Cave tonight. There are a lot of shady characters over there, and someone just got mugged yesterday. Wait for me to bring you a late-night snack when I get back. Be good, okay?"
Shi Changying only processed the words "Sui Jin Cave" and "mugged." Consequently, she specifically waited until nightfall before openly strutting out of the hospital ward.
Later that evening.
Sui Jin Cave was the most chaotic area in Jianghuai, still retaining many buildings from the last century. The streetlights were dim, and passersby hurried along, not daring to linger. Shi Changying stood out completely, walking straight into this lawless no-man’s land.
SWISH! In an instant, numerous gazes converged on her.
The girl’s complexion was somewhat pale from her illness, but it couldn’t hide her breathtaking features in the slightest. Her pitch-black hair was tied back, revealing a fair, slender neck. She was radiantly untamed and agile, exuding an air of audacity—a highly striking beauty.
An Emperor’s word was gold, and Shi Changying was a sovereign who kept her promises. She had promised Ming Chengli not to rob a bank, so robbing people should be perfectly fine, right?
Shi Changying leisurely continued forward, searching for a target. Not far away, three people stood together, yet no street thugs dared to approach them. These thugs might be local tyrants, but they still didn’t dare to provoke the true aristocrats of Jianghuai.
One of the young masters suddenly spoke up. "Mr. Huo, look! Is that... the girl the Xu family just brought back? She’s much prettier than in her photos. Since her father is the true son of the Xu family, wouldn’t that make her your actual fiancée?"
Huo Yunxing leaned casually against the wall with one long leg bent, letting out a cold sneer. "Fiancée?"
The issue with the Xu family’s bloodline was earth-shattering news. The paternity test results had just come out yesterday, and in the span of a single morning, the gossip had spread throughout Jiang’s social circles. The Huo family and the Xu family had arranged a marriage between their children long ago. Who could have anticipated such a dramatic twist?
"She’s from the countryside. She probably has no idea what kind of place Sui Jin Cave actually is, otherwise she wouldn’t have wandered in here." The first young master nudged Huo Yunxing’s arm. "Mr. Huo, do you want to play the hero?"
Huo Yunxing cast an indifferent glance at Shi Changying, who was already surrounded by several thugs. "Wait a bit longer. There’s no rush."
Just as Shi Changying was about to announce, "This is a robbery, hand over all your money," a tall, slender figure suddenly stepped into her line of sight, blocking the thugs’ malicious stares.
"I told you to wait for me over there. Why did you run off by yourself?" a voice murmured beside her ear. The tone was relaxed, carrying an unhurried, lazy cadence. "It’s one thing to be mad at me, but are you really going to abandon your milk tea too?"
Caught off guard by the hot beverage shoved into her hands, Shi Changying paused her movements, then took a sip from the straw.
It was very much to her liking.
Only then did she look up. The first thing she noticed was a narrow yet powerful waist, and further up was an exquisitely handsome face. The young man possessed a striking elegance. The moonlight bathed his refined features, and his deep, fox-like eyes looked affectionate yet entirely devoid of frivolity. In that moment, the very essence of royal nobility was personified in him.
Noticing her stare, he raised an eyebrow and unhurriedly held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Fine, it was my fault, Miss. Let’s go."
He was taller than her, so he leaned down slightly and extended a hand toward her. Although it was an inviting gesture, the look in his eyes carried an undeniable air of authority that brooked no refusal.
Hearing such intimate words, Shi Changying glanced at this stranger who had suddenly appeared. Was he pretending to be an acquaintance to help her out of a jam? She appreciated the sentiment, but she wasn’t leaving. No one could stop her from committing a robbery.
Coincidentally, the group of thugs shared her exact sentiment.
"Playing the hero, buddy? You want to leave, but did we give you permission?" The lead thug gave a superficial smile and reached out to grab Shi Changying’s shoulder. "Who let your girlfriend come out here in the middle of the night? If you can’t keep her in check, then don’t blame us for—AH!"
However, his hand never even touched Shi Changying before it was intercepted in midair. Shi Changying heard a crisp CRACK—the sound of bones breaking.
The thug fell to the ground, unable to get back up.
Shaoyuan gently blew a piece of willow catkin off his hand, the smile in his eyes vanishing without a trace. "If you don’t want to get lost, that’s fine too."
The remaining thugs looked at him, trembling, before scrambling away in sheer panic. Their departure instantly cleared the surrounding area, leaving it much quieter as no one else dared to approach.
"What incredible skills, Mr. Huo," the young master exclaimed in awe. "Did you see how he made his move?"
Huo Yunxing narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t seen it clearly. Just then, a teasing sigh echoed beside his ear. "Mr. Huo, it seems his skills are superior to yours. No wonder he dared to play the hero."
This remark caused Huo Yunxing’s expression to turn cold as he strode forward.
Shi Changying finished her milk tea with several loud GULPS and demanded, "Buy me dinner."
Shaoyuan halted his departing steps, turning sideways to look back at her. The girl tilted her head at him, giving off an adorable vibe like someone who had just learned how to be human. Yet, her eyes clearly conveyed the message that she would kill him if he did not comply.
Shaoyuan’s gaze swept downward from her brows and eyes, finally landing on her lips. "It seems someone just drank my cup of milk tea."
"You chased away my robbery targets." Shi Changying crossed her arms over her chest. "Now I don’t have any money for food, so you have to take responsibility."
Huo Yunxing happened to overhear this last sentence and let out a soft scoff. "Looking to a random passerby because you have no money for food? You’d be better off coming to me, lest you get sold off without even realizing it."
"Do you want to buy me dinner too?" Shi Changying shot Huo Yunxing a sideways glance. "How about this? The two of you fight it out. Whoever wins earns the right to buy me dinner."