In the Void Space, the Celestial Beast had just perked up its little ears when it heard these words: [I suddenly realize, your skin is really too thick—how can you even ask such a thing? The male lead is such a gentle, refined, and kind-hearted gentleman. Since you’ve already said it, how could he possibly refuse?]
Gu Xi kicked it with her Spiritual Sense. The Celestial Beast, sent flying, immediately cowered and shut up.
Jun Qi stood there. Even without him speaking, everyone could sense from his gentle smile that he was a mild-mannered, elegant, and composed person.
It seemed unlikely he would utter words of refusal.
Just as everyone expected.
Jun Qi still wore a courteous smile on his face. “Since Your Highness has not yet dined either, let us eat together.”
A moment later.
The dishes were arranged one by one by the palace maids, and then the hall doors were gently closed.
Only Tao Yao and one eunuch remained inside to serve Gu Xi and Jun Qi.
Beside the dining table, Gu Xi smiled brightly. “These are all dishes you like, Young Master Qi. Please try them.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Jun Qi smiled slightly and inquired with concern, “Your Highness’s complexion seems much better these days.”
Gu Xi nodded. “Thank you for your concern, Young Master Qi.”
The two exchanged another smile.
It gave off a rather misleading impression of a “peaceful and harmonious” couple who “support each other through thick and thin.”
Thinking this, Tao Yao was startled and quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought from her mind.
Halfway through the evening meal.
Just as Gu Xi picked up a small piece of green vegetable.
Suddenly.
The candlelight in the hall seemed to dim slightly.
Gu Xi glanced in the direction outside the hall as if by accident, pausing her chopsticks holding the vegetable for a moment.
Under his sleeve, Jun Qi’s fingertips also stilled.
But on the surface, both maintained their smiles unwaveringly—one a gentle gentleman, the other a delicate lady—as if completely unaware of any disturbance.
A few seconds later, just as the two continued to pick up dishes and eat.
Abruptly.
Doors and windows rattled, cold winds rose, and the sound of clashing swords rang out from outside the hall, accompanied by sharp, grating collisions and chaotic footsteps.
Through the windows, the voices of several Golden Scale Guards also reached inside the hall at that moment. “Quick! Protect Her Highness!!”
“An assassin failed to kill His Majesty and is heading toward the Cold Palace! Her Highness is here! Quickly protect Her Highness!”
“Protect Her Highness!!”
Another wave of increasingly heavy clashes between blades and weapons followed.
“The assassin is here! Kill him!!”
A blade flew from an unknown direction in the courtyard and struck the door panel, breaking a large hole in it.
Tao Yao was terrified, her face pale as she screamed, “Ah!”
Beside her, the eunuch’s chopsticks also fell to the ground.
Recovering, Tao Yao hurriedly shielded Gu Xi. “Your Highness! There’s an assassin, Your Highness!”
Noticing Jun Qi’s gaze turning toward her.
In an instant, Gu Xi coughed heavily several times. Her face grew increasingly pale, her eyes watering from the coughing, her whole body swaying unsteadily, clearly appearing very frightened.
Trembling, she cautiously tugged at Jun Qi’s sleeve. “Young… Young Master Qi, what should we do? I’m a little scared…”
In the Void Space, the Celestial Beast, now accustomed to such scenes, was no longer surprised by Gu Xi’s performance as a master of changing expressions.
Little Beast put on an eye mask, lay down on the small bed, cut off all connection with the outside world, covered its little ears, and began to sleep like a salted fish.
Jun Qi looked at Gu Xi’s pale, paper-like complexion. “Your Highness, stay hidden here and don’t move. The Golden Scale Guard is outside, so don’t worry. Nothing will happen.”
Gu Xi leaned closer toward him. “Young Master Qi, they say your martial arts were crippled by villains. I’m frail and sickly, and I don’t know martial arts either. If the assassins break in, what should we do?”
Jun Qi’s expression was hidden by his dark hair, and no one could see the look in his eyes, but his voice was gentle. “It’s fine. The Golden Scale Guard is here. Don’t be afraid.”
An unknown amount of time passed.
Night gradually darkened, and the sounds of fighting outside the hall slowly subsided.
The voice of a Golden Scale Guard came from outside the door. “Your Highness, the assassins have been captured.”
Tao Yao, who had been shielding Gu Xi and Jun Qi, let out a sigh of relief, and the eunuch scrambled to his feet from the ground.
The evening meal had been interrupted halfway through, and naturally, it couldn’t be finished.
In the end, escorted by the Golden Scale Guard, Gu Xi returned to Moon Embracing Palace.
News of Princess Yun Xi nearly being assassinated quickly spread throughout the palace.
Emperor Chu was furious. He ordered the assassins imprisoned in the palace dungeon and sentenced them to death by a thousand cuts at dawn the next day. He also sent imperial physicians to Moon Embracing Palace, fearing that Gu Xi might have suffered a fright or some mishap.
By the time the imperial physicians left and everything quieted down, it was already late at night.
The palace at night was enveloped in a deep, dark sky, as if thick ink had been heavily smeared across the horizon, blocking out all light. A desolate, cold wind rustled the leaves, and withered leaves drifted one after another onto the icy ground.
On the palace pathways, patrolling guards carefully inspected their surroundings.
Suddenly, a faint sound came from a patch of weeds.
“Who’s there?” Several guards narrowed their eyes, staring toward the direction of the weeds.
A cat leaped out from the weeds.
Seeing no one, the guards slowly withdrew their gazes.
After the guards left, a masked figure in black appeared in a small corner near the dungeon, along the palace pathway.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that the figure’s eyes were unmistakably those of today’s assassin.
The black-clad figure stared with murderous intent in the direction where the guards had left, letting out a disdainful, cold laugh.
He had just escaped from the dungeon—it couldn’t hold him. Today, he had only been captured by the Golden Scale Guard because he was injured and outnumbered.
In this vast palace, aside from that dog emperor, there wasn’t a single person with formidable martial arts skills, and they thought they could kill him? Hah, how laughable!
But before leaving, he would give this foolish ruler a grand gift.
Thinking of this, the black-clad figure’s eyes turned icy and bloodthirsty, narrowing like a venomous snake.
Since he hadn’t succeeded in killing the dog emperor this time…
Taking advantage of the lax security in the palace at night, he would definitely kill the foolish ruler’s most beloved daughter and make him suffer in agony.
Just a sickly weakling—killing her would be as easy as lifting a finger…