Lin Yuxin lifted her gaze toward the breathtakingly beautiful man before her, a hint of doubt flashing through her eyes.

She had no connection to this “Yanran” gentleman, did she?

They had never met before, and it was unlikely that a single song played today could have moved him to help her.

But the thought quickly passed.

If he had ulterior motives, he would reveal them sooner or later—she was in no rush.

She picked up Xiao Hao, nodded politely to Yanran, and said, “Then, I’ll trouble you to lead the way.”

Yanran observed Lin Yuxin’s unflinching demeanor, the corners of his lips curving slightly.

As expected of someone favored by the “Calamity Star”—she indeed had courage.

“Please,” Yanran gestured in a particular direction.

Lin Yuxin carried Xiao Hao, followed by the small stool, and the three of them trailed behind Yanran as they made their way to the rear courtyard.

Unlike the lively front hall of Zhaixing Tower, the rear courtyard was much quieter.

Occasionally, they would pass by a few servants carrying tea and wine or some idle courtesans.

“Aren’t you afraid the Prime Minister will come after you?”

Yanran stole several glances at Lin Yuxin along the way before finally giving in to his curiosity and asking.

“It’s best if he doesn’t come after me. If he does, then his position as Prime Minister will likely come to an end.”

Lin Yuxin replied casually, as if stating something insignificant.

[Prime Minister Hou Mingyuan is over fifty now. He became Prime Minister at thirty and has held the position for over twenty years. In the beginning, he was a competent official, but over time, he became increasingly corrupt. Worse yet, he fathered a worthless son.]

[That would be Hou Lihai—the one from earlier. “Hou Lihai” (which sounds like “So Powerful”)? What a creative name. The moment she heard he was the Prime Minister’s son, she knew exactly who he was. That’s why she didn’t hold back—people like him deserved it.]

[Hou Lihai was a degenerate who indulged in debauchery and committed all sorts of atrocities. Over the years, he had used his father’s influence to do countless vile deeds—abducting women, forcing them into prostitution, driving innocent girls to despair. Not to mention, he also took bribes and sold government positions. If his father wasn’t complicit, she wouldn’t believe it for a second. If the Prime Minister dared to cause her trouble, she would take these matters straight to the Emperor.]

Yanran heard these words.

This time, he knew exactly where the voice was coming from.

He cast a strange look at Lin Yuxin.

Had he just heard this woman’s inner thoughts?

Could this be some supernatural phenomenon?

For a moment, Yanran found it hard to accept.

“Yanran Gongzi!”

“Yanran Gongzi!”

As they continued through the rear courtyard, nearly everyone they passed greeted Yanran with great respect.

Lin Yuxin couldn’t help but wonder—was Yanran more than just a renowned courtesan?

Eventually, the three of them arrived at the back gate of the courtyard.

Yanran gracefully flicked open his fan and said, “You may leave through here. No one will notice.”

Yanran chose not to mention what he had just heard.

The fact that he could hear Lin Yuxin’s thoughts was too bizarre, and the things she had said required further investigation.

He decided not to alert her.

“Thank you.”

Lin Yuxin bowed slightly as a gesture of gratitude before turning to leave.

Xiao Hao was nestled in the arms of the small stool, keeping his head down as he followed behind Lin Yuxin.

“Miss Lin, we will meet again.”

A deep, magnetic voice suddenly sounded from behind her.

Lin Yuxin, however, did not stop walking.

She saw no reason why she and that flamboyant man would have anything worth meeting again for.

Yanran watched Lin Yuxin’s retreating figure before turning to another direction with a teasing smile.

“Your Highness, aren’t you going to escort her? It’s quite unsafe for a young lady to be out this late.”

From the shadows, Li Xiaocheng slowly emerged.

He cast a cold glance at Yanran and spoke icily: “If your monthly performance doesn’t meet expectations, you’ll be conscripted into the army next month.”

Yanran’s smile stiffened.

His face was full of disbelief as he protested, “Your Highness, if you treat me like this, you’ll lose a loyal subordinate! And with my delicate skin and soft flesh, how could I possibly survive in the army? You’re sending me to my death!”

“Then go die.”

Li Xiaocheng’s fingers twitched as he resisted the urge to strike Yanran.

After a brief moment, he clenched and then released his hand.

“Investigate Hou Mingyuan.”

Without sparing Yanran another glance, Li Xiaocheng turned and disappeared into the night, pursuing Lin Yuxin.

Yanran stood there, his face full of grievance, looking in the direction Li Xiaocheng had gone.

To an outsider, it would seem as though Li Xiaocheng had abandoned his wife and child.

But then, Yanran snapped back to reality.

Why did Li Xiaocheng suddenly order an investigation into Hou Mingyuan?

Had he noticed something?

Meanwhile, after catching up with Lin Yuxin, Li Xiaocheng chose not to approach her directly—he didn’t want to scare her away again.

This time, he decided to take things slow and simply followed from the shadows, ensuring their safe return.

Only after they had entered the Zhao residence did he finally turn and leave.

By the time Lin Yuxin and her companions made it home, it was already close to the Hour of the Boar (9–11 PM).

As soon as she stepped into her Tingyu Pavilion, she saw Zhao Hanya sitting in her courtyard.

Lin Yuxin froze, suddenly feeling guilty and wanting to retreat.

“You still know to come home, huh?”

Zhao Hanya’s cold voice rang from the courtyard.

“Hehehe… Mother, you haven’t gone to bed yet?”

Lin Yuxin halted her retreat and quickly put on a fawning smile as she stepped forward.

“If I had gone to bed, how would I know that my daughter is still out this late? And you, small stool, I told you to watch over the young lady. How could you let her stay out so late? She’s an unmarried girl—what about her reputation?”

Zhao Hanya was both furious and worried.

She couldn’t bring herself to scold her daughter or the little prince, so she directed her frustration at the small stool instead.

“Madam, it’s my fault! I failed to stop the young lady. Please forgive me!”

Small stool was terrified.

He immediately dropped to his knees, pleading for mercy.

Lin Yuxin frowned but knew that her mother only meant well.

Still, she had indeed lost track of time today.

Looking down at the little Xiao Hao in her arms, she suddenly spoke up:

“Oh no, Mother, my hands are about to fall off from carrying Xiao Hao all the way home. Please don’t be mad at small stool. Here, small stool, take Xiao Hao to bed.”

She exaggerated her exhaustion while subtly signaling small stool to make his escape.

Thankfully, they had taken turns carrying Xiao Hao on the way back, so at this moment, he was in small stool’s arms.

Small stool caught on quickly.

He immediately kowtowed to Zhao Hanya before rising, still holding Xiao Hao, but hesitated to leave, cautiously glancing at Zhao Hanya.

Lin Yuxin rubbed her sore arms and pouted at her mother.

“Mother, if you want to scold someone, scold me. I did lose track of time, but Xiao Hao is innocent. Let small stool take him to bed—what if he doesn’t grow tall enough in the future?”

Zhao Hanya sighed in exasperation. She would never risk stunting the little prince’s growth—if the Emperor recognized him later and blamed her, she’d be doomed. Reluctantly, she gave in and waved her hand.

“Go.”

Small stool let out a sigh of relief. Miss Lin always had a way out.

After he left, Zhao Hanya crossed her arms and glared at Lin Yuxin.

“Now, tell me—where have you been all night?”

She needed to have a serious talk with her daughter—her heart couldn’t take these late-night adventures!