Liu Ruoxi wasn’t a petty person by nature. It was just that Yin Yin had been living openly at Zhuwang’s headquarters these days and was frequently coming and going together with Ling Long. Liu Ruoxi simply couldn’t continue pretending not to notice Yin Yin’s presence anymore.

She did indeed like Ling Long, but she was also well aware that Ling Long didn’t like her. Though Liu Ruoxi was not some noble lady of prestigious lineage or royal blood, she wasn’t the type to shamelessly pursue a man who had no interest in her. Because she knew that if the person in Ling Long’s heart wasn’t her, then it wouldn’t be anyone else in this world either.

But the appearance of this Yin Yin made her uncertain.

She had never seen Ling Long show so much concern for anyone before— not just for a woman, but for any person. He even allowed Yin Yin to live so grandly at Zhuwang’s headquarters. There were plenty of inns in the capital, and as the eldest miss of Yin Manor, Yin Yin had more than enough money. Was it really that hard to find a place to stay?

Though Liu Ruoxi’s background couldn’t compare to Yin Yin’s wealth and status, she, too, had been cherished since childhood. With her beauty, sharp mind, and exceptional talent in martial arts, she was always the object of admiration wherever she went.

And now she had lost to a spoiled, willful, and foolish young lady? This, Liu Ruoxi could not accept under any circumstances.

Now, finally seeing this so-called eldest miss in person, Liu Ruoxi found her to be nothing remarkable. She was pretty, sure, but if it came down to looks, Liu Ruoxi had never lost to anyone. Yet the words that came out of the other party’s mouth left Liu Ruoxi completely bewildered.

She could still understand the part about the deluxe meal. But what in the world was ‘gnawed chicken^[1]kěn dé jī (啃得鸡); same pronunciation as KFC (肯德基) ’?

To expect Liu Ruoxi to admit she was less well-informed than a brainless young lady was impossible. So she chalked it up to Yin Yin simply acting like a fool on purpose.

Yin Yin, of course, had no idea Liu Ruoxi’s thoughts were running wild. She only noticed Liu Ruoxi now looking at her like she was a complete idiot. Yin Yin suddenly thought that Liu Ruoxi and Mo Lingya really made a good pair. How else could they resemble each other so much?

Because there was no way she would admit people looked at her that way simply because she was a fool.

“Miss Liu.” Luo Bing, who had stood by Du Qianqian like a wooden stump until now, suddenly spoke up, “Have you been well?”

Liu Ruoxi finally moved her gaze away from Yin Yin. “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I’m doing well.” She glanced at Du Qianqian standing to the side. “Is this Prince Luo’s youngest daughter?”

Luo Bing nodded. “Yes, this is my sister, Qianqian.”

Du Qianqian didn’t look too good either. Even the most oblivious person could catch the undercurrent between Liu Ruoxi and Yin Yin from their brief exchange. But the phrase the enemy of my enemy is my friend didn’t always apply— especially not now.

Du Qianqian clearly wasn’t going to become friends with Liu Ruoxi. Her mood was already terrible. Dealing with Yin Yin alone was exhausting, and now she had to add Liu Ruoxi into the mix. The very thought drained her. What baffled her even more was that she hadn’t encountered Liu Ruoxi in her previous life. Where had this woman suddenly sprung from?

Liu Ruoxi, however, didn’t even spare Du Qianqian a second glance. After all, there were plenty of girls in the capital who liked Ling Long. If she let every single one of them bother her, she’d wear herself out. She quickly shifted her gaze back to Ling Long. “Ling Long, I’ll wait for you tonight at the usual place, consider it a welcome back.”

Huuuuh?! The usual place?!

Now that was a lethal phrase. Yin Yin felt half her life bar drain instantly.

And the timing— tonight, no less.

Yin Yin stared intently at Ling Long, eyes practically burning with two little flames. Ling Long’s eyelids twitched slightly before he replied to Liu Ruoxi, “I have plans tonight. Another time.”

Liu Ruoxi wasn’t surprised by Ling Long’s refusal. What annoyed her was the smug little look on Yin Yin’s face. She had just been about to put the arrogant young lady in her place when a familiar voice rang out from the sparring platform, “Tianxiang Society’s Bitao, requesting a few moves from Senior.”

Liu Ruoxi frowned slightly. This Bitao really doesn’t know her place. With her mediocre skills, she’d barely manage a few moves against the likes of Miss Yin here. And now she dared go up on the stage?

Sure enough, Bitao was quickly sent flying off the platform— not of her own will, of course. She was struck down.

Just as Liu Ruoxi was about to leap forward to catch her, a water-green blur swept in from the side, caught Bitao mid-air, and landed lightly on the stage.

Yin Yin craned her neck to watch. That water-green figure was another young woman who had now captured everyone’s attention. It wasn’t that she was extraordinarily beautiful, but because of the horrifying ghost mask on her face that drew the eye.

Lu Cheng, the sect leader of Qianshan Sect, gave her a few glances and asked, “Young miss, are you also with the Tianxiang Society?”

The girl in green said nothing but nodded.

Liu Ruoxi called from below the platform, “Sect Leader Lu, Shancha has trouble speaking. I hope you won’t mind.”

Lu Cheng indeed didn’t mind. He nodded at Shancha. “Young miss, please begin.”

A green water sleeve darted out like a serpent and coiled around Lu Cheng’s waist. Shancha pushed off with the tip of her foot, flying straight toward him. Yin Yin watched intently. This Shancha’s martial arts skills were clearly far better than Bitao’s. After more than ten moves with Lu Cheng, she still showed no sign of defeat. And by the golden rules of storytelling, anyone wearing a mask was usually a great beauty.

So Yin Yin placed high hopes on Shancha. Even if, based on Liu Ruoxi’s tone, the girl might be mute, that only added to her charm! And anyway, what mattered most was the face.

But then Lu Cheng feinted a move and removed Shancha’s mask, and Yin Yin remembered another saying— there’s always an exception.

Shancha, unfortunately, was that one-in-ten exception.

When the crowd below saw her face, they collectively gasped. Her face was badly disfigured by burn scars, and Yin Yin could only describe it as tragic.

Lu Cheng clearly hadn’t expected this either. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do as Shancha froze. Luckily, she recovered quickly, snatched the mask back, and vanished from sight in a single leap.

“Apologies, everyone. I must leave.” Liu Ruoxi said anxiously, clearly worried for Shancha. She was just about to give chase when Luo Bing stopped her. “Miss Liu, when might we have the pleasure of speaking again?”

Liu Ruoxi tossed out a quick, “Another day”, before hurrying after Shancha.

Tsk, tsk. Yin Yin watched Luo Bing’s dejected expression. Truly, falling petals have feelings, but the flowing water is heartless. Yin Yin sincerely hoped he could catch Liu Ruoxi, because if he succeeded, that would mean one less rival for her.

But…… if it were her, she’d also choose Ling Long over Luo Bing. Kneel.

Yin Yin now felt utterly conflicted. Sometimes, a perfect idol could be a real headache.

……

After the first day’s matches ended, Yin Yin followed Ling Long absentmindedly as they walked back. Mo Lingya had vanished at some point, but Yin Yin didn’t care where he’d gone— so long as he didn’t appear before her again. Li Li had cleverly dragged Sang Ze away early. They had no intention of becoming collateral damage.

Ling Long glanced at the listless Yin Yin beside him. “Yinyin.” He called softly.

Yin Yin’s brow twitched, but she kept her head down, ignoring him.

Ling Long’s lips curled ever so slightly, and he called again, “Yinyin.”

She’s still going to ignore him!

Ling Long raised an eyebrow, turned on his heel, and walked away without the slightest hesitation.

Yin Yin panicked. She quickly looked up and scampered after him. “Did you just call me?”

Ling Long couldn’t help but chuckle. “Weren’t you ignoring me?”

“Total misunderstanding!” Yin Yin grinned desperately. “What did you need?”

Ling Long gave her a glance and said, “Ruoxi once saved my life.”

Yin Yin froze. “She didn’t force you to repay her with your body, did she?”

Ling Long: “……”

He suddenly felt very foolish for trying to have a serious conversation with her.

Yin Yin blinked at him. “Ling Long, are you engaged?”

Ling Long: “……”

Now it was his turn to ignore her.

He didn’t reply, but Yin Yin took his silence as confirmation that he wasn’t. She simply couldn’t picture Ling Long in red wedding robes bowing before an altar with someone else.

“Ling Long.” Yin Yin tugged his sleeve, hesitating a little. “The ‘usual place’ Liu Ruoxi mentioned, where is that?”

Ling Long gave her a sidelong glance. “Tianxiang Pavilion.”

Tianxiang^[2]Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion?

Why did that sound like some place for a…… questionable profession?

Yin Yin stared at Ling Long with a look of betrayal.

Ling Long saw her expression and immediately guessed she’d misunderstood again. He knocked her lightly on the head. “Tianxiang Pavilion is a restaurant Ruoxi owns, managed by Tianxiang Society. We used to drink and chat there occasionally.”

Yin Yin frowned. Drinking and chatting? They’re probably also stargazing and moon-watching, and having deep philosophical talks about life and poetry.

She looked up at him, clearly displeased. “Where is this Tianxiang Pavilion?”

“What are you planning? Don’t tell me you’re going to crash the place?”

“We’ll also stargaze and moon-watch and talk about poetry and life!”

“……” Also? What do you mean also?

……

When Ling Long brought Yin Yin to stand outside Tianxiang Pavilion, he sighed silently. He really was losing his principles.

Ling Long seemed to be a regular there. As soon as he entered, a girl greeted him warmly. “Young Master Ling Long, you’re here~” But when she saw Yin Yin beside him, her smile faded. “And this young miss is……?”

“Miss Yin, the eldest miss of Yin Manor.”

The girl raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so this is the Miss Yin who’s giving our sect leader trouble?”

Heh.

Yin Yin gave the girl a bright, sincere smile. “If I’m a thorn in your hearts, I consider that a great honor.”

The girl: “……”

“Young Master Ling Long.” Bitao, who had been on the stage earlier, descended the stairs. “Our sect leader is waiting for you in Qingle Pavilion. Oh, and she said, if Miss Yin doesn’t mind, she’s welcome to join.”