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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Xiaohan stared at Murong Jing, who was enjoying his meal so much that he had to look up and meet her gaze.
"Your sister didn't pay the bill, so it falls on you. After all, you didn't eat any less," Shangyang Princess remarked. The amount of food left over was minimal, and now only some scraps remained.
Murong Jing ate with grace, but he consumed his food quickly.
"Alright," Murong Jing said, glancing at the guard. Someone immediately went to settle the bill.
Ye Xiaohan collected every last coin; she wouldn't let a single one slip away. The royal family had plenty of money, and even the monthly allowances for princes and princesses were substantial. She had no intention of being polite.
Just as she finished collecting the payment, Gu Bei walked in through the door.
Gu Bei had become a semi-regular at the restaurant, so his presence wasn't surprising. The issue was that seeing Murong Jing made him uncomfortable.
Although he knew Ye Xiaohan could never have anything with Murong Jing, he simply didn't want to see them together.
"General Gu? What a coincidence! Come join us," Murong Jing called out to him, adding a few more dishes to the table.
Gu Bei initially had no intention of engaging with him; he just wanted to exchange pleasantries and then distance himself. But then he thought, if he left, Ye Xiaohan would still have to attend to Murong Jing.
It would be better for him to intercept her and prevent Murong Jing from getting too close to Ye Xiaohan.
With that in mind, Gu Bei accepted the invitation and sat down at the same table as Murong Jing.
Murong Jing was eager to win Gu Bei over. Although he had been rejected once before, such things rarely succeeded on the first try. Building relationships required more than just incentives; it needed time to prove sincerity.
For Murong Jing, every opportunity to interact with Gu Bei was valuable. Who knew? Perhaps Gu Bei might change his mind after all. Strengthening their relationship was essential.
As for Ye Xiaohan, seeing Gu Bei greet the Rebellious Prince, she felt a sense of relief and returned to her calculations.
Inside the tavern, the atmosphere seemed harmonious, at least on the surface. However, in a corner of the street, danger lurked both inside and out.
"What do you want?" The Shangyang Princess shielded her trembling maid behind her, confronting the group of thugs before her.
The thugs leered at the Shangyang Princess, their eyes roving over her body, making her feel disgusted.
"Sister, why are you dressed so beautifully? Did you come to play with your brothers?" one thug stepped forward to tease, prompting laughter from the others.
The Shangyang Princess was taken aback. To avoid being recognized and to carry out her plans, she had deliberately changed into men's clothing, thinking she was well-prepared. Little did she know that one of the thugs could see through her disguise at a glance.
"You’re mistaken! I’m not your sister; I’m a man!" The Shangyang Princess mustered her courage to respond.
The thugs burst into laughter. "Do you think wearing men's clothes makes you a man? Look at your delicate skin; who would be blind enough not to see through that?"
"So what? There's no rule saying women can't wear men's clothing! What I wear is none of your business, and it doesn't give you the right to bully me!"
The Shangyang Princess held her head high and declared, "Step aside! This young master is going home!"
"Oh, look at you! Quite the temper!" one thug remarked. "I like this type! Take her away!"
The thugs surged forward, pushing the already cornered Shangyang Princess and her maid further back.
"You dare!" The Shangyang Princess's heart raced, but she couldn't show weakness. "Do you know who I am? If my family finds out you've troubled me, you'll face annihilation!"
"Hahaha!" The ruffian laughed wildly. "You think you can threaten us? Let me tell you, I have no parents, no family—I've lived on my own!"
"Big Brother, stop wasting time with her. Just grab her!" Another ruffian couldn't hold back and suggested directly.
The Ruffian Leader waved his hand. "Take her away!"
"Let go of me! Let go of me!" The Shangyang Princess struggled desperately. However, as a pampered princess, the heaviest thing she usually handled was a bowl or chopsticks. Escaping from a group of ruffians was simply impossible.
Using all her strength, the Shangyang Princess deliberately drew the ruffians' attention to herself, ensuring no one noticed the maid cowering in the corner. She exchanged a knowing glance with the maid.
This maid had been specially chosen by the Queen from the new palace attendants to serve the Shangyang Princess. They had grown up together and shared a deep bond.
Receiving the princess's signal, the maid suppressed her intense fear and nodded. Seizing the moment when no one was watching, she bolted away.
"Big Brother, there's another one who got away!" One of the ruffians quickly noticed and asked how to handle it.
The Shangyang Princess struggled even harder; she had to let the maid escape to find help!
"Ah! This damn girl bit me!" One ruffian exclaimed as the Shangyang Princess sank her teeth into his arm. By the time he pulled his arm back, it was already oozing with tiny beads of blood.
"Forget about that! Just take this one back first!"
Several ruffians worked together to subdue the Shangyang Princess and forcibly dragged her away.
Meanwhile, the maid ran frantically back to the tavern.
“Third Prince, something terrible has happened! The princess has been kidnapped!” In a moment of crisis, she forgot to mask her panic and rushed towards Murong Jing, placing her hopes on him to rescue her.
“What!” Ye Xiaohan and Gu Bei were both taken aback; it had only been a short while since they left, and already such a thing had occurred.
Gu Bei looked around. Fortunately, there weren't many guests present, and the palace maids were not making a fuss. Since the maid had come directly to them, it seemed that not many people had heard.
The princess being in danger was a significant blow to the royal family. As the General, Gu Bei had to be ready at all times to uphold the honor of the royal house.
“What happened? Do you know?” Ye Xiaohan poured a cup of water for the maid, not for her to drink, but because in moments of extreme tension, holding something tightly could provide a sense of security and help calm her down.
The maid was articulate enough and hadn’t been scared into silence. She quickly recounted the events: “Third Prince, General Gu, the princess is about to be taken away! Please, you must save her!”
“Don’t worry; it’s my duty!” Gu Bei reassured her and immediately headed towards the location she indicated.
The maid looked at Gu Bei with gratitude and followed closely behind him as they rushed out.
Ye Xiaohan cast a puzzled glance at Murong Jing, who remained completely still, even refusing to set down his cup of tea.
“Your sister is about to be kidnapped, and you’re not even the slightest bit anxious?” Ye Xiaohan couldn’t believe it. Even she, as his ‘rival,’ didn’t want anything bad to happen to the princess. How could Murong Jing remain indifferent as her brother?
Murong Jing replied leisurely, “Isn’t General Gu already chasing after them? With General Gu around, what troublemaker wouldn’t be easily dealt with? My presence would only serve as a cheerleader.”
He took a sip of his tea and continued, “Besides, if Shangyang sees General Gu coming to rescue her, she’ll be overjoyed. If it were me, her unlikable brother, she would only give me a cold shoulder.”
Ye Xiaohan frowned and said, “With your attitude, it’s an understatement if she just gives you a cold shoulder. If it were me, I would have already taken action!”
This was her own younger sister. Even if someone had gone to rescue her first, it would be expected to follow anxiously. Ye Xiaohan suddenly felt a bit confused. Was the bond of royal family different from that of commoners? This kind of expression was truly thought-provoking.
After Ye Xiaohan finished her thoughts, she no longer paid attention to Murong Jing and instead chased after Gu Bei and the others who had left. Fortunately, she was quite familiar with this area and already knew where they were based on the descriptions.
Once everyone had left, Murong Jing set down her teacup, stood up, and followed behind them.
“Gu Bei!” Ye Xiaohan caught up to Gu Bei and asked anxiously, “Did you find her?”
Gu Bei shook his head. “When I arrived, she was already gone. Don’t worry; I’ve notified my subordinates, and they’ve started searching. We’ll have results soon.”
“Okay!” Ye Xiaohan ran a bit too hurriedly and stopped to catch her breath. She didn’t have much dislike for this somewhat willful princess.
The Shangyang Princess often displayed traits like a child who hadn’t fully grown up. She could be a bit spoiled, but her heart wasn’t bad. After all, she was a pampered princess, so having some princess-like behavior was normal.
But please, nothing must happen. Ye Xiaohan couldn’t help but recall the time when Liu Susu had sent people to capture her, nearly leading to her being assaulted, which made her stomach churn.
Gu Bei noticed Ye Xiaohan’s discomfort and gently patted her back.
At that moment, one of Gu Bei’s subordinates rushed over with news.
“General! We found her!”
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