After sending Ye Ying off, having completed all the necessary formalities, Ye Li no longer paid attention to the others’ complex gazes and happily swept her sleeves as she returned to Clear Leisure Pavilion.

Just as she stepped into the study, Ye Li paused slightly before turning to instruct, “Qing Luan stay to attend me, everyone else may go rest.” Though Qing Shuang and the others were somewhat puzzled, they knew Ye Li usually disliked having too many people around and assumed she had something to tell Qing Luan privately, so they curtsied and withdrew. Qing Luan stood quietly by the door awaiting her mistress’s instructions. Ye Li walked to the window and stood there, her gaze sweeping around the study before finally landing on the gauze curtain separating the inner and outer rooms. She asked softly, “Won’t you come out?”

There was no movement in the study, but two cold, gleaming short daggers had appeared in Qing Luan’s hands, her usually gentle and harmless gaze gaining a sharp killing intent.

After waiting a moment with still no response, Ye Li frowned slightly in displeasure. She threw something the size of a pigeon’s egg toward the gauze curtain. A thick white smoke rose, and within moments a figure lunged through the smoke toward Ye Li but suddenly collapsed near the window, cold daggers pressed against his spine. However, Ye Li was no longer before him – at some point, she had moved to stand several feet away from his side.

“I truly didn’t expect Third Miss Ye to be so skilled. I admit defeat,” the man smiled bitterly, helplessly relaxing his softened body onto the floor.

Ye Li’s expression remained unchanged. “Compared to you, sir, I’m far inferior. However, after last night’s strange encounter, I felt some preparations were necessary.”

The man raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned about the daggers still pressed against his back, and smiled at Ye Li, “You knew it was me last night? Could it be… you can’t stop thinking about me after that encounter?” Even Ye Li had to admit the man before her was extremely handsome. Unlike Feng Zhiyao’s unrestrained romantic air, his features held more of a devilish charm and deliberately affected ambiguity. If it were an ordinary young lady, she would inevitably have fled with a red face from anger or embarrassment. Unfortunately, Ye Li was far from ordinary. “I would think you should be more concerned about… what’s behind you rather than me. Believe me, with just a bit more pressure at that spot, though your life wouldn’t be in danger, I guarantee you’d spend the rest of your life bedridden.” As if to prove Ye Li’s words, the sharp daggers pressed forward slightly, sending piercing pain throughout his body. The man’s expression changed slightly as he forced a smile, “Surely Third Miss Ye isn’t planning to silence me permanently?”

Ye Li shook her head, her beautiful face breaking into a rare brilliant smile that sent chills down the prone man’s spine. “Silencing witnesses isn’t something a proper young lady should do. So, I plan to hand you over to someone else. I hear quite a few people are looking for you. Should I send you to the Prince of Ding or Prince Li?”

The man looked pleadingly at Ye Li with a suffering expression. In the Prince of Ding’s hands he would certainly lose limbs, and in Prince Li’s hands – well, just by the fact that someone was still standing here threatening him, Prince Li would want his life too. “Third Miss, I was merely doing a job I was paid for. Besides, I helped you too, didn’t I? Couldn’t you show mercy and spare me?”

Ye Li turned to find a comfortable chair and sat down, smiling as she asked, “Were you helping me? Wasn’t it rather that Mo Jingli had offended you and you wanted to teach him a lesson?”

Seeing his pleas weren’t working, the man dropped his smile and said seriously, “Consider that I owe Third Miss a favor, how’s that?”

Ye Li propped her chin on her hand, smiling lazily, “Oh? Even if you dare to owe it, I wouldn’t dare accept a favor from the Romance Master of Clear Wind Bright Moon House.” Clear Wind Bright Moon House – the world’s premier pleasure house. Han Mingyue, the Romance Master – the infamous flower thief known throughout the land. Being associated with him meant the complete ruin of one’s reputation.

This time the man’s expression changed completely as he stared at Ye Li, “You have my jade pendant?” Those who knew that the Romance Master and the master of Clear Wind Bright Moon House were the same person could be counted on one hand. “This young master wasn’t aware that the Minister’s Third Miss, the future Princess Consort of Prince Ding, possessed such capabilities.” Being able to take his jade pendant without him noticing was no easy feat. Han Mingyue wondered if he’d picked a bad day to come to the capital. Originally he’d just acted on a whim to help Prince Li grab a young lady for fun, but who knew this seemingly harmless noble daughter would turn out to be a poisonous flower? He’d wanted to play with the arrogant Prince Li but ended up getting himself entangled instead. Within half an hour of leaving that grove he’d discovered he was being tracked, and within two hours one group of pursuers had become two. By dawn, even Mo Jingli’s men had joined the hunt.

Ye Li merely smiled without speaking, patiently watching the handsome man before her. Finally, Han Mingyue raised his hands in surrender and said, “Third Miss Ye, what would it take for you to let me go?”

“Access to Clear Wind Bright Moon House’s intelligence network when necessary,” Ye Li stated her condition.

Han Mingyue’s eyes flickered, “This humble one doesn’t understand Miss Ye’s meaning.”

“Pleasure houses and taverns – the greatest hubs for gathering and distributing intelligence. I guess… you have quite good relations with Heaven’s First Pavilion, don’t you?” Heaven’s First Pavilion was Da Chu’s most mysterious intelligence organization, making its living by selling information. However, its secretive operations had left many who tried to find it empty-handed. “Master Han can get up now. If I haven’t miscalculated, the drug’s effects should have worn off,” Ye Li calmly reminded the man still pretending to lie helplessly on the ground.

Han Mingyue showed no embarrassment at being exposed, rising gracefully to dust off nonexistent dirt from his clothes before bowing to Ye Li, “Third Miss Ye’s perspicacity truly leaves me in awe.” For a sheltered noble lady to deduce the relationship between Clear Wind Bright Moon House and Heaven’s First Pavilion was indeed remarkable. “I’ll gift the jade pendant to Third Miss. Whenever you need anything, just have someone bring the pendant to find me. With Third Miss’s abilities, I’m sure you know where to find people.”

Ye Li accepted graciously, nodding, “Many thanks. I’ll ask the Prince of Ding to choose a different gift for His Highness Prince Li.”

Han Mingyue smiled bitterly, looking at Ye Li, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my word?”

Ye Li smiled radiantly, “Not unless you want the whole world to know about the Romance Master’s connection to Clear Wind Bright Moon House and Heaven’s First Pavilion. Please see yourself out.”

“I take my leave.”

Qing Luan put away her daggers and watched Han Mingyue leave through the window, frowning in confusion, “Young Miss, you’re just letting him go like this?”

Ye Li stood by the window, staring at where Han Mingyue’s figure had disappeared, “Did you think he was the master of Clear Wind Bright Moon House?”

“Isn’t he?”

Ye Li played with the jade pendant in her hand, “I guess not. But he must be very close to the real Han Mingyue. It wouldn’t be worth angering Han Mingyue over him.”

“Third Miss Ye is most perceptive.” A playful voice with a lazy laugh came from outside. Ye Li looked up at Feng Zhiyao, who was somehow now leaning against the eaves, and smiled, “Master Feng, arriving uninvited is not gentlemanly behavior.”

Feng Zhiyao fanned himself with natural grace as if he were at a grand gathering with thousands of eyes upon him rather than outside a young lady’s private quarters. “Third Miss’s methods and insight truly humble this Feng Third. It’s not easy to take advantage of Han Mingyue.”

Ye Li smiled lightly, “I never take advantage of others, and I believe Master Han would agree. However, Master Feng’s lightness skills that let you enter and leave the Minister’s mansion as if it were empty land almost rival the Romance Master’s.”

A vein twitched on Feng Zhiyao’s forehead as he struggled to maintain his elegant demeanor. “His Highness the Prince of Ding invites Third Miss Ye to attend Prince Li’s wedding together.”

Ye Li raised an eyebrow, “The Prince of Ding will attend such an occasion?” She remembered that since Mo Xiuyao’s incident, he had never appeared openly in public.

Feng Zhiyao smiled, “Times change. Originally there were no such plans. I hear the decision was made just this morning. I trust it won’t disappoint Third Miss.”

Ye Li blinked, immediately understanding the implications in Feng Zhiyao’s words, and nodded with a smile, “Thank you for bringing the message, Master Feng.”

“This Feng Third awaits your esteemed presence.”