“She wants to die.” Xie Zhifei stared viciously at Li Buyan.

“Miss Li, you mustn’t be impulsive!”

Huang Qi sighed. “Not only are there Imperial Guards in the palace, there are also the Emperor’s secret guards—each one a first-rate master.”

Zhu Qing: “Miss Li, the death Third Master mentioned means being torn apart by four horses.”

Li Buyan, thinking of her body being forcibly torn apart by four horses, quickly raised both hands and feet in surrender.

“Fine, pretend I said nothing.”

“You shouldn’t even have the thought.”

Xie Zhifei was rarely stern. “Having the thought means going to your death. Do you really think you can ascend to heaven and burrow into earth?”

Li Buyan had already surrendered, but hearing this, that stubborn streak rose again.

“Don’t just nag at me. Instead of nagging, use that time to think of a plan. My mother said men who only talk big will be reborn as eunuchs in their next life.”

“You…”

“Both of you go outside and fight too.” Yan Sanhe was getting a headache from these two bickering.

Li Buyan turned her head away: “…” This lady doesn’t bully the weak.

Xie Zhifei’s eyes turned cold: “…” Also? Who else is this troublemaker planning to fight?

The study was not only quiet but suffocating.

Young Master Pei couldn’t bear to see Yan Sanhe frown. “Worst case, I’ll enter the palace again and use divine spirits as an excuse to say that within three days, the palace cannot see blood—if blood is shed, great disaster will follow.”

Huang Qi was frightened, his eyes twitching. “Master, absolutely not.”

Young Master Pei: “Why not?”

Huang Qi pleaded earnestly, “Master, have you forgotten about the Bureau of Astronomy? They can calculate with their fingers and figure out Master is lying.”

Young Master Pei: “Those old geezers at the Bureau of Astronomy have such ability?”

Huang Qi muttered, “Master, the Bureau of Astronomy’s abilities are formidable.”

Young Master Pei slammed the table and stood up. “I don’t believe in that evil.”

Huang Qi grabbed his master around the waist. “Miss Yan, please talk some sense into him. My master is going to his death. If he dies, what do I do? What does the Pei family do?”

“No one is allowed to act rashly.”

Yan Sanhe slammed the table, shouting sternly, “Pei Mingting, sit down.”

Pei Mingting plopped down immediately, looking pitifully at Xie Zhifei: Brother, she’s so fierce!

Xie Zhifei sneered coldly: If she wasn’t fierce, could she suppress your household?

Yan Sanhe looked at the five faces before her. “We must resolve this heart demon, but we must also treasure our lives. No one is allowed to have accidents.”

Fearing they’d see her soften, she added, “Third Master said so.”

Third Master was stunned: “…” I only said you couldn’t have an accident.

Young Master Pei was stunned: “…” So behind her fierceness was concern that I not have an accident.

Huang Qi was stunned: “…” Miss Yan is becoming more human.

Zhu Qing: “…” When did my master become so human?

Li Buyan: “…” Tch, this girl didn’t remember anyone else’s words, only Third Master’s.

“Zhu Qing.”

Yan Sanhe: “Go wait at the palace gate. The moment there’s any movement, come report.”

Zhu Qing: “Alright.”

Yan Sanhe: “Huang Qi, Buyan.”

The two looked at her together.

“You two help me deliver a letter to the Lu family steward, Lu Da.”

Xie Zhifei panicked upon hearing this. “Why send him a letter?”

Li Buyan rarely aligned with Third Master. “Have you forgotten he nearly took your life?”

Yan Sanhe was silent for a moment. “Compared to my life, he should be more worried about his master’s life.”

“Miss Yan, you’re right.”

Everyone froze.

In this deathly silence, fear appeared on everyone’s faces in the study.

How could there be someone outside the window?

Why hadn’t a single person noticed his presence?

How long had he been listening here?

And—

Who was he?

“It’s Lu Da!”

Yan Sanhe would remember this voice even as a ghost.

Before Xie Zhifei could ask “what’s he doing here,” the window was suddenly pushed open, revealing a face so ordinary no one could remember it.

The moment Lu Da’s face appeared, three people in the room moved instantly.

Zhu Qing stepped forward, blocking in front of Xie Zhifei.

Huang Qi pulled Young Master Pei behind him.

Li Buyan drew her soft sword at the fastest speed.

Unfortunately, it was still too late.

Lu Da’s hand suddenly swept out, a white flash streaking before the three.

Thunk!

Something embedded itself in the desk.

The three turned to look, every hair on their bodies standing on end—it was an opera ticket.

Opera tickets were soft, the desk was made of red sandalwood.

Huang Qi: “…” Good heavens, what profound internal energy.

Zhu Qing: “…” No wonder no one heard any sound outside the window.

Li Buyan: “…” Confirmed through eye contact—this person, I cannot defeat.

“Miss Yan, tomorrow evening, my master invites you to hear another opera at Singing Spring Garden.”

As soon as the words fell, the person vanished in a whoosh.

The six people looked at each other, finally all gazes falling on that opera ticket.

Not a dream!

Lu Da had truly been here!

“Fuck!”

Young Master Pei jumped up in shock. “What act is this?”

Huang Qi was frightened. “The old censor is in the palace, about to be beheaded, isn’t he?”

Zhu Qing looked suspicious. “How does he still have the mind to invite Miss Yan to the opera?”

Li Buyan rubbed her head. “Ow, ow, it hurts, hurts!”

“Yan Sanhe.”

Xie Zhifei looked at her, his face pale. “Why does Lu Shi want to invite you to the opera?”

Yan Sanhe lowered her eyes to look at that opera ticket, feeling goosebumps all over. “Don’t know.”

Xie Zhifei: “What are his intentions?”

Yan Sanhe: “Don’t know.”

Xie Zhifei: “Is it ominous or auspicious?”

Yan Sanhe: “Don’t know.”

Xie Zhifei: “You cannot go.”

Yan Sanhe lifted her eyes, the corners carrying frost-like coldness. “Third Master Xie, I cannot not go.”

Xie Zhifei: “Why?”

“What did Lu Da just say? My master wants to invite you to hear another opera.”

Yan Sanhe looked back at him.

“What does this indicate? It indicates he’s already invited me to an opera once. The implication being, that day Buyan and I could enter Singing Spring Garden was his intention, his arrangement.”

Xie Zhifei’s brow pressed down. “And then?”

Yan Sanhe: “He’s thrown out the bait. Whether that bait is poisoned or not, I must bite. There’s no choice.”

“I don’t care about bait or poison.”

Xie Zhifei slammed the table. “Either don’t go, or I’m going with you.”

My wife, I will protect.

Young Master Pei also slammed the table, full of heroic spirit. “I must go along too.”

Li Buyan sheathed her soft sword. “Could this matter be without Hero Li?”

Huang Qi: “And me.”

Zhu Qing: “Miss Yan won’t leave me behind, will she?”

“…”

Miss Yan’s gaze grew slightly deeper as she looked at the five people before her. “But there’s only one opera ticket. What do we do?”

Third Master kicked Young Master Pei. “What do you say?”

Why me!

Young Master Pei glanced at Li Buyan. “What does the hero say?”

Don’t you know I’m just a pretty vase responsible for fighting!

Hero Li kicked the ball to Huang Qi. “You’re clever, you say.”

Me, clever?

Would a clever person be afraid of ghosts?

Huang Qi kicked with his toe at Zhu Qing. “You’re steady, you say.”

Steady Zhu Qing glanced faintly at Yan Sanhe. “I’ll listen to Miss Yan.”

Just then, Tangyuan’s voice sounded outside. “Third Master, a little beggar just came to deliver a message saying he’s left the palace and returned home.”

Left the palace?

Unharmed?

Xie Zhifei looked at Yan Sanhe in astonishment.