"Sit down."
At the prince's command, Li Yutang and Zhang Hanshan dared not say another word. They quietly sat on the chairs on the side, letting out a sigh of relief.
They had narrowly escaped the danger. Everyone said the Prince of Nan'an was indifferent and cold, and it seemed the rumors were true.
Chu Qianyi saw the prince's expression darken further. If he continued to provoke him, this fellow might hold a grudge for a long time. He stopped his playful demeanor, his gaze shifting to look down at the floor.
"Did you see that woman? She's here again."
Upon hearing his words, Murong Liuzhao leaned forward, resting against Chu Qianyi, and looked down.
In a corner of the tea house, a woman in white was leisurely drinking tea, exuding a calm, unignorable aura.
Among the bustling crowd, she stood out, making her the first person you noticed, unique and unlike the common faces.
"Who is she?"
Murong Liuzhao's gaze deepened. Almost at the same time, he saw Mei Xin and Lu'er, the young maids from the Mu manor. So, who was this radiant woman?
"Mu Qingyao, the third young lady of the Mu manor. Many people are discussing her, saying she was 'awakened' by your punch and no longer acts foolishly."
"Ridiculous?"
Murong Liuzhao raised an eyebrow dismissively, withdrew his body, and sat beside Chu Qianyi, shifting his gaze to the table.
Zhang Hanshan, the young master of the prefecture who had been sitting quietly, nimbly stepped forward to pour the prince a cup of tea and handed it to him. "Your Highness, please have some tea."
"Mm," Murong Liuzhao nodded, took the tea, and took a sip. He then looked up at Chu Qianyi.
This fellow always seemed to have nothing to do, always seeking out amusement wherever it could be found. "It seems you've been too idle lately."
"Idle? Idle? This is a matter you started, and I'm only interested because of it."
Chu Qianyi's peripheral vision drifted. He saw that the woman remained expressionless from beginning to end, neither hurried nor flustered, calm and elegant.
From time to time, she glanced up at their private room. Was she playing hard to get, or was she so astute that she knew they were observing her?
"Utterly boring!"
Murong Liuzhao glared at the fellow with annoyance. He was clearly a capable person, yet he did nothing and only engaged in these pointless activities.
"Qianyi, you?"
Before Murong Liuzhao could finish his sentence, Chu Qianyi raised his hand to stop him.
He knew what he wanted to say. His eyes suddenly deepened, and he turned his gaze elsewhere, slowly speaking word by word.
"Your Highness, why don't I go down and test her, see if she's playing hard to get, or if she's truly been awakened by you?"
"Chu Qianyi," Murong Liuzhao roared in anger, glaring at the fellow with a sudden surge of hostility.
The others in the private room were terrified, but it didn't affect Chu Qianyi at all. He smiled with a devilish charm, adjusted his sleeve, drank his tea, and spoke slowly.
"Jin, shall we go down and meet Miss Mu the Third?"
"Yes, Young Master."
Jin opened the door to the private room, respectfully ushering his master out. The two then slipped downstairs.
Murong Liuzhao couldn't be bothered to stop him, and in fact, he couldn't. Most importantly.
He also wanted to see what tricks that woman was playing. His lips curved into a cold, straight line. If that woman dared to grab Qianyi in public, he would never let her go.
Murong Liuzhao sat in Chu Qianyi's former position. The angle was just right, allowing him to see the situation in that corner perfectly.
In a corner of the hall, Mu Qingyao slowly finished her tea and admired the street view. She had been out for half the day.
She was also a little tired. It seemed the thief on the second floor wasn't going to show himself. Since that was the case, why waste any more time? She might as well go back.
"Mei Xin, let's go back."
As soon as Mu Qingyao spoke, Mei Xin and Lu'er's hearts finally settled. They immediately stood up with smiles. "Yes, Miss, let's go."
Unfortunately, before she could stand up, a heavenly voice rang out, "Isn't this Miss Mu the Third?"
Mu Qingyao looked up and met the gaze of a man in dark robes, tall and slender.
His long, narrow peach blossom eyes flashed with a captivating light, and a faint, elusive smile played on his lips, yet it drew one's gaze.
So, it was a charming man. Mu Qingyao smiled playfully. This man seemed to be the son of her father's sworn enemy, Prime Minister Chu Fengyu.
Chu Qianyi, the eldest son of the Chu family. What did his appearance at this moment mean? Was he looking for trouble?
Mu Qingyao calmly sat back down, her eyes intelligent and composed, neither angered nor pleased. There was a natural dignity in her expression, and a smile touched her lips as she nodded politely and distantly.
"Does Young Master Chu have something to say?"
"I was merely curious if the person before me was indeed Miss Mu the Third. I heard Miss Mu the Third was injured yesterday, and shouldn't she be recuperating at home by now? Why is she out and about?"
Chu Qianyi's gaze scanned Mu Qingyao with a probing look. At this moment, he couldn't fathom what this woman was thinking.
This was a rare occurrence. The woman before him was not the infatuated Mu Qingyao at all. Who was she?
Mu Qingyao's eyes gleamed with intelligence, and she curved her lips into a gentle smile. Her refined and ethereal face was like a lotus emerging from the water in the morning.
Tender and elegant, pure and noble. Her clear, aquatic eyes were transparent, captivating the observer's attention, until her cool voice rang out.
"Young Master Mu, you jest."
She stood up, preparing to leave. The one who had stolen from her on the second floor must have been this eldest son Chu. Since she knew it was him, why engage in further entanglement?
Mu Qingyao glanced at Mei Xin and Lu'er on the side. The two young maids were staring blankly at the eldest son Chu, their cheeks flushed, clearly charmed.
It was understandable, they were young girls in love, especially when faced with such a captivating man.
"Mei Xin, Lu'er, we're going back."
The two young maids came back to their senses and replied shyly, "Yes, Miss."
Mu Qingyao rose and left gracefully. As they brushed past each other, Chu Qianyi suddenly reached out and grabbed her slender arm, saying in a cold tone, "Speak, who are you?"
Mu Qingyao didn't expect Chu Qianyi to suddenly make a move. She twisted her wrist, condensing her internal energy, and broke free from his grasp.
Since this fellow wanted to make a move, it was a good opportunity to test the extent of her internal energy. Was she just an ordinary third-rate fighter, or a top-tier expert?
Chu Qianyi didn't expect the woman before him to counterattack. Her movements were sharp and decisive, not at all hesitant.
It seemed she was using her full strength, and he dared not be careless. He extended his hand, condensing his internal energy, and blocked her attack under his long sleeves, reaching out to grab her again.
To outsiders, the two appeared to be smiling at each other, unaware of the concealed battle.
They were both exerting their internal strength. Chu Qianyi's martial arts were formidable, making him a renowned expert in the martial world. In the blink of an eye, he subdued Mu Qingyao, allowing her to understand her own martial prowess.