Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

Princess Jianing was completely unaware of the strange expression on the man's face.

It doesn't matter whether it's today or tomorrow; as long as she can be with him, she feels good and happy.

She originally looked down on the men of Kyoto, thinking they were not as brave as the men of the Northwest and had too many rules and regulations.

Zong Xian perfectly matched all her expectations of a husband. Not only was he handsome and refined, but he was also extremely skilled in the six arts of a gentleman. He was not a weak and bookish young master.

The key point is that he was truly handsome, not just a conventionally pretty man, but a strikingly handsome man with sharp features and an extraordinary demeanor.

This is what a man should be like.

Having achieved her goal, Princess Jianing turned to look at Fan Siyuan and Lin Han, who were sitting at the same table.

The two immediately got up and took their leave.

He said he was leaving, but in reality he shamelessly slipped over to Mingyi's table.

Fan Jing didn't recognize Fan Siyuan because he was sitting with his back to them. But when she saw him coming over, alarm bells went off immediately.

For a moment, it was like a mouse seeing a cat.

She didn't have time to explain to Mingyi, and got up and ran away feeling guilty.

"Where did Manager Fan go? Come sit down and have a meal with us."

Behind her, Fan Siyuan took a few steps forward and was about to reach out and press down on her shoulder.

Fan Jing reacted instinctively, dodging to the side while almost unable to resist striking back.

No! We absolutely cannot expose her past as a bandit!

Fan Jing forced herself to hold back, took a step back, and said with an awkward smile, "Young master, are we not acquainted?"

"This young master?"

Fan Siyuan closed his feather fan, a half-smile on his face: "Manager Fan, you really have a short memory. I just helped you last time, and it hasn't been that long. Have you already forgotten?"

Fan Jing pretended to just remember, patting her forehead: "Oh, oh, what a terrible memory! It's you, young master! My apologies!"

Fan Siyuan, holding her weakness in his hands, wasn't in a hurry to expose her identity. He smiled gently and said, "It's good that you remember. Please take a seat."

"..."

Fearing he would become suspicious, Fan Jing had no choice but to sit down, and even had to pretend to be a lady by speaking in a high-pitched voice, and call the waiter to bring a few more dishes.

The waiter got goosebumps when he heard his boss suddenly raise his voice.

He asked with concern, "Shopkeeper, what's wrong with your throat?"

Fan Jing secretly glared at him. "It's nothing, just a slight cold. Go on with your work!"

"oh."

Fan Siyuan watched coldly. Keep pretending!

Mingyi, observing from the side, could clearly see that the atmosphere between the two was not right. Sister Fan had always been upright and honest; when had she ever acted like this?

Fan Siyuan came for Fan Jing, while Lin Han, naturally, came to Mingyi.

"Hello, Miss Ji."

"Young Master," Mingyi greeted him politely.

Lin Han smiled with a dashing and debonair air, his posture slightly askew, leaning towards her.

"I'm no longer a prince. If you don't mind, you can just call me Brother Lin Han. It's been a long time since I've seen you, and you've grown even more beautiful and charming."

The person was still the same, but for some reason, Lin Han felt that she was getting more and more beautiful.

Bright as the moon, she was truly like a celestial being.

Mingyi frowned slightly.

Before she could even say anything, he was already calling her "brother" and "sister," as if they were very close.

Mingyi didn't mind, only a faint smile appearing on her face: "Young Master Lin is too kind."

Lin Han moved a few inches closer to her and asked with a smile, "Is my sister married? If not... what do you think of me?"

Fan Siyuan keenly caught a cold, sharp glance sweeping over him.

He raised his hand and coughed twice, then whispered to Lin Han, "If you want to die, stay away from me. Don't let your blood splatter on me."

Lin Han was completely confused and didn't understand what he meant.

The fairy on this side smiled and said, "Young master, you can ask Master Zong over there about that."

Lin Han was taken aback, but then he misunderstood the meaning and thought that Mingyi was giving him a chance to ask his elders.

Seeing this, Fan Siyuan was really worried that Lin Han would be splattered with blood on the spot. He didn't care about seeking revenge on Fan Jing and reached out to pull Lin Han up.

"Go outside first, I have something to tell you."

"Why are you pulling me? I haven't finished talking to my sister yet!"

Fan Siyuan gritted his teeth in exasperation: "Shut up! I'm saving your life!"

As he was being pulled away, Lin Han turned back to look at Mingyi with lingering reluctance, and called out loudly, "Sister, wait for me. I will come to your second uncle's house to propose marriage another day!"

A marriage proposal?

They'd be more likely to bring their own heads to the door!

Unable to bear it any longer, Fan Siyuan covered Lin Han's mouth and dragged him away from Baixianglou.

After the two figures had completely disappeared, Fan Jing whispered a warning: "That young master Lin is dissolute and frivolous, stay away from him."

"Is that so? I think it's fine." Mingyi said indifferently, not taking it to heart.

Even if Lin Han was dissolute and frivolous, not like a gentleman, at least he was honest and straightforward, and his words were true to his heart.

Unlike some people, who appear to be gentlemen from afar but are beasts up close.

Two-faced, with a deep and unpredictable mind; when he's in a good mood, he'll give you a treat, but when he's in a bad mood, he'll strangle you.

"Let's not talk about me anymore." Mingyi changed the subject. "What's going on between you and that Young Master Fan? It seems like you two have a grudge?"

Fan Jing's expression stiffened slightly. After hesitating for a long time, she sighed softly, "There is a grudge, but it's a long story. I'll tell you about it another time."

It wasn't that she didn't trust Ji Mingyi, but she had a murder case to deal with, and with so many people around, she couldn't say it out loud.

Moreover, she roughly guessed that Fan Siyuan had already recognized her.

This is really a huge headache.

...

Zong Xian and Princess Jianing left together.

Mingyi sat for a while, then got up to take his leave.

Unexpectedly, Lin Han was still there. The two exchanged a glance from afar. Lin Han's eyes darted around, and he hesitated to speak, no longer as frivolous as before.

Mingyi knew he must know something, but she didn't care. She smiled slightly at him and then left gracefully.

Just as they stepped out of Baixianglou, they saw Chang Yu standing by the door, having been waiting for a long time.

Not far away, a distinguished carriage was parked in the alley.

Why is Zong Xian still here? Why isn't he with that Princess Jianing?

The thought of dealing with him made Mingyi feel extremely irritable and inexplicably uneasy.

But then she thought, she hadn't done anything wrong, so what was she afraid of?

Thinking this, she exhaled a breath of stale air, composed herself, and stepped forward.

As soon as she bent down and got into the car, a large hand reached out, grabbed her arm, and pulled her away forcefully!

Mingyi slumped heavily into the man's arms, his icy aura like an impenetrable prison.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she knew something was wrong.

Is he unhappy?

"My lord..." she timidly raised her eyes, looking at him softly.

Zong Xian wrapped one arm around her slender waist and pinched her chin with the other, asking in a deep voice, "What time is it?"

A hint of grievance flickered in Mingyi's eyes as she softly retorted, "Didn't the adults personally grant me permission? They said that once I've recovered, I can come and go as I please, without being bound by any time restrictions."

Zong Xian's expression stiffened slightly as he remembered that he had indeed said those words.

At the time, he was thinking of taking her as a concubine. Once she entered the mansion as a concubine, she would not be able to go out freely, so he relaxed his control over her.

But she was having too much fun, so much so that she completely ignored him!

Mingyi noticed the obvious displeasure in his eyes and couldn't understand what he was upset about.

She couldn't help but think to herself, "Why is this man so hard to please?"

Whoever upsets him, he can go find them! All he does is bully her, what kind of man is he!

He was incredibly annoyed inside, but he had to maintain a gentle and considerate demeanor on the surface, and asked softly, "Is something troubling you, sir?"

He was indeed very upset because of her.

Zong Xian looked at her eyes, which were as red as a rabbit's. Even though he was filled with resentment, he couldn't bring himself to scold her. However, she could escape the death penalty but not the punishment.

He lowered his head and roughly kneaded the girl's lips, devouring all the sweet lip gloss.

Outside the car, the streets were bustling with people, vehicles, and noise.

Inside the cramped and enclosed carriage, a tender and ambiguous atmosphere prevailed, creating a secluded world undisturbed by anyone.

After a long while, Zong Xian's breathing became slightly erratic, and all the frustration and anger in his heart dissipated before he slowly released the girl from his arms.

His dark, deep eyes were fixed on her reddened eyebrows and slightly swollen lips, and his voice was low and magnetic.

"Ji Mingyi, tell me you love me."