Crown Prince Xue Qinghe

"Brother! This man actually dared to beat up someone from the imperial family. You have to avenge me!" The moment Xue Qinghe appeared, Xue Beng instantly went full drama queen.

Xue Qinghe flashed between them. With a gentle wave of his right sleeve, a surge of Soul Power lifted Xue Beng to his feet.

The warm smile had vanished from his face, replaced by a rare, solemn authority.

"Silence! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?"

Faced with Xue Qinghe's reprimand, Xue Beng unexpectedly dropped his usual obsequious act and spoke with a sarcastic edge.

"Father already dislikes me. Now anyone can come along and bully me. I'm no match for you, Crown Prince. You're not only close to Pavilion Master Tang, but everyone praises and respects you."

"Hm?" Xue Qinghe was slightly surprised, but only fixed Xue Beng with a cold stare.

He hadn't even released the pressure of his Soul Power, yet Xue Beng, who knew a few of his secrets, felt a chill run through him. He hurriedly lowered his head, silently cursing himself for his recklessness.

Over the years, he had begun to suspect how ruthless his elder brother, Xue Qinghe, could be. Recently, he had deliberately started neglecting his cultivation and using every means at his disposal to present himself as a good-for-nothing wastrel.

He had been so angry that he'd lost his head. He had actually dared to mock him to his face. He could almost see his third brother, already in the underworld, beckoning him over.

Once he had cowed the good-for-nothing, Xue Qinghe's expression softened. He looked at Tang Yin, a glimmer of surprise in his eyes, and thought, What a dashing young man.

He had just learned the whole story from a maid. Since this young man was Pavilion Master Tang's honored guest, he had no business overstepping her authority.

Tang Yuehua came forward. First, she gave Xue Qinghe a slight nod, then looked at Tang Yin with some suspicion.

The maid's report had left her wondering who this honored guest could be. She hadn't questioned it at the time, deciding to meet him first and see.

But now that she saw the young man's face, a flicker of surprise crossed the depths of her eyes.

Why did his features seem so familiar?

She quickly suppressed the strange feeling and turned her attention to Xue Beng.

She couldn't pretend she hadn't heard his remark about her being so close to the Crown Prince.

Ever since Moonlight Pavilion had been established, rumors about her and the royal family had been endless. But Xue Beng was the first to say such a thing to her face.

She had been somewhat skeptical of the unfavorable rumors about the Fourth Prince that had been circulating among the nobility lately. Now, she believed them.

At that thought, Tang Yuehua's gaze turned cold, and her tone grew distant.

"Your Highness, Fourth Prince, I understand what happened. The maid was poorly disciplined and treated you with disrespect. I'll make sure she's dealt with afterward."

Xue Beng was still fretting over his earlier recklessness. He had no mind to quibble over that.

Now that Tang Yuehua had offered him a way out, he was as grateful as a drowning man clutching a lifeline. Putting on a show of dignity, he said, "Good. You understand."

"Brother, I'm not feeling well, so I'll head back."

All Xue Beng wanted now was to hurry back and seek comfort from his uncle, Prince Xue Xing. Without waiting for Xue Qinghe to respond, he hurried away.

After all, he was only fifteen or sixteen. His scheming hadn't yet reached the level he would display when he appeared in the original story.

Xue Qinghe watched Xue Beng's retreating figure pensively. Only after he had disappeared from view did Xue Qinghe turn around and bow deeply to Tang Yuehua. His usual gentle warmth returned, along with a sincere apology.

"Pavilion Master, my fourth brother is young and impulsive, and he acted outrageously, offending you and your guest. I failed to discipline him properly, and I apologize. Once I return to the palace, I'll inform Father and make sure he is strictly disciplined."

Tang Yuehua's expression softened a little. She shook her head. "Your Highness, you're too kind. You have affairs of state to attend to every day. There's no need to trouble yourself over such a small matter."

At her words, some of the guilt left Xue Qinghe's face. He smiled warmly. "Pavilion Master Tang, your magnanimity is admirable. I'm grateful."

Only then did he turn his gaze to Tang Yin, who had been standing quietly to the side. There was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Although my fourth brother has already been taught a lesson, I still wish to apologize to you on his behalf, young brother."

Tang Yin didn't dare presume. He hurriedly clasped his hands. "Your Highness is generous and just. Lan Yin is impressed."

"Lan Yin... A good name." Xue Qinghe nodded with a smile. His gaze lingered on Tang Yin's face for a moment before moving away.

At the same time, Xue Qinghe noticed that when the young man had given his name as Lan Yin, Tang Yuehua's eyes had gone briefly distant. A thought stirred in his mind, and he grew curious about the youth's identity.

Still, he didn't ask where this young man named Lan Yin had come from. Instead, he took his leave from Tang Yuehua.

"Since Pavilion Master has an honored guest, I won't impose any longer."

Tang Yuehua suppressed the stir in her heart and replied at the right moment, "Your Highness, you're too kind. Moonlight Pavilion's doors are always open to you. But it's getting late, so I really can't ask you to stay."

After hearing the young man give his name and seeing a face nearly seven-tenths like the one in her memories, Tang Yuehua had already guessed Lan Yin's identity. At that moment, all she wanted was to send everyone away as quickly as possible.

"Then I'll visit another day." Xue Qinghe smiled freely and bowed to Tang Yuehua again. Then he gave Tang Yin a warm nod. "Brother Lan, anyone whom Pavilion Master considers an honored guest must be exceptional. I look forward to meeting you again."

With that, he turned and departed, his steps unhurried and steady.

From beginning to end, he had treated Tang Yin with courteous, detached appreciation, as he would any stranger with some talent. He had been neither overly friendly nor deliberately cold, and had kept his manners perfectly measured.

It had to be said: if Tang Yin hadn't already known his true identity, even he would have been impressed by the bearing Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had displayed.

But the real Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had been assassinated by Qian Renxue thirteen years ago. The Xue Qinghe here was none other than Qian Renxue in disguise.

In Tang Yin's view, Qian Renxue's life was honestly hard to make sense of.

Her talent could be called the greatest in all of Douluo, yet Qian Daoliu had been out of his mind to make her infiltrate an enemy empire's royal family from the age of six until Tang San appeared, nearly twenty years later.

Her experience of being starved of love had left Qian Renxue with a fatal flaw in her personality. In the end, her lovestruck foolishness had undone twenty years of infiltration, and she and Tang San had become the laughingstock of the world, earning the titles "Weeping God" and "God of Gambling."

Seeing that even the Crown Prince had left, everyone in the hall understood that this young man really was Pavilion Master Tang's honored guest. One after another, they tactfully took their leave from Tang Yuehua. As they went, they discussed Crown Prince Xue Qinghe's virtue with their companions.

Only after every guest in Moonlight Pavilion had left did the front hall finally fall silent.

Tang Yuehua walked slowly over to Tang Yin. The cool composure she had shown when dealing with Xue Beng and the Crown Prince was gone. In its place was an excitement and uncertainty she struggled to suppress, yet couldn't keep from showing in her eyes and the corners of her brows.

She clutched her handkerchief tightly, her fingertips pressing into it, and stared at Tang Yin without looking away, as though she needed to confirm the guess that had set her heart surging by studying every detail of his face.

"You..." Her voice trembled ever so slightly. She seemed almost afraid to ask. "Are you... Hao's son, Tang Yin?"

As she asked, her eyes stayed fixed on Tang Yin's face, unwilling to miss the slightest change in his expression.

Tang Yin nodded slowly, his voice clear and certain. "Yes, Aunt. I'm Tang Yin."

That one word—"Aunt"—shattered all of Tang Yuehua's restraint.

She swayed slightly, then stepped forward and took Tang Yin by the shoulders with trembling hands, studying his face closely.

"You look so... so much like him..." she murmured. Her eyes reddened at once. "And your mother... You're the spitting image of her..."

Tang Yin stood quietly, letting her look.

He could feel the slight tremor in Tang Yuehua's hands and hear the quiet breaths she was trying so hard to suppress.

A moment later, Tang Yuehua finally drew a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

She let go of him and gently dabbed the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief. When she looked up again, her usual composure had returned, but her eyes shone brilliantly.

"Good child... Come inside with me and tell me all about what you've been through over the years!" As she spoke, Tang Yuehua took Tang Yin by the arm and led him toward Moonlight Pavilion Attic.