"Miss Ye!"
Ye Yunxi heard a familiar Ye Yunxi heard a familiar voice. She turned to look and saw Hu Liena hurrying over. Yue Guan wasn't with her, so he must have had a mission to attend to and couldn't accompany her.
"So it's you—the girl from that night." Ye Yunxi waved politely, as if they were meeting for the first time, a familiar smile in her voice.
Qian Renxue followed her gaze and recognized Hu Liena. Her brow furrowed slightly. Hu Liena was Bibi Dong's direct disciple, one of the core young talents of Spirit Hall. Why was she at the Soul Master Tournament in Heaven Dou? Even more puzzling, Ye Yunxi and Hu Liena clearly knew each other. Could this girl have been secretly associating with people from Spirit Hall?
"I never expected the girl I ran into outside the city that night to be an honored guest of the Crown Prince." Hu Liena stopped in front of them, her gaze settling on Ye Yunxi with a hint of admiration. "If I'd known, I would've made sure to get to know you properly."
She truly wanted to be friends with Ye Yunxi. After all, her Martial Soul and temperament were both very much to Hu Liena's liking. But with Qian Renxue there, she could only put those thoughts aside and act with perfect decorum.
"I was out for a walk that night, too. We didn't have a chance to talk much." Ye Yunxi smiled and reached for Hu Liena's wrist, intending to find an excuse to slip away and chat with her.
But before her hand could reach Hu Liena, Qian Renxue grabbed her wrist. The grip wasn't hard, but it left no room for refusal.
"Trying to run off again?" Qian Renxue looked at her with an amused smile. "The competition isn't over yet. Where do you think you're going?"
"Let go! You're hurting me!" Ye Yunxi frowned and complained. "I'm just having a few words with a friend. Do you really have to keep such a tight leash on me? I've been giving you face this whole time. Don't make me argue with you in front of everyone!"
At her words, quite a few onlookers turned to watch.
Noticing the eyes on them, Qian Renxue bit her lip in frustration and lowered her voice. "Ye Yunxi, you're something else. I'll remember this."
"Likewise." Ye Yunxi leaned closer and spoke softly. "In front of other people, I'll give you the Crown Prince's due. But don't push it. You're always trying to control me."
With that, she gently pulled free of Qian Renxue's grip and jerked her chin at Hu Liena. "Come on. Keep me company while I get some air. It's too stuffy in here."
Qian Renxue watched her walk off with Hu Liena, seething as her temples throbbed. But she couldn't make a scene in front of everyone, so she could only watch the two of them disappear into the crowd.
The onlookers immediately began to chatter.
"This Miss Ye has quite a temper. She even dares talk back to the Crown Prince."
"The Crown Prince certainly indulges her. Anyone else would've been punished by now."
"She's got the talent and the confidence to back it up. No wonder even the Crown Prince can't do a thing about her."
As Qian Renxue listened to the gossip, her face turned pale, then flushed red. With a cold snort, she turned and strode away, looking for somewhere empty to calm down.
She'd planned to take Ye Yunxi to see the lanterns after the competition and help her unwind. But that girl had gone and run off with an outsider, as if Qian Renxue didn't matter at all.
"What a headache of a girl. She drives me up the wall, and there's nothing I can do about it." Qian Renxue clenched her fist and lightly struck the tree trunk beside her. There wasn't any real anger in her eyes, only a helpless smile.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunxi pulled Hu Liena out of the arena and finally let out a breath of relief. She kicked off her high heels, stepping barefoot onto the bluestone path, and blissfully narrowed her eyes.
"At last, I don't have to wear those blistering shoes!" she muttered. She picked up the heels and casually tossed them into a nearby trash bin.
Watching her completely disregard her appearance, Hu Liena sighed helplessly. "Miss Ye, you're a well-known figure in Heaven Dou City, after all. If you act so carefree, people are bound to gossip."
"Who cares about being famous?" Ye Yunxi curled her lip, her voice full of disdain. "If Xue Qinghe hadn't forced me to stay at the Crown Prince's Mansion, I'd be out traveling the mountains and rivers, living a carefree life."
She turned to Hu Liena, a sly smile flickering in her eyes. "Speaking of which, why are you here alone? What about Elder Yue Guan? Isn't he supposed to be protecting you?"
"Elder Yue Guan has other business to take care of." Hu Liena lowered her eyes as she explained, her tone a little vague.
"Oh?" Ye Yunxi raised an eyebrow and patted her shoulder, teasing her. "Don't tell me you came looking for me on purpose?"
Hu Liena's cheeks flushed faintly. Ye Yunxi had hit the mark, and she hurriedly waved her hands. "No, I just happened to be passing by and saw you."
"Still denying it?" Ye Yunxi teased with a laugh. "A little fox who won't tell the truth isn't a good fox."
She was about to tease Hu Liena some more when an angry voice suddenly came from behind them.
"Ye Yunxi! As an honored guest of the Crown Prince's Mansion, how can you be so shameless and consort with people from Spirit Hall?"
Ye Yunxi turned around impatiently. Prince Xue Xing stood not far away, dressed in finery, his face livid as he glared at her. He was clearly furious.
"So that's who it is. Prince Xue Xing." Ye Yunxi folded her arms, her tone cool. "Why isn't Your Highness watching the competition? Did you follow me out here especially to offer some advice?"
"Advice?" Prince Xue Xing laughed in fury and pointed at her. "You have the nerve to say that! If it weren't for you, why would Xue Beng have been thrown in jail? And now you dare get mixed up with people from Spirit Hall. Are you trying to destroy the Heaven Dou Empire?"
Thanks to Wenxuannian for the tip.
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