It's over, I've been caught

"Imperial Concubine is truly miraculous, Shrek actually won!"

"I won on my very first bet."

"I'm glad I chose to believe."

Many in the spectator stands began to cheer and leap for joy.

They had all chosen to trust Ye Yunxi and place their bets on Shrek, never expecting to actually win.

At this moment, the referee also announced in a loud voice:

"Congratulations to Shrek for defeating Elephant Armored Academy!"

The seven members of Shrek looked at the gazes cast upon them, all feeling incredibly happy, especially when they saw the most dazzling Ye Yunxi in the spectator stands, throwing them the most beautiful smile.

"Everyone from Shrek, you won beautifully. Keep up the good work next time; I believe in you all."

Ye Yunxi winked at the seven of them and then quietly slipped into the crowd, disappearing from sight.

"Is this really the Imperial Concubine who is so approachable?"

Ma Hongjun blinked his eyes, feeling a bit unsatisfied.

"Alright, Fatty, since Imperial Concubine thinks highly of us, we should strive to perform well instead of standing here grinning like fools."

Dai Mubai patted Ma Hongjun on the back, reminding him to leave the arena first and save any further talk for later.

"Wait for me, Boss Dai."

Ma Hongjun snapped back to reality and hurried over.

On the other side, Ye Yunxi had already arrived outside the Soul Fighting Arena.

"Escaping unscathed, as expected of this girl!"

"That big fool Xue Qinghe definitely wouldn't have guessed it."

Ye Yunxi laughed arrogantly, and just thinking about how black Qian Renxue's face looked in the spectator stands made her want to laugh.

Bullying me every day—I finally caught you in the act.

Before Ye Yunxi's arrogant laughter could even fade, she took her steps too hastily and, not paying attention to who was coming, crashed straight into a solid chest.

The chest was as hard as iron, hitting her nose until it stung and causing her to lose her balance instantly. With an "ouch," she fell backward, landing hard on the cold ground and hitting her bottom, which made her start rubbing it in pain.

"Who is it! So blind! Don't you know this girl is walking here?"

Ye Yunxi clutched her bottom, looked up indignantly, and started scolding the moment she opened her mouth.

A cold voice, carrying a hint of profound meaning, slammed into her eardrums.

"My good Imperial Concubine, where are you going?"

The voice was so familiar that Ye Yunxi shuddered all over; her arrogant aura vanished without a trace, and her body stiffened like a stone.

She slowly raised her head and looked in the direction of the voice, only to see Qian Renxue standing before her with arms crossed, looking down at her, her silver-white combat suit making her posture appear even more upright.

Her pair of eyes, however, were as cold as ice, and the anger surging within them threatened to burn her to ashes.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and even the wind dared not blow a single bit.

Ye Yunxi looked at those eyes that seemed to want to swallow her whole.

She swallowed hard, her previous arrogance and domineering attitude completely gone, replaced by overwhelming guilt.

She gave two dry laughs, hurriedly scrambled up from the ground, patted the dust off her skirt, and avoided looking at her:

"I, I just came out for a walk, and happened to check out the excitement of the competition..."

"A walk?"

Qian Renxue sneered and slowly closed in, her tall figure enveloping Ye Yunxi and bringing an oppressive pressure:

"Can a walk take you to the spectator stands of the Soul Master Tournament? Can a walk make half the arena stand up for you and claim that I am mistreating you?"

She leaned down, pinched Ye Yunxi's chin with her fingertips, and forced her to look up, her voice low and gritted through her teeth:

"Ye Yunxi, why don't you tell me, when has this Crown Prince ever mistreated you? When have I ever not given you money?"

Ye Yunxi felt her chin ache from the pinch, and seeing the anger in her eyes, her heart skipped a beat. She waved her hands hurriedly, her voice soft and sweet:

"It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding! I was just saying things off the cuff; they imagined it all themselves, it has nothing to do with me!"

"Nothing to do with you?"

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow, the chill in her eyes deepening:

"Then should this Crown Prince take you back to the Crown Prince's Mansion now to settle this account properly?"

"Calm down, calm down, Your Highness, don't be impulsive. I really didn't do anything; they just imagined it all."

Ye Yunxi explained pitifully, and before she knew it, a few tears suddenly welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Qian Renxue, who had been extremely furious, looked at the pitiful Ye Yunxi on the ground and was suddenly struck by a feeling of wanting to explode but being unable to.

It was like this every time, yet every time she fell for it.

No, she had to teach her a lesson; if she let her push her luck next time, she would at least need to save some face.

"Stop playing the mourner. Come back to the Crown Prince's Mansion with me. I won't punish you, but I have questions to ask."

Qian Renxue wanted to raise his hand and strike Ye Yunxi, but he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. The moment he saw tears welling in her eyes, his heart began to soften.

"Really?"

Ye Yunxi instantly transformed into a different person, making Qian Renxue's mouth twitch; he truly had no way to deal with her.

"Could it be fake?"

"Hurry up and go back!" Qian Renxue released her, signaling for Ye Yunxi to follow him.

"Slow down, my butt hurts too much."

"Serves you right!"

Back at the Crown Prince's Mansion, Qian Renxue walked ahead with a cold face, while Ye Yunxi followed behind with her neck hunched, looking exactly like a kitten caught stealing cream.

As soon as they stepped into the main courtyard, Qian Renxue raised his voice:

"All of you, withdraw. Without my orders, no one is to come within half a step of the study."

The maids exchanged glances, respectfully replied "Yes," and retreated silently, leaving the courtyard instantly quiet.

Qian Renxue pushed the door open and entered. Ye Yunxi followed sluggishly, and before she could even look around, she caught sight of Qian Renxue pulling a sandalwood branch from the weapon rack in the corner and tossing it onto the table.

The branch glinted with a cold light, looking sturdy at a single glance.

Ye Yunxi's face turned pale in a flash.

Gone was any trace of her earlier arrogance; she turned and tried to bolt for the door.

But just as she reached the threshold, she slammed into an invisible barrier and was sent bouncing back with a "thud," stumbling and nearly falling.

"When did you put up a barrier?"

"Thinking of running?"

Qian Renxue's voice came from behind, carrying a hint of playful chill.

He walked closer, his gaze landing on Ye Yunxi, his eyes darkening.

At this moment, her hair was slightly disheveled, with a few strands of dark hair clinging to her sweat-dampened cheeks, making her skin appear even whiter than snow.

The hem of her Fox Flame Flowing Light Dress was stained with a bit of dust, yet it did nothing to diminish her heart-stopping beauty.

Her peach-blossom eyes were watery, filled with a lingering, shaken timidity that added an even more alluring charm than her usual arrogant and domineering demeanor.

It was a beauty that blended seductive bones with naive innocence; the charm in her brows and eyes was natural, and even just standing there was enough to make one's heart sway.

Qian Renxue was momentarily dazed, and the anger in his heart faded even further.

He snorted lightly and raised an eyebrow:

"Is the Imperial Concubine actually capable of fear? You certainly didn't look like this on the arena floor earlier."

Ye Yunxi clutched her bruised shoulder and shrank back, her voice tinged with a sob:

"Xue Qinghe, don't you dare mess around! A frail girl like me can't handle that kind of whipping!"

"Frail?"