Ming Lingyi and her companions were, to put it mildly, a frail bunch.

Compared to those sword-wielding guards, not a single one of them could fight.

The only one who could possibly fight was currently being supported by Xiao Chun.

Shi Mingyue hadn’t expected to run into a situation like this on her very first day back at the shop with her boss.

On the way, the maidservant named Xiao Chun had given her an earful about Ming’s Restaurant. She’d learned that her boss had originally gone to the slave market to buy a skilled guard—the kind who could protect the household—but had ended up buying her instead.

Shi Mingyue considered herself the guard of Ming’s Restaurant. Even though she was severely injured, she stepped forward and shielded Ming Lingyi and Xiao Chun.

’I know a bit of martial arts. I can’t just let my boss and Xiao Chun, who knows nothing, stand in front of me, can I?’

Drawing on her limited experience, Shi Mingyue could sense that the sword-wielding guards outside Ming’s Restaurant were no ordinary men. She could keenly detect the faint scent of blood on them.

Their swords weren’t just for show; they had tasted blood.

Just as Ming Lingyi and her two servants were frowning in concern, the door to the tailor shop next door opened with a CREAK.

Granny Wang peeked out and, to their surprise, waved Ming Lingyi over. "You’re back, so what are you doing standing out there gawking, you silly girl?! Stop staring at the commotion and get inside!"

The sudden voice startled them all, and even Ming Lingyi was taken aback for a moment.

She was certainly no relative of Granny Wang’s, but those words...

Ming Lingyi smiled but didn’t want to bring trouble to Granny Wang. She moved past Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue and walked into the restaurant.

"Miss!" Xiao Chun cried, rushing to follow. But just as she took a step, the guards who had been standing at the entrance suddenly made their move.

CLANG—! Two greatswords, glinting coldly, crossed to block her path.

Hearing the sound, Ming Lingyi turned back, not at all surprised.

’If I hadn’t realized who was inside before, I certainly have a good idea now.’

"Xiao Chun, take Ming Yue to Granny Wang’s shop for a while. You can come back later," Ming Lingyi said.

Her tone remained gentle, as if she completely disregarded the oppressive aura emanating from the guards.

Xiao Chun stood her ground, refusing to leave, and Shi Mingyue also wore a look of disapproval.

"Go on. Are you going to listen to me or not?" Ming Lingyi’s smile faded slightly as she spoke.

Only then did Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue reluctantly head toward Granny Wang’s tailor shop.

Seeing this, Ming Lingyi finally walked into the restaurant.

The outside of the restaurant was surrounded by guards, so the inside had naturally been cleared out. Now, only a single man in a black cloak was seated within.

The moment Ming Lingyi stepped inside, her gaze fell upon the figure and froze.

’When my suspicions became reality, the impact was still jarring.’

But she quickly concealed the emotion in her eyes.

"Sir..." Ming Lingyi began, but the seated man lifted his eyes.

Li Yun had already been waiting for some time.

Since his ascension to the throne, almost no one had dared to make him wait. But one person had always been different. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

As Li Yun looked up, Ming Lingyi found herself staring into a pair of crimson eyes.

She had never seen such a look on Li Yun’s face before. In that instant, it felt as if something had struck a heavy blow to her heart.

But it was only for an instant.

The unfamiliar feeling vanished as quickly as it came.

"Yuan Niang..."

Ming Lingyi heard a voice by her ear—deep, husky, yet tinged with a lingering tenderness.

The hoarseness of it carried an ill-timed sexiness.

Ming Lingyi gave a slight curtsy, using all her strength to suppress the urge to turn and flee. "Young Master, you must have the wrong person..." she said softly.

Li Yun’s brow furrowed. He rose from his seat and, in a few quick strides, was standing right in front of Ming Lingyi.

The man was tall and broad, and the contrast made Ming Lingyi seem especially petite.

At the same time, Ming Lingyi found herself enveloped by the aura emanating from Li Yun.

The pressure was so immense it left her breathless.

"Then who are you? Look me in the eye and answer," Li Yun said in a low voice.

Ming Lingyi replied, "Ming Yao, the eldest daughter of the Ming Family."

After she answered, poised and calm, she suddenly realized she had given herself away.

Many commoners, of course, had never seen Emperor Jing’an’s true face. But just now, Li Yun had referred to himself using the royal "I." Even a commoner should have realized who stood before them.

When commoners saw the Emperor, how many could resist the urge to kneel in fear and trepidation? But she had been so focused on denying Li Yun’s accusation that she’d forgotten to act like an ordinary person in awe of imperial power.

The moment Ming Lingyi realized her mistake, she hurried to kneel, but she had barely bent her knees when the man before her gripped her elbow tightly.

’If Li Yun used just a little more force,’ Ming Lingyi thought, ’my bones might shatter.’ That was how much strength he was using.

"You are Yuan Niang." Li Yun gave her no chance to escape, his sharp gaze fixed on her eyes, as if trying to peer into the depths of her soul and unearth all her hidden secrets.

Ming Lingyi knitted her brows.

"If you aren’t Yuan Niang, then why does that brat Li Yan come here every time he has a day off? Did he think he could sneak around and I wouldn’t notice a thing? And Yu Yi... Yuan Niang, you must have seen Yu Yi by now, haven’t you? I’ve heard that your two former Chief Palace Maids have been quite active recently. It seems they’re searching for someone in the Jiangnan region..."

As Li Yun spoke, his eyes remained fixed on Ming Lingyi, refusing to miss any flicker of emotion on her face.

A flash of emotion crossed Ming Lingyi’s eyes.

’Of course she knew what Yu Yi and Yanxia were investigating in Jiangnan. Since returning to the world of the living, the only ones she couldn’t let go of, aside from her Little Huachao, were her parents and older brother. They had already left the Capital City, and she had no way to find them.’

’The guilt was especially hard to shake when she heard that her mother had fallen gravely ill because of her.’

’If she wanted to let her parents and brother know she was still alive, her only option was to ask the people she once trusted most to find them and deliver the message.’

’But alas, she had underestimated Li Yun’s perceptiveness and the importance he placed on this "old acquaintance" of his.’

’In my mind, I’m probably not that unique or irreplaceable to Li Yun.’

’Why would a man like that pay so much attention to me? Why would he care about the people around me?’

’But it was precisely for this reason that I never imagined Li Yun would personally leave the palace with his men to find me here.’