070 The Place in One’s Heart

If Yun Heng always gave me the feeling of a gentle breeze, then Li Yexuan at this moment was a stark contrast. His eyes were so deep—I couldn't fathom why I hadn't noticed it before. They were like the night sky, dark yet shining with distant stars. When Li Yexuan was with me, he seemed much like an ordinary man, without any air of nobility. But now, there was an invisible pressure emanating from him, making it hard to breathe.

Had he activated his princely persona for the crowd? I couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised.

A quick sideways glance confirmed my suspicion—not a few young ladies watched him with a mixture of fear and daring, stealing glances at him. He was, after all, the Prince of the Night; who could resist taking a closer look? But I found nothing unusual.

Still, knowing Li Yexuan was in the crowd, and considering the layer of profit that connected us, I was certain he wouldn’t let anything happen to me. Going to the magistrate’s office? Out of the question—the timing was all wrong.

So when the constable came forward to seize me, I wasn’t the least bit flustered. As expected, it wasn’t I who panicked—it was Yun Rong.

And the sycophantic city guard who catered to her.

“Your Highness… why are you here…” Yun Rong’s exclamation drew every gaze in the crowd to Li Yexuan.

Heavens—this was the Prince of the Night, the emperor’s own brother.

It was said the Prince of the Night was always low-key, rarely appearing in public. It was said he was cold-blooded, killing without blinking an eye. It was said… It was said… All rumors, but my ears were sharp—I caught every word in the crowd. But Li Yexuan was just a man; how could he be as mysterious as they claimed? People were so strange.

“So, Miss Yun is allowed to cause trouble here, but this prince cannot preside over justice?” Li Yexuan’s words struck straight and true, leaving Yun Rong no room to save face. I almost wanted to give him a thumbs-up.

“Yes, yes, of course you can…” The city guard wiped his brow, bowing and scraping beside Li Yexuan. A joke—neither side was to be offended. Being a low-ranking official was indeed no easy task; I began to feel sympathy for him, wondering if his back would ever straighten after all that bowing.

“If the steward of Golden Jade Hall dared sell me such inferior goods, of course I have the right to seek justice for myself. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?” Yun Rong’s stubbornness was impressive, but in a contest between a general’s sister and a prince, the one who lost face would always be us, the commoners of Golden Jade Hall.

“If that’s truly the case, I doubt a mere steward could bear the responsibility. Why didn’t Miss Yun seek out the owner of Golden Jade Hall?” Li Yexuan replied with an air of detachment, as if none of this concerned him.

Just a mere steward, not enough weight—was he forcing me to curse him in secret?

“So, who is your master?” Yun Rong demanded of me, her tone utterly unbecoming of her supposed grace.

How was I supposed to answer that? I could only cough and say, “That is a secret I cannot reveal.”

A burst of laughter came from the crowd; someone couldn’t hold it in, and soon enough, others joined. Yun Rong’s face turned even darker.

“A mere steward dares be arrogant before me…” Yun Rong strode toward me.

Was she about to teach me a lesson?

“Enough. I am the owner of Golden Jade Hall,” Li Yexuan said, stunning everyone present.

Yun Rong was instantly at a loss.

“My lord, Miss Yun, let’s be reasonable…” The city guard was sweating again, caught between both sides. On one hand, the Prince of the Night; on the other, General Yun’s formidable family—he could not afford to offend either. The higher the rank, the heavier the pressure. If I were him, I would have felt the same.

“I have absolute faith that none of my people at Golden Jade Hall would ever cheat anyone,” Li Yexuan declared.

He’d spoken; I hurried closer and said, “Your Highness, if I may, how about this: while Golden Jade Hall cannot admit to any wrongdoing, it is true Miss Yun did make a purchase here under your name. We would never shortchange her. Later, we’ll send 800 taels of silver to the General’s Residence as compensation for Miss Yun’s distress.”

Money to ward off disaster—better to end things quickly than let them drag on. Besides, Yun Heng had already sent Wanchun to ask; there was no reason to let him know more.

“Approved,” Li Yexuan said.

After all, it was my money at stake; he wouldn’t mind. But for once, I didn’t mind either. I had earned enough over time.

“You…” Yun Rong sputtered but couldn’t find words. Then Qiao Ruoqing stepped forward timidly and took Yun Rong’s arm.

“Hmph!” Yun Rong snorted and left.

As they stepped out the door, I met Qiao Ruoqing’s eyes. She made no attempt to hide her scrutiny, her brows slightly furrowed.

My heart skipped a beat—had I let my guard down just now? Was my act so poor that even Qiao Ruoqing could see through it? Yun Rong was no threat—just a reckless sort. Qiao Ruoqing, however, was another matter; otherwise, Yun Heng would not have broken his tradition of keeping women at a distance and taken her as concubine. Had there not been rumors that he might marry a princess, she might well have become his official wife. Luck simply hadn’t favored her—no one dares provoke the emperor, after all.

After a glance, Qiao Ruoqing followed Yun Rong, and I paid them no more mind.

There’s a saying: what is meant for you cannot be taken, but I believe that no matter how well you hide something, if it’s meant to be discovered, it will be. The meaning is the same.

One must always be prepared for the worst. I’d done my best to hide my identity; if I was exposed, there was nothing to be done. My greatest fear was not being recognized as Mu Fan, but as Huangfu Ziyun, and dragging Yun Heng into trouble as well.

To live is, in the end, to die. All I have left now is a sense of resentment and denial for my fallen country, longing for my brother, and the faint stirrings for Yun Heng that are already withering. If, by some misfortune, I am discovered and punished, I will accept it.

Sometimes I even fantasize: if I died, would I return to my original world and become the head of the Huangfu family again? What good is power, if one has no one to care for? In the end, loneliness and solitude close in on me. Perhaps there is more freedom here…

Lost in thought, I heard Li Yexuan clear his throat.

I suddenly remembered—where did Li Yexuan stand in my heart? I lowered my head, pondering deeply…

Before I could sort it out, a pair of boots appeared in my downward gaze.

Looking up, I saw Li Yexuan standing before me, signaling with his eyes. Only then did I realize the crowd had yet to disperse.

“Um…” I stepped forward. “I apologize for the disturbance today. As a gesture of our deepest regret, all items in Golden Jade Hall are discounted today. Please take a look and see if anything catches your fancy.”

As soon as I finished, the onlookers did exactly that. Some just there for the spectacle left as well.

I signaled to Li Yexuan and, one after the other, we slipped into the rear courtyard of Golden Jade Hall.

Under Jinshu’s direction, the staff were busy up front; the back courtyard was quiet and peaceful.

“The rear courtyard is better—no one around. One day I’ll plant flowers here and raise some fresh ones,” I stretched my arms, feeling much more relaxed.

“No matter how many you plant, it’s useless,” he said, pouring cold water over my plans. I glared at him.

“Little girl, I just saved you, and you still dare glare at me?” He landed a playful flick on my forehead. I’d always been the one flicking others, never the other way around. But for his sake, I endured.

“You—you—what’s so great about you? Even if you hadn’t saved me, I’d have found my own way out.”

“Still stubborn, I see.” Another playful flick. The blade of patience was trembling above my head—about to fall, perhaps.

“I am capable, you know, just haven’t had the chance to show it yet.”

“So, it’s my fault, then, for robbing you of a chance to perform? I should have stayed out of it. What a pity…”

“Exactly, it’s an absolute truth. But you are, after all, one of the owners here, so of course you should stand up for Golden Jade Hall’s interests…”

“…”

I patted his shoulder, signaling him to remain calm.

“By the way, up front, you seemed lost in thought. I signaled you so many times, but you didn’t notice.”

“I just felt Qiao Ruoqing was looking at me oddly, as if she knew who I was. It made me uneasy.”

“What’s there to fear? You’re just a maid, and if need be, you can say you were lost and rescued. And now, Young Master Mu is my subordinate. What is there to worry about?”

“True, I was overthinking.”

“In a few days, I’ll send some skilled guards, just in case.”

I hadn’t expected Li Yexuan to be so thoughtful. An idea sparked and I asked, “So, noble Prince of the Night, do I owe you a share of the profits? The shop’s earnings are meager…”

“Save it,” he replied.

“Then why help?”

“I’m afraid you’ll default on your loan to my bank. I’m leaving.” With that, Li Yexuan headed for the back gate.

I shouted after him, “I’ve already repaid it, you know!”

Li Yexuan waved his fan, not looking back.

Watching his departing figure, I sighed to myself: Li Yexuan, you already have a place in my heart—a most important friend.