The air around Fang Tian carried an unseen weight, subtle, but undeniable as he inched closer to the crowd.
Each step he took drew quiet attention, like a predator weaving calmly through a flock of unsuspecting sheep.
"Yuyan," he greeted, his tone light and smooth as silk as he ca to stand beside her. "You look like you’re enjoying yourself."
Princess Qin Yuyan exhaled softly, relief flashing across her delicate features.
Her hand, almost without thinking, found the edge of his sleeve and held it tightly.
"You’re late," she murmured, her voice holding a note of reprimand that failed to hide her relief. "For a while, I thought you had ran off."
Fang Tian chuckled, the corners of his mouth curving, "? Run off? When a beauty like you is waiting? Even the heavens wouldn’t dare delay ."
A faint blush rose to her cheeks, and for a heartbeat, words escaped her entirely.
Before he could press the teasing further, one of the nearby rchants, a portly man with an oily smile stepped forward, bowing slightly.
"Lady Yuyan," he said, his tone uncertain, "is this... gentleman with you?"
The deliberate hesitation in the word gentleman made his aning plain, he wasn’t sure whether to treat Fang Tian as a bodyguard or a threat.
Fang Tian’s smile didn’t waver, but sothing sharper glinted behind his eyes.
He leaned forward just slightly, voice calm and polite. "Do I look like I’m not?"
The rchant’s throat bobbed.
"O–oh, no, no! I didn’t an it like that, of course not." His voice trembled despite his attempt at charm.
Turning hastily to Qin Yuyan, he bowed low. "My apologies, Young Lady. But I—I’m afraid my companions and I must take our leave."
He straightened, sweat beading along his temples, and managed a shaky smile toward her. "Still... don’t forget my offer, should you ever need assistance."
Then, without waiting for a reply, he spun on his heel and hurried away.
His companions who ca along with him needed no further cue.
They each also muttered hurried excuses about "preparing for departure" and quickly scattered like frightened sparrows.
As their footsteps faded, Qin Yuyan pressed a hand to her lips, trying not to laugh. "You really do enjoy scaring people, don’t you?"
Fang Tian brushed dust off his sleeve, the faintest smirk tugging at his lips. "Only the ones who think too highly of themselves."
Within his mind, a low chuckle echoed from Qin Shi Huang.
"You act like a rogue," the spirit mused, voice tinged with amusent. "But that arrogance, it runs in your blood. Indeed, you’re truly, Fang Yuan’s brother."
Fang Tian ignored the remark, his focus returning to the princess beside him.
"So," he asked lightly, "what were you discussing with those rchants before I arrived?"
Qin Yuyan t his gaze, mischief glimring in her eyes.
She leaned closer until her breath brushed his ear, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"One of them offered gold," she said sweetly, "in exchange for a night of pleasure."
Fang Tian froze and his confident smirk instantly faltered as a rush of heat crept up his neck.
"You—" he stamred, eyes widening slightly.
She drew back with a sly, triumphant smile, clearly savoring the rare sight of Fang Tian losing his composure.
"What’s wrong, Young Master Fang?" she teased, her tone lilting like a bell. "You look flustered."
Fang Tian turned aside, clearing his throat, his expression darkening just slightly.
"Which insect dared to speak such filth to you?" he muttered under his breath. "Was it that portly fool from earlier?"
Qin Yuyan bit back another laugh and gave a small, innocent nod.
Fang Tian’s hand twitched and his killing intent flaring like a spark ready to ignite but before he could even take a step, Qin Yuyan slipped closer, wrapping her arms around him from behind.
"Let’s forget about them," she whispered softly, her voice warm and disarming. "Tell instead... about what are we doing tomorrow?"
Her closeness, the faint scent of lotus in her hair, and the quiet rise and fall of her breath against his back lted his anger away as surely as rain quenches fire.
Fang Tian let out a small sigh, forcing himself to relax.
"For tomorrow, we’re eting up with Gu Xin," he said finally, his tone steady again. "Then heading to the secret realm together."
Qin Yuyan froze. Her arms loosened slightly, but she didn’t step back.
"...Gu Xin?" she repeated, her voice deceptively calm.
He glanced over his shoulder, puzzled by her sudden shift in tone. "Yes. Why?"
She let out a soft hum, looking away. "Nothing."
But the faint edge in her voice said otherwise.
"So," she continued after a mont, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, "the sa Gu Xin who broke off your engagent? That Gu Xin?"
Fang Tian blinked, then sighed. "You make it sound worse than it was. It was a mutual decision."
"Oh, of course," she said sweetly. "Mutual. How... mature." Her smile sharpened almost imperceptibly. "And now you’re eting her again. How convenient."
Fang Tian gave her a helpless look. "You sound jealous."
"Jealous?" Qin Yuyan scoffed lightly, crossing her arms. "Why would I be jealous of a woman who couldn’t recognize value when it was standing in front of her?"
Despite her words, she was glaring daggers at the floor, her cheeks puffed in adorable frustration.
Fang Tian couldn’t help but chuckle softly, his amusent slipping through.
"If it bothers you that much," he said, his tone light and teasing, "why don’t we just say we’re lovers when we et her tomorrow?"
Qin Yuyan’s head snapped up, her eyes wide. In an instant, her composure lted into a brilliant blush that spread to the tips of her ears.
"L–Lovers?" she stamred, voice suddenly small.
Fang Tian smirked, clearly pleased with the effect his words had.
After a brief pause, Yuyan fidgeted with her sleeve, her gaze flickering nervously toward him.
Then, in a voice that ca out soft and squeaky, she whispered, "C–can I have a kiss, then?"
Fang Tian blinked, caught off guard but he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass.
He leaned in slowly, his hand brushing a strand of her hair aside.
Next, their lips t gentle at first, then lingering, the quiet world around them fading until only the warmth between them remained.
A few minutes later, a drunk man wandered into the street and when his bleary eyes caught the pair locked in an embrace, he stopped dead, swaying unsteadily.
"Oi! Get a room, you two!" he slurred loudly, waving his half-empty jug. "This isn’t a hotel!"
The man let out a hiccup, grumbling as he staggered past them. "Kids these days... no self-restraint at all."
He squinted toward the nearby brothel, where laughter and music spilled into the night, and muttered to himself with a lopsided grin, "Tch, might as well head there, thanks for the reminder, lovebirds."
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