Young Master Gu, Please Be Gentle

Fan Men now looked at Jun Xiqing with fresh eyes. This was such a special girl. No wonder His Highness was obsessed with her.

At this moment, the Chief took up a wine glass and toasted Lu Yeming. “Your Highness, I feel very happy to see you and Ruoli in such a loving relationship. I dedicate this toast to you.”

Lu Yeming also raised his glass. “Thank you, Chief.”

Beside him, Dongfang Ruoli gave a shy, sweet smile.

The Chief put down the cup and suddenly changed the topic. “Your Highness, I wonder if you remember that you and I once met eight years ago, when you were 18 and still the West Duke. At that time, I gave Your Highness a set of Chinese Rings to undo. Does Your Highness still remember how to solve it?”

The Chief clapped and one of his men immediately presented a set of Chinese Rings for Lu Yeming to solve.

Fan Men’s heart thumped. If Lu Yeming failed to undo the Chinese Rings, his false identity would be exposed. This was the Holy Lady Clan and all the people here belonged to the Chief. They would all be killed.

He quickly hurried over to Jun Xiqing and said in a small voice, “President Jun, how do we resolve this?”

Meanwhile, Jun Xiqing was carefully cutting up a steak with her fork and knife and she merely replied in a relaxed tone, “Steward Fan, you have been with President Lu for so many years and you should know everything about him. Just let him solve the puzzle as it was done eight years ago. Won’t everything be alright then?”

Somehow, he felt as if he had been called Eunuch Fan by Jun Xiqing when she addressed him as ‘Steward Fan’ .

“President Jun, you may not know this but I was not with Your Highness eight years ago. As a result, I have no idea what happened.”

Jun Xiqing’s cutting motions slowed down. She lifted her long lashes and glanced at the Chief and her spirited eyes danced with a sharp light. She placed the small piece of steak in her mouth and chewed elegantly.

“Throw it on the ground.”

What?

Just throw the Chinese Rings? On the ground?

“President Jun, just throw it? If His Highness didn’t throw it eight years ago, then we will be in grave danger.”

Glancing at the guards outside the grand hall, Fan Men couldn’t help but feel anxious. They were all armed with the latest weaponry and looked extremely dangerous.

Jun Xiqing also glanced at them before looking at Fan Men. “Who is this Chief? So what if His Highness knows how to solve the Chinese Rings? He doesn’t have to do it. Just throw it on the ground.”

Throw it.

Okay!

Fan Men decided to place his faith on Jun Xiqing and he gestured at Lu Yeming.

So Lu Yeming took up the Chinese Rings and flung it on the ground.

Like that, the Chinese Rings came undone. It was also broken.

The loud crash echoed throughout the grand hall. The guards outside all placed their hands on their guns at the sound.

Fan Men’s mind raced as he prepared to face the consequences and impending battle.

A fight could erupt at any time.

A deadly silence fell over the entire grand hall. A few seconds later, the Chief started clapping and laughing loudly. “Your Highness, you are still the same. You broke the Chinese Rings the same way you did eight years ago. Haha!”

It was only then that Fan Men relaxed, not realizing that he had broken out in a cold sweat.

They got it right.

They actually got it right.

Fan Men couldn’t help glancing at Jun Xiqing. She was still cutting her steak, as elegant and calm as ever.

…

After dinner, Jun Xiqing brought Ping Ping to the garden for a stroll.

At this point, they heard a maid telling another maid, “Be careful, don’t touch the poppies here. Previously, a maid accidentally spoiled a poppy flower and the Chief had her beaten to death.”

“My goodness, are you sure? Is the Chief that fond of poppy flowers?”

“Yes. The Holy Lady Clan’s poppy flowers are always in bloom and are a favorite of the Chief’s.”

“Let me tell you. I heard that 26 years ago, both the then-Emperor Murong Jiancheng and the Holy Lady Clan’s youngest and most handsome Chief both fell for Bei Yuewu, who was Ah Jiao’s Room’s main star and who astonished the world with her talents. The two men were good friends then too.”

“Bei Yuewu loved poppy flowers the best. From then on, poppy flowers were grown all along the streets in order to bring a smile to her face.”

The two maids continued whispering. Jun Xiqing looked at the poppy flowers in surprise. The poppies were a vibrant red color, lovely and alluring beyond description.

The 26 year old Bei Yuewu was an icon of her generation. She was the legend of Ah Jiao’s Room.

It was a pity that Bei Yuewu met Murong Jiancheng and left her career early on.

To make a carefree girl give up her freedom to live a lonely life enclosed deep within the palace, it could be imagined just how much Bei Yuewu loved Murong Jiancheng.

Of the female elders whom Jun Xiqing knew, Bei Yuewu and Lin Xuanji were both similarly glorious.

“President Jun, what are you doing here?” Fan Men walked over.

“Oh, just listening to some gossip.”

Sometimes, it was crucial to listen to gossip!

“President Jun, things look bad. The Chief is making His Highness exhibit his archery skills. He has to hit nine bulls-eyes in a row.”

Nine bulls-eyes in a row?

Anyone who could hit two bulls-eyes would already be considered a great marksman.

“Steward Fan, can His Highness hit nine bulls-eyes in a row?” Jun Xiqing asked.

Fan Men nodded apologetically. “Yes.”

“…”

Jun Xiqing chuckled. “Good man.”

Lu Yeming certainly lived up to his name.

…

The Chief was waiting in the training arena and Lu Yeming was already standing in the archery range.

Jun Xiqing walked in.

“Let me.”

So Lu Yeming stood to the side.

Raising the how, Jun Xiqing aimed the arrow at the bull’s-eye. Even Fan Men admitted that he himself could not hit nine bulls-eyes in a row. He looked doubtfully at Jun Xiqing. “President Jun, can you really do it?”

“Let me try.”

She released her arrow with a swish.

She hit nine bulls-eyes consecutively.

Impossible. Fan Men was stunned.

Ping Ping looked at Fan Men and lifted her chin smugly. “Impressed? Don’t you know that Her Highness loved archery from a young age? Her best record was 10 bulls-eyes in a row. A perfect score.”

“…”

Fan Men was completely convinced.

Putting down the bow, Jun Xiqing said in a mild voice, “Let’s go.”

“Go? Go where?” Fan Men looked at the Chief, who was standing outside.

“We need to run for our lives.”

With wide eyes, Fan Men was shocked. “We solved the Chinese Rings and hit nine bulls-eyes in a row. We passed all the tests. Why do we still need to run?”

Jun Xiqing’s eyes were shining and her red lips curled up slowly. “If the Chief truly believed us, would we have been tested in this manner again and again?”

“…”

Fan Men’s face changed. So today was a death sentence.

“President Jun, I will cover you while you leave first.”

Jun Xiqing put on a black cloak and stood quietly by the window. The cloak swirled around her to the ground, accentuating her glowing purity.

It was already nighttime, shouldn’t he be back already?

“Steward Fan, pass him a message from me.”

“What message?”

Jun Xiqing lowered her long lashes as she fiddled with a red poppy flower. “If I make it back alive, please be merciful and let me go.”