"...What did you say?" Shen Xiabai furrowed his brows tightly.
The little eunuch standing to the side silently took a few steps back. He felt as if he had heard the sound of something shattering—very faint, but incredibly pitiful.
Cui Yunchu looked at Shen Xiabai's tightly knit brows and paused. "I said... I'm catching a cat for King An."
Did that somehow get in his way too?
Catching a cat—for King An?
A faint, muffled chuckle seemed to reach Shen Xiabai's ears. He turned his head and cast a cold, utterly warmthless glare at the little eunuch behind him.
The little eunuch shuddered, sheepishly rubbing his nose. "This old servant will stand a bit further away."
Or rather, he would just try his best not to laugh so loudly.
Cui Yunchu looked completely baffled. "Is there a problem with me catching a cat?"
Shen Xiabai asked, "Why are you getting involved with King An again?"
He surprised himself the moment the words left his mouth. In a flash, his expression turned slightly unnatural as he averted his gaze, standing with his hands clasped behind his back.
"Or could it be that everything you said before at the Cui Residence and the Crown Prince's Estate was nothing more than an attempt to clear your name?"
"..."
Cui Yunchu blinked and let out a heavy breath through her nose. "Honestly, I disdain even paying attention to someone like you."
"???"
Cui Yunchu continued, "In other words, in everyone else's eyes, when am I ever not involved with King An?"
Whenever anyone brought up the name Cui Yunchu, King An and the Crown Prince were inevitably dragged into the conversation to be gossiped about. She was already used to it herself, yet here he was, looking as if he had been struck by lightning.
"...Wasn't it your own actions in the first place that caused others to gossip so widely?"
Cui Yunchu opened her mouth, then nodded. "You're right. You're stronger than me, so you're always right."
Shen Xiabai frowned again. What did she mean by 'you're stronger than me, so you're right'? Didn't that just mean she was still unconvinced?
Cui Yunchu muttered under her breath, "If the day ever comes when I'm stronger than you, I'll definitely make you kneel down and call me your grand-aunt, and then I'll stab you a few times."
Shen Xiabai's face darkened. "I am not deaf."
Furthermore, as a martial artist, his senses were much sharper than those of an ordinary person.
Cui Yunchu, "..."
After a long moment passed, she raised her eyes and shot Shen Xiabai another sidelong glance.
He was still standing motionless in front of her, just like a statue. Cui Yunchu scratched her head. "Lord Shen, aren't you leaving?"
Shen Xiabai looked down at her without saying a word.
Just as Cui Yunchu was starting to feel overwhelmed by his inexplicable gaze, he suddenly moved, turning his eyes to the little eunuch behind him.
"What are you all good for? Allowing irrelevant people to wander freely near the Imperial Study—if His Majesty is disturbed, who will take responsibility?"
The little eunuch blankly raised his eyes, met with Shen Xiabai's gloomy face. Turning his gaze, he saw Eldest Miss Cui with wide-eyed shock, looking as if she had been struck by lightning.
He had just been happily enjoying the show, so how did he suddenly become part of the drama?
How could Lord Shen be so unreasonable? Just because he couldn't win an argument against Eldest Miss Cui, he decided to take it out on a servant like him.
The little eunuch replied, "...Lord Shen, this place is still quite a distance from the Imperial Study. It does not fall under this old servant's jurisdiction."
As the dignified Head Eunuch serving before the Emperor, he technically had authority over the entire imperial palace. However, when it was time to shirk responsibility, he absolutely refused to take the blame.
Otherwise, Lord Shen might just say, "What exactly are you good for, letting Eldest Miss Cui get tangled up with King An and even helping him find a cat?"
Given Lord Shen's current mood, it wasn't entirely impossible for him to utter such unreasonable words.
Shen Xiabai withdrew his gaze, a hint of mockery mixed into his cold eyes. "His Majesty is currently reviewing memorials and is very busy. Please escort this person away immediately."
The little eunuch said, "Oh."
"Eldest Miss Cui, if you please."
Cui Yunchu never expected that she had actually wandered near the Imperial Study. But seeing Shen Xiabai standing there with his hands behind his back, adopting such a condescending posture, made her feel incredibly displeased.
His face clearly spelled out the words: "Let's see who is the one leaving now."
Xing'er tugged at Cui Yunchu's sleeve. "Miss, let's go."
The vicinity of the Imperial Study was no place to fool around. It would be terrible if they arrived perfectly fine but couldn't make it back alive!
Cui Yunchu yanked her sleeve out of Xing'er's grasp. Her gaze landed on Shen Xiabai's cuffs, and then moved down to his ankles.
Her stare was so blatant that it made the person being looked at feel as if he had been stripped naked, utterly uncomfortable.
It was as if those legs were once again exposed to the sunlight without a single thread covering them, completely bare before the person in front of him.
Shen Xiabai had originally forgotten the humiliation of that day, but Cui Yunchu forcefully dragged the memory back to the surface.
His voice was deep and low. "What are you looking at?"
He involuntarily followed her gaze, looking downwards as well.
Cui Yunchu shook her head.
This time, Shen Xiabai had truly misunderstood her.
Everyone said she loved to deliberately seduce men and lacked female virtue, but she only ever targeted the rich and powerful, approaching them with a specific purpose.
Although the man before her possessed both wealth and power... he was not within Cui Yunchu's scope of consideration.
Or rather, unless she had a strong ulterior motive towards a man, Cui Yunchu simply didn't think about them in a romantic or sexual context.
"I was just thinking..." She looked up at Shen Xiabai and asked, "When officials enter the palace, aren't they forbidden from carrying any sharp weapons?"
Shen Xiabai was momentarily stunned by her erratic train of thought.
The little eunuch chimed in from the side, "That is only natural. Seeking an audience while carrying a weapon is a crime punishable by death."
"Oh."
So that meant Shen Xiabai didn't have his sword. In other words, even if he had brought it today, he wouldn't dare pull it out.
Cui Yunchu suddenly began to smile, looking rather sinister.
Without a sword, they were on equal footing. Who was afraid of whom?
Perhaps because her smile was truly vulgar and wicked, Shen Xiabai furrowed his brows tightly.
Right at that moment, Cui Yunchu suddenly pointed behind him and shouted loudly, "You damn cat, don't run!"
Then, before Shen Xiabai could react, she suddenly charged forward.
The distance between them was too close. Shen Xiabai only barely managed to turn sideways, but his body was still struck hard, causing him to stagger back a few steps.
Cui Yunchu braked to a halt, turned her head, and changed direction.
Shen Xiabai narrowed his eyes. How could he not see right through Cui Yunchu's petty little schemes?
He was just about to step aside and let her fall flat on her face, but unexpectedly...
"Xiaobai, don't go!" Cui Yunchu yelled.
Shen Xiabai's foot, which had been about to step back, suddenly felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. Frowning deeply, he watched as the woman launched herself right at him...
Cui Yunchu crashed solidly into him. Her head spun from the impact, and she nearly fell flat on her bottom.
As a reflex, her two arms wrapped tightly around the man's waist.
Neither of them moved. Time seemed to stand still. After a long while, she dazedly raised her eyes, just as the man happened to look down at her.
Cui Yunchu thought: Oh, my god.
"How much longer are you going to hug me?"
"Why didn't you dodge?"
The two of them voiced their questions at the exact same time. However, perhaps because they were entirely focused on questioning the other, neither of them took a single step back.
Xing'er covered her eyes. Standing behind Shen Xiabai, she began to pry Cui Yunchu's fingers off the man's waist, one by one.
The two of them turned their heads in unison to look at Xing'er.
Xing'er, "..."
She lowered her eyes and silently placed the fingers back, one by one.
Then she took a few steps back, hugged her head, and squatted on the ground.
Shen Xiabai's face darkened further. He pushed Cui Yunchu away. "Weren't you the one who called my name?"
