The food hadn’t gone cold yet, and not much time had passed, which meant Ye Ting wasn’t too late in finding the small note. If she went to the meeting, she could still make it.
But could she go?
Absolutely not.
Wasn’t that just asking for trouble? She had already thrown her lot in with the Crown Prince, turned over a new leaf—why would she drag herself back into dealings with her former employer?
"Come quickly to the theater stage."
No thanks, not interested.
Ye Ting made up her mind instantly and tossed the note into the charcoal brazier. Just to be sure there weren’t any other cursed little notes hidden in the dishes, she flipped through each plate and even checked underneath them. Only after confirming there was nothing else did she finally relax.
She couldn’t even enjoy a meal in peace. Life was too hard.
Before long, a palace maid arrived and froze at the sight of the untouched dishes. She cautiously asked, "Was the food not to your liking?"
"No, it was fine," Ye Ting replied without showing any sign of disturbance. Then, as if casually, she asked, "Did you prepare this meal?"
The maid flustered, "This lowly servant could never manage such delicate work. It was sent over from the imperial kitchens."
Ye Ting hummed in acknowledgment. "So you were the one who set this lunch out earlier?"
The maid looked nervous and timid. "Yes. Did I do something wrong?"
Ye Ting wanted to find out who had slipped her the note, but seeing how skittish the maid was, she knew she wouldn’t get anything out of her. The note hadn’t been placed by this girl.
Someone else had done it.
No matter how hard she racked her brain, Ye Ting couldn’t figure it out. Her head ached, and she pressed her fingers to her temples as she walked to the window.
She stopped by an intricately carved window and looked out, her gaze landing on a side gate to the west.
Fiddling with the tassel hanging from the window, Ye Ting casually asked the maid, "By the way, do you know how to get to the theater stage in the western garden?"
The maid answered earnestly, "Exit through the side gate, turn left, and the western garden isn’t far. But… there’s no place called ‘theater stage’ in the palace. Why do you ask?"
Ye Ting hadn’t expected there to be no such place.
Was this some kind of undercover spy game where they needed a secret code?
Her former employer was truly insufferable.
"Nothing," Ye Ting withdrew her gaze and replied vaguely. "Just curious. His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned the western garden before."
Noticing the maid studying her with a hint of envy in her eyes, Ye Ting felt a little puzzled but simply smiled and said, "That’s all for now. You may go."
The maid withdrew.
She thought to herself, The Crown Prince has always been indifferent to worldly desires and disliked those with overly striking beauty. Yet, though we’re both servants, fate treats us differently. This one must have something extraordinary about her.
The "extraordinary" Ye Ting, however, was in low spirits. She sat at the table sighing, her appetite gone. She picked at a plate of snacks while warming her hands by the charcoal brazier.
She had intended to wait for the Crown Prince while keeping warm, but before she knew it, the sky had darkened. Emperor Xuan hadn’t just called the Crown Prince over for a chat and a meal—they were probably having supper by now.
Ye Ting’s initial calm gradually gave way to anxiety.
What if the Crown Prince had another episode in front of Emperor Xuan—a headache or fever—and forgot all about me waiting here? That would be disastrous.
But no sooner had the thought crossed her mind than someone arrived—a eunuch from the Qingxin Palace.
Ye Ting was taken aback.
The eunuch quickly explained, "His Highness the Crown Prince has instructed this servant to escort you to the Vermilion Bird Gate. The nights are cold this season, and His Highness, still recovering from illness, must not be exposed to the chill. His Majesty is deeply concerned, so the Crown Prince is currently in the carriage His Majesty provided for his departure. Miss, please come with me."
Ye Ting thought, The delicate Crown Prince has fallen ill again. She sighed inwardly and said, "Then I’ll trouble you."
The eunuch hurriedly replied, "No trouble at all. This way, please."
Ye Ting followed him out.
In autumn and winter, night fell quickly. Once outside the palace halls, the paths were desolate, the road ahead pitch-black. Palace attendants carried lanterns to light the way.
The distance from the Palace of Eternal Joy to the Vermilion Bird Gate was vast, spanning nearly half the imperial palace. The farther they walked, the fewer people they encountered, and the darker the path became.
Ye Ting couldn’t shake the feeling that the palace corridors were eerily sinister.
Halfway there, a sudden gust of wind blew fiercely. The eunuch ahead lost his grip on the lantern, and it fell to the ground, rolling a few times before breaking.
The eunuch exclaimed in dismay and hurriedly apologized.
Ye Ting felt the cold wind biting at her neck. She no longer cared how dark the path was—she just wanted to hurry.
But fate had other plans. Just as everything seemed ordinary, an unexpected twist was destined to occur.
At that moment, footsteps approached from behind—slow but steady. The newcomer was flanked by two attendants carrying lanterns. As the light drew closer, his identity became clear.
Ye Ting looked over and saw a man with an upright posture and distinguished bearing. His luxurious robes and golden crown unmistakably marked his high status. Handsome in appearance, his narrow eyes carried a faint trace of rakish charm. A name instantly came to her mind…
The eunuch startled and bowed deeply. "This servant greets the Fourth Prince."
Fourth Prince, Xiao Zhike.
This was Consort Rong’s son, the rising star of the imperial court. After spending so much time in this world, Ye Ting was finally face-to-face with one of the player characters from the game Imperial Dreams. The Fourth Prince was ambitious, backed by his mother—the ever-favored Consort Rong—and his influence was formidable. He was one of the top contenders for the throne.
Back when she had tried the demo, she had previewed the character introductions and had almost chosen him.
There was no particular reason—it was just that in the game of succession, the Crown Prince wasn’t an available option. At first glance, the Fourth Prince had stood out the most, with the best conditions and the lowest difficulty in securing the throne.
Ambitious, resourceful, and ruthless—but his fatal flaw was his temperament. He was cruel, quick to anger, prone to extremes, and worst of all… a notorious womanizer.
Ye Ting had decided she couldn’t handle him and given up.
Who would have thought she’d run into him like this?
"Hm," Xiao Zhike responded indifferently, his cold gaze sweeping over Ye Ting before lingering briefly. His smile carried a hint of mockery as he asked, "And where might you be headed?"
The eunuch hadn’t expected the Fourth Prince to take an interest. Hesitantly, he replied, "This… His Highness the Crown Prince instructed this servant to escort this lady to the Vermilion Bird Gate."
"Is that so?" Xiao Zhike’s tone was dismissive, laced with faint ridicule. He murmured, "I wondered who it was. So you’re the Crown Prince’s woman…"
Ye Ting’s heart tightened at his words.
Wait— A thought flashed through her mind. Was the Fourth Prince the one who sent me that note?
It made sense. She had originally been placed by Consort Rong, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Fourth Prince had orchestrated it.
With Consort Rong under house arrest, she couldn’t be pulling strings behind the scenes—but the Fourth Prince could. If he was the one who had planted her as a spy, what wouldn’t he do?
The realization sent a cold sweat down Ye Ting’s back.
It was highly likely that this man was her former employer.
This was extremely awkward.
She had just stood him up today, and now they ran into each other—what kind of twisted fate was this? How could it be such a coincidence!
Ye Ting steeled herself and bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness, the Fourth Prince."
Xiao Zhike let out a short, cold laugh from his throat.
Ye Ting didn’t dare look at the expression on Xiao Zhike’s face. She stood to the side like an ordinary palace maid, keeping a safe distance, silently praying that this ticking time bomb wouldn’t cause trouble.
Though the Fourth Prince was in a foul mood, he restrained himself within the palace walls and didn’t do anything outrageous.
His cold gaze swept over her before landing on the eunuch leading the way. "You’ve only covered half the distance. A useless servant like you can’t even handle such a simple task—clearly, you haven’t been beaten enough. How do you expect to deliver someone to the Crown Prince in this pitch darkness?"
The eunuch wiped the cold sweat from his brow and hurriedly replied, "Your Highness is absolutely right. This servant was careless."
The Fourth Prince didn’t press further. Instead, as if struck by a sudden whim, he said, "Let’s go. Since it’s on the way, this prince will escort you."
With things put this way, refusal was impossible.
Every nerve in Ye Ting’s body was on edge. She was terrified that Xiao Zhike would drag her, the traitor, into a dark corner and finish her off midway. So she stiffened her resolve and walked as fast as she could.
The journey was agonizing.
As they passed a lotus pond and turned a corner, Ye Ting’s sleeve was abruptly yanked, pulling her away from the group.
Xiao Zhike halted.
Out of nowhere, he asked, "Lady Pingting, did you drop something?"
Ye Ting froze. "No. Your Highness must be mistaken." She remained completely unmoved.
The Fourth Prince narrowed his eyes slightly and let out a cold laugh. "How careless of this prince. It seems I misjudged."
Ye Ting had no idea what he meant, nor did she care to find out. She had no desire to engage in private conversation with such a dangerous man.
But the Fourth Prince had no intention of letting her off so easily. He suddenly seized her wrist, gripping it so tightly it felt like he might snap it in half!
With a sinister smile, he whispered, "Tell me, how do you think the Crown Prince would react if I delivered a corpse to him instead?"
The pain made Ye Ting want to curse.
She knew this wasn’t over! The eunuch had been sent away, the patrolling guards were nowhere in sight—this bastard had planned it all.
The Fourth Prince’s patience seemed to wear thin. His smile turned vicious as he warned, "Be smart. Allying yourself with the Crown Prince is pointless. What can a sickly man give you? And don’t forget—if you disobey, I can take your life anytime I please."
Ye Ting stayed silent.
She believed him. This lunatic could kill without hesitation, and he could do it right now.
But if she cowered, he’d only be more tempted to torment her. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Then go ahead, Your Highness."
She forced herself not to tremble as she spoke.
The Fourth Prince seemed taken aback by her response. After a pause, he chuckled softly, his tone deceptively gentle. "Oh, but I can’t. You’re far too valuable now. Did I scare you? I was only teasing."
Ye Ting’s skin crawled.
What kind of monster was this former employer of hers?
This was unbearable.
Taking a deep breath, she feigned boldness and asked, "Then what does Your Highness want from this servant?"
"Isn’t it obvious? Having a Crown Prince on the throne is… an eyesore. Naturally, I want—" Xiao Zhike’s voice dropped to a whisper, his smile icy. "To kill him."
"..."
That’s practically suicide for me.
This conversation was truly impossible to continue.
Fortunately, the damned Fourth Prince didn’t get the chance to say more. The eunuch, realizing they had fallen behind, hurried back.
Xiao Zhike acted as if nothing had happened. "It’s nothing. Lady Pingting lost something, and this prince happened to find it. Let’s continue."
With that, he casually tossed something to Ye Ting before striding ahead, his demeanor unreadable.
Ye Ting caught it and examined it—her expression twisted in disbelief. A jade pendant. He had given her a jade pendant.
Ye Ting: "..."
…Is the Fourth Prince also mentally ill?
By the time they reached the Vermilion Bird Gate, they parted ways. Burdened with unease, Ye Ting arrived at the carriage. When she stepped inside, she saw the Crown Prince seated at the center.
Xiao Zhiheng was wrapped in a moon-white cloak, his ink-black hair neatly tied, with a few loose strands resting on his shoulders. His face was pale and refined, his gaze distant as he stared out the window. Only when Ye Ting lifted the curtain did he slowly turn his eyes toward her—
His piercing gaze held an almost supernatural intensity, as if it could see straight through her.
For a moment, Ye Ting felt as if her soul had been laid bare.
Xiao Zhiheng chuckled softly. "Half an hour. I thought you’d gotten lost along the way."
