Much smarter than those who had been chasing her relentlessly before. Shen Yao Xing patted her hands, and when she turned around, she found that boat had already stopped nearby.

She jumped over, and as soon as she stood steady, she couldn’t help but ask the woman: “Who did you offend? They dare to attempt assassination in broad daylight.”

Chu Yi smoothed out her clothes and, hearing this, frowned and thought for a moment.

“Probably because I spent some good nights with a few married men a while back, and their families found out.”

The woman said this without any trace of guilt on her face, not even lowering her voice, as if it was the most normal thing.

“……” This person will die at the hands of men sooner or later.

“To dare to attempt assassination in broad daylight like this, it seems they hate me to the extreme.” Chu Yi was still analyzing in good spirits.

Shen Yao Xing was at a loss for words. From the corner of her eye, she saw the man walking towards them. Just as she was about to say they should return to the boat, a slap landed on her face. Perhaps because the man hadn’t fully awakened from his shock, his hand was still trembling, and the force was quite weak.

Even so, it caught the completely unprepared Shen Yao Xing off guard, making her widen her eyes in disbelief as she looked at this foolish idiot in front of her.

Si Tu Chang Qing tightly clutched his loose clothes, the light veil on his face had fallen off at some point, revealing a handsome face. At this moment, he glared at the young girl with a flushed face, not feeling he had done anything wrong at all.

“What… what are you doing?” Chu Yi was also confused by the man’s slap.

Si Tu Chang Qing clutched his clothes tightly, biting his lip pitifully: “It was this lecher who tore Chang Qing’s jade belt first…”

“Slap!” A loud slap interrupted his words. Si Tu Chang Qing was slapped so hard he fell sitting on the ground, his cheek swelling at a visible rate. He trembled as he touched his swollen cheek, tears rushing out. He looked up at the young girl, his crying voice seeming to carry a world of grievance.

“You… hit me?”

“Hit you?” Shen Yao Xing’s face darkened as she looked down at him: “Want to bet whether I’ll throw you into the lake to drown?”

The young girl’s serious look scared Si Tu Chang Qing into silence. He covered his face and whimpered softly.

Chu Yi swiftly opened her jade fan, holding it against the side of her face as she whispered: “You’re being too harsh on him.”

The young girl gave her a cold glance, and Chu Yi immediately fell silent.

The flower-carved nanmu door behind them suddenly opened. The two turned their heads in response, only to see a servant dressed in plain clothes bow to them and announce loudly: “Our master invites the two ladies in for a seat.”

It was only then that Shen Yao Xing realized this boat was actually that luxurious vessel. Since they were already at the door, she didn’t refuse and followed Chu Yi inside.

Si Tu Chang Qing, who had been crying softly, saw this and quickly wiped away the tears on his face. He stood up, wanting to follow them in, but was stopped by the servant’s raised hand. “Our master only invited those two ladies, so please stay here, young master.”

“You…” Si Tu Chang Qing stamped his foot, but there was nothing he could do. He had suffered too many grievances and shocks today, and now he just wanted to return to his mansion quickly.

The scene inside the boat far exceeded Shen Yao Xing’s imagination. If the exterior was luxurious, then the interior was extravagant. The bright space wasn’t due to candles, but to the brilliant night pearls inlaid in the walls. The walls were edged with gold thread, the boat deck was covered with classical patterned carpets, and there was a faint scent of ambergris in the air.

A plucked string sound caught the young girl’s attention. She saw a man wearing a moon-colored robe sitting on the inside. He wore a light veil over his face, his fingers as white as jade lightly caressing a black and red seven-stringed zither. Even the occasional pluck was heavenly music.

“What a good zither! I didn’t expect Young Master Yin to be so knowledgeable about zither music.” Chu Yi praised admiringly.

Shen Yao Xing couldn’t help but roll her eyes. This person was simply talking nonsense. The man hadn’t even started playing, and she was already praising him. Wasn’t that embarrassing?

The man didn’t raise his head to respond, his fingers still occasionally plucking the strings, as if he was tuning. After plucking the last string, he pressed his palm on the strings and looked up at the two. His deep eyes swept over the woman’s face, finally landing on the young girl’s tender face.

An inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over Shen Yao Xing as she met his gaze. Her eyes fell on the area under the man’s eyes, which was clean and clear, without the tear mole she had imagined.

“Heh,” the man’s voice was as pleasant as the zither sound just now. Just a light chuckle was enough to make people stare.

The voice doesn’t sound like him either, Shen Yao Xing thought.

“Please, have a seat,” Young Master Yin brushed aside his wide sleeves and leaned back, his posture lazy yet noble.

As soon as the two sat down, Chu Yi couldn’t control her romantic nature. With burning eyes and an eager smile, she said, “I’ve long heard that Young Master Yin is not only exceptionally intelligent but also the most handsome in the capital. Now that I’ve seen you, you truly are extraordinary, even surpassing the first beauty!”

“……” Is it really okay to talk such nonsense? You haven’t even seen his whole face, just his eyes, and you can praise him to high heaven like this?

After a series of flattering words, the man completely ignored her. His eyes lowered slightly, his fingers playing with a smooth pearl. After a while, his thick eyelashes trembled slightly, and he raised his eyes to look directly at the young girl who was staring at him in a daze.

His eyes, with their upturned corners, were deep and enchanting, just like a hook that could capture one’s soul.

“May I ask why the young lady is staring at me like this?”

“……” To be fair, Chu Yi’s gaze was almost piercing through him, why didn’t he say anything to her?

Shen Yao Xing coughed lightly and explained, “Don’t misunderstand, I just feel like you look a bit familiar.”

“Oh? Perhaps I resemble a friend of the young lady?”

“Well… not a friend, just someone I’ve seen a few times.”

“I see,” the man’s voice was very light. His fingertip applied a bit of pressure, and just as a fine crack appeared on the pearl, he relaxed his force. The darkness in his eyes deepened, and the thin lips under his veil curved slightly upwards.

Over there, Chu Yi was still trying to engage the man in conversation, while Shen Yao Xing had already averted her gaze. She didn’t quite understand why this person suddenly invited them in. She had thought perhaps he knew Chu Yi’s identity and wanted to make connections or something.

But looking at his indifferent attitude now, it didn’t seem like that either.

Young Master Yin glanced at the young girl and raised his hand to signal the servant to bring over the desserts from a table not far away. “There’s not much to offer, but these desserts were specially made by a chef sought from foreign lands. If you don’t mind, please try some.”

Shen Yao Xing, whose stomach happened to be hungry, brightened up at the sight of those exquisitely made desserts. Her face finally broke into a smile as she thanked him and unhesitatingly took a piece to eat.

The outer layer was crispy, the inside was sweet and moist, leaving a lingering fragrance in the mouth after eating, with an endless aftertaste.

“Does it suit your taste?” the man asked.

Shen Yao Xing’s cheeks were puffed out. She didn’t look at him, just nodding continuously.

Chu Yi, who was parched and tongue-tied, finally noticed something amiss. Her gaze swept between the two.

How come, could it be that they know each other?