Xia Wei walked out of the tea pavilion with the grace of a queen exiting a battlefield—unbothered, undefeated, and one hundred percent done with today’s nonsense.

Unfortunately, the universe was determined to test her patience.

Because the moment she stepped outside, she was met with the smug, annoyingly handsome face of Gu Yan.

“You look pleased with yourself,” Gu Yan drawled, leaning lazily against a stone pillar.

Xia Wei raised a brow.

“I would be,” she admitted, tilting her chin up. “If not for the fact that every time I feel satisfaction, you appear like a mosquito in summer.”

Gu Yan let out a low chuckle, completely unfazed.

“I see the kitten still has claws.” He pushed off the pillar, closing the distance between them with lazy confidence.

Xia Wei tilted her head.

“Correction.” She stepped forward, closing the gap even further. “I’m a tiger. And I bite.”

The slight widening of his eyes was incredibly satisfying.

Gu Yan recovered quickly, smirking down at her.

“Bold,” he murmured. “What happened to the delicate, infatuated Lady Xia who used to tremble at the sight of me?”

Xia Wei sighed dramatically, placing a hand over her heart.

“She died,” she said solemnly. “From secondhand embarrassment.”

Gu Yan laughed, truly amused.

“Cruel,” he mused. “You’re rather fond of breaking hearts, aren’t you?”

Xia Wei rolled her eyes.

“Do I look like a charity?” she shot back. “If a man hands me his heart on a silver platter, that’s his own problem.”

Gu Yan’s smirk deepened.

“A fox pretending to be a lamb,” he murmured. “How unexpected.”

Xia Wei gave him a slow, knowing smile.

“I never pretended to be a lamb,” she said sweetly. “It’s not my fault that people are blind.”

Gu Yan stared at her.

For the first time, his easy arrogance shifted into something else—

Something like genuine curiosity.

“Interesting,” he muttered, almost to himself.

Xia Wei smiled innocently, enjoying this small victory.

Then, without warning—

A large fur cloak was draped over her shoulders.

She blinked.

“...What.”

Gu Yan looked perfectly casual.

“You seemed cold.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You are now,” he said smoothly. “Problem solved.”

Xia Wei narrowed her eyes.

This man. This absolute menace.

She reached up, grabbed the cloak…

…and threw it back at his face.

Gu Yan caught it, startled.

“Keep it,” Xia Wei said sweetly. “You need it more. It might help you chill.”

Then, without another glance, she strode past him, head held high.

Leaving behind one very amused, slightly bewildered, and entirely intrigued Gu Yan.

Meanwhile…

In the pavilion, Bai Yueru was still trying to recover from her social annihilation.

But her suffering was far from over.

Because the moment she tried to leave quietly, she found herself face-to-face with none other than Li Xuan.

Her heart leapt into her throat.

“Your Highness,” she said breathlessly. “I—”

Li Xuan walked right past her.

Didn’t even glance her way.

Didn’t even acknowledge her existence.

Her face turned deathly pale.

But the worst part?

As Li Xuan left the pavilion, his eyes followed only one figure—

The woman walking away, leaving chaos in her wake.

Xia Wei.

Bai Yueru gritted her teeth so hard her jaw ached.

This wasn’t over.

End of Chapter 10

(Small theater)

Xia Wei: I won. I’m leaving. Stop following me. Gu Yan: Why is my heart beating faster? Li Xuan: She is slipping away. Unacceptable. Bai Yueru: I WILL BURN THIS KINGDOM DOWN.

Sky~