Chapter 53: Liu Feiyan (1)

Three days later, at the venue for the final round of the Peerless Talented Lady competition—the event was underway! Yet the two most anticipated participants, Ye Lang and Zhen Xiaoyan, were still nowhere to be seen.

"Honestly, the contest is about to start, and that boy still hasn’t arrived. Is he planning to just hand the Flower Queen title to Zhen Xiaoyan again, and threaten to eliminate the previous winner if she isn’t given the crown?" As Ye Lang failed to appear, the judges—those elders of the talented ladies—grew restless and began speculating aloud.

"Given what he said last time, it’s quite possible..."

"That can’t be! The Ye family would never allow him to act so recklessly," one declared with conviction.

"But will he listen? If he does it, what could the Ye family really do? Based on past experience, they’ll merely shield him, perhaps give him a minor punishment at most!"

"Well..."

"Why is this happening anyway? For no reason at all, that boy decided to meddle in this affair. Isn’t Zhen Xiaoyan supposed to be quite overweight and unattractive? Why would he help someone like that?" Many present still could not fathom why Ye Lang would assist Zhen Xiaoyan.

Zhen Xiaoyan had neither family nor figure nor beauty—none of the qualities one would expect to connect her to the thirteenth young master of the Ye family. Yet, by some stroke of fortune, she had gained his support.

Privately, most of the elders wondered: if only Ye Lang had favored their own daughters or granddaughters, and lent them his aid, that would surely be better than winning the Flower Queen title in this competition.

Ye Lang was universally deemed a useless wastrel, possessing no talents, but his powerful family background more than compensated for all his shortcomings. Even if he remained as foolish as before, many would vie to form an alliance with him—provided the Seventh Princess wasn’t his betrothed.

"I can’t say for sure. All I know is, if it weren’t for that girl from the Sha family, Zhen Xiaoyan wouldn’t have entered this contest, and we wouldn’t be dealing with this mess!"

At that moment, everyone nearby turned their gaze to the hapless head of the Sha family. He was never particularly influential here, and now, shunned and blamed, he seemed even weaker.

The Sha family head was vexed, though he understood that Sha Lan was not to blame. Still, her actions had placed many of his relationships in jeopardy—a potentially fatal blow in the aristocratic circles where he struggled to survive.

Earlier, he had shouted at Sha Lan at home: why did she ignore Ye Lang, that notorious spendthrift, failing to seize the opportunity of proximity, only to let Zhen Xiaoyan "beat her to the punch"?

Moya was decent, but compared to Ye Lang, she paled in comparison. If Sha Lan acted for love, then so be it; but if she sought connections and benefit, the loss was indeed immense.

No matter the outcome, even if Sha Lan won the Flower Queen title, it would hardly improve her prospects. As for Zhen Xiaoyan, she was indifferent—win or lose, she would not suffer.

As Ye Lang put it: "If you’re barefoot, why fear someone wearing shoes?"

Now the question remained: why had Ye Lang not appeared yet? With only a few contestants left, the final would soon conclude, and even his considerable influence could not overturn the established results.

Could it be, as some guessed, that he planned to seize the Flower Queen title outright and have Zhen Xiaoyan take his place?

The longer he delayed, the more plausible this speculation became. All the talented ladies had performed, yet Ye Lang was still absent...

"Idiot, fool, simpleton... why hasn’t he shown up yet?" Ye Lanyu murmured anxiously, gazing at the entrance, her worry plain to see.

"Ye Lanyu, don’t fret! He said he’d come, so he will. Though he’s a bit foolish and silly, he’s never broken his word!" The Seventh Princess, for once, comforted Ye Lanyu.

"I know, that’s exactly why I’m worried—afraid he might run into trouble..." Ye Lanyu replied, her concern evident.

The Seventh Princess fell silent. She had considered this possibility, but remained optimistic: in the Sovereign Sky Empire, no one would dare harm Ye Lang in the slightest.

"Wait, that woman... Seventh Princess, isn’t that the one from before..." Suddenly, Ye Lanyu pointed to a section reserved for distinguished guests, where a familiar figure could be seen.

"Which one... Her, yes, that’s the woman from three days ago. But she seems quite different today! Hey, Ye Lanyu, where are you going?" The Seventh Princess realized Ye Lanyu had leapt forward, disregarding decorum, vaulting across the central stage.

Stunned, she followed suit, choosing a jaw-dropping course of action herself, leaping after Ye Lanyu using her magical power. Their skill was extraordinary, their movements flawlessly controlled.

"What are those two girls up to, jumping about so shamelessly? There are plenty of onlookers—your daughter’s behavior is bad enough, and now mine is following suit." From the dais, the Emperor addressed Ye Chengtian.

"Yes, something’s happened. Normally, those two wouldn’t behave so rudely. If they’re both acting out, it must be Ye Lang’s fault! Could there be news?"

"Seems likely—they appear to be seeking someone..."

"Not just seeking—they’ve grabbed her! And by the way, what do you mean, my daughter’s behavior is bad enough?"

"Ahem..."

...

"Your Highness, Miss Ye, we meet again! But could you please relax a little?" The young lady, held firmly by Ye Lanyu, spoke politely.

"Tell me, where did my brother go?" Ye Lanyu demanded bluntly.

The girl smiled wryly. "I don’t know. I was just looking for him myself. I know you suspect me, but all I can tell you is that three days ago, the Thirteenth Young Master was with me. After that, I don’t know where he went."

"Three days ago, he..." Ye Lanyu began to ask, but was interrupted by the sudden arrival of another.

"Your Highness, Miss Lanyu, the Emperor requests your presence. Please bring this young lady as well—he has questions for her." The newcomer was a royal guard, carrying the Emperor’s command.

Upon noticing the actions of Ye Lanyu and the Seventh Princess, the Emperor had immediately ordered them brought before him—partly to prevent any further surprising antics, partly to learn the true identity of the mysterious young lady.

Both the Emperor and Ye Chengtian had investigated, yet failed to uncover her background—a shocking revelation in the imperial capital, where they thought they knew everyone.

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It seems there was a minor error yesterday—apologies!

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