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The laughter of Concubine Xu was nothing like that of a well-bred lady; it was bewitchingly enchanting.

Initially, the man in black had thought that Concubine Xu had detected his presence, considering her increased vigilance.

It wasn’t until he saw her fixedly staring at the script in her hand, showing no sign of noticing his arrival.

Curious, he glanced over and saw what was written on it.

The concubine chuckled, "Is the Prince feeling jealous? What a strong scent of vinegar!"

"Jealous? Are you unaware that the very smell I detest most is that of vinegar?" the Prince muttered under his breath as he sniffed around, detecting no such smell.

After reading this exchange, the man in black couldn’t help but smile a little. This script was somewhat normal, at least.

"You idle everyday, better to read more poetry and improve your sentiment."

Concubine Xu had just taken a big bite of watermelon when she suddenly heard a faint voice, startling her nearly to the point of choking.

Patting her chest, she turned around and saw the man in black standing half a meter behind her, his handsome face perennially covered by a black face mask, revealing only a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes.

It had been three months since they last met, and Concubine Xu’s face lit up with surprise.

"Where have you been these past three months?"

"Of course, I was looking for someone." The man in black sat down at the round table, poured himself a cup of tea, then pulled off his mask and began drinking with ease, as if he were in his own home.

Concubine Xu was seeing the man in black’s face for the second time and still found it stunning. Perhaps because she had always imagined him as a man with plain features, the stark contrast made her feel astonished each time.

"Why do you always come without making a sound? No door, but you could at least knock on the window, right? If you scare me to death one day, wouldn’t that be a great injustice?"

"Aren’t you fine?" the man in black chuckled softly, sipping his tea.

Concubine Xu: "..."

The man in black glanced at the script in her hand and asked, "Why do you always enjoy these kinds of scripts?"

Upon mentioning the script, Concubine Xu instinctively hugged it to her chest.

The man in black: "..."

Concubine Xu spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "I’m a girl, isn’t it normal for me to read this kind of script? As for the poetry and songs you speak of, I’m not interested. The Crown Princess said something very sensible."

The man in black played along and asked, "What did she say?"

Concubine Xu replied, "The Crown Princess said, instead of jockeying for other people’s approval, better to please oneself. Eat well, drink well; not only will your body benefit, but your mood will be better too."

The man in black: "..."

Concubine Xu, observing the man in black’s reaction, knew he didn’t believe her.

"Ever since I made eating and drinking my priority, I indeed feel a lot happier." When upset, she would confront others; after all, she’d rather make others uncomfortable than suffer herself.

The man in black stated blandly, "Then why do you still think of leaving the palace?"

"The Imperial Palace isn’t my home," Concubine Xu said as she took another big bite of watermelon, "Seedless watermelon is just delicious."

The man in black nodded, agreeing with her. No matter how grand the Imperial Palace was, it couldn’t compare to home.

But little Chuwei had been away from home for over seven years and had suffered without anyone to protect her.

Concubine Xu thought of Feng Wuyou, whom Shen Chuwei had mentioned. With the man in black right in front of her, she seized the opportunity to inquire.

"I want to ask you something."

The man in black lifted his eyelids slightly, "Go ahead."

Concubine Xu asked, "Your beloved, little nine, if I remember correctly, is named Feng Wuyou, right?"

The man’s tea drinking paused, "...Since when did she become my beloved?"

Concubine Xu scoffed, "Wasn’t that what you said yourself?"

Too lazy to explain, the man in black asked, "Why are you asking all this? Or do you have some relevant news?"

When the man in black didn’t answer, Concubine Xu’s curiosity grew. Hugging half a watermelon, she persisted, "So is it true or not?"

The man in black raised an eyebrow, "Is it any of your business?"

Very seriously, Concubine Xu retorted, "Of course it’s my business. If you have a girlfriend, we’ll need to maintain a suitable distance."

Hearing this, the man in black couldn’t help but laugh.

Under Concubine Xu’s relentless questioning, the man in black, growing impatient, finally replied, "The night you were drunk, you were wearing something quite revealing, and I just happened to see. What do you plan to do about that?"

Mentioning that night, Concubine Xu’s face turned red involuntarily, "That was an accident, it doesn’t count."

The man in black chuckled lightly but did not continue the previous topic.

"Didn’t you say there was no one named little nine in the palace? Why bring her up all of a sudden?"

"I haven’t found anyone named little nine. I was just curious—who is Feng Wuyou? Did she run away from home?"