Kiyomi Tsuki et son renard

Chapitre 47

Xi Ri's face paled. She turned her head away and closed her eyes. She wasn't afraid, though. First, she wasn't a man at all; she was a woman. Dressing as a woman would be a self-inflicted wound, making it impossible to lure Zhang Guiyi out. If her true identity were discovered… it would be worse than unimaginable! Second, even if she lured Zhang Guiyi out and everything went smoothly, what about her lifelong reputation? A young lady from a prestigious family participating in such a competition, while there might be a reason, was still… Third, Zhang Guiyi wasn't some young master; he was a bandit, a murderous and thieving bandit… She was defenseless. If anything happened, losing her life would be a minor matter; losing her reputation would be a much bigger problem…

Minglu frowned and said in a deep voice, "Brother Yu, if you are unwilling, I will not force you, but I can guarantee that as long as I am here, you will not suffer the slightest harm."

Fu Jin replied, "How can you guarantee Yu's safety? You can't be by his side every moment. Who is Zhang Guiyi? Yu is weak and helpless; how can he possibly contend with Zhang Guiyi? I think we can capture Zhang Guiyi even without Yu. I refuse to believe that even if his disguise is superb, we can't find him!"

Nalan said, "Fu Jin, have you forgotten? He came to the capital once half a month ago. We laid a trap that time, but we still couldn't catch him. His disguise skills are so good that ordinary people can't recognize him at all. If it weren't for Brother Yu's help, we would have had a hard time catching Zhang Guiyi."

Disguise technique? Zhang Guiyi also knows disguise technique, Xi Ri was secretly shocked.

Fu Jin was rendered speechless by Nalan's words and remained silent.

Nalan laughed and said, "Fu Jin, since Minglu said he would protect Yu Di's safety, you should trust Minglu. Have you forgotten that Minglu has never broken his word?"

Fu Jin paused, as if recalling something, and smiled awkwardly, saying, "Yes, I remember."

Xi Ri looked at Fu Jin with a puzzled expression. What did he still remember? It seemed there was a story behind it.

Fu Jin understood the doubt in her eyes, her gaze slightly darting away. She didn't say anything. Even Fu Jin, who was usually talkative, was unwilling to say more, so it was clear that this story must have been very profound for her.

Unexpectedly, Fu Jin suddenly said to Ming Lu, "Ming Lu, Yu Di is a weak man. You must protect him and not let him really be eaten by that bastard Zhang Guiyi!"

A weak man? That term sounds so awkward.

Minglu nodded solemnly.

Nalan looked at Fu Jin thoughtfully and smiled faintly. Suddenly, he remembered Nalan's teasing remark that had made Fu Jin quite nervous.

I later realized that after their back-and-forth, it seemed I had no choice but to agree.

Nalan smiled at her and said, "Yu-di, you don't need to worry. Minglu always keeps his word. With Minglu around, Zhang Guiyi can't do anything to you. Besides, we've already laid a trap to deal with him. As soon as we discover his whereabouts, we'll act immediately. Perhaps, before you even see Zhang Guiyi, the mission will already be complete."

"I hope so," Xi Ri nodded and forced a smile at Nalan.

The matter was settled just like that; in fact, Xi Ri had no room to refuse.

However, since she had agreed back then, she couldn't go back on her word now. Hopefully, as Nalan said, the matter would be resolved before she even met Zhang Guiyi.

But things often turn out unexpectedly, and who knows what will happen in the future? And what about Long Ming, who is always unpredictable? Will Xi Ri become the most handsome man in the world as they expect this time?

They planned until evening, and naturally, they had dinner at the Prince's residence.

I ate that meal with trepidation the other day, and I couldn't put my mind at ease.

Unexpectedly, at this critical juncture, Fu Jin even suggested going to Wanfeng Tower, saying that Li Yu should go to Wanfeng Tower's madam, Granny Wan, to "learn skills".

Xi Ri panicked. Didn't we say she didn't need to see Zhang Guiyi? Why does she still need to learn martial arts? Besides, what kind of martial arts is she supposed to learn?

In truth, everyone knew that Fu Jin just wanted to live a carefree life; learning martial arts was merely an excuse.

Minglu naturally did not agree to go to Wanfeng Tower, but he sent someone to summon Wanfeng Tower's madam, Granny Wan.

Wanfeng Tower was not far from the Prince's Mansion, and soon the charming Granny Wan arrived.

After paying his respects to the gentlemen present, Minglu invited Granny Wan to sit aside for a moment, and then instructed the servants to bring in a pile of clothes and jewelry. It seemed that everything had been prepared in advance.

Minglu looked at Xiri and said, "Wan Mama is a master of dressing up. With Wan Mama around, she can definitely help you dress up to be stunning. Tomorrow, you will definitely be the most handsome man."

Xi Ri's face grew even paler, and she became increasingly hesitant.

Minglu said, "Brother Yu, I'm sorry to have wronged you."

Although Minglu said the word "wronged," his eyes clearly shone with longing.

When Xi Ri saw the pile of women's clothes and the strange looks from Ming Lu, Na Lan, and Fu Jin, she knew that she was doomed tonight.

After much struggle, Xi Ri still couldn't bring herself to dress as a woman in front of these people.

Granny Wan chuckled, “Young Master Li, I heard you’re going to participate in the competition for the most handsome man in the world. In my opinion, who else could be the most handsome man in the world but you? I’ve placed a big bet on you to win. With your looks, I’ll definitely make you look even more beautiful than the most beautiful woman in the world. Don’t hesitate, come with me now.”

Xi Ri was still struggling when Granny Wan smiled and pulled her into the inner room. At Ming Lu's signal, the maid also came to help. Xi Ri was practically dragged into the inner room.

Inside the room, Granny Wan dismissed the maids, leaving only the two of them.

Granny Wan smiled deeply.

Xi Ri refused her help to groom and dress him, pacing anxiously back and forth in the room.

Granny Wan smiled and said, "Miss, my young master has already given me instructions before I came, so you can rest assured and leave everything to me."

To her astonishment, Granny Wan actually knew her identity! Looking at Granny Wan, she exclaimed in surprise, "Your young master? Who is he?"

Granny Wan smiled faintly and said, "Naturally, it's Young Master Long."

Long Ming? As expected... it was him.

Granny Wan said, "Miss, don't worry, I will naturally keep your identity a secret. It's just that it's very risky for you to agree to participate in this competition so rashly, and my young master is also very worried." Granny Wan smiled ambiguously.

Xi Ri hung her head in dejection. She asked softly, "Was what I did right or wrong?"

Granny Wan was taken aback, clearly not expecting Xiri to ask such a question, and seemingly unable to answer it either. After a moment of silence, she replied with a sigh, "Who hasn't been young? Who hasn't been impetuous? Whether it's right or wrong, who can say for sure? As long as you have a clear conscience, what does it matter whether it's right or wrong?"

Silence filled the room...

After a long while, when Li Yu, dressed in women's clothing, appeared before everyone, the hall fell into complete silence.

The first person to see Li Yu was Consort Ru, who was serving Ming Lu. Her smiling face, flushed slightly by the palace lanterns, turned into one of astonishment when she saw Li Yu dressed as a woman.

Minglu followed Madam Ru's gaze and looked up. The person in front of him was stunningly beautiful. At this moment, he could not control his heart and could not help but be moved by Li Yu dressed as a woman.