Chapter Sixty-Seven: A Moment of Panic

Gu Li never imagined things would escalate to this point—he remained utterly indifferent, stubborn as ever!

There was nothing left to discuss.

If even the princess’s authority couldn’t subdue him, could she, a mere woman, hope to best him by force?

Fuming, Gu Li glared at him for a long moment, her anger mounting. In the end, all she could do was clench her fists and stamp her foot before storming away.

“Princess, would you like to put your mask back on?” Lie Chang’an, having noticed the envious and admiring glances men threw her way along the street, frowned in clear displeasure.

“No.” Gu Li already found the mask unbearably hot. Now, hearing his words, she flung the mask at Jasmine in a fit of pique.

She pressed on ahead and soon arrived at the venue where the poetry gathering was held.

Lanterns hung from the trees, flowers clustered everywhere; talented men and beautiful women mingled, reciting verses and matching wits with abandon.

“I’ll stay here for a while. You wait right here. Surely there’s no problem this time?” she said.

Lie Chang’an considered the lively gathering. It was true, the men and women inside had separated into their own groups. If he were to follow, it would indeed be awkward.

Poetry held no interest for him, nor did he wish to stand among those frail scholars, so he nodded obediently and waited outside.

After all, the distance was short; from where he stood, he could easily keep her in sight.

Gu Li had no real fondness for poetry gatherings, but at this moment, rebelliousness took hold. Since he insisted on following her, she was determined to shake him off.

Why should she be the only one to suffer?

With Jasmine in tow, she entered the gathering, relying on the scraps of poetry and literature her mother had tried to instill in her over the years. She managed to put on an act for a while but soon grew weary.

Just then, a group of young men across the way became engrossed in composing poems together. The crowd that gathered blocked Lie Chang’an’s view. Seizing the opportunity, Gu Li quickly pulled Jasmine away.

By the time the group’s poetic enthusiasm had waned, Lie Chang’an realized she was gone.

Standing outside the crowd, Gu Li watched as Lie Chang’an searched frantically, his usually unshakable composure replaced by panic, anxiety, and worry. He rushed into the poetry gathering, heedless of the screams his sudden entrance provoked, searching desperately for her.

Witnessing this, Gu Li felt a sudden pang of emotion.

This young man, always so calm and aloof, his face eternally impassive as if nothing could ever disturb him—though only eighteen, he seemed so reserved and stoic. Everyone knew, however, that he was a man of great ambition and remarkable intelligence; he simply disliked displaying his talents.

Sometimes, when she saw him smile, Gu Li found it lacking in warmth. He seemed cold by nature, yet she couldn’t help but feel his true self was nothing like that.

He should have been a man of passionate blood, burning with emotion and fervent ideals.

It was the first time she had seen him so utterly at a loss, likely out of fear that he had failed in his duty.

But Gu Li refused to let herself feel sympathy, as if afraid she might change her mind, she grabbed Jasmine and hurriedly fled.

Yet as she turned, her forehead collided with what seemed a wall.

Rubbing her brow, Gu Li looked up at the man before her—dressed in blue robes, elegant in bearing, and, she imagined, likely handsome beneath his mask.

Not wishing to provoke further trouble, she simply muttered an apology and tried to hurry off with Jasmine.

Unexpectedly, the moment the man saw her face, he impulsively seized her wrist. Hearing her voice, he was overcome with joy.

Jasmine, about to scold him as a scoundrel, was stopped when Gu Li, startled and fearful that Lie Chang’an might hear, quickly covered Jasmine’s mouth.