Chapter Thirteen: Putting it in the Open

Yu Shiyan's gaze at them was so sinister it was almost dripping with malice.

The eunuchs felt a chill run down their spines after he glared at them fiercely.

He wiped his lips with the back of his hand, propped himself up on his elbows, and swayed as he walked toward the pond.

The last thing his mother left him...

The last one...

He gritted his teeth and lifted his foot to step into the water.

A sharp golden whip came flying from behind, deftly wrapping around his waist several times, and forcefully pulling him back.

Yuan Siyin gripped the whip tightly, straightening it to steady him. "If you dare go into the water, I'll break your legs!"

As soon as she said it, Yuan Siyin wanted to slap herself.

The malice started subconsciously.

If it weren't for those few troublesome eunuchs, she would have dived in from every angle and pulled the male lead out of the water.

"Greetings, Miss Yuan!"

Upon seeing Yuan Siyin arrive, the eunuchs, instead of realizing that something was amiss, cheerfully greeted her: "We heard early this morning that the young lady has been brought back to the palace by the Empress Dowager. What a blessing! Others can only envy you."

"Don't worry, while you're away from the palace, we've all been taking good care of the Seventh Prince!"

As if to emphasize something, the word "take care" was stressed out.

Yuan Siyin stumbled.

You incompetent good-for-nothing! Don't you have any sense of propriety?

No wonder I'm still a lowly office worker!

Is this something that can be said openly?

"You, you, all of you, stop grinning and all of you, stand up here!"

Yuan Siyin put away her whip and walked unceremoniously to stand by the lotus pond.

"us?"

The group was somewhat confused, but they still obediently stood side by side by the pool.

"Turn around."

Yu Shiyan remained silent with a cold face, his disgust for Yuan Siyin growing even stronger.

If she hadn't been holding onto his sleeve with her other hand, he would have jumped already.

"I'm letting go. You stay here and don't move."

Fearing that the rebellious Yu Shiyan would disobey, Yuan Siyin raised her whip and gave him a small threat.

After saying that, she indeed let go of his hand, but after taking only two steps, she suddenly turned back to check whether he had moved.

Very good, as expected, he only listens attentively when spoken to in a commanding tone.

Yuan Siyin strolled leisurely behind the first eunuch, slowly raised her leg, and kicked him down.

With a "plop," a splash of water erupted.

The entry into the water wasn't graceful; next one.

“Miss Yuan…”

Those behind swallowed hard.

Could it be that this young lady is protecting the Seventh Prince? Or is she just coming up with a new prank on a whim?

However, the second option seems more reliable.

"Don't just watch, jump! Do you expect me to kick you all off one by one?"

Yuan Siyin appeared dignified on the surface, but secretly she was pleased.

The cold shoulder she was receiving from the male lead finally found an outlet.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, then reluctantly jumped in and stood in the water, waiting for her next instructions.

Who could blame them? This young lady was spoiled by the Empress Dowager and had been unruly since childhood. She was also known for her unpredictable temper. If you didn't do as she was told, who knew what the consequences would be?

"What are you standing there for? Go get it!"

Yuan Siyin squatted down, propped her head up with her hand, and looked at them leisurely. She added with a smile, "If you can't get the hairpin out, don't bother coming up. Just stay inside and feed the fish."

Honestly.

Upon hearing this, the group panicked, their faces showing reluctance: "Miss Yuan, this lotus pond is so big, who knows where such a thin hairpin got stuck? Searching like this is like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Really? I don't think you were thinking about how hard it would be to find it when you threw it away."

Yuan Siyin snorted coldly, her slender fingers playing with the lotus buds in front of her, the shimmering light on the lake making her profile even more stunning.