Xie Fu was merely exchanging witty remarks with Qin Fanlan, but Yanran was genuinely happy to hear him praise her.

She covered her mouth and smiled, "Thank you both, gentlemen."

With her interruption, Qin Fanlan could no longer argue with Xie Fu. She glanced at Yanran with a half-smile and started chatting with the other girls.

Yanran walked towards Xie Fu and stood not far from him, hoping that Xie Fu would take the initiative to say a few words to her, which would mean that Xie Fu had feelings for her.

She gave up the opportunity to make connections with other powerful figures that evening and stubbornly stood beside Xie Fu.

How could others not understand her intentions with such actions? Even if she danced very well just now, if a dancer like her didn't take the initiative to befriend them, those powerful and wealthy young men who had designs on her wouldn't lower themselves to seek her out.

The boat floated quietly on the vast lake. The moonlight was clear and cool, casting a thin white veil over the boat and the lake.

Someone was lurking on the route that the young noblemen would take when they disembarked and returned to their mansions, ready to make a move.

After several rounds of drinks, the young men from wealthy families on the boat, reeking of alcohol, finally disembarked with the help of their men. Of course, some stayed on board, intending to spend the night together.

Yanran, who had stolen the show in front of all the young noblemen tonight, ultimately didn't get the chance to speak to him.

She stood on the boat in a red dancing dress, watching him disembark. Among a group of noblemen who needed to be helped to walk, his simple black narrow-sleeved Hu-style robe was much more dazzling than the brocade robes and jade belts of the others.

Chen Xiaoxiao also stood on the boat and looked around for a while. When she turned around, she saw that Yanran had a hint of resentment in her eyes. After thinking for a moment, she said, "You shouldn't have stood like that. You cut off your chance with the other young masters."

Yanran leaned on the edge of the boat, watching the slender figure disappear into the darkness with reluctance. "Xiaoxiao, you don't understand. How can there be such a captivating man in this world?"

"You..." Chen Xiaoxiao was somewhat taken aback, "You've developed feelings for him?"

"Is it strange?" Yanran brushed a strand of hair that had been ruffled by the night wind behind her ear. "Yes, I've always been the one among us who has the least contact with the scions of aristocratic families, but when I saw him today, I felt my heart beating so fast."

She gave a bitter smile. "I stood next to him today, and he didn't even glance at me. Now I finally understand what it feels like for those sisters who are heartbroken."

Chen Xiaoxiao advised her: "We are courtesans. Even if we were the daughters of court officials before, that's all in the past. Now that we've fallen to this state, guarding our hearts is the best way to survive in this brothel."

She paused, then continued, "Look at Yun'er from our Huanhua Tower, who was recently redeemed by that foreign merchant for a hefty sum. At first, the two were very much in love, but after the novelty wore off, the mistress of that household was not someone to be trifled with..."

This matter had already spread among these women of the night. Yun'er's final fate was a reminder to them to guard their hearts and not to believe that men truly loved them just because of their sweet words.

Only by guarding one's heart, protecting one's money, and keeping one's eyes open can a woman find a way to make a living in this world.

"Beauty fades and love wanes." Chen Xiaoxiao walked past Yanran into the cabin. "How many of us women from the brothel have a good ending after marriage?"

The place where Xie Fu disappeared was dark and gloomy, just like the fate of these brothel women. Yanran recalled the man's beautiful and dazzling face and murmured, "Even without a title, I'm willing."

Chen Xiaoxiao paused as she lifted the beaded curtain, letting out a barely perceptible sigh.

The servants, carrying hexagonal lanterns, walked ahead to light the way for their masters. The group of noblemen parted ways at various street corners, each returning home to find their own fathers.

Xie Fu was followed by a group of guards, and two servants carrying lanterns stood in front of him. The bustling street during the day was silent at night when people were asleep.

The sound of arrows piercing the air broke the deathly silence.

Dozens of arrows and crossbow bolts shot straight at Xie Fu, followed closely by an assassin dressed in black.

"Protect the Crown Prince!"

The guards reacted quickly, drawing their swords and rushing forward to knock down the crossbow bolts and surround Xie Fu.

These assassins were clearly no ordinary fry; they concealed themselves in the darkness and launched attacks using arrows and crossbows, each strike aimed directly at a vital point.

Several times the assassin's sword tip grazed his clothes, but Xie Fu's expression remained unchanged; he simply watched the assassin, who was locked in combat with the guards, with cold eyes.

His opening stance and swordsmanship were both superb; it's unknown which aristocratic family had painstakingly trained this assassin.

He couldn't bring a spear with him when he went out to the banquet today, so these people took this opportunity to assassinate him. Wan Ming had already spread the news of his return to everyone, so it was hard to tell who was behind it.

Xie Fu drew his hidden sword, lunged forward, and moved with lightning speed. His attack was decisive and ruthless. The assassin couldn't dodge in time and narrowly avoided a fatal blow. As he lost his balance, Xie Fu used the hidden sword to sever his tendons, rendering him unable to fight.

Many people believed that Xie Fu, at the age of seventeen, set up a challenge against the masters of Xiliang to please his grandson, and that the patriarch of the Xie family had secretly instructed the masters of Xiliang to hold back.

Only Xie's true confidants knew that the Western Liang masters who came seeking fame were indeed summoned by the Grand Master, but not to please Xie Fu.

The day before Xie Fu's seventeenth birthday, he had a disagreement with his grandfather. His grandfather heard about Xie Fu's arrogant act of setting up a challenge arena and thought it was extremely inappropriate, saying that "the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind."

Actually, Xie Fu didn't ask for the challenge to be set up. It was because his subordinates couldn't stand people saying that their master looked like a pretty boy and couldn't lift a finger. So they wanted to set up a challenge to prove Xie Fu's strength and give those who spread rumors a good slap in the face.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!