The sound of footsteps outside the door gradually faded away.

Behind the screen, only the girl’s ragged breathing remained.

Although it was only because the waistband had been tightened so much that she couldn’t catch her breath, to Pei Zhaoye’s ears, it still sounded… very bad.

Lizhu also felt it was very bad.

It was all because of Pei Zhaoye from her previous life, which made her start to let her imagination run wild at the slightest stir.

After a good while, Lizhu finally caught her breath evenly and raised a pair of eyes shimmering with water light.

“…How do you know how to wear a woman’s dress?”

Pei Zhaoye was stunned for a moment.

His mind was quick, and he soon understood what she meant.

“When I was little, I was raised by the geji and dancing girls of the Pei residence. They treated me like a son. Not to mention helping tie a waistband, even those complicated buns you women wear, I can manage to style them eighty or ninety percent just by looking a couple of times.”

This didn’t sound like being treated as a son, but more like being used as a young servant.

But after hearing his words, that inexplicable awkward feeling from before dissipated.

There was still a slightly sour and astringent feeling in her heart.

So many years had passed; Pei Zhaoye’s mother had passed away, and those women who took care of him back then were no longer in their youth. The Pei family wouldn’t have kept them.

Did he miss them?

Just like she also occasionally missed her mother very much.

Pei Zhaoye looked at her strangely: “…You were angry just now, about this?”

Lizhu glanced at him quickly, lacking confidence as she said: “I wasn’t angry.”

Her stubborn retort was very unconvincing, but it successfully made the shameless Pei Zhaoye feel a subtle sense of guilt.

He lowered his eyelids: “I tightened it a bit just now, did it hurt?”

Lizhu reached back and touched her waist, then nodded.

“But this kind of skirt only relies on a single waistband to secure it, it really needs to be tied tightly.”

She lifted her wide sleeves, the lotus-pink silk flowing like clouds around her slender, graceful waist, then softly spreading out again at her ankles.

Outside, it was covered with a layer of mist-white plain gauze cicada clothing, making her whole person look as ethereal as a goddess from a celestial palace, as if she did not consume the mortal world’s food and fire.

“Is it pretty?”

She blinked and smiled.

Pei Zhaoye’s gaze swept over her.

“Quite pretty.”

These words were true.

But he silently added in his heart.

Even easier to take off.

Lizhu did not know what Pei Zhaoye was thinking. She herself rarely put much thought into these dresses. Hearing him say it was pretty, she then also felt happy.

“Then can you tell me, what are you angry about?”

Lizhu looked at him puzzled.

Regarding today’s matters, whether it was her needing to cooperate with Tan Xun or him needing to steal files from the government office, she had already discussed it with him on the way back to the residence last night.

“It’s nothing.”

Pei Zhaoye did not wish to answer.

Lizhu’s face fell: “You’re not telling the truth again… but this time there’s improvement, at least you didn’t randomly make up an excuse to lie to me.”

Sometimes he really felt Lizhu was like a tapeworm in his belly, even able to guess the thoughts that had just flashed through his mind.

He said: “Since the clothes are on, let’s go out. Save others from thinking you’re doing something else in here.”

“Besides changing clothes, what else could I be doing?”

Lizhu retorted offhandedly.

Pei Zhaoye smiled: “Could be doing a great many things.”

Lizhu: ?

Didn’t understand, but it felt really weird.

Lizhu had already been in the inner room long enough; it wouldn’t do to delay further. As the two prepared to go out, Lizhu tugged at him and pointed to the window.

Meaning for him to go out through the window.

Originally, he had planned to use the window himself, but him going on his own versus her driving him out gave a completely different feeling.

“…Am I some kind of thing that can’t see the light?”

Lizhu tilted her head: “Otherwise, should I take you out through the main door? Then all the common people of Yiling would spread by word of mouth that you’ve either become my kept man or you’ll have to wed the princess. You wouldn’t want that.”

She was reasonable and justified, leaving Pei Zhaoye unable to retort.

In the end, he could only watch as she went out of the inner room, meeting a room full of barely suppressed admiring gazes.

Tan Xun cast a gentle gaze like a deep pool of autumn water, landing on Lizhu’s waist.

“It suits you very well.”

He said softly, “Go pick out a few more pieces of jewelry.”

Pei Zhaoye circled around from the back. When he reached the front of the shop, he met eyes with Lu Yu, who was leading the princess’s retinue.

With a half-smile, he walked toward one of the “Commanders of the Guards.”

“Looks decent enough. Enjoying yourself?”

The one Pei Zhaoye was speaking to was precisely the bandit from Hongye Stronghold disguised as a Commander of the Guards.

Not long ago, those whom Lizhu had regarded as wild monkeys were now clad in fish-scale armor, helmets upon their heads, leading scarlet warhorses with golden tack.

At a glance, they looked solemn and imposing, all trace of their bandit air gone—truly resembling the Commanders of the Guards who patrolled the capital.

“Couldn’t feel better.”

The man answered from the heart.

But the moment he opened his mouth, his true nature was revealed.

“Chief, why don’t you give it a try too?”

Someone, face flushed with excitement, said, “Though this armor’s just cheap stuff bought off the street, its grandeur is the real deal. When we walk down the road, everyone shows respect—feels great.”

“Great my ass.”

Another muttered under his breath:

“Yesterday during practice, that Lord Lu made us stand for two hours without moving, said that the Commanders of the Guards in Luoyang are the Emperor’s escorts, with rules for every step, every posture. Chief, how many more days do we have to sneak around like this? I’d rather fight a few battles and be done than play watchdog here.”

Pei Zhaoye didn’t answer, only cast a cold glance toward the direction of the yamen.

It wasn’t just Lizhu—he, too, held doubts about Cui Shiyong.

That old man could never get along with Zhao Weizhen and his lot. Though not a particularly good official, he could barely count as an honest one.

So why had he suddenly gone mad, insisting on siding with Zhao Weizhen and getting involved in a plan to assassinate the princess?

Had he, after years of pride and self-restraint, finally decided to take this chance to join their corrupt ranks?

If that were truly the case, then it would be simple to deal with.

But he feared—

That Cui Shiyong’s target was not Princess Qinghe at all.

“Don’t worry.”

Pei Zhaoye lifted his hand and lightly patted the top of the man’s helmet, a glint of cold light flashing in his dark eyes.

“It’ll be soon.”

The bandit didn’t understand what exactly would be “soon.” The next moment, a man and a woman stepped out of the clothing shop.

At once, he straightened up solemnly: “Make way for the Chief! Don’t mess up the formation of the Commanders of the Guards.”

Pei Zhaoye nearly laughed in anger.

They were even putting on an act for him.

Lizhu and Tan Xun walked in front, while Jie Yun and Chang Jun followed behind carrying a pile of large and small parcels.

The princess, dressed in full splendor, looked even more breathtaking than before. As she stepped out of the shop and took only a few steps, countless townsfolk around them held their breath in awe.

At the end of the line, one of the bandits disguised as a Commander of the Guards couldn’t help sighing.

“This Young Master Tan sure has it good. If I could marry such a beautiful princess in my lifetime, I could die with no regrets…”

Before he could finish speaking, Pei Zhaoye kicked him hard, making him stumble forward.

Good, huh?

Pei Zhaoye’s lips curled.

Then today, he’d make sure that pretentious young master had his fill of “good.”

On the other side, Lizhu had no idea what Pei Zhaoye was planning.

The marketplace bustled with crowds and chatter. Lizhu’s group had their midday meal at a restaurant.

During a short rest, Tan Xun asked the waiter to introduce some interesting shops in Xiangcheng. He listened carefully, planning to select a few before taking Lizhu out to browse.

As the waiter described them, he couldn’t help saying,

“Young Master is truly considerate. This is the first time I’ve seen a man take such pains when accompanying a young lady out.”

Tan Xun replied with a gentle smile.

Lizhu, however, looked out the window, bored.

That should be enough, shouldn’t it?

Still shopping?

She’d much rather go back and look over the documents Pei Zhaoye had brought.

Just as she was thinking that, she heard Xuan Ying sigh.

“What is it?”

Lizhu asked.

Xuan Ying cast her a meaningful look.

“Is Your Highness truly set on calling off the marriage with Young Master Tan?”

Lizhu was surprised. “Of course. His aunt and second uncle are out for my life—”

“Oh? Then if it were that Chief Pei instead of Young Master Tan, in the same situation, would Your Highness still cancel the engagement?”

Xuan Ying pierced straight through her thoughts.

“…How could that be the same.”

Lizhu mumbled softly.

“If it were him, he wouldn’t allow such a thing to happen in the first place.”

Xuan Ying couldn’t understand where the princess’s faith in that mountain chief came from.

She could only assume it was the blind devotion of a young girl experiencing her first stirrings of love.

Ever since that thought had surfaced in her mind last night, Xuan Ying had found it difficult to view the people around the princess with her old eyes.

Take Tan Xun, for example.

Judged by the standards of a royal consort, he valued his own family above the princess—hardly the sort of man a woman could entrust her life to with peace of mind.