"Si Yu... is that you?" Ye Jingyu's voice erupted in a startled gasp...

He had only come to see who the woman presented to the Emperor was. How could he have expected to run into Zhuge Siyu here? A wave of exhilaration surged through him.

The white-clad woman remained completely unmoved, slowly raising her head to gaze at Ye Jingyu with star-like black eyes filled with bewilderment.

"I'm Ye Jingyu - the one you saved!" Ye Jingyu knew she couldn't speak but understood everything from the emotions in her eyes. As he introduced himself, he lifted his disheveled hair with both hands, trying to let her see his face clearly. But while the hair didn't obscure it, the long beard rendered his features unrecognizable.

A faint glow flickered in Siyu's dark eyes - a mixture of excitement and endless confusion.

"Ah..." When Ye Jingyu drew his heavenly sword from behind, the attendant girl cried out. Her scream intensified as he raised the blade to his own head. The thought that this man might commit suicide because Miss didn't recognize him filled her with horror. Did he not know she couldn't speak?

Shrieking sounds followed as the heavenly sword acted like an obedient child, gliding over Ye Jingyu's jawline and shaving away the tangled beard more efficiently than a triple-bladed razor.

Sharp blade energy flew past his head. Within a few breaths, his face was perfectly clean, revealing a breathtakingly handsome visage.

The attendant girl's scream caught in her throat as she gaped at this unkempt man's beautiful face. A flush spread across her cheeks unconsciously.

Siyu slowly dispelled the confusion from her eyes, replaced by joy that quickly turned back to puzzlement.

"Out!" Ye Jingyu barked at the attendant girl who had been asking too many questions about his presence.

Though handsome, something in his cold voice prevented the maid from arguing. She hurriedly obeyed and exited.

As soon as she left, Ye Jingyu sat beside Siyu on the bed, recounting how he'd been taken by the Bai family, rescued by his master, endured 18 months of suffering on that cursed island - every detail leading up to their current reunion. His torrent of words seemed determined to purge all grievances and unspoken thoughts from those long months.

"By the way," he finally asked, "how did they catch you? Zhuge Yi said you had self-defense capabilities..."

He couldn't believe these sailors could capture a Zhuge. If that were true, why would the family ever let her travel alone?

Siyu pointed to where the maid stood before and then outside, dark eyes flashing.

"Because of that woman?" Ye Jingyu asked.

She shook her head, pointing at the floorboards and surrounding area with kindness in her gaze.

"The women on this ship?" Though not fluent in sign language - which didn't exist here anyway - he could still decipher meaning from Siyu's expressive eyes.

She nodded.

"They threatened you using those women?"

Another nod.

Ye Jingyu fell silent, his expression softening. He admired how her innate kindness would lead to self-sacrifice for strangers she'd never met. Unlike him, who cared only for himself and those connected to him.

"Now don't worry," he finally said after a pause. "I've taken control of this ship. We're heading toward the Nine Provinces. Those girls are safe now."

Siyu's face lit up with gratitude.

"Haha, don't thank me. I wasn't trying to save them - just wanted off that island badly." Even his thick skin reddened under her sincere thanks. "I've been there 400 days!"

Her sweet smile and twinkling eyes spoke volumes - no matter the reason, he'd still saved those women.

"Enough of this," Ye Jingyu said with a wry laugh. "How's the mainland? I left over 400 days ago."

Siyu pointed outside.

"You want me to send someone in to explain?"

Another nod reminded him she couldn't speak. Rushing out, he brought back the maid for details.

The attendant revealed current events, but when asked about Shuyun Kingdom - no, it should be Nan Yun Empire's Yongle Princess Luoling'er, her expression turned puzzled. She didn't know anything either.

That eased Ye Jingyu slightly. If she were married, wouldn't there be rumors? As long as the empire stood and Xiaotao was with her, there wasn't many who could harm the princess anyway.

Just as he prepared further questions, loud commotion erupted outside along with hurried footsteps. A frown creased his brow - anger in one eye, confusion in the other. Who dared cause trouble now?