"Your Highness, might this subject be so fortunate as to invite you to the hunt together..." Ye Jingyu stood directly before Luo Ling'er, a most amicable smile gracing his beautiful features. The killing aura, the wicked presence, the dominance, the arrogance—all had vanished without a trace. What stood before Luo Ling'er now was the gentlest of men, a man as yielding as water... Soft, and beautiful...

Everyone froze, staring at Ye Jingyu with dumbfounded disbelief. It wasn't his demeanor that shocked them, but rather his action itself...

Who was Luo Ling'er? She was the officially betrothed fiancée of Xiao Geng—an unshakeable fact. In all past social gatherings, even amidst rivalry, once an engagement was decreed, especially by the Emperor himself, no other party, no matter how unwilling, would dare extend an invitation to the lady in such a circumstance...

This wasn't competition; this was a brazen slap across the face of his rival. It was akin to telling everyone, right in front of the husband, that his wife belonged to him...

This wasn't seduction; it was outright seizure, the act of a brigand...

The Crown Prince was stunned. Qin Yunxiao was dumbfounded. Even Luo Ruofeng stared blankly at Ye Jingyu. He knew this fellow wouldn't sit still and would certainly scheme to get close to Luo Ling'er, but he never imagined he would be so brazen, so arrogant, showing Xiao Geng absolutely no face...

Beneath that seemingly gentle exterior lay the greatest conceit and pride...

As for Xiao Geng, his face was ashen with rage, his body trembling. Luo Ling'er was his fiancée. Though not yet married, on an occasion like this, what right did Ye Jingyu have to invite her?

Of course, there was no formal prohibition against inviting another man's fiancée, but it was an unwritten rule, wasn't it? Even if Ye Jingyu was behaving shamelessly, must he repeatedly shatter these established conventions?...

Truthfully, if Xiao Geng had been quicker, if he had extended the invitation before Ye Jingyu, regardless of Luo Ling'er’s willingness, she would have been compelled to accept. To refuse one’s future husband in such a setting would be deemed profoundly unvirtuous. But the critical issue was that Xiao Geng hesitated, and Ye Jingyu seized the moment...

So long as she was not yet married to Xiao Geng, she naturally retained the right to choose. It was just that such a thing had never occurred before; even if it had, those women would surely refuse other men’s invitations as a demonstration of fidelity to their fiancés...

But Luo Ling'er was not like those women. Her pure eyes gazed upon Ye Jingyu, so near, upon that face even fairer than her own, and the gentle smile resting there. A smile of bliss curved her own lips...

"Mm!" A soft affirmative escaped her rosebud mouth, yet it resonated like a spell, shaking everyone present...

Many people gasped, staring at Luo Ling'er in disbelief. It was one thing for Ye Jingyu to play the fool, but how could she treat Xiao Geng with such disrespect? She was Xiao Geng's fiancée! To accept another man's invitation right in front of her fiancé?

To put it mildly, this was willfulness; to put it harshly, it was shamelessness...

However, she was a Princess, and no one dared voice criticism to her face. They were simply bewildered; this was entirely unlike Luo Ling'er’s usual demeanor. Could it be that her heart had already given itself over to Ye Jingyu?...

The Crown Prince, the other Princesses, the Eldest Sons, the Lady Consorts, and the Princes were merely surprised. But Xiao Geng felt as if a massive hammer had struck his chest, or perhaps a sharp awl had pierced his very heart...

It was a pain so acute, a despair so profound...

No matter what actions Ye Jingyu took, Xiao Geng could endure them, because as long as Luo Ling'er refused, all lost face could be reclaimed. But now, Luo Ling'er had agreed without hesitation. What did that signify?

In their eyes, he felt like an outsider...

Xiao Geng had entertained the possibility that Luo Ling'er might harbor feelings for Ye Jingyu, but he had always believed her to be sensible, someone who harbored at least some affection for him. Given that they grew up together, she would never disgrace him so publicly...

Yet in this moment, he realized how paltry his standing in Luo Ling'er's eyes truly was, or rather, that he possessed no standing in her heart whatsoever...

Anger, an insurmountable fury... Wound, an irreparable sorrow... Pain, unbearable suffering...

A wild surge of True Essence erupted from Xiao Geng’s core, his face contorted into a mask of ferocity. He raised his fist and slammed it toward Ye Jingyu...

"Jingyu, watch out!" Seeing Xiao Geng suddenly strike, Luo Ruofeng, standing nearby, cried out in alarm...

"Little Ye Zi..." Luo Ling'er's face changed drastically, and her body instinctively lunged toward Ye Jingyu, intending to block that powerful punch with her own frame...

But who was Ye Jingyu? His strength already bordered infinitely close to the Martial Saint realm; his physical intensity had reached the sixth tier, and his perception was several times that of an ordinary person. Even before Xiao Geng attacked, Ye Jingyu had discerned his intent from the man's disordered aura...

Seeing Luo Ling'er rushing forward without fear for her life to shield him, a smile flickered across Ye Jingyu's face. Yet, he made no move to evade. Instead, he subtly shifted his body, blocking Luo Ling'er's path. Thus, Xiao Geng’s punch, heavily laden with True Essence, slammed squarely into Ye Jingyu's back...

The violent True Essence flooded into his body, but the even more tyrannical Primordial Essence within him rushed forward, swallowing the invading energy completely. It failed to harm Ye Jingyu in the slightest. On the contrary, the sheer force of Ye Jingyu’s resistance sent a numb shock up Xiao Geng's arm...

Xiao Geng was greatly alarmed. He had not anticipated Ye Jingyu's physical toughness to be this extreme. Just as he prepared to increase his power, he saw Ye Jingyu suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood and list heavily toward Luo Ling'er...

"Little Ye Zi..." Seeing the blood erupt from Ye Jingyu’s mouth, Luo Ling'er was nearly in tears, reaching out instinctively to steady him...

Ye Jingyu staggered several steps before regaining his balance, just as Luo Ling'er caught him, appearing on the very brink of collapse...

"Princess, do not worry, your subject is not seriously harmed... merely a slight internal shock," Ye Jingyu said, wiping the trace of blood from his lip, addressing Luo Ling'er. Then, he turned back to Xiao Geng: "Marquis Weiwu, even if my actions have caused offense, you could have confronted me directly. Why resort to striking from behind? Have you concluded that besides ambushes, you are no match for me?"