The stone gate was opened from outside again. Xu Qing Chen said indifferently: “My Lady, do you have anything else to say?”

“She doesn't, but I do, Brother Qing Chen...” A giggle went up by the gate.

Xu Qing Chen was stunned and turned around quickly. Next to the half-open stone gate, a pretty girl in a light-yellow dress with beaming smiles was looking at him. “Li-er...”

Smilingly, Ye Li walked over and measured the room as she said: “Big brother, you are having a good time here, aren't you?”

He looked at her smilingly as he said: “Li-er, why are you here?” She blinked at him, grinned and pointed at the half-open stone gate as she said: “To welcome you back.”

Xu Qing Chen looked at the gate pensively. “There are people outside?”

Ye Li tugged at his sleeve with smiles and said: “Forget that. Let's go. It won't be good if that woman comes back again.”

Xu Qing Chen nodded as he said: “Li-er, you are right. We can talk after we are out, for example, why I have a fiancée that comes out of thin air.”

The smile on her face froze. After a good while she giggled and said: “Brother Qing Chen, remember to call me Chu Liu Yun after we are out of here. It'll be very suspicious if you don't know your fiancée's name.”

Xu Qing Chen packed up a few things and left with Ye Li.

Outside the gate, Secret Guard No.2 waited for them with another two secret guards. Seeing them, he let out a sigh of relief and said: “Mr. Qing Chen, you are here, as expected. My Lady, let's get out via the palace.”

“What about that woman?”

Secret Guard No.2 answered: “Princess An Xi has brought her men to the Holy Princess Shrine according to our message. Besides, those corpses will make that woman think Princess An Xi is on to her. She must be waiting at the shrine as if faced with a formidable foe.”

Ye Li nodded happily. “And the palace?”

Secret Guard No.2 answered: “Mr. Han will create chaos in the palace and we can seize the chance and get out.”

She nodded again. “I hope Han Ming Xi is reliable this time.”

Secret Guard No.2 stifled a laughter as he lowered his head and said: “Mr. Han asked Secret Guard No.3 to take you a message that he wouldn't let you down, My Lady.”

“Hope so.”

Two secret guards protected Xu Qing Chen with Secret Guard No.2 in the front and Ye Li in the rear. As they had expected, a long tunnel connected the palace and the Holy Princess Shrine. Though the mountain behind the palace wasn't made hollow like that of Luoyi Clan's, there were a few rooms along the tunnel. Xu Qing Chen was under house arrest in one of those rooms. With Ye Li as the guide, they reached the exit at the palace shortly afterwards.

Xu Qing Chen asked with a frown: “Where does this exit lead to?”

Secret Guard No.2 answered with a bit pity: “The emperor of Nan Zhao's sleeping chamber. That Holy Princess is so crazy. How dare the emperor of Nan Zhao make his own sleeping chamber the exit of the secret tunnel? Isn't he afraid that she will kill him sometime?”

Xu Qing Chen wasn't surprised and said calmly: “Normally, a Holy Princess is completely loyal to the emperor of Nan Zhao.”

Secret Guard No.2 was confused. “Then what is happening now?”

Ye Li interrupted: “Let's talk about that when we get out of here.”

Secret Guard No.2 hurriedly agreed. He walked ahead and pressed the mechanism that controlled the exit carefully. The heavy stone gate swung open. In front of them was an empty chamber. After all five of them were out, Secret Guard No.2 sealed the tunnel. Two secret guards went out in a flash, dragging two guards who were scouting around the chamber door for the noise inside, who dropped to the ground before they had a chance to make any sound.

Xu Qing Chen glanced at Ye Li who was as calm as ever and his eyes moved a bit. He pulled Ye Li towards him.

Ye Li looked up and smiled as she said: “Big brother, let's get out of here.”

Xu Qing Chen nodded.

Out of the sleeping chamber, they didn't meet many guards along the way. Those they did meet were handled by Secret Guard No.2 and the other two secret guards. Since the route was planned beforehand, it took them no time to leave the palace and arrive at the secret place Han Ming Xi prepared for them in advance.

“Jun Wei... I'm back. Come and meet me.” Before they had time to sit down and have a cup of tea, Han Ming Xi's coquettish voice rose outside the yard. As soon as they turned around, a shadow flew down from the wall and charged at Ye Li.

“Mr. Han!” Secret Guard No.3 who was following him broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly called him.

Next to Ye Li, Xu Qing Chen and Secret Guard No.2 walked up and blocked Han Ming Xi. Xu Qing Chen's smile was gentle but cold. “Mr. Han, what are you doing?”

Only by now did Han Ming Xi see clearly that standing beside Xu Qing Chen wasn't his brother Jun Wei who he missed so much but a pretty young girl in a yellow dress. “Eh... Well...”

Ye Li moved behind Xu Qing Chen hastily and poked out half of her head “Brother Qing Chen...”

Seeing that the young girl was frightened by him, Han Ming Xi was ashamed beyond words. Having known women for over a decade, not once had he been rude to a pretty young girl. In order to redeem himself, he flashed his signature smile and raised his brows as he said tenderly: “Miss, I'm very sorry. I'm Han Ming Xi. Did I scare you? I apologize for that.”

Ye Li hid behind Xu Qing Chen and said clearly: “You don't have to apologize, My Lord. However, please don't... do this again since there's difference between men and women.”

Han Ming Xi's mouth twitched. He wasn't a lecher. He just mistook her for Jun Wei. Come to think of it, where is Jun Wei?“Zhuo Jing! Where's my brother Jun Wei? Why are you all here without him?”

Ye Li can't help looking up at the sky.Who is your brother?

Secret Guard No.3 was speechless. He looked at Han Ming Xi who wouldn't stop until he had an answer and said: “My Lord didn't say he would be here.”

Han Ming Xi wasn't happy to hear that. “Why didn't he?”

Secret Guard No.3 answered: “My Lord asked you to prepare this place for Mr. Xu, Mr. Han.”

Han Ming Xi cast Mr. Qing Chen who had an elegant and smart carriage an unhappy glance. With a sour taste in his mouth, he said bitterly: “But I prepared it for Jun Wei.”

Secret Guard No.3 can't help but rolling his eyes. “My Lord has a place to stay.”

Han Ming Xi curled his lips and said: “That place can't be as comfortable as this place that I prepared. I wouldn't have gone through so much trouble if I had known Jun Wei wasn't going to stay here.” Then, he glared at Xu Qing Chen.

Xu Qing Chen saw that. He smiled slightly and said: “Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Han.”

Han Ming Xi snorted slightly and waved his folding fan as he said: “Since you are Jun Wei's big brother, I won't argue with you. Where is he, now that he isn't here with you nor me?”

Secret Guard No.2 threw Ye Li a glance quickly and answered: “Well... on our way here, Mr. Chu received a message and left. He said he had something to deal with. After that, he would come back to us.”

“I see.” Only half believing what he said, Han Ming Xi left in a huff.