The next day, Feng Yao decided to escape from the palace and roam the streets of the city for a while. After an entire night and morning of servants and eunuchs tiptoeing around her on their best behaviors, she was feeling a bit suffocated.

"All because of that Emperor..." She muttered to herself as she slowly walked down the crowded streets. 

Suddenly, Feng Yao noticed a commotion around a certain building. A large crowd of civilians  had surrounded the entrance to a fancy store. She instantly recognized it as one of the places that rich madams and misses often came to buy high-end jewelry.

Oooo~ What's this? Feng Yao wants to know too~

Her eyes lit up as she scurried over towards the crowd. 

Is it a fight!? A robber!? A vendor giving away free food!?!?

As she made her way to the front of the excited crowd, she finally got a glimpse of what exactly caused such a stir. Or rather, who.

Inside, a familiar beautiful woman was standing silently in watch as a young employee showed her various styles of elegant and expensive bracelets, necklaces, and hair pins. With each new product shone, the price only got higher and higher until Feng Yao's head began to get dizzy. She quickly turned to look back at the woman in order to get rid of her headache. 

The woman was just so beautiful. Too beautiful. 

Her seductive makeup, freely flowing hair, and snow-white clothing were flawless. Each movement looked like she was effortlessly gliding in the air. Even just a simple blink of her limpid eyes made the men around Feng Yao sigh in admiration. Several of the young woman around Feng Yao were also urgently gossiping with jealously, yet none of them could remove their gazes away from the heavenly woman. 

But unlike the excited crowd, Feng Yao simply sighed in disappointment.

Sigh...It's only Ru Qiang...

She was about to turn around and leave in search of her good friend Mr. Steam Bun when she heard her name.

"Young Miss! Perfect timing!" Li Yue hurriedly ran over towards her.

Of course, Feng Yao grimaced. I should have known that Li Yue would be here too. Two against one isn't fair, you know?

But she wasn't given the chance to complain as Li Yue quickly ushered her inside the building towards where Ru Qiang--er, Hui Yi-- was standing. 

The employee looked questioningly at Feng Yao who was currently being forcibly herded over towards them like a little lost lamb. Or in Feng Yao's case, a lost potato from the rest of the garden. 

Seeing that Hui Yi didn't react though, the employee naturally continued as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. 

"Miss Hui Yi, have you seen these necklaces? These were both made by the famed master known for creating the twin bracelets of purity and love! Each swirl and blossom in the metal has been delicately formed by him personally!"

A bored look played across Feng Yao's expression as she listened to the employee enthusiastically explain about the jewelry.

What I am doing here...?

She glanced over at Ru Qiang and noticed that he also had a bored look on his pretty face.

Leaning over towards his ear, she whispered, "What do you need me here for?"

He kept his eyes on the employee who was still excitedly talking as he responded to Feng Yao. "Which one is better?"

"Huh?"

Ru Qiang turned to look at her. "The necklaces. Which one is better?"

He motioned towards the two necklaces that the employee was now holding. Although they were both similar in style, one was gold with silver sparkles while the other was silver with gold sparkles.

Feng Yao saw this and sighed. "I don't know much about jewelry. Who do you think I am? A woman?"

He stared blankly at her.

Feng Yao suddenly laughed as she patted him on the back. "I'm just kidding~ Of course, I'm a woman. You should know by now. Unless you need to roll around some more on the floor like before--"

He hastily covered her mouth instantly muffling her voice. Although she was no longer speaking, it seemed as though her eyes were laughing.

With gritted teeth, he coldly whispered, "Just. Answer. The. Question."

Hmmm? He seems to be a bit on edge today. I wonder what's wrong?

Feng Yao studied his expression. Underneath his feminine appearance and clothing meant for a woman, she could sense a strange kind of restlessness in the way that his eyes wearily studied the different items that the employee held up.

"What are you buying it for?" Feng Yao asked in curiosity. Ru Qiang glanced at her once before returning his attention back to the employee who had now replaced the necklaces for a hair pin.

"...I've been invited--no, forced--no, blackmailed...into attending a celebration dinner."

He tensed up as if simply thinking about having to interact with so many people already made him exhausted. But Feng Yao only looked more confused.

"Why are you going then?"

The elegant eyebrows above Ru Qiang's dark eyes crinkled together as he pressed his red lips together in silence. Seeing this, Li Yue quickly stepped in to answer. 

In a hushed voice, he said, "The Young Master...er...Miss Hui Yi was personally invited by the Chu Family to attend their social dinner to celebrate the birth of their baby grandson. The current head of the Jun Clan asked Miss Hui Yi--"

"--blackmailed," insisted Ru Qiang. 

Li Yue immediately changed his words. "Yes, I mean blackmailed. The current head of the Jun Clan blackmailed--" Li Yue quickly glanced at Ru Qiang who childishly nodded in agreement.

Li Yue seemed relieved and continued. "--blackmailed Miss Hui Yi to attend in order to solidify the good relationship between the Jun Clan and the Chu family."

"Oh. I see." Feng Yao nonchalantly replied. 

Her calm response left both Ru Qiang and Li Yue speechless.

"Aren't you going to ask me how I was blackmailed?" Ru Qiang suddenly asked as he glared at her for her lack of interest.

Feng Yao sighed as she lifted her hand and began admiring her nails. Her perfectly ordinary and uninteresting nails. 

"Nah~" 

Her grin made Ru Qiang stare at her blankly. Taking advantage of his silence, Feng Yao abruptly turned around and was just about to sprint out of the shop when she felt his hand grab her by the arm and yank her back.

"You can't leave me." He hissed through his perfectly white teeth. Feng Yao raised her eyebrows at him in slight surprise.

"Why not? You seem perfectly capable."

"...Because." Ru Qiang suddenly refused to meet her gaze as he looked at anywhere else but her face. Curiously, Feng Yao blinked at him.

Li Yue sensed that their conversation was going nowhere. He leaned in towards her to whisper as if what he was going to say next was top secret information.

"The Young Master of the Chu family has--uh--quite the large amount of affection towards the Young Miss of the Jun Clan. If I remember clearly, he once sent Miss Hui Yi three carts full of blooming roses with a letter professing his love that had enough pages to write a book. What was it that he said, Young Master--er--Miss Hui Yi? You are my sun. My darling. I would climb--"

"I would climb the mountains and battle the darkest forces in the world just to be allowed the chance to see my reflection in your gentle and loving eyes..." Ru Qiang finished the quote unenthusiastically from memory. 

His voice sounded like he was beginning to feel queasy just from remembering. The love letter had been unfortunately seared into his mind due to the initial shock he went through when he had first received the stack of pages describing his "gentle personality" and "fragrant embrace."

"...Hahaha!" Feng Yao suddenly burst out into laughter seeing his uneasy expression. "What part about you is gentle and loving? Seems to me like that Young Master should get his eyes checked if he thinks that you're like that."

Ru Qiang didn't even seem to care that she had just insulted him. He seemed more relieved to know that someone else was on his side against his secret admirer. But in the next instance, his hopes were shattered with Feng Yao's words.

"Well...sucks to be you. I'll be off now. See ya!"

"Wait!" 

But Feng Yao didn't stop. At least not until he frantically blurted out his next sentence.

"If you help me, I'll do any favor for you!"

She finally paused at the doorway as if she had been waiting for him to say those exact words. 

Turning around with a grin, she said, "Fu fu fu...you promise?"

At that moment, a solid white carriage outside that was traveling down the road abruptly stopped in front of the building. A passionate and loud male voice called out from within it making Ru Qiang freeze. Behind him, Feng Yao could see Li Yue stealthily retreating back into the safety of the shadows.

"Miss Hui Yi! Could it really be you that my eyes have been blessed with seeing? Has fate finally given me the chance to meet you after a whole year of being forced apart by the cruel gods above us mere mortals?!"

Feng Yao casually leaned over and whispered to Ru Qiang who had already gone pale. "Is that..."

His beautiful face was scrunched up in a grimace as he stiffly answered. "...Yes."

Feng Yao finally realized why Ru Qiang seemed so on edge. If someone like that had been pestering her too, she'd probably have already dropped dead by now.

What is this tingly sensation I feel? Could this be...pity!?

Feng Yao wanted to let out another laugh but seeing Ru Qiang's face frozen in fright made her decide to hold back on her cackles until another day.

It's okay. I am a good person. I will not laugh at other people's misfortunes. Do not laugh. Do not laugh. Do not--

At that moment, the young man hurriedly rushed off of the carriage and sprinted inside towards Ru Qiang. Ru Qiang's eyes went wide with panic as his hands scrambled about before unconsciously grabbing at Feng Yao's left hand for support. 

She glanced down at their intertwined fingers before simply letting out a sigh. Using her free hand, she patted his back comfortingly.

"There, there. Be strong."

Ru Qiang nodded solemnly at her as if Feng Yao was the last wall standing between him and destruction. "En." 

The young man finally appeared in front of them panting for breath. Feng Yao studied him with a bored look.

Up close, he actually looked quite handsome. With a bright gaze and nice facial features, it was obvious that he prized beauty quite highly.

Beauty? Oh ho ho~ I think my brilliant mind just came up with a plan.

"Miss...Hui Yi..." The man continued to huff and puff after his sudden intense sprint. After a brief moment of catching his breath, he quickly stood up tall and excitedly gazed at Ru Qiang.

"Miss Hui Yi! Will you be at the social dinner later tonight at my family's estate? I look forward to seeing you there!"

He reached out to grab Ru Qiang's hands, but Ru Qiang avoided it by quickly tightening his hold on Feng Yao's hand. The man saw this and glared at Feng Yao as if he was looking at a despicable bug.

Feng Yao didn't seem to mind though. She grinned at the man without hiding how her eyes were gloating. Deliberately, she leaned closer to Ru Qiang's ear and watched happily as she saw the man's jaw clench with jealousy.

Fu fu fu~ Jealous? Mwahaha! I've always wanted to be a villain who steals a young maiden right underneath the nose of a man.

Of course, the young maiden in this case is Ru Qiang...but that's okay! He's beautiful enough anyways.

In a whisper, she told Ru Qiang, "Tell him that you want to bring a friend."

Ru Qiang turned to look at her with slight surprise in his eyes, but he still obediently followed her instructions.

Clearing his throat, he hesitantly turned to look at the man. The Young Master Chu instantly brightened at seeing that he had finally earned a gaze from the beautiful woman--er--man in front of him.

"I will be there, but only if my friend accompanies me. I am actually quite...shy."

Ru Qiang's voice perfectly imitated a young woman. Even Feng Yao wanted to swoon at his silky smooth voice. 

Curse you and your beautiful voice! I will not be easily swayed!

The man hurriedly replied. "Of course, of course! Bring anyone you want! As long as you are comfortable!"

A servant standing awkwardly behind him spoke up at that moment. "Young Master...the madam had ordered for you to return immediately. If she learns about this detour, she will be angry again." 

The Young Master glared at the servant who quickly shut up. But as soon as he turned to look at Ru Qiang, his face had already returned back to an infatuated state.

"My beautiful goddess, until we meet again! I'm afraid the heavens enjoy toying with us. But the harder the pursuit is, the sweeter our love will be~" 

He blew Ru Qiang a kiss before hurrying away. Just like a whirlwind, his abrupt appearance was already gone.

A moment of silence followed. Feng Yao glanced around and noticed that the employee had already smartly disappeared a while ago. She turned to look at Ru Qiang.

"Hui Yi--"

But he immediately interrupted her with a panic-filled look. The fear from earlier was still swirling around in the depths of his irises as he stared at her straight in the eye.

"Save me."

From between Feng Yao's lips leaked out an evil cackle as she excitedly grinned at him. 

"Why of course! Why didn't you say so earlier? Just don't forget your promise!"

Something about her voice sent shivers down Ru Qiang's spine. He suddenly wasn't so sure if he should've been more afraid of his troublesome admirer or Feng Yao. 

Silently, he thought to himself. 

Did I just sign a deal with the devil?