Sir, You've Got The Wrong Person - Chapter 7

“Excellent, excellent! Lady Rumeng’s graceful dance is truly a performance fit for the heavens. Such a rare sight in the mortal realm!”.

Prince Jun Tianyu appeared immensely pleased as he suddenly stood from the main seat, clapping his hands and exclaiming in praise. The surrounding guests followed suit, rising from their seats and voicing their admiration in unison.

The expression on Yan Yiyi’s face was concealed beneath the thin veil, but her eyes, full of gentle charm and bashfulness, looked shyly toward Jun Tianyu. She responded at just the right moment to his courteous flattery, “Thank you for the Prince’s praise.”

“Lady Rumeng, you have a beautiful face and an exquisite figure. Your dancing is graceful and soft. You also dance beautifully in that colorful dress. Yet I’ve never heard anyone mention such a remarkable performer before. It seems this Mengfang brothel has truly kept you well hidden.”

Chu Mufeng smiled slightly as he praised her politely, though his probing tone carried an indirect trace of mockery. His dark eyes stayed fixed on her, their coldness making her fingers clench the silk ribbon in her hand. Her palm was slightly damp with sweat, though not a trace of discomfort showed on her face. Instead, she gracefully bowed to Chu Mufeng, her shy demeanor perfectly matched by a sweet and flirtatious voice: “Thank you for your kind praise, young master. Rumeng is but a humble dancer of the Mengfang. I usually practice quietly within the hall, and today I only had this rare opportunity to perform before His Royal Highness’ birthday.”

“You’re too modest, Lady Rumeng,” came Jun Tianyu’s reply. The gentle smile on his lips never faded. Unlike Chu Mufeng’s lazy and casual grin, his seemed sincere and heartfelt. Even if his compliments were only polite formalities, one found it hard to refute him.

“Today I had the great opportunity of witnessing Lady Rumeng’s graceful performance. It must be a blessing from three lifetimes. Might I ask for another performance?”

“It is my honor to receive the Prince’s favor,” Yan Yiyi replied softly while bowing her head slightly. As she lifted her eyes, they unintentionally glanced toward Chu Mufeng. When their gazes met, his cold stare startled her, and she quickly looked away, forcing herself to remain calm. With a flick of her slender hand, her flowing sleeves danced like clouds. Yan Yiyi and the other dancers behind her resumed their performance, all while she remained alert and vigilant of her surroundings.

The stage for this performance was set in the center of the courtyard, offering a perfect vantage point. Any unusual movement around them would be quickly noticed. The silk she held looked light and soft, fluttering like mist, but in a moment of need, it could easily become a deadly weapon—its length is just enough to reach behind the Prince.

Actually, she has no intention to personally be on stage today as the dancer Rumeng. Disguising herself as a maid within the residence would’ve been enough to protect Jun Tianyu. But she wasn’t sure if he was truly in danger. When Aunt Mei had entrusted her with his protection, she told her to remain by his side day and night for three days. To have a justifiable reason to stay in the prince’s residence that long, dancing was her best excuse.

Honestly, she doubted that a couple of dances would be enough to persuade Jun Tianyu to keep her. If an assassin were to strike, she would prefer it be today. After all, the prince had invited many guests, and it would be far easier for an assassin to blend in during the festivities than to sneak in on an ordinary, heavily-guarded night.

But what kind of person could make Aunt Mei this anxious?

She stared at the prince’s refined and gentle face, trying to find a familial resemblance, but she saw none. She had guessed he might be Aunt Mei’s biological son, but that now seemed unlikely. If they are not mother and son, then why she was so concerned for his life? What is their relationship? How did she even know he’d be in danger?

Lost in thought, Yan Yiyi failed to notice that her trailing silk ribbon had wrapped around her left ankle during a turn. When she swung her right hand forward, the sudden tightness around her foot threw her off balance. Without warning, she pitched forward, straight toward the edge of the stage.

Chu Mufeng had been absentmindedly sipping his tea and didn’t notice her misstep until he heard gasps from the crowd. He instinctively looked up just in time to see a blur of white flash past him—Jun Tianyu had already leapt from his seat. With swift, fluid motion, he caught Yan Yiyi around the waist. The two of them spun midair before landing gracefully to the sound of relieved sighs from the guests.

Chu Mufeng’s fingers clenched subtly on the armrest, and a faint, unreadable smile played on his lips. His narrowed eyes remained fixed on Yan Yiyi, now cradled in Jun Tianyu’s arms like a delicate flower.

Yan Yiyi had reacted quickly the moment she lost her balance, turning to regain control. But as she caught sight of Jun Tianyu rushing toward her, she hesitated. She made a deliberate decision to abandon her recovery and, instead, twisted her ankle slightly to fall directly into his embrace. She’d been looking for a reason to stay longer—now that she appeared injured, this kind and considerate Prince would surely let her stay.

But that brief glimpse of his agility… was he really someone who needed protection? She was slightly confused as she watched his handsome and calm face.

“Are you alright, Lady Rumeng?” Jun Tianyu asked softly as they landed, noticing the look on her face.

“Huh? I’m fine, thank you, Your Highness, for saving me. I’m terribly sorry to have spoiled your celebration,” she replied, quickly snapping out of her daze. She flushed and lowered her eyes, then glanced up bashfully. Realizing how improper it was to be held like this, she made the effort to move away from him. But as soon as her left foot touched the ground, she flinched in pain and cried out softly, falling once again into Jun Tianyu’s arms.

“I’m so sorry—I didn’t mean to offend you, Your Highness,” she gasped, her voice laced with panic and sweetness. She fumbled awkwardly, trying to push herself away again, but as she shifted, his arm tightened around her waist.

“My apologies, Lady Rumeng,” came Jun Tianyu’s gentle voice just before she felt herself lifted into the air. He had picked her up like carrying a bride, right in front of all the guests.

Yan Yiyi was startled that she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. A low chuckle reached her ear as he adjusted his hold and carried her down from the stage.

“Miss Rumeng, I don’t know how serious your ankle injury is. Let me take you down and call a doctor to take a look.”

A deep, slightly hoarse voice brushed against her ear like a feather. Hidden behind her veil, Yan Yiyi’s expression stiffened for a moment. She forced a small smile and replied in a soft voice, “Your Highness, please put me down. I just twisted my foot a little. If I rest for a bit, I’ll be fine. There’s no need to trouble a doctor. It was my mistake to bother you, Your Highness—I deeply apologize.”

Just now, she had only pretended to twist her ankle; she didn’t actually hurt herself. If a doctor would really come, her lie would be exposed. Besides, if he insisted on taking her back to her room, and the assassin came to strike and something bad happened to him, how would she ever explain it to Aunt Mei?

Thinking of this, Yan Yiyi released herself from Jun Tianyu’s arms. She started to struggle, wanting to get down, but just as she lifted her head, a flash of white light suddenly swept past her eyes—an assassin!

The moment that word entered her mind, her body tensed instinctively. Jun Tianyu noticed her reaction and looked down at her. “What’s wrong?”

Yan Yiyi didn’t have time to answer. A few assassins, dressed in ordinary clothes, who were sitting among the guests, suddenly sprang into action. Before anyone could recover from the earlier celebration, they had already drawn their swords and leapt forward—aiming straight at Jun Tianyu’s back.

On a normal day, Yan Yiyi might have had enough time to react to such a sudden change event. But now, trapped tightly in Jun Tianyu’s arms, she couldn’t break free. In her panic, she shouted, “Your Highness, watch out!”

A powerful killing aura rushed in from behind. Right after Yan Yiyi shouted, Jun Tianyu quickly spun around with her in his arms and stepped back several times, just barely dodging the deadly blade. But his movement was half a beat too slow.

One assassin’s sword spun through the air and came straight at his chest with force. Jun Tianyu couldn’t avoid it in time. The sword was about to stab into his heart—Yan Yiyi’s own heart jumped in fear.

Without thinking, she bit down hard and moved fast. She flipped around, placed one hand on Jun Tianyu’s shoulder, and threw herself in front of him. The blade plunged into her right shoulder. A searing pain spread through her body, but she ignored it. With her other leg, she used her weight and kicked the assassin back.

From the moment the assassins appeared to the moment Yan Yiyi was stabbed, it had all happened in an instant. When the sword pierced her body, the guests finally realized what was going on.

Screams filled the hall. The guards quickly drew their weapons and rushed to fight the assassins. In the blink of an eye, the entire banquet was thrown into chaos. Blades flashed, and the hall fell into a full-on battle. Cries and panic spread as everyone scrambled to escape.

Because of Yan Yiyi’s block, Jun Tianyu found an opening. He tapped the ground with his toe, wrapped an arm tightly around her waist, and leapt away from the battle.

“Leave one alive. Kill the rest!”

Holding the injured Yan Yiyi, he retreated to the edge of the hall and threw this cold order to the guards. Then he picked her up and rushed toward the guest rooms.

Her shoulder was throbbing painfully, but the chaos behind her—filled with screaming and confusion—made Yan Yiyi turn her head to look back. But after just one glance, she quickly looked away, feeling strangely uneasy, and dared not look again. Her eyes met Chu Mufeng amidst the chaos.

Unlike everyone else who was running in fear, Chu Mufeng stood calmly by his seat. His eyes were steady as he looked at her. The usual smile on his lips was gone. His expression was quiet, and his half-lowered eyes made it hard to see what he was thinking—but it made her heart tremble and her back go cold.

When a man still wears his “mask” of kindness, he might make others wary but not frightened. But when that mask suddenly drops, and he stares at his prey with a gaze full of naked hostility—that kind of coldness rises straight from the soul.