Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Birthday Banquet (3)

There was also this: who have you offended lately? Wasn’t it only Shangguan Renran? So your arm is very likely...

Very likely what?

Very likely her revenge.

How dare she? I am a princess of the royal house.

But you are not anymore. Huangpu Qingyin tore open her wound with unnatural ease.

Damn it! She hated nothing more than hearing that. A glint of madness flashed in Qian Suyin’s eyes.

Shangguan Renran had suffered no loss at all, and what about her?

She had lost thirty-two people, among them one of her personal attendants. Now one arm had been ruined as well, and she had been struck from the royal register. How could she possibly swallow this hateful grievance?

“Are you truly the eldest young lady of the Huangpu family? Then why would you not have an invitation?”

“Precisely because of that, I need your help, do I not?”

“And how would you prove it?”

“You can search my photos online right now. Do you really think I would lie?”

Bai Ya took out her phone, searched, and opened the page for Qian Suyin to see, only to find that the person on it was the one standing before her.

“What do you want to cooperate with me on?”

Huangpu Qingyin exchanged a glance with Bai Xi, and the same hatred burned in both their eyes.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend, is that not so?”

----

Huangpu Shenqing had gone to discuss matters with Gong Yi and the others, and Shangguan Renran took another matcha cake, then sat alone on the sofa in the corner, eating quietly.

Ye Zuo also came over.

“Miss.”

“Any discoveries?”

“Nothing unusual. And after they entered, they surrendered everything. Miss, staying here is safe.”

“Mm, understood. What about Muya and Wanqing?”

“Miss Ouyang seems to be toward the southwest, also within this area. As for Miss Xia...”

“Wanqing is not here?”

Shangguan Renran set down the cake in her hand, worry rising in her. At times, Wanqing’s nature was even more mischievous than her own.

“Don’t worry, Miss. I’ll go look for her. You must stay here and not leave.”

Ye Zuo adjusted his glasses, his tone grave.

“All right, go find Wanqing first.”

Shangguan Renran looked around the hall. Zhuo Mi was there, Shang Mingcheng was there, but Wanqing was nowhere to be seen. Ouyang Mufeng and Gong Yi had just arrived, then left because of something.

She headed toward the corner where Ouyang Muya was staying, but her gaze caught sight of a familiar figure not far away.

She immediately raised a hand to hide her face and turned away in haste.

She had forgotten that in a place like this, Big Brother Ye would certainly attend. Fortunately, he had not noticed her yet.

Otherwise, the fact that she was together with Huangpu Shenqing would no longer be a secret.

Ye Ziyan had only just lifted his head when he spotted a petite figure, somewhat like Ranran. Suspicious, he followed at once to confirm his guess.

Shangguan Renran inwardly cried out in misery. Why had she been seen?

She hurried out of the venue and left the banquet hall.

She did not even know where she had run to.

Just when she was at a loss, she suddenly noticed woods and shrubs not far ahead.

Lifting up her gown, she carefully hid herself behind the brush.

Fortunately, for the guests’ convenience, most of this island had been laid with lawn, so even in high heels Shangguan Renran could run quickly.

She crouched down on the ground, planning to come out after Ye Ziyan had returned, and then stay in one of the rooms behind the banquet hall for a while. As long as she did not appear, it would be fine.

But after waiting a long while, she still did not see Big Brother Ye. Had he not chased her this far? she guessed.

“My lord, we have already bought off the guards at the entrance. Our things can be brought in.”

“And my reagents? Did you bring them?”

“This... My lord’s newest formula is something we dared not touch. We only brought the reagents you had already completed before.”

“Mm, that is enough.”

Shangguan Renran clapped a hand over her mouth. She had been sitting in an awkward position and was considering leaving, only to overhear such words.

What did they mean, bought off the guards? Could they be Lin’s guards? And what were these reagents? What were these people planning to do?

She forced herself to stay calm so she would not be discovered, but her quickened breathing still betrayed her tension.

“Then, my lord, should we tonight...”

He was about to continue when he suddenly saw their lord draw a pistol and aim it at him.

“Come out.”

The man’s gun was pointed at the shrubs behind him.

Damn it. She had been found.

Shangguan Renran lifted her gown and slowly stood up. Her cold gaze met his dangerous one without the slightest retreat. “Who are you? Pointing a gun at a woman is hardly gentlemanly conduct.”

“You heard it, didn’t you?”

Di Jiuzhuo held the gun in his hand and advanced step by step toward her. His voice was icy, his eyes carrying the utmost danger, like a tiger that would tear you apart the next second.

“And if I did? Do you dare fire?”

Shangguan Renran’s tone was cool, her entire presence just as cold.

“You are the second person who has dared speak to me like that.”

The first was Massacre.

A mocking smile curved his lips, his eyes full of scorn. He lightly squeezed the trigger, and the bullet flew out without warning, aimed at her heart.

Shangguan Renran felt the wind and the bullet come at her at the same instant. She shifted sideways in a flash.

Bang—

The bullet struck the tree behind her, punching straight through it, revealing its terrifying force.

Di Jiuzhuo narrowed his eyes. She was the second person to evade his gunfire.

What Shangguan Renran excelled at most was her agility. Even her grandfather had praised it back then.

“Sir, you should be more careful with your gun. Otherwise, one day it may turn against you, and that would not be good.”

Shangguan Renran gathered up her gown and turned to leave. Her whole bearing seemed untouchable, too lofty for anyone to approach.

Even the man behind him was shocked. There was actually a woman who could evade the master’s marksmanship.

“Heh. Interesting.” Di Jiuzhuo stared at her retreating figure with the look of a serpent fixed on its prey, dark and sinister.

He, too, turned and left, and Di Xing hurried after him.

Then he stepped on something. Looking down, he picked it up. It was a star-shaped hair clip.