Dongfang Yi could only look at Donghua's retreating figure helplessly, heaving a long sigh. She thought to herself that her gossiping plan was going to fall through again this time.
Just as she was lost in thought, a male voice suddenly came from the palace gate.
"Your Majesty the Queen?"
Dongfang Yi turned her head and saw Ye leaning against the palace gate. She couldn't tell how long he had been standing there.
She couldn't help but feel suspicious. How could he be here? After all, the harem was not a place where men could stroll around at will.
Thinking so, she asked directly, "I wonder why the Second Prince is here?"
Then she added bluntly, "The Second Prince may not know the rules of our Dongsheng Kingdom. Foreign men are not allowed to walk around freely in the harem. The Second Prince should leave quickly before anyone notices. I won't tell anyone."
After saying that, she was about to walk towards her own palace.
Unexpectedly, the man seemed not to hear her advice at all. He lifted his leg and stepped over the threshold of the Queen's palace, and then said again, "Your Majesty the Queen."
Hearing this voice with her back turned to him, Dongfang Yi always felt it was extremely familiar, but she just couldn't remember where she had heard it before.
So she turned around, narrowing her eyes and curling her lips as she asked, "Does the Second Prince have anything else to say?"
When her eyes caught sight of his feet that had already stepped into the palace gate, she couldn't help but squint slightly, as if she was displeased.
"Doesn't Your Majesty the Queen remember me?" Ye stared at her with a hurt expression.
Dongfang Yi couldn't help but frown. She was sure that she had never seen his face before, and he was from the Southern Neighboring Kingdom. Since she came to this world, this was the first time she had seen someone from that kingdom.
So she replied to him warily, "I don't often go out of the palace. How could I have met the Second Prince?"
Just then, she saw the man in front of her reach into his front lapel and fumble for a while. Then he took out a black object.
Dongfang Yi stared at the object without blinking, and her memory seemed to be suddenly awakened.
The black object was a Baogong mask.
She remembered it quite clearly. At the Mid - Autumn State Banquet a month ago, she had sneaked out of the city tower. At the riddle - guessing stall, she had met a man wearing a black Baogong mask.
Because of the mask, she couldn't see his face clearly, but from his accent, she could tell that he was definitely not from Dongsheng Kingdom.
Thinking of this, Dongfang Yi suddenly realized that the people from the Southern Neighboring Kingdom always had a strange accent.
But because of the occasion yesterday, she hadn't been able to notice their accents, so she hadn't recognized him at first.
"You're the man with the Baogong mask!" she frowned and shouted.
She saw Ye pick up the mask and put it up to his face. His appearance was exactly the same as the man she had seen at the Mid - Autumn Banquet.
"Your Majesty the Queen has a good memory," he said, with a teasing smile on his lips.
Dongfang Yi's frown deepened. His appearance was completely different from that in the court yesterday.
She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, mixed with a bit of annoyance. So she asked, "How did you know I was the Queen at that time? What on earth is your purpose?!"
After hearing this, Ye calmly stuffed the mask back into his bosom. The charming smile still lingered on his lips.
His smile made Dongfang Yi couldn't help but think of Situ Qing. Although Situ Qing's smile was charming, it didn't carry the dangerous aura like his.
Maybe it was because of his eye color. The green pupils were more likely to make people sink. His beauty was like addictive opium. Sinking into it meant death.
"Your Majesty the Queen, why are you so nervous? I just know your identity. There are many people in this world who know who you are," he said, staring at the woman in front of him without blinking.
Seeing that he showed no sign of panic, Dongfang Yi knew that he must not be an ordinary person. But she also knew that even if she showed weakness now, it wouldn't do her any good.
Thinking of this, she colded her eyes. She thought that she might as well go all out. After all, she was the Queen, and this was her harem. What was there to be afraid of?
After thinking this through, she relaxed her expression. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and smiled slightly, then asked softly, "The Second Prince really has a silver tongue. I wonder what the Second Prince's purpose is for coming here?"
Ye obviously didn't expect the woman in front of him to be so calm.
In his impression, all women either regarded him as a god without knowing him well, or feared him like a poisonous snake after getting to know him.
He had never met a woman like the one in front of him, who was neither moved by his good looks nor intimidated by the pressure he deliberately exerted.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of interest. He was becoming more and more curious about the woman in front of him.
Then he walked towards her step by step. He stopped when he was only two steps away from her. He said in a voice that only the two of them could hear, "I will get you sooner or later, beauty."
The ending of his words rose slightly. Others would surely find it extremely charming, but to Dongfang Yi's ears, it sent a chill down her spine.
"Don't be so presumptuous!" she shouted angrily at the man in front of her.
She didn't expect the man in front of her to be so bold. He actually said such disrespectful words to her in the harem.
Didn't he remember that this was Dongsheng Kingdom, and this was the harem of the Emperor of Dongsheng Kingdom?
Thinking of this, the anger in her heart welled up. Staring at the man in front of her without blinking as if she had been insulted, she then raised her hand and slapped the man in front of her without hesitation.
Suddenly, a clear sound echoed in the outer courtyard. After being slapped, Ye's eyes widened involuntarily. He had never expected her to do this.
Then he turned his head, his eyes filled with countless entangled emotions.
The hands with which Dongfang Yi slapped him were also trembling slightly. She had done this out of extreme anger. What did he mean by "his woman"?
After thinking about it, she sorted out her thoughts. Her eyes regained clarity. She said in a deep voice, "You asked for it!"
Ye seemed quite satisfied with the woman's expression in front of him. Then he curled his lips and laughed twice, turned around, and walked towards the outside of the palace gate without saying a word.
Standing there, Dongfang Yi watched the man's back gradually disappear from her sight. Then she slumped into a chair as if all her strength had left her. Her palms were full of sweat, and cold sweat was also breaking out on her forehead. She had never met a man like him before.
He was beautiful but terrifying, making people shiver.
Thinking of this, complex emotions welled up in her eyes. She just couldn't figure out why he would act like this towards her.
She knew that the original owner of this body wasn't the type to make a lot of friends. So how could she have offended a man like Ye?
Then there was only one guess...
Could it be that she was so beautiful that even the cruel Second Prince Ye couldn't forget her, so he came looking for her?!
Thinking of this, she retched at herself. She thought to herself what a narcissist she was. Being liked by him was not a good thing. His whole face seemed to be written with the word "pervert".
Thinking of this, a chill ran through her body again.