"Who is Ye Yu?" Ye Yutian realized he knew nothing about her.
"That's none of your concern." Ye Lanshan helped Lan Youli up, preparing to leave.
But Ye Yutian wouldn't let them go so easily. With a flash, he swiftly blocked their path.
"Did I say you could leave?" His cold voice rang in Ye Lanshan's ears.
Startled, she immediately shielded Lan Youli behind her, gripping a dagger in a defensive stance.
Luo Rui quickly added, "Brother Lan only picked this herb by accident, and now it's yours. Why not just let them go?"
"Exactly. I picked it myself—it wasn't taken from you. Now that it's yours, what more do you want?" Lan Youli stepped forward, turning to protect Ye Lanshan.
Seeing his action, Ye Yutian's demeanor grew even colder.
Ye Lanshan stared at him warily, afraid he might attack at any moment.
Just then, someone's arrival broke the standoff. Liu Jing stumbled in, chased by several masked men.
"Ye Lanshan, what are you doing here? Weren't you in Cloud Town?" Liu Jing ignored the danger behind her and started chatting with Ye Lanshan.
"Long story. But why is it that every time I see you, you're being chased?" Ye Lanshan also brushed aside the tense atmosphere with Ye Yutian.
"Just a bunch of clowns, nothing to fear." Liu Jing clearly didn't take the pursuers seriously, dispatching them with a single move.
"But what's going on here?" Noticing the tension between Ye Lanshan's group, Liu Jing pointed at Ye Yutian. "Weren't you all on the same team? What happened?"
"Team? What team?" Luo Rui was baffled, and Lan Youli looked equally confused.
Ye Lanshan quickly explained, "We were just randomly grouped together at the Mystic Spirit Academy."
As soon as she said that, she felt the atmosphere around them grow even colder.
She narrowed her eyes and said, "Name your terms for letting us go."
Ye Yutian didn't want to waste words. "Leave the Ye Fruit."
"That Ye Fruit I snatched from under a beast's jaws—I didn't take a single advantage from you. Why should I just hand it over?" Hearing that Ye Yutian wanted the Ye Fruit too, she immediately grew agitated.
"Hmph, if the tiger doesn't show its might, you think I'm easy to push around. Mo Ran already stole from me, and now you're trying to rob my friends too." Ye Lanshan was already frustrated enough that Mo Ran had taken the Twin Fruit, and now Ye Yutian was targeting her friends.
"Spring Wind Wildfire." A wave of fire mixed with wind surged toward him, but Ye Yutian raised his right hand, conjuring a wall of water to block the flames.
Luo Rui hadn't expected things to escalate like this and tried to mediate. "Let's talk this out. You two were once engaged—no need to make things so hostile."
With Luo Rui's persuasion, they reluctantly backed down.
Though Ye Yutian wanted to ask about Mo Ran, he held back in the end.
Ye Lanshan snorted coldly and led Lan Youli and Liu Jing to the Ye residence.
Luo Rui was exasperated by Ye Yutian's lack of social skills. Shaking his head, he said, "With a personality like yours, when will you ever win Ye Lanshan over? Want me to teach you some flirting tricks?"
"Get lost." Ye Yutian, face dark, left the ruined temple.
"Are you Lanshan's friends?" Ye Luotian smiled at them, but his eyes held a sharp edge, his aura pressing down on them.
Lan Youli, coming from a prominent family, and Liu Jing, from the Spirit Sect, weren't intimidated by Ye Luotian's presence.
"This is a rare Blue Spirit Flower from my clan. I hope you won't refuse it, Elder Ye." Lan Youli offered the flower he'd brought from home to Ye Luotian.
Seeing this, Liu Jing also presented a gift.
"You're from the Lan family and the Spirit Sect?" Ye Luotian's tone was certain, though phrased as a question.
"Yes." Hearing their confirmation, Ye Luotian nodded.
"Grandfather, since that's settled, I'll take them to their rooms." Ye Lanshan was a bit exasperated by Ye Luotian's sudden behavior.
"Is your grandfather always this intimidating?" Lan Youli recalled the pressure he'd felt, stronger than his own grandfather's.
Ye Lanshan answered honestly, "No, he's just acting strange today."
"Ye Lanshan, what was that about Mo Ran earlier? I remember you, Mo Ran, and Ye Yutian seemed to get along well. Is there some misunderstanding?" Liu Jing recalled Ye Lanshan's words in the temple.
"No misunderstanding. I'm not really close to them. We just drew the same team token at the academy." Thinking of how Mo Ran had attacked them after taking the Twin Fruit, she gritted her teeth in anger.
Seeing how upset Ye Lanshan got at the mention of Mo Ran, Liu Jing dropped the subject.
Ye Lanshan led them to their respective courtyards. "Rest here for now. Tomorrow, I'll show you around and let you experience life in our Moon Kingdom."
Meanwhile, back at the Ye mansion, Ye Yutian immediately ordered his men to track down Mo Ran's whereabouts.
Luo Rui teased him, "Still saying you don't like Ye Lanshan?"
Ye Yutian replied coldly, "Seems like you have too much free time. Want me to—"
"No, I just remembered I have unfinished business at the Fallen Flower Pavilion. I'll be off." Luo Rui fled before Ye Yutian could finish.
"This place has great flavor." Liu Jing, mouth full of food, nodded in satisfaction.
Just as they were enjoying their meal, a knock at the door interrupted their fun.
"Who is it?" Ye Lanshan frowned in displeasure.
The trembling waiter outside replied, "Someone wants to see you."
"Let them in." Ye Lanshan could sense more than one person outside.
A well-dressed man entered, holding a knife to the waiter's neck.
The waiter, terrified, shook from head to toe.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Ye Lanshan cut straight to the point.
"Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that you need to leave here now."
"Sorry, but I don't feel like leaving." Ye Lanshan looked at the man, inwardly scoffing at how many weirdos were around these days. Threatening a waiter to make them leave—what was there even to say?
"Since you refuse to leave, don't blame me for being rude." The man snorted coldly and kicked the waiter out.