Su Mingyu moved to stop him. "Don't be so hasty! Young Master Kang, we haven't seen the whole thing yet."
Kang Zeyan's face was dark. "What else do you want to see?"
She sniffed, as if his temper were beneath her notice. "Young Master Kang, you promised you'd ruin Gu Ruobai's reputation. Look at yourself now—did you succeed? Prince Yu was right there. Are you really going to let me walk away in the dark? I'm not leaving without answers."
She tried to step out of the carriage, but Kang caught her arm. "Miss Su, this needs to be handled carefully. Don't force me into a difficult position."
"Force you?" She laughed, sharp. "Have you ever thought about my position? I talked myself into betraying my conscience and gave you the locations of those innocent officers. And this is what you repay me with?"
She brushed his hand aside and started toward the door. Kang stepped forward and gripped her again. "Su Mingyu, don't overstep."
"Overstep?" She frowned at him. "Maybe you're the one who doesn't want to expose your relationship with Prince Yu. You have things you don't want shown in public—secrets you won't let surface."
He had never seen this side of her before. Her words hit him harder than he expected. He inhaled slowly. "Your assignment is finished. If you want to leave safely, there are some questions you shouldn't ask."
A soft, incredulous laugh escaped her. "You're threatening me? Kang Zeyan, do you think your threats scare me? I don't even care about Gu Ruobai—what are you supposed to be to me?"
Her voice dropped; there was steel in it. "You invited me here promising a surprise. Is this your surprise?" She nodded toward the scene outside. "More like a nasty shock."
Before he could react she grabbed his collar and leaned close, her voice cold enough to cut. "You don't need me to tell you how dangerous Gu Ruobai is, do you? You've bungled this. If it blows up, your mole in court will be exposed—and I'll be tied to you. Look at the mess you've made."
Kang, already flustered, felt her words make his face darker. He opened his mouth to answer, but the chill in her gaze silenced him; he struggled for a moment to form a sentence.
Had Su Mingyu always been like this? He'd never seen her like this before.
He bit his lower lip and at last spoke quietly. "I don't know the full situation either. If you insist on confronting Prince Yu, then go ahead."
He even made a courteous gesture, as if certain she wouldn't actually step out. Su Mingyu saw through the pretense—she knew it was a calculated ploy—but she didn't expose him. Instead she eased back, dropped her eyes, and spoke with an agreed-upon contrition. "Young Master Kang, today was mishandled. I've offended Gu Ruobai, and given the secrets I hold, he's certain to send his guards to kill me. I need your protection. Let's call our past quarrels settled. We'll discuss how to deal with Gu Ruobai later."
Hearing the proud, upright Su Mingyu ask for help like that made Kang raise an eyebrow. He relaxed a fraction and nodded. "Of course. Shall we go back now?"
"Yes," she answered. "But when we do, I expect you to tell me exactly what happened."
"Naturally." Kang called to the coachman, "Take us home."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than another cavalry unit appeared, blocking their path.
Su Mingyu recognized the litter among the riders instantly. She smiled wryly and looked back at Kang. "This time there’s no walking away."
Kang followed her gaze. His face hardened. "Gu Ruobai?"
"Who else would it be?" she said.
"Why is he here? And why is he arriving as an outsider?" Kang was bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
"I don't know," Su Mingyu shrugged. "I have no idea who convinced the Emperor to send Prince Yu to deal with Gu Ruobai."
"That isn't my concern. I'm only here to keep an eye on you," Kang said, tone clipped.
Su Mingyu's eyes met Gu Ruobai's across the open ground. "Under the circumstances, we have to come out."
Kang's expression tightened. Then, swift and precise, he pressed a point at the base of her neck.
Su Mingyu started. She tried to speak and found her tongue gone numb—just like the fabled silencing pressure point. She glared at Kang, questioning him with nothing but her eyes.
He lifted a brow. "Just a precaution. The two men outside have close ties to you. I can't take chances."
Anger flamed in her eyes, but she sighed and gave a reluctant nod. Seeing her compliance, Kang produced a length of rope and bound her hands behind her. Then, composed, he led her down from the carriage.
Prince Yu stepped forward, surprised. "Mingyu, what are you—what are you doing here?"
She wanted to protest that she was here to watch the spectacle, but the words wouldn't form.
Realizing she was being held, Prince Yu's face darkened. He drew his longsword and leveled it at Kang. "What have you done to her?"
Kang showed nothing on his face. Calm as ever, he replied, "Prince Yu, aren't you being a touch hasty? Listen to what Prince Rui Xian just said."
His insinuation had the intended effect. Gu Ruobai's gaze dropped to Prince Yu; his dark eyes were cold, a knife of frost in them. "Prince Yu, I don't want to repeat myself," he said without hurry. "Su Mingyu is my wife—my princess-consort. I suggest you keep your distance."
Prince Yu let out a bitter laugh. "Yours? You think the Emperor won't hear about this? We'll be going to the capital together to present ourselves to His Majesty. Let's see how long you keep the title of Prince Rui Xian. Are you planning to drag Su Mingyu down with you?"
Gu Ruobai feigned ignorance with a faint shrug. "What's happening here? Present ourselves to the Emperor? Fine. I'm dying to know—what are you doing, marching so many troops to my doorstep?"