Infinite Realms: From Resident Evil and Beyond

　　…

　　Ji Ruxue didn't say anything, just lowered her head.

　　Seeing Ji Ruxue didn't say anything, the empress's expression turned cold, and then she said in a tone of disappointment: "Sure enough, I guessed it right. You little girl, you can be stolen by a wild man who came from nowhere when you go out to do something. How can I trust you to do things in the future? Tell me, how should I punish you?"

　　Ji Ruxue turned pale with fear, and said quickly: "I am loyal to the Empress and will never betray her. Please forgive me, Empress!"

　　"Humph, I don't think you would dare."

　　The empress snorted coldly and nodded. She did not doubt that Ji Ruxue would lie to her. Besides the fact that Ji Ruxue was raised by her side since she was a child, there was also the fire ganoderma that Ji Ruxue had just presented as proof. If Ji Ruxue really had any ulterior motives, she would have secretly taken the fire ganoderma and fled away long ago.

　　She stared at Ji Ruxue for a while, a trace of dissatisfaction flashed in her eyes. She valued Ji Ruxue very much. Although she was just a maid, she had raised her since she was a child and was considered half a daughter to her. If she really wanted to punish her, she would be reluctant to do so, so she said: "However, it is impossible to forgive the sin, but you brought back the Fire Ganoderma, which is also a merit. How about this, you don't have to go out to work in the future, just stay by my side and serve me well, how about it?"

　　After hearing what the empress said, Ji Ruxue looked up suddenly. She understood the meaning of the empress's words. She wanted to keep her by her side forever and not let her leave Huanyinfang.

　　"No, if I stay with the empress, then I will never see Brother Shen again." She thought with despair and even forgot to respond to the empress.

　　Seeing that Ji Ruxue remained silent for a long time, the empress's voice became impatient: "Why, you are not happy?"

　　"I dare not, I...I..." Ji Ruxue was a little embarrassed and didn't know what to say.

　　Suddenly, she remembered what Shen Ye said to her when he left, and immediately said, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report to you."

　　"Oh... tell me, what important matter is it that you are reporting to me now?" the empress asked casually.

　　"I'm on my way back..."

　　So Ji Ruxue told Shen Ye everything.

　　"Is what you said true? Is that Li Xingyun really the descendant of Emperor Zhaozong?"

　　After hearing Ji Ruxue's words, the empress put away her nonchalant expression and looked at her seriously.

　　Ji Ruxue bit her lip and said, "What I said is all true, and... and this is what Big Brother Shen told me."

　　"Brother Shen? You're calling him so affectionately, is he the wild man who seduced you?" The empress looked at her coldly: "Aren't you afraid that he is lying to you?"

　　"Empress, Brother Shen will never lie to me." Ji Ruxue said with her neck straight.

　　"Humph, you little girl, you've become bolder because of your sexual desire. You even dare to talk back to me. Very good, very good."

　　The girl whom she had raised for more than ten years actually turned to an outsider in just a few days. The empress was so angry that her teeth were itching.

　　It took the empress a long time to calm her heaving chest, and then she asked coldly, "Where are the man surnamed Shen and the descendant of Li Tang named Li Xingyun that you mentioned now?"

　　"He should still be in Yuzhou." Ji Ruxue replied: "However, Brother Shen also said that Li Xingyun is going to Cangbing Valley, so I am not sure now."

　　"Then let's go to Yuzhou first."

　　Hearing this, the empress got off the bed, walked through the heavy curtains, and came to Ji Ruxue. Her beautiful face was filled with a chilling coldness: "I decided to go to Yuzhou in person to meet the Big Brother Shen you mentioned, and by the way, check whether that Li Xingyun is really a descendant of Li Tang - come on, prepare the car..."

　　…

　　In Yuzhou city.

　　Shen Ye naturally didn't know that because of him, the empress had already planned to come to Yuzhou in advance.

　　And because Li Xingyun was afraid that they would encounter an ambush by the Xuanming Sect if they left the city at this time, the four decided to stay in the city today and deal with it after today.

　　So at this time, he and Lu Linxuan had been wandering around the city for half a day and were on their way back to the inn.

　　"Brother Shen, have some candied haws."

　　Lu Linxuan held up a candied haws, took a bite himself, and then put the uneaten part to Shen Ye's mouth.

　　It was not the first time that Shen Ye had seen the little girl's habit of feeding the person she liked, so he smiled and bit off the whole candied haws that Lu Linxuan had only taken a bite of.

　　"Is it delicious, Brother Shen?" Lu Linxuan's eyes narrowed with smile.

　　It was really sour...but Shen Ye still forced himself to nod: "Delicious."

　　"Then eat another one." Lu Linxuan used the same trick again and put the bitten candied haws to his mouth.

　　Shen Ye sighed in his heart, but he couldn't refuse Lu Linxuan's kindness, so he could only bite the bullet and continue eating.

　　So, the string of candied haws was quickly eaten up.

　　Just when Shen Ye breathed a sigh of relief, Lu Linxuan took out another string of candied haws wrapped in oil paper from his waist bag behind him.

　　Shen Ye: "…"

　　Fortunately, the two of them had already walked to the vicinity of the inn. Looking at Li Xingyun and Zhang Zifan who seemed to be sitting at the door basking in the sun, Lu Linxuan didn't feel comfortable showing too much intimacy with Shen Ye in front of acquaintances, so she stopped feeding Shen Ye and ate by herself.

　　"You two are so free!"

　　Looking at the two people who had just returned after wandering outside for half a day, Li Xingyun said with a sour tone.

　　He was not jealous. After all, he and Lu Linxuan were true brother and sister. The main reason was that the couple could travel around the city, while he could only chat with Zhang Zifan, a grown man, in the inn. Although they hit it off at first sight, no matter how good brothers were, they could not resist having a charming woman by their side.

　　Shen Ye heard the sourness in Li Xingyun's words, and also heard the true meaning of his words, and joked: "If you two are willing, you can also go sightseeing in the city together."

　　"It's okay for two grown men to drink together, but it's okay for them to go out for fun together. People will misunderstand that they have an affair." Li Xingyun said in a muffled voice.

　　"Yes! Yes!" Zhang Zifan also echoed.

　　"In that case, I can provide you two with a place where you can drink and play together. I wonder if you are interested?" Shen Ye said with a smirk.

　　As soon as he said this, the three of them, including Lu Linxuan, looked at Shen Ye at the same time.

　　"Brother Shen still knows this good place?"

　　Zhang Zifan opened his folding fan with a flick and began to wave it rapidly, obviously feeling moved.

　　"Brother Shen, quickly tell us where that place is?" Li Xingyun was also impatient.

　　Shen Ye smiled slightly and uttered two words: "Brothel."

　　Before Li Xingyun and Zhang Zifan could speak, Lu Linxuan pulled his sleeve and said dissatisfiedly: "Brother Shen, how could you let my senior brother go to that kind of place."

　　"I'm just making a suggestion." Shen Ye smiled and then walked into the inn.

　　Lu Linxuan followed closely behind her, and behind her, Li Xingyun and Zhang Zifan looked at each other. After hesitating for a long time, they still couldn't make up their minds and could only return to the inn dejectedly.

　　…