Whatever you say, I believe.

Chu Bing was just about to bite the bullet and refuse the bailiff when she suddenly heard a clear and melodious voice say, "I'm afraid that won't do. She has far too many matters to attend to and is hardly in a position to assist the county magistrate."

Li Yuxi stepped forward, wrapped one arm around Chu Bing's shoulder, and directly refused on her behalf.

Out of everyone's sight, he gently nibbled on her ear and murmured, "You really are quite capable."

In the blink of an eye, this mischievous creature had grabbed the official notice and flown straight up to the city wall.

Chu Bing lowered her head timidly.

"And who might you be? How can you make decisions on this young master's behalf? Are you aware that whoever tears off this notice must present themselves before the magistrate? Failure to do so constitutes the crime of deceiving the emperor!" The bailiff rode his horse slowly toward them, his tone turning severe by the end of his sentence.

Chu Bing's brows twitched slightly, but Li Yuxi didn't react at all, acting as if the grave charge of deceiving the sovereign meant nothing to him.

"Why must the officer make it sound so terrifying? The notice wasn't torn off by my brother, but by those two individuals over there. If anyone is guilty of deceiving the emperor, it would be them. What does that have to do with my brother?"

Though he addressed the man as an officer, there was not a trace of respect in his voice.

The bailiff was about to resort to force and drag the two of them away, but in the blink of an eye, Li Yuxi utilized his lightness skill, whisking Chu Bing away from the turbulent scene.

Watching their figures rapidly vanish, the bailiff gritted his teeth and shifted his gaze to the sturdy man and the short fellow who were standing dazed on the ground.

"You two, come with me and tell the county magistrate everything that happened. If you dare conceal even a single word..."

He half-drew the blade from its scabbard, and the two men nodded immediately.

It was a long while before Chu Bing and Li Yuxi finally came to a halt.

The two of them were now standing inside a small alleyway.

Panting heavily, Chu Bing leaned against the wall and said, "Thank you."

She had lost count of how many times she had thanked Li Yuxi, yet every time, it still brought a pleasant warmth to his heart.

He turned his head to glance at Chu Bing. Because of their hurried flight, her hair bun had tilted sideways, making her dainty face look all the more endearing.

His expression softened involuntarily. "Bing'er, I've saved you so many times now. When on earth are you going to fulfill your promise and properly repay me?"

Chu Bing's breath hitched, and she nearly choked.

She looked up at the man before her, genuinely feeling a bit embarrassed. After all, she was still wearing his clothes; she couldn't simply turn hostile and deny her debts. With a dry laugh, she said, "Well, once I've earned some silver..."

"I don't need silver."

Li Yuxi shook his head, his eyes shining brightly. "How about this, you grant me one request."

It was that familiar request once more.

Chu Bing let out a sigh of relief, assuming Li Yuxi simply wanted her to cook another meal or something similar. She nodded readily, then stared wide-eyed at him, waiting for him to state his terms.

To her surprise, Li Yuxi said with utter composure, "I haven't thought of the specific request yet. I'll tell you when I figure it out."

Was it too late to take it back now?

Obviously not.

Chu Bing secretly gnashed her teeth.

Noticing her displeasure, Li Yuxi ruffled her hair and laughed. "You little rascal, you may be young, but you've got plenty of schemes. Don't worry, I won't put you in a difficult position."

Only then did Chu Bing put her worries to rest, though still half-doubting him.

She peeked outside. Once they reached the bustling marketplace, those bailiffs surely wouldn't be able to catch up. Just as she was about to leave, her wrist was suddenly caught by Li Yuxi.

With one arm around her waist and the other hand braced against the wall behind her, Li Yuxi stared intently into her eyes. "Bing'er, there is something I've always wanted to ask you."

Chu Bing was startled. "Go ahead."

What on earth was this about that made it so serious and left her feeling completely ill at ease?

Li Yuxi asked, "Among the three of us brothers, whom do you love the most?"

A flash of suppressed cruelty crossed his eyes, though he concealed it swiftly.

Yet, Chu Bing still detected a hint of danger in his tone.

Bracing herself, she replied, "What nonsense about loving the most? I don't love any of you..."

Li Yuxi refused to believe her words.

He had initially thought she favored the eldest brother, but during their time in the desert, Chu Bing had clearly disregarded her own life for the sake of Li Haoran!

Even now, he couldn't figure it out. Among the three brothers in the household, whom did Chu Bing truly prefer?

Or perhaps, did she fancy both the eldest and the third brother, while uniquely disliking him?

"Bing'er, why on earth did you approach the three of us? What is your true objective?"

Taking a deep breath, Li Yuxi grabbed Chu Bing by the chin, forcing her to look at him.

Lifting her gaze, Chu Bing saw the solemn earnestness in the man's eyes, and a sudden chill ran through her entire body.

She recalled the sight of Li Yuxi wielding his sword and killing without blinking an eye.

Her eyes darted around frantically, subconsciously searching for the most reliable way out so she might escape this ordeal unscathed.

Having spent so much time with Chu Bing, Li Yuxi had long since caught onto her little habits. He let out a soft chuckle. "You don't need to lie to me. Tell me straight—what is your true purpose?"

Li Yuxi's gaze seemed to pierce straight into the depths of Chu Bing's heart.

Frozen in place, she stared blankly with her mouth slightly open, completely at a loss for words.

Indeed, all her actions had seemed far too coincidental: deliberately approaching Li Mohany, yet experiencing so much alongside Li Yuxi, only to cast them both aside in the end for the sake of Li Haoran...

She feared that not only Li Yuxi, but Li Mohan and Li Haoran as well, had grown suspicious.

Biting her lip, Chu Bing felt a flicker of panic in her eyes.

"My, my purpose was simply because of Li Haoran..."

She stammered out an explanation, while Li Yuxi simply watched her quietly without a hint of impatience.

"Li Haoran helped me a great deal before, and my master also thought he was a young man of great potential, so he had me instruct him... But later he went missing, which is why I entered the Li residence..."

The more she spoke, the softer her voice became, as she herself realized how many loopholes her story contained.

At that moment, however, Li Yuxi released her chin and stepped back, widening the distance between them.

Chu Bing looked up in surprise, crashing directly into the gentle, doting gaze in the man's eyes.

"If you don't know how to lie, then stop trying."

He pinched her cheek, his voice softening to the point that it made her heart beat faster. "Forget it. Whatever you say... is what I will believe."

Looking at Li Yuxi, Chu Bing felt all her previous prejudices against him vanish in an instant.

Before she could even react, Li Yuxi had already reached out to take her hand, leading her toward the bustling street.

"You promised to cook something delicious for me. Come on, let's go buy some groceries!"

The sunlight outside spilled gradually over Chu Bing's shoulders. Gazing at Li Yuxi's retreating back, she couldn't help but wear a faint smile.

This sensation of being unconditionally trusted... was truly rather wonderful.