My Scheming Little Devil

Ye Lu rolled her eyes. This man was frustratingly honest. Even if he didn’t really want to save her, now that he had, he should at least hide his disinterest a bit. Wasn’t it said that Europeans were all about chivalry?

"Well, whether you intended to save me or not, you did in the end, making you my savior. You may decline my gratitude, but I will express it regardless."

"Fine, I accept your thanks." Hai Lanse shrugged lazily, "By the way, aren’t you Gu Yan’s girlfriend? Where is he?"

Ye Lu was taken aback, she stuttered, "We broke up."

"What a pity."

"I didn’t detect any regret in your tone." Ye Lu retorted.

Hai Lanse grinned and said, "Well, I’m not too regretful, it’s just a polite statement anyway."

Ye Lu was speechless. He seemed completely different from the man she met at the hospital.

Back then, he radiated nobility, like a beautiful man straight out of a European painting - gracious, high-class, and strict with aristocratic etiquette.

But now, he seemed casual and unconventional, utterly unlike the aristocrat she had imagined.

"Since you’ve thanked me, I’ll go inside now."

"Wait." This time it was Ye Yuan who stopped him. "Can you take us to the banquet?"

Ye Lu looked at Ye Yuan in surprise. Just as she was about to say something about how preposterous this was, considering this was a banquet of state leaders, did they think they could just waltz in? She didn’t want him to think they had ill intentions.

Those invited to the banquet were top officials and business moguls. Hopeless for someone of her stature.

"What are you going in for?" Hai Lanse eyed them suspiciously.

"To meet the Queen." Ye Yuan blurted out first. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Hai Lanse laughed, "What’s so great about the Queen that you want to see her so badly? She also has a nose and two eyes."

"Even if she has a nose and two eyes, she is the Queen! That makes her a rare species. How many Queens are still around these days?" Ye Lu couldn’t help but add.

She also wanted to see the Queen. Commoners usually looked up to these fairytale characters and as a woman, the Queen was someone to be admired - powerful, authoritative, and awe-inspiring.

Just thinking about it made her feel a sense of admiration.

Hai Lanse seriously scrolled through his fingers, "Hmm, there are only sixteen left in the world. Since you want to see her so much, let’s go in!"

Ye Lu was dumbfound, thinking she might have misheard.

"Hey, wait a second! Aren’t you being too nonchalant about this? Isn’t security supposed to be impenetrable, not even a fly could get in?"

"Ordinary people indeed have to go through strict inspection. But if you go in as a duke’s companion, no one would dare to inspect you."

Ye Lu looked at him puzzled, "But are you sure you can just let us in like this? Aren’t you afraid we might be terrorists plotting to assassinate the Queen and take over the embassy?"

"You, seriously? Hmph, you don’t even look capable. But if you really did something like that, it’d be quite interesting. I, the duke, have yet to experience an attempted assassination of a national leader. It should be exciting."

Hai Lanse revealed an expression that seemed to stir up trouble.

Ye Lu was utterly speechless. Was this man really a duke?

"But why would you take me in?" Even if she wasn’t a terrorist of any kind, it’s not like anyone could just stroll in as they pleased, right?

Hai Lanse touched his chin, "Because you, eager to visit a zoo to see a panda, are interesting to me."

Ye Lu was speechless once more. Comparing the Queen to a panda was quite disrespectful.