The Trace of Elegance
Li Tianyi returned to his penthouse after the brief, chaotic sighting of Princess Elara, still operating on his principle of absolute efficiency. He handed the intricate silver hairpin to Han Mengjie (Chief Strategic Analyst).
"Mengjie," Li Tianyi instructed. "Analyze this crest. Determine the political and financial ramifications of its owner's abrupt disappearance. Keep the investigation strictly compartmentalized."
He then addressed his chief bodyguard, Long Wei. "Wei, I need the optimal path of escape from the embassy district to the nearest high-traffic, low-security commercial zone—a path a desperate, athletic, but likely unarmed woman would take."
Li Tianyi's interest was purely analytical: the Princess was a high-value chaotic asset loose in his city, and that chaos had to be managed.
The Unnecessary Skillset
Li Tianyi possessed a comprehensive mastery of unarmed combat and kinetic discipline—a flawless, unconsciously retained skill from his past life. Though he preferred to rely on the overwhelming financial and technological force of the Dynasty, he maintained this physical perfection as a form of elegant self-sufficiency. He knew precisely how to neutralize a threat with minimal output and maximum effect.
This 'unnecessary skill' was about to be deployed. Following the calculated escape path, Li Tianyi drove his Bespoke Zenith Hypercar to a bustling commercial district renowned for its anonymity. He located Elara quickly; she was attempting to blend in at an outdoor table of a quiet tea shop, looking exhausted but fiercely vigilant.
The Pervert's Folly
Her conspicuous aura of refined chaos attracted a local opportunist—a messy, crude man who was clearly intent on harassment.
Li Tianyi sighed, a flicker of genuine distaste crossing his face. Crude attempts at physical harassment are the ultimate form of localized, inefficient social chaos.
He waited precisely long enough to confirm his security detail could not intervene without causing a high-profile public incident, which would instantly compromise Elara's secrecy.
This requires surgical, personal intervention.
Li Tianyi stood up, walking toward the scene. The criminal, emboldened, reached out a hand toward Elara's shoulder.
Before the hand could make contact, Li Tianyi smoothly interposed himself. He wasn't aggressive; he merely executed a perfect rotational displacement. He didn't hit the man. He used the subtle momentum of his elegant walk, combined with a barely perceptible shoulder bump and a slight shift in weight, to intercept the thug's trajectory.
The move was so fluid and effortless that it looked like a simple, accidental misstep. The pervert, completely off-balance, found himself instantly tangled, executing a messy, involuntary forward roll that ended with his face landing precisely in a nearby, half-full trash bin.
The Elegance of Non-Effort
Li Tianyi continued his path, barely pausing, demonstrating zero effort or anger. He reached Elara's table, not looking at the struggling thug still embedded in the trash.
"The local atmosphere is contaminated, Princess," Li Tianyi stated quietly, his eyes fixed on the silver hairpin in his hand. He placed the hairpin delicately on the table beside her teacup. "Your need for security has exceeded your ability to sustain the elegance of your disguise."
Elara, startled by his appearance and the impossible efficiency of his intervention, stared up at him, her beautiful, wary eyes wide beneath the brim of the hat.
Li Tianyi looked at her, his voice low and firm. "I am Li Tianyi. I require tranquility in my city. Your presence is creating escalating chaos. Allow me to manage your inefficiency."
He didn't wait for a response. He simply nodded to Long Wei, who moved in to manage the now-sprawling and confused thug, and returned to his table. Li Tianyi had demonstrated that he could protect her with zero effort, simply by existing in proximity. The choice was now hers: continued messy chaos, or organized, elegant safety under the Li Dynasty's control.