At that, Yu Jingfeng felt genuine, heartfelt admiration for Feng Jiu’er welling up from the very depths of his soul.

He had not yet worked out how to arrange for the Prince to travel to the Southern Wilderness without arousing the Imperial family’s suspicions.

With Phoenix City in peril, how could the Prince abandon his post and dare to leave without going to defend the city?

But with Miss Jiu’er’s plan set in motion, every problem seemed to resolve itself at once.

He could now escort the Prince to the Southern Wilderness to treat his wounds and purge the Gu Poison without any lingering worries standing in the way.

The only thing was — the Prince was so fond of Miss Jiu’er. If she could be here at the Prince’s side right now, everything would be all the more perfect.

But Miss Jiu’er still had to lead the army to Phoenix City. How could she possibly come here?

——

At long last, the searing pain in Feng Jiu’er’s chest had eased somewhat.

Strange as it sounded to admit such a thing aloud, she trusted her instincts completely. That pain just now — it had without any doubt been because of the Ninth Imperial Uncle.

“What happened?” Looking at her complexion, it did not appear to be poisoning, nor an injury. Faced with Feng Jiu’er in this state, Mu Mu felt entirely at a loss.

Feng Jiu’er shook her head. “It’s nothing. I’m better now.”

She raised a hand and wiped her temple. It was drenched in cold sweat.

Jiu’er exhaled slowly. She was just about to say something when she noticed that Xiao Yingtao was staring fixedly at Mu Mu — staring with the look of someone who had completely lost her wits.

Feng Jiu’er looked at Mu Mu as well — that white-robed figure, that strikingly handsome face — and immediately understood why Xiao Yingtao had been struck so dumb.

Mu Mu had likely noticed too. He glanced back at Xiao Yingtao but said nothing.

He was not a man who offered explanations, so he would simply offer none.

“Mu Mu…” Xiao Yingtao was still staring at his face, entirely incapable of collecting herself.

But Mu Mu’s gaze remained only on Feng Jiu’er. This face — it was Jiu’er who had washed it clean for him. So if any explaining needed to be done, it was for Jiu’er to do.

Jiu’er walked over and settled into a chair, then looked at Xiao Yingtao: “This is his true face. Back at the academy, he put on a disguise every single day.”

There was perhaps no such word as “disguise” in this era, but she was certain Xiao Yingtao would understand what she meant.

Xiao Yingtao did understand. She just could not comprehend it: “But why… would he disguise himself?”

“Precisely to guard against girls like you, who would spend all day staring at him and drooling.” Truthfully, Jiu’er had very little heart for jokes tonight.

The Ninth Imperial Uncle’s life hung in the balance. She could clearly sense the pain and torment he was suffering at this very moment. Her spirits were low and heavy, and she wished with everything in her that she could fly to his side that very instant.

Xiao Yingtao finally snapped back to herself. Once she worked out the meaning of Feng Jiu’er’s words, her face flushed scarlet from ear to ear.

She had half a mind to fire back with some retort — but on second thought, she suddenly realized there was nothing she could actually say in her own defense.

She had indeed been staring at Mu Mu just now, staring so hard she had practically been on the verge of drooling.

He really was breathtakingly handsome — so much so that even compared to the Ninth Prince, whom everyone in the realm acknowledged as the most beautiful man under heaven, he was not the slightest bit inferior.

If a man this beautiful were to appear every day in the Longwu Army, all the young women would surely go slack-jawed and glassy-eyed. How could anyone possibly have any focus left for drills?

Mu Mu’s concern was not without reason.

And yet — to be confronted so suddenly and without any warning with Mu Mu’s true appearance… she truly, truly did not know what to do with herself.

Out of nowhere, a feeling overcame her — a sense that the distance between them was vast and immeasurable, so vast that no matter how she spent her entire life reaching and striving, she would never be able to close it.

“I — I’ll go and prepare your evening meal.”

Xiao Yingtao looked rather dazed, as though her spirit had gone wandering. She moved to leave, but stumbled and walked straight into a chair. She steadied herself, stepped forward again — and promptly walked headfirst into the door.