Xiao Yingtao really had been caught off guard in that moment—she’d nearly let out a scream, and it was only thanks to Qiao Mu rushing over to cover her mouth that she hadn’t cried out loud. Had she screamed, the Crown Prince’s guards stationed outside would certainly have rushed in to check whether Feng Jiu’er was still safe. And that would have inevitably revealed that the person in the room wasn’t Feng Jiu’er at all.

“I was taking a risky gamble at the time too.” It had been a spur-of-the-moment idea. “But I knew that with Qiao Mu there, it definitely wouldn’t get exposed.”

As it turned out, Qiao Mu had proven even steadier and more composed than she’d imagined. Had it been exposed, there was no way she could have walked safely out of the Imperial Academy—after all, everyone had still been on campus at the time, right within the procession Nanmeng Rong had brought.

The moment anyone over there discovered Nanmeng Rong, it would have been absurdly easy for them to chase the group down. They hadn’t traveled fast at all—moving too quickly would only have raised suspicion as well.

“Although, yesterday it was actually Nanmen Xu who helped me—otherwise, I doubt I could have gotten away so easily.”

Nanmen Xu’s appearance really had been an unexpected twist. Even now, whenever Feng Jiu’er thought of Nanmen Xu, she still felt a pang of guilt. She had no idea how he was doing now—once they returned to the Nanmen estate, the Nanmen family surely wouldn’t let him off easily.

“So it was Nanmen Xu who helped you yesterday—no wonder…” Qiao Mu’s words trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. “Was it Nanmen Xu who switched identities with you, so you could get away?”

“Yes.” Feng Jiu’er nodded, clearly sensing that Qiao Mu had more to say. “How is he doing now? Have you two seen him?”

“We have seen him, it’s just…” Qiao Mu hesitated, unsure whether to say it—after all, at a time like this, it might be too much of a burden for Jiu’er to bear. But if she didn’t say it, she felt that Nanmen Xu was simply… too pitiable.

“How is he doing, really?” Feng Jiu’er pressed, somewhat anxious. After all, Nanmen Xu had gotten caught up in this because of her. His standing within the Nanmen family had never been high to begin with, and now, with something like this happening, would General Nanmen treat him well? He would almost certainly be punished.

Qiao Mu fell silent for a moment before saying, “I saw him last night. He’s badly injured—I heard General Nanmen was the one who beat him. I assumed it was because he was furious about being jilted, losing face for the Nanmen clan, but now it seems this matter of taking your place probably has something to do with it too.”

How could that man be so stubbornly devoted? Truly foolish.

When Feng Jiu’er had broken off the engagement, Qiao Mu had assumed Nanmen Xu would hate her from then on. But instead, not only did he not hate her, he had even secretly helped her this much. In truth, Nanmen Xu and Jiu’er had never really had much of a relationship before—according to Jiu’er herself, back when the marriage edict was first issued, Nanmen Xu had even held a degree of prejudice against her, believing she had bullied Feng Qingyin through sheer dominance.

Yet because of a single edict, how had things suddenly turned into something so deeply devoted? That man really was a fool too.

“Miss Jiu’er, about His Highness’s matter…” Long Shiyi stood off to the side, waiting for them to finish before bringing up actual business. He hadn’t expected the old saying about three women making for an endless chattering scene to prove so true—their conversation simply wouldn’t end, leaving him no choice but to speak up.

Jiu’er finally snapped back to attention and said hurriedly, “The Ninth Imperial Uncle has already agreed to set out ahead of us. I’ll follow behind with Mu Mu and Ye Luocha and the others to reach Phoenix City. Go discuss with Long Yi and arrange…”

She suddenly noticed something off and walked straight over, staring at a man who, though absent for only a few days, seemed as though he’d vanished for an entire century. “Yu, big brother?”

It was Yu Jingfeng! Wasn’t he being held captive by the Eighth Prince’s men? She hadn’t even figured out how to rescue him yet, and here he was, already back on his own.

“Miss Jiu’er, it’s been a while.” Yu Jingfeng gave her a smile, his heart anxious to hurry and see His Highness. Without waiting for Feng Jiu’er to speak, he immediately explained on his own: “It was the Seventh Prince who found a way to get me out.”

Feng Jiu’er nodded, understanding his urgency, and didn’t press further. “Anyway, it seems everyone’s here now. Go report to the Ninth Imperial Uncle—you should be setting out.”

“All right.” Yu Jingfeng nodded and immediately followed Long Shiyi inside.

Once the order to depart was given, things would naturally move quickly. Di Ji and Long Yi had, in truth, already prepared everything in advance—there was nothing much left for them to pack up here.

Long Shiyi had already arranged things outside; once they left the imperial city, matters would become much easier from there.

This time, leaving the imperial city and heading toward Phoenix City was an entirely different situation compared to before—at least, it was for the Ninth Imperial Uncle. Last time, the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s life had hung by a thread, and he’d left in a state of complete unconsciousness, with everyone risking their lives just to protect him.

But this time, the Ninth Imperial Uncle was perfectly fine, and given the level of his martial prowess, there weren’t many in this world capable of harming him. Naturally, leaving the city this time would be far easier than before. It was Jiu’er’s side that would likely run into some trouble, since Mu Mu’s condition still wasn’t fully favorable.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, that man in black who injured me before—he’s still lurking somewhere watching from the shadows. You need to be extra careful when you head out this time.”

The identity of that black-robed man still remained unknown to anyone. But Jiu’er had a feeling, one she couldn’t quite shake, that he might have some connection to the imperial family. Didn’t Di Ji and Ye Luocha still not know who had truly orchestrated that calamity which struck the Di imperial clan twenty years ago? Jiu’er couldn’t quite explain why, but she kept feeling that the black-robed man and that calamity from years past might really be connected somehow.

Regardless, one thing was certain—he had always been after the Ninth Imperial Uncle. And this person showed the Ninth Imperial Uncle absolutely no mercy whatsoever, constantly scheming to put him to death.

Zhan Qingcheng only nodded, still not accustomed to saying much. But as the moment to leave arrived, his gaze remained fixed on Feng Jiu’er.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, you don’t need to worry about me. The Night Netherworld Palace has brothers spread across the five lakes and four seas—we’ll make it safely to Phoenix City.”

Knowing the Ninth Imperial Uncle wasn’t one for words, she took the initiative and gently squeezed his hand, saying softly, “Trust me, I’ll get to Phoenix City to meet you as soon as I can.”

She had only meant to hold his hand, to let him know her resolve—she hadn’t expected him to suddenly pull her into his arms.

Everyone around them was watching!

Jiu’er’s face flushed bright red instantly. The Ninth Imperial Uncle might do plenty of bold things to her in private, but he had never once done anything like this out in the open!

The Ninth Imperial Uncle wasn’t the type to openly display his feelings either—but right now, in this very moment, he had let his emotions show to such a degree!

Feng Jiu’er’s breathing grew more and more uneven. Being this intimate with the Ninth Imperial Uncle in broad daylight, in front of so many people, was more than a little embarrassing.

The main issue was, the Ninth Imperial Uncle was just too handsome—why did she suddenly feel like she wasn’t worthy of his stunning looks?

Ahh, ahh, ahh, a handsome man embracing an ugly woman—what an eyesore, honestly!