Eighth Miss Feng had once saved Her Majesty the Empress — this had originally been a story of admirable grace, yet somehow, it had inexplicably become a source of mockery.

“I suspect His Highness the Crown Prince simply followed Her Majesty the Empress’s wishes and personally escorted her here.”

“Exactly. We thought she was some remarkable figure — and yet it turns out she is nothing more than someone clinging to His Highness out of wishful thinking.”

From time immemorial, what has always been most impossible to control is one’s own heart — and other people’s mouths. What everyone was saying, how was Feng Qingyin to refute any of it?

“I didn’t…” She wanted to explain that she was not the one who had been clinging to the Crown Prince — but if those words were to reach Zhan Yuheng’s ears, it might well disappoint him in some measure.

Caught between impossible options, and beneath the contemptuous gazes of everyone around her, Feng Qingyin shot Feng Jiu’er one fierce glare, turned, and swept swiftly through the gates of the Imperial Academy.

Feng Jiu’er could not even be bothered to spare her a single glance.

A person of that calibre daring to match wits and schemes with her — she was simply overestimating herself.

From beginning to end, Feng Jiu’er had never considered Feng Qingyin a rival, because the Crown Prince’s affections lay with the Feng Jiu’er in his memories — not with her, and not with Feng Qingyin.

So she had never understood what there was to compete over. No matter how much scheming was done, it was far from certain one could win a man’s heart.

Now that Feng Qingyin had fled in disarray, the spectacle was over, and the crowd began to grow bored.

The queue was still very long — from where Feng Jiu’er stood to the gate, there were at least several dozen more people ahead.

To study at an academy established by the imperial family, everyone naturally had to observe discipline. This place, after all, embodied the supreme dignity of the imperial house, and no one could afford to give offence.

Occasionally, a princess or an imperial prince would pass through and take the expedited passage — but then, those were all the Emperor’s own children. Who could compare?

She did not know how much time had passed, but somewhere beyond the crowd, a commotion seemed to be stirring.

Feng Jiu’er had long since grown impatient with the wait, wishing she could pull out a mobile phone and play some games — but what era was this? Where would a mobile phone come from?

The commotion from behind seemed to grow more and more heated. Vaguely, she thought she heard someone saying something like “Ninth Prince” and “heavens above.”

The Ninth Imperial Uncle?

Feng Jiu’er instinctively glanced back, and sure enough — there, down the main road outside, drawing steadily closer, was indeed her Ninth Imperial Uncle’s carriage.

The character “Nine” emblazoned on the carriage gleamed and shone brilliantly in the sunlight — so unmistakably clear!

Today was the day new students entered the academy. What was the Ninth Imperial Uncle doing here?

As the carriage drew nearer and nearer, the gasps of amazement — or outright cries — grew louder and louder.

“Heavens! It really is the Ninth Prince — it really is him!”

“Is the Ninth Prince going inside? Why is the Ninth Prince not getting off the carriage?”

“I’m going to cry — I want him to step down so badly. I want to see what he looks like!”

The carriage passed before them all, making its way straight toward the gates.

The young ladies at the back of the queue were in near despair. The legendary Ninth Prince had always been nothing more than a legend. Who could have imagined that today, of all days, they would have the fortune of seeing the Ninth Prince’s carriage with their own eyes?

But why could he not let the Ninth Prince step down and stand there for a moment, so everyone could see his true face?

Just one look — that was all they asked, and they would be satisfied! Ninth Prince, would you not step down and let everyone have a look? Just one glance would be enough!

The most handsome man in the imperial city. The man every young lady in the entire imperial city dreamed of. Please, step down and let everyone see — just one look!

The man who legend said, once glimpsed, would ruin one for all others forever — how desperately they longed to see him with their own eyes…

Whether or not it was heaven itself answering the silent pleas of those young ladies’ hearts, the carriage that should have driven straight through the gate suddenly — against all expectation — came to a stop.

And the place where it stopped was, quite precisely… right near where Feng Jiu’er was standing.