At that moment, Feng Jiu’er was wholly absorbed in saving someone, completely unaware of the danger drawing near.

Just as Zhan Qingcheng’s hand landed on her shoulder, about to tear open her garment, Feng Jiu’er let out a soft cry: “She’s breathing!”

She then helped the young woman sit up, and in one fluid motion, needles fell upon the acupoints — philtrum, baihui, neiguan, hegu!

After the silver needles descended upon those several acupoints, in an instant, the young woman’s long lashes trembled, and at last, she opened her eyes.

In her line of sight was Ninth Prince’s face — incomparably striking, so vivid and clear.

This face, a thousand, ten thousand times more beautiful than she had ever imagined, so beautiful it defied all description in ink and brush — it was not appearing in a dream now, but truly, genuinely, right before her eyes.

Though he was furrowing his brow, and though he was not looking at her but at something behind her back, though his presence carried a cold chill —

But he was real. He had truly appeared before her!

“So… handsome…”

The young woman’s head lolled to one side — and for the third time, she fainted.

“What the — !” Even Feng Jiu’er, patient as she was, could not hold back a curse.

“Are you out of your mind?!” She had resuscitated her once, twice, and yet this person could still be struck senseless by a pretty face — good grief, this young lady was done saving her!

Though she thought as much, she immediately took the woman’s pulse again. Fortunately, her breathing had gradually steadied — she had, at last, been brought back.

It was also at this moment that the Academy’s Medical Institute arrived on the scene.

Upon seeing that it was Ninth Prince’s carriage, even the deputy deans and senior physicians of the Medical Institute hurried out in a panic, fearing that any harm had come to Ninth Prince.

What none of them expected was that the person being carried down from the carriage by the medical officials was a young woman — and moreover, one whose garments were in disarray.

A young woman with disheveled clothing, carried down from Ninth Prince’s carriage — they did not even catch a glimpse of Ninth Prince himself. Yu Jingfeng had already ridden away on horseback.

For a time, the entire Medical Institute was abuzz with speculation about who this young woman was and why she had been in Ninth Prince’s carriage.

Most importantly — why were her garments in such disarray?

All of this, Ninth Prince and Feng Jiu’er knew nothing of, for they had long since left.

Having just been taken advantage of by a certain man moments ago, Feng Jiu’er now sat in the corner of the carriage, glaring at the man who had suddenly turned beastly.

“Why did you kiss me?” She was quite bothered by this. The first kiss had been him, and the second was also him — yet this time and the last time were entirely different circumstances.

The first time, Ninth Imperial Uncle had been drugged by someone, and kissing her had been purely accidental, not deliberate.

But just now, it had clearly been intentional.

Ninth Imperial Uncle cast her a mild sideways glance and answered her question with a question: “Why did you kiss her?”

“I was saving her.”

“I was learning from you — saving you.” A perfectly flawless answer!

As expected, this fellow had kissed her simply because he found it amusing.

She had known it all along. Could a man of Ninth Imperial Uncle’s unparalleled beauty possibly take interest in an ugly woman?

Even the thought was impossible! A man like him — even if she were to tear away the scars from her own face and restore her true appearance, he would not necessarily spare her a second glance.

The notion that he had kissed her out of genuine affection was utterly out of the question! And yet…

“A young woman’s lips are not to be kissed so casually!” she protested.

“It was not casual.” Zhan Qingcheng retrieved something from the compartment of the carriage and flipped through it idly.

This wholly indifferent, unbothered attitude after kissing someone — as though it were nothing at all — stoked a belly full of irritation in Feng Jiu’er.

Even if she was plain-looking right now, she was still an untouched young maiden. She had never been in a relationship, never had a suitor, and had already lost her first kiss — twice!

Well. If a first kiss could be lost twice.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, next time you cannot…”

“Next time, I’ll help press a few spots on you too, just to try.”