After receiving the ball passed by Ji Cheng, Chu Zhen spurred his horse forward and scored, finally winning the crucial point for the Chuyang Society in the last moment.
With Chuyang Society claiming first place, a grand celebration was in order. Ji Cheng couldn’t feign a stomachache to avoid socializing this time. So, as soon as the match ended, while the other members were still hugging and cheering, Ji Cheng quietly slipped away to the resting area.
Ji Yuan was waiting for her in the agreed-upon room. When Ji Cheng saw him, she hurried forward and asked, “Elder Brother, is anyone else here?”
“No one. Quickly go in and change. I’ll keep watch at the door,” Ji Yuan replied.
Ji Cheng nodded and darted into the room. Still shaken by her encounter with Shen Che, her first action was to check for any hidden individuals. Only after confirming she was alone did she remove her rattan helmet.
However, even the wisest can overlook something. Neither Ji Cheng nor Ji Yuan had anticipated that Chu Zhen would come looking for the fake Ji Yuan.
Chu Zhen appreciated talent. He loved polo and respected only those who played well. Previously, Ji Yuan had never caught the young prince’s eye, but now things were different.
Ji Cheng’s recent “Dragon Playing with Phoenix” move had thoroughly impressed Chu Zhen. If she hadn’t avoided Hu Rui’s mallet and passed the ball steadily to him, the outcome of today’s match would have been uncertain.
Chu Zhen now fully respected Ji Yuan, feeling guilty about his past indifference. So, while others were cheering, he was only paying attention to Ji Yuan. Seeing Ji Yuan hurry away, he wondered if something had happened and followed him back to the resting area out of concern.
To his surprise, Chu Zhen saw two Ji Yuans. Both were dressed identically, with the character “Gui” on their backs. The only difference was that one wore a rattan helmet while the other didn’t. The one without the helmet was the real Ji Yuan, but who was the helmeted one playing polo on the field?
Curious and intrigued, Chu Zhen didn’t alert Ji Yuan and Ji Cheng. Instead, he snuck around to the back of the room, moistened the window paper with saliva, and peeked through a small hole he made.
What he saw was astonishing. Chu Zhen watched as Ji Cheng, with her back to him, removed her helmet and then pulled out the hairpin securing her hair. A cascade of silky hair fell like a waterfall, revealing that the fake Ji Yuan was a girl!
Ji Cheng sensed something was amiss but couldn’t pinpoint what. She had her hand on her collar, ready to undress, but paused and turned to survey the room.
When Chu Zhen saw Ji Cheng’s face, he was so startled that he quickly turned away, clutching his chest as he hastily left.
It wasn’t that Ji Cheng was ugly—far from it. If Ji Cheng was considered unattractive, there would be no beautiful women in the world. The young prince was shocked by his reaction. For the first time in his sixteen years, his heart, which had never fluttered for a woman before, suddenly lost control.
In truth, Ji Cheng didn’t look her best at that moment. She was drenched in sweat, her bangs plastered to her forehead, and her eyebrows still thick and masculine. She hadn’t had time to remove her makeup, only hastily wiping off her lip rouge with her sleeve. The sweat had caused her eyebrows to smudge, making her appearance somewhat frightening.
But for Chu Zhen, none of this mattered. What was important was that Ji Cheng played polo exceptionally well. She wouldn’t be frightened by a mere sneeze like other girls, nor would she chatter incessantly. From Chu Zhen’s recollection, “Ji Yuan” was mostly silent.
As Chu Zhen recovered from his shock, a smile gradually spread across his face. He realized that he did indeed like women after all. Since Chu Zhen turned thirteen, his mother had tried to arrange for maids to teach him about intimacy, but he had never been interested. By sixteen, he had nearly worried the Southern Prince Consort sick, fearing her only son might prefer men over women.
Consequently, Chu Zhen found himself increasingly surrounded by female cousins. He was extremely irritated by these women and constantly nagged by his mother, to the point where he began to doubt his sexuality. Fortunately, seeing Ji Cheng today made him realize he wasn’t abnormal; he just hadn’t met the right person yet.
Thinking of Ji Cheng, Chu Zhen couldn’t suppress his smile. Although she looked somewhat comical at the moment, it was clear she was extremely beautiful. She resembled Ji Yuan, likely his sister, probably the Ji family daughter he and Zitong had mentioned before.
Ji Cheng looked around but saw nothing unusual. Thinking she might be paranoid after her encounter with Shen Che, and pressed for time to change clothes, she didn’t look too closely. She quickly changed out of her Chuyang Society uniform into women’s attire.
Outside, Ji Yuan was pacing anxiously, trying to keep others away from the room. Luckily, Chu Zhen appeared from somewhere and engaged the others in conversation, buying more time for Ji Cheng and Ji Yuan.
Ji Cheng finished changing, her hair hastily tied with a gold ring as she had no time to style it properly. She slipped out of the room quietly and pretended to arrive with Shen Qian and the others at the hall to wait for the Chuyang Society members.
As soon as Shen Qian saw Ji Cheng, she asked, “Elder Sister Cheng, where have you been? We couldn’t find you anywhere. Did you watch the final?”
Ji Cheng leisurely wiped the sweat from her temples with a handkerchief and replied slowly, “Elder Brother had some matters to discuss with me at the start of the match. I arrived late and found a spot in a corner to watch.”
Shen Qian found this a bit strange, but as Chu Zhen and the other Chuyang Society members passed through the opposite corridor, her attention was completely drawn to him. The girl stared unblinkingly, her thoughts visible on her face. Ji Cheng found it amusing but then considered that Shen Qian marrying Chu Zhen wouldn’t be difficult. Although the Southern Prince’s mansion was royal, it held no real power, merely having more land grants than earls or marquises.
Lost in thought, Ji Cheng heard Shen Qian exclaim softly, “Oh, he looked over here.”
Chu Zhen glanced towards the hall where the noble ladies were gathered, his lips curling into a smile when he spotted Ji Cheng.
This was truly extraordinary.
The young prince now had a nickname: the Black-faced Prince. This was a mocking title given by his opponents, firstly to ridicule his dark skin, and secondly to describe his cold, never-smiling face.
Today, Chu Zhen’s sudden smile left everyone stunned. He was extremely handsome, and his dark skin made his teeth appear even whiter. This smile had a charm that could “birth a hundred charms with one smile.”
Shen Qian’s face immediately flushed red. Because Chu Zhen was far away, it wasn’t clear who he was smiling at, leaving all the noble ladies’ hearts racing, each feeling as if he had smiled at her.
Chu Zhen was now in the spotlight. In the match against the Taohua Society, he alone had scored nine points, seemingly invincible. Combined with his noble status and good looks, he was already being praised to mythical proportions outside, nearly on par with the legendary Shen Yu and Shen Che.
The noble ladies present in the resting area weren’t just from the Shen family; there were also girls from the Huang, Li, and Zhou families, all with relatives in the Chuyang Society. Chu Zhen’s smile had nearly captured the hearts of all the young ladies.
This admiration might not have been about love, but rather the young girls’ respect for the hero of the polo field.
The Wang sisters were also present, having a cousin in the Chuyang Society. How could they miss such a grand occasion?
Wang Yueniang, hearing the young ladies compare Chu Zhen to Shen Che, felt displeased. Shen Che hadn’t played polo for many years and had gradually faded from public view. But in Wang Yueniang’s opinion, Chu Zhen was far inferior to the once “one man army, invincible” Shen Che, not to mention Shen Che’s own graceful and handsome appearance.
“Sister Qian, if your Second Brother heard you say this, he would surely be heartbroken. Back when he faced the An Xi delegation, his team was short three players, yet he turned defeat into victory, winning by six points. Today’s Taohua Society can’t compare to the An Xi delegation’s spirit back then,” Wang Yueniang said.
Shen Qian didn’t know how to respond. On one hand, she deeply loved and respected her Second Brother, but on the other, it’s said that girls favor outsiders. She didn’t want to hear anyone belittle Chu Zhen, even if the comparison was with her brother.
Fourth Miss Wang, noticing Shen Qian’s discomfort, tugged at Wang Yueniang’s sleeve, signaling her to stop. She then turned to Ji Cheng, noticing her snow-white skin and rosy complexion. Despite her simple attire, Ji Cheng radiated beauty, captivating everyone’s gaze. Fourth Miss Wang, quick-witted, decided to use Ji Cheng to change the subject. “Fifth Miss Shen’s performance today was truly exceptional. People are saying she’s the reincarnation of a nightingale. And those lyrics were exquisite too. I saw Miss Ji also participate in the fan dance. You truly live up to being cousins, always supporting each other.”
Hearing this, Wang Yueniang immediately scoffed, “I suspect the support is just a pretense. She probably just wanted to show off. Only a merchant’s daughter would stoop to being a background dancer.”
These noble ladies usually practiced dance as well, and wouldn’t mind singing and dancing enthusiastically when the mood struck, emulating the “spirit of famous scholars.” However, they would never deign to be mere accompanying dancers.
Wang Yueniang already resented Shen Cui for taking away her chance to perform at the central altar, and by extension, she also hated Ji Cheng for helping. She seized every opportunity to put Ji Cheng down.
The other girls, hearing this, felt Wang Yueniang’s words were a bit harsh but didn’t disagree much.
Ji Cheng didn’t want to argue with Wang Yueniang. Although the Shen family hadn’t avenged the kidnapping incident, it didn’t mean Ji Cheng had forgotten about revenge. She was just waiting for the right opportunity.
Wang Yueniang’s words were overheard by Shen Cui, who had just entered. She was late because she had to remove her makeup and change clothes. Hearing Wang Yueniang’s sour remarks, Shen Cui sneered, “Some people are just jealous because they didn’t get a chance to show off. They’re just sour grapes.”
Wang Yueniang’s face turned pale with anger. “Hmph, who knows if you used some underhanded methods? Your win might not be as glorious as it seems.”
Shen Yuan originally didn’t want to join in the girls’ bickering, but Wang Yueniang’s words were too much. Just as she was about to reprimand her, Fourth Miss Wang spoke up: “Yueniang, what nonsense are you spouting? Don’t make baseless accusations. Don’t let people say you’re a sore loser.”