Jiu’er’s heart was still in utter chaos at this moment.
But the matter directly before her had not yet been resolved, and so those things wrapped in memory could only be set aside for now.
Yu Jingfeng, however, was staring at her, so anxious he was nearly breaking into a cold sweat. “So in the end… did you and the Crown Prince actually… did the two of you…”
“No. Before anything could happen, Ninth Imperial Uncle arrived.”
Seeing the strange and awful expression on his face, Feng Jiu’er, who could not get the explanation out clearly, grew frantic as well.
“In short, I was not willing. Truly, I was not!”
“Are you saying, then, that His Highness the Crown Prince forced himself on you?” Yu Jingfeng grasped at a thread of hope.
If it was not willing, if nothing had yet come to pass — then this matter clearly still had a way out.
Yet as it happened, Feng Jiu’er’s answer plunged his spirits straight back into the abyss: “No.”
“No?” Yu Jingfeng was truly on the verge of losing his mind.
If the Crown Prince had not forced her, then — did that mean Miss Jiu’er herself had been willing? Yet she had just said she was not…
Yu Jingfeng was being twisted into complete confusion, and his voice rose involuntarily: “So are you saying that you yourself wanted to with the Crown Prince—”
“That’s not it!” Feng Jiu’er glared at him, stomping her foot in sheer exasperation.
At the time, she had been in a daze and had not refused — so it could hardly be called Zhan Yuheng forcing her. Though calling it force would perhaps make it easy to untangle the current predicament, she could not bring herself to slander someone that way when it simply was not true.
What was more, Zhan Yuheng did not seem to be a bad person — and besides, he had genuinely been good to Feng Jiu’er in the past.
“I had lost my senses at the time — that’s the only reason I let the Crown Prince… He didn’t force me either. He probably thought that because I wasn’t resisting, it meant I consented, and I…”
“How could you not resist!” Yu Jingfeng let out a near-wail, fighting the urge to bring his palm down on her forehead.
How could she not resist! She was the Prince’s person!
“I already told you my head had stopped working!” Feng Jiu’er shot him a look. “You wouldn’t understand no matter how I explained it!”
So she was done trying to explain.
She moved to go open the door. Yu Jingfeng immediately stepped forward and blocked her path.
“My apologies, Miss Jiu’er — the Prince has given his order. No one is to go in.”
“He’s injured!” Feng Jiu’er aimed a kick at him. “If you won’t let me in and Ninth Imperial Uncle won’t allow a physician either, his condition will only worsen!”
Yu Jingfeng’s expression was deeply troubled. Truth be told, he very much wanted to throw Feng Jiu’er inside and have the Prince absorb her vitality — perhaps that might help the wound somewhat.
But the Prince had said no one was to enter, and that meant no one.
He continued to stand in her way, and though it pained him, he held his ground.
Jiu’er was completely out of options. Staring at the tightly shut door, she finally knitted her brow and her voice dropped low.
“Ninth Imperial Uncle — if you truly will not see me, then I… I’m going to go find Older Brother Heng!”
Yu Jingfeng’s eyes went wide, his face a portrait of stunned disbelief — he was nearly shaken to his core.
At a time like this, she actually dared to say she was going to find the Crown Prince. Was she not courting death?
But Feng Jiu’er seemed utterly unafraid of dying. She kept her eyes fixed on that door and pursed her lips.
“I’m leaving now. I really am leaving. I’m going to find Older Brother Heng — at least he won’t ignore me.”
From inside the room, there was still not the faintest sound.
Feng Jiu’er steeled her heart, turned around, and truly began walking toward the front courtyard.
“Miss Jiu’er…” Yu Jingfeng called after her.
Jiu’er paid him no mind and kept walking. But when she had gone ten-odd paces, the door flew open — and from within came Zhan Qingcheng’s deep, hoarse voice, sudden and sharp:
“Get back here!”