“Ninth Master, just think about it—given your status and standing in Jiangzhou, what ordinary young woman would dare confess her feelings to you?”

Some women might do anything to fly up and become a phoenix, but not every girl thought that way.

Take someone like Zhen Jiu’er, for instance.

She didn’t seem the least bit dazzled or drawn to Ninth Master’s status and position.

If you happened to come across a girl like that, then high status and standing might actually become an obstacle instead.

Yan Qiu felt he’d finally gotten to the root of the problem.

“Ninth Master, could it be that your status… is genuinely putting pressure on her? If that’s really the case, then even if she liked you, she wouldn’t dare show it, right?”

…That night, Lu Beicheng still went to Zhen Jiu’er’s tent.

Because of what had happened the previous night, everything outside was unusually quiet today.

Without anything pressing to do, everyone mostly stayed in their tents.

A’ke had been standing guard outside Jiu’er’s tent, and only stepped away once he saw Lu Beicheng approaching.

Zhen Jiu’er clearly heard movement outside, but the sound quickly stopped without drawing any closer.

It seemed as if someone was standing outside her tent, yet not coming in.

A’ke must have left.

A’ke’s footsteps were fairly heavy and easy to make out.

As for that other sound outside… the faint rolling of wheelchair wheels…

Her fingers instinctively drifted to the necklace on her wrist, gently tracing it, though aimlessly, without purpose.

She didn’t even know what she wanted to do.

Finally, the person outside spoke. “May I come in?”

Before she could even answer, he had already lifted the tent flap and entered.

Zhen Jiu’er felt a flash of irritation—what if she’d been changing clothes?

To her surprise, he was the one who brought it up first. “From now on, if you’re changing, tell A’ke to stand guard outside.”

Still, A’ke was a man too… thinking about it, Lu Beicheng felt rather put out.

“Or, you could just tell me instead.”

“…” Jiu’er very nearly rolled her eyes at him.

Did changing clothes really need to trouble the great Ninth Master himself? Wasn’t that a bit excessive?

After all, he was someone whose slightest stomp of the foot could shake all of Jiangzhou!

“What’s that look for?” Lu Beicheng frowned, staring at the complicated look in her eyes.

“Nothing in particular. Just thinking… Ninth Master looks especially handsome tonight.”

Jiu’er turned her face away, not looking at him.

Lu Beicheng scoffed, feeling oddly irritated. “Learned to brush me off now, have you?”

“That’s not it at all.”

Neither of them spoke after that. It was a strange atmosphere.

Time trickled by, until finally Zhen Jiu’er couldn’t bear the heavy silence any longer and broke it first:

“Ninth Master, what exactly did you come to find me for?”

“To see you,” Lu Beicheng said, absently tapping his long fingers on the armrest of his wheelchair. He rather wanted a cigarette.

She was just a young girl, and yet whenever he faced her, he found himself feeling strangely at a loss.

That was completely unlike him.

Yet for some reason, there was this feeling of loss he couldn’t quite get a handle on.

Zhen Jiu’er wanted to say, what’s there to look at?

But the words wouldn’t come out.

Her feelings were also indescribably complicated.

Why could a man who wasn’t the Ninth Imperial Uncle give her this kind of feeling?

With her eyes closed, not looking at him, it was as if she were with the Ninth Imperial Uncle after all.

Even the scent on his body was so similar!

Too similar!

Without realizing it, she closed her eyes.

That feeling grew more and more real.

Even the scent on his body seemed to draw closer and closer…