Zhan Qingcheng had already walked up in front of Feng Jiu. Just as Feng Jiu was trembling with apprehension, he suddenly stepped past her and walked toward the door.

So he had finally agreed to leave after all.

Feng Jiu was about to let out a sigh of relief, but her mouth moved faster than her mind — just as Zhan Qingcheng was about to open the door, she blurted out fearlessly, “Your Highness, could you climb out the window instead? I’m afraid of being seen.”

“…”

Feng Jiu felt her neck go cold all at once — a chill from who-knows-where seemed to wrap around her entire body the instant the words left her mouth.

She hadn’t meant it that way! Asking the lofty, peerlessly dignified Ninth Prince to climb out a window — or even leave by the back door?

Where had she gotten the nerve?

But at this hour, the servant boys in the courtyard would already be busy at work. If he walked out the front, plenty of people were bound to see him.

The mighty Ninth Prince, gone all night, having stayed over in the room of this “young man”… oh, the mental image was too much to bear!

Zhan Qingcheng’s simmering anger finally settled. He let go of the door he’d nearly pushed open and walked toward her once more.

Feng Jiu was truly flustered now. She knew the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s pride — when had he ever cared what the world thought of him?

But she dared not gamble with his reputation. A prince suspected of an improper attachment to another man was no laughing matter — it would leave a stain on him for life, impossible to wash away.

“Your Highness…”

“Hmph!” Trying to chase him off was bad enough, but now she was even afraid of him being seen! Did she despise herself that much?

Feng Jiu bit her lip, not even daring to make a sound. Was he coming back to settle the score with her? When had the prince’s pride and dignity ever tolerated such provocation?

But he showed no sign of wanting to settle any score — he simply walked past her, heading toward… the window?

Feng Jiu blinked, and when she looked again, the windowsill was swaying, with dappled light flickering beneath the tree outside. She rushed to the window to look out, but where was the tall, slender figure of the Ninth Imperial Uncle in his dark robes?

Feng Jiu, somewhat uneasy, hurried out after him. The back courtyard of the east wing was perfectly quiet — no shrieks or puzzled cries from any servant boy.

He really had left, without a trace.

Feng Jiu let out a breath of relief. Though it was unexpected that the Ninth Imperial Uncle had been so obedient, at least the pressure was off for now.

She wondered whether the Ninth Imperial Uncle would come again tonight… ugh, what was she even thinking? Why would the Ninth Imperial Uncle need to come here again?

To Feng Jiu, he was the Ninth Prince — not the Ninth Imperial Uncle.

To the Ninth Imperial Uncle, she was Feng Jiu — not Feng Jiu’er.

At the very least, he should be able to see clearly that she was a man…

Not sure what nonsense she was thinking, Feng Jiu returned to her room, intending to strip off that male “skin” she wore.

But after thinking it over, she reluctantly put it back on.

Fortunately, the April weather wasn’t too hot yet — she could still manage for a while longer.

If it were already June or July, wearing that male disguise would be simply inhuman torture.

There was no air conditioning in this era — the heat alone could kill a person!

“Young Master.” Xiao Yingtao’s voice called from outside.

Feng Jiu gathered her hair up high and secured it tightly with a sandalwood hairpin. When she stepped out, she was once more that magnificent young man in flowing white robes, handsome beyond compare.

If Xiao Yingtao hadn’t already known that the person before her was a young lady, she might have been dazzled and bewitched by that otherworldly, ethereal bearing all on her own.

“Truly too good-looking!” Xiao Yingtao couldn’t help sighing softly.

It really was true, not exaggerated at all!

The Young Master had already grown completely used to those special tall boots — he now looked noticeably taller than Xiao Yingtao, only slightly shorter than Xing Zizhou.

But compared to ordinary men, he lost nothing in height.

Tall and slender of build, with a face like a peach blossom, possessing a feminine handsomeness in a man’s form, yet without a trace of shyness — walking in the sunlight, his white robes fluttering, he was devastatingly captivating.

Xiao Yingtao simply couldn’t understand it — they were all dressed as men, so why couldn’t she be even a tenth as good-looking as the Young Master?

The little maids of the Hall of Heavenly Secrets were always dazed and lovestruck looking at the Young Master — why did none of them ever swoon over her instead?

“Young Master, Steward Long Yan of the Number One Estate Under Heaven has been waiting in the side hall for half an hour.” Xiao Yingtao caught up to her and asked, “Young Master, have you eaten breakfast yet?”

“Yes.” Feng Jiu nodded. But — half an hour? “Why didn’t you let me know sooner?”

Fortunately she hadn’t been told earlier — half an hour ago, the Ninth Prince hadn’t yet left.

“Steward Long Yan said it was his own fault for being too anxious and arriving too early. He asked us to let him rest in the side hall for half an hour before coming to find you, Young Master.”

Giving him half an hour to rest — this Steward Long Yan of the Number One Estate Under Heaven really was an exceedingly courteous man, with excellent manners and a good way of handling things.

She wondered what sort of person Master Lanyue of the Number One Estate Under Heaven was. If the steward was this easy to get along with, the master probably wasn’t bad either.

Feng Jiu held onto that thought, but upon arriving at the Number One Estate Under Heaven, she truly and thoroughly experienced the taste of rejection — and a very rude, very crude rejection at that. She was nearly thrown straight out of the place.

Master Lanyue’s martial skill was formidable, his internal cultivation even more fearsome than legend suggested. With a casual sweep of his sleeve, he sent her flying clear out the door, her blood and qi churning, nearly damaging her meridians.

“Sir, sir, I’m so sorry, truly sorry!”

Long Yan was sweating profusely with anxiety. He hadn’t protected the visitor properly just now, and had nearly let the sir get hurt — he truly deserved death for this!

“Sir, are you all right? I’m sorry, truly sorry, I didn’t react in time, I failed to stop the Estate Master, sir, I’m really very sorry, I…”

Feng Jiu raised a hand to stop him from continuing his apologies.

In truth, Long Yan had already done quite well, treating her with respect throughout. It was simply that Master Lanyue’s temper was far too great — she’d only said two sentences…

Truly, only two sentences. The first: “This one is Feng Jiu of the Hall of Heavenly Secrets.” The second: “At Steward Long’s invitation, I have come to take the Estate Master’s pulse for a routine checkup.”

And then, she’d been blasted out the door by his palm strike — likely even Long Yan hadn’t expected it, and so hadn’t been able to step in to stop it in time.

Though, with Master Lanyue’s level of skill, stopping him would hardly have been an easy task regardless.

“In any case, I am truly sorry!” Long Yan bowed solemnly in apology, yet still wouldn’t give up. “Sir, our Estate Master’s temperament is admittedly rather strange, but he isn’t a bad person at heart. Please don’t take it to heart.”

“It’s probably because there’s been so much pollen drifting about these past two days that the Estate Master… the Estate Master’s condition has flared up again, making his temper even worse. Once the pollen thins out in a couple of days, the Estate Master’s mood should improve. Sir, would you… would you be willing to come see the Estate Master again?”