Not far outside the back courtyard gate, beneath a tall tree, stood a tall, slender figure leaning against the trunk. The evening wind brushed against him, and the sense of solitary detachment about him was enough to stir pity in anyone’s heart.

So it turned out the Ninth Imperial Uncle had always been this lonely. She had always been dazzled by the brilliance that radiated from him, never noticing the solitary heart hidden in the shadow he stood in.

Born to stand above all others, the Ninth Prince had once been the Crown Prince, and was now the God of War Prince. No matter where he went, he was always this dazzling, this extraordinary.

The first time anyone laid eyes on him, they would be drawn in by his breathtaking appearance, intoxicated by the noble, aloof air that surrounded him.

One would feel that he was so unreachable, so impossible to attain.

But what one would never notice was that beneath the boundless starlight that seemed to wrap around the Ninth Imperial Uncle, there was in fact a heart unwilling to draw close to anyone—a heart that, every once in a while, could also be fragile.

In this moment, Feng Jiu felt she had truly seen it—seen that soft, fragile place in his heart, so delicate it could shatter at the slightest touch.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to take so long, something came up just now…”

“Mm.” That single, faint syllable from the Ninth Imperial Uncle was enough to melt her heart completely.

Sigh, she had certainly seen her fair share of handsome men—even within Tianji Hall there was no shortage of them—but the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s beauty was something she truly could not resist, no matter what.

To keep herself from showing any more of the bashfulness befitting a young lady, Feng Jiu held the hat out to him.

Zhan Qingcheng, however, made no move to take it, only watching her quietly.

Feng Jiu froze for a moment, then understood at once, dark lines instantly crossing her forehead.

So the Ninth Imperial Uncle wanted her to wait on him—even putting on a hat required someone to serve him. Could he be any lazier?

Still, it seemed she had already grown used to behaving like his servant in front of him. Besides, serving the Ninth Imperial Uncle was hardly an unpleasant thing.

In fact, being able to serve him gave her a faint, quiet sense of happiness instead—only she dared not dwell on it too much, or too deeply.

“Ninth Lord, it’s not that I won’t let you in, but there are some things I must make clear to you first.”

Just as she was about to step through the door, Feng Jiu stopped and turned to look at him. “Once we’re inside, please… try to say as little as possible, and don’t let anyone recognize you. Can you do that?”

She knew this request was disrespectful toward someone of the Ninth Prince’s noble standing, but right now she truly could not let anyone see her together with him.

Setting aside how much commotion it might cause, Sister Xue alone would be the first to object.

This was not yet the right time to acknowledge her relationship with the Ninth Imperial Uncle—there were too many burdens, too much pressure.

Yi Nan had not yet recovered, the Gu Poison in both her and Yan’s bodies had not been fully purged, the various powers within the imperial city were still locked in unresolved conflict, and even the Ninth Prince himself would face pressure from every direction now that he had returned.

And there were also those skilled fighters around the Ninth Prince, every one of them wanting Feng Jiu’er dead. He could protect her for a time, but he could not protect her forever.

There was also one very important matter—the brotherly bond between the Ninth Imperial Uncle and Mu Mu.

She had asked around and learned that Mu Mu now served under the Ninth Prince’s command, having become the famous General Mu.

It was said that in recent days, in the great battles within Bei Mu, several renowned victories—won despite being outnumbered—had been led by General Mu himself.

Now that the two brothers had joined forces, they were truly nearly invincible. Whether or not Mu Mu had regained his memory, at the very least the bond between the brothers ran deep—it was not, as Feng Jiu had first feared, a tale of brothers turning on each other.

She had not forgotten that Mu Mu had once said he wanted to challenge the Ninth Prince to a decisive battle, all for her sake.

If, at the start, it had been because she was gravely injured, and further worsened by Sister Xue’s use of the Gu poison transference technique that left her unconscious for nearly a month, forcing her apart from the Ninth Imperial Uncle—

Then afterward, Feng Jiu had truly, deliberately kept her distance from him.

Watching over a room full of wounded, unable to guarantee she could bring everyone through safely in most circumstances, she still did not dare act recklessly.

Zhan Qingcheng never once said a word in protest, but he also did not refuse to let Feng Jiu put the hat on him, which meant he had taken her words to heart.

“Ninth Lord, remember not to—”

Before Feng Jiu could even finish, she stepped through the door and saw Qiao Mu hurrying toward her.

“Young Mistress.” Seeing the man trailing behind Feng Jiu late at night, wearing a black gauze hood, Qiao Mu paused, brows knitting together. “Who is this?”

“He’s a patient of mine, his… his face was injured.” This line, Feng Jiu had already prepared while fetching the hat, in case she truly ran into someone unfortunate.

Qiao Mu still couldn’t help glancing at Zhan Qingcheng a couple more times.

This man carried an aura both noble and cold—clearly no ordinary person. And if he had come for treatment, why come at night, and why enter through the back door?

“Qiao, what did you need me for?” Feng Jiu stepped forward. Though her frame was far smaller than the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s, standing between Qiao Mu and him at least drew Qiao Mu’s attention back to herself.

“A new shipment of medicinal herbs arrived tonight. Since Young Master Xu hasn’t returned, I wanted to ask you to personally come inspect it.”

In truth, the inspection itself had already been done. What mattered most was having someone who truly understood medicinal herbs check the quality.

This task had originally belonged to Nanmen Xu, but after he returned to the Nanmen family, there had been no word from him since, nor had he reappeared. So it was best for Feng Jiu to handle it herself.

Of course, the most important reason was that Feng Jiu had been “invited away” at noon, and although Qiao Mu knew she had returned that evening, she would not feel at ease until she saw her with her own eyes.

Only—Young Mistress had been gone most of the day, and came back at night with an injured patient in tow?

Why did this patient’s presence feel so strangely familiar?

This chilling aura that made one not dare draw close—why did it feel as though she had sensed it somewhere before?

“Alright, I’ll come take a look with you.” Seeing Qiao Mu’s gaze keep drifting past her, Feng Jiu stepped forward again, blocking her line of sight.

“Lord, go to my chambers first, I’ll bring you medicine later.”

He said nothing, but he also did not go to Feng Jiu’s room—instead, wherever she walked, he followed.

Feng Jiu’s heart tightened at once. “Lord, you… go rest for a while first, I’ll be back soon.”

He seemed about to speak, but Feng Jiu suddenly thought of something and said quickly, “If you’d like, then just come along with me.”

She could not let the Ninth Imperial Uncle speak! How had she forgotten that—Qiao Mu used to be the Ninth Imperial Uncle’s most devoted admirer!

The moment the Ninth Imperial Uncle opened his mouth, how could Qiao Mu fail to recognize him?

But now that he refused to return to his room on his own and insisted on following her, if she tried to send him off to a room by himself, the Ninth Imperial Uncle would surely, imperiously, say “No”!

Qiao Mu, meanwhile, stared at the tall figure of the man, the doubt in her eyes only deepening. “Young Mistress, this lord… just who is he?”