To think that today she actually shared an early morning meal with Ninth Imperial Uncle — what a strange and wonderful feeling.

She had heard that even getting a single glimpse of Ninth Imperial Uncle was something most people could only dream of, yet here she was — not only sleeping beside him, but eating with him too.

If she could get his autograph and take it to the market to auction off, would it fetch a good price?

But what if his handwriting was terrible…

“Cough!” Ninth Imperial Uncle, who possessed looks capable of toppling kingdoms and cities, writing characters so horrifyingly ugly they could shake the heavens… the mental image Feng Jiu’er had conjured for herself made her laugh so hard she choked.

She coughed several times in a row, until a large palm landed on her back and gave her a few gentle pats — only then did she finally catch her breath.

Feng Jiu’er exhaled in relief, feeling much better, while everyone around her stood there utterly dumbstruck, eyes nearly rolling out of their sockets.

Ninth Prince… the Ninth Prince who was always cold, proud, untamed, and lofty beyond reach — had actually patted a little girl on the back!

Was this really something Ninth Prince would do?

Yet the way Ninth Prince did it was so… natural.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, don’t forget what you promised me last night.” This matter had been weighing on Feng Jiu’er’s mind the entire time.

“Mm.” Ninth Imperial Uncle did not look at her; he lowered his head and continued drinking his congee.

“Then when will you have someone go speak to the Bureau of Celestial Scrutiny?” Feng Jiu’er still felt uneasy. She had to press for a definite time commitment.

“In a moment.”

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, you’re so wonderful — eat more!” She pushed her remaining bowl toward him, then turned away without another glance at him, and sent a swift palm strike toward a cluster of flowers and plants not far away.

Damn! Truly impressive! A single palm strike had shattered the flower pot!

In the old days, when they trained in ancient martial arts, inner force was the most difficult aspect to cultivate. Techniques like this — channeling inner force through the air to strike from a distance — were skills most people could never master even after a lifetime of practice.

Yet she had only borrowed two days’ worth of Ninth Imperial Uncle’s inner strength, and she could already do this!

She turned back around, smiling so widely her eyes curved into crescents, just about to say something — when she suddenly noticed that the atmosphere around her seemed slightly off.

Why was everyone staring at her and Ninth Imperial Uncle as though they had seen a ghost?

“Was I so impressive that I frightened them?” Feng Jiu’er looked at her own palm. It was somewhat impressive, yes — but compared to Ninth Imperial Uncle, this little bit of inner force was barely a drop in the ocean. What was there to be surprised about?

“Mm.” Zhan Qingcheng set down his bowl and rose to his feet. “Come, I’ll take you into the palace.”

“Into the palace?” Feng Jiu’er was not at all willing. What would they do in the palace?

“Did you not want to explain what happened that night?” Of course — speaking to the Emperor directly was the most straightforward approach.

Feng Jiu’er still felt a little slow to process it all, but if Ninth Imperial Uncle said he would explain what happened that night, that was naturally the best outcome.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, let us go.”

Only after the two of them had walked some distance away did the servants and guards around them slowly begin to breathe again.

Just now… had Ninth Prince just eaten the bowl of congee that Miss Jiu’er had left unfinished? Was it real? Had their eyes been playing tricks on them?

Ninth Prince, who was always fastidiously clean — almost to the point of having a cleanliness obsession — had actually eaten someone else’s leftovers!

How extraordinary, how extraordinary, how extraordinary!

It must have been their eyes playing tricks. It absolutely must have been!

And yet — Miss Jiu’er’s bowl was indeed still sitting in front of the seat where Ninth Prince had just been, and indeed, the food inside the bowl had been completely eaten.

Believe it or not — the truth was right before their eyes.

Ninth Prince was heading into the palace, and Yu Jingfeng had long since ordered a carriage to be readied.

When he caught sight of Yu Jingfeng, Zhan Qingcheng suddenly halted his steps and turned to look at Feng Jiu’er.

“Truly no private feelings between you and him?”

Feng Jiu’er was stunned for a moment — and then, all at once, she remembered what had happened the previous night.

Ten thousand curses surged through her heart. Ninth Imperial Uncle — did he really have to be this petty? What happened last night, and he was still holding a grudge over it now!