Chapter Nine

"Jin Ning!"

"Here!" Jin Ning replied.

"Will the old man protect me?" Feng Xiaoli asked.

"He will!" Jin Ning answered weakly, suddenly thinking of something.

"Is the Prince’s residence my backing?" Feng Xiaoli pressed further.

Jin Ning hesitated, so Feng Xiaoli gave a soft hum.

Weighing her thoughts, Jin Ning knew she could not offend her own mistress, and as for the Crown Prince, well, that was out of the question—since Miss disliked him, so would she. Miss had the Prince shielding her, and Jin Ning had Miss. With that realization, her confidence grew: "Yes, Miss!"

Feng Xiaoli nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, I need not pay my respects. Isn’t that so, Ah Che?"

Yu Wenche cared for Feng Xiaoli, however subtly. He had brought her here, and naturally had to ensure her safety, not allowing Yu Wenhao to harm her—if she were hurt, he could not bear the consequences. Yet hearing Feng Xiaoli’s answer, he frowned slightly. Knowing his royal elder brother’s temperament, he would not let this go easily, especially since there had long been friction between him and Feng Xiaoli. The Crown Prince disliked her, and she despised him; both proud, neither willing to bow, to make one yield would be near impossible.

As expected, Yu Wenhao was displeased, and Mu Xinqi became even more aggressive: "Oh~ I wondered who it was, and it turns out to be Feng Xiaoli from the Prince Chun’s residence. Dressed like this, are you hoping to indulge in romance with Hua Pei like a man?" Mu Xinqi covered her mouth with a laugh, her eyes unable to hide their disdain.

Feng Xiaoli said nothing, but Yu Wenche could not help but speak up: "Miss Qi, you come from a distinguished family—a lady of virtue. Yet you speak thus? Miss Pei may be a famous courtesan, but she sells her artistry, not her body. As Ah Li says, the education in Duke Liao’s residence is truly remarkable!"

"Xinqi, step back," Mu Xinmi, who had been silent, now spoke up for Mu Xinqi. "Even if Xinqi is at fault, it was Miss Li who first showed disrespect to the royal family and the throne. Xinqi merely defended royal dignity, and in the heat of the moment spoke out. Besides, she’s not the only one at fault, is she, Miss Li?"

"Second brother, your feelings for Miss Li are well known to me. But do you realize your actions could harm her? If Father and Mother hear of this, have you considered the consequences?" Yu Wenhao spoke reasonably, and for a moment, Yu Wenche was at a loss for words.

Feng Xiaoli looked gratefully at Yu Wenche. No matter his motives for bringing her out, she remembered this kindness. She replied coldly, "I dared to throw away the imperial edict. Crown Prince, do you think I would be afraid? Isn’t that so, Miss Mi?"

That one sentence from Feng Xiaoli was most effective. At once, Yu Wenche and Jin Ning dared not even breathe, while the two named by Feng Xiaoli blushed and paled. She was correct: though she was not the original Feng Xiaoli, the real one had thrown away the imperial edict—what else would she fear? Jin Ning had just said that Prince Chun would always shield her.

"Miss Li, are you not afraid you might ruin Prince Chun’s reputation? After all, you are the Crown Prince’s future consort—"

"You may not care for your reputation, but we still care for ours!" Mu Xinqi seized on Mu Xinmi’s words. She could not contain herself—clearly her sister and the Crown Prince were the perfect match, yet that damned edict had made her sister cry for days. Today, she had finally coaxed her sister out, only to encounter this troublemaker. Seeing her sister hold back tears, she was furious—it was all this wretch’s fault. Were it not for Feng Xiaoli, her sister would already belong to the Crown Prince.

With a loud slap, Feng Xiaoli stood up: "Do you even have reputation left to speak of? Two distinguished ladies and a noble Crown Prince, with their maids and attendants, bullying the three of us for this elegant seat. If word got out, it would be laughable! Isn’t it just because you outnumber us? Isn’t it just bullying? What justice is this? Fine, since you want it so badly, we’ll give it to you. No matter how wonderful Miss Pei’s performance is, I won’t watch it. Though I am in the right, I’m treated with such injustice. Ah Yuan, Jin Ning, let’s go—lest anyone say we lack dignity!"

The more Feng Xiaoli spoke, the more aggrieved and indignant she became, pulling at Yu Wenche and Jin Ning’s sleeves, making to leave.

This seat had another advantage—it faced the stage with a larger window than any other, offering the best view. Moreover, Feng Xiaoli’s impassioned declaration had been overheard by those in the first-floor hall; they all looked up toward the second floor, where crowds gathered at the private box entrance to watch the commotion.

"Oh my, how pitiful—so many surround those three youths!"

"Didn’t you hear? They’d already paid for the box upstairs, but someone else wanted it and forced them to give way!"

"How could they do such a thing?"

"What can you do? Didn’t you hear the youth say? One is the Crown Prince, and the other two are noble ladies. With such status, the three youths can only yield!"

"Is there no law in Huaijing?"

"Haha, you don’t know—them? They are the law!"

Listening to the murmurs from the hall below, Yu Wenhao’s face darkened further, and Mu Xinqi and Mu Xinmi fared no better. This was precisely the effect Feng Xiaoli sought—she had intentionally raised her voice for the crowd below to hear and criticize them. Though the Crown Prince’s identity kept their comments subdued, Yu Wenhao, trained from childhood, heard every word clearly.

Seeing Yu Wenhao’s dark expression, Feng Xiaoli felt quite pleased, though she continued to feign grief and outrage for sympathy.

"Silence!" Mu Xinqi shouted out the window.

Her outburst only confirmed the truth of Feng Xiaoli’s words. It must be said—Mu Xinqi was truly a fool.

"Xinqi, be quiet!" Mu Xinmi ordered sternly. If Xinqi were not her sister, she would not care for her fate. Now, not only had they lost face, so had Duke Liao’s residence. Mu Xinqi’s appearance had allowed the crowd below to see her clearly, and most in Huaijing recognized them from their outings.

"So those are the two ladies from Duke Liao’s residence!"

"Weren’t they always gentle and refined?"

"Perhaps it was just an act!"

"Truly, you never know someone’s heart!"

Mu Xinmi paused. "Miss Li, we never said we wanted you gone!"

Feng Xiaoli mocked, "Does it make any difference?"

She sidestepped Mu Xinmi, but Yu Wenhao blocked the exit. At his command, the maids and attendants closed off any gap, refusing to let Feng Xiaoli and her companions leave.

"Crown Prince!"

"Second brother, wasn’t it you who invited us? Now you want to leave, are you trying to embarrass me?" Yu Wenhao’s voice, reinforced with internal energy, carried down to the first floor, clear for all to hear, leaving everyone puzzled—what was going on?

Yu Wenhao continued, "Second brother, I know you’ve never liked me, but I am not someone to be trifled with!" Including you!

Just as Feng Xiaoli was about to retort, the window opposite opened with a creak, revealing a man whose expression was both amused and inscrutable. Feng Xiaoli cast him a suspicious glance—was it him?

He smiled lightly. "Li’er, my private box will always be open for you!"