Unintentionally, Su Ming had kept Qian Renxue waiting for over a month. Despite her poised and courteous demeanor as the crown prince, he couldn't help but wonder if even she might be slightly irritated.
Thinking of this, Su Ming couldn't suppress a mischievous smile. Well, he'd find out tomorrow.
Su Ming recalled that in his previous life, online polls often ranked Bibi Dong and Qian Renxue as the most popular characters, widely considered the most beautiful. He was genuinely curious to see if his Fire-Eye True Vision could see through her disguise.
Not long after Su Ming's group returned to the academy, "Xue Qinghe" received news of their arrival. With a polite expression, he instructed the guard, "If Su Ming comes to see me tomorrow, do not obstruct him. Escort him to my chamber."
The guard bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Highness!"
As the guard left, Xue Qinghe's mild expression turned dark. How bold! Making the crown prince wait for over a month! Although he could understand the delay due to the unpredictability of a spirit beast hunt, it still felt infuriating. Su Ming's intermittent diary entries aside, it had been nearly four months since Xue Qinghe had arrived in Heaven Dou City, and he had yet to meet him. Such wasted time!
Meanwhile, Su Ming didn't bother with anything else upon returning to his dorm. He had a quick meal and went straight to bed, feeling oddly exhausted even though his spirit power and mental strength were at full capacity. He decided he'd visit "Xue Qinghe" tomorrow and end the delay.
The next morning, Su Ming rose early, deciding to train a bit before heading over close to noon. After all, Xue Qinghe had mentioned a banquet, and it would be rude to arrive too early.
Outside the palace gate, Su Ming greeted the guards politely. "Hello, please inform His Highness that Su Ming is here as arranged."
Upon hearing Su Ming's name, the guard immediately perked up and responded respectfully, "Sir Su Ming, His Highness has instructed us to bring you directly to his chamber."
At the entrance of the prince's chamber, the guard went inside to announce, "Your Highness, Sir Su Ming has arrived."
Xue Qinghe kept his composure but was inwardly thrilled. Finally, he'd come!
"Very well, you may go. Also, instruct the royal chef to prepare a lavish meal. I am entertaining a gifted guest today."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Soon, Xue Qinghe stepped out of his chamber to meet Su Ming face-to-face for the first time. He had to admit, Su Ming was indeed quite handsome, though Xue Qinghe still believed himself slightly better looking.
"You must be Su Ming? I've been waiting quite a while for this meeting. Now that you're here, allow me to formally apologize on behalf of Xue Beng for his past rudeness."
As soon as Su Ming saw "Xue Qinghe," his Fire-Eye True Vision automatically activated, and a glint of gold flashed in his eyes as he focused intently on him.
"Xue Qinghe" noticed the unusual light in Su Ming's eyes and began to suspect that Su Ming's True Vision might have activated. Was his disguise about to be exposed?
For a moment, Su Ming was transfixed. Qian Renxue indeed lived up to her reputation as one of the most beautiful characters in the series. She had flawless proportions and an exquisite face.
But recalling her tragic fate, he couldn't help feeling frustrated. Much of what happened to her was her own doing—a case of poor choices and a tragically misguided love.
Perhaps I'll subtly advise her, he thought. If this were the real Xue Qinghe, he wouldn't care about any entanglements with Xue Beng or Tang San, but since this was Qian Renxue…
"Su Ming, why are you standing there staring at me? Don't tell me you have… an unusual preference? I should warn you—I don't have that kind of interest," Xue Qinghe said with a polite smile.
Su Ming felt utterly speechless at this. She's clearly a woman, he thought, keeping his True Vision active to observe her true face. Hearing her say she wasn't interested in men amused him to no end.
He replied, "Your Highness, you are indeed strikingly handsome. I was simply momentarily captivated. But as for 'unusual preferences,' well, that might be a stretch. Although, you should know, I do have some lovely ladies by my side, so let's just say I'm versatile."
Qian Renxue was stunned. Was Su Ming hinting at something? Given her male disguise, his comment about "being versatile" implied that he might even be attracted to her disguised form. A chill ran through her.
Su Ming then decided to close his True Vision. Continuing to view her as a woman in her male disguise made him feel strange.
Seeing his reaction, Qian Renxue realized that her disguise had been seen through. That Fire-Eye True Vision is impressive; it even saw through the spirit bone skill that gives me this near-perfect disguise.
"Your Highness, why are you staring at me now?" Su Ming asked in return.
Qian Renxue bit back her irritation. Su Ming had been staring at her first, but as a man, she couldn't exactly scold him for it—whereas if she'd been in her true female form, it would have been a different matter.
She composed herself and maintained her royal demeanor. "It's nothing. I just thought, Su Ming, you're quite a handsome young man yourself. No wonder so many women are taken with you. Well, let's go inside; we'll continue our conversation there."
Inside the prince's chamber, Su Ming looked around and noticed the sparse, masculine decor, largely office furnishings with little to no personal touches. It felt entirely suited to a man, and entirely lacking the warmth one might expect in a young woman's quarters.
Then again, Qian Renxue was playing the role of Xue Qinghe. Su Ming simply found himself feeling somewhat wistful.
Notes-Read advanced chapters in patreon.com/Shadow_D_X, i will be finished uploading the whole series in patreon in a month or less, thanks for supporting me
Readers...lend me your power stones...if you don't know how to get power stones? log in webnovel and get power stones everyday
Qian Renxue maintained her princely composure, smiling politely. "Su Ming, I had hoped to meet you sooner, but it seems every time you returned, you had other obligations. It's quite unfortunate."
"When I heard about Xue Beng's rudeness toward your companions, I wanted to apologize on his behalf. How could he be so disrespectful to such talents as yourselves!"
Su Ming listened, unfazed, and gave Qian Renxue an amused look. He wasn't buying her words at all. If Qian Renxue truly cared about Xue Beng's offense, she would've extended an apology to Tang San and his friends in the original story as well.
Su Ming shook his head slightly. "Your Highness, let's not beat around the bush. I don't believe you're here to apologize for Xue Beng's actions. You're both rivals, aren't you? I apologize if this comes across as disrespectful."
While he said this as if he were apologizing, Su Ming didn't actually think he was being disrespectful. The person before him was Qian Renxue in disguise, and royal family affairs were irrelevant to her. Her only concern was her ultimate goal.
Qian Renxue paused, realizing that Su Ming likely wouldn't speak to Xue Beng about her intentions, nor would he openly support Spirit Hall. She decided to be frank. "Fine, I admit it. Apologizing for Xue Beng was just an excuse to meet you."
Su Ming raised an eyebrow, intrigued not because this surprised him, but because it was unusual for Qian Renxue to abandon her usual mask as the courteous Crown Prince.
"Oh? That's not the sort of thing I'd expect His Highness to say. But honesty suits you. Why do you want to get to know me?"
Qian Renxue smiled, replying, "Naturally, I hope to recruit you. Your talent at your age is unmatched across the continent. I have a genuine appreciation for such gifts. If you and your companions join the Heaven Dou royal family, I'll provide you with any resources you need."
Su Ming, as expected, politely declined. "Thank you, Your Highness, but I'm not inclined to join the Heaven Dou Empire. Perhaps in the future, I may reconsider."
He wasn't about to burn any bridges outright, especially not in the imperial palace.
Then, glancing at Qian Renxue, he couldn't resist probing her further. "Your Highness, are you sure you want me to pledge my loyalty to the Heaven Dou Empire? Once I'm loyal to a cause, I don't back down. If the empire faces trouble down the line, I'd feel obligated to help. Are you certain about that?"
He fixed his gaze on Qian Renxue, watching for her reaction.
Qian Renxue: …
To anyone else, Su Ming's words would seem ideal—a man pledging unwavering loyalty to the empire. But Qian Renxue understood his underlying message: he would serve the empire, but not her personally. If Heaven Dou Empire faced an enemy force, he would defend it.
His words indirectly pointed to Spirit Hall without mentioning it directly. How was she supposed to respond? Agreeing would risk alienating him from Spirit Hall, where she wanted him to end up. But declining would be just as problematic given her role as Crown Prince!
Still hopeful, Qian Renxue asked, "Couldn't you just swear allegiance to me alone?"
Su Ming shook his head. "Sorry, Your Highness. I'm only loyal to causes, not individuals. You're a noble person, and I'd prefer to be friends."
Qian Renxue's expression stiffened as she noticed Su Ming's teasing grin. Ugh! This is maddening! I don't want to keep up this act anymore!
Now that her own doubts were out of the way, Qian Renxue didn't feel as compelled to succeed in this task as before. Su Ming's True Vision had exposed her identity, and his constant teasing had her thinking she should just reveal herself. After observing him through the diary for six or seven years, she felt she knew him well.
Besides, showing him my real face could be an advantage, she mused, recalling how stunned he'd been earlier. She felt confident her true appearance would impress him.
Letting out a sigh, Qian Renxue relaxed. She was ten years older than Su Ming. Why should I let a kid get the best of me?
Then, she looked directly at Su Ming and said calmly, "Forget it. Don't bother joining Heaven Dou."
Su Ming looked genuinely surprised. "Your Highness, you're a member of the royal family. Are you serious?"
Qian Renxue replied, "Yes, I am. I want loyal followers, not people bound to an empire. If my goals ever conflicted with the empire's, who would you side with?"
Su Ming: …
Seeing his stunned reaction, Qian Renxue finally felt she'd gotten a bit of payback.
"Besides, you're already close to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, and they support the Heaven Dou Empire. Isn't that enough to imply you're on their side?"
Su Ming shrugged. "I get along well with them because of my relationship with Rongrong, the clan's successor. Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is, after all, her family."
While their conversation seemed ordinary on the surface, it was clear there was much more beneath the polite exchange.
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT