Seeing Gu Xi holding onto her painting, the Celestial Beast wanted to snatch it back. It stood on tiptoe and jumped for a long time but still couldn’t reach it.
The Little Beast waved its paws angrily: [Dare to make a bet with me? I bet you definitely won’t succeed—he will never fall for you.]
Gu Xi smiled and flicked its head with her index finger: [Alright, how long is the time limit?]
The Little Beast gritted its teeth: [One year! Do you dare?]
Gu Xi raised an eyebrow: [No need for a year. Let’s bet on the next three months. How about that?]
The Little Beast lifted its head and patted its chest: [You’re bound to lose!]
The smile at the corner of Gu Xi’s eyes deepened. She handed the painting in her hand to the Celestial Beast, who immediately snatched it away.
[Tell me, what’s the wager?]
Celestial Beast: [Whoever loses, upon returning, must bow to the other as their master in front of everyone from the Celestial Realm and the Netherworld. How about that? Do you dare?]
Gu Xi brewed a cup of tea and took a light sip: [Agreed.]
The Celestial Beast was already daydreaming—the Underworld King as its disciple, the Heavenly Dao as its master. Ah, in the Celestial Realm, the Netherworld, and the Mortal Realm, it would be able to strut around freely from now on.
The Little Beast stood with its hands on its hips in the Void Space, laughing heartily.
Gu Xi simply set down her teacup with ease.
[Since that’s the case, the bet officially begins today at the academy.]
She flicked the rim of the teacup with her finger, and it emitted a soft hum.
[It’s been a long time since I’ve seen blood. It’s time for some to flow.]
Gu Xi stood up.
Only the teacup on the table continued to tremble, taking a long, long time before it finally steadied and returned to normal.
Outside the palace.
Tao Yao finished packing some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones and walked in. “Your Highness, everything is ready. We can go to the academy now.”
Gu Xi set down the kitten in her hands and replied with an “Mm.”
The palace had always had stray cats. Tao Yao simply assumed this one had lost its way and wandered into the Moon Embracing Palace. Since Her Highness was kind-hearted, she had kept the cat and didn’t think much more of it.
A quarter of an hour later.
Academy.
When Gu Xi arrived, the Grand Tutor was sitting at the front, stroking his beard and lecturing on the classics of sages.
Below sat many people, including her second brother, Chu Ting, third brother, Chu Luo, and the legitimate sons of various ministers. Among the women were her younger sister, Chu Yueling, and several noble ladies from the capital.
Gu Xi’s eyes immediately fell on the seat in the far back corner—it was Jun Qi.
“Princess Yun Xi has arrived.”
The Grand Tutor saw Gu Xi and quickly set down his book, standing up to nod in her direction.
Everyone in the academy also looked up and turned their gaze toward her.
Today, Gu Xi wore a floor-length white fox fur cloak. With cherry lips and a delicate nose, she was as radiant as the autumn moon. Beneath her curved willow-leaf brows were clear, bright eyes. Her flawless, fair skin carried a faint pink hue, and when she smiled lightly, dimples faintly appeared on her cheeks, making her exceptionally beautiful.
Moreover, her complexion had been improving day by day, no longer resembling the sickly pallor of the past when she would constantly lower her head and cough.
Many of the legitimate sons of the ministers showed looks of admiration. Princess Yun Xi truly lived up to her reputation as the number one beauty of Chu.
As for Second Prince Chu Ting—
The moment he recalled being escorted to the academy by the Golden Scale Guard that day and being ridiculed by many, his eyes burned with anger.
But on the surface, he gritted his teeth and forced out a hypocritical smile. “Xi’er, dear sister, you’ve arrived. There’s still an empty seat next to me. Come sit here.”
Third Prince Chu Luo’s smile was even more insincere. “Xi’er, dear sister, there’s also an empty seat next to me.”
Many sons of high-ranking officials began to offer their courtesies.
“Your Highness, there’s no one here beside me.”
“Your Highness, Your Highness, I’ve prepared a spot for you.”
“Your Highness, come sit next to me.”
“Your Highness…”
Meanwhile, the Second Princess Chu Yueling, seeing the scene before her, was filled with jealousy, tightly twisting her handkerchief in her hand.
She put on her signature fake smile and said, “Elder Sister, there’s a spot here by Ling’er. Come sit with Ling’er.”
In the noisy hall, only Jun Qi in the corner remained silent. Through the crowd, he merely looked up and nodded toward Gu Xi, as if already greeting her.
Gu Xi turned to the Grand Tutor beside her and asked, “Grand Tutor, may I sit over there?”
The Grand Tutor replied, “Your Highness may sit wherever you wish.”
Gu Xi extended her hand and pointed in Jun Qi’s direction.
“Alright, then I’ll sit there.”
Instantly, the noisy hall fell silent.
Everyone exchanged glances, none having expected Princess Yun Xi to choose that spot.
In the past, throughout the entire academy, only Jun Qi occupied that small corner. There was no one around him—neither in front, behind, nor to his sides—because everyone considered him unlucky and kept their distance. Moreover, he was often bullied, with people secretly playing tricks on him.
But now, with Princess Yun Xi sitting there, it would be difficult to target Jun Qi in the future.
The Second Prince Chu Ting was the first to stand up. “Younger Sister, perhaps you should—”
But Gu Xi had already walked past him, heading toward Jun Qi.
“Grand Tutor, please continue with the lecture. I’ll just sit there.”
The Grand Tutor nodded, sat back down, and resumed teaching from the classic texts.
Everyone gradually averted their gaze.
As Gu Xi reached the seat beside Jun Qi, she adjusted her fox fur coat and was about to sit down when she seemed to sense something. Her movements paused for a moment, and her narrowed eyes swept over the stool…