“Get out.”
Ah Yan had just stepped into the cleansing chamber when he heard the icy command. He quickly bowed, “Yes, Master.”
“It’s not you.” Cen Hejue ground his molars, each word squeezed out between clenched teeth.
Qin Fei swallowed hard. Their relationship wasn’t nearly close enough for such bluntness. She lifted the food box. “This is freshly made… do you want to eat it now, or—”
“Out.” Cen Hejue’s eyes glinted with cold light. Qin Fei shivered, catching sight of the flush creeping up his ears, and silently backed away.
Just as she crossed the threshold, she heard his sharp question from inside: “Where did you go just now? How did you let someone in?”
Ah Yan, seeing Qin Fei there and hearing his master order him out, thought perhaps his master wanted to be alone with her. Bitter as gall, he explained, “Master, the heir called me away just now. I only left for a moment—I didn’t know the princess would take the chance to sneak in and watch you bathe.”
Watch him bathe? Qin Fei bristled. She had come openly to deliver pastries. Even if she *had* looked, it was perfectly aboveboard.
“Like a dog biting Lü Dongbin,” she muttered, kicking a stone stool. Then she noticed two palace maids sneaking into the main hall of Mingxin Court.
Strange. At this hour, even the sweepers had gone; dusk was falling—what were those two up to? A whiff of danger prickled her senses.
She turned to warn Cen Hejue, only to bump her nose against a wall of iron. “Ow!” She clutched her nose, eyes brimming with tears.
Cen Hejue loomed over her, displeased. “What are you sniffing around for?”
She drew a deep breath. “After bathing, you smell even better.”
His face froze, crimson rushing up his cheeks. Shame and anger tangled in his voice. “Your Highness is a princess. Do not stoop to such undignified behavior again.”
Too weary to explain, Qin Fei simply conceded, “Next time I’ll be more careful.”
His eyes widened—until she hastily corrected herself: “No, next time I won’t watch you bathe at all.”
Only then did he look away. “Your Highness should return.”
She raised the food box eagerly. “Try this. It’s hot, just made.”
He glanced at it. “You made it?”
Qin Fei winced—she disliked claiming credit for others’ work. “No, I asked the young lady of the Chancellor’s household to make it.”
At the mention of Gu Nian’s pastries, Cen Hejue slowly lifted the lid. “If you had made it, I wouldn’t eat it.”
“…Fine. I’ll endure.” Qin Fei fixed her gaze on him as he picked up a cake, placed it to his lips, and chewed with aristocratic leisure. Then, he tossed Gu Nian’s pastry right back.
“Even worse than last time.”
“…”
Qin Fei was incredulous. “I’ve tasted her cooking—it’s clearly delicious!”
“Your Highness’s palate could use improvement.”
Cen Hejue calmly straightened his robes. “It’s getting late. It would be improper for me to remain in the palace overnight, so I’ll—”
“If you don’t want to go back, you can stay at my place.” Qin Fei thumped her chest. “Baohua Palace has everything. The bathing pool is huge—big enough for both of us.”
“…”
“…”
The moment the words left her mouth, Qin Fei regretted them. Would Cen Hejue think she was some kind of shameless pervert?
“Thank you for Your Highness’s kindness. I’ll take my leave.” This time, Cen Hejue walked away even faster, his ears burning redder than before.
Because of Cen Hejue, Qin Fei completely forgot about the two palace maids sneaking into Mingxin Hall. Only before bed did she remember, resolving to rise early tomorrow and investigate.
After all, this world was crafted by some brainless author. Who knew what malicious plot such a brainless author might devise?
That night, Qin Fei dreamed again—this time of Qin Xiu. He turned from a living man into a jar of green tea. The Emperor took a sip, then decreed that Qin Fei must marry abroad.
She jolted awake as though from a deathbed fever dream, startling poor Er Ya, her bedside attendant.
“Your Highness, what’s wrong?”
Qin Fei wiped the sweat from her brow and patted her chest. “I dreamed the green tea spirit came alive.”
Er Ya didn’t understand her words, and only brought a basin of water for washing.
“Judging by the sky, it should still be early, right?”
Qin Fei glanced at the tightly shut huanghuali lattice windows of the palace and sighed. “Even if it was a nightmare, at least I woke early. Can’t let it delay serious matters.”
Er Ya looked bewildered. “Your Highness, you didn’t wake early—you woke late.”
Qin Fei froze. “What time is it?”
Er Ya, poor at counting, guessed, “This servant has been calling you for half an hour.”
Qin Fei leaped from the bed, slipped on her shoes, grabbed her little satchel, and dashed toward Mingxin Hall.
“Your Highness, won’t you take the sedan chair?” Er Ya called after her like a nagging mother.
“I’m late! By the time I ride the sedan, class will be over!” Qin Fei broke into a sprint.
Er Ya, watching her dash off, couldn’t help but reminisce: “Your Highness running looks just like that big macaque I once saw in the countryside.”
By the time Qin Fei reached Mingxin Hall, a crowd inside the hall rose to their feet. “No need, no need to bow.”
Panting, Qin Fei realized they hadn’t even noticed her. Was class already dismissed?
Her body might be delicate, but she had trained in running with her senior brothers for years. How had she fallen so far behind?
From within the crowd came Qin Xiu’s sobbing voice, mournful as though she’d lost her mother. “Just because I didn’t speak up for you that day, Miss Gu, must you hurt me like this?”
Qin Fei rubbed her chin as Gu Nian’s calm reply rang out: “Your Highness, why do you wrong me so? I truly did not break your bracelet. After class yesterday, I never returned to Mingxin Hall.”
Bracelet? The plot felt familiar. Qin Fei dug through her memory and recalled: Qin Xiu had falsely accused Gu Nian of smashing her bracelet. With no witnesses to prove her innocence, Gu Nian was punished by being forced to kneel in the palace all afternoon, branded a petty villain. Later, only through Song Jinglan’s secret maneuvering did she narrowly escape disaster. Yet her reputation was ruined. Song Jinglan, knowing Qin Xiu was behind it, still kept silent—because he wanted to marry her. He even gifted her an identical bracelet to win her favor. In the end, only Gu Nian suffered.
“Shameless pair,” Qin Fei muttered under her breath—only to hear Cen Hejue’s voice behind her: “What?”
“Perceptor, you’re here?” Qin Fei deliberately raised her voice, drawing everyone’s attention to him.
Qin Xiu dabbed at her tears, choking out: “Miss Gu shattered the bracelet my mother gave me for my coming-of-age ceremony. It was my most precious treasure. I valued it more than life itself, yet I failed to protect it. I am truly unfilial—better I dash my head against the wall and die.”
“You mother isn’t dead,” Qin Fei cut in, startling the crowd. “Just have her give you another one.” She folded her arms and winked at Qin Xiu. “Out with the old, in with the new, sister.”
“You!” Qin Xiu clutched her chest, brows furrowed. “That was my coming-of-age gift. One only receives it once in a lifetime. Do you mean to say if you lost a treasure dearer than life, a new one could replace it?”
Qin Fei shrugged. “What else can you do? It’s already broken. You can’t just go die over it.”
Qin Xiu’s eyes widened.
Someone in the crowd spoke up for her: “Eighth Princess, that’s too much. It was Consort Zheng’s gift to the Third Princess. If Gu Nian deliberately broke it, of course, she’s at fault.”
Qin Fei glanced at Gu Nian. Her eyes were swollen like peaches, lips bitten shut, silent and stubborn. The sight left Qin Fei unsure what to say.
“Did you all see with your own eyes that Gu Nian smashed Third Sister’s bracelet?”
Someone answered, “Today, when we arrived, we saw the Third Princess’s bracelet shattered into pieces. A maid claims she saw Gu Nian break it yesterday after class, when no one else was around.”
If no one had spoken up for Qin Xiu, her crying might have been tolerable. But once they did, she wailed even louder, more pitiful than a pig being slaughtered. “Mother Consort, I have wronged you!”
Qin Fei cut in: “Third Sister, if you truly treasured this coming‑of‑age gift as your life, why would you leave it lying around in the classroom? Clearly, you didn’t care for it that much.”
Her sobbing faltered. She looked at Qin Fei with grief. “It’s one thing for you to bully me daily, but we are sisters. Must you humiliate me like this?”
“I really didn’t mean that.” Qin Fei spread her hands, then walked to Gu Nian’s side. “I can testify for Miss Gu. Yesterday, she did not break Third Sister’s bracelet.”
Qin Xiu demanded, “And what proof do you have?”
“Because after class yesterday, she was with me the whole time.” Qin Fei glanced at the two maids giving false testimony. “I saw those two skulking around Mingxin Hall yesterday—shifty eyes, sneaky demeanor. They don’t look like they were up to anything honest. Likely, they were the ones who did it.”
A flicker of panic crossed Qin Xiu’s eyes. “Eighth Sister, are you fabricating evidence just to oppose me and protect Gu Nian?”
Song Jinglan was among the crowd. Seeing Gu Nian’s tear‑stained face, his heart ached. He dared not step forward to defend her, but Qin Fei seemed to be on her side. That was good. If Qin Fei could help her now, then once she married, he would treat her well.
Qin Fei, oblivious to his thoughts, spoke earnestly: “Why would I oppose Third Sister? Not only I, but the entire Baohua Palace can testify that Miss Gu was with me yesterday, teaching me how to make pastries.”
Qin Xiu retorted, “Baohua Palace is your domain—of course, they’ll follow your lead. Besides, you’ve never been skilled in cooking, and you don’t get along with Gu Nian. How could she possibly be teaching you pastries? That’s far too fake.”
“Yes, my skills are poor. That’s why yesterday it was Miss Gu who made the pastries.” Qin Fei fixed her gaze on Qin Xiu. “Whatever you say, she was with me all day. She had no chance to touch your bracelet.”
“You’re just twisting words now?” Qin Xiu clutched her chest, tears streaming. “Father always told me sisters must help one another. I have loved you dearly, yet you would bully me for the sake of an outsider?”
“If you insist, then I’ll call a witness.” Qin Fei planted her hands on her hips, righteous and firm. “Yesterday, after Miss Gu finished the pastries, I sent palace staff to escort her out. But since it was late, I worried about her safety. So I gave my token and ordered Commander Hu Si of the Imperial Guard to send her back to the Chancellor’s residence.”
At the mention of Hu Si, the crowd’s expressions shifted. For Hu Si was no one’s lackey—he was loyal only to the Emperor, steadfast and unyielding. In fact, he was famous for being stubborn to the core.
Hu Si was loyal only to the Emperor. He would never lie for a spoiled princess, making him the strongest witness of all.
“But if… if it wasn’t Miss Gu,” Qin Xiu’s mind spun, “Eighth Sister just said she came to Mingxin Hall yesterday too.”
Someone in the crowd chimed in, “That’s right. If the Eighth Princess came, it’s possible she smashed the bracelet herself.”
Qin Fei let out a laugh. “Do any of you even know what Baohua Palace looks like? Forget a bracelet—its roof is tiled with glazed glass, the floors are covered in fox and wolf pelts, even my chamber pot is carved from the finest jade, probably worth more than that bracelet. Why would I covet it? Am I sick in the head?”
Her coarse words made everyone frown, but behind her, Cen Hejue’s lips curved ever so slightly.
“Eighth Sister has never gotten along with Consort Shen. Could it be you envy my closeness with Mother Consort?” Qin Xiu’s tears flowed harder, as though she had suffered unbearable wrongs.
“I hadn’t wanted to say this, but Third Sister, you’re too much. A spark falls and you blame everyone else. Even a swallow flying past, you’d pluck two feathers from it.” Qin Fei’s tone was calm. “Yesterday I asked Miss Gu to make pastries to give to the Perceptor. That’s why I came to Mingxin Hall—to deliver them. And that’s when I saw those two sneaks creeping inside.”
“Perceptor Cen?” Qin Xiu paled at the name, then cautiously asked, “Were you in Mingxin Hall yesterday? Did you see Eighth Sister?”
All eyes turned to Cen Hejue.
“…”
Qin Fei had been confident—she *had* come to deliver pastries. But after waiting, Cen Hejue said nothing. Suspicious, she turned to meet his dark, unreadable gaze. “Yesterday… did I see the Eighth Princess?”
“?!”
What the—! Qin Fei stared at him, thunderstruck.
Compared to her shock, Cen Hejue was composed, his long eyes glinting with mischief as he calmly returned her gaze.
“You… didn’t see me?” Qin Fei pressed.
He echoed her tone with a faint smile. “Did I… see you?”
Qin Xiu grew triumphant, sighing as she clasped Qin Fei’s hand. “If you wanted my bracelet, you only had to ask. Even though it was Mother Consort’s coming‑of‑age gift, I could have given it up for you. You’ve lacked motherly love all these years, and your bond with Consort Shen is lukewarm. I understand your heart, Sister. I forgive you.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Qin Fei yanked her hand back, glaring at Cen Hejue. “Yesterday you ate the pastries Miss Gu made—don’t you remember?”
Seeing the fire shift toward Qin Fei, Gu Nian stepped forward. “It was me. Don’t slander the Eighth Princess.”
Qin Fei: ?!
Excuse me?! She had been bending over backward to clear Gu Nian’s name, and now Gu Nian just… admitted it?
Qin Fei fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Yesterday I truly came to Mingxin Hall, and I truly saw Perceptor Cen.”
Qin Xiu sneered lightly. “Surely the Perceptor isn’t so young as to have such poor memory?”
“Actually, his memory *is* poor. But I have another witness.” Qin Fei looked innocently at Cen Hejue. “Yesterday, when I came to Mingxin Hall, I happened to catch him bathing. His shadow guard, Ah Yan, saw it too. That scene—heaven’s thunder striking earth’s fire, pagoda suppressing river demons, dry tinder meeting flames—mmph!”
Cen Hejue suddenly leaned in, his long fingers clamping firmly over her lips.
Qin Fei caught the faint scent of sandalwood, the coolness of his elegant hand. His pupils contracted twice, and his handsome face flushed scarlet, as though set ablaze.
“Silence.”