Qian Renxue Came Knocking, This Time the Sheep Walked into the Tiger's Mouth

"Your Highness, what book would you like to read? Just give the order, and we'll deliver it to the East Palace. Why make the trip yourself?"

The lead councilor spoke with an ingratiating smile, his tone cautious.

"No need. I simply haven't returned to the academy in a long time and miss the scent of books here. I'm merely taking a stroll. You needn't follow me."

"Xue Qinghe's" voice remained gentle, carrying an affinity that was impossible to refuse.

He waved a hand, signaling for his attendants and the councilors to wait outside.

Alone, he pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped into the temple of knowledge.

The library remained quiet.

At a glance, he spotted the figure seated by the window.

Li Yifei.

He seemed completely unaffected by the commotion outside, merely sitting there in silence like a statue.

"Xue Qinghe's" heartbeat skipped.

He had come.

He really was here.

For a moment, Xue Qinghe's breathing stalled.

She forced herself to look away, maintaining the Crown Prince's proper gentleness and composure as though she were merely glancing around at random.

Meanwhile, Ye Lingling, whose name had been called out by Li Yifei's sudden question, went completely stiff.

Her already pale, pretty face turned deathly white in an instant.

Sneaking glances?

Had he noticed?

When had he noticed?

I was clearly so careful!

Countless thoughts exploded through her mind, leaving her brain utterly blank and unable to produce even the most basic reaction.

Like a fawn caught in a hunter's gaze, she stood frozen in place, her heart pounding wildly.

Li Yifei did not look at her again.

His gaze passed through rows upon rows of silent bookshelves and landed precisely on the figure who had just entered the library, dressed in the Crown Prince's pale golden everyday robes.

She did her best to make everything seem normal.

But Li Yifei understood with just one glance.

The "???" in the Group Chat had previously been on poor terms with Bibi Dong, then had become especially concerned about the Angel God.

And now...

The next moment, his consciousness sank into the Group Chat in his mind.

[Li Yifei: @???, what are you doing here?]

The line silently appeared on the Group Chat interface.

At the same time, Xue Qinghe, who was striving to play the role of the gentle Crown Prince, abruptly halted.

Her body stiffened for an instant, so subtly that it was nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.

Beneath those eyes that always carried a perfectly measured smile, monstrous waves surged.

He... is he talking to me?

He knows it's me?

How could he possibly know it's me?!

Her disguise was ruthlessly torn apart in that instant.

The calm state of mind she had carefully maintained for years completely collapsed.

Panic rose in her eyes like a tide, only to be forcibly suppressed by her powerful will.

Yet the faint tremor in her body and the instant disorder in her breathing could not escape Li Yifei's spiritual perception.

Xue Qinghe took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

She understood.

He was someone who had read the "script."

He knew who Xue Qinghe was, and therefore knew who "???" was.

In his eyes, her arrival was probably like a performance that had long been foretold.

Once she understood that, her surprise faded, replaced by a deeper sense of powerlessness and wariness.

Meanwhile, the Group Chat had completely exploded.

Ning Rongrong was the first to react, her young lady's temper instantly ignited.

[World's Number One Princess: ???]

[World's Number One Princess: You, the one with three question marks! You actually went to find Brother Yifei?!]

[World's Number One Princess: You've got some nerve! Who gave you the courage? Just wait!]

[A Little Goose: No way? Really? She's at Heaven Dou Royal Academy?]

[Little Fox Demon: Who is she? How did she move so fast?]

Liu Erlong's thoughts followed close behind, carrying a teasing tone that relished the spectacle.

[Is Jade Not Jade: Oh, impressive.]

[Is Jade Not Jade: I was just talking. I never expected someone this bold to actually show up at his door.]

[Is Jade Not Jade: Little sister, how about livestreaming the scene for your big sister?]

Xue Qinghe no longer had the attention to spare for the uproar in the Group Chat.

All her focus was fixed on the man still seated by the window.

He did not even turn around to look at her.

He simply sat there calmly, as though the question that had been enough to overturn her entire world had merely been a casual remark.

The feeling of being completely seen through and thoroughly controlled filled Xue Qinghe with an unprecedented humiliation.

Yet alongside that humiliation rose an uncontrollable, almost sickly hope.

Precisely because he knew everything, he might be her only way to break the deadlock.

She slowly lifted her foot and walked toward Li Yifei, one step at a time.

Every step felt as though she were treading on her own proud self-respect.

Everyone in the library was drawn to this unexpected visitor.

The Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had actually come to a place like this in person.

Even more astonishingly, he walked straight toward a young man sitting in the corner.

Ye Lingling finally snapped out of her rigid state. Looking at the Crown Prince walking toward Li Yifei, her eyes were filled with confusion.

Li Yifei... who exactly was he?

At last, Xue Qinghe arrived before Li Yifei.

She stopped and looked down at the man before her.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell across his profile, outlining perfect features.

He was clearly sitting right there, yet he gave off a sense of distance, as though he were far beyond reach.

Xue Qinghe's throat felt dry.

She opened her mouth and asked in the gentle, jade-like voice that belonged to "Xue Qinghe."

"Fellow student, may I sit here?"

Her voice was not loud, yet it clearly carried throughout the quiet reading area.

Li Yifei slowly shifted his gaze back.

Those deep eyes watched her calmly, as though they could pierce through every layer of her disguise.

"Do as you please. This is a public area. You don't need my permission."

Nuoding City, the academy's back mountain.

Xiao Wu sat atop the highest slope, hugging her knees as she quietly gazed into the distance.

Tang San's invitation still echoed in her ears.

"Xiao Wu, when vacation starts, come back to Holy Soul Village with me. My father... he'll definitely like you."

When he said it, his face had carried a young man's shyness and anticipation.

Before yesterday, Xiao Wu would have agreed without hesitation.

She liked being with him. She liked watching him comb her long hair. She liked the gentle way he called her "Xiao Wu."

But now, everything had changed.

The information in the Group Chat was like poison-coated blades, cutting her once simple and happy world into fragments.

Some of the things that had happened in the Group Chat reminded her of her mother...

Her gentle mother, who would rub her cheek with the softest fur and hum forest lullabies to coax her to sleep.