Yet strangely, Qian Renxue didn't dislike it.
When she saw Qin Feng say he understood her pain, that she was smothering her true nature, even her heart, hard as iron, trembled.
Qian Renxue reached out and lightly traced the mirror with her fingertip, as though she wanted to touch the real self reflected within.
"So I do want to wear a dress?"
she murmured.
In this world, everyone cared about how high she could fly, whether she could complete her mission, and the grand ambitions of Spirit Hall.
Only this Qin Feng, whom she had never met, cared whether she was tired, whether she could wear pretty dresses.
It was a feeling she had never experienced before.
The feeling of being cherished.
But...
Her gaze fell on the last line, "hold her in his arms and cherish her." Qian Renxue's cheeks, which had just cooled, burned red again.
"This man... What sort of nonsense is going through his head?"
Qian Renxue spat, but the corners of her lips rose against her will.
She looked down at her figure, enough to drive every man in the world wild, and a flash of pride crossed her eyes.
At least you have good taste.
Pope Palace.
Bibi Dong read the diary's contents. The anger she had built up over Yu Xiaogang was now replaced by an inexplicable emotion.
She gave a cold laugh and brought the scepter in her hand down hard on the ground.
"Well, aren't you something, Qin Feng."
"You'd just finished saying you'd stand up for me, and now you're off feeling sorry for that rebellious daughter of mine."
A cold glint flickered in Bibi Dong's eyes. Her tone held a hint of bitterness she couldn't quite explain. "First you set your sights on me, and now you're after Qian Renxue. Are you trying to catch both mother and daughter in one net?"
What an insatiable fellow.
Bibi Dong drew a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly.
Though her relationship with Qian Renxue was openly hostile, seeing Qin Feng praise Qian Renxue so brazenly, even saying he wanted to "hold her in his arms and cherish her," made Bibi Dong feel as if a wad of cotton were stuck in her chest. Nothing sat right.
"Men really are all fickle creatures."
Bibi Dong closed the diary, not wanting to read another word that might unsettle her. But only seconds later, she found herself opening it again as if compelled.
Blue Tyrant Academy, girls' dormitory.
It was already late at night, but none of the three girls in the dormitory felt sleepy.
Ning Rongrong's eyes widened, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.
"Xue Qinghe... is actually Qian Renxue?!"
"The Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire is really the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall in disguise?!"
The revelation was so shocking that even Ning Rongrong, the Little Witch of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, felt her scalp prickle.
If this got out, the whole Douluo Continent would probably be turned upside down.
Zhu Zhuqing still looked cool and composed, but her beautiful eyes were filled with shock too.
"No wonder Qin Feng called her an infiltrator."
Zhu Zhuqing spoke softly. "That level of cunning and those methods really are terrifying."
Xiao Wu blinked, clearly focused on something else. "Is that Qian Renxue really as beautiful as Qin Feng says? And an angel descended to earth, too..."
As she spoke, Xiao Wu thrust out her chest a little, not especially grand in size, but still quite ample.
"I think I'm pretty cute, too. Why doesn't Qin Feng praise me like that?"
At that, Ning Rongrong immediately came to her senses and gave a soft snort. "Exactly! I think Qin Feng just hasn't seen much of the world. How are Zhuqing and I any worse than that Qian Renxue?"
She turned to Zhu Zhuqing, letting her gaze linger for a moment on her curvaceous figure. A trace of envy flashed through her eyes.
"Especially Zhuqing. Could Qian Renxue really compare to that figure?"
Zhu Zhuqing blushed slightly, but at those words, she instinctively straightened her back, showing off her breathtaking curves.
"We don't just have Diary Copies. We've also learned a world-shaking secret."
Zhu Zhuqing quickly regained her composure and spoke gravely. "We absolutely can't let this get out. Otherwise, we'll be in serious trouble, and Qin Feng's identity could be exposed too."
Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu nodded, their expressions solemn.
They might bicker and play around most of the time, but they knew when something mattered.
But...
Ning Rongrong looked at the diary's repeated mentions of "wife" and "feeling sorry for her," and couldn't help rolling her eyes.
"Qin Feng really is a lecher. He falls for every girl he meets!"
"If I ever see him, I'm going to teach him a proper lesson!"
Xiao Wu shook her little fist in agreement. "Exactly. He needs to learn the price of being a flirt!"
The three girls stood united against him. Though they scolded Qin Feng, deep down, each felt a fierce competitive streak toward the Qian Renxue they had never met.
What kind of woman could make Qin Feng think of her so much?
While people everywhere reacted in different ways, Qin Feng's pen changed direction, and he began writing again.
[Still, there's one thing I find strange.]
[That woman Qian Renxue came to watch my match today. That's understandable, since a genius like me can hardly help attracting attention.]
[But she actually asked me to be her teacher—to take up that so-called Crown Prince Tutor position. That's really strange.]
[My theoretical knowledge crushes that useless Yu Xiaogang, and my strength is pretty good among the younger generation, but Qian Renxue had no need to go this far, right?]
[If it had been the old Xue Qinghe, acting humbly to recruit talent would have made sense.]
[But the "Xue Qinghe" now is Qian Renxue! The proud Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall!]
[What she did makes no sense at all.]
[Did she discover something?]
Qin Feng furrowed his brow and lightly tapped the tip of his pen against the paper, leaving a blot of ink.
[This move could expose her identity no matter how I look at it.]
[My strength is impressive, sure, but I'm not yet so formidable that Qian Renxue would risk attracting attention just to recruit me.]
[By every measure, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits!]
Qin Feng shook his head and quickly cast the thought aside.
[Maybe I'm overthinking it!]
[After all, it's only natural for Qian Renxue to want to recruit a talented, handsome genius like me.]
[Who could turn down someone as outstanding as me?]
[Setting that strange part aside, I'm more than happy to be Qian Renxue's teacher!]
[Just imagine. From now on, I can teach her at Crown Prince Mansion, and it'll be perfectly legitimate.]
[And best of all, Qian Renxue doesn't know I've already seen through her identity.]
[When the time comes, I'll pretend I know nothing and interact with her as a senior.]
[One day, when I'm in the mood, I'll pat her on the chest in front of everyone and say, "We're all bros here. Don't be shy!"]
[Heh, I wonder what Qian Renxue's expression will look like then.]
[It'll probably be as colorful as a dye shop after someone's knocked over every vat. Just picturing it is hilarious—and thrilling!]
Crown Prince Mansion, in the bedchamber.
Qian Renxue read the latest entry in the diary. The ripples stirred in her heart by his "feeling sorry for her" vanished instantly, replaced by a wave of panic.
"He noticed something was wrong?"