Ye Lingling

Biodata

Background / History

Transfer to the Second Team

Ye Lingling attended Heaven Dou Imperial Academy’s advanced division and belonged to its recently formed first team. Her teacher regarded her as an exceptionally talented healing-type Soul Master. Lin Luo’s system assigned him a mission to recruit her and Xue Ke into the new second team, prompting his group to approach the first team directly 130 133.

First-team captain Yu Tianheng proposed a six-on-six match to decide which team would retain her. Ye Lingling watched from the stands and was stunned when the younger challengers defeated her teammates. She accepted the transfer because the stronger team offered better prospects, though she worried about being laughed at for joining a group of much younger children. She continued attending advanced-academy classes and joined the junior students for team training 133 134 135.

Courtship and Cooperation with Qian Renxue

After her recruitment, Lin Luo received another system task: persuade Ye Lingling to cooperate with Qian Renxue as a crown princess in name only. Qian Renxue considered her a suitable candidate because of her age, respectable background, and rare Martial Soul. Their meetings were arranged around the team’s Great Soul Arena training sessions 135 138.

Initially encountering Qian Renxue as Xue Qinghe, Ye Lingling became flustered by the crown prince’s compliments and hand-holding. She eagerly sought news of their next meeting and later confessed her feelings and kissed Qian Renxue during a shopping trip 139 142 145.

Qian Renxue eventually disclosed that she was a woman; Ye Lingling had already suspected this. To support their proposed cooperation, Qian Renxue also prepared a development plan for the Nine Heart Begonia Sect using the advantages of her royal position. After taking time to consider the proposal, Ye Lingling agreed and informed Lin Luo herself 147 148.

Becoming Crown Princess

Ye Lingling agreed to accompany Lin Luo to his etiquette instruction day, providing an opportunity to introduce her as the future crown princess. Qian Renxue instead attended disguised as a palace maid and publicly announced Ye Lingling’s position before the assembled families and teachers. Embarrassed by the attention, Ye Lingling returned to class 149 151.

Xue Ye approved the marriage and summoned her family. He also demanded a pregnancy within a month after the wedding, creating a problem for the two women. Qian Renxue discussed faking a pregnancy with Ye Lingling, who by then had seen her true appearance and remained strongly attracted to her 159 160 161.

Following their wedding banquet, an old matron sent by Xue Ye insisted on supervising the wedding night from nearby. Ye Lingling helped maintain the deception by imitating the sounds the matron expected to hear, leaving her voice hoarse. Once the matron departed, she, Qian Renxue, and Lin Luo shared the bed for the night 170 171.

Motherhood and Later Academy Life

A bribed imperial physician confirmed Ye Lingling’s supposed pregnancy, and she took extended leave from the academy. Her absence further depleted the second team and forced its daily Great Soul Arena training to stop 172.

To complete the deception, Qian Renxue arranged for a newborn girl to join their household. Learning that the child had been purchased from her birth parents, Ye Lingling reacted with pity and carefully accepted her as her daughter. She named the baby Xue Lian, choosing Lian to mean “pity,” rather than “lotus” 173.

Four years later, Ye Lingling remained part of both the royal household and the second team. She helped mediate disputes between Qian Renxue and Lin Luo and could return to the palace each night through her privileges as crown princess. When the restored seven-person team faced seven veteran Soul Ancestors, she took her position at the rear and concentrated fully on her healing role 175 176 191 193.

Appearance

Ye Lingling is introduced as a short-haired teenager with fair skin, a delicate, pretty face, and a curvaceous figure. At the time of her transfer, she was considerably taller than her new six-year-old teammates 135.

• Hair: Short 135.
• Clothing: Wears skirts and black stockings; a skirt torn during an arena match prompts Qian Renxue to question its suitability for combat 143.
• Fashion sense: Criticizes Qian Renxue’s conservative nightclothes as outdated and replaces them with newer styles 162 163.

Personality

Initially quiet and reserved, Ye Lingling becomes visibly shy under romantic attention. She blushes at Qian Renxue’s compliments, hesitates when asking about another meeting, and readily trusts the person courting her. Nevertheless, she notices inconsistencies in the crown prince’s behavior and suspects her gender before receiving an explanation 139 142 143 148.

She is cautious about protecting their arrangement. After agreeing to cooperate, she avoids conspicuous meetings with Lin Luo at the advanced academy for fear of compromising the female crown prince. She also tactfully describes Lin Luo’s good qualities when Qian Renxue asks about his school life rather than criticizing him to his parent 144 149.

Motherhood makes her more playful and outspoken. Four years later, she freely teases Lin Luo about homesickness and romance, jokes about Qian Renxue’s beauty, and helps the two communicate during arguments. Her gentler side appears in her care for Xue Lian and her reassurance of Hong Chen before a palace visit 173 175 183 191 195.

Abilities & Skills

Nine Heart Begonia

Ye Lingling possesses the rare Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul, a lineage described as passing down through a single line. Her healing talent makes her valuable to both academy teams 133 138.

• Specialization: Exclusively a healer, unlike Xue Qian, whose support abilities also enhance strength 193.
• Formation: Occupies the rear alongside Xue Qian, with Lin Luo positioned ahead of them 193.
• Combat workload: Has relatively little to do in the team’s easier matches, but becomes fully alert against the seven-Soul-Ancestor opponent 193.

Practical Knowledge

• Fashion: Advises Qian Renxue on contemporary clothing and takes an active role in changing her private wardrobe 162 163.
• Court dancing: Explicitly states that she does not know how to court dance when Lin Luo considers asking her to be his partner 176.

Relationships

• Qian Renxue / Xue Qinghe — Spouse and partner in maintaining the crown prince’s public identity. Ye Lingling continues to express affection after learning her gender, privately addressing her as “Crown Prince Sister” 148 161 183.
• Lin Luo — Teammate and family member; she occupies a “little mother” role while also interacting with him like an older sister. She mediates his disagreements with Qian Renxue and carries messages between the academy and palace 175 177 191 192 194.
• Xue Lian — Adopted daughter. Ye Lingling chooses her name and later admits that imagining her eventual marriage already makes her sad 173 180.
• Yu Tianheng — Former team captain. His decision to settle her recruitment through a match leads to her transfer to the second team 133 134 135.
• Hong Chen — Later teammate. Ye Lingling reassures her about visiting the imperial palace and agrees to look after her while Lin Luo speaks privately with Qian Renxue 195.