Serena Feng didn’t have time to ponder the fleeting sadness in Yana’s eyes before Master Wenyuan interrupted.
Master Wenyuan stepped forward to formally introduce Serena Feng and Yana, knowing Serena had already met Princess Vivian before. He just smiled and told them to relax, not to worry about rank—here, none of that mattered.
Yana Zhan didn’t let Serena interrupt. She continued, “Serena, if you really look at William Wang Jinling, you’ll see what a wonderful person he is. If he cares about someone, he’ll give them the whole world. Serena, you…”
"Yana Zhan, it's getting late—I should go." Serena Feng knew what Yana Zhan was about to say and interrupted her, adding, "Yana Zhan, Ninth Royal Uncle is waiting for me at home. I have to get back."
"Serena..." The most important words were interrupted, leaving Yana Zhan both disappointed and relieved. She hadn't said them, so maybe there was still a chance.
Yana Zhan took a deep breath and wiped her tears, apologizing: “Serena, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have said all that. I just couldn’t help it when I thought of William Wang Jinling. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Yana’s eyes lit up instantly. She opened her mouth to accept, but reason won out over emotion and she shook her head: “Thank you, Serena, but… going to Eastlyn would be too much trouble for me.”
"What trouble? Ninth Royal Uncle was ordered to invite Master Wenyuan to Eastlyn, and you’d be accompanying him. There’s no issue, either emotionally or logically." Serena was completely sincere—she genuinely liked Yana Zhan and could see how much she wanted to go. Having her along wouldn’t cause any problems at all.
Last time, when William Wang Jinling came to Southlyn for Serena Feng, she saw the pain and deep affection in his eyes. Hearing him discuss Serena Feng with her father, Yana Zhan knew Serena Feng was the one he cherished most.
William Wang Jinling used to be nearly blind, yet he still wrote beautifully. It showed how much effort Master Wenyuan had put into him, and how hard William himself had worked.
She truly felt for him. She knew William Wang Jinling saw her as a younger sister, and as his sister, all she wanted was to do her best for his happiness.
She’d given Yana a filial excuse, easing her anxiety. Yana was already mostly convinced—the only thing left was persuading Master Wenyuan, and Serena felt the odds were good.
Princess Vivian of Southlyn glanced at Serena, hesitated for a long moment, then finally spoke: "Serena, if I want to go too, would that be alright?"
“Princess? You want to go to Eastlyn?” Serena’s voice rose involuntarily. For a royal princess, traveling was never simple—she realized she might be causing Ninth Royal Uncle even more trouble.
Princess Vivian knew her request could be misunderstood. She explained, “Serena, don’t get the wrong idea. I… don’t mean anything else. I just want to see Eastlyn. You know our Southlyn royal house and the Wang clan are closely connected—I’d like to visit my kin.”
In this life, she was destined to disappoint that gentle, jade-like man—William Wang Jinling.
“No, I won’t go as a princess—I’ll go as Master Wenyuan’s disciple.” Princess Vivian insisted again, a hint of pleading in her eyes.
This was already beyond what Serena could answer, so Yana jumped in: “Vivian, you really are mischievous! You’ll have to ask His Majesty and my father. You may be half a disciple, but you’re still a royal princess—traveling to Eastlyn isn’t so easy.”
“That’s true, Princess—you’re precious as gold, so it’s best to get His Majesty’s approval.” Serena smiled gratefully at Yana.
Even though Princess Vivian was acting perfectly normal today, Serena truly didn’t want to bring a woman with designs on Ninth Royal Uncle into her circle.
“If my father and Master Wenyuan both agree, Serena, would you be willing to let me go with you?” Princess Vivian had stopped obsessing over Ninth Royal Uncle—for now, she was showing her intelligence.
She knew perfectly well that even if everyone else agreed, if Serena refused, Ninth Royal Uncle would never allow her to come along. After all, everyone was aware of her intentions toward him.
“Vivian…” Yana frowned and shook her head at Princess Vivian, signaling her not to push it too far.
Princess Vivian gave a bitter smile. “Yana, I just want to see the Wang clan in Eastlyn.”
Everyone probably thought she was going for Ninth Royal Uncle, but that was fine—having that reason meant her royal brother wouldn’t block her way. Princess Vivian looked to Serena again, hoping for a clear answer.
Serena kept deflecting, smiling: “With His Majesty and Master Wenyuan here, there’s no place for me to speak.”
Princess Vivian didn’t get the answer she wanted from Serena. She was disappointed, but she understood—if she were in Serena’s place, she wouldn’t agree either.
Yana noticed the awkward tension and invited Serena and Princess Vivian to her study. Serena accepted gladly.
Yana Zhan's library was impressive, filled with rare and famous works. It was clear she held a high position in the Zhan clan. She introduced the books to Serena Feng one by one, but paused when she pointed to the top shelf, then continued casually: "These books were specially printed by my father for William Wang Jinling, to help him learn to read. No one else needs them, so I keep them here."
William Wang used to be nearly blind, yet he still wrote beautifully. It showed how much effort Master Wenyuan had put into him, and how hard William himself had worked.
Serena Feng glanced at the shelf and smiled, saying nothing. Yana Zhan took a book down and handed it to her: "Serena Feng, you have no idea how much William Wang Jinling suffered. These books were specially made—sometimes he had to trace each character over and over just to learn them. Every book here has bloodstains; they're all from William Wang Jinling."
Each page had just one character, and the slightly raised edges had been worn smooth from repeated touching. The owner must have traced them countless times—some spots really did have blood marks.
Thinking of William Wang’s fair hands, Serena couldn’t imagine how he practiced writing back then. He had to work so much harder than anyone else…
Fate was never fair.
“Serena, you don’t know how happy I was when I heard Grand Heir William could finally see. From then on, he didn’t have to rely on listening to books or tracing characters anymore. Serena, I’m truly glad he met you—you’re a good person…”
Yana’s eyes were red with tears. Realizing her own loss of composure, she quickly wiped her eyes. “Sorry, I lost control.”
“It’s alright… The Grand Heir is truly blessed.” Serena handed the book back to Yana, noticing how carefully she handled it.
Yana took the book but didn’t put it back. Instead, she looked at it fondly and said, “Serena, you know, even though William couldn’t see, my father valued him most. He said that among all his disciples, William’s talent was unmatched.”
William wasn’t just gifted—his conduct also earned her father’s deepest respect. He said true gentlemen were like William, and in terms of character, even he felt unworthy. If William weren’t the Wang clan’s Grand Heir, he’d surely be the youngest Chancellor of Jixia Academy, a model for scholars everywhere.
Yana Zhan paused and looked up at Serena Feng. "Serena Feng, even though William Wang Jinling comes from the Wang clan, he doesn't have any of those spoiled habits. He never flirts with maids or acts like those so-called playboys who hang around brothels for fun."
William always kept himself pure—he never showed even the slightest interest in the women around him. When faced with admirers, he always declined politely, never giving them false hope or causing heartbreak.
As Yana spoke, tears began to fall. She knew she was saying too much to Serena, but if she didn’t speak now, she’d never get another chance.
Yana didn’t let Serena interrupt. She continued, “Serena, if you really look at William, you’ll see what a wonderful person he is. If he cares about someone, he’ll give them the whole world. Serena, you…”
“Yana, it’s getting late—I should go.” Serena knew what Yana was about to say and interrupted her, adding, “Yana, Ninth Royal Uncle is waiting for me at home. I have to get back.”
“Serena…” The most important words were interrupted, leaving Yana both disappointed and relieved. She hadn’t said them, so maybe there was still a chance.
Yana took a deep breath and wiped her tears, apologizing: “Serena, I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have said all that. I just couldn’t help it when I thought of William. Please don’t take it to heart.”
They’d only just met, so it was a bit much to say all this—but still…
She really felt for William Wang Jinling.
Last time, when William came to Southlyn for Serena, she saw the pain and deep affection in his eyes. Hearing him discuss Serena with her father, Yana knew Serena was the one he cherished most.
There are three great sorrows in life: separation, unfulfilled longing, and love that cannot be. Yana understood this pain well, and she truly didn’t want William to suffer it too.
She truly felt for him. She knew William Wang Jinling saw her as a younger sister, and as his sister, all she wanted was to do her best for his happiness.
Serena let out a gentle sigh. “It’s alright. It’s getting late—I should head back.”
With that, she ignored Yana’s attempt to stop her and turned to leave…
She’d sensed William’s feelings for her. That was why she’d risked everything to come to Southlyn—she couldn’t bear to stay in the capital alone and let him fall deeper and deeper into pain.
Some people are destined to be let down, some feelings can never be answered. Her heart was too small—there was room for only one person, and he had already taken root deep inside. She couldn’t pull him out, nor did she want to.
In this life, she was destined to disappoint that gentle, jade-like man—William Wang Jinling.