Serena Feng gazed vacantly at the crowd, neither dodging nor fleeing. She could hardly believe that she would one day encounter such a thing, face this kind of humiliating assault.
She wanted to stand up, walk straight to Adrian Dongling, and ask him what exactly he wanted—what did he expect of Serena Feng before he would be satisfied?
But the soldiers behind her gave her no chance; whenever she moved, a long spear was immediately set against her neck.
Once they were certain Serena Feng wouldn’t move recklessly, the four soldiers guarding her stepped back in unison, just enough to avoid being struck themselves.
This Serena Feng was just too entertaining. How could anyone be so amusing?
Serena Feng simply knelt there, letting the commoners hurl things at her...
She might dodge once, but not a second time.
Pa! Pa! Pa!...
Very soon, Serena Feng’s clothes were saturated with the stench of rotten vegetables, her body aching from the blows. Yet the greatest pain was not physical, but the unbearable shame and humiliation burning in her heart.
This was her dignity, trodden underfoot, ruthlessly trampled.
Serena Feng trembled all over with rage, wishing she could dissect Adrian Dongling on the spot.
She would never forget the humiliation of this day.
In all her years, through two lifetimes, she had never faced such shame. If she weren’t strong enough, she couldn’t go on living; even if she survived, she would have no face left.
Serena Feng clenched her fists, struggling to suppress the fury that threatened to explode.
Faced with the ignorant crowd, Serena did not dodge. Instead, she straightened her back and let them throw what they would; when she met their contemptuous stares, she returned them with proud defiance.
Adrian Dongling could trample her dignity, but he could not erase the pride in her bones.
Smack—a raw egg struck Serena Feng’s forehead, its cold yolk and egg white running down her face, sending a chill through her.
Serena did not cry or rage. She quietly wiped her face, glancing at the person who had thrown the egg.
It was a little girl with twin buns, about five or six years old, innocent and adorable.
A little girl? Innocent and naive—Serena could forgive her.
When the girl saw Serena looking at her, she jumped and quickly hid behind her mother, peeking out with anxious, timid eyes.
Serena understood the child was only following the adults, thinking it was fun. She had no idea what throwing an egg truly meant.
Serena shook her head and gave the little girl a gentle smile: “Don’t be afraid, big sister is fine.”
She brushed her hair aside, showing her forehead so the girl could see she wasn’t hurt.
It wasn’t the egg that hurt her forehead, but the pain in her heart—her dignity.
Adrian Dongling questioned her endlessly, but got nothing. No matter how he asked, Serena Feng stayed calm and collected, as if none of it mattered.
Seeing Serena’s calm face, Adrian Dongling felt his anger build with nowhere to go. Unable to get a straight answer, he just gave up, flicked his sleeve, and left her kneeling while he and Nolan Dongling and Warren Yu continued their inspection.
Serena watched Adrian Dongling walk away and got ready to leave herself, but as soon as she moved, the guards stepped forward.
Wham—a spear slammed across Serena Feng’s neck. "Prince Rowan’s orders: Without his command, Miss Feng is not allowed to get up."
So if Adrian Dongling forgot about her, would Serena Feng really have to kneel here until she died?
Serena Feng nodded, signaling she understood, and obediently settled back into her kneeling position, adjusting her posture to avoid injury from kneeling too long.
What good would it do to resist? With a blade at her throat, even Serena Feng’s pride couldn’t outweigh her life. Adrian Dongling was a prince—he had endless ways to crush her.
And that was another reason she didn’t dare leave the capital—inside the city, at least she was a ‘famous’ figure. If Adrian Dongling or some hidden enemy wanted her dead, they’d have to weigh the consequences.
Outside the city, Adrian Dongling could erase her existence without leaving a trace—and no one would ever know.
At the bustling city gate, Serena Feng knelt there in just her under-robe. Passersby pointed and whispered; those who hadn’t known what was happening soon started asking around.
And so, news of Serena Feng’s disheveled return from the outskirts spread like wildfire through every corner of the imperial capital.
Some commoners, not knowing what was going on, saw Serena Feng kneeling under guard and assumed she’d committed some crime. Boldly, they started throwing rotten vegetables at her.
Smack—Serena Feng jumped, dodging to the side. The throw missed, leaving her stunned.
When the others saw the guards didn’t intervene or scold anyone, they joined in the attack.
Before Serena Feng could react, rotten vegetables, buns, eggs—one after another—started raining down on her.
Serena Feng stared blankly at the crowd, neither dodging nor running. She couldn’t believe this was happening—that she’d one day face such degrading attacks.
She wanted to stand up, march straight to Adrian Dongling, and demand what more he wanted—what did he expect from her before he’d be satisfied?
But the soldiers behind her gave her no chance. Every time she moved, a spear pressed against her neck.
Once they were sure Serena Feng wouldn’t try anything, the four guards stepped back in perfect sync—just far enough to avoid getting hit themselves.
Serena Feng just knelt there, letting the crowd pelt her...
She could dodge once, but not twice.
Smack, smack, smack...
Soon, her clothes were soaked with the stench of rotten vegetables, her body aching from the blows. But the worst pain wasn’t physical—it was the humiliation burning inside her.
This was her dignity, crushed beneath their feet, trampled without mercy.
Serena Feng trembled all over with rage, wishing she could dissect Adrian Dongling right then and there.
She would never forget the humiliation of this day.
In all her years, through two lifetimes, this was the first time she had ever faced such shame. If she weren’t strong enough, she couldn’t go on living; even if she survived, she would have no face left.
Serena Feng clenched her fists tightly, forcing down the fury that threatened to erupt.
Faced with the ignorant commoners, Serena did not dodge. Instead, she straightened her back and let them throw what they would; when she met their contemptuous stares, she returned them with proud defiance.
Adrian Dongling could trample her dignity, but he could never grind away the pride in her bones.
Smack—a raw egg struck Serena Feng’s forehead, its cold yolk and white running down her face, sending a chill through her.
Serena did not cry or rage. She quietly raised her right hand, gently wiped her face, and glanced at the person who had thrown the egg.
It was a little girl with twin buns, about five or six years old, innocent and adorable.
A little girl? Innocent and naive—Serena could forgive her.
When Serena Feng looked at her, the little girl jumped in fright and quickly hid behind her mother, peeking out at Serena with anxious, timid eyes, her gaze damp with unease.
Serena understood that the little girl was only following the adults, thinking it was a game. She had no idea what throwing an egg truly meant.
Serena Feng shook her head and gave the little girl a gentle smile: “Don’t be afraid, big sister is fine.”
After speaking, she brushed her hair aside, revealing her forehead so the girl could see she wasn’t hurt.
It wasn’t the egg that truly hurt her forehead, but the pain in her heart—her dignity.