Gunpowder, Could There Be a Fellow Countryman

"Ah, it's the Grand Heir! The Grand Heir!"

"Jade Beau! Jade Beau!"

"Grand Heir! Grand Heir!"

...

Beauty worth feasting on—it's not just women, but men too.

With lips like cherry blossoms and teeth like pearls, gentle and handsome, refined and noble—when William Wang Jinling stepped out, every man and woman nearby paled in comparison. It was as if all the light in the world gathered on him alone; next to him, everyone else faded into the background.

He hadn't even entered the city yet, and the commotion was already underway. Inside the city, women started shouting his name—some were so excited they fainted on the spot.

The women of Eastlyn are certainly bold.

William Wang Jinling didn't rush into the city. He stepped down from his carriage and turned to thank those who had escorted him. Serena Feng couldn't hear exactly what he said; she only saw his escort stop, all the guards dismounting in unison and loudly declaring, "We respectfully see the Grand Heir into the city!"

Different factions, different powers—all showing the same respect. Not even the Emperor receives such honor; in this world, there is only one William Wang Jinling.

Seeing this, William Wang Jinling didn't press the issue—he simply smiled and nodded. Just as he turned around, the Crown Prince himself came out to greet him, followed by a retinue of guards.

Because of his heart condition, the Crown Prince looked a bit frail, but it didn't diminish his air of nobility. Still, that cultivated nobility felt deliberate compared to William Wang Jinling's effortless grace.

"Thank you all for escorting him. The Grand Heir has now returned to the city—please rest assured." The Crown Prince was warm and courteous, playing the role of a humble, virtuous leader.

"Rest assured, Your Highness. We've seen the Grand Heir safely into the city and will take our leave now." Out of respect for William Wang Jinling, the group was willing to show the Crown Prince proper courtesy.

The Crown Prince was no fool; he'd never let himself be embarrassed. He knew this crowd was a mix from all walks of life and wouldn't necessarily respect him. With poise, he nodded and invited William Wang Jinling to share his sedan chair.

This was a royal privilege—no matter how famous William Wang Jinling was, he wasn't entitled to ride in the Crown Prince's sedan chair. William smiled and declined; the Crown Prince didn't insist, knowing it was just a gesture.

"Grand Heir, would you ride with me?" William Wang Jinling was returning in glory—if he stayed hidden in a carriage, it would diminish the spectacle. The Crown Prince would never allow that.

Being with William Wang Jinling was stressful—even the Crown Prince found himself overshadowed. But since he'd committed, he had to see it through. Winning the Wang clan's support was worth the sacrifice.

"As you command." Even in the midst of all this glory, William Wang Jinling remained humble and polite, his smile as warm as spring sunlight.

"William Wang Jinling is always William Wang Jinling—no matter how high he climbs, his true nature never changes." Serena Feng remembered their first meeting: dressed in simple white, standing in a shabby room, yet he gave off the aura of a palace.

But today, dressed in splendid finery and standing among the crowd, he was as calm and content as if he were in a shabby room—completely unpretentious, without a trace of showiness.

If you had to compare him to a flower, William Wang Jinling would be a lotus—noble in spirit, radiating elegance without effort.

A young lord on horseback, clad in fresh clothes—when William Wang Jinling rode into the city, the crowd didn’t need soldiers to keep order. People naturally stepped aside to give him a clear path.

"Grand Heir! Grand Heir!"

"Jade Beau! Jade Beau..."

Once again, the shy, timid voices of young women rang out. At the same moment, sachets, flowers, and even pearl and jade pendants flew from windows on both sides of the street.

It was a rain of flowers and sachets, dazzling and beautiful—this was the kind of welcome only William Wang Jinling ever received.

"So enthusiastic," Serena Feng gasped in awe.

She’d thought those stories of tossing fruit into carriages were just legends, but clearly, they were real.

Watching William Wang Jinling’s glorious entrance, Serena couldn’t help but recall her own three arrivals in the city. Honestly, comparing people only makes you miserable.

When she entered the city, there were crowds at the gate too—but they weren’t welcoming her, they were mocking her.

People threw things at her as well, but all she got were rotten vegetable leaves and stinking eggs. Look at William Wang Jinling—he got flowers, sachets, and silk scarves. Some things just can’t be compared.

Serena Feng touched her own face, thinking: Sure, William Wang Jinling was ridiculously handsome, but she wasn’t bad herself. Why was the difference in treatment so huge? She really couldn’t figure it out.

"What’s wrong? Jealous? Why don’t you throw one too—maybe Jinling will notice." Dominic Zhai thought Serena was jealous of all the attention and teased her.

"Yeah, Master, all those girls are tossing sachets—why don’t you throw one too? Look, the Grand Heir is coming our way." Simon Sun grinned, snatching Serena’s sachet and stuffing it into her hand.

It was a good day—every worry should be tossed aside.

"Stop messing around." Serena was flustered and quickly stepped back.

She and William Wang Jinling weren’t what people imagined—they were just friends. Only friends.

If William Wang Jinling could marry her, maybe she would accept—but his status made it impossible to marry someone like her.

Since they both knew it was impossible, there was no point in holding on. She knew it, and so did he. They were both free spirits—if not lovers, then confidants and friends.

"Master, we’re not messing around! Hurry and throw it—if you wait any longer, you’ll miss your chance." Simon Sun wouldn’t let Serena back out; the little medic was unusually persistent today.

"No respect at all," Serena muttered. She’d brought this on herself—never acting like a strict master, so Simon Sun wasn’t afraid of her.

"Master, just throw it, quick! Everyone’s tossing sachets—you should join in. It’s not embarrassing at all."

"Exactly! Jinling won’t know—there are so many sachets everywhere, no one could tell whose is whose."

Dominic Zhai and Simon Sun each grabbed Serena’s arms, keeping her from dodging.

"Master, he’s coming—quick, throw it!"

With the Crown Prince and William Wang Jinling escorted by guards, they soon reached the teahouse where Serena sat. Watching the sachets and scarves rain down, Serena figured, why not? She tossed her sachet into the crowd.

But as soon as Serena let go, Dominic Zhai shouted, "Jinling, catch it!"

Whether it was Dominic’s shout or pure coincidence...

The moment Serena released the sachet, William Wang Jinling suddenly pulled his reins and stopped. He reached out, caught a sachet, and looked up with a smile: "Feng..."

Boom—

Before William Wang Jinling could finish speaking, an explosion erupted beside him. His guards were instantly blasted away.

"What was that?"

"Help! Help! Assassins! Protect the Crown Prince!" The blast was aimed at William Wang Jinling; the Crown Prince, standing some distance away, narrowly escaped.

"No—" That voice was painfully familiar to Serena Feng; her body reacted faster than her mind.

"Jinling, watch out!"

Boom—

As the second explosion sounded, Serena Feng leapt from the teahouse and threw herself into William Wang Jinling’s arms.

Gunpowder—how could that be? How could there be explosives in this era, and aimed straight at William Wang Jinling?

Serena didn’t think, didn’t have time to think—she just clung to William Wang Jinling, shielding him...

"Qingchen!" William Wang Jinling was heavy, and with the horse panicking, the two of them tumbled to the ground...

"Serena Feng, you stupid woman!" In the shadows, masked in silver, Nolan Dongling was a moment too late. He could only watch as Serena and William Wang Jinling rolled into the crowd...