Serena Feng looked utterly frustrated and let out a heavy sigh.
There’s always a way out when you reach the mountain.
Worst case, she could just walk back to William Wang Jinling’s place and borrow some clothes from him.
Thinking of this, Serena’s face relaxed into a faint smile. Dragging her exhausted body, she started up the slope.
She remembered rolling down the slope yesterday with Lance Quinn; now she just needed to retrace her steps, and maybe she could find her medical kit along the way.
Rolling down was easy, but climbing up was tough. Luckily, it hadn’t rained in days—the path was dry and easy to walk.
Serena struggled up the slope and finally reached the spot where the carriage had fallen apart, but there wasn’t even a trace of her medical kit along the way.
Unable to find the kit, Serena had no choice. She did remember dropping a surgical knife here yesterday.
She could do without the blade, but it would be best to recover the handle.
Lowering her head, she searched carefully—and actually found it. After cleaning the surgical knife and putting it away, Serena stood up, debating whether to head to William Wang Jinling’s shabby residence or just go straight into the city.
After thinking it over, she decided to go find William Wang Jinling.
Rumors are something she could ignore, but since she had to make a living in the imperial capital, too much gossip would only hurt her future as a physician.
Ancient people cared deeply about reputation—if she ruined hers, no matter how skilled she was, no patient would dare come to her.
But after struggling all the way to William Wang Jinling’s shabby residence, Serena finally understood what it meant to be ‘set up.’
Wuwuwu...
Staring at the tightly closed door, Serena was on the verge of tears.
Turns out, after last night’s incident, Caleb Wang (Seventh Young Master) rushed back to report to William Wang Jinling, who immediately sent out his dark guards to escort the two princes home and prevent any further mishaps.
Naturally, Caleb also arranged for people to search for Serena Feng.
Sending people after Serena was only because he couldn’t refuse William Wang Jinling—Caleb himself wasn’t worried about her safety, since she had an expert protector.
That man called Lance Quinn looked very close to Serena; with him around, nothing could happen to her.
But unexpectedly...
Lance Quinn and Serena Feng weren’t close at all.
Right now, Serena was exhausted and thirsty, cursing the heavens in her heart.
But no matter how tired or thirsty she was, she could only force herself to keep moving, dragging her legs onward toward the city.
She definitely didn’t want to stay out in the wild alone. She knew some self-defense, but out here, her skills weren’t nearly enough.
If it was wild animals, at worst she’d die horribly. But if she ran into bandits, it would be a fate worse than death.
In her previous life, Serena had seen plenty—she knew exactly how those armed criminals treated captured women. She was sure bandits here would be no different, and she refused to end up like that. That really would be a fate worse than death.
Walking all the way back to the city on foot was no easy task. Serena leaned against the doorpost to rest for a while, and when she felt a bit better, she activated the Smart Med‑Pack, hung herself a bottle of glucose to restore energy and fluids, and took out a compass to prepare for the journey.
A military doctor’s smart system would never lack a compass. Military doctors aren’t like ordinary physicians—they’re either on the battlefield or in the wild, rarely found in cities.
Sometimes, they even have to treat injuries in the jungle. And in the jungle, unless you’re a professional, you’ll never find your way without a compass.
Serena Feng had once worked in the jungles of Yunnan—a place crawling with drug lords, where traffickers were all armed and the criminal forces were strong.
Smuggling and illegal immigration were rampant there; some criminal groups, and even foreign spies, used the area for shady deals.
The state stationed a special-operations unit there, and Serena was their military doctor. Most of the time she worked in the rear, but when medical staff ran short, she’d help out at the jungle’s edge.
After the glucose drip, Serena felt her strength return and set off toward the Eastlyn Imperial Capital.
She had to make it into the city before dark; otherwise, a woman in just her under-robe alone outside the gates would be an easy target for crime.
This time, the heavens answered Serena’s prayers—she reached the city gate with two quarters of an hour left before closing.
Filthy, hair disheveled, drenched in sweat, and pale-faced, Serena immediately drew curious looks as soon as she stepped into a populated area.
Who is this woman?
“Whose daughter is that? Why is she all alone outside the city? Looking like this, wasn’t she assaulted?” A thug narrowed his eyes, sizing Serena up.
“Hey, Gou Sheng, watch your mouth! Don’t ruin a girl’s reputation—maybe something else happened.” A kindly old farmer stepped forward to advise, then asked Serena, “Miss, is there anything an old man can help with?”
Gossip followed her all the way, but Serena pretended not to hear. When someone finally offered help, she stopped and smiled at the old man, "Thank you, sir, but there’s no need. I’m almost home."
With a graceful smile, she walked away, light as a startled swan—no trace of embarrassment left.
"She’s beautiful when she smiles," the old farmer murmured, only snapping out of it long after Serena had gone.
"She is beautiful. I feel like I’ve seen her before," someone agreed, staring at Serena’s back and trying to recall where he’d met her. After a moment, he slapped his forehead.
"Oh, I remember! That’s Miss Feng—Serena Feng. Do you remember? Early one morning, Miss Feng was here too, but with a maid and wearing even less. Today…"
"Ah, now that you mention it, I remember—I was here that morning too. Yes, yes, that was Miss Feng. I remember her smiling just like that. She looked so lovely."
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"What? That’s really Miss Feng?"
"No way, it’s been less than half a month—how is Miss Feng in trouble again?"
"Impossible, that’s definitely not Miss Feng."
"I’d bet anything that girl was Miss Feng. If you don’t believe me, let’s hurry and catch up to her."
Everyone was heading into the city, but most were carrying loads or pushing carts, so they couldn’t walk very fast.
But as soon as they heard that, the crowd picked up speed and quickly caught up with Serena Feng.
"You know, that girl really is Miss Feng," someone said to the person ahead.
"What? Miss Feng? Why is she here?"
"No way, is Miss Feng in trouble again?"
"Judging by the situation, she probably is. Who knows when she left the city—looks like she spent the whole night outside. Chances are, she’s ruined."
"What a pity. No parents, so no one stands up for her in times like this."
"Pity? I say she should just kill herself and be done with it. Living like this is nothing but shame."
...
More and more people gathered behind Serena Feng. Those who’d been ahead of her stopped as they heard the gossip from behind, and some who’d already stepped into the city turned back.
What? The young lady of the Feng clan showed up at the city gate in a mess again?
This news was just... way, way too sensational.
Some hadn’t even finished stepping into the Eastlyn Imperial Capital before turning around to stand at the gate, refusing to leave.
Such a spectacle—you’d be a fool not to watch! Besides, you could brag about it later.
Serena kept her face dark, mouth shut, and walked boldly toward the city gate.
She honestly thought she was being discreet, but the name ‘Serena Feng’ just couldn’t stay low-profile.
The moment her name was spoken, she became the center of attention again. Even if she wanted to deny it, she couldn’t—and truthfully, she didn’t want to.
If she denied it, how could she enter the city?
At the city gate, the crowd immediately parted, letting Serena walk to the front...