Faced with Serena Feng's gentle friendliness, the little girl grew braver, quietly stepping up beside her mother and craning her neck to look at Serena. Only after confirming she hadn't hurt or killed anyone did she give a shy, relieved smile.
Serena Feng returned the smile with equal warmth. Amidst the chaos, her expression shone with innocence and goodness—more real, more human than any aloof fairy untouched by the world.
Because of this smile, the crowd froze. People glanced at each other, and suddenly, no one could bring themselves to throw the rotten vegetables or eggs in their hands.
"Miss Feng, I—I'm sorry. Children don't know any better." The girl's mother, confused by Serena's calm, took a long moment to react before hurriedly apologizing while holding her daughter close.
"It's fine. It's getting dark—take your child home early." Serena's voice was hoarse but steady, radiating a calm that made people unconsciously relax and trust her.
Maybe this is just another strength of being a doctor.
Doctors may seem cold and distant, but they're easy to trust.
Hearing Serena's words, the woman instinctively nodded, scooped up her daughter, and hurried away.
The rest of the crowd, witnessing this, found themselves unable to throw their eggs or fruit. A few young women even looked at Serena Feng with open sympathy.
They all knew Serena Feng had done nothing wrong. But who, then, was truly at fault?
When Caleb Wang received the news and rushed over, he saw Serena Feng kneeling in the freezing wind, shivering uncontrollably.
"Stop! Stop the carriage, quickly!" Caleb Wang, forgetting his usual noble composure, leaned halfway out the carriage door and signaled the coachman to halt at once.
The coachman yanked the reins, and the handsome horse neighed, stamping and kicking up dust before finally coming to a stop.
Before the carriage had even stopped, Caleb Wang jumped out and ran toward Serena Feng, but was blocked by the guards standing behind her.
"Young Master Wang, His Highness has ordered that no one may approach Serena Feng."
"Serena Feng, how are you?" Blocked on the outside, Caleb Wang grew anxious and fired off questions at the soldiers. "His Highness? Which prince gave the order? I'll go find him myself!"
After a sleepless night outdoors and a full day of travel, Serena Feng was already exhausted. Forced to kneel and pelted with eggs and rotten vegetables, she was physically and mentally drained. The only thing keeping her upright was sheer pride and resentment.
It was pride and resentment alone that kept her going.
Serena Feng was already dazed, her mind foggy and a constant buzzing in her ears. She couldn't make out any sounds until Caleb Wang's voice reached her.
With effort, she opened her eyes and gave Caleb Wang a smile uglier than a cry. "Don't worry, I'm fine."
There was still someone who cared about her. That feeling was unexpectedly nice; at least in this strange world, she wasn't entirely alone.
"Idiot, look at what state you're in and you still say you're fine!" Caleb Wang was so angry he started stomping his feet.
How was Serena Feng so much like his foolish elder brother? No matter how serious the problem or how painful the injury, whenever someone asked, the first thing they'd do was raise a soothing smile and say, 'I'm fine.'
'Fine.' As if anyone would believe that.
That kind of lie might fool others, but it would never fool Caleb Wang—not in this life, not in the next.
Normally a frail scholar, Caleb Wang was so angry now that he kicked the blocking soldier hard. "Which prince gave this order?"
The soldier knew Caleb Wang's identity and didn't dare offend the Wang clan's Seventh Young Master, so he took the kick without protest, wincing in pain. Even so, he stood firm, blocking Caleb Wang, and replied miserably, "Seventh Young Master, it was His Highness Prince Rowan."
The soldier felt utterly wronged—he was only following orders.
"Prince Rowan, the Seventh Prince?" Caleb Wang felt all his strength drain away.
Prince Rowan was a powerful noble, the Emperor's most favored son, and quite possibly the next ruler of Eastlyn. Even the Wang clan wouldn't dare offend someone like him.
"Yes, His Highness Prince Rowan, the Seventh Prince," the soldier repeated, secretly relieved, knowing Caleb Wang wouldn't press him further.
Sure enough, Caleb Wang slumped in defeat. "Serena Feng, I'm sorry—I can't help you. But don't worry, I'll stay with you, and when Prince Rowan returns, I promise I'll plead on your behalf."
Serena Feng wasn't disappointed by Caleb Wang's words.
They were only acquaintances. How could Caleb Wang risk offending Adrian Dongling for her? If she were in his place, she wouldn't do it either.
Adrian Dongling wasn't just anyone—he was the future heir. Forget Caleb Wang; even the Wang clan patriarch wouldn't dare cross him.
Just as Caleb Wang felt powerless, two more carriages raced toward the city gate.
The two carriages stopped one after the other. Vincent Su and Evan Zhou leapt out and hurried toward Serena Feng, both faces full of worry, asking questions as they ran.
"Serena Feng, are you all right?" Evan Zhou was focused only on her health.
He knew just how busy Serena Feng had been lately, and worried whether her body could endure such hardship.
Last night, when Serena Feng hadn't returned, Evan Zhou had wanted to rush out of the city to find her, but was reassured by Caleb Wang's message that she would be fine.
He thought with the Wang clan present, Serena Feng would be safe, but this afternoon he received word that she'd been ordered to kneel at the city gate.
Terrified, Evan Zhou ran toward the gate like a madman, not caring about anything else. He'd run most of the way before realizing hiring a carriage would be faster.
"Serena Feng, what happened? Why are you kneeling here? Who did you offend?" Vincent Su, though anxious, knew that to help her, they first needed to know whom she'd angered.
Only by knowing the enemy could they find the right solution.
Should they apologize, offer compensation, or seek someone even more powerful to intervene?
Unfortunately, Serena Feng didn't answer a single question, leaving Evan Zhou and Vincent Su even more anxious.
As night fell, they couldn't see Serena Feng's condition clearly from afar. They'd assumed she was just being punished to kneel, but up close they realized how truly wretched and battered she was.
Her clothes were so stained with rotten vegetables, fruit, and eggs that their original color was impossible to discern; she looked worse than a beggar and reeked of sour rot.
Even so, Serena Feng still knelt straight and motionless, her pride unbowed...
Last night, when Serena Feng hadn't returned, Evan Zhou had wanted to risk everything and leave the city to find her, but was reassured by Caleb Wang's message that she would be fine.
He'd thought with the Wang clan present, Serena Feng would be safe, but this afternoon he received word that she'd been ordered to kneel at the city gate.
Terrified, Evan Zhou ran toward the gate like a madman, not caring about anything else. He'd run most of the way before realizing hiring a carriage would be faster.
"Serena Feng, what happened? Why are you kneeling here? Who did you offend?" Vincent Su, though anxious, knew that to help her, they first needed to know whom she'd angered.
Only by knowing the enemy could they find the right solution.
Should they apologize, offer compensation, or seek someone even more powerful to intervene?
Unfortunately, Serena Feng didn't answer a single question, leaving Evan Zhou and Vincent Su even more anxious.
As night fell, they couldn't see Serena Feng's condition clearly from afar. They'd assumed she was just being punished to kneel, but up close they realized how truly wretched and battered she was.
Her clothes were so stained with rotten vegetables, fruit, and eggs that their original color was impossible to discern; she looked worse than a beggar and reeked of sour rot.
Even so, Serena Feng still knelt straight and motionless, her pride unbowed...