The gazes of the two men met in midair, sparks flying—deep in their eyes, each harbored intense dissatisfaction toward the other.
“So I can't even come to pick up Serena Feng as a friend? How petty can a man get.” William Wang Jinling shot a look of contempt at Ninth Royal Uncle.
Ninth Royal Uncle returned the look: “You can, just not today. With me here, you needn’t trouble yourself.”
After exchanging this message with their eyes, both men quickly looked away. They were smart enough not to let the tension spill out. To outsiders, one appeared warm and refined, the other noble and aloof; they nodded to each other politely, appearing perfectly cordial and at ease.
Standing before these two masters, Serena Feng’s experience was no match—she had no idea of the strange tension between Ninth Royal Uncle and William Wang Jinling. When she saw Nolan arrive, her smile grew even brighter. Eyeing the carriage coming from the palace, she asked suspiciously, “Were you waiting for me? How did you know I’d be leaving the palace today?”
Serena stood her ground, waiting for Nolan to come over. She knew that wherever she was, as long as Nolan wished, he would always find his way to her.
“Imperial Noble Consort Helena sent word to me.” Nolan casually offered an excuse, then shot William Wang Jinling a pointed look: “Grand Heir, the Wang Clan and Feng Manor aren’t on the same route. Since you’re only here by coincidence, Serena won’t trouble you.”
Nolan knew perfectly well William was waiting here specifically for Serena, but he said it anyway—just to get under William’s skin.
Fortunately, William had a good temper. He smiled, unfazed: “It’s been ages since I last saw Serena. You’re not so petty, are you, Ninth Royal Uncle? Surely you wouldn’t object to Serena meeting a friend.”
“Of course I wouldn’t object to Serena meeting a friend. But if you want to see her, wait a few days—she’s just come out of the palace and is tired.” As if to say: You dare try to snatch Serena away right in front of me? Do you take me for dead?
Snatch? Who’s really intercepting whom here? Don’t push it, Nolan Dongling.
Out of Serena’s line of sight, William Wang Jinling and Ninth Royal Uncle resumed their silent battle of glares. Both controlled themselves so well that no one else sensed the undercurrent between them.
“Ninth Royal Uncle, you’re so considerate—Serena is truly lucky. As her friend, I’m relieved to see her so happy. I know she’s tired, so I thought I’d use the time in the carriage to have her check my health.” William smiled with gentle elegance. To outsiders, he was the picture of decorum, but to Nolan, that slight upward curve of his lips looked exactly like a fox who’d just pulled off a scheme.
Serena wasn’t clueless. She’d already sensed the gunpowder between the Grand Heir and Ninth Royal Uncle back at Xuanshao Palace. But what could she do about it? Hearing William’s words, she asked worriedly, “Jinling, are you feeling unwell?”
Looking closely, William really didn’t seem well. She’d thought it was just the strain of official duties, but now it seemed his health was the real issue—she’d overlooked it.
William gave a faint nod, a lonely smile on his face. “I was poisoned a while ago. Serena, I’m sorry about what happened with Simon.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t care about Simon Sun’s fate—at the time, he wasn’t even sure he’d survive himself.
“Poisoned? Let me take a look.” Without another word, Serena stepped forward and took William’s pulse. “Your body’s still weak. Get in the carriage—I’ll examine you more thoroughly. Don’t let any residual poison linger.”
“Alright.” William’s eyes were fixed only on Serena; as for the defeated Ninth Royal Uncle, he didn’t spare him a glance.
Looks like he’d won this round, hadn’t he?
Serena nodded, turning to speak to Nolan, but he was quicker: “Is the Grand Heir’s health serious? Serena, let’s get in the carriage so you can give him a proper examination.”
Those last words were spoken through gritted teeth. As he spoke, Nolan helped Serena into William Wang Jinling’s carriage—completely ignoring its actual owner.
Just before getting in, Nolan shot William a glance behind Serena’s back: William, you shameless schemer—aren’t you supposed to be a gentleman? Since when do you resort to such dirty tricks?
Nolan Dongling, dealing with a manipulative schemer like you, if I play the gentleman, you’ll strip me to the bone. William wasn’t about to back down, firing back in his mind.
All he wanted was to see Serena, to sit with her for a moment—a small comfort after surviving disaster. When he was poisoned, his greatest fear wasn’t death, but never seeing Serena again.
Even after the poison was cleared, his biggest wish was still to see Serena. Just talking with her was enough. But to keep her from worrying, he waited until he’d mostly recovered before seeking her out—only to find she’d gone to the palace.
If… if Nolan hadn’t deliberately targeted him and tried to steal Serena away, he wouldn’t have mentioned the poisoning at all.
He didn’t want much—just a little, pitiful bit. Yet even that, Nolan wouldn’t allow.
William forced a bitter smile. After Nolan and Serena boarded the carriage, he climbed in slowly. The driver, seeing this, felt a pang of sympathy and silently vowed to do what little he could to help his Grand Heir. Ninth Royal Uncle was just too much.
The palace gate opened onto a wide avenue. The carriage bore the Wang Clan insignia, and anyone with sense wouldn’t dare block their way—so the ride was smooth and fast.
Fast—so fast that Serena could barely keep hold of William’s wrist, and Nolan had to steady her to keep her from falling.
“What’s going on?” William frowned, questioning the driver. The speed was far from normal.
The driver jumped in surprise, nearly swerving off course. Luckily, his skills kept the carriage steady. Gasping, he replied, “Grand Heir, the horses were startled for a moment, but I’ve calmed them. No need to worry.”
Immediately, the driver slowed down—much slower than usual. That way, if anything else happened, he could react in time.
“Drive carefully.” William’s eyes flashed. The driver didn’t know it yet, but with those few words, several Wang Clan members were about to be in trouble.
How could the horses be startled for no reason? Having just survived poisoning by his own kin, William instantly suspected a plot. He began calculating which Wang Clan members knew about his sudden outing, and who might have used the opportunity to trip him up.
It wasn’t just William—Nolan and Serena both had the same thought. Nolan, shameless as ever, even offered, “Need this prince to step in?”
His words implied William couldn’t even keep order in his own family.
“Thank you, Ninth Royal Uncle, but I can handle Wang Clan affairs myself.” William’s resentment toward his troublesome relatives deepened.
A bunch of fools—he’d shown mercy again and again for the sake of family, but if they refused to learn, he wouldn’t hold back next time.
A flash of pain and sorrow crossed William’s eyes. Serena noticed and gently comforted him, “Jinling, everything will be alright.”
Being betrayed and abandoned by your own family was the worst kind of pain—just like Imperial Noble Consort Helena, just like William. Betrayal by subordinates was understandable, but how could your closest kin go so far?
William forced a smile. “You’re right, Serena—everything will be fine. It’s not convenient to examine me in the carriage. I’ll come to see you another day.”
After this incident, William lost the mood to spar with Nolan. Internal instability was a deadly threat.
“Soon. Your body can’t wait.” Serena knew William was a man with big responsibilities. Seeing his condition was stable, she didn’t press further—whatever needed saying could wait until they returned. They couldn’t risk lingering in the carriage any longer…