Serena Feng had imagined a thousand possible scenarios, even preparing countermeasures for each one while riding in the carriage.
If Ninth Royal Uncle forced her to be a bed-servant, she'd pretend to obey while secretly plotting her escape—sooner or later, she'd ditch him.
If Ninth Royal Uncle offered fake promises and told her to trust him, saying he'd give her a title someday, she'd play coy, blushing as she said she believed him.
If Ninth Royal Uncle coldly warned her not to think that climbing into his bed meant she could do whatever she wanted or become mistress of Ninth Prince Manor, she'd act heartbroken, fighting back tears as she insisted she never would...
If Ninth Royal Uncle said everything would stay the same and that last night never happened, she'd nod tearfully and promise to go along with it.
But what she never expected was for Ninth Royal Uncle to meet her from behind a screen.
Was Ninth Royal Uncle embarrassed? Or just... really embarrassed?
Serena stared blankly at the screen in front of her, looking like she wanted to laugh but didn't dare.
If anyone should be embarrassed, it ought to be her. What was Ninth Royal Uncle shy about? The way he's acting, she couldn't even bring herself to be shy.
"Ahem..." Ninth Royal Uncle coughed softly, trying to prompt Serena after she'd stayed silent for so long.
Ninth Royal Uncle felt a heavy tightness in his chest—not only was he wounded on the outside, but now he was suffering internally too. Serena Feng was going to be the death of him; he'd never met a woman so utterly unfeeling.
After all, he was her man.
Serena didn't show the slightest emotion, which annoyed Ninth Royal Uncle. He'd never dealt with something like this and had no idea what to say, so he just skipped it and got straight to business: "Serena, about today's medical competition, I've already heard. Don't worry, I'll make sure you get an explanation."
Prince Damien of Southlyn was growing more and more brazen—just for the sake of winning a competition, he'd resorted to such underhanded tricks. Did he really think Nolan was so gravely ill he was about to die?
Ahem, Ninth Royal Uncle had forgotten—Serena had used some tricks herself to beat Wendy Summers in the arts rounds. Well, even if he remembered, he'd only applaud Serena and say she'd done well.
"Thank you, Ninth Royal Uncle, but that's not necessary." Serena showed no sign of being flattered, calmly refusing.
"Hmm?" Ninth Royal Uncle said, displeased. Serena was still treating him like an outsider. Apparently last night, she really hadn't been satisfied.
Ninth Royal Uncle was so frustrated he decided he’d have to study up on bedchamber techniques to make sure Serena would be satisfied next time.
Serena pondered for a moment before explaining, "It's not that I don't appreciate it, it's just unnecessary. I've already won three rounds against Wendy Summers, and if nothing goes wrong, I can probably draw one more. Even if I lose the rest, my reputation won't suffer. But it's different for the Su clan—if Wendy loses again, the Su family will be ruined, and they won't take it lying down."
Besides, the Third Prince is always ruthless—he won't leave behind any evidence. Even if everyone knows it was him, there's no guarantee anyone can prove it. It's just a competition; losing isn't the end of the world. There's no need to waste time and energy on this.
The Su Clan cares deeply about its reputation. If she ruined it, they'd stop at nothing—even if it meant dragging her down with them.
No matter how capable she was, she couldn't stand against the power of an entire clan.
As the saying goes, those with nothing to lose aren't afraid of those with something to protect. If the Su Clan lost its mind over defeat, they'd stop caring about consequences. It's best to leave a way out—never push things too far.
"You see things clearly. I thought you cared deeply about winning and losing." Ninth Royal Uncle realized he couldn't figure Serena out—he'd thought she didn't care about victory, but she'd schemed so hard to beat Wendy Summers. Yet now, she was letting a sure win slip away.
Women's thoughts are so complicated, and Serena is the best of the best. Ninth Royal Uncle found that guessing her mind was even more exhausting than planning military logistics.
"Ninth Royal Uncle, the only thing I care about is life and death. Winning or losing for a moment means nothing." Serena couldn't be bothered to tell him she didn't care about such empty fame.
Counting it up, she'd already beaten Wendy Summers in qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting—enough to bring honor to Eastlyn. Even if she lost the rest, she felt no pressure. As one of the main backers of Eastlyn's biggest bet, win or lose, she came out ahead.
Ninth Royal Uncle nodded, thinking over Serena's actions. It was true—she cared more about life and death, and everything else came second. "I misjudged you," he admitted, indirectly apologizing.
Serena curled her lip and didn't respond. Then she remembered the Princess Consort's formal regalia and the expensive jewelry she'd brought with her, so she spoke up about returning the outfit to Ninth Royal Uncle.
That outfit wasn't just valuable—it represented status. If she lost it, she'd be in serious trouble.
But before Serena could finish, Ninth Royal Uncle cut her off: "Anything I've given away, I will never take back. If you don't want it, just throw it out."
If not for last night, he could have accepted her returning the gift. But after what happened, she still wanted to give the clothes back—was she trying to draw a line between them?
Damn it!
Serena, why can't you be like other women and cling to me?
If he weren't injured and unable to show his face, Ninth Royal Uncle would have rushed over and grabbed Serena by the neck, demanding to know what she was thinking.
Throw it out?
She only wanted to return the outfit because she was afraid of losing it—it would be safer at Ninth Prince Manor. No matter what, she had to persuade him to take it back; she didn't want to bring such a burden home.
Serena realized Ninth Royal Uncle was angry, so she lowered her posture and said softly, "Ninth Royal Uncle, that outfit is too valuable. I really can't keep it safe in my little courtyard. If you could, please keep it for me for a while."
That way, nothing could go wrong!
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]
[Translation missing: continue with the next lines to maintain completeness.]