Serena Feng didn’t spell things out, but Ninth Royal Uncle wasn’t stupid—of course he understood. She didn’t press for details, and he didn’t plan to elaborate either.
Now that he knew Serena wasn’t avoiding him, but simply predicted what he’d do, Ninth Royal Uncle had no reason to be angry. Dropping his princely airs, he beckoned to Serena: "Come here."
"No way." Serena turned her head away, proud and defiant.
What a joke. Split personality much? One moment he’s a prince with a subject, the next he’s switching roles—why should she play along?
"If you won’t come over, then I’ll go to you. But if I do, you may not be able to handle the consequences." Ninth Royal Uncle threatened shamelessly.
"Go ahead, see if I care." Serena gritted her teeth, but in the end, she gave in to his bullying and shuffled over reluctantly.
Ninth Royal Uncle wasn’t in a hurry. He watched Serena inch along like an ant, clearly enjoying himself—after all, he wasn’t the one waiting to be rescued.
Ten short steps—even if Serena dragged her feet, she couldn’t delay forever. Soon, only an arm’s length separated them. Ninth Royal Uncle stopped waiting and pulled her straight into his arms.
"Ah..." Serena struggled, but Ninth Royal Uncle held her tight and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Be good, don’t move. Let me hold you. If you keep squirming, I can’t promise I won’t do something inappropriate."
"Hmph..." Serena opened her mouth and bit his arm.
"You—why do you keep biting me more and more?" Ninth Royal Uncle sighed, half amused and half exasperated. He was supposed to be angry, yet every time they fought, he ended up being the one at fault.
"It just means you keep getting more bite-worthy. You profited from the Night City Lord’s death and still have the nerve to posture in front of me—so annoying." Serena poked him hard in the chest twice.
This man was the classic case of getting his way and still acting innocent—truly shameless.
Serena didn’t hold back. Ninth Royal Uncle winced from the pain, but only hugged her tighter and asked, face-to-face, "You’re so sure I’d use this chance to gather evidence?"
"Who do you think you are? With such a golden opportunity in front of you, if you don’t act, you’re not Ninth Royal Uncle. Besides, I had Xiling Tianyu pass you a message: I’d take the lead on this, so you could stay hidden in the shadows—no need to worry about the Emperor catching on or knowing you've already got the proof."
After nearly a year of knowing Ninth Royal Uncle, Serena understood his opportunistic nature well. The Night City Lord’s case was full of secrets—of course he’d dig deep.
"If your hint was that subtle, what if I didn’t catch it?" Ninth Royal Uncle pressed his forehead to Serena’s, nuzzling her as their hair quietly tangled together.
Sunlight streamed in, bathing them in a soft halo—dreamy and blurred, but with no one there to see.
Hearing Ninth Royal Uncle’s teasing tone, Serena realized this reserved man wasn’t angry at all—he was just putting on a stern act to scare her.
Serena laughed, wrapping both arms around Ninth Royal Uncle’s waist. "If you missed the hint, then you missed your chance. It’s just Night City—there are eight other city-states. Worst case, you could marry Charlotte Chu and take Chu City as your dowry."
"You want me to marry someone else?" Ninth Royal Uncle grumbled.
"What do you mean, I want you to marry? Whether you marry or not is up to you—I can’t stop you." Serena lifted her head, bumping noses with him, eyes smiling, as if to say his marriage plans didn’t affect her.
"You..." Ninth Royal Uncle dipped his head and pecked her lips. "So stingy. I’m just upset you never consult me about anything, and now you bring up Chu City. You know I’d never marry anyone else."
Since he couldn’t marry her, he might as well stay single. Anyway, everyone who could force him to wed was dead. The Emperor would be thrilled if he never married, ending his branch of the family for good.
Getting the answer she wanted, Serena smiled even brighter, nestling into his arms. "I wasn’t just using Chu City as an excuse—I really mean it. If marrying one woman could win you a city, I’d support you marrying women from all Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities. That way, you’d have peace without a single battle."
Ninth Royal Uncle ruffled Serena’s hair. "So petty. You know it’s impossible, yet you still say it."
"Hehe~ A harem’s not worth dreaming about. You’d better forget marriage altogether. Anyway, if things don’t go as you say, Night City’s business is settled for now. All we need to do is wait—wait for Eastlyn and Night City’s conflict to erupt, then reap the rewards."
"I like hearing you say 'we.' Remember, we face these things together. Next time you make a move, at least give me a heads-up instead of deciding alone." Just as Serena said, right now the Emperor was the one benefiting from Night City’s trouble, but in the long run, only Nolan could truly claim the city.
"If there’s time, I don’t mind." When Night City’s crisis broke out, she was put under Imperial Guard watch—sometimes things weren’t up to them.
"You had time to consult others, but not me?" Ninth Royal Uncle was annoyed by Serena’s evasive attitude.
"It’s different—you’re Ninth Royal Uncle. Just seeing you isn’t easy." Serena meant that meeting him, unless she made a move, was always difficult.
On that point, even Ninth Royal Uncle had nothing to say. His status set him apart—too many eyes were on him.
Ninth Royal Uncle sighed, hugging Serena and burying his face in her neck. "Qingchen, with all the glory and power I enjoy, I have to take responsibility for it too."
No one gets privilege without paying a price—not the Emperor, and certainly not Ninth Royal Uncle. His high rank meant constant scrutiny; every move was magnified.
Serena nodded hard. "I get it. We all have times when we’re not free. So tell me—why did you come to Feng Manor today with so much fanfare?"
Even if he wanted to back her up, Ninth Royal Uncle wouldn’t bring out the full ceremonial entourage. This kind of show wasn’t just for support—it was a major production.
"I’m here to ask you to save Felix Fuller." Ninth Royal Uncle knew Serena wouldn’t like it, but he made his purpose clear.
"What?" Serena was shocked, jerking her head up. If Nolan hadn’t reacted quickly, she would’ve busted his chin open.
"You heard me. I want you to save Felix Fuller." Ninth Royal Uncle repeated.
Serena was so furious she could spit blood. "You want me to save that bastard Felix? Are you serious? You actually want me to save him? Are you out of your mind?"
"I’m not joking. I’m being perfectly clear—go save Felix Fuller." Ninth Royal Uncle met her eyes, utterly calm in contrast to her fury.
That was exactly why Serena was mad. She glared at him, eyes wide. After a moment, she gave up, jumped away, and shouted, "I won’t! I won’t! I won’t!"
Three refusals in a row—Serena’s determination was clear.
She was the one who tampered with the bullet, and now they wanted her to save him? She couldn’t stand such hypocrisy.
Ninth Royal Uncle didn’t shout. He waited for Serena to calm down, then stepped forward, gripped her shoulders, and said seriously, "Qingchen, Felix can’t die yet. You have to save him!"