Chapter 249: Doing a Small Favor (First Update)

Rong Xiu paused his footsteps and glanced sideways.

Upon seeing Situ Xingchen, a trace of faint confusion surfaced in his clear, clean eyes.

"You are—"

It was as if Situ Xingchen had been doused with a bucket of cold water; her originally fervent and excited heart instantly went cold.

Nevertheless, she managed to force a smile onto her face

"Senior Brother Rong Xiu, it's me, Xingchen!"

Rong Xiu narrowed his eyes, seemingly trying to recall who the woman before him actually was.

Behind him, Yan Qing reminded him in a low voice

"Your Highness, she is Elder Zong Ye's niece."

Hearing this, a look of realization dawned on Rong Xiu.

"So it is Eldest Princess Situ."

Watching his reaction, Situ Xingchen saw that he truly did not remember her, and her heart grew almost entirely frozen.

His stranger-like, aloof tone caused her even more agony.

Ever since she learned that this Qingjiao Assembly would be held in the imperial capital of the Yaochen Kingdom, she had been constantly imagining the scene of their reunion.

She had fantasized about this moment countless times, but she never imagined it would turn out like this.

He simply did not recognize her at all.

She took a deep breath, finally managing to suppress the disappointment in her heart.

In truth, they had been apart for over two years, and her current appearance was somewhat different from before; it was only natural that he wouldn't recognize her at a glance.

After comforting herself in this manner, her expression gradually returned to normal.

"It has been a long time since we last met. Senior Brother Rong Xiu's grace and elegance have surpassed the past."

Rong Xiu gave a light cough and smiled warmly, yet no hint of a smile reached the corners of his eyes, which remained cold and detached.

"The Eldest Princess is too kind. This Prince has a frail constitution and is merely a walking medicine jar; I truly cannot accept such high praise."

Situ Xingchen hesitated to speak.

She knew he was by no means as weak and harmless as he appeared on the surface.

In the past, she had personally witnessed how extraordinary and peerless he was.

But clearly, now was not the time to discuss such things.

A shimmering light seemed to flicker within her watery eyes as she said softly

"It is too polite of you to address me as Senior Brother Rong Xiu. Since we belong to the same sect, Senior Brother Rong Xiu can just call me—"

"The Eldest Princess's words are misplaced."

Rong Xiu interrupted her in a flat tone. A smile played on his lips, but his attitude became even more distant and cold.

"You are Elder Zong Ye's niece, whereas this Prince studies under Elder Zhuying. The Mingyue Heavenly Mountain has eight Great Elders in total, each presiding over their own faction; we are inherently different. Furthermore, the two Elders have each been focused on secluded cultivation in recent years, and their interactions have not been frequent. To say we 'belong to the same sect' is quite an exaggeration. As for the title of 'Senior Brother,' I must ask the Eldest Princess to withdraw it."

Hearing this, the crowd, who had been bewildered, finally understood.

It turned out that both of them hailed from the Mingyue Heavenly Mountain, but they did not follow the same person.

In that sense, they indeed could not be considered senior and junior fellow disciples.

Moreover, anyone could hear that although Rong Xiu's words were polite, his attitude was very clear: he clearly had no intention of having any connection with Situ Xingchen!

This Situ Xingchen had truly run straight into a wall!

"Senior Brother Rong—"

Situ Xingchen had not expected Rong Xiu to distance himself from her so easily, and for a moment, she did not know how to respond.

She had been born into high status, and whether in terms of appearance or talent, she was exceptionally outstanding.

Her Imperial Father, Imperial Mother, her brother, and many others had always doted on her.

Especially the young men; when facing her, they were either at a loss for words or excessively attentive, always making her the center of attention.

She was used to being pursued and admired; being suddenly brushed off by Rong Xiu like this left her at a loss.

The moment she opened her mouth, she met Rong Xiu's calm, restrained gaze that carried a faint sense of pressure. She instinctively closed her mouth, her elegant and gentle face turning a mottled red and white.

Rong Xiu, however, seemed not to notice her embarrassment at all, turning to walk toward the direction of the Tianlu Academy.

Yan Qing glanced at Situ Xingchen, silently offering condolences to the Eldest Princess in his heart.

It wasn't a mistake to like the Master, but once one offended the person closest to the Master's heart, how could the Master possibly show her any kindness?

During this short time since returning to the capital, the Master had already looked into everything related to that person from the past few days, and naturally, he had heard of the Eldest Princess Situ's repeated attempts to make things difficult.

The Master had a photographic memory; whether it was books he had read or people he had met, he remembered everything clearly.

His actions just now were nothing more than a way to embarrass her.

Looking at Rong Xiu's departing figure, he was tall and upright, yet cold and distant.

Situ Xingchen retreated two steps, looking lost, unable to recover her senses for a long time.

"Rong Xiu, why are you here?"

Seeing Rong Xiu, Sun Zhongyan and the others were also quite surprised.

A few days ago, he had said he had matters to attend to and left the academy; they hadn't expected him to come straight here upon his return.

Sun Zhongyan asked with some concern

"How is your health?"

Rong Xiu shook his head with a faint smile

"Rest assured, Elder Sun, this Prince is well. It is just that there is a small matter that requires Miss Liuyue's help, so I have come specifically for that."

As soon as these words were spoken, not only Elder Sun but even the surrounding people who were eavesdropping were somewhat astonished.

Miss Liuyue?

Wasn't he talking about Chu Liuyue?

What kind of business would the dignified Prince Li have that required Chu Liuyue's help?

Elder Sun was curious, but he did not ask further, merely nodding

"That girl is currently competing; I'm afraid it will be a while before it ends."

Rong Xiu smiled faintly

"It matters not. This Prince will wait."

Having said that, he truly found a seat and sat down to wait quietly.

Yan Qing stood behind him, his expressionless face making him look like an iceberg.

This caused many young girls who had feelings for the frail and gentle Prince Li to become much more cautious and wary.

Prince Li seemed to have a good temperament, but this cold-faced guard... seemed not to be someone to be trifled with!

Rong Xiu remained indifferent to the various gazes, simply watching the field quietly, as if he truly was patiently waiting for the competition to end.

This situation once again triggered secret discussions among many people.

"How could Prince Li and Chu Liuyue have any connection? What kind of matter could require her help?"

"Who knows? Prince Li's status is noble; is he someone we can pry into?"

"Could it be that Prince Li and Chu Liuyue—I heard that during the Crown Prince's birthday banquet, Prince Li once helped her out of a difficult situation!"

"How is that possible!? That must have just been because Prince Li is a kind-hearted person! What right does Chu Liuyue have to receive Prince Li's favor? She is no longer a lady of a great clan..."

"But her father, Chu Ning, is already the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard! Not to mention her talent is so good! After this Qingjiao Assembly, Chu Liuyue is likely to become highly sought after!"

"I don't think there's much possibility between them..."

Situ Xingchen naturally saw this scene as well.

The mood she had finally managed to recover was once again thrown into turmoil.

She gripped her sleeves tightly, using a great deal of effort to restrain the impulse to step forward and ask.

Others might not know, but she knew clearly!

The Glazed Realm that Chu Liuyue used earlier—Rong Xiu knew how to use it!