Chapter 124: Xu Jiujiu's InterrogationDai Youheng straightened his robes and stepped slowly into the hall. Compared to the corridor, the lighting inside was softer. Behind a massive desk, the two most powerful siblings in the Empire were watching him.His gaze immediately fell upon Xu Jiujiu
.Today, she wasn't wearing elaborate palace attire, but a simple light-golden casual outfit. Her dark hair was loosely pinned up with a jade hairpin, making her look less of the deliberately bright and dazzling beauty she usually was, but adding a touch of the steadiness and majesty she possessed when handling government affairs—an aura unique to those who wielded real power.Following etiquette, he took a few steps forward, bowed with his hands cupped, and said in a clear voice, "Dai Youheng pays respects to Your Majesty and Her Highness the Princess."He did not perform the full kneeling salute, which was the proper etiquette for an audience with a monarch.However, his persona of being "deeply infatuated and unconstrained by etiquette" was already deeply ingrained in everyone's minds. Emperor Xu Jiawei's gaze lingered on him for a moment; he didn't get angry, but instead, a trace of an ambiguous smile played at the corners of his lips, as if he were looking at an immature yet interesting Junior."Nephew Youheng, no need for such formalities," Emperor Xu Jiawei said warmly, breaking the brief silence. "You've finally arrived. Just now, while my Imperial Sister was reviewing memorials, she seemed a bit distracted. I'm afraid she's been waiting for you for a long time." His words were clearly teasing.Xu Jiujiu lowered her eyelids at the right moment, her long, thick eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes. A very faint blush rose to her cheeks, like white jade stained with sunset clouds. She didn't speak to refute him, but her fingertips curled slightly.This display of emotion was executed perfectly, enough to stir anyone's heart.However, Dai Youheng watched coldly from the sidelines, secretly assessing: in this shyness, how much was calculation, how much was habitual performance, and how much was perhaps a truly inexplicable ripple of emotion?He estimated that at most, thirty percent sincerity was the limit.Dai Youheng also displayed an appropriate amount of awkwardness and excitement, his voice seemingly trembling slightly with joy. "I too have been thinking of Her Highness day and night, wishing I could fly into the palace immediately."His words were earnest, but his heart was completely unmoved. Because his own sincerity was even less, infinitely approaching zero.Seeing this, Emperor Xu Jiawei let out a hearty laugh, breaking the subtle atmosphere. "Haha, good! Young people should be true to their feelings! Well then, I still have some government affairs to discuss with several ministers, so I won't stay here and be an eyesore. You young people talk among yourselves."The Emperor stood up, gave Xu Jiujiu a meaningful look, and then departed surrounded by his attendants. The heavy palace doors slowly closed, isolating the inside and outside into two different Worlds.For a moment, only Dai Youheng and Xu Jiujiu remained in the hall, along with Nebula Douluo, who stood in the shadows of the corner as if she didn't exist. The scent of ink and agarwood permeating the air seemed to grow even stronger.Xu Jiujiu didn't speak immediately. She walked slowly from behind the desk, her skirt swaying gently. Her footsteps were silent yet carried a natural royal rhythm as she walked toward Dai Youheng step by step.She stopped just three steps away from him. This distance was neither too intimate to be rude, yet enough to create an invisible sense of pressure.She raised her head. Her gaze was no longer the soft gentleness from when her eyes were downcast, but had become sharp as a knife, as if she wanted to peel away his disguise layer by layer and strike directly at his core. That gaze scrutinized his brow, his eyes, and every minute change in expression on his face."Your Highness..." Dai Youheng was the first to break the silence, an appropriately puzzled smile appearing on his face. "Why are you looking at me like this? Is there something wrong with me?"Xu Jiujiu didn't answer his question. She just looked at him silently for a long time—long enough for any guilty person to show a flaw.Then, she suddenly gave a very soft, cold snort. That sound was icy, carrying a trace of thin anger from being deceived, as well as the mockery of having seen through to the truth."I just want to take a careful look," she said, enunciating every word. Her voice wasn't loud, but it struck clearly in the silent hall. "You liar, just how long do you plan on deceiving me?"The smile on Dai Youheng's face froze instantly, transforming into a perfect mix of shock and disbelief. His pupils contracted slightly. "Why does Your Highness say such a thing? My heart for Your Highness can be witnessed by the sun and moon! When have I ever lied to you?"His reaction was impeccable, full of the shock and grievance of being wronged."Still playing dumb?" Xu Jiujiu took a step closer, the distance between them shortening to two steps. Her faint fragrance and a chilly aura rushed toward him. Her voice was lowered even further, yet it became increasingly sharp, like an ice pick stabbing at a vital point."Grandmother Man Yi returned yesterday and has already explained everything to me." She stared into his eyes, not allowing him to dodge. "I actually didn't know that you had quietly achieved a Breakthrough to the Spirit King Realm, standing at the same level as me!"Her words were like a clap of thunder, exploding in the hall."But, just over two months ago, right under those palace walls!" Her tone suddenly became heavier, carrying an aggressive interrogation. "You took those three palms of mine so pathetically! You even spat blood and fell to the ground! Tell me, what kind of Immortal Herb or Spirit Medicine can not only make someone's cultivation jump several levels but also allow someone who couldn't even withstand three of my palms to leap in strength to the point of contending with a Spirit Emperor in just two months?"Her gaze was burning, as if she wanted to set him on fire. "Those three palms, you did it on purpose, didn't you?With the strength you have hidden now, how could you possibly have been unable to take them back then? You were acting from the very beginning! Why? Tell me, why did you go to such lengths to hide your strength from me, even to the point of taking those three palms? What was it all for?"Her chest heaved slightly, revealing her inner turmoil. She wouldn't care so much if others deceived her, but anyone could lie to her except Dai Youheng.In her inherent impression, Dai Youheng was her most loyal simp. Anyone could betray her, but he couldn't."Don't use that same rhetoric you used to brush off Shrek to fool me!" She interrupted the explanation he might have given, her speech fast and clear. "At that time, you were in Star Luo, in front of me! Taking my three palms would at most prove you had some talent; it wouldn't have attracted too much attention from Shrek! You had absolutely no need to hide your strength!"She stared at him intently, her beautiful eyes now filled with scrutiny, doubt, and a trace of unmistakable disappointment."Dai Youheng, I want to hear the truth!"The air in the hall seemed to solidify. The light from the soul tool lamps spilled down, elongating their shadows and casting them onto the mirror-like floor, like two silent statues in a standoff.In the corner, Nebula Douluo seemed to have merged with the shadows, with only her faint aura indicating she had been present all along.Facing the Princess's sharp questioning, a crack seemed to have been torn in all of Dai Youheng's disguises.He fell silent for a moment. The shock and grievance on his face slowly faded, replaced by a complex and indescribable expression.