"Your Highness, if there are any books you wish to read, just say the word and we will have them delivered to the Eastern Palace. There is no need for you to make the trip yourself."
The head of the Education Committee Member said with a fawning smile, speaking very cautiously.
"It is no matter. I have not returned to the academy for a long time and missed the scholarly atmosphere here. I will just take a walk; there is no need for you to follow."
"Xue Qinghe's" voice was as gentle as ever, carrying an irresistible charisma.
He waved his hand, signaling his attendants and the Education Committee Member members to wait outside.
Alone, he pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped into the temple of knowledge.
Inside the library, it was still quiet.
He saw the figure sitting by the window at a glance.
Li Yifei.
He seemed completely unaffected by the commotion outside, just sitting there quietly, like a statue.
"Xue Qinghe's" heart skipped a beat.
He was here.
He really was right here.
Xue Qinghe's breathing stagnated for a brief moment.
She forced herself to look away, maintaining the elegance and composure befitting a Crown Prince, as if she were merely glancing around casually.
On the other side, Ye Lingling, who had been called out by Li Yifei's sudden question, froze completely.
Her already pale, pretty face instantly turned deathly white.
Peeking?
Did he notice?
Since when did he notice?
I was clearly being so careful!
Countless thoughts exploded in her mind, leaving her brain a total blank, unable to even make the most basic reaction.
She stood there like a fawn targeted by a hunter, her heart pounding wildly.
Li Yifei didn't look at her again.
His gaze passed through the rows of silent bookshelves, landing precisely on the figure who had just entered the library, dressed in the pale gold casual attire of the Crown Prince.
He tried his best to make everything appear normal.
However, with just one glance, Li Yifei understood.
That "???" in the group had previously been at odds with Bibi Dong and later showed great concern regarding the Angel God.
And now...
In the next moment, his consciousness sank into the Chat Group in his mind.
[Li Yifei: @???, what are you doing here?]
These words appeared silently on the Chat Group interface.
At the same time, Xue Qinghe, who was trying hard to play the role of the gentle Crown Prince, suddenly halted her steps.
Her body experienced a momentary stiffness that was almost imperceptible to the naked eye.
Deep within those eyes that always held just the right amount of a smile, a tempestuous storm erupted.
Is he... talking to me?
Does he know it's me?
How could he possibly know it's me?!
Her disguise was ruthlessly torn apart at this moment.
The calm state of mind she had meticulously maintained for years completely collapsed in this instant.
Panic surged in her eyes like a tide, only to be suppressed by her powerful willpower.
But that slight physical tremor and her momentarily ragged breathing could not escape Li Yifei's mental force perception.
Xue Qinghe took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
She understood.
The other party was someone who had seen the "script."
He knew who Xue Qinghe was, and thus he knew who "???" was.
Her arrival, in his eyes, was likely like a performance that had long been announced.
Having realized this, the sense of surprise faded, replaced by a deeper sense of helplessness and wariness.
Meanwhile, the Chat Group had completely exploded.
The first to react was Ning Rongrong, her Young Miss temper instantly ignited.
[Worlds Number One Princess:???]
[Worlds Number One Princess: You, the one with the three question marks! You actually went to find Brother Yi Fei?!]
[Worlds Number One Princess: How dare you! Who gave you the courage! You just wait for me!]
[A Little Wild Goose: No way? For real? She's actually at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?]
[Little Fox Demon: Who is she? How is she so fast?]
Liu Erlong's consciousness followed closely, with a teasing tone of someone who enjoyed watching the chaos.
[Is Jade Not Jade: Yo, I'm impressed.]
[Is Jade Not Jade: I was just talking, but I didn't expect someone to actually be this brave and go straight to his door.]
[Is Jade Not Jade: Little sister, how about a live broadcast of the scene for your big sister?]
Xue Qinghe had no time to worry about the clamor in the group.
Her entire focus was concentrated on the man still sitting by the window.
He hadn't even looked back at her once.
He just sat there calmly, as if that question, which was enough to overturn her entire world, was just a casual remark.
This feeling of being completely seen through and thoroughly manipulated gave Xue Qinghe an unprecedented sense of humiliation.
But rising along with the humiliation was an irrepressible, morbid hope.
It was precisely because he knew everything that he might be her only way to break the deadlock.
She slowly lifted her feet and walked toward Li Yifei, step by step.
Each step felt like she was treading on her own proud self-esteem.
In the library, everyone's attention was drawn to this uninvited guest.
The Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had actually come to such a place in person.
Even more surprising was that he walked straight toward a young man sitting in the corner.
Ye Lingling finally snapped out of her stiffness; she looked at the Crown Prince walking toward Li Yifei, her eyes filled with confusion.
Li Yifei... just who is he?
Finally, Xue Qinghe arrived in front of Li Yifei.
She stopped and looked down at the man before her.
Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto his profile and outlining a perfect silhouette.
He was clearly sitting right there, yet he gave off a sense of distance as if he were worlds away.
Xue Qinghe's throat felt a bit dry.
She opened her mouth and, using the voice belonging to "Xue Qinghe"—as warm and smooth as jade—she asked.
"Student, may I sit here?"
Her voice wasn't loud, yet it spread clearly throughout the quiet reading area.
Li Yifei slowly shifted his gaze back.
Those deep eyes gazed at her calmly, as if they could see through all her disguises.
"As you wish. This is a public area; you don't need my permission."
Nuoding City, the academy's back hill.
Xiao Wu sat on the highest slope, hugging her knees as she quietly gazed into the distance.
Tang San's invitation was still echoing in her ears.
"Xiao Wu, it's the holidays. Come back to Saint Spirit Village with me. My father... he will definitely like you."
When he said this, his face carried a hint of youthful shyness and expectation.
Before yesterday, Xiao Wu would have agreed without hesitation.
She liked being with him, liked watching him comb her long hair, and liked the gentle tone he used when calling her "Xiao Wu."
But now, everything had changed.
The information in the Chat Group was like poisoned daggers, cutting her originally simple and happy world into fragmented pieces.
Some things that happened in the group made her think of her mother...
That gentle mother, who would rub her cheek with the softest fur and hum forest lullabies to coax her to sleep.