WBSGVS Chapter 196 V1

It was another morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten when Qingli got up. She left with Baizhu and a few others, heading toward the Qilin Hall.

As a princess, she had no entanglements with the consorts of the harem. On the first day she moved into the Chaoyang Palace, she received many congratulatory gifts, but after that, no one came to visit her, not even the other princesses who lived in the same palace.

Although they didn’t live with their mothers, they still interacted from time to time. It was likely they’d been advised to stay distant. Aside from exchanging basic greetings, they had no other contact with her.

Qingli didn’t mind one bit. She was perfectly happy being a loner.

Her only regular outing was to visit Sima Yan.

Sima Yan was a good kid. She had been teaching him for five years. Though he had a somewhat timid personality, he quickly adapted to his new surroundings and obediently attended classes in an unfamiliar place, never once putting himself at a disadvantage.

With Qingli guiding him, his studies progressed much faster than his peers. But under her instructions, he never showed off. He acted like a mild and quiet little prince, never drawing attention.

The Prince Regent was still recovering from an assassination attempt. Even though Consort Li resented the siblings deeply, Sima Yan, thanks to Qingli’s guidance, remained cautious and on guard. He even practices martial arts now. Life, at the moment, was peaceful.

Qingli was quite pleased she hadn’t lazily left the Cold Palace when she had the chance. If she had gone any earlier, Sima Yan would’ve still been a frail five- or six-year-old. Protecting him then would’ve been a real headache.

She was lost in thought as she made her way to Qilin Hall.

The moment she stepped inside, she saw a man in ornate clothing practicing swordplay. His movements were fluid and graceful, yet powerful. There was something oddly familiar about him.

Qingli paused, narrowing her eyes and watching him more closely.

Sensing her gaze, the man spun his sword with a flourish and came to a stop. His charming eyes briefly flickered with surprise before he respectfully bowed. “Fu Cheng greets Princess Leyi.”

Qingli’s face was blank. It was too early, and she didn’t feel like making facial expressions—especially for someone she didn’t like. She didn’t even bother to feign politeness.

So it was Fu Cheng.

Technically, she wasn’t supposed to recognize him. He’d worn a mask the last time, and she had fainted before seeing him. So now, she simply nodded and was about to continue walking.

But after just a few steps, Fu Cheng called out and walked up to her. “Princess Leyi, please wait.”

Qingli turned to look at him, her eyes half-lidded, silently asking: What is it?

Fu Cheng: “…”

He had not expected this kind of reaction after waiting all morning. Not even a flicker of interest!

Usually, when he spoke with women, they blushed and stammered, hearts pounding. And those were noble ladies well-versed in etiquette. But this woman? She looked like she found him annoying.

Fu Cheng’s smile twitched slightly, but he maintained a gentle tone. “We once met by chance. I left you a jade pendant and may have offended you. But you saved me, so I’ve come to repay the favor.”

Qingli seemed to recall something. She lifted her eyelids a little and looked at him. “…That was you?”

Fu Cheng smiled more tenderly. “I’m the eldest legitimate son of the Fu family of Nanqu. My mother is the Emperor’s sister. Strictly speaking, you should call me a cousin.”

Nanqu was a major province and the Fu family’s ancestral home. It was also a place where countless scholars aspired to study. The Fu family held significant influence there.

Unfortunately, Qingli hadn’t fully grasped the power dynamics of the palace yet. His grand self-introduction didn’t impress her at all. She blinked, curious. “So… you stopped me to repay your debt?”

Fu Cheng nodded. “That incident meant a great deal to me. Of course, I want to repay you.”

Qingli smiled and said, “Then kneel.”

Fu Cheng’s calm facade cracked. He was stunned. “You—what did you say?!”

Kneel?

She wanted him to kneel?!

Even the Emperor wouldn’t just casually demand that from him!

The palace maid assigned to serve Qingli was just as shocked. She tugged at Qingli’s sleeve and whispered, “Princess, he’s the eldest son of the Fu family. He’s your cousin!”

Qingli shot the maid a warning glare. The maid turned pale and fell silent. Qingli replied coolly, “Exactly. You want to repay a favor, and what I need is… for you to kneel and knock your head on the ground three times. That’s all. What? You’re unwilling?”

Fu Cheng took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and forced a smile. “You’re making things difficult, Cousin. There are many ways to repay a favor. Kneeling is a bit… inappropriate. How about—”

Qingli’s tone turned bored. “Then forget it. Your so-called gratitude is insincere. What a buzzkill.” With that, she turned and walked off.

Fu Cheng didn’t even get to finish his sentence before being brushed off. His face darkened as he turned and went inside.

When Qingli arrived at Sima Yan’s room, the young boy had just finished running laps in the courtyard. Dripping with sweat, he rushed over. “Sis! You’re late today!”

Qingli chuckled. “Sorry, something came up.”

Sima Yan pouted, then clung to her and made her wipe his sweat before letting go. After practicing a few martial arts moves—working up another sweat—he bathed, and the two of them ate breakfast together.

The one good thing about leaving the Cold Palace was that they both now had access to ice.

In the blazing summer, they no longer felt like they had to soak in cold water just to survive.

After breakfast, Qingli returned to her quarters while Sima Yan went off to attend his classes at the Imperial Academy. It all seemed just like before—except one group of people was acting very differently.

Sima Qinghe and the others were unusually quiet.

Normally, when they gathered, the conversation was lively. Sima Qinghe would talk about which consort got sabotaged yesterday, how Imperial Consort Shu scolded a favored concubine today. Yi Han would brag about who he beat in the military camp. Sima Chang would share updates from the court.