Chapter 18: Finding Miss Bai

The noon break bell rang, and Zhao Qingyue immediately pulled Bai Shuangshuang toward the dining hall.

“You’re in such a hurry?”

Bai Shuangshuang stumbled as she was tugged along.

“If we’re late, the Osmanthus Cake will be gone.”

Zhao Qingyue didn’t look back.

“The National Academy’s Osmanthus Cake is the best in the whole Royal City. I told you.”

Bai Shuangshuang was pressed into a seat at the table, and before long, a plate of Osmanthus Cake was brought over.

The snow-white cake was sprinkled with golden osmanthus stamens, a sweet fragrance wafting into her nose.

Zhao Qingyue broke off a piece, stuffed it into her mouth, squinted her eyes, and looked completely satisfied.

Bai Shuangshuang hesitated for a moment, then picked up a piece and took a bite.

Soft, light, and sweet—the osmanthus aroma melted on her tongue.

It was indeed delicious.

“How is it?”

Zhao Qingyue rested her chin in her hand and looked at her, eyes sparkling.

“It’s okay~”

“Okay? Your eyes lit up just now.”

“No, they didn’t.”

“Yes, they did.”

“…Just eat yours.”

Bai Shuangshuang shoved the whole piece of Osmanthus Cake into her mouth, silencing that chattering mouth.

Zhao Qingyue choked for a moment, downed half a cup of tea to recover, glared at Bai Shuangshuang, but still couldn’t help laughing.

She felt that her attitude toward Bai Shuangshuang had gradually shifted from the initial simple fun of teasing to something like… doting now.

But she really couldn’t help it, because it was too similar.

Really too similar…

The two were enjoying their meal when a maidservant hurried over and whispered a few words in Zhao Qingyue’s ear.

Zhao Qingyue raised an eyebrow slightly and brushed the cake crumbs off her hands.

“I’ve got something to do. I’ll be right back. Wait here, don’t run off.”

“Where would I run off to?”

“True.”

Zhao Qingyue stood up with a grin.

“I’m off then~”

Not long after she left, Bai Shuangshuang regretted not going with her.

A few students gathered around, holding teacups, wearing perfectly appropriate smiles—the kind practiced in social settings, neither too deliberate nor lacking enthusiasm.

“Miss Bai, your responses in class today were truly admirable.”

“Yes, we are no match for you.”

“How long have you been at the Prince’s Mansion? Where did you work before? You’re not just a simple maid, are you? Did His Highness hire you specially as the princess’s study companion?”

Bai Shuangshuang answered them one by one, her tone polite but distant.

But these people seemed incapable of understanding rejection—one left, another came forward.

The topics shifted from policy essays to poetry, from poetry to local customs, and somehow ended up on the direction of “Has the young lady been betrothed to anyone?”

A young man in fine clothes held his teacup and said with a smile.

“Miss Bai, if you find it uncomfortable at the Prince’s Mansion, my estate happens to be short a tutor. The pay is generous—”

“Oh, come off it.”

Someone beside him interrupted with a laugh.

“She belongs to the Commandery Princess. You dare poach her?”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Bai Shuangshuang still wore a proper smile on her face, but inside she had already broken out in several layers of goosebumps.

In her previous life at the Qingyun Sword Sect, while her junior sisters also liked to gather around her, it was out of sect camaraderie—clean and straightforward.

And at least they were girls.

Now, surrounded by a group of strange men showing goodwill from every angle, that sticky feeling made her extremely uncomfortable.

She wished she could draw her sword on the spot and drive them all away.

Fortunately, Zhao Qingyue returned.

“Oh? This is quite lively, isn’t it?”

Her voice floated in from outside the crowd, lazy, with a hint of a half-smile tone.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

Zhao Qingyue strolled in, her gaze sweeping over Bai Shuangshuang, then scanning the students, the corners of her mouth curving.

“What were you chatting about? Having fun?”

“N-nothing! Just asking Miss Bai about some studies, haha—”

The young man in fine clothes laughed dryly and stepped back.

“Discussing studies?”

Zhao Qingyue tilted her head.

“You dare poach my person?”

Her tone was light, as if joking.

But the student’s faces had already changed.

They quickly excused themselves and scattered in an instant.

Bai Shuangshuang might not have seen it, but they had witnessed Zhao Qingyue’s anger before.

If they didn’t want to court disaster, they’d better scram.

Bai Shuangshuang let out a long breath, as if she had just been pulled out of water.

Zhao Qingyue looked at her like that and laughed out loud.

“What? Our little wildcat is pretty popular. Not happy?”

“…”

“Want me, the Commandery Princess, to pick a promising young man for you and arrange your marriage?”

Zhao Qingyue leaned in, blinked, her tone full of mischief.

“No!”

Bai Shuangshuang answered decisively.

Zhao Qingyue nodded in satisfaction and concluded with a straight face.

“Looks like the little wildcat is pretty fond of me, her mistress. Doesn’t want to leave. Moving—truly moving.”

Bai Shuangshuang opened her mouth to deny it.

But if she denied it, wouldn’t that mean she wanted to get married?

She was trapped either way.

She shut her mouth and shot Zhao Qingyue a fierce glare.

Zhao Qingyue laughed even more happily, reaching out to drape an arm over her shoulder.

“Let’s go, let’s go! There are still classes this afternoon~”

The afternoon class was unremarkable—just recitation and explanation of classics and histories.

Bai Shuangshuang listened drowsily, but Zhao Qingyue was full of energy because she had been secretly passing notes.

The note read: “Are you sleepy?” Bai Shuangshuang replied with an “Mm.”

The next one said: “I’m sleepy too.”

Bai Shuangshuang didn’t reply.

The next one said: “You did well today. I’ll let you pat my head when we get back tonight.”

Bai Shuangshuang’s eyes widened.

She crumpled the last note into a ball and stuffed it into her sleeve.

‘I need to keep this as evidence.’

Zhao Qingyue laughed soundlessly beside her, her shoulders shaking.

Actually, even if Lady Zhao whispered in class, no master would dare scold her.

Passing notes was just for fun.

After barely enduring until school ended, the two got on the carriage and headed back along the main street of the Royal City.

Bai Shuangshuang leaned against the carriage wall to rest her eyes, while Zhao Qingyue leaned on her shoulder, breathing lightly, carrying the sweet scent of Osmanthus Cake—whether genuinely tired or pretending.

The carriage stopped in front of the Prince’s Mansion.

As soon as they got off, a maidservant trotted up to greet them.

“Commandery Princess, His Highness said—”

“Got it. I’ll go over later.”

Zhao Qingyue waved her hand, thinking her father was calling for her again.

The maidservant caught her breath, shook her head, and quickly added the rest.

“His Highness said to request Miss Bai’s presence.”

Both mistress and maid were stunned.

Zhao Qingyue blinked, looking at the maidservant, then at Bai Shuangshuang.

“Who’s my father looking for?”

“Miss Bai.”

The maidservant repeated.

Bai Shuangshuang was also stunned.

The Prince is looking for her?

A maid who was picked up?

The two exchanged a glance.

Zhao Qingyue’s expression shifted from surprise to curiosity, then to schadenfreude.

“Well, well. You’re even better at stirring up trouble than I am.”

“What trouble did I stir up?”

“You’ll find out when you go~”

Zhao Qingyue pushed her along.

“Come on. If you whine to me a little, I might begrudgingly accompany you to the Council Hall~”

“No need.”

The maidservant smiled apologetically.

“His Highness said to request Miss Bai to go alone—”

Zhao Qingyue stopped in her tracks, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Although she was a bit worried, her father shouldn’t make things difficult for a little maidservant.

But when she turned to look at Bai Shuangshuang, her expression immediately changed to a smile of amusement.

“Then you’re on your own~ Let me tell you, my father is terrifying!”

Zhao Qingyue waved her arms menacingly, making Bai Shuangshuang feel uneasy inside.

‘Wasn’t that Prince quite kind when we met at the market that day?’

‘Is he really… that fierce?’

With a mix of anxiety, Bai Shuangshuang followed the maidservant through the corridor and arrived at the entrance of the Council Hall.

The door was open.

Zhao Qingchuan sat inside, a few sheets of paper spread out on the table in front of him.

Bai Shuangshuang recognized them—they were the dialogue transcripts recorded by the National Academy’s scribe.

The Prince was now staring at those papers, his brow relaxed, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, as if he had sifted a piece of gold from a pile of gravel.

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, his eyes still holding a hint of undisguised surprise.

“Bai Shuangshuang?”

“Your subject is here.”

Zhao Qingchuan looked her up and down, his gaze not scrutinizing, but purely curious.

“Come in and sit.”

Bai Shuangshuang stepped into the Council Hall.

The door behind her closed…