Fusheng's sudden fall together with the First Prince's arrival caused a ruckus in the front of the politics class. This was exactly the ruckus that Xueying met when she came to the building. The first thing she saw was that the Legendary First Prince was in school and it seems like he was already caught up in a girl's scheme; seeing as he was holding someone in his arms. She sighed rolled her eyes at the stupid girl in the Prince's arms, because although many people are not aware of it, but the First Prince detests body contact with most people, if not everyone and people that had tried to get into his bed never came out to tell the story. The Emperor suppressed the news, making sure it never passed the palace walls, Xueying herself got to know the news through her Father Old Li.
Xueying was just about to walk pass the group, when she saw Meilan standing in the chaos. Xueying was not surprised because Meilan was a known schemer and this type of stunt was well within her reach, she turned to leave the area, when something clicked in her head. Whenever Meilan caused trouble, the person that was always on the receiving end was Fusheng, this made Xueying retrace her steps to make sure the person caught up in the scheme was not Fusheng.
As she got closer, she had no other choice but to greet the First Prince "Greetings to his Highness" as she greeted the prince she confirmed her greatest fears, the person in the Prince's arms was none other than Fusheng.
For the first time Xueying felt panic, according to what her father told her about the First Prince, he could kill anyone without flinching and she was so sure that Fusheng was in big trouble this time around. Just as she tried to plead with the First Prince to pardon Fusheng and spare her life, the First Prince spoke first.
"Hey you," The First Prince said to Xueying "Take her first and see if she's okay."
"Oh... Ok" Xueying was shocked because the Prince's action did not fit what she had heard, but anyways she was happy that her friend was spared and she hurriedly took Fusheng into her arms, by then Fusheng could already stand on her own.
Meilan seemed to have woken up from her stupor, she hurriedly feigned surprise and said to the First Prince "Your highness, I did not know that my older sister would fall from such a light touch, I did not mean to push her into your arms, I just wanted her to properly greet Your Highness." She said these words making it seem like Fusheng intentionally fell into the Prince's arms, hoping to make the First Prince see Fusheng as some scheming woman.
The First Prince's reactions could not be seen from his mask, so nobody knew if he was in a good mood or not. Meilan was wishing he would be in a bad mood so that he could kill off Fusheng, although falling in to the Prince's arms was originally her plan, but since Fusheng dared to steal it from her, she would make her regret it. (I honestly don't know what goes on in Meilan's head *sigh*)
The First Prince stared at Meilan wondering just how bold this little thing was, even lying to his face. He felt that the Fake Meng Family was really getting too bold.
Before he could say anything to her, Master Jiang showed up at that time and said "Everyone should head into their class, what are you all doing standing there for?"
Immediately that was said, the onlookers scrambled into the class, Meilan decided to count her losses and carried her squad into the class, Xueying took Fusheng into the class, leaving only The First Prince and Master Jiang outside. The First Prince smirked at Master Jiang and said "You know just the right time to show up."
Master Jiang smiled slightly "You have to control yourself, Your Highness. I don't know what made you change your mind about the institute, but please don't trouble this old man with headaches."
The First Prince chuckled "You can rest assured, I will not trouble anyone that does not trouble me."
Master Jiang sighed rubbing his forehead "This is not going to be an easy year."
Just then the Crown Prince came and saw the two, Master Jiang bowed in respect to the Crown Prince, while the Crown Prince bowed slightly to the First Prince.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to bow to me? You are the Crown Prince, people might think I am controlling you like this." The First Prince sighed.
The Crown Prince smiled nervously "You are still my elder brother."
The First Prince sighed and turned to Master Jiang "Master Jiang, I don't know what to do with this younger brother of mine, What exactly have you been teaching him in this institute?"
Master Jiang knew better than to interfere in the conversation between the two Princes, he just smiled patiently.
The Crown Prince said again "Emperor Father is worried about you, he thinks you will have a hard time here in the Academy."
The First Prince chuckled lightly "I don't know why our Imperial Father thinks like that, I am already an adult."
Master Jiang cleared his throat, he felt it was even a crime to listen to the Prince's conversation. He hurriedly said "I think you both should go in and have your politics class, no need to wait around here, and I repeat please do not make any trouble for me" and he left.
***
Meanwhile, as the Princes were outside Xueying led Fusheng to sit at the very back of the class to avoid attention from people, as they say down there were two empty seats besides them, because nobody wanted to sit close to Fusheng for fear of making Meilan or the First Prince an enemy and nobody was bold enough to sit next to Xueying. Fusheng and Xueying did not mind the distance at all. Xueying felt Fusheng's pulse again and found out that Fusheng's blood sugar was a bit low (Now this, hmm I don't know how sure it is to discover blood sugar through the pulse, but anything goes in my book, because it is set in an alternate universe *smiles in despair* it is what it is). Xueying panicked and asked Fusheng "What happened, how did you get entangled with the First Prince? Why do you look so tired?"
Fusheng gathered her wits and honestly told Xueying all that happened, starting from the early morning incident with Meilan, to the inhumane treatment by her seniors in the Martial arts department, to Meilan pushing her into the First Prince's arms, to the First Prince putting a sweet into her mouth. Fusheng seemed to still be in disbelief over the First Prince putting a sweet into her mouth, but from the sweet osmanthus taste in her mouth, she had no other choice but to believe it.
Xueying in particular found it hard to believe that the First Prince was very kind to give Fusheng a sweet, she felt even more scared for her dear friend. Fusheng was confused at Xueying's fear, because she felt the First Prince was a very normal person,
"Why are you so scared?" Fusheng asked genuinely confused "Even the Crown prince is normal, so I think this First Prince will also be normal."
"What did you just say? The First Prince and the word normal can not be put in the same sentence." Xueying then thought of something and asked "Wait, Do you not know of the First Prince?"
Just as she said this, she felt the entire class become silent, even the teacher that had been talking to himself since the lecture began. She felt everyone's eyes go to the door, then she followed their heads and looked at the door, she saw two figures, one taller than the other, they were both standing at the door, immediately they walked inside the hall, everyone stood up and bowed at them, including the teacher.
"Greetings to the Crown Prince"
"Greetings to The First Prince"
The Crown Prince nodded and replied "Please rise, no need to disrupt the lecture." While the First Prince acted as if the person that was just greeted was not him and said nothing.
Everyone stood up at the Crown Prince's request, the Teacher feeling like the Crown Prince was in a good mood, mustered all the courage in the world and said "Y your Highness the Crown Prince and The First Prince, why don't you both sit in the front here? It is more convenient."
Meilan was seated in the front seat, acting all holy and good, looking very obedient and dedicated to learning, as if she did not just scheme against her sister just now.
The Crown Prince and The First Prince turned to look at the front seat and saw that it was indeed convenient, but looking at the young girl there trying so hard to look obedient, only a fool would believe that it was a coincidence for the Teacher to make them sit there with her and the Princes especially the First Prince was not a fool and sure enough he spoke up,
"What makes you think you have the right to tell us where to sit?"
The teacher froze, not expecting the First Prince to speak up "I... Um... This lowly on would never dare, I just said that because there was no other seat remaining in the hall."
The First Prince sneered and said "Is that so?" Then he looked around the class and saw Fusheng standing at the back of the classroom with an empty seat beside her "But I see an empty seat there." He raised his chin to point at Fusheng.
Fusheng widened her eyes, no matter how she thought about it, it did not seem like a coincidence that the First Prince wanted to come sit beside her, she whispered to Xueying "Do you think it's too late to skip this class?"
Immediately everyone looked at Fusheng's direction, the Crown prince discovered an empty seat beside Xueying as well and said "Yes that is true, there are empty seats there as well."
The Crown Prince was very pleased that his older brother the First Prince spoke up, because if he were the only person today, he might not have the courage to decline the Teacher due to his status as the Crown Prince.
Xueying sighed and whispered to Fusheng "It seems it is too late to escape."
The teacher was even more shocked by the Crown Prince's words, he said "um.. this lowly one did not think The Princes would prefer to stay there, it seems inconvenient."
The First Prince sneered "Then don't assume things next time" and proceeded to walk up the stairs followed behind by the Crown prince, the two Princes had a tacit understanding, so the First Prince sat beside Fusheng, while the Crown Prince sat beside Xueying, in this arrangement Fusheng and Xueying were seated between the First Prince and The Crown Prince. (Ok so about this, I Imagined the Hall to be like an auditorium, just like my own lecture hall.. so pardon me *Kowtows*)
The Crown Prince gestured to the teacher to continue with the lectures and with that everyone in the class took their seats. Meilan was behind herself in anger and jealousy, she could not understand why the Crown prince and the First Prince refused to sit next to her and insisted on going to sit at the back. She hated Fusheng and Xueying again and blamed it on the two of them being lucky, she insisted that that the two Princes took the back seat just because they did not like being told what to do by the teacher. She exchanged a glance with the Teacher and the teacher nodded slightly before continuing teaching like before.
Xueying was very uncomfortable with the Crown Prince sitting beside her, but she had nothing to do about it, she could feel his gaze on her from time to time. Fusheng was not feeling too nervous next to the First Prince, she just tried not to look at him even though she could feel his heavy gaze on her. She was wondering why he could be staring at her like that. While she was still thinking about his intentions, she heard her name, which snapped her out of her thoughts. "Miss Fusheng"
She stood up straight "Um... "
The teacher rolled his eyes at her and said "It seems Miss Fusheng does not know the answer to the question, well let Miss Meilan answer the question."
Fusheng widened her eyes in shock and sat down, she pouted and said to Xueying "I honestly did not hear the question that was asked."
Xueying sighed and patted Fusheng's hair "Don't take it to heart, the man is being unreasonable."
Fusheng nodded and decided to pay attention to the class, for some time she was seriously listening to the lectures and no questions were asked to anyone else, she just felt herself unlucky to be the first to be questioned. Suddenly she heard a silky deep voice next to her "You wanted to skip class to avoid me, right?"
Fusheng widened her eyes in shock "How did you...?" Fusheng did not know how he heard what she whispered to Xueying, she then understood what Xueying was trying to say, the First Prince was not normal. As she was still thinking about this, she heard her name "Miss Fusheng "
She stood up with "Huh?"
The teacher once again said "Miss Fusheng, how can you not know the simple things about the kingdom." some people laughed at that, the teacher continued "Miss Meilan please answer the question."
With that Meilan stood up like a righteous person and answered the question correctly. Fusheng angrily sat down again, it was either a coincidence that the teacher manage to call only her up to answer questions or that he is intentionally doing it.
Xueying frowned at what happened and said to Fusheng "I don't know why he is only calling you out."
The Crown Prince nodded and said "Today is supposed to be a revision class and given the fact that you are a new student, you are not even supposed to be called."
Fusheng sighed, she did not want to assume he is personally making things difficult for her, she decided to wait and see what he would do again.
The First Prince sitting beside her, felt that she was unhappy, so he said "Was the Osmanthus sweet?"
Fusheng turned to answer him "So you really did give me something?"
Before the First Prince could reply, Fusheng's name sounded again "Miss Fusheng"
She replied again "Huh?"
The teacher not giving her a chance to answer said "Why are you this daft? This question is so simple that even a random person on the streets of the capital can answer this. Miss Meilan..."
Fusheng interrupted him "Don't you think you're bullying me?"
The teacher never thought she would answer back was genuinely surprised, then he became upset "How do you mean I am bullying you? I asked a question and you did not answer and yet you're standing there to tell me that I am bullying you... How shameless!"
Fusheng frowned "Did you consider the fact that I never heard the questions you asked?"
The teacher surprised by her courage said "That's your fault not mine, I expect you to be quiet and to pay attention in class, if you do otherwise then it's no business of mine. Nobody forced you to come to the Academy, you insisted on coming using unconventional ways, if you think you can not stay in the Academy, then do well to leave and don't soil our reputation."
Fusheng's frown deepened, but before she could counter what the teacher said, she heard the person beside her speak up,
"Teacher, don't you feel like you have spoken too much, I mean you could be referring to me as well, I am only in this Academy because of my Imperial Father so..."
The teacher panicked and dropped to his knees "This lowly one dares not.. please have Mercy Your Highness."
The First Prince let out a cold laugh "You keep saying you dare not, but still keep doing it. Get back to the lecture, the right way."
With that the Teacher stood up, and with a scared look continued the lecture, he never once called up anyone again to answer any question.
Fusheng sat down and gave Xueying a look, she could not believe that The First Prince would speak up for her. She turned and whispered to the First Prince and said "Not bad."
The First Prince was very shocked, throughout his life, other than his Emperor Father, no one else ever said that to him, he chuckled lightly and felt that the little cat was getting interesting.
The rest of the class went on normally, the First Prince did not interrupt Fusheng's learning and the teacher did not bully Fusheng.
As the class ended and the teacher hurriedly exited the door, Fusheng heard a voice in her head "Young lady~"
She replied excitedly "Feilong!!!" (Now I hope we all remember that people can't hear Fusheng and Feilong discuss.)