A young man in his early twenties stood at the top of the staircase, dressed in a long robe of azure cloth. His long black hair was neatly tied behind his head with a blue ribbon, giving off a fresh, refined aura.
This was none other than the current crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire—Xue Qinghe.
"Duke Lin, greetings."
Xue Qinghe greeted Lin Rong with a bright and courteous smile.
Lin Rong looked at the figure before him, a trace of surprise flashing through his heart.
It's her—Qian Renxue? What is she doing here at the Yue Pavilion? Learning court etiquette?
Come to think of it, in eleven years, the royal family's only princess, Xue Ke, would also be sent here to study court etiquette.
If that's the case, then even though Qian Renxue was impersonating the crown prince, coming here to learn court etiquette wouldn't be entirely unreasonable.
At this point, the real Xue Qinghe should be around twenty years old, which fits the age, so… was Qian Renxue here to study etiquette?
"Your Highness," Lin Rong replied simply and then turned to leave.
His plans involving Qian Renxue were scheduled for later. Now wasn't the time, and he didn't want to entangle with her unnecessarily and risk complicating matters.
Unfortunately, things rarely go as one wishes.
The fake Xue Qinghe was quite curious—what could a six-year-old like Lin Rong possibly have to discuss with Tang Yuehua?
Driven by curiosity, Xue Qinghe asked indirectly:
"Duke Lin has just turned six not long ago. It's still early to begin studying court etiquette. May I ask what business you have with Lady Yue today?"
"Could it be that Duke Lin, despite his tender age, is already smitten with Lady Yue's beauty and has come to pour out his feelings?"
Lin Rong paused mid-step, thinking to himself:
You've got guts, Qian Renxue. I didn't want to provoke you—it doesn't mean I'm afraid to.
If your curiosity is so insatiable, don't blame me for being ruthless with my words!
He leaned against the staircase railing, looking down at Xue Qinghe from above, and said lightly:
"Your Highness jests."
"Lady Yue, as a woman, single-handedly established the Yue Pavilion and built such a grand enterprise—she is a heroine among women."
"My parents are deceased, and it's been Uncle Yu who's kept the duke's household running all these years. To prepare myself to take over its affairs in the future, I've come to Lady Yue seeking guidance."
At this point, Lin Rong smoothly shifted the topic:
"But speaking of heroines among women, one must mention Her Holiness the Pope."
"In recent years, under her leadership, Spirit Hall has flourished more than ever, a testament to her brilliant capabilities."
"She is truly worthy of being the first female Pope in the history of Spirit Hall."
"Though a woman, the Pope holds a position of immense authority and manages Spirit Hall in perfect order."
"Your Highness and I are both men. The countless hardships behind the scenes—how could we possibly imagine them?"
"Thankfully, Her Holiness has no children, no attachments."
"Otherwise, if she did have offspring, yet was constantly overwhelmed with affairs of state and unable to care for them… her children would be pitiful indeed, lacking even the love of a mother."
"Wouldn't you agree, Your Highness?"
Lin Rong's final words pierced deep—sharp as blades—straight into Qian Renxue's heart.
Her expression, while still wearing Xue Qinghe's mask, twisted visibly. Her fists clenched tightly by her sides, nails digging deep into flesh as fury raged silently within:
That woman—what's so great about her? She stole the Pope's seat from the Qian Clan. She took what rightfully belonged to me!
Back then, there was no one left in the Qian family. I was just a child, and she—she was only meant to take over temporarily!
And someone like her—a cold, heartless woman—she's not worthy. She doesn't deserve to be called a mother!
Although Lin Rong couldn't read minds, he had read the original story. He could more or less guess what Qian Renxue was thinking at this moment.
In truth, Qian Renxue longed deeply for maternal affection. She was just too lost in her pain to recognize it.
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Lin Rong feigned sudden realization and offered a polite apology to Xue Qinghe:
"My apologies, Your Highness."
"I forgot… your mother has already…"
"My words were thoughtless. Please forgive me."
Qian Renxue, ever the ambitious strategist, quickly calmed herself. In her role as Xue Qinghe, she countered smoothly:
"No need. Duke Lin meant no harm."
"Besides, while my mother may be gone, at least I still have my father—the Emperor—to give me fatherly love. I can still fulfill my duties as a filial child."
"Compared to Duke Lin, who has lost both parents, I am already very fortunate."
Their words struck straight at each other's hearts.
But Lin Rong, a transmigrator, held little attachment to the parents he had never truly met in this life. Qian Renxue's rebuttal had no emotional impact.
Still, the fact that she had the composure to strike back showed that her fighting spirit remained strong—she wasn't ready to concede.
Since that's the case, Lin Rong decided he might as well deal her a more crushing blow.
So, when Xue Qinghe looked up, expecting to see Lin Rong hurt or sad, preparing to offer some comforting words, what she saw instead was Lin Rong smiling brightly:
"Your Highness, there's no need to pity me."
"Although my father passed away before I was born, and my mother died not long after from grief, I've never lacked familial love."
"My steward, Grandpa Yu Yuan, is like a true grandfather to me. In my heart, there's no difference between him and a blood relative."
"With that kind of grandfatherly love, my childhood was a happy one."
"Your Highness, on the other hand… your grandfather, the late Emperor, passed away before you were born."
"You've never had the chance to experience a bond between grandfather and grandchild. I imagine you can't truly understand what that feels like."
"Which means… Your Highness wouldn't know how painful it is not to be able to be with one's grandfather."
Saying this, Lin Rong turned toward the old steward behind him and said sweetly:
"Grandpa Yu, I'm tired. Can you carry me home?"
As he spoke, he reached out and shook the old man's hand, just like a child acting spoiled with his grandpa.
The old steward crouched down, a gentle smile on his wrinkled face, and picked up the little master in his arms.
As they descended the stairs, Lin Rong tugged playfully on the steward's beard, turning back to flash a cheeky grin at Xue Qinghe:
"Your Highness, Grandpa and I will be heading out now. Until next time!"
"H-Until next time…"
Xue Qinghe forced a smile in return, though beneath the sleeves, her fists were clenched so tightly her nails had pierced her palms. Silently, she reminded herself again and again:
Endure. Endure. You're still on an undercover mission.
Yes, I miss my grandfather too. But if I return to Spirit City now, it means I've admitted defeat to that woman.
Not. I volunteered for this mission. No matter what, I cannot quit now.
I will prove to that woman how outstanding I truly am. One day, she will regret ever abandoning me!
The streets of Heaven Dou City bustled with carriages and crowds.
Inside a carriage, Lin Rong sat quietly, using his life-sense ability to perceive emotions. The storm of turbulent emotions behind him was more intense than anything he'd felt before. He shook his head and thought:
"Such lack of composure… not someone suited for great responsibility."
"Qian Renxue, I've prepared a massive surprise for your future. Just don't get so worked up that you drop dead early…"
"After all, some of my plans still need your help."