Though it was just one word, it still made the Empress and Sixth Princess’s hearts flutter. In the past, he would completely ignore his niece, never even glancing her way. But now, the fact that he was willing to speak suggested there was still hope. The Empress felt a glimmer of optimism—had she known this sooner, she would have had her niece accompany her daughter for studies much earlier.

Liu Yin was also momentarily stunned but she didn’t react much. It was clear he only acknowledged her because he found her presence annoying, and perhaps only because her aunt was present.

As it was time for lunch, Liu Yin quickly handed her writing to Xiyun, then joined the Empress at the table. Although “speak not while eating, rest not while sleeping” was the norm, they were family and weren’t bound by such strict rules. The Empress kept giving her meaningful glances.

While nibbling on a meatball, Liu Yin couldn’t simply ignore it. Even a meal required her to play along—it was exhausting.

Picking up the communal chopsticks, she took a piece of fish and reached toward the man’s bowl. But just as she was about to place it, a pair of silver chopsticks blocked her way, like two iron bars. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t push past them.

“Crown Prince gege… don’t you like fish?” She asked, feigning a hurt expression.

“Hmm.” The man withdrew his chopsticks, his expression cold.

Liu Yin: “…”

She knew full well that it wasn’t the fish he disliked—it was the fact that she was offering it.

Sighing inwardly, she returned the fish to her own bowl and gave the Empress a helpless look, as if to say, see he’s still ignoring her. But maybe that was for the best. After all, she had no desire to marry the Crown Prince; the more he disliked her, the happier she was.

The atmosphere in the hall felt a bit strange. Though the Empress showed no sign of it outwardly, she was deeply troubled. She had mentioned the Crown Prince’s marriage to the Emperor, but he had insisted on letting the Crown Prince choose his own bride, without interference. Given the Crown Prince’s attitude toward her niece, this wasn’t exactly promising.

The original Liu Yin had a rough, straightforward nature, so she didn’t bother with the “elegant” way of dining. The palace food was quite delicious, and she even tore into a drumstick, unconcerned about making a poor impression on the Crown Prince. After all, it couldn’t possibly get any worse.

When lunch ended, the Crown Prince excused himself, claiming he had official matters to attend to. As expected, the Empress quickly instructed Liu Yin to leave with him, given that they were headed in the same direction—at least for a while.

Outside Changchun Palace, the sun was blazing but Liu Yin followed unhurriedly behind him, unsure of how to start a conversation. After all, her current behavior didn’t match the clingy nature of the original Liu Yin.

After some thought, she suddenly quickened her pace, stepping forward with a hopeful smile. “Crown Prince gege, did you try the pastries I had Xia Yi bring you? I made them myself, got up really early just for it!”

At her words, the blue-robed eunuch behind the Crown Prince shot her a look, his eyes flashing. Weren’t those pastries from Júdezhai?

The Crown Prince’s gaze flickered slightly as he glanced at her delicate, charming face without saying a word.

Seeing him actually looking at her, Liu Yin was both thrilled and a little panicked. Did he figure out her lie?

She told herself to stay calm and leaned in, her voice light and testing. “Did… did you like them?”

Meeting his clear eyes, she saw none of the admiration or infatuation she used to expect. His gaze sharpened slightly, and his thin lips parted. “What do you think?”

Their eyes met, and Liu Yin froze, her fair cheeks tinged with tension. Oh no, he was actually speaking to her!

Xiyun, nearby, could barely contain her excitement. The Crown Prince was finally responding to her lady’s feelings!

She would definitely bring this good news to her father and mother!

Could it be that he was starting to bend to her family’s influence and had decided to humor her?

That wasn’t good news to Liu Yin—she had no desire to marry him, only to be ignored. Taking a deep breath, she forced a joyful smile, looking at him shyly as she stammered. “What does Crown Prince gege think?”

The eunuch following behind sighed inwardly. The Crown Prince hadn’t even glanced at the pastries—how could he know what they tasted like?

The man walked ahead, his expression calm and indifferent. “They were passable.”

The eunuch’s face faltered; he distinctly remembered that the Crown Prince hadn’t touched a single piece—he’d eaten them all himself. Could he have misremembered?

Hearing this, Liu Yin felt a swirl of mixed emotions. Glancing at the man’s distant, aloof figure, she pouted slightly. Was he merely humoring her, or had he really tasted them?

For a moment, she couldn’t quite tell, but it didn’t matter. Even if he knew she hadn’t made them, all the better—he’d dislike her even more.

“If Crown Prince gege likes them, I’ll make them for you every day, how about that?” She continued to look at him with eager delight.

But the man remained silent. His silence usually meant rejection.

Liu Yin continued to chatter on, undeterred but the man never responded, not even once. It wasn’t until they reached the fork in the road that she reluctantly with a hint of sadness, turned to head toward the palace gate with Xiyun.

Once home, her mother immediately sent for her to report on the situation. Liu Yin, of course, only mentioned that she had seen him but that he still refused to acknowledge her. However, Xiyun seemed on the verge of saying something, causing the sharp-eyed Madam Zhang to notice something was off.

“Xiyun, speak up.”

At her mother’s prompt, Xiyun lowered her head, seeming reluctant to speak. Liu Yin glared at her, fearing she might embellish the truth. After all, she hadn’t lied—he hadn’t paid her any attention.

“Speak!” Madam Zhang’s tone grew firmer.

At this, Xiyun immediately knelt, stammering. “Th-The Crown Prince… he spoke two words to Miss, but other than that, everything was the same as before.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhang’s brow relaxed, and she gave her daughter a teasing look. “This is a good thing, what’s there to hide? In time, as you spend more time with the Crown Prince, he will definitely come to see you in a different light.”

Liu Yin lazily rested her head on her hand, popping a slice of watermelon into her mouth. A different light? That would never happen in this lifetime.

Back in her room, she had the servants bring in some ice to cool the room and set up a study. Liu Yin began her “kindergarten” studies, starting with the first step: learning to write.

She had to admit, calligraphy was much harder than she’d imagined. The strokes—rising, hooking, pressing, and adding—each required precise control; otherwise, it would turn into a mess of inkblots.

After practicing for half the day, Liu Yin finally managed to write a few decent characters, though her arm was sore. She suddenly felt a new respect for calligraphers—how they could make each character look so effortless and graceful. She wondered how long they must have practiced to reach that level.

Her days were now spent learning to read at the academy with afternoons devoted to practice. Over the next few days, she didn’t run into the Crown Prince again which suited her perfectly. Playing the love-struck fool was exhausting, especially when all she got in return was cold indifference.

On the fifth day, however, she finally encountered the famed capital’s number one talent, Shen Yao—the Crown Prince’s rumored love interest and her own “rival in love.”

That day, she arrived a bit late. As soon as she entered the main hall, she sensed an unusual atmosphere. The Sixth Princess who was seated was giving her subtle signals as Liu Yin made her way to her seat with her newly purchased almond pastry, but her gaze drifted toward the woman sitting a short distance to her left.

Dressed in a flowing, feather-blue dress with simple yet elegant hair ornaments, Shen Yao had a refined, dignified beauty. She wasn’t stunning, but an air of purity and aloofness surrounded her, making others feel she was to be admired from afar. Liu Yin gave her a brief glance, then looked away. Perfect—she was exactly the type to match that cold, unapproachable Crown Prince.

She almost wanted to wish them lifelong happiness together. But unfortunately, her role dictated that, upon meeting her rival, she must be bristling with hostility.

Before she could even think of how to make trouble, Shen Yao approached her first.

“Miss Liu.” Shen Yao’s gentle, melodic voice held a hint of concern. “I heard that Yu’er and Tong’er upset you the other day?”

Her tone was pleasant and polite as though she were apologizing on their behalf. But Liu Yin, lounging in her seat and lazily biting into her almond pastry, didn’t even bother to turn around. “Oh, something that trivial? I’d nearly forgotten. Surprising that they’re still holding onto it.”

Since Tutor Shen hadn’t yet arrived, the others in the hall kept their heads down, pretending not to notice, knowing well that an entertaining scene was about to unfold.

Liu Yin’s words subtly rebuked Wu Yu and Tong’er for making a fuss over such a minor issue, suggesting they were being petty. But Shen Yao heard something else in her response, and her gaze lingered on Liu Yin, taking in the poised young woman before her.

Clad in a vermillion-colored, floral gauze dress, Liu Yin looked charming and confident, her delicate features wearing a nonchalant expression as if she truly didn’t care. Yet, Shen Yao noted, in the past, Liu Yin would have stormed over, creating a loud scene.

For some reason, Shen Yao felt that something was off about Liu Yin today.

“It’s all just a misunderstanding. If Miss Liu doesn’t mind, then all the better. I’ll have the two of them apologize properly another day.” Shen Yao said with a gentle smile.

However, the Fifth Princess, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but frown and mutter. “She falsely accused them, yet they’re the ones who need to apologize.”

Though her voice was low, Liu Yin caught every word clearly and raised an eyebrow. The Sixth Princess beside her immediately grabbed her arm, subtly shaking her head as a reminder.

The Fifth Princess’s mother was Consort Li, currently favored by the Emperor and at odds with Liu Yin’s Aunt, the Empress. Stirring up trouble now would be unwise.

But even with the Fifth Princess’s backing, Liu Yin wasn’t about to let herself be treated unfairly. She turned and looked directly at the grumbling princess, raising her voice. “I never asked them to apologize. Shen Yao offered that herself—did you not understand?”

The Fifth Princess’s hand clenched at her side. Liu Yin had never been one to show her respect, and now she was even more brazen!

“And besides, has Tutor Shen never taught you that gossiping behind people’s backs is lowly behavior? I’ve only been here five days, yet I understand that much. How is it the Fifth Princess still doesn’t?”

Ignoring the Fifth Princess’s darkening expression, Liu Yin took another bite of her almond pastry and continued, curious. “Just yesterday, I learned a phrase: ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’ Fifth Princess, as Shen Yao’s study companion, shouldn’t she be teaching you a bit about proper conduct?”

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