Liu Guozheng hadn’t intended to discuss such matters with his daughter but seeing that she had become more perceptive recently, he felt it was time to explain the current situation of the Liu family. It had always been part of the plan for his daughter to marry the Crown Prince but he never imagined she would become so obsessed with him. With her temperament, how could she manage to hold her ground against the other consorts in the Eastern Palace?

Faced with her father’s serious words, Liu Yin had no choice but to keep her thoughts to herself. She nodded earnestly. “I will work hard to make Crown Prince gege fall in love with me.”

Seeing this, Liu Guozheng only smiled and patted her head before getting up to retrieve the book she had asked for. Liu Yin accepted it with a cheerful expression, but inside, she felt heavy-hearted.

Once outside the study, she absentmindedly returned to her room, lost in thought about her uncertain future. Her parents had already made up their minds to marry her off to the Crown Prince, and that was not a good thing for her.

What role could a neglected Crown Princess play? She also didn’t believe the Crown Prince would marry her. The Emperor had already begun to harbor suspicions about her family, and if the Crown Prince were to marry her, it would only stir trouble. If he truly intended to marry her, he would have done so long ago, not waited until now.

“Miss, what’s wrong?”

Seeing Liu Yin return with a gloomy expression, Xiyun couldn’t help but ask in concern.

Sitting at her desk, Liu Yin waved her hand. “You can leave. I’m just going to read for a while.”

Although puzzled, Xiyun quietly turned and left the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

The room was cooled with ice to beat the heat, so it wasn’t too uncomfortable, but Liu Yin still couldn’t focus on the book. After thinking it over, she realized she might be worrying too much. Even if she became an unpopular Crown Princess, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. At least she wouldn’t have to serve a man—that would be so much easier. Besides, if the Liu family really fell from grace, she could make preparations early, pack up, and quietly escape. Staying would only lead to trouble; it would be better to leave sooner rather than later.

With this thought, her mood lightened considerably. She decided to start saving up silver and deposit it in a bank, so that when the Emperor decided to act against her family, she could run away first. After all, it’s better to live a miserable life than to die.

However, this was her last resort. Her parents had too much at stake and would never escape with her. She needed to change herself gradually and find the right moment to persuade her father that the position of Crown Princess was really not worth pursuing.

After reading for a while, even though there were still some words she didn’t recognize, she could roughly understand the meaning. She made up her mind to study harder, as lacking education would make escaping later much more difficult.

The next day, after buying several boxes of pastries from Júdezhai, she decided to bring them to others. It was a small gesture to build good relations, even if it was just for show. After all, it was better to have allies than enemies.

She had spent some time waiting in line, thinking she might be late. But when she rushed into the academy, she found only a few people scattered around, reviewing their lessons. The Grand Tutor was nowhere to be seen.

“Why are there so few people today? Where’s the Grand Tutor?” Liu Yin asked curiously, wondering if the others were also late.

Upon seeing her, the Sixth Princess replied seriously. “The Grand Tutor has something to attend to today. He just sent someone to tell us to study on our own.”

The hall was missing both the Fifth Princess and Shen Yao. Perhaps they didn’t want to be in the same room as Liu Yin. As she sat down in her usual spot, Liu Yin noticed that only the diligent students remained while the mischievous ones, like the Ninth Prince had long disappeared.

Suddenly, the Sixth Princess leaned in with a mischievous grin, lowering her voice. “How about I accompany you to find the Crown Prince?”

Although she hadn’t liked her cousin much before, these past few days had changed her mind. This cousin might be a bit domineering, but compared to others who were two-faced, she was much more straightforward. The Sixth Princess now felt a bit more genuine affection for her.

Liu Yin gave her a glance then slowly unfolded the book she had brought, putting on her best “good student” demeanor. “I don’t even know where the Crown Prince is. How would I know where to look for him?”

Pretending to be busy with her studies, she didn’t feel like putting on a performance today.

“I just heard from Mother that the Crown Prince is resting today, so he must be in the Eastern Palace. We’ll definitely find him if we go there.” the Sixth Princess said confidently.

Liu Yin: “…”

Was she really living in ancient times? Why was everyone encouraging her, a young, unmarried woman to chase after a man?

“Doesn’t Cousin want to see the Crown Prince?” the Sixth Princess suddenly asked, her face full of curiosity.

Of course she wanted to. How could she not? If she were the original owner, she would have probably run to find him long ago.

Staring at the book in front of her Liu Yin felt a bit weary, but all she wanted was to study properly.

“I’m just worried grand tutor will find out we snuck out,” she said. “But today, he probably won’t come back.”

She closed the book with a sense of urgency, standing up as though she could barely wait any longer. The Sixth Princess smiled and immediately followed her, clearly pleased that her cousin couldn’t possibly resist seeing the Crown Prince.

The original owner had always been the type to cling stubbornly which was probably why the Crown Prince disliked her so much. Liu Yin felt that she needed to keep this up—to make him loathe her more, so that marrying her would be even more impossible.

Outside the Eastern Palace, a few Imperial Guards stood watch. As the two women approached, the guards quickly drew their long swords, blocking their way.

“Please stop, Miss Liu.”

Seeing that only she was being stopped, Liu Yin couldn’t quite explain the feeling in her heart. Well, seeing how much the Crown Prince hated her made her feel a sense of relief.

“How dare you!” the Sixth Princess exclaimed, her face darkening. As a legitimate princess raised in the imperial palace, she had developed an imposing presence. The guards looking awkward lowered their heads. “Please forgive us, Your Highness. This was the Crown Prince’s command. We were merely following orders.”

Hearing this, the Sixth Princess frowned and was about to scold them further but Liu Yin immediately grabbed her arm and subtly shook her head.

Reluctantly, the Sixth Princess fell silent and began to walk back with her, her eyes darting around, clearly lost in thought.

Liu Yin wasn’t surprised. For the guards in the Eastern Palace, even if they let an assassin through, they would never allow the original owner inside—this was a hard-learned lesson.

“I’ve got an idea!”

Suddenly, the Sixth Princess pulled Liu Yin in the opposite direction, toward another part of the Eastern Palace. Liu Yin, bewildered, found herself being dragged along. Why was everyone else more eager than she was to pursue a man?

They encountered several patrolling guards along the way, but since it was the Sixth Princess, no one dared to question them. They carefully made their way to the back door where the Sixth Princess instructed one of the palace maids to knock. A shrewd-looking old momo appeared, and upon seeing them, she immediately dropped to her knees in fear.

“Your servant greets Your Highness.”

“Alright, enough.” The Sixth Princess said, waving her hand. “As long as you keep our secret and don’t let anyone know we came in this way, that will be enough.”

The Sixth Princess glanced at the corner of her eye, and the palace maid immediately stepped forward to offer a purse. The old momo hesitated for a moment, looking uneasy. “This…”

“What are you afraid of?” the Sixth Princess said coldly. “If the Crown Prince blames you, I’ll have Mother move you to Changchun Palace.”

After speaking with an air of finality, the Sixth Princess turned to look at Liu Yin, almost as if to say. “See? I told you we could get in.”

Liu Yin glanced at the back door of the Eastern Palace, wondering if any guards would be patrolling before she quietly leaned in and whispered. “If I go in like this, I’ll just be kicked out. The Crown Prince won’t see me so we should go back.”

At her words, the Sixth Princess immediately grew upset. “Cousin, when did you become so timid? Once we sneak in, the Crown Prince won’t kick me out. You’ll be alone with him. Don’t you want to see him?”

As she spoke, the old momo couldn’t help but glance at Liu Yin, who looked strikingly beautiful. She hadn’t expected the famous Liu family’s eldest daughter, known for her rough and bold demeanor, to look so delicate and graceful.

“How about this?” the Sixth Princess suggested. “You can change into Hong’er’s clothes. Once inside, I’ll say you’re my maid, and no one will stop you. When we see the Crown Prince, you can stay with me. As long as I’m there, he won’t dare to send you away.”

Liu Yin couldn’t help but laugh at the suggestion. She felt like she was being forced into chasing after a man.

Taking a deep breath, she nodded. “Alright.”

With that, the Sixth Princess shot a stern look at the old momo, then ordered her to find an empty room. There, Liu Yin changed into the maid’s attire, including the hairpin, thoroughly disguising herself.

Once Liu Yin had changed into the maid’s attire, the Sixth Princess couldn’t help but compliment her. “Cousin, you look really beautiful. If the Crown Prince doesn’t appreciate that, it’s because he lacks taste.”

Liu Yin cleared her throat, lowering her head silently as she followed behind the Sixth Princess. She had left Xiyun and the others outside, after all, having too many people around would only make things more difficult. Being a lovesick fool was harder than it seemed.

The Eastern Palace was vast, with guards patrolling regularly. After asking a palace maid, they learned that the Crown Prince was in Qingning Hall. The Sixth Princess led Liu Yin there, clearly familiar with the path.

Liu Yin kept her head lowered as they walked, but just outside Qingning Hall, they ran into the eunuch in the green robe who was often seen accompanying the Crown Prince.

“Xiao Luzi, is His Highness inside?” the Sixth Princess asked calmly.

The eunuch bowed and replied respectfully, “Your Highness, the Crown Prince has ordered no one to be disturbed. If the princess has any matters to convey, I can pass on the message.”

With a quick glance at Liu Yin, the Sixth Princess’s eyes sparkled. “It’s nothing important, just some food I wanted to bring to the Crown Prince. Since that’s the case, let Hong’er take it inside. I’ll leave now.”

Liu Yin, understanding immediately, lowered her head and quickly entered, holding the pastries she had bought from Juyuanzhai, walking confidently past the guards. Xiao Luzi, however, gave her a curious glance—her figure didn’t match Hong’er’s at all.

“This…”

“Xiao Luzi!” The Sixth Princess looked at him with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “You should know this is what Mother wanted. If you upset Mother, you know the consequences.”

Threatened like this, Xiao Luzi could only lower his head awkwardly, his face full of reluctance. Still, there was little he could do.

Qingning Hall was vast, and Liu Yin had never been there before, so she wasn’t sure where to go. Fortunately, she ran into a palace maid who, after hearing that she was delivering pastries from the princess to the Crown Prince, kindly pointed her in the right direction.

Since she had already sneaked in, there was no way she could back out now. She had to see this through to the end to justify the effort of disguising herself.

When they arrived outside the Crown Prince’s courtyard, there were still several guards stationed outside. Liu Yin lowered her head and walked at a steady pace, but, as expected, she was immediately stopped.

“His Highness said no one is to attend him!”

The guard, with thick brows and sharp eyes, looked fierce. Liu Yin continued to lower her head, feigning calmness as she replied. “I’m a maid sent by the Sixth Princess to deliver pastries to His Highness. I will leave once I’ve set them down.”

The guards hesitated for a moment. Seeing the opportunity, Liu Yin quickly slipped past them, her head still lowered. Inside the large courtyard, a phoenix tree stood in the center, and a man dressed in dark robes sat at a stone table, reading a book. His profile, sharp and defined, exuded an aura of cold indifference, as though pushing everyone away.

A familiar sound of footsteps reached Qin Yan’s ears. He glanced up and noticed a maid, holding several boxes, walking toward him. Her slender fingers were far too delicate for someone who did manual labor in the palace. As she approached, he lowered his gaze and returned to his book.

Meanwhile, the guards outside were still filled with doubt. Unable to resist, they took another look at the maid inside. When they noticed the embroidered shoes that clearly didn’t belong to a palace servant, their expressions shifted, and they immediately drew their swords, rushing inside.

“Your Highness, watch out for the assassin!”

Liu Yin had just placed the boxes on the table and was about to speak when the sudden shout startled her, and her body tensed. She quickly glanced around, feeling uneasy. How could the Eastern Palace be so unsafe? An assassin, in broad daylight!

As the sword rushed toward her neck, Qin Yan’s sharp eyes caught the movement. He raised his book just in time to block the strike, the edge of the sword grazing his sleeve. A strand of his dark hair drifted away with the breeze.

Liu Yin stood there, completely stunned, her neck still tingling with a faint chill. She didn’t dare move.

The tip of the sword was resting against the book. If it moved any further, it wouldn’t just be her hair that would fall.

“Your Highness!”

The guards quickly retracted their swords, surrounding Liu Yin and eyeing her solemnly. “This woman’s behavior is suspicious. She could very well be an assassin.”

Liu Yin: “…”

So, the assassin was referring to her?

The man, who had been watching the scene unfold, finally spoke. His thin lips parted slightly. “Leave.”

The guards exchanged looks and, now understanding that the maid wasn’t an assassin, turned and withdrew.

“I’m talking to you.”

Liu Yin froze. She met his deep, unfathomable black eyes and, instinctively, raised her hand to cover her neck, her heart still racing. She pouted and murmured. “Why is it me?”

Saying this, she blinked her eyes pitifully and added. “I almost lost my life just now, and Your Highness didn’t even show any concern for me.”

The man ignored her, picking up his book and heading toward the room. Liu Yin immediately followed, fully embracing her clingy side.

She boldly wrapped her arms around his, but the next moment, he quickly pulled away. Liu Yin gritted her teeth and, like a stubborn child, sat on the floor and clung to his leg, as expected, he stopped.

Looking up, her delicate face was filled with determination, displaying an unapologetically bold expression. Qin Yan furrowed his brow, but she continued to hold onto him tightly.

Suppressing the goosebumps that threatened to rise, Liu Yin tilted her head up, her eyes blinking innocently as she said. “I came all this way just to find you, Your Highness.”

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