This competition.
Zhao Shuning had a perfect grasp of the situation. She didn't show off too much but managed to defeat Qing'er in the end.
After all, she had been in Changkong Academy for a month. With such abilities, it wouldn't arouse too much suspicion from others. At most, they would think that Luo Feiyan had been pretending to be weak before. Although she was weak, she wasn't as useless as the rumors said.
Ling Ruo was quite satisfied with Zhao Shuning's performance. She didn't cause any more trouble for Elder Zhou. After giving the usual instructions, she left.
Zhao Shuning let out a sigh of relief.
Ling Ruo went to the high pavilion in the backstage. Seeing the man sitting in front of the tea table, she slightly bent forward.
"Your Majesty."
"This girl is not simple."
This man was none other than Yan Ruyu.
Yan Ruyu said, "I know. But keep today's matter a secret."
"This girl came to our Changkong Academy probably with ulterior motives. All I want to know is what she wants. Ling Ruo, you don't need to interfere in this matter anymore. This girl is much stronger than you think."
Ling Ruo looked up in surprise. Her Majesty had never praised anyone like this before, especially a young girl.
"Your Majesty?"
"She not only has excellent talents but also works extremely hard."
Hearing this, Ling Ruo naturally understood. She slightly bowed.
"Ling Ruo understands."
Yan Ruyu nodded gently.
"Go out."
Yan Ruyu looked at the calm and composed girl on the high platform below. A faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.
Luo Qiu. She was an interesting disciple.
Zhao Shuning stood on the stage. After everyone had left, Xia Qingyan stepped onto the stage. Seeing this, Wu Xuan didn't move.
"Feiyan, is that you?"
Zhao Shuning glanced at him and then took a step back, saying modestly, "Your Highness."
Hearing this, a look of disappointment flashed across Xia Qingyan's face. She wasn't the one he was looking for.
"Did anything happen during the five days you were missing?"
Zhao Shuning noticed that when Xia Qingyan said this, Wu Xuan beside him couldn't help taking a step back. It would be no fun if she revealed this matter now.
"Nothing. I was just so absorbed in cultivating my spiritual power that I forgot the time."
"They said that you disappeared with the Crown Prince of Dongzhou. I thought—"
"Who said that?"
Xia Qingyan looked at Wu Xuan. Zhao Shuning also followed his gaze. Seeing the person she had harmed come back, instead of showing any guilt, Wu Xuan's face was filled with hatred.
She angrily said, "Luo Feiyan, why are you looking at me like this?"
Her tone was so overbearing. Did she think that Luo Feiyan was too weak to expose this matter? Wu Xuan had committed so many crimes, such as killing a fellow disciple and almost killing Luo Feiyan. How could she act as if nothing had happened?
"Nothing. Princess, aren't you standing in public for people to look at? Do people passing by have to cover their eyes and ignore you to satisfy you?"
The weak Luo Feiyan had suddenly become so sharp-tongued. Could it be that his previous suspicion was not an illusion? Could this really not be Luo Feiyan? But was it really possible for two people to look exactly the same?
"I'd like to ask the Princess of Tianli Kingdom. Did you see me leaving with the Crown Prince of Dongzhou with your own eyes? That's why you spread such rumors in public?"
Thinking of what had happened that day, Wu Xuan didn't dare to reveal it. So she said, "I just said that you disappeared at the same time. And the Crown Prince of Dongzhou had improper intentions towards you. I didn't say that you had done anything improper."
"Oh, I see."
Zhao Shuning pretended to be suddenly enlightened.
Wu Xuan couldn't help rolling her eyes at her. She said to Xia Qingyan, "Brother Qingyan, Luo Feiyan is back alive. Don't you owe me an apology? You led people to search my Wangyue Courtyard yesterday."
Zhao Shuning thought to herself. This Wu Xuan was really shameless. If Luo Qiu hadn't told her everything that had happened in the academy, she would have been deceived by her excellent acting skills.
"Yes, I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I forgive you."
Looking at Wu Xuan's proud face, Zhao Shuning couldn't help saying, "Princess, can you please put away that face of yours? You're smiling so brightly that the wrinkles at the corners of your eyes are showing."
"You!"
Wu Xuan involuntarily touched the corners of her eyes. Filled with anger, she said, "Luo Feiyan, you're asking for death."
As she said this, she raised her right hand, wanting to teach Luo Feiyan a lesson as usual. But before her hand could come down, Xia Qingyan grabbed it and threw her to one side.
"Wu Xuan, why are you still so unreasonable?"
"Brother Qingyan, it was clearly Luo Feiyan who—"
"But you don't have to resort to violence."
Zhao Shuning watched them talking and didn't bother anymore. She turned around and walked towards Wangyue Courtyard. On the way, she saw two people whispering while looking at Wu Xuan and Xia Qingyan in the distance.
Zhao Shuning smiled knowingly. She walked up to them and whispered, "I just vaguely heard that the Princess seemed to be confessing her love to the Young Prince. Judging from the situation, it seems that she was rejected. It's really pitiful."
The two looked at each other, as if they had obtained a bombshell piece of news.
Zhao Shuning added at the end.
"Of course, I just seem to have heard it. There's no solid evidence. You don't have to think too much about it."
The two nodded. They held hands and walked back to their own courtyard. The topics they discussed became even more numerous.
Spreading rumors and smearing Luo Feiyan's reputation. Who couldn't do this? This little girl Wu Xuan, who was not even twenty years old, dared to compete with someone who had lived for several lifetimes. She was really overestimating herself.
Zhao Shuning hummed a song and walked back to Wangyue Courtyard leisurely.
The room where Luo Feiyan lived had been filled with sundries by Wu Xuan and her two companions. As soon as she opened the door, she could see the dust flying in the air.
Zhao Shuning covered her nose and mouth.
"Luo Qiu, Luo Qiu. I didn't expect that you had suffered so much before you became famous. Even your living room has been occupied to the point where there's no place to stand."
In this life, at least she and Luo Qiu were related by blood. And Luo Qiu was the woman she had admired since childhood. Now that Luo Qiu had encountered such an unfair thing, if she could offer a helping hand, she naturally wouldn't back down.
She rolled up her sleeves, tied a black cloth around her face to cover her nose and mouth, and began to clean up the things in the room. She put all the cleaned-up things at the door of Wangyue Courtyard.
They really thought that Luo Feiyan would never come back. They had piled so many things in her room, including some relatively private used items.
After taking out all the redundant items, there were even some valuable ones among them. Zhao Shuning had an idea. She simply set up a small stall at the door of Wangyue Courtyard and began to shout.
"Come and take a look! Don't miss out on the top-quality silk!"
"Undergarments still retaining a woman's body fragrance!"
"Bargain sale! Bargain sale—"