Qingge knew her moment of testing had come. Her only advantage was her unparalleled lightness arts. Among the secret guards in Qianying Pavilion’s history, her agility was unmatched. Even though Ning Wang and Ye Min were both highly skilled, her lightness arts made her practically untouchable.
Now, all she could do was rely on her speed and stealth. That evening, she hurriedly disguised herself. For the past few days, to make it easier for her to change her appearance, she had ‘stayed’ in her courtyard and kept her hair loosely tied in a simple bun, avoiding elaborate hairstyles or accessories. Her clothing choices had also been intentionally simple under the guise of warmer weather, opting for plain robes that were easy to change out of.
Now, after quickly transforming her appearance, she wrapped her hair in a simple blue hemp scarf to avoid drawing attention. Once she confirmed there were no flaws in her disguise as Qingge, she went to meet Ning Wang.
The man was standing with his hands behind his back when she arrived, casting her a casual glance. Without saying a word, he then proceeded to Ninghe Courtyard—the residence of Ning Wangfei.
Qingge understood immediately and followed without hesitation. She moved silently, walking behind Ning Wang without making her presence felt.
As they walked, they passed by a flower bed, and Qingge’s gaze unconsciously shifted to Ning Wang’s back figure. Today, he wore a round-collared robe with arrow sleeves and bat motifs. The edges of his robe and sleeves were adorned with auspicious cloud patterns, and a jade belt cinched his slender waist.
As he strode forward, the cloud-patterned hem swayed lightly, revealing the tightly-fitted brocade trousers beneath. This only further accentuated his upright posture, broad shoulders, and long, strong legs. He exuded an air of noble elegance combined with the youthful vigor of a young man.
In the past, Qingge had never noticed such details. She was eighteen this year, and getting acquainted with the seasoned Wanzhao had given her some understanding of the relationship between men and women. Inevitably, she also had some expectations.
But that expectation was never for Ning Wang. In her eyes, Ning Wang was Ning Wang, and a man was a man.
While Ning Wang was indeed a man, he was not someone she would entertain such an idea about. Thus, his appearance, build, or commanding demeanor had always been reduced in her mind to mere data: how to identify his facial features, his body type, his walking pace, depth of steps, the sounds he made, and his habits.
Now, however, she found herself unconsciously noticing these details. He was undeniably captivating, with a poised and striking demeanor, unparalleled grace, and unmatched charisma. In fact, since she was already acting as his Wangfei, sharing moments of intimacy and affection with him, she might as well enjoy it for now. After all, sharing a fleeting connection with such an extraordinary man could be considered a remarkable accomplishment in its own way, couldn’t it? When the time came, she’d take the silver and leave without looking back.
As she was lost in thought, Ning Wang suddenly stopped walking.
Qingge immediately halted as well, lowering her eyes in a gesture of obedience.
Ning Wang turned back and commanded, “Lift your head.”
Qingge’s mind went blank. ‘What is this about?’
Still, she obeyed and lifted her head, though she kept her gaze slightly lowered, not daring to meet his eyes.
—According to the rules of Ning Wang Manor, someone of her status was strictly forbidden to make direct eye contact with the prince.
Ning Wang scrutinized the female secret guard before him. Her face was plain, with high cheekbones, scattered freckles, and lowered eyes that appeared docile and submissive—the typical look of a secret guard.
But he knew that this couldn’t be her real face—she was in disguise. However, even if she were a secret guard, a woman was still a woman. A woman with truly unattractive features would rarely disguise herself as someone equally plain, because only someone confident in her natural appearance would feel nothing about hiding behind an unflattering mask. So, she was likely quite good-looking underneath.
‘Could this be why Ye Min paid her special attention?’ Ning Wang pondered silently. He trusted Ye Min and never interfered in Qianying Pavilion’s affairs, leaving everything in Ye Min’s hands. But that didn’t mean Ye Min had any excuse to harbor personal feelings for a secret guard—a grave violation of Qianying Pavilion’s strict rules.
Ning Wang stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Qingge. “You’ve been in the manor for thirteen years, correct?”
Qingge wanted to correct him—she had been here for fourteen years, not thirteen. But it wasn’t important. She tried to avoid speaking with Ning Wang as much as possible while in her secret guard persona, so she chose to let it go and simply replied, “Yes, Your Highness.”
Ning Wang nodded slightly and said no more. Qingge continued to follow him, cautious and respectful. But when they reached the inner yard, the Wangfei was nowhere to be found. Ning Wang frowned and asked, “Where is Wangfei?”
“Her Highness said she was going to look around the courtyard and mentioned going to see Your Highness. She was here just a moment ago…” Luo Momo hurriedly explained, slightly flustered. ‘Where could that woman have gone? Was there a maidservant accompanying her?’
Ning Wang’s displeasure was evident. “Why are you still standing here? Go find her!”
Luo Momo obeyed at once, gathering the servants to search the area in haste.
Qingge respectfully offered, “Your Highness, shall this subordinate also search for Her Highness?”
Ning Wang nodded.
Qingge immediately disappeared like a flying shadow. Once she was out of sight, she quickly found a secluded corner and silently changed into Wangfei’s attire, expertly adjusting her disguise.
If there had been other secret guards around, she couldn’t guarantee they wouldn’t notice any flaws. Fortunately, this was the inner yard of Ning Wang Manor—and Wangfei’s residence. Ning Wang disliked placing secret guards here, which lowered Qingge’s risk significantly and gave her free rein.
After assuming the ‘Ning Wangfei’ appearance, Qingge carefully applied scented powder to mask any residual traces of her original clothes or disguise. Once she was certain everything was flawless, she leaped lightly to a spot near the rock garden and pretended to admire the blooming crabapple flowers.
At that moment, a few maidservants came searching. Upon seeing her, they hurriedly called out, “Your Highness!”
And so, Qingge, now posing as the Wangfei, was ‘found.’ She gathered her skirt slightly and made a show of hurrying back to the courtyard. But as she turned, she was met with the solemn gaze of Ning Wang. His eyes slowly swept over the flower petals stuck to the hem of her skirt as he asked, “Where did you run off to?”
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Author’s Note:
One day, these two dog men will end up groveling on the ground!
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