She was still playing me after all!

‘That’s right, even if this woman turned to ash, I wouldn’t mistake her. She is Ji Qianluo!’

‘The Queen is Ji Qianluo?’

‘Ji Qianluo!’

“Damn it!”

‘What kind of joke is this?!’

I could no longer contain myself.

With a shout, and a determination so fierce it would make even Lei Feng blush, I forcefully pushed through the crowd, surging forward.

“Ji Qianluo! You damn sister, stop right there!”

‘Oh, I wonder what kind of looks the people around me are giving me now. They must all be thinking, “This little girl has gone mad,” and the memory of it will surely mortify me later.’

However, I could no longer afford to care about such trivialities.

I couldn’t let Ji Qianluo escape my grasp again.

I absolutely had to catch her and demand answers to everything.

With this resolve, I gritted my teeth, slowly advancing towards where Ji Qianluo stood.

Over there, Ji Qianluo had already ascended the high platform for the magic demonstration.

“Good day, Your Majesty!”

The magic apprentices, who had paused their demonstrations, all greeted Ji Qianluo.

Ji Qianluo smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

Her gaze then swept across the audience below.

Just as she was about to offer a few words of greeting, her eyes suddenly narrowed in my direction, and the salutation on her lips transformed into a single, questioning sound.

“Oh?”

I, who had been intently watching Ji Qianluo, froze for a moment.

‘She noticed me?’

‘That’s right, it must be! Hey, Ji Qianluo, you scoundrel, quickly tell me why things turned out this way!’

‘Why am I here? Why have I become a girl?!’

As I quickened my pace, pushing my way forward, I loudly called out Ji Qianluo’s name.

Occasionally, students I jostled would turn around in annoyance.

Yet, upon seeing that I was merely a slender, delicate, and pretty girl, they would sheepishly turn back.

Some boys even offered me a flattering smile and eagerly made way after hearing my shouts.

‘Damn it, is this what they call “female privilege”? Why did I never get this treatment when I was a boy? Don’t hold back, everyone! I’m actually a boy! If you want to scold me, don’t be polite!’

Just as I believed Ji Qianluo had seen me and I was pushing forward with all my might, she calmly averted her gaze, turning her head away without a word or any clear reaction.

‘Eh? Did she really not see me? Or perhaps she doesn’t recognize me now that I’m a girl?’

‘Hey! Ji Qianluo! I’m Li Qingchen! Look over here!’

I wanted to shout that, but at the same moment, I heard Ji Qianluo’s loud declaration: “The magic demonstration will now continue!”

Instantly, a magician stepped onto the stage and began to chant a spell.

The audience below immediately fell silent.

‘Damn it, how could this happen!’

I had no choice but to halt my steps for the time being, standing in a relatively front-row position in the audience.

If I were to shout out now, I would undoubtedly draw the attention of many students.

While this would also catch Ji Qianluo’s eye, it would expose me to everyone’s stares.

How could I possibly talk to her then?

‘Ji Qianluo, you scoundrel.’

‘“Who are you?”’

‘“I’m Li Qingchen!”’

‘“Pfft, you’re Li Qingchen? But I remember Li Qingchen being a man, aren’t they?”’

‘“I am a man.”’

‘Then, in the audience…’

‘“Look, that girl actually says she’s a guy?”’

‘“Oh my god, a cross-dresser?”’

‘“A pervert?”’

‘“A transvestite?”’

‘No! I’m not a pervert! I’m not a cross-dresser! I’m not a transvestite!’

After envisioning the potential scene, I instantly calmed down.

Glancing at Ji Qianluo on stage, I decided it would be better to secretly seek her out after the demonstration ended.

After all, I now knew she was the Queen; at worst, I could simply go to the palace to find her.

With this thought, I felt much more at ease and began to pay attention to the magic demonstration on stage.

On stage, the magician had finished chanting the final incantation.

Immediately, a massive fireball erupted from the tip of his staff, soaring into the air before exploding in a dazzling display.

Tiny flames scattered everywhere, resembling fireworks.

The audience below erupted in gasps of awe and cheers.

Standing among them, I too wore a look of utter amazement.

This was my first encounter with real magic.

Such a scene, akin to Hollywood special effects, was something I had never witnessed in reality.

I found myself clapping along with the surrounding audience.

The magician appeared quite young.

After performing such a spell and receiving the audience’s praise, a hint of giddiness spread across his face, and he self-consciously rubbed the back of his head.

At that moment, a sudden, sharp snort pierced his ears.

The snort was laced with disdain and contempt.

The young magician’s face instantly contorted in anger as he whirled towards the source of the sound.

“Your Majesty,” he began, “even if my magic is weak, there’s no need for Your Majesty to insult it so.”

The one who had snorted was none other than Ji Qianluo.

The cheers from the audience immediately died down.

All the apprentices, myself included, turned their gazes towards Ji Qianluo.

‘What is this person up to now?’

A slender maid beside Ji Qianluo immediately whispered “Your Majesty” to her.

Ji Qianluo, however, remained unfazed.

Her lips curled into a slight smirk as she addressed the magician: “Is this the caliber of magician my kingdom cultivates? A magician like you could be defeated by any ordinary person I choose at random.”

The moment Ji Qianluo uttered these words, the magician’s face darkened with intense displeasure.

He took a step forward, gripping his magic staff tightly, and declared: “Your Majesty, your statement has called into question my life’s entire study. I demand that you retract it!”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then, Your Majesty, I request that you abide by your words and select any person at random to challenge me. What do you say?”

“No problem.”

Ji Qianluo immediately flashed a brilliant smile.

Witnessing that smile, a sudden, ominous premonition seized me, and I instinctively squeezed backward.

The magician was also taken aback, having not expected Ji Qianluo to actually agree.

He could only stand rooted to the spot, observing her reaction.

Ji Qianluo casually turned her head towards the audience, resting her index finger against her chin as if “carefully” selecting someone.

Then, she extended her arm, her finger pointing towards the stands with what I perceived as a mischievous grin.

“Hmm, you’re the one!”

‘Huh? It must be my imagination, but why do I feel like she’s pointing at me?’

I glanced left and right, uncertainty clouding my mind.

Yet, seeing everyone around me shrink away, and Ji Qianluo’s finger remaining as steadfast as a compass needle, I finally confirmed it with a face that felt etched with dark lines.

‘Damn it, that wicked woman Ji Qianluo is really pointing at me!’

‘So, you noticed me from the start after all! Are you treating me like a Pokémon?!’

‘You scoundrel!’