The Princess’s Scheme and a Muddled Misunderstanding

In the end, despite the cold stares and contempt of countless people, Lin Mo, with tears in his heart, followed Ji Xue silently into the “Yi” (Class B) Domain to prepare for the first day of formal training at the Hall of Clarity.

Lin Mo quickly adjusted his mentality. After all, for him, this was undoubtedly the beginning of school.

A subtle sense of anticipation stirred within him.

Though it was a girls’ school, a place where a single misstep could prove fatal, it nonetheless fulfilled Lin Mo’s long-held desire.

Yesterday, the area had been an empty expanse, but now countless desks were neatly arranged within it.

To Lin Mo’s astonishment, upon closer inspection, the desks were not made of wood; rather, they were carved from dark purple agate, shimmering with a faint, chilling luminescence in the morning light.

Host Yun, who had presided over the previous day’s events, now stood atop a platform three to four meters high at the very front, tall enough for everyone to gaze up and see her.

A serene smile graced her face, unwavering as she perused a scroll in her hands, her gaze fixed on no one in particular, yet her gentle voice resonated within everyone’s minds: “Simply choose a spot you fancy and take a seat.”

Ji Xue, without even glancing elsewhere, walked directly towards the first row of desks.

Her steps were slow, her fan gently swaying as she held her head high and puffed out her chest, savoring every moment of the admiring gazes cast her way.

Despite Ji Xue’s leisurely pace and the vastness of the space, there was still an end to her walk.

The first desk in the front row was already occupied.

Ji Xue paused, not speaking, merely closing her folding fan.

It was clear what she intended.

‘Looks like I’ll have to play the vicious lackey again,’ Lin Mo thought.

As a member of the imperial family, Ji Xue would not permit anyone to sit in front of her; Lin Mo had already discerned this.

‘This is precisely the arrogant and tyrannical royal from novels, brimming with malice, and I am her henchman, destined to use every dirty trick to achieve her goals.’

‘Though I feel deeply sorry for the girl in the front row, I am doing this to survive.’

‘My apologies, I will absolutely compensate you later, but for now… I truly am sorry.’

Lin Mo closed his umbrella and quickly approached the girl seated in the first row.

The girl, though not tall, possessed short black hair and sat upright, hands neatly placed on her lap, clutching her long skirt tightly.

She was muttering something, and only when Lin Mo drew closer did he distinguish her words.

“Don’t… don’t be nervous! Re… relax… I… I can do this! I… I will surely achieve something! I can’t let down Father and Mother’s expectations! Xu Zhiyan, you can do it, you can do it, you can do it!”

Dong.

A sudden fist slammed onto the purple agate desk, the dull yet resonant sound immediately startling Xu Zhiyan, who sprang from her chair with a sharp yelp.

“Eek!?”

Lin Mo leaned forward, glaring at Xu Zhiyan, then let out an abrupt roar that echoed like a clap of thunder through the hall of Zone B, “Can’t you see where you’re going!?”

“I… I’m sorry…?” Xu Zhiyan stammered, quickly apologizing for she knew not what, her eyes already welling up with tears.

“You have no sense of perception! Her Royal Highness has arrived, why aren’t you immediately— Ouch! What, what, what are you doing!?” Before he could finish his harsh words, Ji Xue seized Lin Mo’s ear and gave it a sharp tug!

“You dare to ask me that?” Ji Xue gritted her teeth, glaring fiercely at Lin Mo, her eyes practically bulging as if to shoot daggers and stab him to death, “I told you to negotiate with someone about giving up their seat, and this is how you negotiate?”

“Give, give up their seat?” Lin Mo was bewildered, “No, Your Highness, that’s not your personality, is it? Shouldn’t you be ordering me to severely punish this clueless person?”

‘Ah? Shouldn’t you be a heinous, petty, narrow-minded tyrant who, if someone so much as stepped on your foot, would want to exterminate their entire clan? Or a malicious princess who, if someone merely looked at you, would deem it disrespectful or a provocation, and immediately send thugs to punish or kill them?’

A folding fan sharply struck Lin Mo’s head, and Ji Xue immediately snapped, “You scoundrel! What do you take members of the imperial family for? I am a Princess! A Princess! Not some village chieftain from the countryside!”

‘Oh!’

‘Lin Mo understood!’

‘This was “playing good cop, bad cop”!’

‘He got it! She was deliberately having her subordinate do something awful, and then she would step in as an impartial mediator to win people over!’

‘Clever! Truly clever!’

‘He had thought she was silly last night, but who knew she was so scheming?’

‘He would have to be more careful in the future.’

Lin Mo immediately assumed a look of terror, instantly kneeling and kowtowing in apology, “Your Royal Highness! This servant recognizes their mistake!”

At once, countless scornful gazes pierced him like needles.

Even Host Yun cast her gaze towards Lin Mo, her faint smile seeming to diminish considerably, her slightly narrowed eyes becoming a touch sharper.

Lin Mo knew that with this kneel and this whole spectacle, he had utterly disgraced himself.

However, this would better deceive his enemies.

Although the scornful gazes of countless beautiful girls stung him deeply, it didn’t matter!

He would be making his escape sooner or later, and by then, the scorned Lin Wan’er would have vanished from the world, never to be seen again.

Ji Xue bypassed Lin Mo, who was still prostrate on the ground, walked up to Xu Zhiyan, and presented her with an exquisite bracelet.

“Please accept this as compensation for my servant’s rashness.” Then, without waiting for Xu Zhiyan to react, she voluntarily retreated to the second desk.

Lin Mo said nothing further, rising to brush the dust from his clothes before taking the seat behind Ji Xue.

Observing the gazes of admiration and respect gradually turning towards Ji Xue, Lin Mo knew that her popularity had soared.

And he, too, would likely become an object of contempt for everyone.

Once Lin Mo was seated, Ji Xue leaned back in her chair, propping it against Lin Mo’s desk, and opened her folding fan, whispering in a voice only they could hear, “I thought you were a professional, but you’re so amateurish… How could you think I’d want someone to leave in that manner? Wouldn’t that make me seem foolish and utterly detestable?”

“…My dear sister, I misjudged you. I thought you were the type to be utterly unreasonable.”

“What… Do you want to die!?”

“Look, back at the foot of the mountain, Liu Ruyan merely spoke a few words and you scolded her terribly. Anyone would think you’re that kind of person.”

“Just mentioning that day makes me furious. You idiot! Neither of us had been admitted yet, and we didn’t know each other, so she presumptuously approached you to chat. That clearly indicated ulterior motives! She obviously wanted you to lower your guard so she could stab you in the back during the assessment!”

“Huh?” This conclusion greatly astonished Lin Mo. ‘What kind of thought process is that?’

“The Xuan Nv Sect’s assessments have always been rigorous, fraught with danger, yet the sect produces exceptional disciples. Nearly half of the top-tier cultivators in the cultivation world once hailed from the Xuan Nv Sect. Rumors outside constantly claim that once you enter the Xuan Nv Sect, your future immortal path, even if not spectacularly successful, will still be bright. Therefore! Do you know how many people are desperate to get into the Xuan Nv Sect? Even by using despicable and dirty tactics! My governess told me it was a bloodbath. Close friends turning against each other is common, and endless underhanded tricks could fill twelve volumes and be passed down through the ages! Her approaching you out of nowhere that day clearly meant she thought you were a clueless fool, easy to trust, so she used her delicate image to get close to you, gain your trust, and then at the crucial moment, snatch your passage token! And take your place! I kindly helped you refute her and drive her away, but what did you do? You repaid kindness with malice! My personal governess was betrayed by someone who stole her passage token, damaging her foundation, and she was ultimately forced to enter the palace to serve others for the rest of her life.”

Ji Xue spoke with gravity and earnestness.

Yet Lin Mo was utterly baffled, “But… the Xuan Nv Sect’s test… isn’t it just touching a stone? What betrayal, what bloodbath…?”

At this, Ji Xue’s cheeks flushed slightly, “I… I didn’t know that day… I’ve been sequestered in the palace for many years… never exposed to outside news… How was I supposed to know the Xuan Nv Sect’s assessment had changed!?”

Lin Mo was instantly speechless. ‘So after all that… you made such a blunder?’

“Anyway… I already apologized to that Liu Ruyan!”

“You swear? Why didn’t you apologize to me?”

“You insulted me so horribly! You should be secretly celebrating that I didn’t execute your entire clan! To slander a member of the imperial family, you truly have a death wish! To call me… to call me that…” As she spoke, her lightly flushed face deepened to a vivid red, a color even rouge couldn’t conceal, clearly from anger.

‘Good heavens!’

Lin Mo exclaimed internally!

‘So, I’ve been dancing in a minefield all this time? My entire clan was flickering in and out of existence… Wait, no, I’m a transmigrator, you can’t find my clan.’

‘No, that’s not the point.’

‘The point is…’

Lin Mo was somewhat surprised.

Watching the fiercely glaring Ji Xue let out a soft huff, her lips pursed, as she straightened her chair, he felt a mix of helplessness and amusement.

He had expected a truly malicious princess…

But it turned out she was merely a muddled-headed girl who was desperately keen on saving face.