C4 First Time! Meeting Him Again!

A gentle breeze swept by, and before Xueling stood a man in a crimson robe. His hair was as dark as ink, and his face was strikingly handsome, though the mischievous smile at the corner of his mouth added a hint of roguish charm.

This man was none other than Chu Yuan, known to the world as the enigmatic Prince of Peaceful Purity.

"Miss Soong, you truly surprise me. I was so careful to hide my presence, yet you still noticed me," Chu Yuan said with a playful wink. "That was quite a show back there. Who would have thought the so-called 'biggest disappointment' of the capital could handle two grown men so effortlessly?"

Xueling frowned slightly, feeling a bit frustrated. It wasn't that someone had witnessed the scene, but rather that this man had been in the courtyard all along, and she only just sensed his presence. Clearly, she was still too weak.

"Is there something wrong with what I said?" Chu Yuan asked, raising an eyebrow when he saw her frown and remain silent.

Xueling finally caught on to another point in his words and looked up to meet his gaze. "Are you a prince?"

"Absolutely," Chu Yuan replied, a bit surprised by the question. Although they hadn't met before, surely his crimson robe was enough to indicate his status?

Xueling glanced up and down at Chu Yuan, gave a slight nod, and said, "Good day, Your Grace. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

As she turned to go, Chu Yuan quickly called after her, "Miss Soong, no need to rush off. Meeting here today feels like fate. Why not chat a bit? I'm really curious how you managed to get rid of those two men earlier."

His words did nothing to ease the tension; instead, Xueling's expression grew colder. "No comment."

"Why keep me at arm's length, Miss Soong? Aren't you worried I might tell your family what I saw?" Chu Yuan said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Xueling shot him a frosty glance and replied, "Do as you please," before striding away.

This time, Chu Yuan didn't stop her. Instead, he watched her retreating figure and murmured with a chuckle, "Interesting, truly interesting..."

Once outside the courtyard, Xueling calmly found a servant to lead her to the Soong family's carriage. As the carriage curtain fell, she exhaled heavily and slumped against the seat, utterly drained.

Her body was so weak now, and her psychic force too. She had only performed two simple acts of mental control, yet her head was throbbing, and her psychic energy was nearly depleted. With no one around, she could finally relax a bit.

Once she relaxed, her mind instinctively delved into its depths, as it often did, and this time, she stumbled upon something unusual. Earlier, in the urgency of the moment, she had only vaguely sensed a trace of psychic force within her mind. Now, upon closer inspection, she discovered that the depths of her consciousness seemed to harbor a significant secret. This secret felt profound and pure, yet she couldn't discern exactly what it concealed.

Xueling attempted to probe deeper with the remaining psychic force she had, but an invisible barrier blocked her way. After several unsuccessful attempts that only intensified her headache, she decided to give up for the time being.

"Miss, are you in the carriage?" Just then, a woman's voice called from outside the carriage.