A Rebirth: Joined As One - Chapter 9

Xue Chan waited outside until everyone had left, yet still did not see the Princess Royal come out. So she went straight into the classroom to look for her.

Once she entered and saw the Princess Royal sitting safely in her seat, Xue Chan finally let out a breath of relief. She walked forward and asked, completely puzzled, “Princess Royal, why are you still sitting here? Are you not going back?”

Only then did the Princess Royal come back to herself from the fact that Jing Ya had ignored her just now. “We’re going back.”

Xue Chan came over to help her up, but the Princess Royal suddenly remembered another matter. She waved her hand at Xue Chan and said, “You. Later, go straight back to the residence.”

“I’m going back to the residence? Then… then what about here in the palace? What if… Princess Royal, what will you do?”

The Princess Royal lightly shook her head. “Nothing will happen. It is not yet time for them to make a move. Don’t worry.”

There was no one around the classroom, and Xue Chan’s hearing was excellent, so she was not afraid anyone nearby was eavesdropping. She said, “But even if Your Highness’s side is… what am I going back to the residence for? There’s no one there. It’ll be terribly boring.”

The Princess Royal said, “Don’t worry. Someone will definitely be there to play with you.”

“And that person won’t just play with you. She can even teach you again, just like before, when she taught you to memorize that passage. You can take this chance to learn more from her.”

Hearing this, Xue Chan immediately knew who had returned. Her eyes abruptly lit up, but very quickly, that light dimmed again. With a drooping face, she said, “But… Princess Royal, you won’t be at the residence. I’m afraid she’ll be fierce to me…”

The Princess Royal laughed. “Don’t worry. This time, you’re going back to act as her guard. She won’t.”

“Otherwise, each time she is fierce to you, remember it once. When I go back, I’ll see how many times you’ve recorded and punish her that many times. Will that do?”

“That’s good!” Xue Chan’s face filled with excitement. She was clearly very satisfied with the Princess Royal’s proposal.

But once she went back, the Princess Royal would no longer have anyone trustworthy looking after her in the palace. Xue Chan expressed her worry once again.

After hearing this, the Princess Royal gave a soft snort. “Don’t I have a study companion now? With that study companion here, I will certainly finish this season of palace school safe and sound.”

Xue Chan said, “Then I’m relieved!”

The Princess Royal was not very satisfied with her attitude of completely trusting that little mouse. She asked, “Weren’t you worried about me earlier? What, are you so willing to believe that she can protect me completely?”

Hearing the Princess Royal’s words, Xue Chan did not know how to answer. She somewhat troubledly patted the back of her own neck and said, “No… I, I just feel that Miss Jing is very clever. She’s a lot like Yu Qiong… but Yu Qiong is too fierce… Mm, no, that’s not right. I mean, I think as long as Miss Jing is here, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Like Yu Qiong?

The Princess Royal caught onto those four words again. This time, she did not ponder them before tossing them aside.

How could that little mouse possibly be like Yu Qiong? She was clearly much, much more black-hearted than Yu Qiong! And she was especially good at enduring. Particularly when it came to preparing a killing move without a sound or sign, ready to strike the enemy dead in one blow—on that point, even ten Yu Qiongs added together could not compare to a single one of that little mouse!

The Princess Royal then thought of how Jing Ya had not even glanced at her just now, and she ground her teeth a little. She even somewhat regretted tossing her that packet of pastries in the morning.

She had never discovered before that this little mouse actually had the ability to anger someone to death.

The Princess Royal calmed herself down before continuing, “Go back and tell Yu Qiong that I am giving her ten chances to be fierce to you. If she does not use up all ten, then I will hold her accountable when I return.”

“All right. Go back.”

Xue Chan could only answer yes with a bitter, pitiful face, then turn around and prepare to leave the palace and return to the residence.

On this side, they were taking their time and were in no hurry to eat lunch. On the other side, Jing Ya had already started eating.

Halfway through her brunch, Jing Ya suddenly saw the oil-paper package she had placed on the desk, and the speed of her chopsticks immediately slowed. After thinking it over and over again, Jing Ya still called someone in and had them take the pastries inside the oil-paper package away to warm them.

And so, after Jing Ya ate one brunch, she added another plate of snacks. The reheated pastries were indeed not as delicious as when they had first come out, but the taste was sweet and light, delicate and refreshing. They were still very good.

After that, naturally, Jing Ya ate too much.

Fortunately, after she rubbed her lower stomach for a while, she felt much better than before. Only then did she slowly sit down in the chair before the desk and rest.

She had woken far too early that morning, so she was actually a little sleepy now. But if she lay down right away, she always felt that everything she had just digested might come back up.

That feeling would truly be too unpleasant.

And so, Jing Ya supported her head with one hand propped on her elbow, while her other hand slowly turned the pages of a book, forcing herself not to fall asleep.

But little by little, drowsiness came sweeping over her. Jing Ya had no strength to resist and could only surrender.

The hand turning the pages gradually stopped moving, and the eyelids that had originally still been half open now fell completely shut. Only the hand supporting her head remained propped there, swaying along as her head nodded little by little. It looked rather worrying.

Finally, after swaying for a moment, Jing Ya could no longer hold on. She bent forward and fell asleep on the desk.

When the Princess Royal came over, what she saw was Jing Ya sleeping deeply while lying on the desk. The Princess Royal frowned slightly in dissatisfaction and asked the palace attendants following at her side, “Why is she sleeping there?”

The Princess Royal lowered her voice, so naturally, the palace attendants also lowered theirs. One quietly replied, “Answering the Princess Royal, it is likely because Miss Jing was too tired…”

As for why she was too tired…

The Princess Royal raised a hand and touched her nose, hiding her slightly unnatural expression. However, that trace of unnaturalness lasted only for a very brief instant. Before long, it had dispersed on its own.

After standing there and looking at Jing Ya for a while, the Princess Royal turned to leave. But just as she reached the door, she suddenly turned back, and she did not allow the two palace attendants to follow her again.

The two palace attendants did not understand why and could only wait outside the door.

But they only waited a very short time before they saw the Princess Royal come out of the room. She even closed the door for Jing Ya on her way out, completely blocking the two palace attendants’ view.

The Princess Royal gave a light dry cough and said, “Before she wakes, do not go inside.”

The two palace attendants answered yes in unison, then saw the Princess Royal out of the side hall.

With no one coming to disturb her, and with the surroundings warm and pleasant, Jing Ya slept very peacefully for the entire afternoon.

When she woke again, the setting sun was hanging in the western sky, gradually sinking. Around it clustered clouds dyed in dazzling, brilliant colors. Looking at it from afar, the sight was extremely beautiful, like an immortal scene in a painting.

Facing that scenery, Jing Ya gave a small stretch.

After stretching, her whole body felt much more relaxed.

However, she would only make such a movement when she was alone. Once the door opened, Jing Ya once again became the steady and composed eldest miss of the Prime Minister’s residence.

The moment the palace attendant saw Jing Ya’s door open, she immediately walked over and asked with concern, “Miss Jing, you’re awake?”

Jing Ya gave a casual hum and asked, “Did the Princess Royal look for me this afternoon?”

The palace attendant shook her head and replied, “No. After resting after noon, Her Highness the Princess Royal went to Xilin Garden. Does Miss Jing have some matter for which you need to see the Princess Royal?”

“No.” Jing Ya shook her head, then asked, “When the Princess Royal went to Xilin Garden, did she bring anyone with her?”

The palace attendant said she did not know.

Jing Ya gave an “oh” and did not continue asking. She returned to her room by herself.

Sitting before the desk, she flipped through the book absentmindedly. It was not only that her heart was not in the book—her gaze itself had drifted off somewhere unknown.

Xilin Garden was the place in the palace where rare birds and beasts were kept. But this was only the first day of palace school. Why had the Princess Royal gone to Xilin Garden? Was she trying to put on an appearance for others to see? Come to think of it, on this first day, Jing Ya had not seen the young Crown Prince today either…

Among those still studying in the palace school, that young Crown Prince was the youngest.

Even more unfortunately, in the entire capital, it was impossible to find even two children close in age to the young Crown Prince. Add to that the fact that aside from age, family background also had to be considered, and finding a suitable study companion for the young Crown Prince was truly an enormous difficulty.

In her previous life, His Majesty the emperor had picked and chosen for his son until, in the end, he picked her. But now, she had already been chosen first by the Princess Royal. Jing Ya wondered who would be unlucky enough to be chosen and placed in that position instead.

The new emperor. The young Crown Prince…

Jing Ya lowered her lashes and drew her wandering gaze back into its cage.

It was still the same sentence: she could not rush.

Jing Ya closed her eyes and stilled her breathing, forcibly pressing down the anger rising in her heart. Then, suddenly, she heard someone knock on the door and say, “Miss Jing, the Princess Royal has returned. She says to invite you over to have dinner together.”

Jing Ya was slightly stunned.

The Princess Royal was inviting her over for dinner?