The Crown Princess Is Jealous Again - Chapter 35

Xiao Beitang looked at her thoughtfully.

But Song Qingqian suddenly brushed away the gloomy atmosphere and changed the subject. “Your Highness should rest early. We must go to the Imperial Academy tomorrow.”

Xiao Beitang nodded and walked her out.

The next day, the two arrived at the Imperial Academy separately. Song Qingqian entered first, while Xiao Beitang waited at the entrance for Xiao Lin and the others.

“Teacher Song, these flowers are for you.” Lu Wuyou beamed as he handed her a bouquet of lilies.

“Why are you giving these to me?” Song Qingqian did not take them. She glanced at the flowers and then at Lu Wuyou.

“Beauty deserves flowers. A celestial like you, Teacher Song, should be graced with them,” he said, extending the bouquet further.

“The flowers are lovely, but by plucking them, you’ve destroyed them,” Song Qingqian replied, taking a step back and refusing to accept them.

Lu Wuyou smiled, quoting, “’Pluck the blossoms while they bloom; don’t wait until the branches are bare.’ I also think calling you ‘Teacher Song’ sounds too distant. May I call you ‘Fairy Sister’ instead?”

So frivolous! Song Qingqian thought Xiao Beitang was right—she should steer clear of this boy.

“Fairy… Sister~” Lu Wuyou tried the name tentatively.

Song Qingqian instantly got goosebumps.

She took another step back and said sternly, “Wuyou, I am your teacher. You should call me as such. How is that distant? Respecting one’s teacher is the most basic principle. You’d best stick to calling me Teacher

Song.”

Lu Wuyou stepped closer. “Then please, Teacher Song, accept the flowers. This is a token of my admiration and respect!”

Just as Xiao Beitang walked in, she saw Lu Wuyou pestering Song Qingqian and immediately burned with fury. She strode straight toward them.

She passed directly between the two like a gust of wind, deliberately bumping into Lu Wuyou. Caught off guard, Lu Wuyou dropped the lilies, and nearly stumbled to the ground.

Regaining his balance, Lu Wuyou looked at Xiao Beitang with a frown and snapped, “Jiang Tang! Do you have no manners? You bumped into me!”

Xiao Beitang turned back nonchalantly. “Oh? Did I? Where? All I saw was a lecher.”

“You—!” Lu Wuyou pointed at her angrily. After a moment, his expression changed into a mocking smirk. “Ah, I see now—you’re jealous. Jealous that I’m close with Teacher Song.”

Xiao Beitang sneered. “Jealous of you? Are you insane? She clearly doesn’t want your flowers, yet you keep clinging like a barnacle. Shameless.”

Lu Wuyou curved his lips meaningfully. “You’re totally jealous. The angrier you get, the more obvious it is.”

“I—”

Before the quarrel escalated, Song Qingqian cut them off sharply. “Enough! Both of you—inside, now. No more nonsense.”

The two exchanged glances and entered the hall, huffing as they went.

Inside, Xiao Wanqi leaned over and whispered, “A-Tang, why are you arguing with him? That’s not like you.”

Xiao Beitang glanced at Lu Wuyou chatting and laughing nearby. “I just can’t stand him.”

“He’s nothing but a frivolous brat. You don’t need to stoop to his level.”

“…”

“Good morning, Teacher Song.”

Song Qingqian returned the greeting and sat down.

She looked around the class coolly. “You’ve all behaved well today. No one brought their maids. Good. A gentleman must be trustworthy to be respected.”

From her seat, Xiao Beitang could see Song Qingqian clearly. She was close—close enough to see the way her long lashes quivered slightly as she lowered her head to open the book, her back perfectly straight.

Song Qingqian suddenly looked up—and caught her staring. She raised her sleeve to clear her throat. “Today, we’ll study the Doctrine of the Mean. The text says…”

After the lecture, she asked, “Does anyone have any questions about what I just explained?”

Lu Wuyou smiled. “Teacher, your explanation was perfect. I have no questions.”

“Bootlicker,” Xiao Beitang muttered with disdain.

Song Qingqian shot her a sharp look, and she straightened up a bit, bowing her head.

“That’s all for today,” Song Qingqian announced, closing the book and rising slowly. “Let’s clean the Imperial Academy together.”

Xiao Beitang handed her book bag to Liuzi.

Liuzi looked anxious. “Master, let me do it. You’ve never done such things.”

“No need.” She shrugged off her outer robe and tossed it to him.

“But—”

Without another word, she joined the others. Song Qingqian assigned cleaning areas, and everyone grabbed a broom and began working.

Xiao Beitang clung to Song Qingqian’s side—and so did Lu Wuyou. The two jostled and bickered, refusing to give way. Finally, Song Qingqian tossed her broom aside in exasperation. “Fine. You two sweep yourselves!”

She turned and walked off briskly.

The Xiao Beitang and Lu Wuyou rolled their eyes at each other, continuing to sweep—still competing.

By the sixth day of cleaning, Xiao Lin straightened her back and pounded it sorely.

Students from other classes occasionally peeked over to mock them.

“So, these are the students taught by that Teacher Song, huh?”

“Tch, I knew it. A woman teaching? Ridiculous. She’s ruined a whole group of students. What a disgrace.”

“Right? I heard she gambled during class and was punished with ten days of cleaning.”

“Society’s really going downhill…”

“What nonsense!” Xiao Lin slammed her broom on the ground.

“Are we wrong? Why else would you be punished with cleaning duty?”

“That’s because our Teacher Song didn’t want to argue with the Headmaster! Besides, it’s just sweeping—not some major crime,” Xiao Wanqi stepped in to defend her.

“Only because the Headmaster’s being generous. And let’s be honest—anyone accepted into the Imperial Academy must have backing. Maybe the Headmaster’s afraid of her.”

“Or maybe there are secrets we don’t know about,” one of them said with a smirk.

“Say one more word, and I’ll rip your mouth apart!” Xiao Lin stepped forward, sleeves rolled up, hands on hips, eyes blazing.

Xiao Wanqi grabbed her arm. “Let it go. We’ve cleaned enough here—let’s go somewhere else.”

“Yeah, go on, get lost. You’re bad luck,” the student sneered.

“Say that again!”

“Bad! Luck!” he enunciated each word.

Xiao Lin sprang forward. Xiao Wanqi didn’t have time to stop her. She rushed into the room and landed a punch on him. Chaos broke loose.

The guys’s eyes turned red, and she tried to retaliate but was held back by her classmates. She struggled forward, screaming, “Let me go! If I don’t beat them to death today, I’m no man!”

By then, Xiao Beitang and the others had arrived, drawn by the commotion.

“What’s going on?” Xiao Beitang was shocked to see Xiao Lin and Xiao Wanqi being restrained, both furious and trying to fight.

“They insulted Teacher Song!” Xiao Lin shouted indignantly.

Everyone threw down their brooms and charged in—Liu Qing and even Lu Wuyou joined the fray.

Seeing the situation worsen, the other boy’s friends jumped in as well. Chaos erupted.

Fists flew, insults were shouted. Those not involved ran off to report to the teachers.

Moments later, several teachers and the Headmaster arrived. They froze in shock.

The scene was a brawl—faces bloodied, students entangled in a storm of violence.

“What on earth is happening?!” the Headmaster clutched his chest in rage.

“You lot! Stop at once!” Song Qingqian shouted furiously.

But no one listened. Fists kept flying, tempers blazing.

“Stop! Stop! STOP! I said STOP!” The Headmaster was nearly stomping in frustration. This might be the worst incident the Academy had seen since its founding.