Chapter 15

By the time Chu Yunmiao staggered back to the dormitory, she finally realized that Yu Changning had tricked her again.

“What do you mean, wait until I grow up, what impatience? What does whether I grow up or not have to do with her?”

After grumbling in exasperation, her light-brain terminal chimed with a new message.

【Yu Changning: Tomorrow at 3 p.m., A3 Training Gym.】

Chu Yunmiao stared blankly at the line of text. Once she came to her senses, she couldn’t help replying to confirm.

【Chu Yunmiao: Does that mean you’re agreeing to keep training with me?】

【Yu Changning: Sigh.】

【Yu Changning: When have I ever refused your requests?】

That “sigh” was especially vivid; Chu Yunmiao could even imagine the helpless, indulgent expression on Yu Changning’s face right now.

But the Long Princess was not moved. On the contrary, she ground her teeth hard enough to make her molars ache.

When had Yu Changning ever refused her requests?

What Yu Changning had done was far more excessive than simply refusing her requests!

She deliberately turned off the screen of her light-brain terminal and sat there sulking, refusing to reply. Sure enough, the terminal buzzed several times in a row. Chu Yunmiao resisted the urge to check the new messages, removed the terminal and set it on the bedside table, then grabbed clean clothes and went to the bathroom.

When she finished washing up and returned to bed, ready to rest, she picked up the light-brain terminal at last, prepared to give Yu Changning an explanation with the magnanimity of a great lady. But when she opened their chat, the conversation was still clearly stopped at Yu Changning’s last line: “When have I ever refused your requests?”

Chu Yunmiao frowned in confusion. She backed out of the interface and only then realized the notification just now had not been from Yu Changning at all, but from her friend Lin Mo. Earlier, Lin Mo had said that her childhood friend’s birthday was coming up and they were going out to celebrate; the time and venue had already been arranged, at an upscale bar just outside the school’s east gate tomorrow night.

【Lin Mo: I sent you the time and place above, Class Monitor; you’re free, right?】

【Lin Mo: Should I come pick you up at your dormitory tomorrow night at 7?】

She had made an appointment to train with Yu Changning tomorrow afternoon. By her and Yu Changning’s usual schedule, training would definitely go on until eight or nine at night. In Chu Yunmiao’s usual style, she would most likely have refused at this point—

After all, it wasn’t Lin Mo’s birthday, so it wasn’t as if she had to go.

But right now she was vaguely irritated.

【Chu Yunmiao: I’m free.】

【Chu Yunmiao: No need to come to my dormitory; let’s meet at the east gate at 7:30.】

【Lin Mo: OK~】

After confirming it with the other party, Chu Yunmiao let out a small breath. Looking at the silent chat window with Yu Changning that showed no movement at all, she huffed in satisfaction, turned off the screen, and fell into a deep sleep.

High-quality sleep drove away the fatigue in her body. The next day, Chu Yunmiao woke up completely refreshed.

In the morning she went to the library to work on practice problems; in the afternoon, she came to the Training Gym as arranged. Yu Changning had already booked the training room and was waiting for her, and the two of them continued last night’s “escape game.”

Even Yu Changning had to admit that the Imperial Crown Princess’s progress was so fast it was hair-raising.

Only last night, she had still been able to hold the girl easily in her arms; less than one night later, Chu Yunmiao was already forcing her to use five percent of her strength. After an entire afternoon of training, a thin sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead, a rare sight.

But Chu Yunmiao was the one who felt frustrated—

Today, she still hadn’t managed to break completely free from Yu Changning’s embrace.

One had to know that Yu Changning was already holding back considerably, using only strength to contend with her and not bringing out her full ability. Even so, Chu Yunmiao still couldn’t escape successfully.

She collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion and suddenly understood why people like Lin Mo had needed to frequent the psychological counseling room before.

Of course, part of it was that Yu Changning lacked teaching experience and didn’t know how to take care of a student’s confidence; but the bigger trigger was that Yu Changning was simply too strong.

When you went up against her, you couldn’t see any hope of winning at all.

They were all young, hot-blooded, and arrogant; how could anyone endure that kind of blow?

Chu Yunmiao covered her face. “Am I... too useless?”

Yu Changning was always endlessly patient with her. Hearing that, she comforted her gently. “You’ve already done very well.

“Didn’t you manage to get half your body out several times just now?”

Chu Yunmiao: “……”

Yu Changning hadn’t put it quite accurately. What had actually happened was that Chu Yunmiao had managed to get most of her body out, only for Yu Changning to wrap an arm around her waist and drag her back into her embrace by force.

The closest she had come to success, Chu Yunmiao simply couldn’t accept failing at the critical moment. She flailed with no rhyme or reason, kicking and struggling like a child, pounding on Yu Changning’s shoulder. Yu Changning couldn’t hold back and smacked her once on the butt as punishment; only then did she finally settle down.

Now that she recalled that detail, Chu Yunmiao could still feel a faint throbbing pain where she’d been hit.

She glared at Yu Changning in resentment.

Yu Changning: “What is it?”

After thinking it over, Chu Yunmiao still couldn’t swallow her anger, and she accused, “How could you hit me just now?”

Yu Changning tilted her head slightly, savoring the Long Princess’s embarrassed and indignant expression.

She spread her hands. “It worked very well, didn’t it?”

Worked very well?

The Imperial Crown Princess had always been a well-behaved girl, and with the elders at home loving her like a treasure, she had hardly ever been wronged. Only when she was very little, because she hadn’t listened and had done something dangerous, had Mommy gotten both angry and heartbroken enough to spank her little bottom.

But that did not mean Yu Changning could!

“Only Mommy has ever hit me. Mother and Grandma couldn’t bear to even scold me,” Chu Yunmiao said, her neck stiff with stubbornness. “You can’t either.”

Yu Changning cunningly changed her wording. “All right.

“If Yunmiao is always well-behaved, then you won’t get hit either.”

Chu Yunmiao puffed out her cheeks. “I can’t win an argument with you!”

Yu Changning smiled and held out a hand to her. “Good girl. Get up.

“Let’s go eat dinner in the cafeteria first; we can continue when we come back.”

Chu Yunmiao took her hand and stood.

She glanced at Yu Changning and lowered her voice. “...No, I have plans tonight. Let’s stop here for today.”

She didn’t even know why she was speaking so quietly. It was obviously a decision she had already made, but saying it in front of Yu Changning somehow made her feel guilty for no reason.

What a terrible reaction.

Yu Changning’s movements paused. She narrowed her eyes. “Plans?”

Chu Yunmiao coughed lightly to hide her embarrassment. “I’ve got a three-day break; I need to rest too, don’t I?

“I’m just going out tonight. I can train tomorrow and the day after.”

Yu Changning’s face darkened.

Of course she knew why Chu Yunmiao wanted to go out; the Long Princess’s social circle was very simple, and the only person at school who could currently persuade her was Lin Mo.

Yu Changning blocked Chu Yunmiao’s way and spat out two hard words: “Don’t go.”

Chu Yunmiao froze, then her face hardened. “Are you trying to restrict my personal freedom?”

Yu Changning frowned slightly, but her tone softened.

“The training has just reached a critical point. Going out now to relax is a waste of time, isn’t it? Yunmiao, be good; train properly first. I’ll find time to take you out and have fun another day, all right?”

Chu Yunmiao shook her head.

“I already made plans with someone. I can’t break my word.”

Yu Changning’s hand itched into a fist. “Whether a promise matters depends on who it’s with. If it’s some random person, it’s better not to go at all.”

Now Chu Yunmiao was truly a little angry.

She was unfamiliar with Yu Changning like this; she didn’t know why the other woman had suddenly started interfering with her. Girls her age were often a little rebellious, and the more she was stopped, the more determined she became to go out.

Chu Yunmiao looked straight at Yu Changning without fear. “I can judge these things myself; I don’t need you to tell me what to do.”

She took a deep breath. “I should go.”

But Yu Changning was unwilling.

She got to the training room door first, and with one hand on the doorknob, turned back to say, “If you don’t want to go to the cafeteria, I’ll buy dinner and bring it back. Calm down and think it over properly; those meaningless gatherings are better avoided.”

With that, she left directly and locked the training room door behind her.

Chu Yunmiao could hardly believe that she had actually been locked in, so much so that she missed the chance to stop Yu Changning. Of course, even if she hadn’t missed it, she probably still wouldn’t have been able to stop her. But once she steadied herself, she looked at the locked training room door and gave a cold laugh, then immediately made a call.

Less than five minutes later, someone came with a spare key to open the door for her.

“Class Monitor, how did you end up locked in here?” asked a Class 1 student working a shift at the Training Gym, looking bewildered.

“Just a small accident; don’t worry about it.” Chu Yunmiao waved a hand at her. “I still have something to do, so I’m leaving first.

“Sorry to trouble you.”

The other girl returned a polite smile. “It’s nothing; just a small favor.”

And just like that, Chu Yunmiao slipped out with ease.

By the time Yu Changning came back carrying two boxed meals and saw the empty training room, she said nothing and sat down to eat her fill.

She had already anticipated this situation; after all, if she had really been determined to lock Chu Yunmiao in, she wouldn’t have left so many openings. If Chu Yunmiao wanted to get out, there were plenty of ways.

She had only kept a sliver of hope, hoping that the little princess would choose to stay in the castle she had built for her.

But clearly, her little princess did not want to stay obediently by her side.

Yu Changning let out a soft sigh; her expression seemed somewhat resentful. Yet in the next instant, the corners of her lips curved, revealing a rather dangerous smile.

Meanwhile, Chu Yunmiao successfully met up with Lin Mo at the school gate.

Lin Mo was sitting in the driver’s seat and confirmed with her, “How long can you stay? Ten minutes? Half an hour? I can send you back to the school gate first after that, you see...”

Chu Yunmiao shook her head, cutting her off.

“No need.

“I’m free tonight; I can stay longer. I’ll go back with you later.”

Lin Mo was stunned. “I was planning to head back before dorm curfew at ten. Can you stay until then?”

Chu Yunmiao nodded emphatically. “Of course I can.”

As if to confirm it, she stressed, “I’m almost twenty years old. I have the right to decide how I spend my nights.”

The Empire had no fixed age of adulthood; as long as one completed secondary differentiation and possessed a secondary sex, one counted as an adult.

Most people completed secondary differentiation around the age of eighteen, so Chu Yunmiao was already considered an adult as well.

Though Lin Mo didn’t know why the class monitor was a bit rebellious tonight, she was still very happy.

“That’s great!

“Exactly, a break is for relaxing properly! Don’t worry, Class Monitor; I definitely won’t let you down tonight.”

She started up the hover car engine, leaving behind a string of “whoosh” sounds as she took Chu Yunmiao straight to the bar.

The moonlit night was clear, and the wind poured into the car. For some reason, there was a faint chill at her back.

Chu Yunmiao closed the window, ignored that strange feeling, adjusted her seat, and began to look forward to tonight’s gathering.