The arena was in chaos.
The once-glorious summoning crystal now stood like a corpse—its surface dimmed, lifeless, and cold. Flecks of dying magic flickered weakly across its surface like embers struggling for breath.
Guards scrambled through the crowd, barking orders to contain the panic, commoners whispered in alarm, city officials rushed around, their expressions twisted in equal parts fear and disbelief.
And right in the middle of it all—
A small girl stood alone.
Yao Yao's pink eyes were wide with feigned innocence, her hands folded neatly in front of her. A lone twig still clung stubbornly to her hair, a souvenir from her earlier escape.
To the untrained eye, she looked like a perfectly misplaced child. So innocent, in fact, that anyone looking at her might have assumed she were a lost child, unaware of the chaos around her.
Of course, those who did know her… were less convinced.
And just when it seemed the madness couldn't possibly get worse—
A slow, mocking clap rang through the square.
All heads turned.
Descending from the upper platform, his white robes trailing like mist, was the Crown Prince. Rong Xi's golden eyes glimmered with unfiltered amusement as he strolled into view, every step lazy, every smirk deliberate.
"Well," he said lightly, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife, "I must say, that was quite the performance."
Yao Yao's body went rigid at the sound of his voice.
She slowly turned her head, dreading as she locked eyes with him.
There he was.
The prince.
The one who had been laughing at her from above just moments ago.
The one who had seen everything.
Yao Yao felt the overwhelming urge to throw herself into the now-destroyed portal and disappear from sight.
Instead, she plastered on her best innocent-child-who-definitely-did-not-cause-this-smile.
"…Your Highness," she chirped, forcing sweetness into her tone.
Rong Xi's smirk deepened, his golden eyes practically sparkling.
"My, my," he mused, tilting his head. "How did you, of all people, end up here?"
Yao Yao blinked dramatically, trying to act more confused than she already was.
"Ah? I don't know either! One moment I was waiting in line like a normal citizen, and then… BOOM!" She threw her arms wide towards the lifeless crystal. "Everything exploded!"
Rong Xi chuckled, clearly unconvinced and enjoying every second of it. "You don't say."
He stepped closer, eyes narrowing with amusement. "And do you happen to have any theories… on why the portal collapsed?"
Yao Yao clasped her hands behind her back, pretending to think.
"I think…" she said slowly, "the spirits must have been shy."
Rong Xi blinked, his eyes widened in surprise. Then he laughed, openly and loudly.
"The spirits," he repeated, grinning, "are shy?"
Yao Yao nodded, perfectly serious.
"Yes. Very shy," she said with absolute conviction. "All those people watching… the pressure must've gotten to them. So they panicked."
She paused, then added with the kind of dramatic sincerity only she could pull off, "Very sensitive creatures, really. Emotional."
Rong Xi let out a breathy chuckle, he stepped closer, the amusement in his gaze sharpening.
Then, in a voice just for her—"Tell me, little one," he said softly, dangerously playful, "do you think I'm easy to fool?"
Yao Yao froze.
Her smile remained plastered on her face, but inside, she was silently screaming.
He doesn't believe me?!
Of course he didn't.
I don't even believe myself, DAMN IT!
Before she could think of another excuse, a new voice rang out from the crowd.
"Your Highness."
It was Shang Jun.
Yao Yao's heart soared with relief as her older brother made his way through the chaos towards her. Shang Jun's gaze swept over the crowd before resting on Yao Yao with a calm but knowing look. He then turned to Rong Xi, offering a slight bow of respect.
"My sister is still young," he said smoothly. "Surely this is all just an unfortunate misunderstanding."
Yao Yao silently cheered.
Yes. Exactly! Definitely a misunderstanding!
Rong Xi raised a brow but didn't argue. He gave Yao Yao one last long, amused look before stepping back.
"Misunderstanding, is it?" he murmured. "Well. I suppose we'll find out."
Yao Yao's stomach turned.
She did not like the sound of that.
Before she could protest, a guard stumbled forward, pale and breathless.
"Your Highness," he gasped. "The King has been informed about the portal's collapse."
Rong Xi's smile remained unfazed. "Of course he has."
The guard swallowed hard. "His Majesty has summoned you, along with the Shang Family, and the girl to the palace immediately."
A heavy silence filled the air.
"…Wait," Yao Yao blurted. "Why me?!"
The guard shifted uncomfortably, clearly flustered. "Because… the King said so."
Yao Yao's mind screamed in panic.
Rong Xi tilted his head, his smile widening. "Well then, little one," he said, his tone smooth, "Shall we?"
Yao Yao had never wanted to vanish from existence more in her life.
—
The Royal Palace — Throne Room
The atmosphere in the throne room was suffocating.
At the head of the room, seated upon the majestic throne, sat the King. His expression was unreadable, his dark eyes flickering with quiet authority as he observed the gathered group.
Shang Zhao, the head of the Shang Family, stood to one side, rigid and stoic. While Shang Jun stood quietly by his side, hands folded, face calm, though his eyes flicked toward Yao Yao now and then.
And there she was.
Yao Yao, small, vulnerable, and feeling incredibly out of place.
She stood stiffly, trying to make herself as small as possible, overwhelmed by the grandeur of the throne room. Her tiny form felt insignificant in the shadow of the King's looming presence.
Beside her, Rong Xi, thoroughly entertained by the entire situation, looked like a cat who had just delivered a very amusing mouse to court.
The King's eyes swept over the room, his gaze piercing, sharp as it assessed each individual.
Then, they landed on her.
Yao Yao's heart pounded in her chest as the King's gaze locked with hers.
"…You," the King said, his voice deep and clear. "You are the girl responsible for the summoning portal's collapse?"
Yao Yao's throat went dry. She wanted to lie, to come up with an excuse or anything, but she could feel Rong Xi's burning gaze from her side.
He knew. He seen everything.
Damn it.
She still had no idea what had actually happened.
Shang Jun said spirits responded to a call, so obviously—she called! Very sincerely!
And yet the portal exploded?!
Her eyes darted around as her thoughts spiralled. Sweat trickled down her back as she mentally replayed the scene of her magical disaster in slow motion.
If no spirit had shown up, she had planned to slip back to the palace quietly, pretending like nothing had ever happened.
A dignified retreat. Very classy. No one would've even known.
…Okay, maybe she would've asked for a third try.
Possibly.
Probably.
Very likely.
...Fine. She absolutely would've begged for a third, maybe even a fourth try if she threw in some tears and a tragic backstory.
But how was she supposed to know her tiny energy ball would shut down the whole portal?
That's not my fault, right?
RIGHT?!
She was not taking full responsibility for this mess.
So Yao Yao did the only thing a panicked five-year-old with the soul of a forty-year-old scammer could do.
She pointed vaguely at nothing, her face dead serious and said: "It wasn't me! It was the spirits! They got shy!"
The silence that followed was deafening.
Shang Zhao closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, deeply.
Shang Jun's lips twitched with the force of barely-suppressed laughter.
Rong Xi had to look away.
And the King?
He just stared at her, unmoving, his expression emotionless.
Yao Yao didn't breathe.
Finally—
The King raised a hand, rubbing his temple in a way that suggested the weight of the entire kingdom was pressing down on him.
"This," he sighed, "is going to be a long day."
Yao Yao couldn't agree more.