Chapter 29

Chapter 29: History Written by Her Own Hand! Recruiting Talent

Last month, the Yun Jing Archaeology Center made a new discovery on the Northwest border.

It was a set of letters exchanged between the Prince of Yan, head of the four princely ranks, and his younger sister, Princess Yong Ning, during the Qianhe era of the Ning Dynasty.

The letters were written on silk and preserved remarkably well.

With additional historical evidence, they were one hundred percent sure Princess Yong Ning had secretly come to Yan City, impersonated the Prince of Yan for three months, and made it possible for the real Prince of Yan to appear at the border in secret and catch the enemy off guard.

It was a major breakthrough in Ning Dynasty historical research.

But now, a Grade 11 student had reached the same conclusion they had.

Not only that—some of the sources he’d cited were the same ones they’d dug back up and reexamined.

Professor Fu sucked in a breath. The fingers gripping his folder trembled.

What did this mean?

It meant this Grade 11 student had a gift for archaeology.

Professor Fu made a call at once, lowering his voice. “Old Xue, you didn’t tell anyone about our discovery, right?”

“Of course not!” Professor Xue’s voice was bright with excitement. “This is huge. When we publish the paper, we’ll shock the entire field!”

Professor Fu ran a hand through his thick hair. “But I came to River City No. 1 High School to sit in on an open class today, and a Grade 11 student mentioned it in his speech.”

Professor Xue went blank. “He… guessed?”

“I don’t think so,” Professor Fu said. “He had sources. He reasoned it out. Even if it started as a guess, it was a deduction. Talent.”

There was a beat of stunned silence on the line.

Then Professor Xue blurted, “Wait. You’re telling me a Grade 11 student deduced, on his own, what we spent a full month working out?”

“Exactly!” Professor Fu’s voice rose with excitement. “Old Xue, I’m taking this student. Don’t fight me for him.”

Professor Xue forced a smile into his tone. “Fine. I won’t fight you.”

But he could still try to lure him.

Who won and who lost wasn’t decided yet.

Professor Xue was already regretting it. If he’d known a trip to River City would bring such a surprise, he should’ve tied Old Fu to a chair and gone himself.

—

Elsewhere, in the counseling room.

“I just sat in on an open class,” Rong Yu said. “Guess what? A student claimed Princess Yong Ning dressed as a man and impersonated the Prince of Yan for three whole months. Isn’t that nonsense?”

Yan Ting Feng had been resting with his eyes closed. He opened them at once. “Who said it?”

“A Grade 11 student,” Rong Yu said. “Pretty good-looking.”

Yan Ting Feng let out a low laugh. “It’s not nonsense. Only she could do it.”

Rong Yu blinked. “Huh?”

He got it. In his brother’s heart, Princess Yong Ning had been deified. The filter was thick.

“Listen, Brother,” Rong Yu said earnestly, “the dead are dead. You should look at what’s in front of you. Princess Yong Ning was, after all, someone from three hundred years ago.”

He leaned in. “If you really like Classmate Ye, I’ll help you. Maybe the two of you will heal each other, and your illnesses will disappear together.”

Yan Ting Feng didn’t answer. He simply picked up the landline and dialed the phone number Ye Wan Lan had left.

After one ring, the call connected.

“Hello?”

Yan Ting Feng’s voice was gentle. “This may be improper, but since Miss Ye came yesterday, I’ve already started to miss Miss Ye.”

Rong Yu’s eyes went wide. “…Wait. You’re moving too fast!”

Who chased a girl like that? He, a psychological counselor versed in love psychology, would have to intervene personally.

Ye Wan Lan hummed. “If you miss me that much, did you dream about me last night?”

Rong Yu stared at Yan Ting Feng, dazed.

He was starting to lose the ability to understand conversations between two lunatics.

“What you think about by day, you dream about at night,” Yan Ting Feng said lightly, his smile deepening. “I dreamed of Miss Ye—”

“Ah!”

A scream cut through the line. A man’s voice.

Yan Ting Feng stopped mid-sentence and slowly narrowed his eyes.

Ye Wan Lan sounded perfectly calm. “Wait a moment. I’ll deal with what’s in front of me, then I’ll call you back.”

Something in that promise pulled tight.

Yan Ting Feng’s brows lifted. “All right. I’ll keep waiting for Miss Ye.”

—

In the office, Ye Wan Lan held a silver needle and stared at Jiang Xu Lin without expression. “Why are you yelling?”

Tears welled at the corners of Jiang Xu Lin’s eyes. “It hurts… like hell.”

“Endure it.” Ye Wan Lan’s tone didn’t soften. “Do you want to keep embroidering?”

Jiang Xu Lin’s throat tightened. “Yes.”

Even now he didn’t know who his parents had offended, but the Su Embroidery his family had passed down for generations couldn’t end with him.

He was investigating the case and trying to pick up embroidery again, but his hand couldn’t steady itself.

He’d been to hospitals big and small. He’d gone abroad. Nothing worked.

Could Ye Wan Lan really cure him?

Jiang Xu Lin swallowed the pain and forced out a question to distract himself. “I’ve tried acupuncture before. Why does yours hurt so much?”

“There’s worse.” Ye Wan Lan didn’t blink. “Want to try it?”

“No.” He shuddered. “What kind of acupuncture is this, anyway? Don’t tell me it’s Tai Yi Needle Art.”

Ye Wan Lan drove the last needle into his wrist, still smiling. “You guess.”

“I won’t guess.” Jiang Xu Lin’s eyes brimmed, but he forced it back. “You’re a lunatic, and you’re rational on top of it. That’s the scariest kind.”

“Shut up,” Ye Wan Lan said.

Jiang Xu Lin: “…”

He felt wronged.

—

River City No. 1 High School, during the morning long break.

Students poured onto the field to stretch their legs. Lin Wen Li sat with his book open, staring into space.

“Wen Li.”

The homeroom director stood at the front door and waved him over. “Professor Fu from Yun Jing University needs to see you. Come to the principal’s office.”

Lin Wen Li froze and followed the homeroom director.

The principal was beaming. “Wen Li, you did great today. Do you know your presentation became a brand-new discovery for the archaeology department?”

“What?” Lin Wen Li felt the words were absurd. “My presentation…”

“Classmate Lin, the young are truly formidable!” Professor Fu looked at him with delighted eyes. “We only confirmed two days ago that Princess Yong Ning really did impersonate the Prince of Yan for three months, and you discovered it too. You must read a lot of history books.”

“I’m a science student,” Lin Wen Li said. “My history is average.”

“That makes it even more impressive!” Professor Fu exclaimed. “A science student with insight like that—it’s talent.”

He leaned forward, eyes bright. “Have you ever thought about switching to the humanities? As long as you become my student, I can guarantee you whatever you want—”

“Professor,” Lin Wen Li cut in at last, “the sources and the conclusion weren’t mine. My cousin gave them to me.”