Chapter 376: Chapter 376: Li Yuyi Makes Trouble and Gets Countered

"Huh?" Shen Ningning moved closer to take a better look.

The characters written on it were actually the script her mother, Shen Siyi, had left behind!

Fortunately, Shen Ningning had been diligently studying the codex recently and had made some progress. Now, after scrutinizing it for a long while, she slowly began to recognize the words.

"Fruit... cures... illness?" The little girl quickly fetched the codex of Hua Country script left by her mother and compared it to the characters on the sign.

She finally confirmed it. This was a Medicinal Fruit Tree!

Shen Ningning was incredibly surprised and delighted.

’The Immortal Realm really did belong to Mother!’

But something was a little strange.

Previously, whenever something new grew in the Immortal Realm, she had to feed it jade first.

How come this time, when she hadn’t done anything, it grew a Medicinal Fruit Tree all on its own?

The little girl thought about it for a long time but couldn’t figure out the reason.

’Oh, whatever! I’ll pick some first. When I go to the National Academy today, I’ll let everyone have a taste!’

After all, they were so sweet.

Shen Ningning’s large, dark, glistening eyes filled with joy.

She set up the Cloud Ladder from nearby, hung a basket on her little waist, and started climbing up—TAP, TAP, TAP—to begin picking the fruit.

This was how she had gathered the golden fruit before.

Today, it was once again Chen Ye who drove her to the National Academy.

The little girl had just reached the entrance of the National Academy when she saw that instead of returning to their classrooms, everyone was crowded in the front courtyard.

As far as the eye could see, it was a dense sea of heads.

At the very front, a girl seemed to be speaking about something with passionate indignation.

The crowd was noisy and chaotic, and Shen Ningning couldn’t hear a thing.

Moreover, she was young and not tall enough. Even when she jumped up a few times, she could only see the tops of everyone’s heads.

The little girl gave up.

She sighed in resignation with her high, sweet voice and poked the person in front of her.

"Classmate, do you know what they’re talking about?"

"They’re talking about Princess Funing!" the person said, their head half-turned. They were listening to the commotion at the front while passing on the news to Shen Ningning in a gossipy tone.

The little girl blinked her big, innocent eyes.

’Everyone’s talking about me? But why?’

The person didn’t turn around, so of course, they didn’t know it was Shen Ningning. They just clicked their tongue and lamented as if no one was listening.

"I heard that Princess Funing brought someone with the plague right back to the Xie Mansion and is even eating and living with the patient!"

"Look, the one at the very front urging us all to stay away from Princess Funing is the eldest young miss of the Li Family. It’s her first day at the National Academy, and she’s already picking a fight with the commandery princess!"

Shen Ningning jumped up with all her might and sure enough, she saw a young girl in purple robes standing on the front steps, facing the crowd and denouncing her wrongdoing.

The person in front spoke for a while in a tone that suggested they were enjoying the show, but they heard no response.

Only then did he turn around. "I say, why aren’t you saying anything... Ah!? It’s the Commandery Princess!"

He had just been complaining that the person wasn’t as excited about the spectacle as he was.

But when he turned and saw Shen Ningning’s soft, fair, and delicate little face, he yelped in fright.

The surrounding crowd, which had been noisy just a moment ago, instantly fell silent.

The students all turned to look at Shen Ningning.

The little girl had already clenched her small fists. She took a step forward, and the crowd immediately, and sensibly, parted to make a path for her.

"What right do you have to spread rumors? When did I ever eat and live with a patient?" Shen Ningning demanded, marching forward with her voice full of indignation.

As she got closer, she saw that the girl in purple had a round face and phoenix eyes. She was looking down at her, staring with an expression that dismissed her as just a little kid.

That gaze seemed to say, ’So this is the legendary blessed girl chosen by the gods?’

’Just an ordinary child, nothing more!’

Behind Li Yuyi, Xie Yuanjiu saw Shen Ningning arrive.

Her eyes darted, and she immediately stepped forward, explaining with feigned anxiety.

"Ningning, don’t misunderstand. Yuyi isn’t targeting you, she’s just thinking of everyone’s well-being."

"I certainly have no objections to you bringing someone with the plague back to the Xie Mansion—we’re family, after all. But there are so many people at the academy. It would be terrible if the disease were to spread here."

She spoke with such sincerity, as if she truly didn’t want Shen Ningning to misunderstand.

But if one listened closely, they could detect her provocative intent!

Shen Ningning sensed it. Xie Yuanjiu was inciting panic!

’She’s trying to turn all the students of the National Academy against me!’

Li Yuyi fanned herself, her expression overbearing. "Commandery Princess, why don’t you just go home for now? You can come back to class after the plague has passed."

"Otherwise, how can we feel at ease with you remaining at the National Academy?"

Shen Ningning furrowed her little eyebrows.

’Xie Yuanjiu is going too far, and Li Yuyi is no better.’

’They just want to make things difficult for me and force me to leave the National Academy on my own.’

But the little girl wasn’t one to be intimidated by difficulties.

She lifted her small face and walked up the steps one by one until she was standing higher than Li Yuyi. Then, she put her hands on her hips and looked down at her.

"Miss Li, look closely. I am perfectly healthy, which is why I’m able to attend class."

"Since I’m not sick, what right do you have to tell me to go home? Whose idea is this? The teacher’s? Or just your own?"

With that, the little girl’s gaze shifted, landing unkindly on Xie Yuanjiu. "Or did someone put you up to this?"

Xie Yuanjiu guiltily lowered her lashes and pressed her lips together.

The surrounding students suddenly realized what was happening and began whispering to each other—

"That’s right, the Commandery Princess is perfectly fine. She isn’t sick, so what are we afraid of?"

"Besides, I heard the Commandery Princess had the plague once before but recovered long ago. She’s truly blessed with great fortune!"

"It’s Miss Li’s first day at the National Academy, and she’s already trying to get us to bully the Commandery Princess. If word of this got out, what would that make us?"

"Exactly! My father even told me to be respectful whenever I see the Commandery Princess, because she really did save our lives!"

In an instant, the way everyone looked at Li Yuyi was filled with disdain, disgust, and indifference.

Panic flashed in Li Yuyi’s eyes.

She instantly glared at Shen Ningning. "But you brought someone with the plague into the Xie Mansion! That’s a fact!"

"So?" the little girl retorted, tilting her head. The faint pink blush on her fair cheeks made her dark eyes sparkle even more.

Shen Ningning pressed on, "My father already agreed to it. You still don’t agree? Who are you to my family, huh?"

Her words made the students below cover their mouths to stifle their laughter.

The crowd’s mocking laughter made Li Yuyi grip her fan handle tightly. Under the hot sun, her face flushed red with anger.

"You..." Realizing she was losing the argument, Li Yuyi pulled Xie Yuanjiu forward again. "Of course I’m doing this for Yuan Jiu! She lives under the same roof as you. Have you ever considered that you might be endangering her?"

Shen Ningning narrowed her eyes, studying Xie Yuanjiu.

"You’re scared? The First and Second Households are separated by a wall, you know! What are you afraid of?"

"Besides, I remember that when Father brought the patient into the side courtyard of the mansion, he had Second Uncle tell you and Second Madam not to enter the First Household’s side courtyard for any reason."

"If you don’t go near it yourselves, what could possibly happen? Father even arranged for the maids taking care of the patient to live in the same courtyard, far away from the Second Household’s quarters!"

The little girl’s questions made Xie Yuanjiu tremble.

She bit her lip, looking wronged, her eyes turning red. "Ningning, you’ve misunderstood me."

Seeing Xie Yuanjiu’s reaction, the little girl rolled her eyes internally.

’Here we go again. Xie Yuanjiu is about to use her best skill: playing the innocent victim!’

Before Xie Yuanjiu could start her "performance," Shen Ningning feigned a sudden realization, her eyes widening—

"Ah, I get what you mean now! You want to move out with your mother so you’ll be safe, right?"

"I—I didn’t mean that!" Xie Yuanjiu said, growing frantic.

Shen Ningning paid her no mind and continued, "I get it! You were too embarrassed to say it to my father, so you asked your friend, Miss Li, to make a big scene for you?"

Xie Yuanjiu looked desperate on the outside, but inside, she was furious enough to go mad.

She wished she could rush up and tear Shen Ningning’s mouth to shreds!

’I haven’t seen her in a year, and this Shen Ningning has become even more difficult to deal with!’

Just then, Mr. Han arrived.

"What’s going on? Why aren’t you in your classrooms? What are you all doing gathered here?" he reprimanded sternly, his fierce, tiger-like gaze sweeping over every trembling student.

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