THE PRINCE REMEMBERS HER NAME
The Mid-Autumn Banquet glittered beneath a sky painted in gold and crimson.
Thousands of lanterns illuminated the imperial palace, transforming every corridor into a river of light. Noble families from across the empire had gathered within the Hall of Heavenly Harmony, their embroidered robes forming a sea of silk and jewels beneath the towering ceiling.
Music drifted through the hall.
Laughter followed.
But Shen Qingyi felt none of the celebration.
Because tonight was supposed to happen.
In the original novel, the Mid-Autumn Banquet was the first major turning point.
The night Xiao Yichen truly remembered Shen Qingyi.
The night Lin Ruoxue first attracted dangerous attention.
The night fate began weaving its web.
And despite everything they had done, the story seemed determined to follow its path.
Qingyi sat quietly among the noble ladies.
Her pale-blue dress shimmered beneath the lantern light, silver embroidery tracing elegant clouds across her sleeves.
Across the hall sat Lin Ruoxue.
Crimson silk wrapped around her figure like fire itself.
Beautiful.
Confident.
Impossible to overlook.
Ruoxue caught Qingyi staring.
She rolled her eyes.
Qingyi almost laughed.
Even in another world, some things never changed.
A trumpet suddenly sounded.
The hall fell silent.
"The Crown Prince arrives!"
Everyone stood.
Xiao Yichen entered beneath the watchful eyes of the court.
Dressed in black and gold, he looked every bit the future emperor.
Cold.
Elegant.
Untouchable.
Yet as he walked toward his seat, his gaze briefly swept across the hall.
For a single heartbeat, it landed on Qingyi.
Then moved away.
The contact lasted less than a second.
Still, Qingyi's pulse quickened.
She hated that it did.
Nearby, Ruoxue noticed.
And looked away first.
Something uncomfortable settled in her chest.
Not jealousy.
Certainly not.
Just discomfort.
That was all.
At least that's what she told herself.
The banquet began.
Poetry contests.
Musical performances.
Dances from the southern provinces.
One after another.
Everything proceeded according to protocol.
Until a palace servant announced:
"The Young Duke of Gu has arrived."
The room changed instantly.
Conversations stopped.
Heads turned.
Even several senior ministers frowned.
Gu Changye had always possessed a strange reputation.
Brilliant.
Dangerous.
Unpredictable.
A genius whom even the Emperor found difficult to understand.
The large doors opened.
And Gu Changye entered.
Qingyi immediately understood why readers had been obsessed with him.
He was beautiful.
Not in a soft way.
Not even in the way Xiao Yichen was.
There was something haunting about him.
A loneliness that seemed carved into his bones.
His black robes flowed behind him as he crossed the hall.
Then—
He stopped.
His eyes landed directly on Lin Ruoxue.
Not searching.
Not wondering.
Knowing.
The entire hall disappeared from his attention.
Only Ruoxue remained.
Ruoxue's blood ran cold.
That look again.
The same look from outside the palace.
The same look from the dark corridor.
Recognition.
Not attraction.
Not curiosity.
Recognition.
As though he had already lived an entire lifetime with her.
As though he had already watched her die.
Gu Changye smiled.
A small smile.
A sad smile.
The smile of someone finding something long lost.
Then he continued walking.
Nothing else happened.
Yet Ruoxue's hands had begun trembling beneath the table.
Qingyi saw everything.
And so did someone else.
Crown Prince Xiao Yichen.
His expression never changed.
But his eyes narrowed slightly.
He noticed Gu Changye.
He noticed Ruoxue.
He noticed the strange tension between them.
Nothing escaped him.
A voice interrupted Ruoxue's thoughts.
"Lady Lin."
She turned.
Pei Jingyuan stood beside her.
The Imperial Guard Commander wore formal ceremonial armor, polished until it reflected the lantern light.
Unlike Gu Changye's unsettling gaze, Pei's expression was straightforward.
Honest.
Concerned.
"Commander Pei."
He bowed slightly.
Then lowered his voice.
"Please remain within the main hall tonight."
Ruoxue blinked.
"Why?"
His eyes shifted briefly toward Gu Changye.
"I have a bad feeling."
Ruoxue followed his gaze.
Something softened inside her.
Pei Jingyuan was not trying to control her.
He was worried.
Genuinely worried.
The realization surprised her.
The evening continued.
Yet tension quietly accumulated beneath every conversation.
Until the Empress finally rose.
The hall fell silent immediately.
Her gaze swept across the assembled guests.
Then stopped.
On Shen Qingyi.
"Lady Shen."
Qingyi's heart sank.
Here it comes.
In the original novel, this was the scene that changed everything.
The scene every reader remembered.
The scene where Shen Qingyi first stood out before the entire imperial court.
And no matter how much she wanted to avoid it—
History had arrived.
"Step forward."
Qingyi obeyed.
Hundreds of eyes followed her movement.
Nobles.
Officials.
Princes.
Ministers.
Everyone watched.
Even Gu Changye.
Even Ruoxue.
Most of all—
Xiao Yichen.
The Empress smiled gently.
"We have heard many praises regarding your scholarship."
Qingyi bowed.
"This subject is undeserving of such praise."
The Empress chuckled.
"Humble."
Several court ladies laughed softly.
Then the Empress gestured toward a scroll.
"Answer a question for us."
Qingyi's stomach tightened.
"If loyalty and love stand opposed, which should a person choose?"
The hall fell silent.
Completely silent.
Even the musicians stopped breathing.
Qingyi stared at the scroll.
The question seemed simple.
But it wasn't.
Not for her.
Not anymore.
Because loyalty and love already stood before her.
Loyalty to her best friend.
Love—
No.
She immediately crushed that thought.
It was too early.
Far too early.
Yet somehow the question felt aimed directly at her.
After a long moment, she finally spoke.
"Love may move the heart."
Her voice remained calm.
"But loyalty shapes character."
The hall listened.
"If a person abandons loyalty for love, then eventually they may abandon love as well."
Several ministers nodded.
Interested.
Qingyi continued.
"Therefore, if forced to choose, I believe loyalty should come first."
The Empress smiled.
"A wise answer."
Many guests agreed.
Yet one person did not.
Gu Changye laughed.
The sound was soft.
But in the silence, everyone heard it.
The hall froze.
The Empress frowned.
"You disagree?"
Gu Changye rose slowly.
His eyes settled on Qingyi.
Then shifted toward Ruoxue.
Only briefly.
But long enough.
"Your Majesty," he said calmly, "I simply think that people only praise loyalty until they lose someone they love."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
For the first time that evening, Xiao Yichen spoke.
"And what would Lord Gu choose?"
The two men looked at each other.
The future emperor.
The empire's most dangerous noble.
Something invisible passed between them.
A challenge.
A warning.
An understanding.
Gu Changye smiled.
"If the person mattered enough?"
His gaze found Ruoxue again.
Then he said quietly:
"I would choose love."
A chill ran through Qingyi.
Because it sounded less like an answer.
And more like a promise.
At that moment, Xiao Yichen turned toward Shen Qingyi.
His gaze lingered.
Longer than before.
Long enough for everyone to notice.
Then he spoke.
"Lady Shen."
Qingyi looked up.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
For the first time since the banquet began—
The Crown Prince smiled.
A genuine smile.
Small.
Rare.
Dangerous.
And he said:
"I will remember your answer."
The hall erupted into whispers.
Because everyone understood what those words meant.
The Crown Prince had remembered her name.
And from this moment forward—
Nothing would ever be the same.