The Eldest Princess gave a cold laugh. “Let’s hope he really is clear-headed—otherwise, he’ll just be asking for trouble.”
Truthfully, everyone already understood what had happened.
Qi Yuan had also sent the little maid involved over to the Eldest Princess.
The Eldest Princess wasn’t the least bit angry, nor did she think Qi Yuan had done anything wrong.
Qi Yuan had always been that kind of person—whoever provoked her had better be prepared to bear the consequences.
She never targeted only the Feng family.
Besides, Feng Jun had truly overstepped—he had tried to drug Qi Yuan!!
He was even a bit cunning. Apparently, he’d heard somewhere that Qi Yuan knew some martial arts, so he planned ahead to keep her from escaping.
Too bad his cleverness backfired on him.
The Eldest Princess said bluntly, “If I were the Feng family, I’d go home immediately, shut the doors, and put every child of the house under house arrest so they could properly learn some rules. After all these years in Yunnan, have they really learned nothing? Do they still think they’re the same old Feng family from the days of Elder Lord Feng?!”
Xiao Yunting couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
The Eldest Princess frowned at him. “What are you laughing at?”
“I’m laughing at how protective you are of her, Grand-Aunt.” Xiao Yunting answered openly, “That makes me feel more at ease.”
The Eldest Princess snorted. “Of course I’m protective of her! Unlike some people who repay kindness with betrayal, already thinking of burning bridges before even crossing them!”
She couldn’t have had a worse impression of the Feng family.
Then her brow furrowed again. “They won’t try to stir up trouble with the Empress, will they? Or go complain to the Crown Prince…”
“They won’t,” Xiao Yunting said coldly. “As soon as the incident happened, I already reported it to Censor Tie.”
——
The Eldest Princess and Lu Mingan exchanged a look.
Xiao Yunting really didn’t hold back!
He’d actually leaked the matter to the imperial censor!
If Censor Tie found out that Wei Changying and Feng Jun had bribed the Eldest Princess’s servants and secretly snuck into her private residence—he’d flay the Feng family with his words until they couldn’t lift their heads again!
The Eldest Princess burst out laughing. “You’re really ruthless.”
But she had to admit—Xiao Yunting had handled this brilliantly.
Once Censor Tie went after Feng Jun and the Wei family, neither the Crown Prince nor the Empress would dare speak up in their defense. The Fengs would just have to suffer this loss in silence.
Xiao Yunting pulled a corner of his mouth into a sneer. He didn’t think there was anything wrong with how he handled it. “Just arrived in the capital and already acting cocky—can’t blame anyone else when their tails get chopped off. I want them to understand—this is not the capital of decades past. The Feng family can’t do whatever they please anymore. If they want wealth and power, they’d better keep their tails tucked.”
The Eldest Princess felt completely satisfied.
Xiao Yunting then asked where Qi Yuan was.
Qi Yuan was watching Wang Chan fly a kite.
Ever since learning that three people had died—and that even the Shuntian Prefecture had come asking about Qi Yuan—Second Madam Qi had been deeply unsettled.
She had been careless.
They’d gone out with Qi Yuan twice before and returned safe both times. She thought this time would be no different.
She hadn’t expected things to go this far.
Qi Yuan had killed three people. Three!
Terrified, she watched as Wang Chan’s kite got caught in a tree and Qi Yuan leapt up lightly to retrieve it. Her right eyelid twitched again.
Thankfully, this courtyard had been arranged by the Eldest Princess specifically for them—there were no outsiders here.
Wang Chan, the silly girl, was still gushing excitedly to Qi Yuan. “Sister Yuan, teach me! Teach me! How did you get up there?!”
Second Madam Qi could only sigh internally.
Just then, the courtyard door creaked open.
Xiao Yunting stood tall and composed in the doorway, his gaze falling instantly on Qi Yuan.
Strangely enough, no matter how many people were present, Qi Yuan was always the first person he saw.
This time was no different. He raised an eyebrow, saw Qi Yuan hand the kite to Wang Chan and start walking toward him, and his expression immediately softened into a smile.
Second Madam Qi had also spotted Xiao Yunting. She took a few hurried steps forward, her heart suddenly pounding.
The Imperial Grandson had come!
The Feng family was Empress Feng’s maiden family—had he come to hold Qi Yuan accountable?
Qi Yuan had already walked up to him. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, “Your Highness, are you here to ask what really happened?”
Xiao Yunting shook his head. “There’s nothing to ask. I already know everything—clear as day.”
Qi Yuan’s emotions grew complicated. “You’re not angry?”
She had killed Feng Jun directly, with no hesitation.
The Fengs had once done Xiao Yunting a great favor, and the Empress had always devoted herself to promoting her natal family’s interests.
Qi Yuan thought she had just put Xiao Yunting in an impossible position.
But Xiao Yunting raised his eyebrows and looked at her. “Why would I be angry? He laid a hand on you—in my eyes, that made him a dead man. If you’d been any slower to act, I would’ve killed him myself.”
Qi Yuan didn’t know how to respond.
Liujin’s eyes sparkled like stars. He practically wanted to glue his ear to the door.
His Highness has finally figured it out!
Yes, yes, yes—that’s how you should say it!
“You, in my heart, will always come before everything else.” Xiao Yunting said with perfect composure. “Isn’t love just always being biased toward you—always believing you’re right?”
He gave a soft laugh. “I told you before, didn’t I?”
In every time he willingly cleaned up after her messes, in every effort he made to shield her without hesitation—
His love had always been calm and open, never hidden.
What he gave Qi Yuan was trust that covered her ears—trust so absolute she didn’t even need to hear the outside world.
For people like them, offering their unguarded back—entrusting someone fully without doubt—was the most silent and deepest form of love.
Qi Yuan felt a tidal wave crash through her heart.
For the first time, she realized what it felt like to be the one someone protected without condition.
She had once thought he was just momentarily infatuated. But no—he remembered every word she’d ever said.
She once told him that mere affection wasn’t enough. No matter how much you liked someone, it meant nothing without unwavering commitment—a love that chooses, again and again, no matter the cost.
And now he had done just that.
Qi Yuan heard, loud and clear, the wall in her heart come crashing down.
To be loved… could really bring one back to life.
Xiao Yunting saw her silence and asked, “You still don’t believe me? I can swear if you want—”
“No need.” Qi Yuan looked up at him. “Love isn’t a contest. You don’t need to prove yourself to me. Just stay true to what you said today.”
Liujin was so excited he started scratching at his ears.
Even the usually composed Babao couldn’t help but strain to listen—just a bit closer, just a little more.
Liujin happened to hear Qi Yuan’s last sentence, leapt up in excitement—and slammed his head right into Babao’s chin.
Babao let out a muffled grunt.
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