When Qi Yuan opened the door after hearing the commotion, the first thing she saw was Liujin with a nosebleed flowing down his face.
Babao was beside him, laughing awkwardly while rubbing the big bump Liujin had just given him. He tried to explain, “I accidentally hit his chin, and when I got up to apologize, I accidentally bumped into his nose again…”
Sinned, truly sinned!
He mentally slapped himself twice—why couldn’t he have held it in?! If he’d just stayed still a bit longer, maybe he could’ve heard something even more wonderful!
Sigh, and now the good show was ruined—nothing to see anymore.
He scratched his head in anxious frustration.
Qi Yuan swept a cool glance over him, then looked at Liujin, who was expressionless as he held a handkerchief to his nose. A faintly meaningful smile curved her lips.
For some reason, that smile from Miss Qi sent a chill down Babao’s spine.
He couldn’t help but rush to explain, “Miss, I really wasn’t eavesdropping, truly, Miss…”
Liujin rolled his eyes hard behind him.
How did I end up with such a stupid partner?!
But soon after, Babao fearlessly chased after Qi Yuan, continuing, “Miss, did you just say yes to His Highness? Our Highness is a really good person, truly! We can vouch for it—he even choked Miss Feng just now to help you vent your anger!”
…
Liujin silently wiped his nose, sneaking a glance at Xiao Yunting’s smiling lips.
Well, maybe Babao wasn’t entirely hopeless—at least flattery never goes out of style, right?
Second Madam Qi stood farther away and didn’t hear what they were saying, but seeing their smiling faces, she knew there hadn’t been any conflict. She let out a sigh of relief in her heart.
Good, good. His Highness didn’t come to settle scores over the Feng family. That was a relief.
She even snuck a pat on her own chest and silently thought—next time, she must tell her mother-in-law to assign someone else to accompany Yuan-girl.
Her heart really couldn’t take this kind of stress!
Wang Chan, on the other hand, was fearless. She was full of excitement and tugged at Qi Yuan, still asking how she managed to get up the tree in just a few steps to retrieve the kite.
Qi Yuan smiled and looked at her. “You want to learn?”
Wang Chan’s eyes sparkled with joy. She practically threw herself at Qi Yuan. “I do, I do! Can I really?”
“Well, sure,” Qi Yuan laughed, playfully tapping her nose. “Just keep training for another twenty or thirty years, and you’ll be able to climb trees and grab kites too.”
Second Madam Qi couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Wang Chan widened her eyes in delayed realization and shook Qi Yuan’s arm. “Ah Yuan, you’ve gotten cheeky!”
Babao scratched his head.
Wait a minute—Miss Qi still hasn’t answered the last question!
So… did she agree or not?!
Laughter filled the air in Qi Yuan’s courtyard, but in the Feng household, it was as silent as death.
Madam Feng had awakened and grabbed Feng Yuzhang’s sleeve with all her strength. “What did the Eldest Princess say? We still deserve an explanation for all this, don’t we?”
The slap mark on Feng Caiwei’s face was still clearly visible—proof of how much force Feng Yuzhang had used.
Hearing Madam Feng’s question, Feng Caiwei suddenly turned her head, staring at Feng Yuzhang with burning eyes and a cold sneer in her heart.
Wasn’t it always said that family stood together, that no one could touch a Feng?
And yet, now that her brother was dead, even her grandfather was swallowing his pride!
But Feng Yuzhang didn’t bother hiding anything. He said directly, “What explanation? He and Wei Changying bribed the Eldest Princess’s servants and snuck into her inner courtyard. He brought this on himself.”
Madam Feng stared at him in disbelief, thinking she’d misheard. She grabbed his sleeve again and cried out, “What did you say?!”
Feng Yuzhang had no patience left.
He was already at his limit.
With a cold snap, he threw off Madam Feng’s hand. “Do you still not see reality? We’ve only just returned from Yunnan, haven’t even found our footing yet. You think just relying on the Empress is enough? Do you think the Empress will go to war with the Eldest Princess over one dead Feng Jun?!”
Madam Feng’s lips trembled violently. She had so much to say—but now, not a single word would come out.
Feng Yuzhang suddenly turned to look at Feng Caiwei. “His Highness said your brother told you everything beforehand. Is that true?”
She hadn’t expected him to question her suddenly, and her heart skipped a beat.
But she knew—this was something she could never admit to.
So she immediately let out a cold laugh. “Grandfather already chose his side—of course he’d say that to protect that woman.”
Feng Yuzhang stared at her for a long moment before speaking in a low voice: “You’ve really disappointed me, Caiwei. You should have listened to us from the beginning and gone to Longhu Mountain. Proximity breeds affection.”
Feng Caiwei bit her lip, eyes flickering.
Those words pierced her like a knife—slashing her heart open, raw and bleeding.
Disappointed. She’d never thought she would be the one those words were aimed at.
It felt like she was split in two.
One voice in her head whispered: Yes, if you had gone to Longhu Mountain and returned to the capital by the Imperial Grandson’s side, that bond would’ve been something else entirely.
Another voice refuted: Who says going to Longhu Mountain would’ve guaranteed anything? Back then, who could be sure Xiao Yunting would even survive the trip—let alone rise to power?
The voices clashed in her head until she couldn’t take it anymore. She covered her ears and shouted at Feng Yuzhang, “Don’t say another word!”
Madam Feng looked at her in shock. She had never seen her granddaughter lose control like this, and concern crept into her eyes. “Caiwei?”
Feng Caiwei raised her head and coldly stared at Feng Yuzhang. “Didn’t you always say not to put all our eggs in one basket? If not, why would you have cultivated such close ties with the Crown Prince all these years?”
Feng Yuzhang’s expression darkened.
Feng Caiwei gave a mocking smirk. “So now that my brother’s dead, Grandfather finally sees it—Xiao Yunting is a tiger, not a tame cub that the Empress and the Feng family can control.”
Being too capable was no good either. Now he was too tough on the Fengs.
Feng Caiwei knew full well—Feng Yuzhang had slapped her not because he truly accepted what happened.
On the contrary—he didn’t accept it. He was furious.
That slap was just him swallowing his rage, suppressing his pride.
Feng Yuzhang looked at her coldly. “Do you think you’re clever? If you were truly clever, we wouldn’t be in this mess. You’d better stop scheming and stay inside for now!”
