Spring Rises in the Phoenix Pool Chapter 53

She felt a bit dizzy.

How could Qi Wang know so much about the affairs of the Qi family?

If it were before, she might’ve smugly thought it was due to her own charm, that he was bending over backwards for her, going to all this trouble.

But after everything she’d recently experienced, she couldn’t afford to be that naive or self-assured anymore.

Especially since the current Qi Wang was entirely different from the one she used to know.

The Qi Wang of before was a modest and refined gentleman. The one standing in front of her now looked more like… a well-dressed predator.

As if he might pull out a blade at any moment and start killing.

Her mind spun rapidly, clutching her sleeve tightly as she looked at him: “Y-Your Highness, how… how do you know about Qi Yuan?”

Qi Wang leaned down and pinched her face lightly, smiling.

A mocking, scornful smile. Then he slowly took the dagger passed to him by a subordinate, casually wiping it with a handkerchief: “Qi Yuan? You call her Qi Yuan? I thought you’d call her Xu Yinyin.”

The moment the name Xu Yinyin left his lips, the color drained completely from Qi Jin’s face. Whatever shred of hope she still had vanished entirely.

And yet, more terrifying questions came crashing down on her, nearly drowning her in confusion.

She stared at him with wide eyes: “You… you know Xu Yinyin? Are you her accomplice?”

Yes! That must be it!

Qi Jin screamed internally—Xu Yinyin must have latched onto Qi Wang.

That’s how she could have killed Butcher Xu and Madam Li. That’s how she could have killed Hua Momo. That’s how she could have stormed back to the Qi family, unstoppable.

Without Qi Wang’s help, how could she possibly have done all that alone?

Thinking back now, it had to be him!

Qi Wang tilted his head slightly, as if he found her reaction incredibly amusing.

Then he actually chuckled. “Me, her accomplice?”

A flash of hatred burned in his eyes. His expression suddenly turned vicious as he thrust the dagger straight into Qi Jin’s throat.

He moved so fast that her eyes didn’t even have time to close. The blood splattered, dyeing even Qi Wang’s eyes red.

He looked down at her and sneered, voice ice-cold: “In our last life, this prince was ruined by her—just one step away! One more step, and I would’ve ascended the throne! And you think I’d help her?!”

Qi Jin’s heart seized in terror. She couldn’t make sense of it—what did he mean, “last life”?

But she would never get the chance to understand.

Qi Wang stepped back lightly after killing her, his face calm.

The eunuch beside him quickly soaked a cloth and wiped away the blood on his hands with practiced care.

Once clean, Eunuch Xu hesitantly asked, “Your Highness, the Qi family raised her for over ten years. Was it not a bit wasteful to kill her just like that?”

Qi Wang scoffed, not even bothering to look up: “What’s so precious about her? To the Qi family, she was always a disposable pawn. Even if I hadn’t killed her, they wouldn’t have kept her alive.”

If she had ended up back in the Qi family’s hands, she might have spilled something that could involve him.

Better dead. The dead don’t leak secrets.

Eunuch Xu nodded, and signaled for the attendants to remove the body.

Qi Wang had already turned to leave. He sniffed in disgust at his own hands.

No matter how thoroughly they wiped it, the scent of blood still clung to his nose. He gave a cold hum. “Has Han Yue’e sent word back yet?”

Eunuch Xu shook his head. “Not yet, Your Highness. But perhaps because we’ve been away, any messages she sent haven’t reached us yet.”

Qi Wang nodded, rubbed his brow, and let out a sigh.

Eunuch Xu hurried to ask, “Your Highness, are you unwell? You’ve had these frequent headaches lately—shall we summon more physicians?”

Qi Wang’s health had been poor lately—starting with a persistent high fever and followed by delirious ramblings.

When he finally came to, he was like a completely different person.

Eunuch Xu, who had served him since childhood, sometimes felt like he was now serving a stranger.

What’s more, after waking up, Qi Wang immediately ordered an investigation into the Qi family.

He had always been interested in them, but before, it had been for political reasons—not because of some lowly girl.

As Eunuch Xu pondered this, Qi Wang suddenly spoke: “When is the Qi family’s acknowledgment banquet?”

Startled, the eunuch replied instinctively, “Replying to Your Highness, it’s scheduled for the ninth of November.”

The ninth—that was tomorrow.

Qi Wang let out a low chuckle: “Let’s go see it.”

See it?

Eunuch Xu’s eyes widened. “But, Your Highness, we weren’t invited…”

Even though the Qi family were nobility, they would never dare invite an imperial prince to something as trivial as a family recognition banquet.

Such events were usually limited to fellow nobles and court officials.

Qi Wang lowered his gaze. “So what? If they didn’t invite me, does that mean I can’t show up?”

Eunuch Xu looked completely baffled.

Just what kind of person was this Qi Yuan, that Wangye would be so fixated on her after waking up?

At that moment, Qi Yuan was trying on her outfit for the next day’s banquet.

Madam Wang’s mood had been poor all day. Seeing Qi Yuan dressed in new clothing made her lips twitch in anger. There was an unspeakable fire boiling in her chest.

She snapped: “Your brother’s still bedridden and you haven’t even gone to see him! No conscience at all!”

The outburst came out of nowhere. Fortunately, Qi Yuan had long grown used to it.

Some people were just born with shallow bonds—what she couldn’t get, she no longer clung to.

So she calmly said to Lianqiao, “Help me take the clothes off.”

Then she looked steadily at Madam Wang. “If madam is unhappy, then we can cancel tomorrow’s banquet. After all, my brother isn’t well—I understand you’re upset.”

She now called Madam Wang only madam, no longer mother.

Because in her heart, this woman was already a stranger.

In her past life, she’d struggled through countless hardships to return home, only to be met with indifference from both Madam Wang and Qi Zhen.

And even if there had been some so-called maternal bond… she’d still died miserably.

The her of this life had already died once. The Qi family owed her nothing.

Madam Wang was so furious her voice jumped an octave as she slammed the table: “Are you trying to anger me to death?!”

The banquet was already set in stone, and invitations had gone out. To cancel it now—what would that make the Qi family look like?

Grinding her teeth, she spat: “You’re just not likeable at all!”

Always so stiff, never as sweet and gentle as Qi Jin. A child like this—even with ability—would never be filial. What good was raising her?