When Xiao Yunting stepped out, he happened to run into Babao and Liujin.
Liujin was still holding a piece of sugarcane, gesturing animatedly while chatting with Babao. When they saw him emerge, they quickly tucked the sugarcane into Liujin’s waistband and bowed with their heads lowered.
Xiao Yunting absentmindedly waved his hand, looking slightly dazed.
What’s going on with His Highness?
Babao and Liujin exchanged glances, both finding it odd.
After a moment of winking and nudging, Babao cleared his throat: “Your Highness, what’s wrong? Did… did Miss Qi kill someone again?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Xiao Yunting’s expression changed. He grabbed the sugarcane from Liujin and smacked Babao with it.
Babao yelped and jumped up, “Ah! So she did kill someone again?!”
He looked up at the large characters on the plaque reading Marquis Yongping Manor and muttered, “Who was it this time?”
Does Miss Qi have a thing for killing people or something?
Xiao Yunting was furious: “Kill your head! Do you think Miss Qi is some kind of murderous demon who kills people on a whim?!”
As soon as he said this, he froze.
Was Qi Yuan angry earlier because he joked that she looked like she was going to kill Qi Yunting again?
Yeah… she’s not some crazed killer. And even when she does kill, it’s never indiscriminate.
She only kills those who try to kill her first.
If she doesn’t strike, then she’s the one who dies.
Showing mercy in the face of death doesn’t make you a saint—it makes you a fool.
So why did he joke about that?
If Qi Yunting had the chance, he really would stab a knife into Qi Yuan’s heart without hesitation.
So what was he laughing at?
Xiao Yunting cursed himself under his breath and suddenly turned and walked away.
Babao was stunned. He turned to Liujin, grabbed the sugarcane again, blinking in confusion: “Did I say something wrong just now?”
When he’d told everyone about Qi Yuan killing Lian’er, they’d all just started placing bets on when she’d kill someone next. No one had said anything bad about her. So why was His Highness mad?
Liujin thought for a moment, snatched back his sugarcane, and knocked Babao on the head with it:
“If you know you said something wrong, figure out exactly what was wrong! Or your mouth is going to get you in trouble!”
Qi Yuan was slowly rubbing her wrist and let out a long breath.
She had overreacted.
Hadn’t she told herself? Now that she had been reborn, she would get her revenge, carve a path to the heavens, kill gods if they blocked her way, and cut down Buddhas if they dared stop her.
So why get angry over one comment from Xiao Yunting?
They were just allies of convenience—when there were benefits, they worked together; when there weren’t, they’d go their separate ways. She had no right to be angry.
Hadn’t she learned her lesson from her past life?
She lowered her head and coldly reminded herself: “Don’t humiliate yourself. Allies only. Nothing more—and there will be nothing more.”
As this thought repeated in her heart over and over again, Qi Yuan’s mood gradually calmed.
So when the window opened and Xiao Yunting’s handsome face appeared outside, her gaze didn’t waver in the slightest.
“There’s no need to worry, Your Highness. Qi Wang will be punished,” she said coolly.
It wouldn’t be enough to seriously hurt him, but it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant.
Xiao Yunting froze for a moment, then smiled: “I’m not here because of that. I came back to apologize.”
Apologize?
Qi Yuan slowly turned to look at him, her dark pupils reflecting his face.
After a moment, she let out an “oh” and replied flatly: “There’s nothing to apologize for. We’re just using each other. It was just a joke—I couldn’t take it, that’s on me, not Your Highness.”
She sat by the window, her back perfectly straight—though she was thin and small, she looked like a bamboo stalk: upright and unyielding.
She’s the type of girl who, even if shattered, would still have a spine of steel.
That thought made Xiao Yunting speak even more sincerely: “No. For you, killing is a means of survival, and I made a joke out of it. That was my mistake. I won’t do it again.”
Qi Yuan didn’t care whether he would or not. She was in a bad mood today, so she gave a perfunctory “mm,” then shut the window in his face with a bang.
Baizhi was standing beside her with a tray. The slam made her heart skip a beat.
Xiao Yunting stood outside, rubbing his nose after being shut down. He lingered for a while before leaping up to the courtyard wall.
At that moment, Babao and Liujin were already sprawled on the wall, peeking inside. When they saw him, they looked at each other in amazement.
“This Qi Yuan…” Babao began.
But Xiao Yunting kicked him, and he shut up instantly, scrambling after His Highness into the night.
After a night’s rest, Qi Yuan had fully recovered her composure.
So when the old marquis and Qi Zhen came to see her, she was calmly seated under the flower trellis, sipping tea as she looked at them coolly.
Qi Zhen’s face looked grave. He opened by addressing Qi Yunting’s behavior yesterday: “He’s been spoiled too much, that’s for sure. Has no sense of propriety…”
Qi Yuan bluntly interrupted: “Yes. Completely unaware of propriety. If this is how the marquis household trains its future heir, you think you can have status among the nobility? And still expect him to serve in the army?”
Most noble families had military roots, and their heirs’ best prospects were in the army. But military factions were complex, and surviving in the ranks required more than just fighting skills—it demanded tact, humility, and strategy.
Qi Yunting had none of that.
Qi Yuan held her teacup and watched Qi Zhen’s face darken. Then she said firmly, “Father, you don’t only have one son. Replace him. He’s not suitable.”
…..
If it hadn’t been for the message he’d just received, Qi Zhen would have slapped her then and there. How dare she speak so confidently!
She says he’s unfit, and that’s it? She says replace him, and the heir just gets swapped out?
But remembering the message he’d just received, the flames of anger rolled in his chest but died before reaching his mouth. He said instead:
“He just lacks experience. A few trials, a better understanding of the world, and he’ll come around.”
Not yet time. Qi Yuan narrowed her eyes and said no more. She calmly waited for what they had really come to say.
Qi Zhen rubbed his knuckles against his lips and coughed a few times. Then he looked up at Qi Yuan and asked: “Ah Yuan, when you told us to wait a few days, was this the news you meant?”
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow.
The old marquis spoke gravely: “Qi Wang has been reprimanded. And—also—the changshi of Qi Wang’s manor has been imprisoned. He’s implicated in a corruption case involving the canal transport system.”
