The page’s expression was so shocked that Qi Jingqing couldn’t help but notice. “What? Should I not have asked?”
“N-no, not at all…” The page cleared his throat. “Just didn’t expect you to ask that, that’s all.”
Qi Jingqing said, “I hadn’t planned to, but today I overheard some… sounds.”
He briefly described what happened in the neighboring room. The page visibly relaxed—
Ah, so it was only something he heard.
Qi Jingqing had always been frail and was carefully raised indoors by the marquis and his wife. He’d never been exposed to anything between men and women. Even when he hit puberty, his body had grown, but not in the typical male fashion. Fearing it would upset him, the household kept everything under strict control. As a result, he still didn’t realize how he differed from ordinary men.
Just overheard something? That was manageable.
“Probably just an argument,” the page said evenly. “You know how some people argue loudly. It can get quite dramatic.”
Qi Jingqing frowned. “But the woman… didn’t sound like that…”
“Doesn’t sound like she was really angry, does it?” the page quickly chimed in. “Exactly—when it’s with someone you like, you don’t truly get mad. It’s just making a fuss to get some attention and comfort… It’s getting late, Your Grace, you should rest.”
With that, afraid Qi Jingqing would ask more, the page hurriedly blew out the lamp and fled the room.
Qi Jingqing stared at his retreating figure, then slowly lowered his gaze and leaned back against the pillow. The handkerchief tucked under it was nudged into view, and he paused, pulling it out and running his fingers slowly over the embroidery.
The room was dark, and he was alone again. The memories from earlier began to resurface: her hand trailing along his wrist, breaking him open inch by inch, those lacquered nails scraping against his skin—painful, yet oddly pleasurable…
His Adam’s apple bobbed as a strange heat crept over him again. His body felt… off.
Was it the wind earlier? Was he running a fever again? He raised his hand to touch his face—it was burning hot. Staring blankly at the ceiling, he felt dazed.
He’d seen Feng Lezhen once rush into Shen Suifeng’s arms, Shen Suifeng lifting her effortlessly with one hand, spinning her before landing her gently back on the ground. If one day she ran toward him like that… he wouldn’t be able to catch her. He could barely stand—how could he possibly hold her?
The heat inside him gradually faded, replaced by a deep, bitter disappointment. Qi Jingqing closed his eyes, sleepiness finally taking over.
He wasn’t sure if he had truly fallen asleep, or if he was somewhere in between. In that half-dream, half-wakefulness, he felt someone grasp his hand hanging off the bed. He opened his eyes slowly—and saw Feng Lezhen sitting beside him, head lowered, her lacquered fingers pressing lightly against his wrist, slowly moving inward.
Blood welled up, staining her fingertips red. The sight stung his eyes, and his whole body felt like something inside him was roaring.
He stared at her calmly for a long moment before finally speaking, hoarsely: “Why are you…”
The words rasped painfully. He cleared his throat and tried again: “Why are you here?”
“I heard you were running a fever,” Feng Lezhen said. “So I came to check on you.” As she spoke, her nails dug deeper. “Does it hurt?”
His clothes were soaked with sweat. When he answered again, his voice trembled slightly: “No.”
Feng Lezhen chuckled—a light, elusive laugh, like a silken cord winding around his neck, tightening little by little, making it hard to breathe.
“Your voice is shaking, and you’re still saying it doesn’t hurt?” she teased.
Qi Jingqing’s lips parted, wanting to explain that it wasn’t pain he feared. But before he could, her hand slid up over his chest.
The faint scent of her perfume wrapped around him, tying him down. Even breathing became difficult. Though she could hear his ragged breathing, she didn’t stop—instead, she slipped her hand inside his robe, and just like in Xunfang Pavilion, pinched his waist hard.
When Qi Jingqing woke up, daylight was already pouring into the room. His page was tidying quietly. Seeing him stir, he hurried over. “Your Grace, you’re awake?”
Qi Jingqing nodded and tried to get up—but the moment he moved, he felt a cold, damp sensation beneath him. He froze and stared blankly at his blanket.
“What’s wrong?” the page, who had served him for years, immediately noticed something was off.
Qi Jingqing stared down at the blanket, his face slowly flushing, then turning pale.
A long while later, he spoke with great difficulty: “Qi An… I wet myself…”
The page’s expression changed instantly. He rushed to lift the blanket, but Qi Jingqing gripped it tightly, as though the blanket were his last shred of dignity—if he didn’t let go, he could pretend none of it had happened.
“Your Grace! This isn’t the time for pride,” the page said urgently. “If you don’t cooperate, I’ll have to call for the Marquis and Madam.”
Qi Jingqing flinched and finally muttered, face ghostly pale, “I’ll lift it myself.”
Understanding his embarrassment, the page stepped back.
Qi Jingqing’s knuckles were white from how tightly he clutched the blanket. After a long pause, he finally lifted it slowly. The page watched as it was peeled back little by little—his expression turning more complicated by the second. When the blanket was fully opened, he gasped sharply—then suddenly burst into a mix of laughter and tears.
“Your Grace… Your Grace, this is…” he wiped his eyes. “You’ve awakened! You’re not sick! You’re really not sick! I have to tell the Marquis—I have to go tell them—!”
And just like that, he ran off gleefully. Qi Jingqing sat there, dazed. But the page’s reaction put his mind at ease.
It… wasn’t incontinence after all.
If it had been, Qi An wouldn’t be this happy.
But… what did “awakened” mean? Qi Jingqing frowned slightly, suspecting it had something to do with last night’s dream.
The dream…
“Achoo!”
Feng Lezhen sneezed and covered her mouth.
Chen Jinan was crouching, tending the brazier with intense focus. Beside him, Ah Ye wrapped another quilt around her mistress, grumbling as she did. “If you had followed the plan last night, I would’ve lured them away and you could’ve slipped out the back. Then you wouldn’t have caught a chill.”
“You think I didn’t want to run? I just missed the right moment,” Feng Lezhen muttered, sneezing again.
Ah Ye looked heartbroken, about to say more, when Chen Jinan suddenly spoke. “The porridge should be ready.”
“Right! I almost forgot!” Ah Ye sprang up and dashed out the door.
Feng Lezhen solemnly watched her leave. Only after she was completely out of sight did she turn and tease, “Chen Jinan, you’ve learned to be sneaky.”
Chen Jinan pressed his lips together. “You didn’t want to hear her nag.”
Feng Lezhen laughed. “So you sent her off on purpose?”
A faint smile tugged at Chen Jinan’s lips.
Since arriving at Yingguan, he’d grown taller, and his features had matured. He carried a new air of refinement—even now, crouched on a stool by the fire, he looked more like a young lord from a noble house than the dark, skinny youth he once was.
Feng Lezhen looked at his handsome face and suddenly recalled someone had been quietly asking about him. The smile in her eyes deepened. “If I remember right, you’re a year younger than Qi Jingqing. Once this New Year passes, you’ll be twenty-one, won’t you?”
“Yes.” Chen Jinan didn’t understand why she brought it up, but still answered obediently.
Feng Lezhen nodded. “Twenty-one isn’t that young anymore. Have you ever thought about getting married and having children?”
Chen Jinan suddenly looked up, staring at her in a daze.
Because of her illness, the tip of Feng Lezhen’s nose was red, and her eyes were slightly misty. Wrapped in a thick, soft quilt, she looked gentle and warm.
And it was this soft and warm Highness who asked if he wanted to marry and have children.
He wasn’t naive enough to think Her Highness had finally noticed him and wanted to keep him close. That left only one possibility…
“Did I displease Your Highness?” he asked hoarsely.
Feng Lezhen paused. “Why would you say that?”
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Chen Jinan realized his lowly and disgraceful longing had not been discovered. The tension in his heart eased instantly.
After a moment, he lowered his head and replied, “If Your Highness wishes me to marry, then I shall marry.”
“What do you mean ‘if I tell you to marry, you’ll marry’? I’m asking you if you want to. At your age, most people already have children. You’ve never thought about it?” Feng Lezhen didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh.
Chen Jinan stared at the cracks in the floor for a long time before finally saying, “I only want to follow Your Highness.”
“You can still follow me even if you get married and have kids,” she replied.
Chen Jinan hesitated, then looked up at her. “Does Your Highness already have someone in mind?”
“What…”
“So long as it benefits Your Highness, I’ll agree to anything,” he said firmly.
Feng Lezhen, still a bit muddled from her illness, stared at him for a while before realizing what he meant. She couldn’t help laughing in exasperation. “I’m asking about your life, and you think I’m trying to arrange a political marriage?”
“Your Highness has few suitable people under her command. I understand,” Chen Jinan said, already steeling himself.
“You understand nothing…” After spending so much time at the military pass, she’d clearly picked up some of its rough tone. She nearly swore but held herself back. “I told you I was asking out of concern. How did you—… forget it, let’s not talk about this anymore. If you ever fall in love with someone, come tell me. I’ll help you arrange it.”
Seeing that she seemed annoyed, Chen Jinan realized he must have misunderstood. He wanted to apologize, but he was never good with words and was afraid he’d only make it worse. After hesitating for a long while, he slowly got up and walked toward her.
Feng Lezhen watched him come closer. Before she could ask what he was doing, he solemnly began massaging her shoulders.
He really was… She covered her face, unable to hold back her laughter. Seeing her laugh, Chen Jinan finally relaxed as well.
“I won’t marry,” he said seriously. “Not in this lifetime. I’ll stay by Your Highness’s side.”
Feng Lezhen glanced at him. “Everyone else will have children and grandchildren, and you’ll be left alone in old age. You won’t regret it?”
“No.” His answer was firm.
Feng Lezhen’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Fine. No marriage, no kids. When I’ve achieved great success, you can become a eunuch and serve in the palace. I’ll make you the Chief Steward.”
“Very well. Thank you, Your Highness.”
Feng Lezhen gave him a wordless look. Seeing that he was genuinely thanking her, she felt even more amused.
He truly hadn’t experienced such things yet. He didn’t understand the pleasures of intimacy, or else he wouldn’t be swearing this so confidently. Her thoughts drifted to someone else—different in status, yet reacting to this kind of matter in nearly the same way.
…Could it be that his body also had such a problem? After all, he’d been tormented for years in the black mines and had gone hungry for who knows how long. It would be normal for there to be lasting damage. Her eyelid twitched, and she asked, “Jinan, in all your years growing up, have you ever had… spring dreams?”
Chen Jinan froze. When he realized what she meant by “spring dreams,” his face turned crimson, and the calm in his usually resolute eyes was replaced with shock.
Seeing his reaction, Feng Lezhen quietly turned her face away. “I’m sick and talking nonsense. Don’t take offense.”
“…I wouldn’t dare.”
Flustered, Chen Jinan retreated. After a long while, he finally came up with a clumsy excuse and left. Feng Lezhen watched his awkward departure, sighed long, and collapsed back onto the bed.
She hadn’t been sick in a long time, and this time it lasted seven or eight days. When she finally recovered enough to go outside, she heard that something major had happened in the Qi family’s army—
Two veteran generals who had followed Qi Zhen for years had been caught embezzling and were stripped of their rank and sent home.
“Was it your doing?”
On a lively street, in a quiet corner, two carriages passed each other with difficulty. As the windows aligned, Feng Lezhen asked from inside one of them.
Qi Jingren’s voice came quickly, “The more anxious someone is, the more guilty they are.”
She’d only been promoted to deputy general, yet some couldn’t help showing their panic. Clearly, they feared their secrets would be exposed. Since that was the case, how could she let them go so easily?
Feng Lezhen smiled. “You’re clever—know how to follow the thread to the source.”
“Only thanks to Your Highness’s guidance.”
Feng Lezhen lifted the carriage curtain. The other carriage seemed to sense it and lifted its curtain too.
Their gazes met. Feng Lezhen said, “It’s not enough.”
Qi Jingren’s eyes shifted slightly.
“Those two aren’t the only ones who are dirty. If you’re going to investigate, do it thoroughly,” Feng Lezhen said, giving him a meaningful look. “They’re all old comrades who followed your father into battle. He won’t have the heart to investigate them himself. That responsibility will fall to you.”
Sometimes, the transfer of real power begins with handling matters like these.
Qi Jingren’s eyes shifted slightly—she was already forming an idea.
Feng Lezhen saw that she understood at once and said no more, only smiled and added, “Then I shall offer an early congratulations to Deputy General Qi—you’re going to be promoted again.”
“Nothing’s certain yet, Your Highness, perhaps you shouldn’t congratulate me too soon.” Qi Jingren pulled at her lips, clearly not in a good mood.
“Their power within the army is deeply rooted, so it’s true that they’re hard to investigate. But as Qi Zhen’s daughter, there’s nothing in the army you can’t investigate.” Feng Lezhen looked at her calmly. “Remember, you have the Qi family’s blood in your veins. The title of deputy general doesn’t limit you to doing only a deputy’s work.”
Qi Jingren took a deep breath and forced herself to pull it together. “I understand.”
“Once you clean out these parasites, you’ll be the heart of the Qi army.” Feng Lezhen smiled. “Military command is nothing—the hearts of the soldiers are what matter most. Your Qi army has stood like an iron fortress all these years because of that.”
Qi Jingren smiled faintly to show she understood.
The two carriages slowly passed each other, about to go in opposite directions. Suddenly, Feng Lezhen asked, “How is your brother’s health lately?”
Qi Jingren paused, as if wanting to say something but hesitating.
“What? Has it gotten worse again?” Feng Lezhen frowned.
“No, not that…” Qi Jingren’s expression grew complicated. “He’s actually doing quite well lately. My father and mother are even planning to arrange a match for him.”
“A match?” Feng Lezhen was surprised. “But wasn’t he—”
Out of consideration for the shizi’s dignity, she didn’t finish the sentence, but Qi Jingren immediately understood.
“…It’s complicated. Hard to explain in a few words.” As her carriage began to pull away, Qi Jingren added hastily, “Anyway, he can marry and have children now.”
With that, the carriage rolled off into the distance.
Feng Lezhen was left stunned, unable to react for a long moment.
He can marry and have children now? He hadn’t even had a wet dream before—how did he suddenly become capable of marriage and children? Did he meet some divine healer who cured him?
Whether he was cured or not remained to be seen, but the entire Marquis Manor had recently been enveloped in a strange cheerfulness… Qi Jingqing’s sudden “awakening” delighted Qi Zhen and his wife, though they weren’t so crazed as to shout it from the rooftops. Still, their good moods spread to everyone else.
The only one in the manor who wasn’t in high spirits… was Qi Jingqing himself.
That morning, his father had rushed in, muttered awkwardly for a while, then handed him a few books. Only then did he begin to understand what had happened to him—and what exactly the man and woman next door had been doing the night before. For the first time in twenty years, he realized he had never been “normal.”
It took him days to fully process everything. Just when he’d calmed down, his parents brought up marriage.
“You weren’t well before, so your mother and I never dared to bring it up. But now that you…” Qi Zhen beamed with joy, his whole face alight. “We’re thinking of finding you a wife. We won’t care about family background—so long as the girl is kind and patient, that’s enough.”
“I won’t marry,” he replied, just three words.
“Don’t worry, we won’t force you,” Qi Zhen assured him. “We just want you to meet a few girls—maybe one of them will catch your eye?” Qi Zhen kept compromising.
Qi Jingqing furrowed his brows and was about to refuse again, but Qi Zhen waved him off and left. From that conversation onward, the Marquis Manor began seeking brides in earnest. Though frail in health, Qi Jingqing had unmatched literary talent, good looks, and noble birth. Countless people came knocking with their daughters in tow—the manor was more crowded than during the New Year.
Qi Jingqing was getting married.
Ever since hearing that from Qi Jingren, Feng Lezhen had been feeling like a cat on hot bricks, but couldn’t find a chance to ask more. Just when she was about to send someone to dig around, Qi Jingren happened to come to the prefecture office on business. The moment they met, Feng Lezhen couldn’t hold back her questions.
“What exactly is going on?”
Qi Jingren was momentarily speechless. She suddenly remembered that not an hour ago, her love-struck brother had asked her to come to the prefecture on his behalf.
That wasn’t about business at all—he clearly wanted her to probe Feng Lezhen’s attitude toward the matter. And now… Looking at Feng Lezhen’s calm gaze, Qi Jingren felt things didn’t look too hopeful for her brother.
“What could it be? Heaven blessed him, and now my brother’s ‘normal’.” Qi Jingren shrugged.
Feng Lezhen paused. “You mean…”
“Exactly.” Qi Jingren nodded.
The two women exchanged a look—no words needed.
“He clearly didn’t understand any of this before. Why the sudden awakening?” Feng Lezhen mused.
Seeing her seriously contemplating it, Qi Jingren couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for her brother. Though she knew she shouldn’t, she still gave a hint: “You’d have to ask Your Highness that.”
“Me?” Feng Lezhen was surprised.
Qi Jingren looked directly at her. “Yes. You.”
Feng Lezhen was silent for a moment—then suddenly remembered the live sex sounds from that night.
A guilty look flashed across her face, and she cleared her throat. “It was indeed my mistake.”
…So she’s realized? Qi Jingren raised her brows, just about to respond, when she heard Feng Lezhen sigh: “I shouldn’t have let him hear those sounds.”
“What sounds?” Qi Jingren was confused.
Feng Lezhen gave a brief explanation. Qi Jingren was speechless for a moment. “That’s not what I—forget it. Anyway, my parents are picking out girls for him now. I’m sure before long, you’ll be invited to his wedding feast.”
“Do congratulate him for me in advance,” Feng Lezhen said with a faint smile.
Qi Jingren stood silently for a moment, then agreed and turned to leave—only for Feng Lezhen to call her back again.
After finishing her errand, she went straight to Marquis Manor. Qi Jingqing had been waiting in his room for some time. When he saw her, he immediately asked, “How did Her Highness react? Was there even a hint of displeasure?”
Still upset, huh… Qi Jingren crossed her arms. “She asked me to congratulate you on her behalf.”
The smile on Qi Jingqing’s face slowly faded.
After a long moment, he asked, “Is that all?”
Of course not. Qi Jingren recalled how Feng Lezhen had warned her to be wary—if Qi Jingqing married and had children, the matter of succession in the Qi family army might shift. She sighed and said, “Brother, she has no feelings for you.”
Qi Jingqing lowered his gaze. “No rush. There’s still time.”
Qi Jingren’s eyelid twitched. “All the time in the world won’t help if she simply doesn’t like you. If you stay obsessed, you may not even be able to stay friends in the end.”
Her brother, for all his innocence in certain matters, was otherwise one of the brightest minds in the empire. There was no need for more words—he’d understand. Qi Jingren gave him one last look and turned to leave.
Qi Jingqing pulled out a handkerchief from his chest and stared at it for a long time.
—
That night, Feng Lezhen had already changed into her nightgown and was preparing to rest when Fan Gonggong suddenly arrived.
“Your Highness, the shizi of the Marquis household has come.”
Feng Lezhen paused. “Qi Jingqing? What’s he doing here at this hour?”
“He says he has something to discuss with Your Highness.”
Feng Lezhen hesitated for a moment, then sat back up. “Let him in.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
—
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