Chapter 108: Tan Xiyin and Nuan Hill Form an Alliance Against Linglong

Qin Daofei smiled and said, "As you wish!"

"Then let them do nothing and go eavesdrop!" Linglong's words made Qin Daofei frown. He said righteously, "As the mistress of the Xiaoyao Manor, is it really appropriate for you to abuse the resources of the Xiaoyao Manor like this?"

Linglong glanced sideways at Qin Daofei and said faintly, "Are you really going to be this hypocritical?"

"Fine, you are the mistress of the Xiaoyao Manor, and everything in the Xiaoyao Manor belongs to you. Use it however you want!" Qin Daofei's survival instinct was extremely strong.

Linglong nodded. "That's more like it, but you must remember that this order was given by you, not by me!"

"Alright, I gave it!" Qin Daofei looked at Linglong with doting eyes and smiled.

With that, Linglong was satisfied.

Half an hour later, at the Second Prince's residence.

Upon returning from the Xiaoyao Manor, the Second Prince pulled Ye Lishang toward the bedroom without saying a word.

Ye Lishang felt his scalp tingle from the Second Prince's behavior. He grabbed a pillar in the corridor, hooked it tightly with his legs, and shouted blindly, "Chengjie, what the hell are you doing? I'm not going to your room, I want to go home, my master told me to go home for dinner!"

The passing maidservants and pages were already accustomed to Ye Lishang making a fuss at the Second Prince's residence. Other than thinking this divine doctor was a bit neurotic, they had no other thoughts and just watched him go crazy with a smile.

As for the Second Prince, every time Ye Lishang let out a pig-slaughtering howl in his residence, he only felt a headache and wanted to find something to seal his mouth shut.

The really urgent kind!

"Try shouting again?" The Second Prince threatened Ye Lishang coldly.

With a mournful face, Ye Lishang said, "Is there anything we can't discuss in the study? Why must we go to your room?"

"There is nothing in the study for you to smash, so we are changing locations this time!" Changing to a place where Ye Lishang wouldn't dare act presumptuously.

Ye Lishang's legs went somewhat weak. He hugged the pillar and refused to let go: "I don't want to, I promise I won't smash your study!"

"When has your promise ever been useful?" Not giving Ye Lishang a chance, seeing him hugging the pillar and acting wildly, the Second Prince simply wrapped his arms around him and carried him back to the room.

After returning to the room, the Second Prince pushed Ye Lishang, pinning him squarely against the wall, pressed close to him, and lowered his head to question, "Why did you say you saved Qin Yixiao's life?"

"She is Feng Yixiao!" Ye Lishang attempted to change the subject.

But how could he be a match for the Second Prince? The Second Prince reached out, cupped his chin, and asked sternly, "Speak?"

"Well... your bedroom is really big, and the bed is so comfortable!" Ye Lishang was determined not to tell the Second Prince about Feng Yixiao.

Ha!

The Second Prince was so angry he laughed. He pressed his hard body against Ye Lishang, making Ye Lishang flush red with embarrassment. He said fiercely, "Chengjie, are you out of your damn mind? I'm a man, are you planning to use the methods meant for women to deal with me?"

Hahaha!

"Thank you for the reminder. No one has ever rolled around on this bed with me yet, and suddenly I really want to try it, to see what kind of soul-stirring experience this actually is!" With his slender fingers, the Second Prince gently caressed Ye Lishang's lips, the desire in his eyes becoming increasingly obvious.

Terrified, Ye Lishang trembled all over. "Do, do you dare? If you dare treat me like this, I will pester you for the rest of my life, make sure you can't become emperor, and prevent you from ever tasting that soul-corrosive bliss with any other woman! You are mine, and you can only be mine alone for the rest of your life!"

"Well, that sounds not bad either!" After saying this, the Second Prince pressed down upon Ye Lishang amidst the latter's dumbfounded stare.

In a flurry of panic, Ye Lishang tilted his head away and said fiercely, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you right now!"

Ah!

A flash of disappointment crossed the Second Prince's eyes. He had been just a hair's breadth away from casting all caution to the wind, but why had he given up?

"Speak?" The Second Prince did not let go, but stepped back just a fraction.

"It's just..." Ye Lishang murmured into the Second Prince's ear. After hearing it, the Second Prince looked at Ye Lishang in astonishment and asked, "Is what you said true?"

"Truer than real gold and silver!" Ye Lishang reached out to push the Second Prince away, but failed to budge him. Growing thoroughly angry, he cursed furiously, "Chengjie, I've already told you, what else do you want?"

What else?

What more did he want?

Chengjie's mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, yet completely blank at the same time.

He hooked Ye Lishang's chin, slowly lowered his head, brushed the tip of his nose against Ye Lishang's, and then, like a fierce beast, ruthlessly captured Ye Lishang's lips. Twisting and turning, he kissed him with all the passion of a lifetime.

Wuwuwuwu!

Terrified, Ye Lishang beat and shoved the Second Prince with all his might, but his strength was simply too small to shake the Second Prince. In desperation, he used his only available weapon—his lips—to bite the Second Prince back.

Hiss!

The Second Prince winced in pain, yet still refused to let go. Their teeth and lips were filled with a thick taste of blood, and neither showed any sign of letting up.

Soon, the biting and tearing took on a different flavor. It was hard to tell who was biting whom, but anyway... it just grew increasingly intense!

The Second Prince's hands also began to wander mischievously, gripping Ye Lishang's waist. Feeling as though he had been stimulated, Ye Lishang violently shoved the Second Prince away, delivered a vicious slap across his face, and cursed angrily, "You go too far! Let me tell you, even if you die, I won't come to look at you again!"

With that, crying like a maiden, Ye Lishang ran out.

Gazing gloomily at Ye Lishang's retreating figure, the Second Prince slumped despondently onto the floor. He reached out to gently wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, yet could never forget the soul-stirring taste between Ye Lishang's lips.

"If dying means I could possess you regardless of the consequences, I would gladly accept it!" The Second Prince muttered, a tear tracing down the corner of his eye.

When the interaction between Ye Lishang and the Second Prince reached Linglong's ears, she felt a pang of pity for Ye Lishang. "Ah, his life is also pitiful. If he had fallen for an ordinary person, being a man would be one thing, but that person just happens to be an ambitious prince."

"There will always be a way for them to resolve things between them, you don't need to worry!" Qin Daofei said meaningfully.

Linglong looked at Qin Daofei. "You mean to say that Ye Lishang will eventually be willing to disguise himself as a woman and sneak into his inner palace?"

"You don't need to worry about that. Chengjie is just like me; whatever he sets his sights on will eventually become his!" After saying this, Qin Daofei offered a deep smile.

Linglong looked back at Qin Daofei gloomily and asked coldly, "You mean to say that whoever you people set your sights on can never escape, is that it?"

"My wound hurts, come look at me, will you?" Ever since acting spoiled had proven effective, Qin Daofei had fallen irrevocably in love with the tactic, much to Linglong's disdain.

However, between husband and wife, it didn't matter if a trick was classy or not—as long as it worked!

"I'll go check on Ye Lishang. Sometimes this kid is rather pathetic!" Linglong got up, put on her cloak, and prepared to leave.

Qin Daofei said nothing, looking at Linglong with a grievance-laden gaze as he watched her leave.

As soon as Linglong departed, Qin Daofei rolled over and stood up, telling the shadows, "Go tell the Second Prince to come over for a drink!"

"The Manor Master's wounds haven't healed yet, how can he drink?" that person said.

Qin Daofei frowned and said faintly, "Then we'll drink tea!"

Either way, as long as the Second Prince came over, it would be fine!

Unfortunately, the Second Prince did not come; instead, Nuan Xier arrived.

Accompanying her was Princess Qin Xiangyu.

As the two entered the Linglong Pavilion, Nuan Xier hugged Qin Daofei's arm and asked, "Husband, why did you come back to live in the Linglong Pavilion? How inconvenient it is here!"

"I find it very convenient here!" Qin Daofei cast a faint glance at the two of them, not even sparing them a single pleasant look.

Princess Qin Xiangyu knew that Qin Daofei was displeased because she had kicked him when he was down that day, opposing Linglong and bringing Nuan Xier through the door. Yet Princess Qin Xiangyu believed that whether it was Nuan Xier or Tan Xiyin, as long as she was a woman who could bear children for the Qin family, she would accept her.

Furthermore, although this Princess Nuan Xier possessed a noble status, she treated her exceptionally well, allowing her to experience the joy of being a mother-in-law.

"Daofei, Nuan Xier came to the Linglong Pavilion with a big belly to deliver greeting gifts to the people here. Why must you keep everyone at such a distance?" Princess Qin Xiangyu felt that Qin Daofei was completely devoid of romance. Why couldn't he even look at such a beautiful, noble, gentle, and sensible woman, instead clinging stubbornly to that monkey-like, unruly Feng Linglong?

Qin Daofei said indifferently, "Aside from Hua'er and Yixiao, the people living in the Linglong Pavilion are either Yixiao or Linglong. Whose greeting gift are you here to deliver?"

"I saw that the Linglong Pavilion seemed quite lively, so I prepared plenty of gifts before coming. I just didn't know who exactly was here," Nuan Xier maintained a poised and generous attitude, completely unbothered by Qin Daofei's cold remarks.

Sitting up, Qin Daofei said indifferently, "The people living in the Linglong Pavilion are all brought by Linglong from her maiden family. You don't need to come here trying ingratiate yourself, because they only recognize Linglong alone. The snow makes the roads slippery, so Mother should take her time walking carefully. I have an appointment here, and Princess Nuan Xier is not convenient to see. Please leave?"

"Brother Qin, things weren't like this between us originally. Back in the Great Demon City, you were clearly very close to me, and you clearly liked me all along. But why have you become like this now?"

Humph!

Qin Daofei cast a cold glance at Princess Nuan Xier and said indifferently, "You want me to tell you the reason?"

He believed that if he were to state the reason aloud, Princess Qin Xiangyu might no longer treat her so favorably.

"Never mind, I know you're sick, so I won't bicker with you. In a few days when you're better, we can chat together. I have a lot to tell you. When you left back then, I thought I would never see you again. Do you know how heartbroken I was?"

Though Nuan Xier claimed she was leaving, in reality she didn't budge an inch, still delusional about discussing life philosophies with Qin Daofei.

Qin Daofei reached out and made a gesture of invitation, gesturing for Nuan Xier to leave the room.

Both Nuan Xier and Princess Qin Xiangyu felt somewhat awkward, but Princess Qin Xiangyu knew Qin Daofei's temper; if they didn't leave now, the only one suffering would likely be themselves.

"Nuan Xier, let's go. His wounds aren't healed, and his mind is muddled along with them. In a little while, Mother will come back to straighten him out!" Princess Qin Xiangyu pulled Nuan Xier away.

After the two left the Linglong Pavilion, Nuan Xier feigned curiosity and asked, "Mother, what kind of person is Husband meeting? Why so mysterious?"

"As women of the inner courtyard, you must never inquire about matters concerning the front courtyard of the Xiaoyao Manor. It does you no good!" When it came to the affairs of the Xiaoyao Manor, Princess Qin Xiangyu quickly regained her composure and stopped pouring her heart out to Nuan Xier about everything.

Seeing that Princess Qin Xiangyu was displeased, Nuan Xier secretly noted it down in her heart, telling herself never to offend this old woman.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Linglong arrived at Ye Lishang's medicine lodge.

In the vast medicine lodge, along the snow-covered paths, there wasn't even a single footprint.

"Strange, how come he didn't run back after getting hurt?" Linglong muttered in confusion, "Forget it, I might as well go back. This dead fellow is just like Qin Daofei, neither of them allows fires to be lit. It's freezing to death!"

"Come back!" In the corner, dressed entirely in white, Ye Lishang was sitting in the snow. Had he not moved slightly, Linglong wouldn't have noticed anyone was there at all.

Startled, Linglong patted her chest, walked over to Ye Lishang, and asked, "Are you dead or alive?"

"I'm half-dead and half-alive!" Ye Lishang retorted sarcastically.

Linglong laughed. "You still have the energy to bicker with me, which means you're still alive. Since you're still alive, you're fine. Hey, hey, hey, if you don't get up and light a fire to host me, I'm going to freeze to death!"

Seeing that Ye Lishang didn't get up, Linglong raised her foot and gave him a light kick.

Angrily scrambling to his feet, Ye Lishang said viciously, "Since you knew I was in a bad mood, you shouldn't have come to provoke me."

"You were just nibbled on by a man, is it really that big a deal? Besides, didn't you nibble back later on?" Linglong looked at Ye Lishang with disdain.

Overwhelmed with shame, Ye Lishang lowered his head, pointed a trembling finger toward the door, and said, "Get out of here!"

"I won't get out. If you die, I won't know where to find someone if anyone gets injured in the future!" Linglong bantered, then pulled Ye Lishang into the house.

She grabbed a small broom used for clearing snow and brushed the snow off Ye Lishang's body. "I say, Ye Lishang, is it really necessary? Just because the person you happen to like is a man, do you have to act like the sky is falling?"

"What do you know? I don't care at all whether the person I like is a man or a woman, nor do I care if the person I like is poor or rich. But he just happens to be a prince, a man destined to possess three palaces and six courtyards and have flocks of children. We have no future, do you understand?" Thinking of his love affair, which had withered before it even truly began, Ye Lishang felt a pain so intense it was hard to breathe.

"Since you like him so much, why don't you tell him to abandon his imperial dream and just wander the world at ease with you?" Linglong poked Ye Lishang. "It's freezing cold, hurry up and light a fire!"

Ye Lishang glared at Linglong with a look that could kill. "You came to comfort me, why should I take care of you?"

"You take care of me first, then I'll have time to comfort you. Otherwise, before I even start comforting you, I'll have frozen to death. Do you think Qin Daofei would let you have peace?" Linglong smiled triumphantly.

Her smile made Ye Lishang's nose sting with frustration.

"Damn it, you've got it good. Someone loves you, someone likes you, someone cares about you, someone can't bear to part with you. I think you came here to show off, not to comfort me!" Though his tongue was sharp as ever, Ye Lishang's hands unhesitatingly went to light the fire for Linglong.

In no time at all, the room grew warm.

Linglong curled up by the brazier on the low couch and looked up at Ye Lishang. "I'm asking you, why don't you make Chengjie give up the throne and elope to the ends of the earth with you?"

"If he were willing to elope to the ends of the earth with me, why wouldn't he give up the throne himself? It's precisely because he refuses to give up his throne that he won't leave with me. But that bastard clearly doesn't want me, yet comes to flirt with me, and after flirting gives no response. I really... must have been gnawed on by dogs!" Thinking of the few bites the Second Prince had taken out of him, Ye Lishang felt a surge of anger.

Pfft!

Lacking any sympathy whatsoever, Linglong burst out laughing. Pointing at the bridge of Ye Lishang's nose, she said, "It's not like it's the first time he's nibbled on you. When we escaped from the Great Demon City, you acted all finicky and refused to eat raw meat or drink wolf blood, almost dying. Didn't he feed you water mouth-to-mouth in front of all of us?"

"That was to save a life, is that the same?" Ye Lishang raged, his face turning red with anger.

Uh!

Linglong nodded, playing along with him.

"Yes, yes, yes, what you say is right. That time was to save a life, so it doesn't count. But this time you two went *muwah muwah*, surely that was the result of him being unable to restrain his feelings? You're both damn men, why can't you be a bit more assertive? Go to the Second Prince's residence, grab him, bite him, roll around with him, and then ask him if he wants to elope with you to the ends of the earth!" Linglong was someone who loved watching the world burn.

Casting a cold, gloomy glance at Linglong, Ye Lishang asked, "And what if he won't go with me? What if he mocks me?"

Uh...

"Then I'll give Qin Daofei to you, and you two can elope to the ends of the earth!" Linglong said quite generously.

Ye Lishang laughed. "You're so generous, does your Brother Daofei know about this?"

"He knows. It's not a day or two that I haven't looked favorably upon him anyway. If you take him away, I'll chase away all his concubines and princesses, sell his mother to a brothel to be a cleaning slave, and then raise ten male concubines!" Linglong stretched out her fingers, emphasizing the number ten.

Kicking Linglong on the shin, Ye Lishang snapped, "Feng Linglong, you heartless wretch! Anyone with eyes can see that Qin Daofei loves you to the bone, yet you always think about raising male concubines. With your puny little arms and legs, could you possibly handle the burden of ten male concubines?"

"Hmph! When I raise male concubines, it's to put them through the wringer, how could it be them putting me through the wringer?" Linglong retorted indignantly.

Furious, Ye Lishang was left completely speechless.

Suddenly remembering that her main point wasn't about male concubines, Linglong quickly steered the conversation back. "You can tell Qin Daofei loves me to the bone, but I can't see it—just like how I think the Second Prince loves you to the bone, yet you can't see it either!"

"Do you really think he likes me?" Ye Lishang felt a flicker of hope, and the heartache dulled.

Solemnly, Linglong nodded. "Yes, I really think so!"

"Then I should go give it a try?" Incited by Linglong, Ye Lishang felt his blood boiling.

Linglong nodded. "Right! Regardless of whether he can elope to the ends of the earth with you or not, since you like him, just sleep with him first and figure it out later!"

"So that's the attitude you held when you still went *um-um-um* with Qin Daofei even after he broke three ribs?" Ye Lishang laughed wickedly.

Kicking Ye Lishang's shin once more, Linglong snapped, "Talk nonsense again and I'll smash every flower in your courtyard!"

"You can get lost now!" With that, Ye Lishang went into the room to change his clothes and do his hair.

Curious, Linglong asked, "Where are you going?"

"To find Chengjie and settle things clearly. I'm not going to stay entangled with him like this!" Putting on a pristine, snowy white outfit, Ye Lishang strode out.

Not to mention, this beast Ye Lishang—though his mouth and personality were both vile—looked otherworldly and immensely handsome once dressed in white.

"I reckon Qin Daofei is probably making fun of him right now, and he should be a guest at my house. If you have no objections, shall we go find them?" Dragging Ye Lishang along, Linglong set off.

After the two left, a man in black went limp at the knees and tumbled headfirst down from the beam.

Lying dazedly in the snow, he muttered to himself, "Both my Manor Master and the Second Prince are paragons of men, possessing the grace of dragons and phoenixes. How can their taste in lovers be so... unique?"

Clearly, this dark guard had been cried stupid by the antics of Linglong and Ye Lishang.

Returning heroically to the Xiaoyao Manor in the company of Linglong, Ye Lishang had just stepped through the gates when he spotted the Second Prince walking out dressed in crimson robes. Their gazes met, but neither spoke.

Quickly stepping aside, Linglong pressed herself flat against the wall, preparing to witness the birth of a grand scandalous affair.

Who would have thought that after locking eyes with the Second Prince for a mere three seconds, Ye Lishang scattered a handful of medicinal powder into the air and fled in a flurry of dust.

He actually ran away!

Simultaneously, both the Second Prince and Linglong felt their limbs grow numb and paralyzed.

"Ye Lishang, how dare you drug me! I won't let you off!" roared the Second Prince in fury.

Linglong was equally angry. "Ye Lishang, you coward! You said you were going to sleep with him, but you bolted the moment you laid eyes on him. You spineless wretch!"

Ah!

Up in the Linglong Pavilion, Qin Daofei let out a faint sigh. Without turning his head, he spoke to the rafters, "Go bring that girl back. How disgraceful!"

Baring his teeth, Fei leaped down, scooped Linglong up, brought her back to the Linglong Pavilion, and dumped her straight onto Qin Daofei's bed.

"The Second Prince is still outside!" Linglong still wanted to meddle.

Casting a faint glance at her, Qin Daofei said, "Didn't you say you were going to comfort Ye Lishang? How did you end up getting drugged by him instead?"

"No, I had actually comforted him successfully! He was ready to come and have a showdown with the Second Prince—to see whether he would elope with Ye Lishang to the ends of the earth, make Ye Lishang dress as a woman and enter his inner palace, or just play with him for a bit before telling the Second Prince to get lost! But this spineless wretch ran off the second he saw the Second Prince! Since he ran, I still wanted to watch them engage in a mutual battle of love and hate!"

Turns out Linglong's greatest regret was not being able to watch them quarrel with her own eyes?

"Didn't I tell you before you left not to meddle in their affairs? As long as you confirmed Ye Lishang wasn't dead, that was enough. Yet you... you actually discussed how to sleep with another man with a man?" Qin Daofei's tone grew increasingly mournful, and the air grew thinner and thinner.

Shivering slightly, Linglong looked pitifully at Qin Daofei and said, "Um, I didn't, I was just... I... I just saw how distressed he was and wanted to cheer him up a bit! How was I supposed to know he was such a coward?"

Huh?

Noticing several gifts neatly placed on the desk, Linglong eagerly walked over and opened them. Inside one gift box was a set of white jade jewelry; opening another smaller one, she found a pair of small golden bracelets meant for a little girl, and beside them lay a slightly inferior white jade hairpin.

"Whose are these?" Linglong used this to successfully divert Qin Daofei's attention.

And diverted his attention was indeed what happened. Qin Daofei said indifferently, "After you left earlier, Nuan Xier came by and brought you gifts. Originally I didn't want to accept them, but..."

Before he could finish, Linglong had already tucked the gifts into her embrace. "This is suet-white jade and pure gold jewelry, why wouldn't you accept it?"

Uh...

"Am I short of silver for you, or lacking in jewelry, or running out of clothes for you to wear? Why would you want that kind of woman's trash?" Qin Daofei sounded even more aggrieved.

Smacking Qin Daofei's face with a *slap*, Linglong retorted, "What do you know? Even a household as vast as yours can't withstand a woman spending money left and right. The only reason you're this wealthy is because I pursued you so relentlessly back then, leaving you no opportunity to lock eyes with those aristocratic young ladies. If you had locked eyes with them, just think of how much jewelry you'd have had to buy while courting them!"

"Right, I thank you very much," Qin Daofei expressed his gratitude quite sincerely to the thoroughly insincere Linglong.

Waving a hand, Linglong said, "It's only what I should do anyway. Besides, your family fortune will eventually become my family fortune!"

"So, you planned to let me and Ye Lishang fly off together as a pair, sell my concubines and princesses to a brothel to be prostitutes, sell my mother to a brothel to be a cleaning slave, and then use my silver to raise ten male concubines, is that it?" Qin Daofei's tone grew progressively colder. Imitating Linglong's gesture, he held up ten fingers to emphasize the magnitude of that number ten.

Linglong felt her scalp go numb. Letting out a silly, nervous laugh, she said, "Um, Brother Qin, there's a huge misunderstanding here!"

"Fine then, let's hear your explanation. What are you planning to do with so many male concubines?" Convinced it was no misunderstanding, Qin Daofei hooked his arm around Linglong's waist and gazed at her malevolently.

With a whimpering expression, Linglong stammered, "What would I want ten male concubines for?"

"Exactly, what would you want ten male concubines for? Let me tell you, Linglong, ten male concubines couldn't even compare to how formidable I am alone. It's not like you haven't experienced it!" Qin Daofei whispered wickedly right into Linglong's ear.

Uh...

This immediately brought back memories of Qin Daofei bullying her in their youth, causing Linglong to blush fiercely!

Covering her face with her hands, Linglong felt she had no face left to show.

"I didn't! I never said I wanted to raise ten male concubines! I only meant I wanted to raise many maidservants to take care of you, pound your back, give you massages, pour your tea, bring you water, and even have someone wash your stinky feet for you!" As she spoke, Linglong tried desperately to wiggle away from Qin Daofei's grasp.

Anticipating her intent, Qin Daofei cast a faint glance at her and said gloomily, "But that's not what you told Ye Lishang, is it?"

Wuwuwu!

"Um, Yixiao should be waking up soon, I'll go check on her!" Desperate to escape, Linglong clutched at any excuse.

However, locking her waist in place, Qin Daofei refused to let her flee. "Linglong, Yixiao is with Hua'er, you can rest assured."

"Well... your princess is giving out gifts right now, I want to go see if there's any gift I can claim an extra share of!" Baring her teeth, Linglong forced a most painful-looking smile.

Looking at her coldly, Qin Daofei said, "I can give you much more."

"But what if she takes the opportunity to rally people against me? Wouldn't I be at a huge disadvantage? I need to go scout out the enemy's intelligence!" Linglong grabbed Qin Daofei's arm and gave it a bite.

Without even a twitch of his brow, Qin Daofei left Linglong feeling somewhat guilty about continuing.

"Why aren't you struggling?" asked Linglong.

Qin Daofei replied, "Why should I struggle?"

"If you don't struggle, I feel bad biting you!" complained Linglong.

With a doting smile, Qin Daofei said, "Then bite away, I'll struggle a little bit for you!"

"Manor Master Qin, how do you think the people of the Xiaoyao Manor will react to your princess currying favor with them like this?" Smirking mischievously, Linglong looked up at Qin Daofei.

Looking rather helpless, Qin Daofei asked, "What are you up to now?"

"I'm just going out for a walk, you don't have any objections, do you?" Linglong flashed a toothy grin.

Grasping her wrist gently, Qin Daofei said softly, "Actually, you really don't need to care about them, because the only thing they want is something only you possess."

"Oh really? How fascinating!" Linglong praised Qin Daofei insincerely.

Utterly exasperated, Qin Daofei let go of her wrist and sighed, "Go play then, just be careful not to let anyone plot against you!"

"I'm just going to look around, it's not like I'm a troublemaker!" With that, Linglong dashed over to Hua'er's room, picked up Feng Yixiao, and took her along to tour the Xiaoyao Manor.

Today, the Xiaoyao Manor was indeed different from usual. Ordinarily, everyone was rigorous, walking and working with utmost propriety, but today was entirely different; whenever people crossed paths, they invariably paused for hushed, whispered conversations.

"Did you receive the gift sent by Princess Nuan Xier? That princess is truly generous, sending us servants such gorgeous white jade hairpins and pages valuable items like jade belt pendants."

"Right, right! I heard the higher-ranking maids received even better things than we did. I heard Steward Zhang got a string of red coral beads, and that thing is worth a fortune!"

"Ah, you only look at these worldly goods. Didn't you notice that Princess Nuan Xier is extremely polite to every single one of us? She's a proper princess after all, yet treats everyone so well. It's truly rare!"

"Indeed! First the Manor Master married that shameless eldest miss of the Feng family, that unruly and shrewish woman, and then he married Tan Xiyin, that insidious and vicious wicked woman. We kept thinking the Manor Master would never encounter a good woman in his life, but now he has—and not only that, she's a princess too! She treats the Old Madam well, she treats the Manor Master well, ah, simply perfection! I've noticed the Old Madam smiling much more often lately!"

Fearing that Linglong might feel hurt, Hua'er grasped her wrist and said, "Miss, don't take it to heart!"

"I'm not hurt, don't worry, I can endure it!" Cradling Feng Yixiao, Linglong said softly, "With Yixiao here, I feel that no amount of malice in this world can harm me anymore. What should I do, my skin is getting thicker by the day!"

With a heart full of anguish for Linglong, Hua'er wiped away her tears and said, "With you acting like this, how can I ever feel at ease leaving you?"

"What's this? You're going to be with me every day anyway, why are you talking as if you're about to leave?" Smiling, Linglong linked her arm through Hua'er's and walked off toward another courtyard.

Hua'er lowered her head in silence.

The Miaoyin Pavilion.

Princess Nuan Xier and her maid sat in the outer room of Tan Xiyin's quarters, where numerous gifts were piled high upon the desk.

Accompanied by a young maid, Tan Xiyin emerged from the inner room in her wheelchair and said with a gentle, smiling voice, "Please forgive this lowly concubine for being unable to stand to greet Your Highness the Princess?"

"It's no matter, aren't your legs inconvenient? I just came to check on you!" Nuan Xier said with a smile.

Casting a casual glance at the gifts on the table, Tan Xiyin said softly, "What is the Princess doing? Originally it should have been this lowly concubine bringing gifts to pay her respects to the Princess instead. However, being from a poor family and having been schemed against by a maid previously, this lowly concubine is completely out of silver... truly ashamed."

"It doesn't matter at all! People from our Great Desert never look at silver when making friends. I don't care whether you have silver or not, you're not as rich as me anyway, right?" Before Tan Xiyin, Nuan Xier deliberately portrayed herself as a simple-minded, foolish woman.

Sure enough, Tan Xiyin fell for it. Looking gloomily at Nuan Xier, she sneered inwardly, "Hmph, such a foolish woman actually has the nerve to compete with me and Feng Linglong for the position of mistress of the Xiaoyao Manor? You are simply daydreaming!"

"This lowly concubine loves straightforward people like the Princess. It's just that my lingering illness leaves me with no way to visit the Princess often, which is truly regrettable!" After saying this, Tan Xiyin's eyes filled with tears.

How could Nuan Xier not know of Tan Xiyin's past? A woman capable of plotting against Qin Daofei, causing Feng Linglong to lose her child in the womb, and driving Feng Linglong to leave home for years—even managing to remain safely in the Xiaoyao Manor after her schemes were exposed—was absolute not a frail, delicate flower.

"There's nothing to be done about that. I've always admired the gentleness and virtue of the women of Hanshi. Back in the northern frontiers when I was with Brother Qin—ah, my husband—he often mentioned that there was an image of a virtuous woman lingering in his memories. Surely that couldn't have been Sister Linglong, right?" Pushing the gifts toward Tan Xiyin, Nuan Xier smiled nonchalantly and said, "Sister, take a look and see if there's anything you like."

Offering a polite smile of thanks, Tan Xiyin distractedly began unpacking the gifts, unable to figure out what Nuan Xier was trying to convey.

"Actually, I've always been curious: why does Mother hate Sister Linglong so deeply? Being new here, I don't understand the affairs of the Xiaoyao Manor well, and in the future, I'll have to rely on Sister Xiyin to guide me a lot!" Taking the initiative to unwrap a gift box, Nuan Xier took out the amber bracelet inside and slipped it onto Tan Xiyin's wrist.

Though Tan Xiyin fancied herself a woman of refined charm, she found the amber bracelet Nuan Xier put on her utterly distasteful; she felt such low-grade trinkets were entirely beneath her, and only a bumpkin like Nuan Xier could appreciate such unrefined style. However, constrained by their current alliance, Tan Xiyin couldn't afford to show displeasure and was forced to endure it.

With a neutral expression, she withdrew her wrist and said softly, "You must know about the incident back then when I was held hostage and poisoned Feng Linglong. I caused her to lose her child, and later I lost both my legs because of her. Originally that should have settled the score, but Feng Linglong's ambitions didn't stop there. She colluded with her paramour—a wealthy merchant from the northern frontiers—to harm Brother Daofei. Yet right now, Brother Daofei only listens to her alone, turning a deaf ear to everyone else. The Xiaoyao Manor is no longer what it used to be. In a little while, perhaps the entire Xiaoyao Manor will fall into the hands of her and her adulterer. Everyone can see this clearly except for Brother Daofei, who simply refuses to listen to our advice. But Princess, you are carrying Brother Daofei's child after all; if you have the chance, you should go persuade him."

Tan Xiyin's earnest words caused Nuan Xier's mocking smile to deepen into something unfathomable, though she quickly masked it and said, "To tell you the truth, Brother Qin and I had some misunderstandings earlier, sparked by certain matters concerning King Xiang that made him think I was trying to harm him. Consequently, upon seeing me this time, he hasn't shown the slightest inclination to be close. Mother had him carried back to the main courtyard earlier, but the very next morning he woke up and rushed straight to the Linglong Pavilion. Even when I went with my big belly to invite him back, he paid me no mind. So it's really hard for me to speak on this matter; I can only say I'll try my best, and as for whether it succeeds, it will depend on the will of Heaven."

Though Nuan Xier had said a great deal, Tan Xiyin had initially expected her to refuse outright. To her surprise, after pretending to hesitate for a moment, the woman revealed the shallow mindset typical of those from the barren northern frontiers. Sneering inwardly, Tan Xiyin thought, *I was just worrying about finding someone to deal with Feng Linglong; since you're so foolish, I'll let you take the vanguard!*

"The Princess is truly well-read, courteous, and graceful. For Brother Daofei to marry such a fair and tender wife and beauty, I can rest easy!" Though her heart bled internally, Tan Xiyin maintained a modest and generous exterior.

Clasping Tan Xiyin's hand, Nuan Xier said, "You and I truly hit it off. Having no friends here in the capital, I can only count on you as a friend!"

"If the Princess does not disdain me, this lowly concubine is willing to follow your lead!" Tan Xiyin smiled back.

Clap, clap, clap!

A round of applause rang out from outside the doorway, causing the expressions of both Tan Xiyin and Nuan Xier to shift drastically.

They heard Feng Linglong scolding Feng Yixiao at the door, "Yixiao, Mother told you not to casually knock on other people's doors! What if they were discussing important matters inside, and you startled them into a fright—how would we ever afford to compensate them?"

Following Tan Xiyin's cue, the maid beside her opened the main doors to reveal Linglong holding Feng Yixiao, the mother-daughter duo standing at the threshold with beaming smiles.

"First Madam!" Tan Xiyin bowed from her wheelchair to greet Linglong.

Giving Tan Xiyin a cold look, Linglong neither returned the bow nor appeared particularly stern; she simply offered a faint smile. Yet even that casual smile made Tan Xiyin's scalp tingle.

Although Nuan Xier was only a secondary wife, she styled herself as a virtuous and dutiful spouse, naturally unwilling to let anyone accuse her of lacking etiquette. Standing up, she smoothed her skirts and paid her respects to Linglong.

"Sister Linglong, why did you bring the little miss all the way here in this heavy snow?" asked Nuan Xier with a smile.

Linglong chuckled. "You could come visit Concubine Tan despite your heavy belly, so naturally I couldn't lag behind, could I? Last time Concubine Tan's maid almost killed my Yixiao, so I've been worried that Concubine Tan might not feel close to Yixiao. That's why I came by to foster some interaction. Who knows, if some maid tries to kill my Yixiao again in the future, maybe seeing how cute Yixiao is, Concubine Tan might spare her life? Don't you agree, Concubine Tan?"

"This lowly concubine has no idea what the First Madam is talking about!" Infuriated, Tan Xiyin was nearly moved to tears. She had gone to such lengths to reel in this simple-minded Nuan Xier, only for Linglong to come crashing in and ruin it!

Hehe!

Not only did Linglong invite herself in uninvited, but upon seeing the table full of gifts belonging to Tan Xiyin, she smiled and told them, "Our Yixiao loves unboxing gifts the most. Just as I was coming in from outside, she spotted three packages and tore them open, but she still wasn't satisfied. This is simply perfect—there are so many gifts here, enough to keep her busy unwrapping for a long time!"

True to her word, without a shred of politeness, Feng Yixiao grabbed a gift package and began tearing at the wrappings with a *swish*.

The atmosphere turned somewhat awkward. The two women, who had been plotting against Linglong moments before, never imagined she would appear before them so abruptly.