Feng Jiu’er finally collected herself from the shock, took a deep breath, and looked up at the man holding her tightly.

Even if her method hadn’t worked, surely it didn’t have to come to this?

Hadn’t they only just seen each other again, mere moments ago?

“Xiao Jiu.” For her own safety, Feng Jiu’er didn’t dare move at all. “You…”

“What did you call me?” Di Wu Ya’s breathing deepened.

It seemed he didn’t care for the name Xiao Jiu — though it wasn’t clear whether the issue was with “Xiao,” or with “Jiu,” or with both characters together.

Feng Jiu’er gave him a sweet smile and called out softly, “Ninth Imperial Uncle.”

“Mm.” Only then did Di Wu Ya nod, satisfied. “Your treatment failed — how should I punish you?”

Feng Jiu’er met his gaze, her brow creasing slightly.

“You know, my treatments almost never fail. I don’t know if it’s that I’m too weak, or that you’re just too strong.”

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, I really don’t know what to do about it.”

Her man was simply too extraordinary — what was she supposed to do?

But, Feng Jiu’er, do you realize that this show of weakness of yours has already stirred deeply at the man’s heart?

It seemed Miss Feng Jiu’er knew exactly what she was doing.

One look at the cunning glint flickering in her eyes was enough to tell.

Di Wu Ya took her hand, rubbed it, and said in a low voice, “Girl, are you testing my limits?”

Feng Jiu’er only blinked, looking thoroughly pitiful.

She said nothing at all, and yet her silence proved more effective than any direct response could have been.

I don’t know, Ninth Imperial Uncle, I really don’t know, what should I do?

That silent provocation nearly made Di Wu Ya lose his composure entirely.

In the end, he gave a heavy cough, pressed her against his chest, and even withdrew his gaze from that innocent little face of hers.

“How did you get in here? Weren’t you with Lei Shenbao?” Di Wu Ya asked flatly.

“Nothing escapes Ninth Imperial Uncle’s notice when it comes to me,” Feng Jiu’er murmured, pouting.

That soft, melting voice made the man’s body stiffen involuntarily.

“Girl.” He lifted his head again, a fire flickering in his eyes.

“If you keep misbehaving, don’t blame me for not holding back!”

But Feng Jiu’er, oblivious to the danger she was courting, pouted again.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, then when shall we marry? If we’re married, we can be together openly, can’t we?”

Di Wu Ya truly wanted to hit something, but it certainly wouldn’t be the little troublemaker in his arms.

Having chosen his own wife, no matter how mischievous she was, he could only accept it.

He clenched his other fist and, suppressing his voice, said, “Once we find Father, we’ll marry.”

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er hugged the man’s stiff body back, perfectly docile.

“Since you already know why I was with Lei Shenbao, then I don’t need to explain — this time we…”

She’d used a honey trap — surely Ninth Imperial Uncle didn’t know that? Otherwise, would he have let her off so easily?

“No!” Di Wu Ya cut off Feng Jiu’er’s words. “I don’t actually know why you were at his side.”

“If you’re hiding something from me, tell me honestly!”

Di Wu Ya doted on Feng Jiu’er without limit, which made him unwilling to let any part of her experiences pass him by.

Feng Jiu’er froze for a moment, not sure where to begin.

If she told him that, in order to speed up the war between Lei Shenbao and the Duan family, she had deliberately had Sister Hua leak her whereabouts to Lei Shenbao — would her man hit her?

Feng Jiu’er pondered for a while, then looked up, blinking her wide eyes at Di Wu Ya.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, does this really need to be said? After all, I already got the result I wanted — the process doesn’t really matter much, does it?”

“It’s not allowed!” Di Wu Ya refused, deliberately not looking at her.

Today this little troublemaker was being far too mischievous — he couldn’t risk looking at her too much, or he might just give in to whatever she wanted.

Feng Jiu’er sighed mournfully, withdrew her gaze, and tightened her hold on the man.

“Fine, I’ll tell you, but Ninth Imperial Uncle can’t get angry, all right?”

This act of cute pleading — Feng Jiu’er really had it down to a natural art.

Di Wu Ya’s throat moved as he swallowed, and he turned his face away. “We’ll see.”

His voice came out low and deep.

“Then I won’t tell you.” As Feng Jiu’er shook her head, she didn’t forget to rub against the man’s chest once or twice.

The man’s body grew more and more rigid, and she pretended not to notice.

“If Ninth Imperial Uncle won’t promise not to get angry, then I’m not telling.”

“If you want to know, go ask my Third Imperial Brother — he knows everything.”

“Your Third Imperial Brother?” Di Wu Ya merely glanced down at her, then turned his gaze away once more.

He had left the Feng clan and gone up to Black Pool to welcome his own brother; as for his own girl’s affairs, he didn’t actually know much.

Feng Jiu’er, worried about exposing Feng Jiang’s identity, certainly hadn’t dared mention any of this to Di Wu Ya in her letters.

As a result, Di Wu Ya still had no idea, even now, that Feng Jiu’er and Feng Jiang had crossed paths.

“Feng Qiongcang had Third Imperial Brother go deal with Lei Shenbao — he’s been hiding by Lei Shenbao’s side for several months already.”

“He…”

“Tell me about you.” Just as Feng Jiu’er tried to change the subject, Di Wu Ya cut her off.

Feng Jiu’er pressed her lips together, withdrew her gaze, and held the man beside her even more tightly.

“Lei Shenbao captured Duan Langyu, the young master of the Duan family of Yongshan City. I figured that once Duan Langyu died, the war between Lei Shenbao and the Duan family would be sure to break out.”

“So…” Feng Jiu’er cleared her throat and quickened her pace of speech.

“I had Sister Hua leak word of my whereabouts, so that Lei Shenbao would learn what I truly looked like.”

“Then, he took a liking to me, invited me back to his estate as a guest, and I used a small scheme to bring about Duan Langyu’s death.”

Feng Jiu’er got through these two sentences as quickly as she could, but the man’s breathing still turned cold in an instant.

Her plan had been thorough, and she hadn’t suffered the slightest loss — couldn’t Ninth Imperial Uncle just not be angry about it?

Feng Jiu’er looked up to find the man’s gaze already lowered on her, and she pouted her pink lips slightly.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, Duan Langyu had countless deaths on his hands — his death is nothing to mourn. Please don’t be angry, all right?”

Di Wu Ya’s tightly knit brow shifted slightly at Feng Jiu’er’s last sentence.

He held her by both shoulders, his breath turning warm: “What does someone surnamed Duan have to do with me? Girl, do you really not know what I’m angry about?”

Feng Jiu’er pouted again, lowering her head with an aggrieved look.

She hugged Di Wu Ya and buried her head against his chest.

“I know — I shouldn’t have used a honey trap on another man. I promised you I wouldn’t, and I broke that promise.”

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, please don’t be angry anymore, all right? How could I ever let myself come out the worse for it?”

“If Lei Shenbao had dared so much as touch me, even if I didn’t act, Jian Yi would certainly have cut him down.”

“Ninth Imperial Uncle.” Feng Jiu’er changed her expression to a smile and looked up to meet the man’s gaze. “Do you know what?”

“A few days ago, when we went into the mountains, we ran into some bandits. One of them just said something about wanting me as his woman, and Jian Yi sealed off his title on the spot.”

“We didn’t just take in several hundred bandits — we also reclaimed a town with five thousand…”

A large hand pressed down on her head, and Feng Jiu’er fell silent.

Ninth Imperial Uncle, could he just not be angry? Time was short — she hadn’t broken her promise on purpose.