“There’s something I still don’t quite understand,” Feng Yue said while serving rice. “Though Zhu Laicai tried to kill you, there were many ways you could have dealt with him. Why go to such lengths?”
Yin Gezhi gave her a look but remained silent, his eyes full of mockery. The glance sent a shiver down Feng Yue’s spine, and she pouted, “I was just asking!”
“Weren’t you investigating Shan Wenhe?” he said. “Stop pretending you don’t understand.”
Now that he had received that silver ingot, he naturally knew about her investigation into Shan Wenhe. How could she have forgotten about that detail? She’d just made herself look foolish!
Biting her lip, Feng Yue smoothly changed her approach with a smile: “I’m just very interested in Director Shan, after all, he is the current Minister of the Three Offices. He manages the treasury, but I wonder what your thoughts are about him.”
Using Zhu Laicai to trap Shan Wenhe? Not so simple. If Shan Wenhe abandoned his pawn to save himself, what use would Zhu Laicai be then?
She had targeted Shan Wenhe because his relationship with the Crown Prince wasn’t good. Earlier, some clients had mentioned while drunk that Shan Wenhe’s orders often conflicted with the Crown Prince’s, putting their subordinates in difficult positions.
This suggested the Crown Prince must also have some interest in Shan Wenhe. If she could provide some leads, Ye Yuqin would surely value her more.
But now this man had stolen her opportunity!
Watching Feng Yue serve herself a third bowl of rice, Yin Gezhi remained silent for a moment. He casually took a sip of tea before saying, “Just do what you need to do. Don’t concern yourself with my thoughts.”
*Well then, how about I kill you?*—Perhaps if she had a hundred times more courage, she might have said those words aloud.
Unfortunately, lacking such courage, Feng Yue could only obediently agree and continue eating.
After the meal, Feng Yue took Ling Shu back to their guest room, patting the child’s head as she said, “While staying here, be good and don’t run around, understand?”
With innocent eyes, Ling Shu replied, “The courtyard is so big and empty, perfect for doing somersaults. Why can’t I run around?”
Such childish innocence! Feng Yue took her to the guest courtyard’s entrance, picked up a stone, and threw it toward the surrounding wall.
A shadow immediately flashed out, paused briefly in surprise, then vanished without a trace.
Ling Shu watched in amazement: “That’s incredible!”
“You think this is just any ordinary place?” Feng Yue said with a forced smile while holding her. “In a den of ghosts, how could there not be demons and serpents?”
Such words were beyond Ling Shu’s understanding, but she remembered her mistress’s warning not to run around. She dutifully went to fetch water and help her mistress prepare for rest.
“Your Highness,” Guanzhi knelt in the main room, looking extremely aggrieved. “My hands are just sore, they’re not useless. I can still serve you.”
Sitting beside the bed on the lamplight reading a letter, the man replied carelessly, “One person serving is enough.”
“But…” But why did it have to be Miss Feng Yue instead of him?
Thinking it over, Guanzhi discovered a serious problem: she could cook, was beautiful, and could warm the bed. While he… besides fighting, what could he do?
“Master!” With tears nearly falling, Guanzhi pleaded, “I’ll never dare anger you again. Please let me continue serving you.”
His tone was so tragic, like an abandoned woman.
Yin Gezhi finally looked up at him and said, “It’s just for tomorrow. Why are you so worked up?”
“Just tomorrow?” Guanzhi was stunned. “Then after that?”
“After that, she returns to her Menghui House, and we continue as before.” Yin Gezhi looked at him puzzled. “What did you think would happen?”
Guanzhi looked at his master in surprise, then fell silent.
This was the first time anyone else had stayed in the envoy’s mansion. He had thought his master would purchase Feng Yue’s freedom and live with her from now on, but instead…
If Feng Yue knew about this, how heartbroken would she be? To be allowed to stay here, only to be sent back. To give someone hope and then disappoint them—that was even crueler than leaving them in despair!
After sighing for a moment, Guanzhi still dutifully rose to help his master prepare for bed. Whatever his master said was final; he had no desire to carry another huge vase for ten streets.
As dawn broke on a new morning, Yin Gezhi had barely opened his eyes when he saw a proper young woman smiling at him.
“Young Master, let this servant help you get up.”
In an apricot-colored chest-high dress and lively double buns, Feng Yue wore light makeup. Without her usual fox-like eye makeup, her bright eyes appeared especially pure.
Yin Gezhi sat up and looked her over, his voice particularly hoarse from just waking: “Not bad.”
“Didn’t you buy me back because you liked this ‘not bad’ appearance?” The previously proper servant girl suddenly batted her eyes at him coquettishly, dabbing with her handkerchief while crying theatrically, “Poor me, at the tender age of sixteen, to have my virtue taken by you, never to find a proper marriage, oh my, oh my!”
Her theatrical trailing notes made Yin Gezhi’s eyes twitch. Taking the tea she offered to rinse his mouth, he spat to the side: “Speak properly!”
“Yes!” Immediately becoming serious, Feng Yue folded her hands at her waist and curtsied: “The gifts have already been sent to the Marquis of An’guo’s mansion. By my calculations, even taking a leisurely carriage ride, we’ll only need half an hour to get there, so you can rest a while longer.”
What natural acting talent, changing personalities in an instant. Yin Gezhi snorted lightly and stood up: “Help me change.”
“Yes.” Feng Yue smiled, bringing over a smoke-colored robe and setting it down, then reaching to undo Yin Gezhi’s clothes, her fingertips mischievously trailing across his chest.
Yin Gezhi watched her expressionlessly.
If it were anyone else, seeing this expression, they would have stopped immediately. But with a scoundrel like Yin Gezhi, as long as there was no physical resistance, his expression could be completely ignored—it was all just pretense!
So while changing his clothes, she took plenty of liberties. Touching here and there, she marveled again at his solid martial arts foundation. Judging by his physique, he could probably handle three fighters of Ganjiang’s caliber simultaneously.
“Had enough?” Glancing at the hourglass in the room, Yin Gezhi’s expression darkened. He grabbed her arm and, as if picking up a toy, deposited her in the waiting carriage outside.
“Ow!” Rolling into the carriage pitifully, Feng Yue protested, “Isn’t a servant girl not supposed to ride in the carriage?”
“If I say you can, you can.” Yin Gezhi slowly lowered the carriage curtain.
Before they set off, Feng Yue had been touched, thinking the demon lord showed some humanity after all, not wanting her to hurry along outside taking small steps.
But after they started moving, her face turned pale.
“Young Master, this is a carriage!”
“Mm.”
“We’re going to the Marquis’s mansion!”
“Mm.”
“No… don’t… there are people everywhere outside!”
The carriage driver’s face burned red as he drove extremely fast, and seeing they were approaching the marquis’s mansion, he deliberately took a longer route to give the two inside time to compose themselves.
An Shichong was waiting at the mansion gates. By rights, he didn’t need to come out to welcome them, but since Yin Gezhi was coming, the little disciple, full of respect for his master, had been standing there since early morning.
“The envoy’s carriage,” Xu Huaizu’s sharp eyes spotted it first, and he patted An Shichong’s shoulder.
An Shichong came to attention and immediately went to greet them.
“Master!”
Lifting the carriage curtain, Yin Gezhi seemed to be in quite a good mood. After nodding slightly to them, he called back, “Servant girl, get down first.”
Feng Yue, tears in her eyes, silently pointed an accusing trembling finger at the beast before her, then gritted her teeth, forced a smile, and stepped down to stand beside the carriage.
“Who is…?” At first glance, he didn’t recognize her, but after a careful look, Xu Huaizu stepped back in shock: “Miss Feng Yue?”
“This is my servant girl, Yue’er.” Yin Gezhi stepped down from the carriage, not sparing her a glance as he walked directly into the mansion with An Shichong. “Let’s go pay our respects to the Marquis first.”
Feng Yue struggled to walk normally, following with a smile, head lowered, eyes fixed on Yin Gezhi’s heels, desperately wanting to gather the courage to step on them.
Last night she had tried to please him, but he made her sleep in the guest room, saying it was so she would be in better condition to enter the marquis’s mansion today. Then what was that about just now? Did he suddenly go into heat? Even though she was a courtesan, she had never done anything so thrilling!
The hour was still early, and there weren’t many people in the marquis’s mansion. An Shichong smoothly led them to the main hall.
“Father, His Highness Yin has come to offer birthday wishes.”
Hearing the voice, the Marquis of An’guo turned around. Seeing Yin Gezhi, he smiled: “What a rare guest.”
“May the Marquis’s life be as enduring as the Southern Mountains.” Being the junior, Yin Gezhi bowed to him, unusually well-behaved.
Feng Yue didn’t dare raise her head. With so many people around, all she could see were pairs of boots.
The gold-and-black boots said to the tea-white brocade boots: “Your Highness’s presence brings glory to my humble home. Shall we go inside?”
The tea-white brocade boots replied: “After you, Marquis.”
The two pairs of black boots on the side, eager to show off their master, were stunned. How had they not even made introductions yet the two seemed so familiar, heading inside together?
Feng Yue was also puzzled by this question, but before she could think further, the leather boots beside her stepped on her foot: “Yue’er, go in and attend to your master.”
“…Yes.”
After the door closed and no other boots remained inside, the gold-and-black boots stood facing her direction for a moment, asking puzzled: “And this is?”
“My servant,” answered the tea-white brocade boots.
With the words “personal servant,” the Marquis said no more, smiling as he invited Yin Gezhi to sit. Feng Yue also quietly took her place behind Yin Gezhi, helping pour tea and such.
“It’s rare for you to visit my mansion,” the Marquis said. “You’re not concerned this time?”
“When things are proper and righteous, what is there to fear?”
“Haha!” The Marquis laughed, sighing as he said: “I admire that steady temperament of yours, so different from other young people.”
Listening to this, they seemed quite familiar. Feng Yue was shocked, staring at Yin Gezhi’s boots speechless.