“Chancellor, spare my life.”

Of course, in the end she said no nonsense, going straight to the point and quite unprincipally kneeling to beg for mercy.

Quan Feitong looked at her and smiled: “Why should I spare your life? Did you hear something you shouldn’t have?”

Suzhen wanted to throw a grape at his face. This person was too cunning and crafty. Her palms were full of sweat. Her answer now was a matter of life and death – not the slightest error could be made.

She thought for a moment, steeled her heart: “Chancellor, this servant has ear problems like Magistrate Huang, with periodic flare-ups.”

Huang Tianba’s mouth twitched at the mention of ear problems.

She naturally didn’t care and continued: “Even if there was indeed something improper to hear just now, I truly didn’t hear it. Moreover, since this servant has become the Chancellor’s concubine, even if I heard what the Chancellor said, even if what the Chancellor said was improper, to this servant, it would all be correct.”

Quan Feitong’s expression was inscrutable, still smiling ambiguously, but a trace of viciousness in his eyes was ultimately hard to conceal, like an extremely sharp sword stabbing toward her.

Suzhen lowered her head, seeing only the luxuriant bamboo leaves embroidered on the hem of his robes, elegant beyond measure. But her whole body began trembling slightly. She wondered whether to seek help from Li Zhaoting, but feared implicating him… Just as she was sweating profusely, she suddenly heard Quan Feitong laugh above her head: “I was just teasing you. Get up.”

She wanted to spray blood on his face. Trembling as she stood, Quan Feitong smoothly supported her waist: “I’m going to rest now. If you have matters, have the gatekeeper summon me.”

Suzhen was held by him, surrounded by a faint sandalwood fragrance, feeling shame, anger, shock, and urgency. Huang Tianba said in a deep voice: “Serve the master well.”

“Yes.” She could only smile in response.

Before leaving, she saw Mao and Yu’s somewhat lewd gazes, but Quan Feitong’s sweep of his eyes made them instantly disappear. Li Zhaoting looked at her indifferently at this moment.

Reaching Quan Feitong’s room, she couldn’t help feeling urgent as fire. Li Zhaoting and the others were starting arrangements now. If Lian Yu really came tonight, it would be disastrous. No, she had to find a way to get out and notify them!

Just as she stood restlessly, Quan Feitong’s phoenix eyes suddenly cooled slightly: “Help me rest.”

Quan Feitong without a smile was extremely dignified. Though she cursed inwardly, she could only help him remove his outer robes. Quan Feitong slightly raised his arms. When she fumbled for his front clothing ties and touched his body, he suddenly turned around quickly and threw her onto the bed.

Had he seen through something? He really had seen through something, hadn’t he? He’d seen the flaws, realized she wasn’t a Huang family maid? So now he was toying with her for fun? Otherwise, was his taste really so unusual? Suzhen was greatly shocked, questioning herself repeatedly.

But at this moment, she absolutely couldn’t ask if he’d seen through her disguise. Now he was like a hunter – hunters always liked playing with their prey, but when their interest waned, they would finish it off without hesitation.

“If the Chancellor has needs, this servant will find Magistrate Huang and have him arrange for a beautiful girl to come. In this servant’s opinion, that Qing’er from earlier was quite good.”

When Quan Feitong removed his boots and reached toward her, she finally couldn’t remain calm.

“I’ve played with all kinds of women. Why must you make me lose interest? For a lowly maid, isn’t it human nature to want to escape rough work by attaching herself to me? The more you resist, the more I suspect you’re somehow abnormal.”

Quan Feitong’s lips curved upward, his elbow supporting him on the bed, his black hair spreading slowly across the bedding like glossy satin, shining with bewitching luster.

Suzhen smiled bitterly. Regarding Lian Yu and herself, she couldn’t say whether she was willing or unwilling. Their relationship was too complex – they were sovereign and subject, yet not sovereign and subject; they were friends, but separated by their fathers’ great enmity. This Quan Feitong was even more complex. Initially she thought they might be kindred spirits, but now they were enemies…

Only unless absolutely necessary did she want to break all pretense. One word from Quan Feitong and she would die, and Lian Yu and others would fall into danger…

Thinking this, she stopped struggling and just looked calmly at the man before her.

“With such a ghostly appearance, yet putting on an aggrieved expression – whose appetite are you trying to spoil! Forget it, this really is a cursed fate.”

Quan Feitong spoke coldly, suddenly rising and sweeping his sleeve, lowering his head to briefly kiss her lips.

That touch was warm and soft, carrying an intense mature masculine aura… Suzhen felt shame and anger, also stunning confusion, not understanding his meaning.

In the chaos, Quan Feitong reached out to gather her into his embrace, pressing her head against his chest while he pillowed his head on a jade pillow, closing his eyes as if truly going to sleep.

Her waist was tightly held by one of his arms, thick warmth seeping through her clothes into her skin… Suzhen froze, completely and utterly frozen throughout her body.

She dared not move at all.

What exactly was Quan Feitong thinking?

After a long time, she finally felt somewhat relieved. Pressing her palm, it was completely wet with sweat. She tried to calm her violently beating heart, closing her eyes and pretending to accompany him in light sleep.

After an unknown period, hearing thin breathing sounds beside her, she slowly opened her eyes and carefully looked over. She saw Quan Feitong’s expression was peaceful, seemingly truly sound asleep.

She knew he might be deliberately testing her, so she softly called: “Chancellor.”

Quan Feitong’s brows and eyes were quiet, his eye corners slightly slanted up into his temples – that seemingly innate wickedness still made people tremble with fear even at times like this.

But time was urgent. Suzhen couldn’t care about much else. Gritting her teeth, she smiled: “Chancellor, this servant… this servant needs to relieve herself and will return quickly.”

Quan Feitong’s breathing remained long and steady.

She waited another moment, then carefully removed his hand from her body, trying not to touch his tall frame as she slowly climbed down from the bed and pushed open the door.

She had only been here half a day, and now in her urgency, though not quite panicking, she wasn’t much better. Finally, she stopped a young, naive-looking maid to ask directions and found the back courtyard.

She hurried to the courtyard gate.

The moment the door opened, cold wind rushed in from outside. She sneezed, then smiled bitterly again.

“May I ask Aunt Zhu, where are you going?”

Outside the door, two guard-like men looked at her, one asking indifferently.

Aunt Zhu… Suzhen trembled slightly, then turned around sharply to see Quan Feitong slowly emerging from a cluster of flowers. His eyes were completely clear without any trace of drowsiness, staring at her: “I thought you would wait a bit longer. Not even an hour has passed – aren’t you being a bit too anxious?”

“Even if this servant waited several more hours, wouldn’t the result be the same? Is there any difference?” While counter-questioning, Suzhen suddenly stomped hard on the foot of the guard who had called her “Aunt Zhu.”

Seeing her captured, that man hadn’t been particularly on guard, so she succeeded. He groaned in pain. But without Quan Feitong’s orders, he couldn’t retaliate, so he and the other guard stood tightly behind Suzhen, trapping her.

Suzhen simply put her hands behind her back, slightly widening her eyes as she stared at Quan Feitong. Quan Feitong watched everything with interest without stopping it, only then slowly smiling and asking: “Where did they offend you? Why treat my guards this way?”

“I don’t like that form of address.”

“Oh, but you volunteered to marry me as a concubine. They’re not wrong to address you so.”

“I heard you haven’t married yet. Why should I be your concubine instead of your proper wife?” Suzhen spoke nonsense while secretly surveying her surroundings, trying to find escape routes and opportunities.

But Quan Feitong laughed softly and approached: “You really are bold. Fine – if you dare marry, I dare wed you.”

Suzhen discovered that competing in words and wits with this person was extremely difficult to win. Wood Three was completely without taboos. Of course, what he said naturally wouldn’t count.

So she nodded: “Fine, I’ll marry. Let me move freely then.”

Quan Feitong’s smile grew larger: “Speaking of marriage, there should be proper background and origins before betrothal. Do you want me to personally investigate your background, or will you tell me yourself?”

Things having reached this point, Suzhen naturally couldn’t continue pretending with him. Whether Quan Feitong had seen through that she was Li Huaisu aside, he had definitely seen she was problematic long ago. She suppressed her fear of being killed by him. While he still had some interest, she would drag things out as long as possible. Feigning composure, she asked: “May I ask the Chancellor, where did you see the flaws?”

This was indeed her main confusion. Though she had long known Quan Feitong wasn’t simple, she was still somewhat shocked.

“First, when you and that senior maid walked over, though I had my eyes closed, I noticed something. One of you two was slightly out of breath. Since it was proven that you were the one who first carried the tray, that breathing sound was yours. That tray held fruit and medicine, but for a rough-work maid, the weight shouldn’t be considered heavy. I don’t believe she would be gasping for breath – unless this person wasn’t a maid.”

He stared at her, those beautiful eye corners pulling his habitual smile lines long, clearly taking on some coldness and chill. Suzhen’s heart suddenly tightened: “This alone can’t determine I’m not a maid. Must this servant be strong as an ox? Can’t this servant’s health be poor?”

“Second, your hands. Though your hands have some calluses, they’re few and soft – not the hands of someone who does rough work, but rather like those that hold brushes and swords.” Quan Feitong touched his nose, his smile slowly condensing: “And there’s one last point, quite interesting. Do you know why I gave you grapes? If you can guess correctly, I’ll let you go. If you can’t guess, you’ll stay here forever! But I bet you definitely can’t guess.”