“Look at her? That’s not speaking honestly.” Lu Heng smiled. “You went to mock her, didn’t you?”

As soon as Bian Ruohan heard Lu Heng’s laugh, her ears turned red.

She had indeed gone to mock Qin Yining, to ridicule how such a woman would inevitably fall from favor sooner or later. Who knew that not only did she not witness her fall from favor, but she personally saw how Prince Zhongshun cherished and protected her. She even doubted whether the person she saw was really the majestic war god prince spoken of in outside rumors.

When she was in her maiden home, she felt her father and mother were already extremely loving.

She had thought that after marriage, if her husband could treat her the way her father treated her mother, she would be content for life.

But who knew that before she could achieve this “contentment” herself, she personally witnessed the person she detested and resented achieving that very “contentment”!

Bian Ruohan was so angry her teeth itched.

Especially since Lu Heng’s tone was full of mockery, as if ridiculing her stupidity – clearly going to watch a spectacle, yet becoming the spectacle for others to watch.

“Why aren’t you speaking?” Seeing Bian Ruohan’s silence, Lu Heng moved closer and asked again.

Bian Ruohan felt both ashamed and embarrassed, anger rising in her heart. “Yes, I went to mock her! She doesn’t follow wifely virtues and was confined by her man. I just wanted to see what kind of mournful face she’d have after being confined!”

Lu Heng smiled. “Why the rush? You can try speaking slowly. There’s no need to shout at me. This only makes your upbringing seem particularly questionable.”

Tears swirled in Bian Ruohan’s eyes as she glared at Lu Heng defiantly. “How is my upbringing questionable! She doesn’t follow wifely virtues…”

“Ruohan.” Lu Heng’s gentle call made Bian Ruohan freeze.

Lu Heng continued, “These days, the city has been quite chaotic. I see the prince’s manor has arranged many manor guards to search throughout the city, apparently catching fugitives. With Huichuan County currently unsafe, for your safety’s sake, you shouldn’t go out casually anymore. It’s best if your activities don’t extend beyond the ornamental gate.”

Bian Ruohan’s emotions fluctuated wildly as she said in shock, “You, you want to confine me?”

“Of course not.” Lu Heng shook his head and sighed. “Don’t think wrongly. You haven’t done anything wrong – why would I confine you? I’m thinking of your safety.”

When Lu Heng looked at her, his gaze was too gentle, his tone too meaningful. Bian Ruohan suddenly understood something.

Prince Zhongshun had confined his princess consort perhaps for her safety. Otherwise, why would a prince personally buy jewelry and antiques to gently appease a princess consort confined for wrongdoing?

Lu Heng’s words carried too clear a sarcastic meaning. He was telling her that Qin Yining wasn’t the one confined for wrongdoing – she was!

Bian Ruohan’s face burned with shame. Humiliated and angry, she covered her face and ran toward the inner residence.

Lu Heng watched Bian Ruohan’s fleeing figure, supporting his chin with one hand and smiling with amusement.

Sometimes he really wanted to thank Bian Ruohan for being so capable of stirring up trouble. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have channels to obtain fragments of news about Qin Yining. With Bian Ruohan frequently going to make scenes, he might even get to see how Qin Yining engaged with her.

The more Lu Heng spent time with Bian Ruohan, the more tedious he found her. This woman was ignorant, spoiled, and reckless – simply an embroidered pillow stuffed with straw. The more he compared, the more precious Qin Yining’s intelligence and courage became. Her wholehearted devotion to Pang Xiao, never abandoning him regardless of whether the emperor valued Pang Xiao or not – such dedication was enviable.

In Lu Heng’s eyes, all of Qin Yining’s virtues were magnified. With Bian Ruohan as contrast, Qin Yining became even more precious and valuable.

Remembering the past, thinking of how for Qin Yining’s sake, he had even bribed palace connections to care for her and simply abandoned his plans against Pang Xiao.

He was ultimately also an infatuated fool – a fool who would disregard any principle for Qin Yining’s sake.

The continuous rain fell endlessly day and night. Many roads in the city were already flooded. In the dark night, two furtive figures carefully approached the back door of Sitong Trading Company on the pitch-black streets.

“Brother, did you see clearly? Are there no prince’s manor soldiers around here?”

“I saw clearly. There shouldn’t be any.”

“Good. Let’s hurry while there are still no people from the prince’s manor and quickly find Boss Qiu of Sitong Trading Company.”

“But what status does Boss Qiu have? Would she really go against the prince’s manor for our sake?”

“Don’t forget, she joined our Azure Sky Alliance. Besides, all six of our brothers inside are gone – not even bone fragments remain. Of us four outside, two more were killed, leaving just us two. If we don’t desperately try, should we just wait to be captured and chopped up to feed the dogs?”

Both figures fell silent.

They didn’t know what had happened to the world. They had once been members of the Azure Sky Alliance, with some dignity in the martial world, but now they’d suddenly fallen to the bottom, becoming rats everyone wanted to beat.

That Prince Zhongshun had gone mad for some reason, insisting on exterminating them all!

“Let’s go, let’s try.” The two walked wearily to the side door. One kept watch at the corner while the other knocked.

Manager Yin, having heard Ji Yun’s instructions, had long arranged for his trusted subordinates to guard the front and back doors. Hearing someone knock, the subordinate immediately went to inform Manager Yin.

Manager Yin put on his outer robe, carried a candlestick, and personally walked along the corridor to the side door. He took a deep breath and had his subordinate answer the door.

“Who is it?” The subordinate’s tone seemed slightly impatient.

“It’s us. We’re friends of Boss Qiu.”

Manager Yin thought briefly and said, “Open the door. Let them come in to talk.”

The slight “creak” was drowned out by the pattering rain. The two men slipped into the side door of Sitong Trading Company.

“You two must be brothers from the Azure Sky Alliance?” Manager Yin smiled amiably. “I heard our boss mention that brothers of the Azure Sky Alliance are her brothers. She instructed me to properly settle you two.”

The two exchanged glances, both somewhat flattered yet wanting to slap their thighs in regret.

If they had known Boss Qiu of Sitong Trading Company was so loyal, they should have come here from the start instead of having two more brothers hunted down and killed.

Thinking of this, both felt somewhat dejected. “Thank you. May we ask how to address you, manager?”

“You’re too kind. My surname is Yin. How should I address you two brothers? When my boss met with Hall Master Qiao before, I don’t think I saw you two.”

Both felt somewhat embarrassed. Steward Hu had arranged for the four of them to provide support from outside, while Steward Hu and Liu Ban led another four brothers to move around. With some visible and others hidden, providing mutual support, it was safer.

Since they hadn’t shown themselves, the other party naturally didn’t recognize them. But now they had to seek help from these people.