Leaving Wuji Palace, Fuhuan let out a long sigh of relief, but as she thought about other troublesome matters, the smile on her face immediately faded, and she headed toward Ziwei Palace.

Halfway there, she ran into Lengyan.

Lengyan had been specifically waiting for Fuhuan. As soon as she saw Fuhuan, she immediately approached her. “Huan’er, how did it go? Did you give the letter to Siqing?”

“Yes, I gave it to him,” Fuhuan nodded to Lengyan.

“That’s wonderful! Huan’er, come to my place now and help me choose what clothes to wear when I meet Siqing tonight.” Lengyan took Fuhuan’s arm, attempting to pull her toward her palace.

Fuhuan halted her steps and frowned slightly. “Tonight?”

“Yes, in the letter, I invited him to meet me at Lotus Lake tonight. After reading the letter, he’ll surely come.” Lengyan continued pulling Fuhuan forward.

Hearing this, Fuhuan didn’t know what to say to Lengyan. If Siqing had truly torn up the letter, he absolutely would not appear at Lotus Lake tonight.

“Well, I need to continue attending the regular meeting in a while. Why don’t you let Zhuling and the others help you choose your clothes?” Fuhuan stopped again.

…

…

“We still have more than half an hour. It’s just choosing clothes—it won’t take long. Come on, Huan’er, my sister’s lifetime happiness is at stake here. You must help me choose properly.”

“…”

…

“Huan’er, this lotus pink one or this water blue one—which is better?” Lengyan held up two brocade dresses in front of Fuhuan for her to choose.

Fuhuan propped up her head, looked at the lotus pink one, then at the water blue one, and casually pointed to the lotus pink one. “This one.”

“This one is quite plain. Won’t it seem not formal enough?” Lengyan looked at Fuhuan, noticing her fatigued expression, and the corners of her lips curled slightly.

“Then perhaps a purple one? The Lord of the Netherworld was wearing purple today.” Fuhuan felt that if she continued to waste time with Lengyan, she would become even more irritable.

Lengyan’s eyes lit up. “Yes, purple! The Lord of the Netherworld has always loved to wear purple.”

With that, Lengyan selected a charming purple brocade dress from the wardrobe. “How about this one?”

“Yes, it’s nice.” Fuhuan nodded.

After helping Lengyan choose her clothes, Fuhuan prepared to leave. Before leaving, Lengyan specifically reminded her, “Remember to remind Siqing after the afternoon meeting not to forget our evening appointment.”

Fuhuan made a sound of acknowledgment without saying much more and left.

With Lengyan’s distraction, it was almost time for the afternoon hour. Fuhuan had to turn back and head to the Heavenly Emperor’s Qingyang Hall first.

On the way, she encountered Siqing again…

“What a coincidence, High Goddess Fuhuan. Have you just come from your sister’s place?” Supreme Deity Wuji was also there and smiled knowingly upon seeing Fuhuan.

Fuhuan nodded with an awkward smile, glancing at the silent Siqing before turning to send a secret message to Supreme Deity Wuji: “Did the Lord of the Netherworld read the letter earlier?”

“He did,” Supreme Deity Wuji replied, then added, “However, it was I who read it.”

“What?” Fuhuan was surprised, considering the letter’s contents. “Did you inform the Lord of the Netherworld about its contents?”

Hearing this, Supreme Deity Wuji also glanced at Siqing, then replied via secret message: “I did.”

“That’s good.” Now that Siqing knew Lengyan had invited him to meet at Lotus Lake, whether he went or not was his business.

With this thought, Fuhuan quickly left.

Behind her, Supreme Deity Wuji looked at Fuhuan’s retreating figure and chuckled lightly. “This little Phoenix Lady is indirectly matchmaking you with her sister. Judging by her behavior, she seems quite concerned about her sister’s affairs.”

Siqing maintained a grim expression, his thin lips tightly pressed together, saying nothing. His gaze swept over Fuhuan’s figure ahead as he clenched his fists, veins protruding on the back of his hands.

…

The afternoon meeting again had little to do with Fuhuan.

During the gaps when the Heavenly Emperor was speaking with the other Supreme Deities, Fuhuan’s thoughts had already drifted far away. Her mind was filled with wondering whether Siqing would go to Lotus Lake tonight.

Since Supreme Deity Wuji had read the letter, he must have conveyed Lengyan’s intentions and known about the Lotus Lake meeting. Although Fuhuan tried to think magnanimously that it didn’t matter to her whether Siqing went or not, just the possibility that he might go made her feel uncomfortable all over.

As she pondered, Fuhuan couldn’t help but glance at Siqing again.

“At the hour of hai, follow me somewhere.”

Suddenly, a secret message entered Fuhuan’s ears, the voice cold and aloof, as if it would freeze Fuhuan in place.

Fuhuan shivered and immediately came back to her senses, realizing it was Siqing speaking to her.

The hour of hai…

Where would he want to go in the dead of night?

“Don’t run away,” Siqing added from across.

Fuhuan pouted, shifting her gaze away, and responded glumly, “Fine.”

…

After the first day’s meeting concluded, it was the hour of Xu, still more than an hour before Siqing’s appointed time of Hai with Fuhuan.

During this hour-plus, Fuhuan was curious whether Siqing would go to Lotus Lake to meet Lengyan.

In Ziwei Palace, Fuhuan was eating an exquisite meal while keeping an eye on the time, clearly distracted and troubled.

“What are you thinking about?” The Ziwei Emperor, seeing her repeatedly lost in thought, couldn’t help but ask.

“Nothing,” Fuhuan shook her head.

Seeing this, the Ziwei Emperor smiled slightly. “My daughter has grown up and has her concerns. Are you worried about the Heavenly Emperor’s order to move the Phoenix Feather Pavilion to the Heavenly Realm?”

Reminded of this, Fuhuan put down her chopsticks and looked at the Ziwei Emperor. “The Heavenly Emperor has become suspicious of me because of the forbidden area incident. Now he seems to be keeping a close watch on me and has even made the Great Emperor Qinghua my master.”

“The fact that you recognize this means you’re not completely foolish.” The Ziwei Emperor took a sip of tea and waved, signaling all the immortal attendants in the hall to leave.

When only Fuhuan and the Ziwei Emperor remained in the hall, the Ziwei Emperor unhurriedly put down his teacup, sighed lightly, and said, “Not long ago, was it you who asked Siqing to use the life-extending technique to extend my lifespan?”

“Father…” Fuhuan bit her lower lip, not knowing how the Ziwei Emperor knew about such a secret matter.

“Since ancient times, all immortal deities eventually ascend. This is the mandate of heaven. Since it is heaven’s mandate, how could it be easily changed?”

“I oversee countless celestial phenomena. Even my main position, the Ziwei Star, had already weakened in spiritual power, showing signs of ascension. How could it regain vitality overnight?”

“I questioned Jiusheng the next day, and he said you left alone after receiving the news.”

“Did you go to find Siqing and ask him to use the forbidden life-extending technique of the Heavenly Realm?”

Fuhuan had thought this matter was successfully concealed, but she hadn’t expected that the Ziwei Emperor knew from the beginning. Not only that, but it seemed her adoptive father knew everything.

“Although I haven’t had much contact with Siqing, I know he wouldn’t easily do this. Did you exchange something with him?” The Ziwei Emperor straightened his expression, his demeanor becoming more serious.

Fuhuan hung her head like a child who had done something wrong, not knowing how to respond.

“Is it related to that forbidden area?” The Ziwei Emperor’s voice deepened.

Hearing this, Fuhuan quickly stood up and knelt beside the Ziwei Emperor’s leg. “Father, what’s done is done. Please pretend you don’t know and let me bear all the consequences alone.”

The Ziwei Emperor frowned deeply, looking at his daughter with mixed emotions. He reached out to hold her arm and helped her up. “You foolish child, do you know how much importance the Heavenly Emperor attaches to that forbidden area? How dare you use it as a bargaining chip? Aren’t you afraid that if he finds out someday, he’ll severely punish you?”

“I know,” Fuhuan nodded, opening her mouth slightly.

“That day, the Heavenly Emperor ordered you to kneel as punishment because something happened to the person in the forbidden area, right?” the Ziwei Emperor asked further.

Fuhuan nodded again, then suddenly raised her eyes to look at the Ziwei Emperor. “Father, do you know who is imprisoned in that forbidden area?”

When Fuhuan asked this question, there was obvious evasion in the Ziwei Emperor’s eyes. “Some things are better left unknown to you.”

“Why? Since I’ve already waded into these troubled waters, if the Heavenly Emperor punishes me someday, shouldn’t I at least die with some understanding?” Fuhuan’s curiosity was piqued.

The Ziwei Emperor sighed helplessly, his expression still solemn. “I can tell you everything, but you must promise me one thing.”

“What thing?”

“After I tell you all this, you must abandon any thoughts about Siqing and have no further entanglements or contact with him.” The Ziwei Emperor’s expression was grave, his tone profound, leaving Fuhuan no room to refuse.

Fuhuan instinctively clutched at the hem of her skirt at her knees. She had heard too many such words in recent days.

Seeing her silence, the Ziwei Emperor took it as tacit consent and opened his mouth, murmuring, “If I’m not mistaken, the person imprisoned in the forbidden area is a woman who is very important to Siqing.”

“An important woman?” Fuhuan was surprised.

The Ziwei Emperor nodded. “The story goes back eight hundred years. The Heavenly Emperor suddenly took an Imperial Consort named Qingzhi. After taking her, the Heavenly Emperor doted on her excessively, causing much envy among the other consorts in his harem.”

“But the good times didn’t last long. One day, the Heavenly Empress brought several consorts and a man to Qingyang Hall. I happened to be in Qingyang Hall that day for official business.”

“Reportedly, that man was Imperial Consort Qingzhi’s former husband. They had even conceived a baby boy together. Later, Imperial Consort Qingzhi, coveting the Heavenly Emperor’s favor, abandoned that man and followed the Heavenly Emperor.”

“Later, under the man’s strong accusations, Imperial Consort Qingzhi, under pressure, admitted this matter and also admitted the child’s existence. However, she insisted that she gave birth to a daughter. She even deliberately hit her head against a wall, causing blood to flow profusely. She became delirious and eventually fainted…”

Fuhuan listened intently and couldn’t help but turn her head. “Then what happened?”

“Afterward, the Heavenly Emperor had no time to attend to the unconscious Imperial Consort Qingzhi and sent many people to search the man’s home. They indeed found a little girl, but the man still insisted that the girl was not his child, that his child was a boy.”

Hearing this, Fuhuan understood some of it. “So, that little girl is the person who is now imprisoned in the forbidden area?”

“That’s right, it’s her.”

“Then what about the boy? What happened to Imperial Consort Qingzhi and her former husband?” Fuhuan wanted to know these details.

The Ziwei Emperor let out a long sigh. “Later, after Imperial Consort Qingzhi regained consciousness, she used her last bit of strength to kill that man on the spot, then committed suicide in front of the Heavenly Emperor.”

“As for why the boy became a girl, as a bystander at that time, I saw Imperial Consort Qingzhi pretend to faint after injuring her head. Using the excuse of being delirious, she secretly sent her spirit out and left. It was probably then that she switched the boy for a girl.”

“That little girl, because she somewhat resembled Imperial Consort Qingzhi, was spared by the Heavenly Emperor as an exception, but she was confined by him and imprisoned year after year…”

“Humiliated year after year…”

“This matter, except for me and the Heavenly Empress, all others involved were executed that year.”

Fuhuan pressed her lips tightly together, her body trembling slightly as she listened to these words. She clenched her fingers so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh.

She finally understood how important the person in the forbidden area was to Siqing.

Back then, if it hadn’t been for this girl substituting for Siqing, perhaps Siqing would have long since died at the Heavenly Emperor’s hands like his parents…

“Then, Father, how are you certain that boy is Siqing?”