Watching the man and woman seated together, Feng Qingyin gritted her teeth in fury, hatred burning within her as she quickened her pace.

Just as she was about to draw near, Feng Qingyin pulled a short dagger from her waist.

A flash of silver light appeared, and Xiao Yingtao let out a low cry.

“Jiu’er, watch out!”

Even as she cried out, Xiao Yingtao threw herself forward without regard for her own safety.

But unexpectedly, Linglong, who had been shielding Feng Qingyin from behind, suddenly drew her long sword and spun around, aiming it straight at Xiao Yingtao’s heart.

Hearing Xiao Yingtao’s cry, Feng Jiu’er snapped back to her senses, her gaze sweeping forward.

Seeing Linglong spin around with her sword drawn, she shoved Zhan Yuheng away, stepped onto the table, and leapt forward in a single bound.

Just as Linglong’s long sword was about to touch Xiao Yingtao’s sleeve, Feng Jiu’er kicked Linglong away with all her strength.

Linglong let out a scream of pain and was sent flying more than ten zhang, landing caught in the branches of a tree.

“Xiao Yingtao, are you alright?” Feng Jiu’er gripped Xiao Yingtao’s shoulders, immediately checking her torn clothing for injuries.

Feng Jiu’er’s aura was so intense, the overwhelming force rushing toward her, that had Huo Baixue not been supporting her from behind, the startled Xiao Yingtao might have collapsed right then.

She took a deep breath before finally coming back to herself and shaking her head.

“I’m fine.” Looking down at the hand searching over her chest, Xiao Yingtao instead gripped Feng Jiu’er’s arm.

“Jiu’er, I’m not hurt, I’m completely fine.”

“As long as you’re fine.” Feng Jiu’er nodded, finally letting out a breath of relief.

After taking off her own outer robe and draping it over Xiao Yingtao, she turned to face the people behind her.

Feng Qingyin had been knocked to the ground by the force of Feng Jiu’er’s aura, and the two maids who had rushed over had just managed to help her up.

Zhan Yuheng, having been pushed by Feng Jiu’er, had a somewhat disordered breath.

Qingyun, standing beside him, asked softly, “Crown Prince, your injury…”

“It’s fine.” Zhan Yuheng frowned slightly and stood up.

“Crown Prince Brother.” Having just been helped up, Feng Qingyin finally came to her senses and, clutching her belly, lunged toward Zhan Yuheng.

“Crown Prince Brother, are you alright? Crown Prince Brother.”

“Ah! Crown Prince Brother, I…”

Feng Jiu’er studied Feng Qingyin for a moment and, confirming there was nothing wrong with her, cut off her words in a deep voice.

“Crown Prince, I have no idea what exactly is going on here.”

“You said you invited me to dine, yet your own people moved to attack mine—isn’t this nothing less than a banquet trap?”

Glancing at the short dagger on the ground, Feng Jiu’er finally understood why Xiao Yingtao had been so alarmed, and why even Linglong attacking her hadn’t seemed to register at first.

Just as Feng Qingyin was about to argue back, she saw Feng Jiu’er bend down and pick up her short dagger from the ground.

“Crown Prince Brother, my stomach hurts, my stomach hurts.”

Brow furrowed tightly, Feng Qingyin clutched her belly, bending over in apparent pain.

The maids supporting her on either side shouted loudly.

“Imperial Physician, get the Imperial Physician.”

“Imperial Physician, come quickly and examine Miss Qingyin, hurry!”

Two Imperial Physicians rushed over in a hurry, and the two maids helped Feng Qingyin into Zhan Yuheng’s wooden chair, settling her down.

As the Imperial Physician approached, Feng Jiu’er clearly saw Feng Qingyin give him a meaningful look.

The act was so blatantly fake that, of everyone present, only Zhan Yuheng failed to notice it.

Sure enough, the moment the Imperial Physician took Feng Qingyin’s pulse, his face filled with alarm.

“Crown Prince, Miss Qingyin’s fetal energy has been disturbed.”

Zhan Yuheng waved his hand and said flatly, “Take her back. Don’t disturb this one’s guest.”

Seeing Feng Jiu’er make her move once more, even with his wound reopened, Zhan Yuheng’s mood was nonetheless good.

Feng Jiu’er had been seething with anger to begin with—this woman had schemed against her and even attacked her friend. She genuinely felt that kick she’d given Linglong earlier had been far too gentle.

Now, seeing Feng Qingyin’s frustrated, furious state, her own mood had somewhat eased.

This had clearly been nothing but feigned suffering. If the Crown Prince had actually believed her and struck at her again—or worse, at her sworn siblings—how could she possibly have swallowed such an insult?

Xiao Yingtao hadn’t been hurt, but she had still been frightened—this debt, Feng Jiu’er was determined to settle with Feng Qingyin!

Faking illness? Disturbed fetal energy? Hah!

Feng Qingyin wouldn’t let anything actually happen to herself so easily—when Feng Jiu’er had leapt up earlier, her trajectory hadn’t even been aimed in Feng Qingyin’s direction.

But Feng Jiu’er’s speed and skill had genuinely exceeded her expectations.

Feng Jiu’er was beautiful and skilled in martial arts, and she had always occupied a place in Zhan Yuheng’s heart—Feng Qingyin truly thought constantly about how to be rid of her.

Yet, unexpectedly, Crown Prince Brother didn’t even take the Imperial Physician’s words seriously.

“Crown Prince Brother, I…” In the blink of an eye, Feng Qingyin’s face was already streaked with tears.

“Crown Prince.” Feng Jiu’er glared at Feng Qingyin, cutting off her words, and bowed with clasped hands toward Zhan Yuheng.

“My companion was frightened. Tonight, I must regretfully decline to continue accompanying you for this meal.”

Feng Jiu’er frowned slightly and, with a casual flick of her hand, sent the short dagger she held flying to land steadily on the table in front of Feng Qingyin.

Her speed was so great that even Qingyun’s attempt to intervene came too late to stop it.

Feng Qingyin was so frightened she didn’t even dare breathe properly. She stared at the dagger, frozen for a moment, before finally taking large gasping breaths.

Feng Jiu’er was the Crown Prince’s guest, and those standing beside Feng Qingyin trembled, not daring to say a word.

Everyone glanced at Feng Jiu’er, their gazes almost immediately returning to Zhan Yuheng.

But Feng Jiu’er kept her eyes locked on Feng Qingyin, staring her down without wavering.

“Feng Qingyin, you’d best protect that child of yours—right now, it’s the only thing that can save your life.”

“How many people you sent to hunt me down, how many of my brothers you’ve harmed—every account, I have remembered it all. When the time comes, I will absolutely not let you off.”

Wearing only the robe she had draped over Xiao Yingtao, Feng Jiu’er looked especially thin in her plain white clothing on this cold winter night.

But she stood ramrod straight in the chill wind, beneath the moonlight, her expression grim, her eyes sharp—like a snow wolf standing atop a snow-capped mountain, proud and cold-blooded!

Sweeping her piercing gaze over Feng Qingyin once more, Feng Jiu’er turned, taking Xiao Yingtao’s hand and glancing at Huo Baixue.

“Let’s go. We won’t be coming to this kind of banquet trap again. Sister will treat you both to a feast.”

Fortunately, Xiao Yingtao hadn’t been hurt—otherwise, Feng Jiu’er wouldn’t have known how to explain herself to Xing Zizhou.

She had promised to protect them well, and she had nearly broken that promise.

“Xiao Yingtao, are you really alright? Why are your hands so cold?” No longer paying attention to those behind her, Feng Jiu’er turned to ask gently.

“I’m fine.” Shaking her head, Xiao Yingtao only just then remembered she had an extra garment on her.

“Jiu’er, I’m fine, I don’t need your clothes.”

As Xiao Yingtao moved to take off the robe, Feng Jiu’er adjusted the collar for her and shook her head.

“Your clothes are completely torn. Do you want to walk back bare?”

“Completely… torn?” Xiao Yingtao tugged at her own garment and glanced down.

“Mm-hm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “I’m not cold, so you keep it on. Otherwise Xing Zizhou will give me trouble tonight.”