“You…” Qiao Mu rose to her feet.

Feng Jiang took her hand, looking up at her. “Sit.”

Qiao Mu gritted her teeth and sat back down.

“Lei Shenbao, are you trying to…”

“Qiao.” Feng Jiu’er glanced at Qiao Mu and waved her hand.

She turned her gaze back to Lei Shenbao.

“Lord Lei, I’m afraid this isn’t something I can decide on my own. Perhaps we could discuss it again once our leader returns?”

“Your leader?” Lei Shenbao’s demeanor softened back into tenderness.

“What Miss Long means is, this matter needs your fiancé’s approval, doesn’t it?”

So all he needed was for that man to die, and he could win the beauty’s hand.

Lei Shenbao believed he understood Feng Jiu’er’s temperament well enough—if possible, he would much rather she marry him willingly.

Of course, if things didn’t go as he hoped, he was still prepared to simply take her by force.

A beauty like this came along once in a hundred years; he would absolutely not let her go.

Lei Shenbao was confident enough in himself that, had he ever seen Di Wuya’s face or known his true identity, he might not have dared to think this way.

“Of course,” Feng Jiu’er nodded generously.

“Besides, I admire strength. If Lord Lei can defeat my fiancé, I’d be willing to consider your proposal.”

Jian Yi turned his head to look at Feng Jiu’er, and his mind, which had been slow to catch up, finally seemed to grasp something.

Yet for some reason, he suddenly felt a strange urge to challenge Di Wuya to a duel.

Feng Jiu’er patted Jian Yi’s arm, smiling as she looked at Lei Shenbao.

“My apologies, Lord Lei. If you upset me, my men will fight to the death for my sake.”

“They don’t understand much—they only know whether I’m happy or not. If they happen to offend Lord Lei, please be understanding.”

“It’s fine,” Lei Shenbao said, shaking his head, and drank another cup.

“This wine isn’t bad. Yang Sheng, pour everyone a cup. Miss Long, don’t take offense—I, Lei, tend to be blunt, but I’m also sincere.”

“Especially when it comes to something I want—whether it’s a person or an object—no matter the cost, I will have it.”

“Since Miss Long is willing to give me this chance, I will give it my all.”

“By the way,” he said, picking up his freshly refilled cup, “I wonder where your leader might be right now? When might he be able to come out and answer the challenge?”

“Don’t worry, Miss Long, I’ll certainly become the ideal husband you have in mind.”

Those he couldn’t defeat, he would simply cripple!

Toward any man who dared compete with him for a woman, Lei Shenbao would absolutely show no mercy!

Thinking of winning the beauty’s hand—and having her give herself willingly besides—Lei Shenbao grew so pleased he was practically rambling.

“I don’t know where he is right now either,” Feng Jiu’er said, shaking her head helplessly. “But I imagine he should be returning around now too.”

“Lord Lei, you’re not joking with me, are you? My fiancé’s martial skill is the most formidable I’ve ever seen, I’m afraid…”

Feng Jiu’er wasn’t lying—her man truly was the strongest being she had ever encountered.

Still, dragging the Ninth Imperial Uncle into this and painting such a target on him felt a little ruthless of her.

“It doesn’t matter for small fries like us, but if Lord Lei were to get hurt…” Feng Jiu’er’s brow furrowed.

“Would Lord Lei take out his anger over this on my Dragon Shadow brothers?”

“Miss Long truly is the woman I’ve set my sights on—so loyal and devoted,” Lei Shenbao said, gazing at Feng Jiu’er with admiration.

“As long as you keep your word, Miss Long—if I manage to defeat your leader, you’ll marry me obediently, and I absolutely won’t lay a hand on anyone else in Dragon Shadow.”

“As I said…” Lei Shenbao narrowed his eyes slightly, a gleam in them. “I can treat you unconditionally well.”

His expression at that moment was as lecherous as could be, as repulsive as could be.

Qiao Mu had never seen such a disgusting man before—she truly wanted to slap that face of his hard.

Unable to do so for now, she instead pinched Feng Jiang’s thigh.

“Let’s leave this matter for later,” Feng Jiu’er said, pressing her lips into a smile and picking up her chopsticks.

“Lord Lei, I wonder if you’ve had dinner yet? If not, please join us.”

“Sure, I’m starving,” Lei Shenbao said, nodding vigorously. “Miss Long, this is really a matter between men—you needn’t feel too much pressure over it.”

Having seen countless women in his time, how could Lei Shenbao not know how to please a woman?

Whether one knew how or not was simply a matter of being willing or unwilling.

“Many thanks, Lord Lei!” Feng Jiu’er cupped her hands toward him. “This humble woman has always prioritized her career—matters of the heart aren’t something I’ve given much thought to.”

“Whatever the outcome, I wouldn’t want any of my brothers to be harmed because of my own affairs.”

“Everyone’s hungry—let’s eat first.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced around at everyone at the table, the corners of her mouth lifting.

Aside from the perpetually cold Feng Jiang, whose expression remained largely unchanged, everyone else wore varying expressions.

“Eat. Didn’t you all just say you were hungry? Hurry up and eat!” Feng Jiu’er waved her hand.

“Yang Sheng, you should pull up a seat too. After two days and two nights of nonstop travel, even an iron body couldn’t take it.”

“All right,” Yang Sheng said with a nod, pulling over a chair and sitting down.

With Lei Shenbao added to the mix, the meal had taken on a different flavor entirely.

Still, no one was willing to argue with their own stomachs—at the very least, everyone filled up.

It was just that Lei Shenbao’s sudden arrival had forced a change to their travel plans.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Feng Jiu’er had no choice but to push everyone to continue on the road.

Before dawn, they finally arrived back at Bao Manor.

Lei Shenbao, surprisingly, hadn’t proven too difficult to deal with.

When Feng Jiu’er said she wanted to rest properly for a day, he hadn’t pressed further—he simply said a few flattering words and left.

Qiao Mu was exhausted to the point of collapse, but after washing up, she still went to Feng Jiu’er’s room.

At the very least, she wanted to know what this girl was up to before she could sleep soundly.

“Come out!” Qiao Mu called out as she entered—Feng Jiu’er was still soaking behind the screen.

“Big Sister Qiao, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Feng Jiu’er’s somewhat lazy voice drifted out.

“What pleasure?” Qiao Mu glanced at the screen twice, then walked straight in.

In the bathtub, Feng Jiu’er pulled up her bath towel to cover herself.

“What pleasure?” she said, looking up, blinking her somewhat innocent-looking large eyes at Qiao Mu.

“Can I get out first? I’ve got dark circles under my eyes, I look hideous.”

“You’re worried about dark circles at a time like this?” Qiao Mu rolled her eyes.

“Why did you agree to marry Lei Shenbao? With all his men, do you really think we can leave Licheng without trouble?”

“When did I ever agree to marry him?” Since Qiao Mu wasn’t leaving, Feng Jiu’er didn’t dare get out either.

She was, after all, a good girl—and good girls shouldn’t be looked at either.

“You…”

Before Qiao Mu could finish, Feng Jiu’er cut her off.

“Is he a match for my Ninth Imperial Uncle?”

“How could he possibly be?” Qiao Mu said—she still had plenty of confidence in the man she’d once set her sights on.

“Since it’s not possible, then the person I marry might not be him either,” Feng Jiu’er said with a wave of her hand.

“Turn around, I need to get up. I’m exhausted!”

Qiao Mu took a deep breath and turned around, her back to her.

“You and that guy Bao Lei—are you two hiding something from me?”

“Why do I get the feeling that Lei Shenbao’s appearance isn’t this simple?”