Chapter 53 Chapter 53 Just a look, not a casual one...

The first page of the cheat sheet contained only one sentence.

- 'I like handsome men.'

For the first time, Fu Huaiqing felt that her appearance was indeed useful.

His deep, distinct features were as if carefully carved by Nuwa with a knife, leaving no flaws. Biezhi had roamed the martial arts world for years, having seen all sorts of men, but none more handsome than his. His pine-like figure also added an indescribable calmness and majestic bearing to his appearance.

Her gaze shifted downward, landing on the man's thin lips.

His lips looked kissable.

The image of the man pursing his lips tightly around the tip of a protruding tongue flashed through her mind. Biezhi's eyelashes fluttered lightly. The tingling sensation of that night in the thatched cottage suddenly washed over her, and she shuddered. The face she saw gradually overlapped with the silent Prince Su across from her, and she snapped back to reality.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she blinked in panic.

Fu Huaiqing reached out and grabbed Biezhi, who was about to turn and run, with a half-smile. "Not looking anymore?"

Hearing him say this, Biezhi realized she had been too open about her gaze. She quickly withdrew her hand, a little guilty, "I wasn't looking at you."

Fu Huaiqing couldn't help laughing. "Didn't you say you were looking at me?"

Biezhi: "..."

The man's teasing smile caught her eye, and the slight swell of guilt was suppressed by another emotion.

He looked, what can he do to her?

She just liked his good looks, just looking at him, not flirting with him! He

's so stingy, no wonder he's still unmarried!

An old man!

The murmurs in her heart suddenly faded, and Biezhi's eyes flickered. She had heard the senior brothers and sisters of Xianyun Tower say that, except for the change in the Shanju Pavilion Master, the other Pavilion Masters had never changed, and Xianyun Tower had always had only one master.

Xianyun Tower was established in the seventeenth year.

Seventeen years.

Let's assume that he established Xianyun Tower when he was fifteen years old. He should be thirty-two years old now, nearly thirteen years younger than me...

Two years older, he could have given birth to me.

Could it be that he is really inhumane as the rumors say?

Biezhi glanced at him secretly.

He didn't look like he was in his early thirties. He

was well maintained.

But old men are still not good, no matter how good-looking they are!

Fu Huaiqing saw that her gaze was becoming more and more indescribable, and from time to time there was a hint of regret. She looked at him up and down, and he didn't know what she was muttering in her heart. The veins on his forehead were throbbing, and it didn't look like she was saying anything good.

Suddenly, he felt that Ji Ran's identity was useful. He didn't have to guess what she was thinking. She would pour it out all at once.

"What are you muttering about me again?" Fu Huaiqing couldn't help asking.

Biezhi's eyes widened, and her round almond-shaped eyes were full of horror.

How did he know that she was muttering about him?

"I didn't." Biezhi retorted unreasonably.

Fu Huaiqing watched her wandering gaze and said lightly: "No, why do you feel guilty?"

Biezhi: "..."

Not only was her eyes sharp, but her mouth was also sharp.

She really missed Ji Ran, even if he was playing the role of Ji Ran, she still missed him. At least he would pretend to be dumb and not hurt her.

Biezhi was very sure that he would come to settle accounts with her sooner or later.

She blinked slowly, "Your Highness..."

"Fu Huaiqing." Fu Huaiqing interrupted her.

Biezhi was puzzled: "Huh?"

Fu Huaiqing took out the pen and ink, and wrote down three big words, "My name."

The rice paper was spread in front of her, and the elegant and unrestrained handwriting was just like the person. Biezhi tilted her head to look at it for a few times, and her doubts grew in her heart. She looked up at him in confusion.

He called her Fu Huaiqing, and then what?

Seeing that she didn't seem to react at all, Fu Huaiqing laughed and said, "Just call me by my name in the future."

Ha! ?

The girl's eyes, which had been fixed on the rice paper, suddenly lifted up. Her eyes widened, and surprise flashed in her round almond-shaped eyes. She looked at him in disbelief.

Who in the world would dare to call him by his full name?

As long as she still had her sanity, she would not do such a suicidal thing.

Biezhi's mouth curled slightly, and she smiled without saying a word. She

declined politely.

Fu Huaiqing was not in a hurry. There was plenty of time for her to slowly change her mind.

Until she left, Biezhi did not open the memorial on the table. She did not know what was written in it, but she knew that the memorial that could be put on paper and presented to him was not something that others could easily peek at.

The next day, when Ling Feng came, Biezhi was practicing sword in the yard.

Ling Feng, who had hurried over after hearing the news, saw that she was still in the mood to practice sword, and it seemed that she had no other injuries on her body. "You finally have some free time, why don't you take a good rest?"

"Master!" Hearing the familiar voice, Biezhi quickly retracted the sword blade that had stabbed in the air, and trotted over with the sword in hand.

"The wound on your hand hasn't healed completely yet." Ling Feng's eyes swept over her motionless arm, which seemed to be wrapped in gauze. "Don't be afraid that it will be really disabled."

"It's almost healed. You don't need to use this hand anymore." Biezhi had suffered more serious injuries than this when she was on a mission before, but she had survived. Moreover, she was not the type to sit idle. After sitting quietly for half a cup of tea, she felt as if her whole body was bitten by mosquitoes and was restless.

She picked up the teapot from the table, poured tea, and handed it to Ling Feng. "How did Master get here?"

Ling Feng's face darkened slightly, and he traced the lines on the teacup with his fingertips. "Qingshan came last night and told me."

Biezhi knew her master knew the whole story. She was silent for a moment. "Have you found my brother?"

"No." Ling Feng had truly never imagined that the disciple he'd kept close to him was actually a spy planted by Xilan National Security in the Li Dynasty, lurking by his side for years. "He's incredibly good at hiding. Finding him won't be easy."

"Can't we just check every household?" Biezhi asked.

Ling Feng shook his head. "No, we can't allow unrest in the capital. A high-profile investigation would only cause panic among the people. Fortunately, we can use the unexplained death of the second daughter of the Qin family as an excuse to investigate." He paused and sighed deeply. "At this point, I don't know how to face my master."

If he hadn't been soft-hearted and brought Jingqing back, none of this would have happened.

"Senior Brother's problem is not Master's." Bie Zhi retorted, "Countless homeless children have been brought back to Xianyun Tower. Besides Senior Brother, nearly ten of the twenty-odd people in Qingyin Pavilion were brought back by Master. We have no problems, so how can Senior Brother's problem be blamed on Master?"

"Yes, he didn't attack me and was determined to let me go, but did those assassins follow him for no reason?" She didn't deny that Jing Qing helped her, but she never thought that she would be betrayed by her family. "How could he be so sure that those people couldn't hurt me?" No matter how skilled

she was, she couldn't withstand the assassination of nearly twenty people.

If it weren't for the help of the palace's secret guards that night, she would have been in danger.

"You only said half of the words you left for me before you left."

Ling Feng was silent. "Last night, Qingshan sent a message to Xianyun Tower. If you encounter him, you must bring him back at all costs. It won't be too late to ask him clearly after you find him."

Biezhi nodded. "There is no other way." She

had to find out what he said, otherwise she would have to live in hiding for the rest of her life.

Ling Feng raised his eyes to look at Biezhi, who had a slightly solemn expression. It was obvious that she was in a dilemma. He pondered for a moment and changed the subject: "Jiran suddenly became a prince. Is everything okay?"

Biezhi, who was sipping tea, raised her eyes and looked at her master for a while. Her dull eyes suddenly brightened. She put down the teacup, "Master, how long have you known the master?"

Ling Feng didn't understand why she suddenly asked this, "It's been twenty years in total."

"What kind of person is he?" Biezhi moved towards him, her eyes like a torch, "Will he settle old accounts?"

"The prince always settles them on the spot. There will be no old accounts." Ling Feng pondered for a moment, and said thoughtfully, "If there are old accounts, they are also the relatives who interfered in politics in the early years. You know their end. There are corpses everywhere."

Biezhi: "..."

Her affairs, it seems, are not to the extent of corpses everywhere.

After a moment's silence, Biezhi asked guiltily, "Has anyone ever spoken ill of him in front of him?"

"Of course." Ling Feng had just happened to encounter a courtier who had struggled mightily before Fu Huaiqing.

Biezhi pressed, "What was his fate?"

"The grass on his grave is already two feet high." Ling Feng caught a glimpse of her tearful expression and frowned slightly, "What happened?"

"Master, you're the only one who can save me!" Biezhi wanted to kneel down and hug his thighs, staring at him eagerly. "When the master was pretending to be Ji Ran, I don't know how many bad things I said about him in front of him." After a pause, "And about the prince too."

Ling Feng: "...?"

Qingshan hadn't told him about this incident yesterday. He only knew that the master had long known there was a traitor in Xianyun Tower, and that was why he sometimes disguised himself as Ji Ran. This was how Biezhi and the master met.

"What did he say?"

"A lot," Bie Zhi muttered, unable to count herself. "I even said he had no humanity. No wonder he's still alone. If I were the woman he liked, I'd definitely run away. Not only that, but I'd take someone else with me."

Ling Feng's mouth twitched.

"Oh," Bie Zhi's voice trailed off, her head drooping lower and lower. "I even told him I wanted to poison Prince Su and silence him."

It seemed he was being merciful by not poisoning her right then and there!

"Master," she said, tugging at the hem of Ling Feng's sleeve with her fingertips and shaking it. "Only Master can save me."

Ling Feng chuckled, seeing her genuine worry, and soothed her, "Master's personality, wouldn't he—"

Bie Zhi saw him stop mid-sentence and blinked, asking, "Wouldn't he what?"

Ling Feng wanted to say that Fu Huaiqing's temperament wasn't like his youth. He'd become more stable since taking over government affairs, and he definitely wouldn't bother with such a matter. However, remembering their conversation a few days ago, Ling Feng became unsure.

Thinking back on it now, Fu Huaiqing that day resembled his younger self.

As a teenager, Fu Huaiqing wasn't as composed as he is now. At fifteen or sixteen, he wasn't as expressionless as he is now. He traveled with Su Ci and others outside the capital, carefree and full of vigor.

At seventeen, he obeyed orders, sword in hand, and rode off to the battlefield, training alongside Zhu Xu. He was unbridled and unbridled. Had it not been for the late emperor's sudden illness and the intervention of his imperial relatives, who, while he was away in the frontier, had promoted a five-year-old prince to the throne, his temperament wouldn't have stabilized so suddenly.

Over the course of half a year, he decisively eliminated all the imperial relatives and those who had defected to them, suppressing those who held the airs of veteran officials and promoting capable individuals. Former cabinet ministers had their property confiscated, some exiled, and those who hadn't been attached to the imperial relatives retired to their homelands. The cabinet now consisted entirely of his trusted associates, whom he had personally promoted.

In just six months, he had transformed, living up to his youthful spirit.

Ling Feng hadn't seen him like this in a long time. With a touch of the stubbornness typical of youth, he smiled and shook his head. "Anyway, he won't kill you."

Bie Zhi felt her master's words were like a passing breeze. Of course, she knew Prince Su wouldn't kill her, otherwise he would have done it long ago, not waited until now.

She sighed deeply. "Fine, just save your life."

As for the rest, he'd deal with it with his own strength.

Ling Feng couldn't help but laugh, curiously, "What's the point of telling Ji Ran if you don't tell your master about your grievances?" "

It's different," Bie Zhi pouted. Ji Ran was the best choice when it came to venting her grievances. "He can't hear, and he can't speak. What I say to him will never be known to anyone."

How could she have guessed that Ji Ran was the master? She

wasn't frightened to death because she was strong-willed. If someone else had tried, he would have scared them to death the night before.

"Old man, you're quite cunning,"

Ling Feng said, sipping his tea, feeling a mixture of laughter and tears.

"If I had known I should have taken action then, really silenced him, and see how he can still scare—" Biezhi was halfway through her words when her master covered her mouth. She struggled a few times in confusion.

Ling Feng caught a glimpse of Fu Huaiqing who suddenly appeared in the yard, and veins popped up on his forehead. He didn't know how much he had heard. He subconsciously used force to cover Biezhi's palm and whispered, "You said someone was here to deal with you."

Biezhi's heart trembled when she heard that.

She stopped struggling and looked back cautiously. The tall figure of a man came into view. His eyes were grim, and it was impossible to tell what emotion he was feeling. Jiang Yue and Cheng Jin, who were following behind him, also had stern faces, as if they were owed a fortune. Their

eyes met in the air, and Biezhi swallowed her saliva and turned back silently.

This time he really came to take her life.

The King of Hell appeared in the world, and behind him were the Black and White Impermanence.

Ling Feng released his palm that was covering the lower half of her face and shrugged: "Master has reminded you."

Bie Zhi: "..."

Her eyes flashed, "Once a teacher, always a father. As a father, Master should protect the child from the wind and rain and face the thunderstorm for me."

The corner of Ling Feng's mouth twitched.

Although Bie Zhi said so, in fact, her steps did not move at all. She didn't know how much Fu Huaiqing heard, but looking at his expression, even if he didn't hear the previous sentence that she regretted not silencing him earlier, he must have heard it clearly.

Ling Feng stood up, patted her shoulder, and gave her a look.

Bie Zhi also stood up, moved slightly to the side, and hid behind the master.

Fu Huaiqing glanced past Ling Feng, at Biezhi, who had quietly retreated, praying she wouldn't be seen. Now that Jiran wasn't around to listen to her ramblings, she'd just continue with someone else, avoiding him like a venomous snake.

His Adam's apple rolled. "What are you talking about? You look so cheerful."

"Talking about the past." Ling Feng felt he was right. What happened between Biezhi and Jiran wasn't just the past. "She's always been lively, so it's normal for her to be cheerful."

It would be unusual for her to have a stern face one day. Either she was being pushed or she was genuinely angry.

Fu Huaiqing raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze flickering over her. "I just heard someone regret not giving me the mute potion."

"It wasn't me." Biezhi, hiding behind Ling Feng, reacted quickly.

Ling Feng: "..."

He took a half step to the side, looking at her with dismay. "You've confessed yourself. Where's the caution you usually have on missions?"

Ling Feng's moment of stepping aside exposed Biezhi to Fu Huaiqing's gaze, her eyelashes trembling.

She glanced at her master who looked helpless, and she didn't know why she responded subconsciously. After thinking about it, she felt that she might have been scared by Prince Su, but she didn't dare to say it now.

"Your Highness heard it wrong." Bie Zhi secretly raised her eyes and glanced at Fu Huaiqing for a moment, her expression sincere, "I was just scolding my past self. I didn't recognize Mount Tai and actually thought of feeding Your Highness a mute potion. I didn't understand how much Your Highness had paid to hide his identity, and his good voice became like an old buffalo--"

She laughed twice and closed her mouth.

A screaming villain jumped out from the depths of her heart and ran around wildly, wishing to punch herself twice. She felt that if she said a few more words, her life would be in danger.

Fu Huaiqing twitched his thin lips, "You can't feed him a mute potion."

Bie Zhi blinked. There was no moment when she wanted to dig a hole in the ground and escape more than now.

She should have fed him a mute potion!

Ling Feng, who was watching from the side, frowned and glanced at Fu Huaiqing. He couldn't figure out whether he was attracted to Biezhi. If he was really attracted to her, why would he argue with her?

He had never pursued a woman, and the people around him didn't know how to remind him.

Ling Feng pondered and glanced at Jiang Yue and Cheng Jin who were standing behind him. Seeing that they both had a look of love and interest, and neither of them felt that there was anything wrong with the communication between them, he remained silent.

Sure enough, he was right before.

The Prince Su's Mansion is a Buddhist temple.

There are monks who have cut off all emotions and love.

Asking monks to understand love affairs is overestimating them.

Meeting Biezhi's pleading eyes, Ling Feng sighed helplessly and spoke to save her: "I came here today because I want to discuss something with the prince. I wonder if the prince is free."

Fu Huaiqing caught the girl's gaze and frowned slightly.

Jiang Yue and Cheng Jin, who had been standing at the back for a long time, exchanged glances, both wanting to step forward and pull Ling Feng away. The prince’s appearance here was because he had issued a clear order, ordering the court officials to come back in half an hour. Who knew how long his story would take.

If he couldn’t finish his story in half an hour, who knew when they would meet again.

“Can I have a word with you?” Ling Feng asked again.

Fu Huaiqing glanced at Ling Feng, remained silent

for a moment, and nodded. Seeing this, Biezhi breathed a sigh of relief and waved her hand slightly. She hadn’t even seen them off yet, but her mood had brightened a lot. She felt happy when she thought that the King of Hell would soon disappear from her sight.

Unexpectedly, the King of Hell suddenly glanced at her and said, "You come too."

The smile on Biezhi's face froze, and she pulled: "Isn't it appropriate?"

Fu Huaiqing asserted: "It is appropriate."

He hadn't even said what the matter was, and the two of them were arguing back and forth. Ling Feng was very troubled. He thought he should find a chance to talk to Fu Huaiqing properly. Since he liked Biezhi, he should show a pursuing attitude and do everything according to her wishes.

Biezhi couldn't convince him, so she asked her master: "Can I listen?"

Fu Huaiqing followed her gaze and glanced at Lingfeng.

Ling Feng, sandwiched between the two, was silent for a while, nodded: "It's about you."

Something about himself.

Biezhi hesitated for a moment and nodded reluctantly.

Since she was also going to be there, Ling Feng didn't hesitate to speak. He asked bluntly, "Besides Jing Qing, is there someone else behind Biezhi's pursuit?" He couldn't understand why Jing Qing had to kill Biezhi, and it was Jing Qing who had let Biezhi go that night.

Ling Feng's eyes fell on the tall figure of the man who walked to the table. "I suspect there is a mastermind behind this, and that person is the one calling the shots. Jing Qing is more likely to follow his orders."

Fu Huaiqing took a seat and gestured for them to sit down and talk. "Uncle Ling, who do you think it is?"

Hearing this address, Biezhi was stunned.

Ling Feng walked over to sit across from him and said in a deep voice, "Xu Wenche."

Biezhi paused and glanced at Fu Huaiqing, who remained noncommittal. He couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Fu Huaiqing tapped the table with his knuckles, "Reason."

"I suspected Xu Wenche the day she was injured. The assassins' presence in the Xu family's back hill isn't surprising, but the archers perched on the eaves are the most suspicious." Ling Feng's eyes flickered across the girl's fair face. "For him to appear on the Xu family's eaves, with no one in the Xu family chasing him, clearly meant they knew he'd be there."

Biezhi felt a faint sense of absurdity in his master's words, but couldn't put

his finger on it. Ling Feng continued, "The Xu family and the Xilan Kingdom have long-standing ties. If Jing Qing is truly a Xilan Kingdom spy, the Xu family certainly can't escape. I wonder what leverage the Xu family has on them that would make them obey their orders."

Fu Huaiqing tapped his knuckles for a moment, then looked at Ling Feng calmly. He was certain, except for one thing: "The person who ordered the pursuit wasn't Xu Wenche."

If it wasn't Xu Wenche, then it had to be someone else. Biezhi's brows furrowed slightly, confusion flickering in her clear, almond-shaped eyes. "Did I offend them while on this mission?"

She thought carefully. She had no connection to the Xilan Kingdom at all, so how could they have pursued her?

"After you woke up, did you see Xu Wenche?" Fu Huaiqing reminded her, noting her confusion.

Bie Zhi shook her head: "No."

Fu Huaiqing hummed and said lightly: "In his opinion, you have died in the assassination."

The clear voice fell for only half a breath, Bie Zhi stood up suddenly, looking at Fu Huaiqing in disbelief, "It's him!?"

Fu Huaiqing raised his eyelids to look at her, thinking in his mind, "Have you seen him?"

"Yeah." Bie Zhi sat down slowly, her fingertips trembling against the table, recalling the scene of that day, "Before going to find Ji Ran, I thought he couldn't hear and I couldn't sign, so I went to the library. When I was about to leave, I saw him."

But...

"I was wearing a veil, he shouldn't have seen me."

Fu Huaiqing: "He saw it."

The shadow guard mentioned this when he came to report the night before.

"He walked into the restaurant next door and watched you leave before leaving."

Ling Feng, bewildered by the mention of this, glanced at the two men as they exchanged glances. He frowned, "Who are you talking about?"

"Minister of Works, Zhang Yan," Biezhi said slowly.

After she finished speaking, she realized that the matter wasn't as simple as she'd imagined. She considered what Fu Huaiqing and Ling Feng had just said, and her gaze froze for a moment.

"Jing Qing obeyed Zhang Yan's orders?" Her breath caught, and she stared at Fu Huaiqing in disbelief. "Is he also a spy for the Xilan Kingdom?"

Fu Huaiqing's gaze drifted toward the courtyard outside Qinghe Courtyard. A shadow guard appeared outside, and he calmly averted his gaze.

It was three years ago that he first became aware of the existence of spies in the capital.

At that time, the war was still raging. Zhu Xu captured the deputy general of Xilan State's general, Helan Daisong, alive and had his own deputy escort him back to the capital. Helan Daisong's deputy general was also a very principled soldier who would rather die than surrender. The Xilan soldiers on the border battlefield were also terrified by the fact that their deputy general was captured alive. For half a month, they suffered a series of defeats in battles of all sizes.

One day, half a month later, Xilan State suddenly launched another war. This time, their morale was high. Zhu Xu led his deputy general to personally fight and repel the sudden attack of Xilan State soldiers. Fearing that Xilan State would attack again, Zhu Xu struck while the iron was hot. He ordered a messenger to gallop back to the capital to report Fu Huaiqing's plan to attack the city. At the same time, he led his soldiers to launch a fierce attack, forcing the Xilan soldiers to retreat repeatedly.

Upon receiving the secret disc, Fu Huaiqing immediately ordered Cheng Jin to secretly travel to the battlefield, delivering his command. Just seven days after Cheng Jin arrived, Zhu Xu led his troops into the Xilan capital and captured the then-Crown Prince of Xilan alive.

It was from the Crown Prince that he learned the reason for the Xilan attack. The soldiers, upon hearing that the captured deputy general had refused to surrender, were eager to capture him alive in exchange for the Xilan general.

This was when Fu Huaiqing's suspicions began to grow.

The deputy general was imprisoned, surrounded by his men, so close that not even a single insect could enter. How could any information about him possibly reach Xilan?

After searching the cabinet and the royal palace, he found nothing. He then turned his attention to the homes of several wealthy merchants with established ties to Xilan, but found nothing unusual. Their dealings were primarily trade matters, not government affairs.

Later, within Xianyun Tower, Ling Feng, led by the Qingyin Pavilion, led the other four Pavilion Masters to conduct a thorough search of the hundred or so people within, but found nothing unusual, leading to a momentary stalemate.

Fu Huaiqing's attention remained fixed on Xianyun Tower. It wasn't that he distrusted Ling Feng and the others, but rather that he concluded that if a message was to be delivered discreetly, everyone in Xianyun Tower could do it, and do it so seamlessly that no trace could be traced.

It was also around this time that he encountered Biezhi at Wuweipu.

Using Biezhi as a circle, Fu Huaiqing scrutinized everyone within her radius, ultimately zeroing in on Jingqing.

He raised his gaze slightly, gazing at Biezhi, whose face was furrowed.

It was undeniable that he had originally arranged for Biezhi to protect Xu Wenche in order to lure Jingqing out. If Jingqing was truly a spy from the Xilan Kingdom, he might have connections to the Xu family, making his escape easy.

Fu Huaiqing: "There's no solid evidence yet regarding the Zhang Yan incident."

He had realized Zhang Yan was suspicious over a year ago, following Jing Qing's trail. He had appointed Zhang Yan to the position of Minister of Works, hoping to gauge his ulterior motives. However, Zhang Yan was exceptionally cautious, not only during his tenure but even after the surrender of Xilan.

He had considered finding other pretexts, detaining Zhang Yan and investigating further, only to discover that he had been well prepared. He acted with integrity, leaving no trace of error in any of his assignments, leaving no room for framing him.

Ling Feng hadn't anticipated the complexities involved, and the lack of answers only fueled new suspicions. "Why would he target Biezhi?"

Fu Huaiqing glanced sideways, silent.

It seemed that Biezhi had nothing to do with them at all.

Only Jing Qing had told her not to reveal her true face again. Fu Huaiqing wiped the water stains on the rim of the teacup with his fingertips, studying her face thoughtfully.

The girl's almond-shaped eyes were picturesque, the clear sunlight slanting across her face, revealing the faintest down, her fair skin a faint pink, her dimples rising and falling. A goose-yellow hairpin flower nestled in her bun, and the ends of her hair cascading down her sides blew in the wind, a touch of naiveté.

Biezhi met his gaze as he gazed at her face, and recalled Jing Qing's words. She had pondered their meaning over the past two days, and it wasn't necessarily about her appearance. "He told me not to reveal my true face, but he probably didn't want Zhang Yan's men to see me and bring me to death again."

The secret guards Fu Huaiqing had sent to Lijia Village hadn't returned yet, and he didn't hold out much hope. If the village elders told Biezhi the truth, her life story would be cut short by the stream in Lijia Village.

"During the years you were in Lijia Village, has anyone looked for you?" Ling Feng suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Fu Huaiqing looked at him.

The two of them were thinking the same thing.

Biezhi thought for a moment and pursed her lips: "No."

She still had some memories before being tied up by the matchmaker and taken to the capital. "After my mother-in-law passed away, I was alone. No one came to look for me, and I didn't hear the uncles and aunts in the village mention me." She

appeared out of thin air by the stream in Lijia Village, with no one missing her.

The girl spoke naturally, and there was no trace of self-pity in her clear voice. It was as if being abandoned by the stream, being left alone after her mother-in-law passed away after only two years of care, being tied up by the matchmaker and taken to the capital and struggling to leave, wandering in the capital for a long time, and all these injustices were not worth mentioning to her.

Fu Huaiqing looked at her, his throat seemed to be blocked by something foreign. The inexplicable breath lingered in his heart and could not be relieved for a long time.

Perhaps because she had endured so much hardship before, after entering Xianyun Tower, she never uttered a word, no matter how badly she was injured. The other children who entered Xianyun Tower with her, sometimes unable to learn and given a time limit, burst into tears, but she remained silent. If she couldn't learn immediately, she would study day by day; if she couldn't learn even a day, she would practice night by night.

Of the group of secret agents and assassins trained at Xianyun Tower at the same time, she learned the most and mastered everything. When other classmates went on trips together, she didn't join them, instead locking herself in the courtyard, working day and night.

Before Biezhi chose Qingyin Pavilion, Fu Huaiqing had heard Ling Feng mention her and told herself that entering Xianyun Tower was like finding a new home for her, no longer alone.

An indescribable numbing pain surged up like a surging summer tide. Fu Huaiqing exhaled deeply, his gaze fixed on those pure, flawless almond-shaped eyes. He said, "I've already sent people to Lijia Village. I might have missed something along the way. It's not too late to talk to them when they return."

Hearing his words, an indescribable emotion washed over Biezhi's heart, like a gentle spring breeze over a lake. She pursed her lips and nodded.

Ling Feng had other matters to attend to, so he couldn't leave for too long. He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and said, "Your Highness, if you have any news, please send someone to inform me immediately."

"Uncle Ling, you're welcome," Fu Huaiqing said, raising her hand to block his gesture. "Her affairs are also my affairs. I'll send someone to inform Uncle Ling immediately."

Ling Feng glanced at his dazed, distracted apprentice from the corner of his eye and sighed inwardly. He didn't want to interfere too much in the affairs of the younger generation.

He watched both of them grow up. When his junior sister was bedridden, what she said most to him was that she hoped to see him get married and start a family. He also promised his junior sister that he would wait until that day before leaving.

Unexpectedly, day after day, year after year, he waited for Fu Huaiqing to establish a career, but never waited for him to get married.

He finally saw him meet the girl he liked, and it was the little girl he watched grow up. From his point of view, he naturally hoped that he could get what he wanted, but Ling Feng didn't want to see Biezhi unhappy.

The little girl had experienced ups and downs in the first half of her life, and she was finally able to be independent in the world. He also hoped that she could live happily, so when she wanted to get married with Ji Ran, he did not listen to the advice of other friends, but only wanted to give her what she wanted.

Unexpectedly, things are unpredictable. The Ji Ran that Biezhi knew was His Royal Highness Prince Su.

What he waited for was not harmony and happiness, but a misunderstanding.

Ling Feng was also caught in a dilemma. It would be better not to make a choice and not help anyone. Let's see how far the two of them can go. In the end, no matter who gets what they want, he will be happy.

After watching her master leave, Biezhi saw that Fu Huaiqing had no intention of leaving, and seemed to be hesitant to speak for a long time. He looked at her with a half-smile, clearly seeing that her thoughts were not what she wanted, and she had to wait for her to ask.

Her mouth moved up and down, but Biezhi still couldn't keep her composure. Mainly because she was worried that he would suddenly remember what had just happened and settle the old scores together, she was even more eager to send him away.

She pondered for a moment and asked tactfully, "Why didn't any court officials come to discuss state affairs with the prince today?"

The girl's words were tactful, but there was a hint of disdain in her. Fu Huaiqing laughed and teased her, "I specifically told them not to disturb me today."

Biezhi: "..."

But they still had to disturb me, please.

She was hoping that a court official would come and say that he had urgent business and had to disturb their Highness Prince Su. If such a brave man really existed, she would be grateful to him for the rest of her life.

The court officials' arrival to discuss state affairs proved untenable, and Biezhi thought of something else. Her almond-shaped eyes twinkled as she gazed at him, then asked, "Your Highness, won't you return to your study to review memorials?"

"Your Highness will still need to review them," Fu Huaiqing said slowly. Seeing the sudden smile in her eyes, he slowly called out to Jiang Yue, "Bring the memorials here."

Jiang Yue, standing still, bowed in acceptance.

Biezhi urgently called out to him, realizing the man before her was clearly teasing her. Her almond-shaped eyes widened slightly, and as she instinctively tried to retaliate, she suddenly realized she could let him tease her.

A brief teasing would settle the score, wouldn't it?

A sly smile flickered in the girl's eyes, and Fu Huaiqing, his gaze fixed on her, caught her thought. His thin lips curled slightly, and he said slowly, "Two years."

Biezhi took a deep breath.

He wasn't planning on teasing her for two years, was he?

Fu Huaiqing knocked on the table, pulling her back to her thoughts, and said, "Two years for two years, very fair."

How can it be fair!

Biezhi curled her lips, angry but not daring to speak, and couldn't stop muttering in her heart.

She must not have complained about him to his face every day in the past two years, and she didn't start chattering to a stranger without any scruples from the beginning. It was obviously one day after they knew each other for half a year that she couldn't help but complain about him for the first time

. I don't know where he got the conclusion that it was fair.

He was really patient. He didn't even order her to be beaten to death on the spot, but kept silent and let her do whatever she wanted.

Thinking of this, Biezhi suddenly remembered that when she complained for the first time, the noisy Wuwei Shop suddenly became quiet. She asked hesitantly, "The shopkeeper and waiter in the Wuwei Shop?" "

That's where the secret guards of the palace are staying." Fu Huaiqing said.

Biezhi was silent.

She hadn't even noticed she'd intruded into someone else's nest, and even spoken out in their home...

A faint sense of embarrassment seeped into her heart like a thread, inch by inch. Remembering the looks from the shopkeeper and the waiters, Biezhi decided never to visit Wuweipu again, and to stay away from Suzakumen.

Seeing her head about to drop to the ground, Fu Huaiqing couldn't help but laugh.

He glanced at the water clock in the courtyard. It was almost the time they'd agreed on with Su Ci, so he said, "Fang Tingzhi will be here with Su Ci in a while. If you find it boring, you can send someone to find her."

A smile suddenly spread across Biezhi's face at his words, the joy in her eyes about to overflow, and she nodded solemnly.

Her smile was sweet, as sweet as honey.

Fu Huaiqing's thin lips curled up as his deep pupils reflected the girl's sudden smile.

After sending him away, Biezhi relaxed. Just as she turned around to talk to Hua Chaoyan about Fang Tingzhi, she saw out of the corner of her eye that the man who had only taken a few steps away suddenly turned around and walked back. She was suddenly startled and turned back to stare at the figure walking quickly towards her.

Fu Huaiqing walked in front of her and lowered his eyes.

The man approached, but did not speak. He just stared at her. His burning eyes seemed to see through Biezhi, which made her feel a little creepy.

Unable to withstand the man's burning gaze, she tentatively asked: "Is there anything else, Your Highness?"

"Yeah." Fu Huaiqing stared at her with mixed feelings. After a long silence, he exhaled calmly, "There is only a six-year age difference between you and me. I am not an old man."

Biezhi: "......?"

Six-year age difference?

Bie Zhi caught the words in his words, blinked in disbelief, and exclaimed: "You are only twenty-five?"

The surprised tone echoed in Fu Huaiqing's ears. He was silent for a moment, secretly gritting his teeth: "Not like?"

"Not really." Bie Zhi counted the days on his fingers, his eyes becoming more and more surprised.

When Xianyun Tower first rose, wasn't he only eight years old...

Fu Huaiqing's eyes gradually returned to calm, and said: "In short, he is not an old man."