Chapter 110: A Standoff with Him

Winter Warm survived by a thread, and Ye Shiyi accompanied her back to the main courtyard late at night. In the Xuanying Pavilion remained only four: Wei Shao Qianyu, Feng Jinye, Meiji, and Feng Qingxuan.

Wei Shao Qianyu felt a chill all over; even though Winter Warm had been saved, she had no intention of easily forgiving them, especially Feng Jinye. Meiji was more concerned about Feng Qingxuan’s condition; watching the two locked in cold silence, she found herself unable to break it.

Finally, Wei Shao Qianyu spoke first, her voice sharp with anger: “I don’t care about your Feng family or your Xuanyuan family’s affairs. We’ll settle those debts later!”

Her words ignited all of Feng Jinye’s fury. Even knowing she was deliberately provoking him, he couldn’t help but be angry. Grabbing Wei Shao Qianyu’s arm, he glared with the clear intent of forcing her to repeat herself.

“What did you say? Say it again!” Feng Jinye demanded.

Tears welled in Wei Shao Qianyu’s eyes instantly. Feng Jinye had expected this reaction; his stubborn heart softened a bit, but his anger remained.

Wei Shao Qianyu tried to leave, but Feng Jinye held her back.

“Why? Why should Winter Warm’s life be used to save your Feng family and your Xuanyuan family?” Tears fell as she pushed him away fiercely.

“Her,” Wei Shao Qianyu pointed at Feng Qingxuan in anger, “she’s not at death’s door!”

“Why must it be at the cost of Winter Warm’s life?” She poured all her anger, resentment, and grievance onto Feng Jinye.

Feng Jinye frowned and said, “She’s still alive.”

Wei Shao Qianyu sneered coldly, “You mean I can only blame you if Winter Warm dies?”

Feng Jinye frowned more deeply, recalling Wei Shao Qianyu’s earlier words, “As long as Winter Warm lives, so do I…”

He looked steadily at Wei Shao Qianyu, knowing she understood everything but was too angry to hold it in. She even deliberately said “your Feng family” and “your Xuanyuan family” to provoke him.

Meiji shook her head.

Feng Qingxuan listened in stunned silence, now realizing that the Wei Shao Qianyu before them was actually Winter Warm in disguise. She knew she was at fault too, but she could not stomach Wei Shao Qianyu yelling at her brother: “Even if Winter Warm died, she belongs to our War Prince’s Mansion – what business is it of yours?”

Wei Shao Qianyu slowly turned to Feng Qingxuan.

Feng Jinye’s brow furrowed further.

Reason told Wei Shao Qianyu not to quarrel with Feng Qingxuan. Even if Feng Qingxuan wanted to kill her, Wei Shao Qianyu kept convincing herself that in the modern world, she’d be innocent in the eyes of the law, merely a patient to be pitied.

Soon, Wei Shao Qianyu composed herself and smiled lightly. “Fine, your War Prince’s Mansion.”

With that, she turned and left Xuanying Pavilion.

Returning to the main courtyard, Wei Shao Qianyu immediately checked Winter Warm’s injuries. Qingxia, Xuechun, and Ye Shiyi were all present.

“Shiyi, can your secret guards… redeem themselves?” Wei Shao Qianyu asked.

Ye Shiyi hesitated, then shook his head.

“How might one leave the secret guards?” she pressed.

Ye Shiyi replied, “If they want to leave, they can. Most secret guards in the secret guard tower are orphans who voluntarily joined the mansion’s secret guard team. They can leave if they choose.”

Wei Shao Qianyu nodded.

After a moment’s thought, Ye Shiyi added, “Senior Meiji repaired Winter Warm’s shadow only with Winter Warm’s consent. The prince was unaware at the time.”

Wei Shao Qianyu smiled softly. Even if Winter Warm agreed, it was out of helplessness or for her sake. Wei Shao Qianyu knew Winter Warm’s nature well.

Her reckless visit to Xuanying Pavilion today was likely due to fear of being unable to find her and suspicions raised, also hoping to help her resolve some worries. Winter Warm must have heard Feng Qingxuan planned to kill her and feared future attacks.

Even if Feng Jinye didn’t know at first, he tacitly allowed Meiji’s actions later.

Fortunately, Winter Warm was saved today.

At Xuanying Pavilion, Wei Shao Qianyu had vented some anger but was left exhausted and quiet.

She stayed by Winter Warm’s side until late, only returning to Feng Jinye’s courtyard deep into the night.

Seeing Wei Shao Qianyu return, Feng Jinye exhaled with relief and approached. “Have you eaten dinner?”

Wei Shao Qianyu turned away, unwilling to respond.

“What would you like, Qian? Shall I cook for you?” Feng Jinye coaxed patiently.

Wei Shao Qianyu knew Feng Jinye’s heart wasn’t at ease either. Although she had said many angering things today, she still couldn’t let go and replied coldly, “No.”

She passed Feng Jinye and entered the room, slamming the door behind her.

Inside Xuanying Pavilion, Feng Qingxuan explained the sequence of events to Meiji.

Feng Qingxuan’s memory of why Wei Shao Qianyu attempted to assassinate Feng Jinye had been erased by Huangfu Chen, who also magnified the murderous intent Feng Qingxuan had when she was in the tree.

“I remembered that Wei Shao Qianyu tried to kill my brother to help him expel the Gu poison inside him,” Feng Qingxuan explained.

Meiji was shocked. How could Feng Jinye have been poisoned by the Dusky Twilight Pavilion’s Gu toxin unless the old woman of Dusky Twilight Pavilion had done it herself?

Early the next morning, Meiji took Feng Qingxuan to Wei Shao Qianyu’s courtyard.

Wei Shao Qianyu was still asleep; Feng Jinye had spent the night like a secret guard, sleeping in a tree.

“Why isn’t she awake yet?” Feng Qingxuan complained, resentful that Meiji insisted they come to apologize.

In truth, Feng Qingxuan felt partly at fault but was overwhelmed by Wei Shao Qianyu’s bullying, who relied on her brother’s favor.

“She started it with ‘your Feng family, your Xuanyuan family.’ What’s wrong with our ‘War Prince’s Mansion’?” Feng Qingxuan retorted.

Meiji chastised, “That’s their private matter. Why are you meddling?”

“Hmph.” Feng Qingxuan snorted coldly.

Feng Jinye listened from the tree, suddenly feeling Feng Qingxuan seemed like a different person—perhaps influenced by Meiji and Mianyin’s personalities, the Feng Qingxuan who used to fuss over Wei Shao Qianyu as a sister-in-law was gone.

Wei Shao Qianyu had been restless and restless. Hearing the noise, she woke and opened the door.

Seeing Feng Qingxuan, she replied without warmth, “The War Prince’s Mansion belongs to you, then to your son, and then to your grandson. It’s not mine. I’ll marry out and be cast aside!”

Feng Qingxuan said this and turned to leave. Wei Shao Qianyu was amused by her string of nonsensical words.

Watching Feng Qingxuan walk away, Wei Shao Qianyu looked to Meiji. “Did you talk to her?”

Meiji smiled knowingly and nodded.

Wei Shao Qianyu chuckled, surprised Meiji had some knack for palace intrigue.

Meiji explained, “I’m worried she’ll never marry out and cling here forever.”

Wei Shao Qianyu nodded. “I get it. You’re afraid she’ll be stuck here all her life, bullied by me…”

Wei Shao Qianyu glanced at Feng Jinye in the tree and said, “Don’t worry. Even if she can’t marry out, her brother will protect her. Even if I leave the War Prince’s Mansion, I still have my brother.”

Meiji suddenly realized Wei Shao Qianyu was speaking to the man in the tree.

Clearing her throat twice, she said, “I’ll go check on Xuan’er…”

Meiji wanted to leave but was called back by Wei Shao Qianyu. “Wait, can I ask who you really are?”

Meiji paused, speechless.

Hearing this, Feng Jinye finally climbed down from the tree. Meiji’s identity had always been unclear.

Wei Shao Qianyu glanced at Feng Jinye, seeing Meiji’s hesitant expression, and invited her inside. “Come in and talk.”

Wei Shao Qianyu was rational. Having a quarrel with Feng Jinye was one thing, but the pressing problems before them still needed solving.

Moreover, the current situation was dire.

“I lost some memories because of the Dusky Twilight Pavilion’s master, Xuanyuan Ran, who used the eye capture technique on me,” Meiji did not hide the truth.

Wei Shao Qianyu had long suspected this. The Dusky Twilight Pavilion’s master was from the Xuanyuan family, and Meiji’s words confirmed her suspicions.

Feng Jinye clenched his fists. Wei Shao Qianyu glanced at him, pouting and turning away, but reached out to clasp his palm.

Xuanyuan Ran—Wei Shao Qianyu gritted her teeth—was the one who slit her mother’s throat with a sword, burned down her ancestral home, plotted to kill her father, and murdered Feng Jinye’s father and mother.

Swearing vengeance, Wei Shao Qianyu vowed never to rest until Xuanyuan Ran was cut down.

Meiji did not know the depth of hatred Feng Jinye and Wei Shao Qianyu held for Xuanyuan Ran.

Suddenly, Wei Shao Qianyu thought of Huangfu Chen. “Xuanyuan Ran must be the mother of Huangfu Chen and Huangfu Xi. Huangfu Chen is the junior pavilion master of Dusky Twilight Pavilion!”

Wei Shao Qianyu looked at Feng Jinye, who showed no surprise.

“Did you guess?” Wei Shao Qianyu asked.

Feng Jinye nodded.

“At the Moon Cave Gate outside the War Prince’s Mansion?” she continued.

“Mm,” Feng Jinye replied, sighing with frustration.

“I always thought Huangfu Chen was forced by Dusky Twilight Pavilion, but I never expected he’d be the junior pavilion master himself…”

“How did you know it was Huangfu Xi outside Guanlin City?” Feng Jinye asked.

“On the way to Guanlin City, he ate cilantro,” Wei Shao Qianyu said coldly, clearly showing she had not forgiven him yet.

Feng Jinye frowned but surprisingly showed concern over who ate cilantro.

“The Wei family and the War Prince’s Mansion Moon Cave Gate are both connected to Huangfu Xi…” Wei Shao Qianyu deliberately brought up old grievances.

Her words seemed partly to defend Huangfu Chen, but Wei Shao Qianyu did not know he was beyond defense.

Feng Jinye’s brow tightened as he suddenly recalled the scene outside East Suburb of Yue City where Huangfu Chen fed Wei Shao Qianyu medicine and kissed her.

Also, the words Huangfu Chen had said then still rang in his ears—he couldn’t protect her, yet he wouldn’t let go.

Meiji looked at the two before her, suspecting Wei Shao Qianyu had brought her in to watch their flirtatious banter.