Chapter 135: Slowly Fading Away

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Wei Shao Qianyu clearly understood Feng Jinye’s jealousy: “Alright, today Qingxia is returning home, and Xuechun is making dumplings. I’ll go learn how to make them!”

Stepping out of the room, Wei Shao Qianyu overheard Feng Jinye instructing Ye Shi to invite Huangfu Chen...

In the small kitchen of the main courtyard of the Prince Yuan’s mansion, Xuechun was preparing dumpling filling. Wei Shao Qianyu saw Ye Shiyi rolling out dough—no wonder Feng Jinye had ordered Ye Shi earlier...

Seeing the intimate scene between the two, Wei Shao Qianyu hesitated to interrupt, but Ye Shiyi had already noticed her arrival. He turned and greeted her respectfully.

Ye Shiyi noticed Wei Shao Qianyu’s slight embarrassment. She had approached him at the beginning of the month, but he had never mentioned it to anyone, nor to his lord.

Dumplings were the only staple food Wei Shao Qianyu found somewhat manageable. If the wrappers were rolled out and the filling prepared, and Xuechun cooked them at the end, Wei Shao Qianyu could handle the wrapping.

Filled with enthusiasm, Wei Shao Qianyu carefully pinched each dumpling, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment knowing Feng Jinye would eat the ones she had made by hand.

Ye Shi went to fetch Huangfu Chen quickly, returning in less than half an hour with him entering the Prince Yuan’s mansion.

Huangfu Chen showed no signs of restraint, swaggering alongside Ye Shi straight to Feng Jinye’s study.

The study was much like before. The first thing Feng Jinye asked was, “Where is Qianyu?”

Feng Jinye glared furiously at Huangfu Chen upon hearing this. The image of Huangfu Xi embracing Wei Shao Qianyu outside Guanlin City was still vivid in his mind. Huangfu Chen’s question ignited a fierce rage.

But after a moment’s pause, Feng Jinye raised his brows and replied, “Qianqian went to make dumplings for me...”

“Hmmm... Qianyu will surely make some for me too!” Huangfu Chen deliberately stretched out Wei Shao Qianyu’s name, watching Feng Jinye frown, unchanged from before.

Soon, Wei Shao Qianyu and Xuechun entered carrying plates of dumplings. As if unaware of Huangfu Chen’s presence, she said to Feng Jinye, “I made this whole plate...”

Huangfu Chen chuckled lightly, watching Wei Shao Qianyu happily approach Feng Jinye and sit beside him. He said coldly, “I had Xuechun make that plate for you!”

Feng Jinye picked up his chopsticks, took a dumpling, and ate it with relish.

Seeing Feng Jinye start eating, Huangfu Chen took one without much thought and bit into it. But as soon as he bit through the dumpling, he rushed out of the study, bent over, and began vomiting...

Wei Shao Qianyu nearly burst into laughter but held back, leaning on Feng Jinye’s shoulder and covering her mouth to laugh silently.

Feng Jinye remained unfazed. When Huangfu Chen returned, he picked up another dumpling but was stopped by Wei Shao Qianyu: “You don’t like dumplings of this color. Eat this one instead!”

Huangfu Chen neither complained nor objected. He sat back down, sipped some tea, and stared at the entire plate of dumplings, feeling nauseous.

Wei Shao Qianyu had done this deliberately. When she said “I had Xuechun make that plate for you,” she meant she had specially asked Xuechun to make the coriander dumplings for him.

Her intention was twofold: to tease Huangfu Chen and to confirm whether he was really Huangfu Chen or Huangfu Xi.

His reaction had already proven beyond doubt that he was Huangfu Chen.

“Huangfu Chen!”

“Tell me the truth—how did you obtain the antidote that was delivered to the Duke of Yuedu’s residence back then?”

Wei Shao Qianyu asked angrily, recalling that Meiji had said everything from the Twilight Pavilion came at a price!

“Traded it for military tokens!” Huangfu Chen replied coldly.

Wei Shao Qianyu frowned. It was hardly worth it to hand over half a million troops into Xuanyuan Ran’s hands...

Feng Jinye glanced at Huangfu Chen. He knew Huangfu Chen understood the consequences of his choice!

“Ten days?” Feng Jinye asked.

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“Yunming won’t last until winter. Getting the Gu Yin within ten days is the only chance to cure the poison.”

Huangfu Chen had grown accustomed to evading the core issues. Xuanyuan Ran, Huangfu Xi, Twilight Pavilion—he couldn’t bring himself to speak of them!

“Do you have Gu poison in your body?”

Wei Shao Qianyu recalled her earlier suspicions. Huangfu Chen was likely not free; he was forced into this...

Huangfu Chen paused at the question but could not respond, not even with a glance...

Both Feng Jinye and Wei Shao Qianyu understood silently. Their suspicions were correct. Though Huangfu Chen neither confirmed nor denied it...

Without hesitation, Wei Shao Qianyu shared everything they knew about the Xuanyuan family with Huangfu Chen...

Huangfu Chen listened blankly, showing no reaction.

This further confirmed Wei Shao Qianyu’s conjecture: Huangfu Chen’s behavior was abnormal.

Feng Jinye frowned deeply, knowing Wei Shao Qianyu was avoiding speaking about Yunming’s condition...

After Wei Shao Qianyu finished speaking, the study fell silent. Huangfu Chen remained motionless for a long while...

Once the internal suppression eased, Huangfu Chen found the situation absurd and laughable...

“Xuanyuan Ran...”

Huangfu Chen tried to say the name, but only after being exposed could he bring himself to utter it...

He shook his head; Feng Jinye and Wei Shao Qianyu already knew everything they needed to.

After a pause, Huangfu Chen looked at Feng Jinye and said, “Xuanyuan Ran has a faction on Yunyang Mountain—I suspect it’s an army!”

If Xuanyuan Ran’s ambitions were for the world, she must have been recruiting soldiers all these decades!

Huangfu Chen suddenly recalled Xuanyuan Ran telling him, “When the Heavenly Maiden appears, the twins will rule the world.” Back then, Huangfu Chen saw Xuanyuan Ran brandish the Star Abyss Sword...

At that time, he didn’t realize Xuanyuan Ran’s cruelty and was still young and arrogant. He retorted, “Perhaps those who possess the Star Abyss and Hidden Abyss swords are the twins you speak of!”

Xuanyuan Ran was furious and nearly struck Huangfu Chen down with her sword...

Ultimately, Xuanyuan Ran must have been wary of Feng Jinye as well...

That explained why she targeted Feng Jinye. Xuanyuan Ran had been using him but also feared him, and in the end, sought to kill him!

Today, listening to the history of the Xuanyuan family, the old patriarch passed the Hidden Abyss Sword to the new head, while the Star Abyss Sword went to the Twilight Pavilion’s leader...

This meant Feng Jinye was effectively the head of the Xuanyuan family. That madwoman Xuanyuan Ran wouldn’t be able to stand it!

Huangfu Chen felt a measure of satisfaction. Deep down, he never wished that madwoman well!

“We must speak the truth!” Huangfu Chen suddenly said, returning to Yunming’s matter: “Xuanyuan Ran ordered me to bring you back to the Twilight Pavilion to exchange the Gu Yin and Lu Yanran!”

“You have three days to decide!”

That madwoman Xuanyuan Ran would destroy everything if things didn’t go her way...

For now, saving Yunming’s life was the priority.

Xuanyuan Ran’s scheme was massive, laid out decades ago to destroy the Xuanyuan family, seize the Twilight Pavilion, and secretly cultivate underground forces...

Using the royal family as a cover, isolating Yunyang Mountain from the world, but actually raising troops there...

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Her initial interest in Prince Yuan was likely because she saw his potential to conquer the world, but since the prince fell in love with Xuanyuan Yuan, Xuanyuan Ran lost his support and couldn’t allow him to aid Xuanyuan Yuan...

So she killed Prince Yuan, framed Xiyan, and used Feng Jinye to unify Xiyan and Liyue. After using him, she began to target Feng Jinye...

But time and again, Xuanyuan Ran’s plans were thwarted by Wei Shao Qianyu’s involvement...

The Hidden Abyss Sword was in Feng Jinye’s hands. According to Huangfu Chen’s previous guess, if Feng Jinye was one of the “twins ruling the world,” then the “Heavenly Maiden” theory was believable!

Ignoring Feng Jinye’s angry glare, Huangfu Chen leisurely rose and headed toward Xuanying Pavilion...

Huangfu Chen smiled lightly. No one at the Prince Yuan’s mansion stopped him, even though he was clearly a notorious villain by all accounts.

Inside Xuanying Pavilion, Feng Qingxuan had changed drastically since the day she nearly killed Wei Shao Qianyu. It was as if her personality had fused and transformed completely...

Upon entering, Huangfu Chen saw Meiji taking Yunming’s pulse, while Feng Qingxuan nervously clutched her sleeve...

Meiji suddenly turned, startling Feng Qingxuan. Following Meiji’s gaze, Feng Qingxuan saw Huangfu Chen calmly step into the inner room...

Feng Qingxuan stared at Huangfu Chen for a long moment, then pursed her lips...

Though she had heard from her brother and Aunt Mei that Huangfu Xi was the one who had hurt her before, seeing Huangfu Chen—who looked exactly like him—made Feng Qingxuan angry!

Huangfu Chen approached, gently ruffling her hair: “Brother Chen apologizes for letting Xuan’er suffer.”

His tender words brought tears to Feng Qingxuan’s eyes...

Huangfu Chen knew she was holding back tears. He ruffled her hair again before moving past her to Yunming...

Feng Qingxuan didn’t turn around, tears streaming down her face...

Meiji was somewhat wary of Huangfu Chen but, seeing no disturbance at the Prince Yuan’s mansion and no one stopping him, she stood to make room.

Huangfu Chen glanced at Meiji, sat down, took Yunming’s pulse, and asked, “Is the heart meridian blocked?”

Meiji nodded: “Yes.”

“Remove the silver needles.”

Huangfu Chen remained calm, but this simple command shocked Meiji: “You can save him?”

Hearing this, Feng Qingxuan stopped wiping her tears and turned, fixing her gaze on Huangfu Chen, waiting for his answer.

Her eyes burned with hope, placing all her faith in him...

Huangfu Chen couldn’t bear to disappoint her: “It’s a gamble. Let’s see if Xuan’er believes in Brother Chen.”

Yunming’s current state meant that without detoxification, he could barely survive until winter...

Meiji had been coming regularly to check Yunming’s pulse and had intended to explain everything to Feng Qingxuan one day—that the silver needles needed to be removed and that Yunming would slowly die.

But Meiji couldn’t bring herself to say it and kept delaying...

Feng Qingxuan didn’t mention it either, sensing that Aunt Mei’s frequent visits meant Yunming’s condition was worsening...

Huangfu Chen’s arrival gave Feng Qingxuan hope, and she naturally trusted him—she had no choice but to trust him.