Chapter Ninety-Two: Love and Strife

The sky had turned a dull gray-blue.

Within the War Prince’s Mansion, outside the Listening Wind Pavilion, Chu Jiu quietly stepped back, inspected the carriage, prepared the Rain Flower tea, laid out an assortment of pastries brought back by Late Snow, and placed the prince’s light winter coat onto the carriage...

Returning once again to the Listening Wind Pavilion, as expected, Feng Jinye frowned and said, “To the Duke’s residence.”

When Feng Jinye arrived at the Duke’s residence, he was stopped by the gatekeeper. Frustrated, Feng Jinye realized he hadn’t issued any orders today to block the Lu family from entering.

The gatekeeper respectfully said, “War Prince, this afternoon, the entire Duke’s household has returned to Guanlin City.”

“Entire household?” Feng Jinye was taken aback.

Her!

Feng Jinye’s anger flared. He pushed open the gate of the Duke’s residence and strode toward the inner courtyard...

Inside Lu Yanran’s courtyard at the Duke’s residence, bursts of laughter echoed repeatedly. Weishao Qianyu was playing with Ruier, who chuckled nonstop, and Qianyu’s face was full of smiles...

Suddenly, the atmosphere sharply chilled.

Weishao Qianyu suddenly realized: she had completely forgotten about the divine presence of Feng Jinye...

She felt somewhat irresponsible for sulking.

Lu Yanran picked up Ruier and passed by Qianyu, whispering softly in her ear, “Our Duke’s residence does not harbor idlers. Don’t linger here.”

Qianyu thought: this person is truly annoying.

Knowing Feng Jinye was right behind her, Qianyu intended to pretend she didn’t know and move forward, but the moment she took a step, Feng Jinye was already close beside her...

“I was wrong,” Feng Jinye said.

Though angry and stifled, seeing Qianyu’s retreating figure reminded him of the day she had come to send him off before his expedition, watching her silhouette fade away...

She had suffered too much for him; he couldn’t bear to see her hurt again.

Knowing her pride, he softened all his edges to coax her.

“Won’t you look back at me once?” Feng Jinye asked.

“I’m angry too. Qianyu, won’t you soothe me?” he continued, stubbornly clinging to her, mimicking her own mannerisms.

Qianyu suddenly wanted to laugh. “So if you’re angry and just turn around and leave now, I’ll immediately return to the mansion to make it up to you?”

“Then I won’t be angry!” Feng Jinye replied.

Qianyu turned to face him, scrutinizing Feng Jinye. “You’re just average looking. Maybe a bit more handsome than my little lover from my past life.”

“Little lover?” Feng Jinye frowned.

“We should also have a rightful little lover surnamed Feng, looking just like you. Wouldn’t that be nice?” Qianyu said.

Feng Jinye was stunned.

In recent days, Qianyu often recalled the scenes of Feng Jinye interacting with Ruier. Though Feng Jinye always complained about Ruier’s noise and mischief, they actually got along quite well; otherwise, Ruier wouldn’t cling to him, despite Feng Jinye’s stern face that could frighten all the children in Yu City to tears.

Feng Jinye was in a dilemma.

Thinking back to Ruier’s presence at the Listening Wind Pavilion today—from Ruier’s arrival to being carried away by Lu Yanran—Qianyu couldn’t help but smile secretly, constantly revolving around that little rascal...

If someone like that existed in their family, would she even remember there was such a person as him?

“All right,” Feng Jinye replied, “In a few years.”

“That’s good,” Qianyu agreed; after all, she was only eighteen.

Soon after, Qianyu boarded the carriage at the War Prince’s Mansion, ready to return home, feeling something was a bit strange today...

---

“Don’t you think today felt somewhat odd?” Qianyu asked.

Feng Jinye was puzzled.

“It’s just inexplicably...” Qianyu belatedly realized she had been played by Lu Yanran.

“Heh, Qianyu, you’re so clever, yet you didn’t see Lu Yanran’s scheme?” Feng Jinye laughed.

“She was retaliating because you teased Ruier! It’s your fault!” Qianyu pouted.

Feng Jinye brightened, saying, “Hmm, it’s my fault.”

He smiled lightly, clear in his heart that even if the five thousand Imperial City guards surrounded him, he could navigate every step clearly—only matters involving her could confuse him.

“I just can’t figure out what you were thinking today,” Feng Jinye asked.

“Just drunk or poisoned or something...” Qianyu said.

Then she suddenly remembered Feng Jinye never got drunk, he carried antidotes on him, and Ye Shiyicun was always close by...

Qianyu slapped her forehead, then fell back into Feng Jinye’s arms...

“I thought just now that Lu Liyuan had taken you to Guanlin City,” Feng Jinye said.

“Ah?” Qianyu was surprised. “No way.”

“I didn’t even win the argument, how could I have run away?” Qianyu replied naturally.

Feng Jinye laughed, “Right, Qianyu should be the one causing trouble by my side...”

Trouble? Not bad. It wouldn’t be lively enough spending a lifetime with this ice block without some commotion.

The carriage arrived at the War Prince’s Mansion gate. Qianyu, now accustomed, waited to be embraced by Feng Jinye...

---

On the official road heading to Guanlin City...

Inside the Duke’s carriage, Duke Lu looked incredulous. “You mean Jinye has already remembered the past?”

Lu Liyuan shook his head. “Not sure, but at least he recalled some. His expression doesn’t show he’s remembered everything.”

“What about Qianyu...” Duke Lu obviously worried for her.

“Grandfather, the War Prince has thoroughly investigated all of us Lu family except Lu Yanran. I suspect he wants us to leave...” Lu Liyuan said.

Besides, the Lu family remaining wouldn’t help but could become a weak point to threaten Qianyu.

“Why did you let Lu Yanran stay?” Lu Liyuan asked, puzzled.

“I told Yanran the truth...” Duke Lu’s voice was aged.

Lu Liyuan was shocked. “Why?”

“Because Yanran is being coerced by the Twilight Pavilion and is too dangerous,” Duke Lu said helplessly.

“So she chose to stay herself?” Lu Liyuan asked.

The Duke nodded; both girls had it tough.

Within the Duke’s residence, only Lu Yanran and her child remained...

Lu Yanran felt these days like a dream, especially the day of the East City incident and the conversation with Duke Lu after Qianyu left that day...

She suddenly recalled Qianyu’s words about “love and hate.”

The scenes of the East City incident: Qianyu shielding her, Dong Nuan pulling her away, Lu Liyuan forcibly holding her back, and the group of secret guards rescuing Ruier...

It shattered all of Lu Yanran’s assumptions...

---

It was like when you want to give up on life and rush toward the cliff’s edge, but someone behind you desperately stops you, telling you: you belong in the mortal world, not in hell.

Lu Yanran had never believed Qianyu truly cared for her...

Not believing that Qianyu refused to give her even a concubine’s place, claiming it was for her own good;

Not believing Qianyu locked her in Qinglan Courtyard and justified it with righteous words;

Not believing when Yun Ming sought her out, promising her eternal glory, but Qianyu arranged a betrothal between Xue Chun and Yun Ming, claiming it was for her good.

But today, when Qianyu said she could help find Meiji, and she refused without hesitation, even wanting her to return to Guanlin City, Lu Yanran suddenly understood...

Qianyu genuinely did not want her to get entangled in this mess.

---

Three days later, the Twilight Pavilion’s order hall was silent. The assassins stared blankly at the black order plaque on the top floor, six chilling words glaring in their eyes: “Phantom Twin Spirits Mianyin.”

Someone had placed an order to kill Mianyin, ranked in the top ten assassins of the Twilight Pavilion!

This order shocked every base, every branch, every assassin of the Twilight Pavilion...

At the Twilight Pavilion’s top floor, the Pavilion Master’s seductive voice rang out again: “Which Mianyin?”

The room fell silent.

After a long pause, someone said, “Master, this order can only be taken by Meiji of the Phantom Twin Spirits!”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“Heh...” The Pavilion Master sneered coldly and commanded sharply, “Good. Assign this order to Meiji, then together, capture and kill Meiji!”

Everyone was stunned once more...

Killing Mianyin and killing the Phantom Twin Spirits were two different matters. If the Phantom Twin Spirits joined forces, they would be ranked third in the assassin world!

---

The outskirts of East City had been restless lately, with two groups searching the mountains continuously. Meiji guessed one group belonged to the War Prince’s secret guards, and the other was likely assassins from the Twilight Pavilion...

It seemed this little bamboo forest would soon become untenable.

Meiji glanced back at Feng Qingsuan and Yun Ming, sighed, and said, “Mianyin, sister will be away for a few days. You must not step out of the bamboo forest, understand?”

Feng Qingsuan nodded and asked, “Sister, are you going to find an antidote for Brother Yun Ming?”

Meiji nodded helplessly.

Leaving the bamboo forest, Meiji worried about exposing its location. She didn’t dare confront the several groups of black-clad men searching the mountains directly, planning to hide her trail and head to the War Prince’s Mansion. Suddenly, she overheard a group discussing the Twilight Pavilion receiving an order to kill Meiji of the Phantom Twin Spirits...

Meiji’s steps halted. The new Mianyin had only undertaken one assassination mission—to kill Qianyu. Neither Qianyu nor the War Prince would place an order to kill her. Thus, this order must be targeting the former Mianyin!

Only two possibilities: Mianyin herself placed the order, or that person did!

Meiji hesitated whether to risk returning to the Twilight Pavilion to accept the order when suddenly, she sensed a group of assassins closing in...

Meiji frowned; the bamboo forest was within this mountain...

Raising her left hand, she revealed a dart—a clear warning, giving the other side a chance to explain...

The other side did not speak. In the next moment, Meiji spun around, flicked her long sleeves, and dozens of darts flew out, felling a cluster of black-clad men in the distance...

If the Twilight Pavilion’s assassins found the bamboo forest first, the two inside would surely die. Meiji took out a singing bamboo piece she had seized from Yun Ming, decisively broke it and lit it...

She had been exposed—surely because of the abduction of that girl. That girl had someone from the Twilight Pavilion by her side...

At that moment, Ye Shiyi was leading his men searching the mountain. Suddenly, he saw the singing bamboo lit in the distance. Thinking he had found Lady Xuan’s whereabouts, he hurriedly led his men forward without pause...