FID – Chapter 244

The fiery stinging sensation on her cheek made Fu Yuxian gape in disbelief.

She stared at the person in front of her with hatred in her poisonous eyes.

“You dared to hit me?” Gritting her teeth, she spoke one word at a time.

Fu Yuzheng sneered, “How about beating you? I would have tolerated your bullying and insulting me as usual, but today, you dared to insult my mother, so I dared to beat you! Don’t put on the air of a First Miss in front of me. From the moment I entered the Nanling Palace, I was no longer a member of Fu’s family!”

“Fu Yuzheng!” Fu Yuxian screamed, raising her hand to return a slap to the woman, but Fu Yuzheng intercepted it and flung her hand away with force.

She raised her hand once more and slapped her again.

“If you forgot my current identity, I can remind you once again. I am part of the Nanling Palace! If a merchant’s daughter like you wants to touch me, you’d better think twice  if you can afford to offend the Nanling Palace!”

She was the kind of person who could exploit all advantages in order to survive. She’d never hesitate to use them!

Fu Yuxian was livid that her body trembled. Those two slaps shattered her superiority in front of Fu Yuzheng to pieces!

But she couldn’t do anything at this time. The Nanling Palace could hold her down!

Zuo Xiang finally arrived behind her, and she gazed at Fu Yuzheng deeply and heavily.

Seeing her approaching, Fu Yuxian’s eyes lit up. “I accompanied Miss Zuo into the palace which is equivalent to being Miss Zuo’s people! You look down on the Fu family that raised you. That aside, you beat me, so have you put Miss Zuo in your eyes?!”

“Fu Yuzheng, it’s up to the master to beat a dog, but you’re just an insignificant maid in the Nanling palace. How dare you go crazy in front of me?” Zuo Xiang reprimanded.

“It’s up to the master to beat a dog – that’s quite a good saying. But Miss Zuo forgot that I am not only a maidservant of King Nanling’s Palace, I am also the life-saving benefactor of King Nanling. You and I have nothing to do with each other. When I beat Fu Yuxian, it was a grudge between me and her. But if Miss Zuo interferes, it will not only be a matter of three people, but a matter of three houses! If you want to teach me a lesson on behalf of Fu Yuxian, my status is too low to resist. But if King Nanling’s benefactor is humiliated, where can he put his face?” Fu Yuzheng straightened her spine and looked at Zuo Xiang without being condescending. “Miss Zuo, are you sure you want to make a big fuss over an outsider?”

Zuo Xiang’s face turned sullen and speechless for a moment.

Although her Grandfather and King Nanling were two opposing sides in the court, they tore their faces head-on and maintained a delicate balance. Otherwise, there would have been chaos.

She was not unable to deal with Fu Yuzheng, but for a merchant’s daughter, it was not worth offending the Nanling royal family.

Zuo Xuan’s silence indicated her attitude.

“The whole capital knows how your First Miss’s position came to be. I advise you not to hang on to it all the time and make a fool of yourself!” Fu Yuzheng’s eyes coldly swept over the blue-faced Fu Yuxian, turned and left with her head high.

Fu Yuxian clenched her fists, suddenly plopped down, and wailed.

Fu- Yu-zheng!

Fu Yuzheng returned to the Nanling Palace, walked to the backyard where there were few people, and sat down in front of a rockery.

The tears, which she held back for a long time, came pouring down.

It was afternoon, and Liu Zhixia had just returned from the Yang House. Xue Qinglian was in seclusion, and he didn’t know where Feng Qingbai and Nannan went nor when they would return. He had nothing to do, so he thought about taking a stroll in the back garden.

After asking the servants in the house for directions, he entered the back garden through the side door.

In October, the seasonal flowers in the back garden were in full bloom, and the courtyard was full of fragrant flowers.

The autumn sun was bright, but not warm. Along with the breeze, watching the sea of flowers felt refreshing.

He was in high spirits at the moment. 

Elder Yang has officially accepted him.

He wanted to share his festive mood with someone, but found no one in the palace.

Squinting at the blinding sunlight, Liu Zhixia wore a smile and slowly walked forward along the path.

Then an inaudible whimper reached his ear with the wind.

He lightened his footsteps and followed the sound only to see a figure who hugged herself into a ball and was crying silently on the edge of the rockery.

His footsteps startled the woman, and she turned her head.

Four eyes locked at each other, and were stunned.

Liu Zhixia was a little embarrassed. “Did I disturb you?”

He remembered this girl. She was the one who served their meals twice.

“This is the back garden, and everyone is welcome here. It is me who disturbed Young Master’s pleasure of enjoying the flowers.” Fu Yuzheng lowered her eyes and got up to prepare to leave.

This man’s question was so strange. Disturb her? Was he still going to say he’d leave first and let her continue crying?

It was this kind of kindness that made it all the more disagreeable.

She hated others witnessing her weakness.

“Miss, wait.” The man behind her stopped her.

Fu Yuzheng did not turn around. She probably looked wretched at the moment. “Does Young Master have something to order?”

Light footsteps approached, then a handkerchief appeared in front of her.

“Here, wipe yourself,” the man paused, “Everything will clear up after crying. In this world, there is nothing that can’t be overcome.”

Then the light footsteps departed.

Fu Yuzheng never turned around.

She looked down at the handkerchief that was stuffed in her palms. It was square and a bit faded from washing, but clean and soft.

She wanted to throw it away, but her fingers unconsciously held it tightly.

It obviously contained no temperature, but at this moment, it made her feel a trace of warmth.

She smiled to herself; the first person to genuinely extend kindness to her after her mother’s passing…

It was actually a stranger.

She pulled her sleeves up and wiped her face haphazardly, without using that square handkerchief.

Something this clean shouldn’t be tainted with filth.

The back garden soon fell silent, as if no one had come.

Meanwhile, the Red Maple Mountain in the outskirts of the capital was just as lively.

The red leaves all over the mountain were like fire and haze, and tourists came to visit and play in an endless stream.

Along the stone path to the mountain, there were tourists everywhere. Even the roadside pavilion for people to sit and rest was also jam packed. 

A young girl was walking in the mountains, and her forehead was already covered with a thin layer of sweat. Her white cheeks were tinged with red haze due to the heat, but her eyes were shining, leaping with joy. 

“Are you tired?” A man walked behind her unhurriedly. They climbed halfway up the mountain, but his breath remained calm.

“No, I’m not tired.” The young girl raised her lips and beamed. “I rarely have such an opportunity to come out and play at home. I also never climbed a mountain like this.”

As a child, the highest mountain she climbed was Luofu Mountain. She followed her playmates to pull out the bird’s nest, but they never reached the top of the mountain.

Luofu Mountain was also different from here. In the autumn, it was only full of yellow leaves, not red maple mountain.

The girl’s happiness infected the man. A tender smile outlined the tips of his brows, making him look even more outstanding. “There are many fun places around the capital. I’ll take you to all of them later.”

“All right.”

The young man in purple was noble and elegant; the girl in green was gentle and delicate. They walked side by side and became beautiful scenery on the path.

Frequently attracting attention.

Among the visitors were also the sons and daughters of the capital’s powerful nobles, some of whom had had the pleasure of meeting Feng Qingbai.

When they first realized that the man accompanying the young girl with a breath as gentle as the breeze turned out to be the King of Nanling, Feng Qingbai, they were so shocked that they almost choked.