FID – Chapter 578

Chapter 578: From Now On, He Belongs to Her?

“Mother, what do you mean by that? I only said one sentence the entire time at the banquet! And it was just a compliment! What did I do that was so terrible for you to scold me like this?” Kang Ziyu protested indignantly.

“No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Do you really think you can hide your thoughts from me? Here in Xiangshan County, you’re the county magistrate’s daughter, someone everyone flatters, and that has made you arrogant. But let me tell you this—outside of Xiangshan County, you are nothing! If you dare to stir up trouble and drag your father and me down with you, don’t blame us if we disown you! If anything happens, you’ll bear the consequences alone!”

This was the first time her mother had pointed at her nose and scolded her like this—even going as far as to say she was nothing. 

Kang Ziyu’s face turned pale with fury. She wanted to snap back, but in the end, she forcibly swallowed her anger. “No matter how foolish I am, I still know who not to offend. Mother, you can put your mind at ease!”

“You better!” Mrs. Kang shot her daughter a cold glare before turning to leave.

A man like the King of Nanling—once offended—was not someone who could be appeased with just a few words. If things went wrong, the entire Kang family could lose their heads!

If her daughter still couldn’t see that, then she was no longer worth protecting.

After all these years, both she and her husband were truly exhausted.

Liu Yusheng was unaware of this dispute. On the way back to her room, Qian Wanjin was still chattering beside her. 

“Nannan, how can you stay so calm? Did you see the way Kang Ziyu was eyeing Feng Qingbai? Sneaky and full of bad intentions—clearly trying to make a move on him! And you could just sit there and take it?”

Liu Yusheng smiled faintly, neither angry nor upset. “I’m not tolerating it—I just don’t need to respond. She’s performing a one-man show. If you get involved, aren’t you just giving her more opportunities to act out?”

Xue Qinglian shoved the dumbfounded Qian Wanjin aside and stepped past him. “The emperor isn’t worried, but the eunuch is? Do you really think Nannan is the type to suffer losses? Didn’t you see how Feng Qingbai ignoring her was enough to make her lose face? Besides, if he were the kind of man who could be stolen by a woman like that, he wouldn’t be worth keeping.”

“Oh! You two are so cunning!” Qian Wanjin suddenly understood and caught up to them. “She wants to seduce Feng Qingbai, so you’re just letting him handle it himself—making him personally cut off those flirtations. Tsk tsk, that must hurt!”

“Do you feel sorry for her? Why don’t you go comfort her?”

“Do I even know her? Pfft! She’s already engaged, yet she’s still trying to climb the social ladder by flirting around. Her poor parents.”

The three of them laughed and bantered as they parted ways in front of the guest courtyard rooms.

By the time Liu Yusheng returned to her room, the night was still young.

She opened the window and leaned against it, gazing at the vast starry sky.

The midsummer night’s sky was adorned with countless twinkling stars, a breathtaking sight.

People say the sun and moon are indifferent. 

Yunzhou had just suffered a disaster, and the land was still scarred and broken, yet the sky full of stars remained untouched.

They shimmered on, dazzling as ever.

Just like Feng Qingbai’s eyes.

They appeared gentle, yet within that gentleness lay a hidden coldness and detachment.

When she woke up again, she was in bed, surrounded by the familiar scent of a certain man.

“Feng Qingbai, your bedroom is next door. Mrs. Kang personally arranged it for you,” she said, clearly hinting for him to leave. But even as she spoke, her arms tightened around his neck.

“My bedroom is here.” The man lied with a straight face—there was no way he was leaving tonight.

“Will you sneak back before dawn?”

“Okay.”

For a moment, the room was silent, before both of them chuckled softly.

It felt just like their days at the Xinliu Manor.

Back then, too, he would sneak into her room every night and quietly slip away before sunrise.

And this sneaky, thief-like life—they probably wouldn’t be free of it until they were officially married.

“You suddenly left your government duties and rushed here. Will Xiao Feng be able to handle things in the capital?” Liu Yusheng asked, a little worried.

His departure wasn’t just about leaving his political affairs behind. The imperial court was full of wolves and tigers, and now Xiao Feng had to face them all alone.

“It’s fine. The Concubine Dowager Liu has just fallen, so for the time being, that old fox, the Left Prime Minister, won’t make any rash moves. As long as Qin Xiao hasn’t returned, the court will remain stable for now.” 

Even if Prime Minister Zuo chose to stir up trouble while he was away, Feng Mohan wouldn’t be completely defenseless.

This was the perfect opportunity for him to grow.

“Has Qin Xiao been stationed at the border all this time? What kind of person is he?” Liu Yusheng was extremely curious about this Qin Xiao that Feng Qingbai mentioned.

She had traveled back and forth to the capital for quite some time, yet she had only heard his name, never seen him in person. She couldn’t understand what kind of man he was to make Feng Qingbai so wary—more so than even Prime Minister Zuo.

In the dim light, the young girl’s eyes sparkled as she eagerly awaited his answer.

Feng Qingbai chuckled, tightening his arm slightly to press her down against him. “So curious?”

“Very curious.” She nodded, looking so obedient that it made his heart itch.

“He’s… a patriotic old general.”

“Patriotic?” 

The description surprised Liu Yusheng, and she failed to notice the man’s subtle movements. By the time she realized what he was up to—it was already too late.

“Feng Qingbai!”

“Shh, Shengsheng, don’t make a sound. This room isn’t soundproof.”

“…”

By the time Liu Yusheng fell asleep, utterly exhausted, she had completely forgotten about her earlier curiosity.

Feng Qingbai had arrived in Xiangshan in the afternoon, and by the next day, word had spread throughout the entire elite circle of Xiangshan and even Yunzhou Prefecture.

Family heads from various noble households rushed to the Xiangshan County office, eager to pay their respects to the King of Nanling.

An endless stream of visiting cards and invitation letters poured in. 

Liu Yusheng stared at the thick stack of them that the steward from the county office’s inner courtyard had brought over, raising a hand to rub her forehead.

Yesterday, Feng Qingbai had carried her in the streets, witnessed by countless townspeople. They must have already guessed his identity, which explained today’s commotion.

“Shouldn’t the steward be delivering these to His Highness? Why bring them to me?”

The steward bowed respectfully. “His Highness instructed that these matters be handled by my lady.”

“But I need to go out and help distribute medicine packets.”

“Lord Kang has already assigned the city’s doctors to handle that. If they encounter any particularly difficult cases, they will come to seek your assistance, my lady.”

“…”

Taking the stack of invitations, Liu Yusheng waved the steward away, utterly perplexed as to what Feng Qingbai was planning.

All these invitations were meant for him—whether to accept or decline should be his decision. Why was he pushing this onto her?

Leaving the task of offending people to her? How devious.

But then, Liu Yusheng couldn’t help but chuckle. Was this his way of telling everyone that, from now on, he was under her authority?

“Is my lady pleased, or troubled?”

Liu Yusheng lifted her gaze. At the entrance of the guest courtyard’s hall, Kang Ziyu stood elegantly by the door, dressed impeccably, smiling at her.

“What do you think, Miss Kang? Am I pleased or troubled?” Liu Yusheng retracted her gaze and leisurely flipped through the invitations.

There were many names she didn’t recognize. As for those she did, they included the four major noble families of Yunzhou Prefecture—all of them.

Seeing that the young woman had no intention of entertaining her, Kang Ziyu took it upon herself to step inside.

This was her home—why would she need an invitation from a guest?

“So many invitations, all from noble families. If His Highness were to entertain each one, he’d have no time for anything else. But if he refuses, he’ll offend them. It’s a lose-lose situation. His Highness cherishes you so much, yet he’s putting you in such a difficult position?”