FID – Chapter 654

Chapter 654: The Same Kind of Person as the Prince

After traveling nonstop to return, he had been filled with violent rage. It was only upon stepping into the Liu family courtyard and seeing that everyone was safe that he barely managed to suppress it.

However, that didn’t mean he would forget his grudges.

Duan Ting’s actions were still a mystery to Feng Qingbai. He hadn’t figured him out completely yet.

Caution was necessary, and vigilance couldn’t be relaxed.

“Axiu, is he the Prince Ting? The one who was assassinated and went missing at the border?”

At that moment, everyone from the Liu family was gathered in the main hall.

Since Feng Qingbai’s return, the elders had been in high spirits, and everyone gathered to chat. Hearing their conversation, everyone’s faces were filled with shock.

No wonder Axiu had come back at this time. So this was the reason!

“Feng Qingbai, come in. Don’t just stand there at the door. Sit down and talk about it.” Inside the room, the young woman poked her head out and called to him.

Duan Ting saw the person who had been giving him a cold stare immediately turn and head toward the main hall.

Like an obedient little pet.

It was a rare sight.

Handing the small blue basket to the maid, Duan Ting followed behind in his wheelchair. Now that his identity had been revealed, he had to explain himself.

He didn’t want to upset the elders of the Liu family or be kicked out of the house.

Fortunately, he had an accomplice, so the issue wasn’t too serious.

“I had Aunt Hong send you a message earlier. I didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly,” Liu Yusheng said with a smile as the man sat beside her.

“I never received the secret message. I just guessed that he would likely show up here.” Sitting next to the young woman, Feng Qingbai naturally reined in his imposing aura, and his tone became noticeably softer.

Seeing this, Duan Ting’s lips curved slightly in an almost imperceptible smirk. He leaned in until he was nearly touching the young woman before stopping. “Your Highness is truly meticulous and admirable. You arrived quite quickly.”

That proximity immediately caused the man’s expression to darken.

The coldness he had just suppressed resurfaced.

Liu Yusheng grasped his hand, shot a sidelong glance at Duan Ting, and curled her lips. “There’s no need to be angry with Prince Ting. He’s severely ill—more useless than a eunuch. Naturally, his temperament is a little twisted, and he can’t stand seeing others doing well.”

“More useless than a eunuch?” The man raised an eyebrow.

Duan Ting: “…” You don’t expose people’s weaknesses like that.

If this had been in Beicang, anyone who dared to speak to him like that would have lost their head!

Unfortunately, this was Nanling, the Liu family courtyard, and the one speaking was the person holding his only hope.

He couldn’t afford to offend her. So, Duan Ting silently backed away a little—and endured it.

Grandpa Liu had already taken a firm stance, staring at Duan Ting with a heavy gaze. “What exactly is going on here? Prince Ting should be at the border, yet you appeared on our doorsteps? Do you not realize that the imperial soldiers and Beicang forces are searching for you everywhere? You’re staying silent despite being unharmed—are you trying to start a war between our two countries?”

Liu Zhiqiu nodded in agreement. “That sounds about right. Otherwise, why would he hide here for so many days without saying a word? Even going as far as using a fake identity? Nannan, maybe you shouldn’t treat his illness—he’s clearly stirring up trouble!”

“Since we’ve found him, Axiu should hurry up and turn him in. Otherwise, Beicang might use this as an excuse to cause chaos at our Nanling border!” Liu Dalin, who rarely spoke up in family matters, voiced his opinion firmly.

Liu Yusheng and Feng Qingbai sat together, both adopting a completely indifferent attitude. Neither of them spoke up to explain on Duan Ting’s behalf.

Duan Ting rubbed his nose, feeling helpless.

It was better to offend a gentleman than a petty person, and better to offend a petty person than a woman.

Unfortunately, the two people before him were neither to be offended—yet he had managed to offend them both.

If he didn’t explain himself properly, there would be no way out of this situation.

He waved away the maids attending him. Once there were no outsiders present, he finally spoke, explaining slowly.

“It wasn’t my intention to keep this hidden, but if news of me being here got out, it would bring trouble to the Liu family.” He paused, then looked toward Feng Qingbai. “Your Highness must understand this as well, which is why I suspect you haven’t told anyone the truth about my whereabouts. Thank you.”

Feng Qingbai’s gaze darkened.

Indeed, he hadn’t revealed the truth to anyone.

If word got out that Duan Ting was in the Liu family estate, assassins would surely follow, and at that point, the entire Xinghua Village would be in danger.

“If you knew you would bring harm to others, why did you come here?”

Duan Ting spread his hands. “Miss Liu is my last hope. And as it turns out, I wasn’t wrong to come. Your Highness is well aware of how ruthless royal struggles can be. Even though I’ve already become a cripple, those people still refuse to let me go. If I don’t fight for my own survival, my only path left is death.”

At these words, he looked at Feng Qingbai, his gaze deepening. “I thought Your Highness and I were the same kind of people. We don’t surrender. We don’t accept fate.”

Although his explanation was reasonable, the expressions on the Liu family’s faces did not soften.

If it were only their family that might be implicated, they might not have been so angry.

But Prince Ting was from Beicang, a member of the Beicang royal family. His actions could very well spark a war between the two nations.

Moreover, his presence could endanger the entire Xinghua Village—hundreds of innocent lives.

Could he really ignore all that with just a simple ‘I refuse to accept fate’?

Seeing their reactions, Prince Ting closed his eyes and sighed lightly. “If my presence is truly so difficult for you all to accept, I will leave shortly. Rest assured, my people will not spread word of what happened here.”

The room fell into silence. Feng Qingbai remained expressionless, making no comment.

But then, Liu Yusheng suddenly spoke. “Do you already know who was behind what happened to you?”

Prince Ting looked at her, lips pressing together, but he didn’t respond.

His silence was as good as confirmation.

Liu Yusheng sighed softly.

It was likely yet another royal scandal. “I have already prepared everything here. In half a month, you may be able to recover. But I cannot allow my family or Xinghua Village to be dragged into this.”

“Shengsheng.” Feng Qingbai frowned.

He could hear the meaning behind the young girl’s words, but he did not want her to be caught up in these conflicts.

On the other hand, upon hearing her words, Duan Ting’s eyes lit up before he solemnly nodded. “Miss Liu, rest assured. Within half a month, Xinghua Village will remain absolutely safe. And after that, I swear on my life that no word of what happened here will ever be leaked!”

“Your life isn’t worth much,” Feng Qingbai said coldly.

“But my return favor may be something you need one day.” Leaning back in his chair, Duan Ting locked eyes with Feng Qingbai.

“A promise is just a promise. What matters is whether you can actually keep it. Why should I trust you?” Liu Yusheng asked again.

Looking around at everyone in the room, Duan Ting thought about the time he had spent with them. He believed he had come to understand their character and integrity clearly.

This was why he had dismissed his maids but had not asked for the Liu family members to leave.

For some reason, he found these people more trustworthy than his own confidants.

“I hold a certain degree of power. Protecting Xinghua Village is more than within my means. The people in Beicang who want me dead also want to seize that power from me. Those people value their own influence, so they always strike from the shadows, never daring to face me head-on. Once I recover and leave, they will not seek revenge just to vent their anger—it would be like cutting off their own arm.”

As he spoke, he took out a command token from his robes and tossed it to Feng Qingbai. “To prove I’m not just making empty claims, Your Highness may use this token to verify my words.”