Chapter Eighty-Four
Over a dozen gorgeously dressed noblewomen lounged or stood about the garden, chattering away with animated gossip, their tinkling laughter ringing through the air. At the center of the crowd sat Fu Yixiao, forcing a polite smile.
The downfall of the Yu clan had frightened off many who had been scheming. As news spread of the close friendship between Marquis Jianxin Ye Duanfang and the regent Imperial Son Feng Suige, Fu Yixiao’s name began circulating more frequently among the nobility of the Royal City. Even the most politically oblivious noblewomen of Su Sha started flocking to the Prince’s mansion in droves, dragging their friends along.
"...Yes, yes, the Imperial Concubine is both beautiful and capable," one noblewoman cooed. Yixiao rolled her eyes inwardly for the umpteenth time, swatting away a delicate, overly familiar hand resting on her shoulder before standing up. "You all carry on. The Imperial Son will be back soon—I’ll go greet him."
"Oh my!" A slightly plump noblewoman gasped theatrically. "The bond between the Imperial Concubine and the Imperial Son is truly beyond words!" The moment she spoke, a chorus of insincere agreement rose around her.
Yixiao strode away, deaf to the cacophony of chirping women. She decided to take a detour and sneak back to her chambers for a nap, hoping to relax her stiff, aching face from all the forced smiling.
As she passed the laundry room, the rhythmic thumping of wooden paddles beating clothes mingled with hushed whispers that drifted to her ears. "...If the rumors are true, then the Minor Imperial Concubine won’t become Queen, will she?" "I’d rather she did. Look at those noblewomen these past few days—every single one of them looks down their noses at us..."
Yixiao paused outside the laundry room for a moment before continuing toward her chambers.
Half-asleep, she felt a warm fingertip lightly trace her lips. Instinctively, she parted them and bit down.
Feng Suige yelped in surprise, jerking his hand back. When he saw her smirking at him with half-lidded eyes, he chuckled. "Truly, a woman’s heart is the most venomous. If I hadn’t pulled away, you’d have bitten my finger clean off."
Yixiao lazily rolled onto her side. "Then divorce me and marry someone else." Feng Suige gave a dry laugh, kicked off his shoes, and climbed onto the bed. He held his finger to her lips again, coaxing in a low voice, "Fine, I misspoke. Here—bite me as much as you like."
She pushed his hand away and shifted to make room for him before closing her eyes again. Just as Feng Suige thought she had fallen back asleep, Yixiao suddenly spoke. "Are you planning to take a new concubine?"
His breath hitched for a split second before he recovered smoothly, laughing. "Don’t let your imagination run wild—where did you hear such nonsense?" Yixiao was silent for a while before opening her eyes to stare directly at him. "I trust you. But if something like this is happening, I don’t want to be the last to know."
Feng Suige nodded. "Don’t worry. In my heart, there’s only—" "Don’t say it," Yixiao cut him off firmly. "If you mean it, you don’t need to say it. If you don’t, saying it is pointless. So don’t."
He didn’t speak again, only held her tightly in his arms.No one would underestimate the speed at which rumors spread. More and more people in the streets began to gossip about how someone who lost in archery had won the favor of the Lord of the Nation. Increasingly, they marveled at the beauty and grace of the sister of Marquis Ye Duanfang, who was soon to marry into the imperial family as the Imperial Son's consort. Meanwhile, the number of noble ladies who had made it a daily ritual to visit dwindled sharply. Those who still came spoke with cautious, probing words.
Yixiao, at the center of the storm, ironically became the most idle person. She spent her days either practicing archery, reading in Feng Suige’s study, or occasionally tending to her favorite flowering trees in the garden. No one understood why she remained so calm—not even Feng Suige, nor herself.
In truth, she wasn’t entirely oblivious. Feng Suige’s restlessness, the servants’ whispers, and Qin Yi’s hesitant words all made it clear that what she had heard was more than mere rumor. Yet since that day, she had never discussed it with Feng Suige again.
She and Feng Suige had been born on opposite sides of an unbridgeable chasm. There was no path forward, no way out. Both bore too many burdens, and neither could afford the consequences of any misstep.
Fu Yixiao sighed, tossing the book in her hand onto Feng Suige’s desk before standing up to stretch.
“Yixiao, Yixiao…” Feng Suige’s voice called from below the study, so cheerful it piqued her curiosity. She hurried to the window and leaned out to respond. Feng Suige, grinning broadly, waved at her. “Come down! I have a surprise for you.”
Once downstairs, she eyed him curiously as he laughed and held up a silk scarf. “Here, cover your eyes first.”
Guided by Feng Suige, Yixiao groped her way forward for what felt like an eternity. Just as she was about to reach up and remove the blindfold, he stopped her and whispered playfully, “Guess what it is first.”
She listened carefully—the rustle of wind, the brushing of leaves, the occasional chirp of birds. “This is the garden,” she ventured hesitantly. “Did you find some rare flower or plant again?”
Feng Suige turned her shoulders to face another direction, teasingly instructing in her ear, “Take ten steps forward. Let’s see what you can find.”
One step, two steps, three steps…
Suddenly, her outstretched hand was clasped by another—soft, warm, and delicate. Yixiao froze for a moment before yanking off the blindfold. “Xueying!!”
Watching the two women shriek like children, embracing and alternating between tears and laughter within moments, Feng Suige couldn’t help but grin. He glanced at Ning Fei standing nearby and saw the same expression and emotions mirrored on his face.
“You’ve taken good care of her,” Ning Fei remarked, shifting his gaze from his beloved wife to meet Feng Suige’s eyes. His tone was mild, yet beneath it simmered a quiet anger. “But I still believe she should return to Brocade with me.”
Before Feng Suige could react, Ning Fei added, “If you can’t do it, I advise you to let her go sooner rather than later—she won’t be able to endure it. No one can predict what might happen then.”"I understand," Feng Suige's gaze dimmed slightly. "I'm trying my best, but there are too many constraints beyond my control. If only—"
"There are no 'if onlys'," Ning Fei cut him off. "If she were willing to share her lover, she wouldn't have refused the proposal of sharing a husband with the princess back then."
Feng Suige nodded faintly. "That's why I hope your arrival might bring some change to the situation..."
"Really!?" Yixiao's exclamation came from the side. The two men instinctively paused and turned to look at their wives. Yixiao was holding Xueying's hand, examining her with wide-eyed curiosity, while Xueying's face had already flushed red.
Suddenly, Yixiao grew angry and pointed accusingly at Ning Fei from afar. "Are you an idiot? Do you even have a brain? She's pregnant, and you still let her travel long distances with you? What if she miscarries—"
Before she could finish, Ning Fei glared back. "Ask her how she hid it from me! She knew she was pregnant two days before we set off but only told me when the convoy was almost at Su Sha!"
Yixiao was momentarily speechless. She glanced at Xueying, then turned back and continued scolding, "You are an idiot! You didn’t even notice your own wife was pregnant—only found out when she told you..." Mid-rant, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and even Xueying giggled while playfully hitting her shoulder.
Ning Fei glared at Yixiao for a long moment before finally deflating with a sigh. "Fine. A real man doesn’t fight with women. Besides, I can’t win against you now... Your Highness ."
Yixiao clearly didn’t catch the last part and tilted her head in confusion. "What did you say, Your Highness ?"
Beside her, Xueying beamed and pinched her cheek. "Don’t doubt your ears. Ning Fei just called you... Princess ... Your Highness !"
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