He knew she was probing his identity.
But it was fine, he didn't mind.
Aside from his identity, he would hide nothing of what she wanted to ask.
"There are so many guards in Feng Que Lou, how did you get past them? Are you that skilled?"
The man pursed his lips. This seemed like something that would expose his identity if he answered.
Ever since she had disappeared from under his nose that time, he knew the Du Sheng Tower was peculiar.
He had hidden there for a full month before discovering the secret passage.
It was better not to say anything, lest it alarm her.
After all, he would never use that secret passage again.
Ling Yao asked this, of course, not expecting an answer.
She just wanted to chat more, to try and deduce his identity.
"When you leave, I will tell you everything," the man said.
But Ling Yao clearly misunderstood.
"Are you saying, when you escort me on my way?"
When one was about to die, of course, one could say anything.
Did this mean he intended to kill her?
The porridge was ready, but Ling Yao had no appetite for it. She had to find a way to escape quickly!
"I said, I won't hurt you," the man's tone rose slightly, revealing his anger at being misunderstood.
She had misunderstood?
Then what was the point of abducting her? It was truly perplexing.
She missed her two little treasures.
She missed Xiao Shan.
Xiao Shan didn't even know her situation!
She didn't know if the war with Qi Rong had started.
"I know, you're not a spy from Qi Rong, are you? Trying to capture me to force Xiao Shan to withdraw his troops!"
"No!"
This time, the man reacted with unusual vehemence, his voice hoarse, as if she had said something insulting.
He was very angry.
His eyes were extremely red.
"If not, then not. Why are you shouting?"
Ling Yao turned her head and whispered, then directly served two bowls of porridge, handing one over. "Do you want a bowl?"
The man's anger was stifled in his chest.
He didn't know how he accepted it, but his eyes seemed even redder, as if he were about to cry.
How strange.
The two sat opposite each other at the small round table in the kitchen, eating the soft, glutinous rice porridge. No one could have guessed that they were a robber and his captive.
"Then when do you plan to let me go?"
"When did I ever say I would let you go?"
The man, who had been drinking slowly, was somehow provoked again. He finished his porridge in two large gulps, put down the bowl heavily, and left the kitchen.
Ling Yao was becoming more and more confused. Did she really know such a lunatic?
Meanwhile, in the capital, people were frantically searching for her. Various search parties were patrolling under different pretexts.
The news had been kept quiet. The King of Jiangbei had long since stopped paying attention to court affairs, spending his days in debauchery at Hua Shang Lou.
However, after Qu Linglong returned, she had Wei Hu contact him.
Qu Linglong knew how much he cared about his sister. He had even forced her to give birth prematurely to avoid revealing Ling Yao's whereabouts.
Regarding this, she could only sigh at her misfortune in choosing a husband, but she couldn't blame others.
Moreover, she regarded Ling Yao as a close friend.
She just hoped that one more person searching would mean one more hope.
Feng Shihao returned to his manor very quickly, which Qu Linglong had not expected.
After hearing the situation, Feng Shihao became very anxious. He gave Qu Linglong a deep look and then left the prince's manor.
Qu Linglong felt a pang of unease from that look.
Although they hadn't met much during this period, his attitude was somewhat unfathomable. He didn't seem to mock her anymore.
And once, he stared at her for a long time, only turning away as if nothing had happened when she could no longer bear it.
What was he plotting?
"Miss, you and the Prince cannot continue like this. The young miss has grown up, she's already learning to talk and will soon understand things. The women in the back courtyard have also been restless lately. While you were away, that Concubine Jin came to cause trouble, subtly mentioning the young miss's parentage in her words..."
Su Mian was very worried. The young lady had no support from her maternal family. Even if she was friends with the princess, the princess couldn't control the back courtyard.
Now, she could only rely on the Prince, but the young lady seemed to have given up on him.
"That woman dares?" Qu Linglong was furious.
The child was her weakness, and her last line of defense. No one could harm her child!
"What doesn't she dare? I heard her father has been promoted again. She is the most favored among the women in the back courtyard, so she's bound to be arrogant. I know you don't like to compete for favor, but perhaps if you indulge the Prince a little, and make him pay more attention to the young miss, it would silence others."
Qu Linglong gritted her teeth. She knew Su Mian was right.
But how could she bear to feign flattery towards that person?
"Miss, for the sake of the young miss, you must be patient. I'll make a bowl of black chicken soup. When the Prince returns, you can take it to his study and say you made it yourself."
"It's enough that I'm giving it to him. I won't tell such a lie."
Qu Linglong compromised. After all, it was all for the child.
Su Mian beamed. "Alright, I'll start stewing the soup now."
Feng Shihao did not return to the manor until the hour of Hai.
Prompted repeatedly by Su Mian, Qu Linglong carried a bowl of black chicken soup towards the study.
However, her attempt was thwarted when she encountered Jin Qingqing halfway. Jin Qingqing was also carrying a late-night snack, her presentation far more elaborate than Su Mian's, arranged like a flower.
"Oh my, Sister, are you also going to deliver a late-night snack to the Prince? If I had known, I wouldn't have come."
Jin Qingqing was dressed to the nines late at night, while Qu Linglong wore simple clothes, lacking any feminine charm.
"You go ahead!" Qu Linglong turned and left.
"Hey? Sister?"
Jin Qingqing wanted to provoke her a few more times. "You're leaving already?"
The maid behind her sneered, "Perhaps she's ashamed after seeing Madam! What kind of physician is a woman, mingling with a group of men? Look at what she's wearing, she's worse than a servant."
Jin Qingqing covered her mouth and smiled, then stroked her golden hairpin and said proudly, "Let's go!"
Qu Linglong returned to Ting Yu Yuan with a stern face and ate the entire bowl of black chicken soup herself.
Then she said to Su Mian, "I will never do such a disgraceful thing again. They don't appreciate it anyway."
"Ah? The Prince didn't drink it?"
What could be done? Was her cooking too bad, or...?
"Miss, did you go dressed like that? Oh, it's my fault, I forgot about this. I bought you a new outfit yesterday, it's the most fashionable in the capital right now."
Su Mian bustled over to the chest and took out a peach-pink ruqun.
This color...
"I won't wear it!"
It was a disaster. She was already a mother, how could she wear such a color? What was Su Mian thinking when she picked it?
"Miss, your complexion is fair, this color will look absolutely beautiful. Hurry and try it on, oh! Just try it!"
As the mistress and servant were pushing and shoving, in Jing Lan Yuan, Feng Shihao, upon hearing the report from his secret guard, felt a disturbance in his heart.
After dismissing Jin Qingqing, he sat for a while, then finally got up and walked towards Ting Yu Yuan.