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While Shen Yuling and Quan Minghe were lost in their passionate entanglement, Feng Moheng was also sharing heartfelt words with Liu Jingyi.
Inside Sujin Courtyard.
The moonlight, like flowing water, spilled over the carved railings and painted beams, as well as the lush, flower-filled courtyard, as if draping everything in a silvery veil.
Feng Moheng and Liu Jingyi were strolling along the path in the courtyard.
Their figures stretched long under the moonlight.
They were taking a leisurely walk to aid their digestion under the moon’s glow.
“Moheng, did nothing really happen between you and the Princess Consort yesterday?”
Liu Jingyi tilted her head slightly, looking up at Feng Moheng.
“If I promised you, I will keep my word.”
Feng Moheng stopped walking, turned to face her, his gaze firm.
But Liu Jingyi, knowing the original plot of the novel, felt deeply insecure.
Even after hearing Feng Moheng’s resolute answer, the shadow of fear in her heart lingered, impossible to dispel.
Gritting her teeth, she pressed on.
Even if it went against her usual demeanor, she needed to get to the bottom of it.
“Moheng, this morning I heard everyone in the residence saying that you and the Princess Consort held hands while going to pay respects to Princess Xihe. I… I feel so heartbroken.”
As she spoke, Liu Jingyi’s eyes began to redden.
“I’m afraid you don’t love me anymore.”
Feng Moheng reached out and pulled her into his embrace, his chin resting gently on the top of her head.
His low, husky voice carried a hint of obsession: “No, Jingyi, I only love you.”
How could he not love her?
As soon as he returned to the residence this evening, the maid by Jingyi’s side came looking for him.
When Feng Moheng arrived at Sujin Courtyard, he saw her nervous and flustered state.
Her fear of losing him was so evident.
The more she cared, the more excited Feng Moheng became.
And her unusual behavior tonight, Feng Moheng knew, was because of Shen Yuling.
Because Shen Yuling had specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare Northwestern delicacies for him and invited him to drink.
Jingyi was jealous.
That’s why she had called him to Sujin Courtyard.
When he had married Shen Yuling, she had been so calm and composed that Feng Moheng had thought she didn’t care.
But now it seemed…
That might not be the case.
Feng Moheng’s dark eyes gleamed with intensity.
Back then, when his father betrayed his mother, and his mother divorced him, keeping favored courtiers in the princess’s residence, Feng Moheng had witnessed it all from a young age.
Thus, he was unusually obsessed with the feeling of a woman loving him wholeheartedly.
And Liu Jingyi was the most perfect woman he had personally nurtured since he was ten years old.
Feng Moheng had always believed that love should be mutual.
When he devoted himself wholeheartedly to Jingyi, she would also love him with all her heart.
In the past, when other women approached him, Jingyi never showed any obvious reaction.
Only when he expressed his affection for her would she become happy and respond with the same love.
But now, with Shen Yuling’s arrival, Liu Jingyi had such intense emotional fluctuations…
Feng Moheng slightly lowered his eyes, his deep gaze hiding a hint of curiosity.
Why was this?
Liu Jingyi leaned against Feng Moheng.
Over the years, she had heard too many promises from him.
He was the male lead of the novel, and once he truly fell in love with someone, he would undoubtedly pledge a lifetime of devotion.
So no matter how other women approached Feng Moheng, she didn’t care.
Because Feng Moheng wouldn’t develop feelings for those women.
But Shen Yuling was different.
She was the original female lead, and the Feng Moheng who now showed her affection was someone she had stolen.
Liu Jingyi’s heart ached with bitterness.
“Moheng, the Princess Consort is beautiful, and her outstanding family background is something no one else can match. Even Princess Xihe likes her a lot. She has everything.”
“But in the residence of Prince Lingyang, I only have you.”
“Don’t be afraid. Shen Yuling and I are just putting on a show.”
“Mother already doesn’t like you. If I were to neglect Shen Yuling now, Mother would only dislike you more, and your days in the residence would become even harder.”
Feng Moheng held her tighter, whispering words of comfort.
So, the intimate display between Feng Moheng and Shen Yuling today was just an act for Princess Xihe.
But who could say that such an act wouldn’t turn into reality over time?
Though she thought this in her heart, Liu Jingyi pretended to be moved.
“Moheng, thank you.”
Liu Jingyi’s voice trembled slightly.
Feng Moheng reached out and pinched Liu Jingyi’s cheek.
With a doting tone, he said, “Alright, no more sadness, okay?”
Then he abruptly changed the subject.
“It’s getting late. You should head back to your room and rest.”
Liu Jingyi froze, looking at Feng Moheng in disbelief.
He…
Was he not staying in Sujin Courtyard tonight?
Feng Moheng naturally understood her expression.
He explained, “Today, I just put on a show of deep affection with Shen Yuling in front of Mother, and she also reminded me to spend more time with her. After all, it’s only the second night of the marriage. Tonight, I still need to go to Ninglan Courtyard.”
Liu Jingyi’s hands clenched tightly inside her sleeves.
Husband and wife?
Why did those two words sound so grating?
Seeing Jingyi’s tense body, Feng Moheng smiled gently, though his eyes seemed to hide an inscrutable calculation.
“Not going to Ninglan Courtyard for dinner tonight has already slighted Shen Yuling. If I were to stay here with you, I’m afraid Mother would find out tomorrow and cause trouble for you.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Jingyi quickly hugged Feng Moheng.
“I’m not afraid!”
She wasn’t afraid of Princess Xihe causing trouble for her. She was only afraid of Feng Moheng spending time alone with Shen Yuling.
“Be good, trust me. If Mother causes trouble for you, it would hurt me.”
Feng Moheng gently patted her back, then firmly pushed Liu Jingyi out of his embrace and turned to leave.
He walked to the entrance of Sujin Courtyard but did not leave immediately.
Standing quietly in the darkness, he resembled a beast lurking in the shadows.
“Bang!”
“Crash!”
The sound of shattering porcelain came from within the courtyard.
Feng Moheng smiled mysteriously, quite pleased with the noise.
When Shen Yuling married into the residence, he had thought that as long as he kept his distance from her, Jingyi would continue to love him and not abandon him like his mother had abandoned his father.
But he never expected the opposite to happen…
Then, he left Sujin Courtyard, his figure gradually disappearing into the moonlight.
Feng Moheng’s figure appeared outside Ninglan Courtyard.
Ninglan Courtyard was now engulfed in heavy darkness, pitch black and eerily silent, with only two faint lanterns at the entrance.
Inside, Bai Hua, the maid Quan Minghe had placed in the residence of Prince Lingyang, looked serious. The Princess Consort was currently in the palace…