Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 135: Feelings of Affection

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Feelings of Affection

"Send orders to the border; ensure the two nations achieve a peace agreement." The Crown Prince’s voice was indifferent, carrying a hint of severity amidst the emptiness of the hall. "The Beiman can only negotiate peace—they must not surrender."

"Yes!"

Outside the side hall, the night deepened. The Crown Prince stared into the unfathomable darkness, his eyes blazing with hatred. Throwing dirt on Marquis Zhenbei Mansion was nothing to him—he had the patience to take them down all at once!

At the manor, the third period of the night had passed. The lanterns under the corridor swayed in the cold wind, their light flickering amidst the shadows of the trees. The sounds of birds and beasts in the mountain forest added a sense of desolation.

Iron cavalry assembled among the woods. The mountain wind swept through, leaving an eerie silence.

In the cellar, a protector had been replaced. The Beiman corpses were burned. Feng Shu had intentionally leaked her visit to the stables to Lin Cheng, waiting for Lin Cheng to bring the Forbidden Army to the manor. As iron cavalry and the Forbidden Army clashed and failed to find the Beiman, Lin Cheng might escape execution but could not avoid punishment.

After the third period of the night, the Forbidden Army made no moves. Xie Xun had his men watching the city gates, but there was still no news. Feng Shu pressed her lips as she gazed at the night. "He won’t come."

This plan was flawless. Lin Cheng, eager for success, should have led his men to encircle them. The Beiman had already been destroyed without a trace—he could only face another empty chase. The day after tomorrow was Lin Cheng’s wedding; Feng Shu had planned to gift him a grand ceremony but hadn’t expected him to evade the trap.

"Which step went wrong?" Feng Shu paced in the courtyard, a hint of agitation in her expression.

Xie Xun hadn’t disclosed to Feng Shu the incident involving the Forbidden Army attempting to kill Fengyu. While the Feng sisters were smart, the Crown Prince’s tactics were ruthless. Xie Xun worried that they might suffer losses. The memory of Fengyu scheming to kill the Imperial Uncle Lv and injuring Duke Ning was still fresh in his mind. If anyone discovered it, utter ruin would follow.

"Lin Cheng has commanded the Forbidden Army for years—his instincts are sharp, certainly no fool. Having failed at the stables, he might act more cautiously, seek the Crown Prince or even an imperial decree. With Ningzhou’s great victory, neither the Emperor nor the Crown Prince want unnecessary trouble. Should they fail to locate the Beiman and the Forbidden Army clash with the iron cavalry again, the Yuwen Royal Family would face greater peril than Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. If I were the Emperor, I wouldn’t act hastily—even if I knew the Beiman were hiding in the cellar. I’d prefer sending the Jinyi Guard for a covert search."

Xie Xun found Feng Shu’s plan almost perfect, but she overlooked a key factor. If Lin Cheng regained composure and sought legitimacy for his actions, the Crown Prince might have unraveled her scheme. Unless the Crown Prince was willing to completely abandon Lin Cheng, he wouldn’t risk it.

"Lin Cheng is the Crown Prince’s most reliable asset. He wouldn’t rashly let Lin Cheng take risks. If Lin Cheng brought the Forbidden Army to encircle the stables and the Crown Prince knew beforehand, he might not allow him to proceed."

"The Beiman appearing in the Capital City unsettles me greatly." Feng Shu felt a persistent unease, as though suspended in mid-air without solid ground beneath her. "The Beiman have already entered the Capital—why split into two groups?"

Xie Xun froze. Indeed, Dugu Jing led a few men up the mountain, while another batch stayed at the foot. Did those at the base of the mountain already enter the city?

If they entered the city, what was their intent?

Xie Xun couldn’t piece it together for now. With the Beiman now dead, there was no one left to provide answers.

Fengyu’s intermittent coughing interrupted Feng Shu and Xie Xun’s musings. Xie Xun’s instinct was to walk inside but felt it inappropriate. Feng Shu had already pushed the door open and entered.

Chunlu passed by him, carrying medicine. Xie Xun mused silently about Fengyu. She feared bitterness and pain yet had been consumed by medicine since childhood due to prolonged illness. Now, she bore severe internal injuries along with a fractured left leg.

She endured the most bitter medicine and suffered the gravest wounds.

Xie Xun stood with his sword, touching the malt sugar at his waist. He had unknowingly brought a piece of malt sugar with him to the manor. That day, when he bought her malt sugar, he saw the joy in her eyes.

The Third Miss was pampered within the manor—how could she lack sweets?

The iron cavalry stood guard all night but found nothing.

Feiying and Nuanyang led the iron cavalry back to the stables, while Feng Shu invited Xie Xun to share breakfast. She spoke softly, "Ayu originally planned to visit the stables to wrap things up, but she’s injured now, so I must go instead. I’m uneasy leaving her alone in the manor. Could you stay to accompany her for breakfast before leaving once I return?"

"Of course!" Xie Xun’s restrained joy shimmered faintly in his eyes. Maintaining his composure, he donned the air of a noble young marquis.

Feng Shu departed, taking Chen Lin and a few guards along. Chen Lin silently wondered why the Miss insisted on going personally after already sending Dongxue and Xia Zhu to the stables.

After drinking her medicine, the pain in Fengyu’s body receded. Lacking energy after her nightly nightmares, she paled with exhaustion. Upon hearing that the young marquis was accompanying her for breakfast, Fengyu glanced at her disheveled reflection in the mirror.

"So ugly."

Chunlu hesitated. Ever since the Second Miss returned home, her mistress had been dragged out of bed every day, forced to eat breakfast in a messy state before returning for more sleep—yet she had never complained about being unkempt before.

"Chunlu, style my hair."

Chunlu was surprised. "Mistress, will you be going back to bed later?"

"Yes."

Chunlu wanted to say more but stopped. Fengyu had already sat at the vanity, choosing hairpins and ornaments. Chunlu could only move forward to style her hair. On the heated couch, Xie Xun opened the window—a gentle breeze drifted in. Two forsythia branches decorated the vase on the windowsill, filling the space with their fragrance. The tea table on the couch was laid with varieties of breakfast dishes: porridge, dumplings, buns, corn, flatbreads, two plates of beef, and two bowls of bird’s nest soup.

Though Xie Xun had stood guard all night, he wasn’t fatigued but full of energy, as though he could hunt down a fierce beast. After waiting and waiting, he maintained patience for a stick of incense’s time. Chunlu supported Fengyu out of her room.

The room was warm like spring, heated by charcoal. Fengyu wore a lake-blue silk brocade embroidered jacket with matching skirts in ivory. Layer upon layer of floral embroidery adorned her hemline, painting an exquisite sight. Her hair was simply styled, adorned with a jade hairpin dangling pearls that shimmered brightly. To Third Miss, this was her casual attire, yet to Xie Xun, it was a feast for the eyes.

He blurted, "You dress so formally just for breakfast at home?"

Fengyu remained expressionless. "I didn’t dress up. You just lack experience."

Xie Xun: "..."

Glancing at the thumb-sized pearls on her jade hairpin and her face, which looked surprisingly radiant despite her illness, Xie Xun remarked, "You look quite healthy."

Fengyu: "..."

Chunlu thought silently: Young Marquis, every word of yours hits right where it hurts.

Fengyu took a deep breath, her gaze dark and inscrutable as she looked at him. Xie Xun, puzzled, asked, "Do I look good?"

"Good." Xie Xun complimented her, feeling slightly awkward.

Fengyu’s lips curved into a genuine smile, "Next time, keep it concise. Just say I look good."

Xie Xun silently thought to himself that it felt like Third Miss was insulting him.

Chunlu went to prepare Fengyu’s medicine. Qiuxiang was injured worse than Chunlu, so lately Chunlu had been attending to her mistress alone. Though young and full of vigor, the Marquis, even after sustaining injuries and spending a sleepless night, showed no signs of weariness apart from faint bloodshot veins in his eyes. His fortitude left Fengyu envious.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Jealous."

Xie Xun chuckled, pouring her a bowl of porridge. The nourishing dish suited them both perfectly. Nanny Liu, knowing Fengyu’s taste, had put plenty of sugar in the porridge. Xie Xun took a sip—so sweet it nearly hurt his teeth.