Just after returning from the main hall to her own chambers, Su Zijun raised a hand to remove the phoenix crown from her head, casually tossing it onto the floor before unfastening her yellow royal robe, revealing only the tight inner garnts underneath.
The two palace maids following behind her quickly hurried to gather up the garnts Su Zijun had taken off as she walked.
When she reached the couch inside her room, Su Zijun picked up the prepared white peacock blood and slowly drank it, her bare feet dangling from the edge of the couch.
After drinking about half a cup, she licked the corner of her lips and said calmly, “You may leave.”
“Yes, Princess.” The two maids bowed and withdrew.
No sooner had they stepped out than a guard’s voice ca from outside.
“Lord Kui, Head of the Kun Division’s Santana Carriage, requests an audience!”
When Kui Qianyi entered, he saw Su Zijun resting her head in one hand, eyes closed as if in repose. Her long black hair cascaded down, covering half her pale face.
“Princess, how does the white peacock taste?”
“Enough useless talk.” Su Zijun opened her eyes. “After I left, did that old ghost Gongsun Yellow Springs give you trouble?”
“Lord Gongsun is upright and impartial, devoted entirely to the royal cause. How could he bla this old servant for trivial matters?” Kui Qianyi bowed his head.
“Is that because he wouldn’t—or because he disdains to?” Su Zijun sneered.
“Of course he wouldn’t.”
Kui Qianyi straightened his posture. “Lord Gongsun is the most loyal supporter of the royal bloodline. As long as it’s the royal command, he obeys without complaint.”
“Hmph… the royal family.” Su Zijun shook her head. “This ti, Gongsun Shiyu’s rebellion has implicated many tribes within the Qian Departnt. Their internal review won’t be thorough enough. I’m assigning the full investigation to your Kun Division’s Santana Carriage. Lord Gongsun Yellow Springs will assist you.”
“This old servant obeys.” Kui Qianyi nodded. “I will depart at once.”
“Wait.” Su Zijun suddenly stopped him.
Kui Qianyi turned back for instructions.
Su Zijun gave a sly smile. “Take my personal warrant to the Treasury Pavilion and retrieve a pair of Mirage Dragon Orbs. Don’t tell anyone about this.”
Kui Qianyi froze for a mont. “Princess, may I ask what you intend to do with the Mirage Dragon Orbs?”
“It’s no fun if you ask too much.” Su Zijun waved her hand. “Go. Also, starting today, have Gui Ying properly train my servant girl—teach her all the royal etiquette.”
“Princess, please don’t joke around. You’ve only just returned to the palace…” Kui Qianyi’s face twitched; he already guessed what Su Zijun planned to do with those orbs.
Su Zijun’s eyes widened as she coldly snorted. “Learning Xuanyuan Palace etiquette will take at least half a month. Isn’t that enough ti?”
“Princess, please reconsider!”
Su Zijun said coolly, “Or are you asking for to draw blood from your turtle sons and grandsons again?”
Kui Qianyi sighed helplessly. “This old servant obeys.”
---
At the airport’s arrival hall exit, Ren Ziling stood holding an A4 sheet with the words “Leng Feng” scrawled across it—clearly written in lipstick.
“Kid, how long’s it been since you’ve seen your Uncle Er Lengzi?” Auntie Ren asked while keeping her eyes on the crowd, elbowing the young man beside her—Luo Qiu.
Boss Luo’s reply was typically composed. “I saw him once at a funeral, then once again that spring.”
“So long, huh…” Ren Ziling nodded, speaking in a motherly tone. “When he cos out, be polite, okay? Don’t keep that frozen face. Call him ‘Uncle’ a few tis—it won’t kill you. Your Uncle Er Lengzi may not have worked with your dad or been as close as your Uncle Ma, but he and your father were true brothers-in-arms. You can trust that bond.”
“A bond from fighting?” Luo Qiu blinked.
His father had many friends, but he’d been young back then and not always around. He didn’t rember this Uncle Leng Feng too well. Ren Ziling wasn’t wrong though—his father’s closer ties were mostly with forr colleagues, and of those, Ma Houde had beco the most familiar over the past few years.
As for the rest of his father’s old circle, life had taken them all in different directions—it was hard to get them together again.
Ren Ziling continued, “I only heard your deadbeat dad ntion it once. Back then, he wasn’t even a team captain yet—just a rookie detective. Leng Feng was a green soldier. One night, your dad was out on a case, trying to catch a junkie. Leng Feng was off duty, drinking nearby. They ran into each other, got the wrong idea, and started a fight.”
“And then?” Luo Qiu asked, curious for the rest of the story.
“Well, they fought, broke your dad’s hand and Leng Feng’s leg. Both ended up in the hospital for half a month—in adjacent beds, no less. They even joked about becoming sworn brothers. Silly tis… Oh, there he is!”
Through the crowd, a sharp-looking man in a leather jacket strode briskly forward with his luggage. Leng Feng was tall and upright, his steps long and confident. He quickly spotted Ren Ziling, then ca straight toward her.
“Ziling.” Leng Feng greeted her with a smile, then turned to Luo Qiu, clapping a strong hand on his shoulder. “Good kid. You’ve grown taller!”
The man radiated a kind of rare, open-hearted warmth.
It was the kind of sincerity that easily touched people.
“Uncle Leng.” Luo Qiu nodded with a smile.
Leng Feng grinned. “It’s crowded here. Let’s talk elsewhere.”
The arrival gate was packed with passengers and greeters—not a place for conversation.
Ren Ziling’s car was parked in the lot, so she asked Luo Qiu to escort Leng Feng to the exit while she went to retrieve it.
“Let’s go,” Leng Feng said easily, smiling at Luo Qiu, as if the years apart hadn’t created any distance.
But his gaze flicked back for a brief mont toward the place he’d just exited.
“Waiting for soone?” Luo Qiu asked suddenly.
“No, it’s nothing.” Leng Feng shook his head, though he thought privately, This kid’s perception is sharp.
“This way.” Luo Qiu smiled faintly, bending to pick up the luggage naturally.
Leng Feng didn’t find it presumptuous. He simply smiled and walked beside him.
Monts later, as they left, a plain-looking man erged from the gate, glancing around in confusion. “Huh? Where’d he go…”
---
“Er Lengzi, how long are you staying this ti?”
Ren Ziling’s car soon arrived. After picking up Leng Feng and Luo Qiu, they drove off from the airport.
“Just four or five days.” Leng Feng looked out the window. “I’ll visit a few old friends, then head back.”
Ren Ziling, under Luo Qiu’s quiet gaze, didn’t dare get distracted. She stared straight ahead. “Good. I’ve already booked the restaurant for dinner. Once we’re settled, we’ll head over. Old Ma said he’ll be there on ti to welco you.”
“Appreciate it.” Leng Feng nodded with a faint smile. Then he added, “Ziling, before we go to the hotel, can you take sowhere first?”
“Where?”
“I’d like to visit Brother Luo’s grave.”
Ren Ziling froze, then silently nodded. The car fell into a heavy silence. She couldn’t stand it for long and switched on the radio.
---
“I’ll stay in the car. You take your Uncle Er Lengzi up.”
Outside the cetery, Ren Ziling didn’t get out. She shut herself in the car. Leng Feng opened his mouth, wanting to say sothing, but when he looked to Luo Qiu and saw the young man shake his head slightly, he said nothing.
After they had walked so distance, Leng Feng sighed. “So many years… she still hasn’t let go?”
Luo Qiu exhaled softly. “She says she can only co once a year. Any more than that, and she’ll break down crying.”
“My fault,” Leng Feng said with a bitter smile. “If I’d known, I’d have co quietly another day.”
Luo Qiu shook his head.
“Your father was a lucky man,” Leng Feng said, patting his shoulder. “Just unlucky in lifespan.”
“He’s not alone.”
Leng Feng smiled. He was genuinely pleased with Luo Qiu—the boy who, after these few years, had grown into a calm and mature young man. The youthful impulsiveness was gone, replaced by sothing steadier—though perhaps a little too calm for his age.
Leng Feng had served in the military since he was young. Surrounded by sharp and spirited soldiers, he naturally preferred those energetic and bold youths. It wasn’t that he disliked Luo Qiu—it was simply that this scholarly, quiet type didn’t quite fit his style.
“Luo Qiu, interested in doing so training in the army?” Leng Feng asked suddenly as they walked along the path toward the gravestone.
“Thank you for the kind offer, Uncle Leng.” Luo Qiu smiled. “In half a month, I’ll be going abroad. A university overseas has accepted .”
“Hmm…” Leng Feng nodded, not at all disappointed. After thinking for a mont, he said, “That’s a good path too. If you study hard and co back, you’ll be a useful man. Not bad at all.”
Luo Qiu suddenly recalled a certain sumr from his childhood—how his father, on a whim, had canceled his mother’s plan to enroll him in piano lessons and instead sent him to a military base for training.
That, of course, was thanks to this Uncle Leng.
“If there’s a chance, I’d still like to train in the army and get your guidance, Uncle Leng.”
“Hahaha! You said it yourself!” Leng Feng laughed heartily, his straightforward nature shining through. “Let warn you first—if you dare co, I won’t go easy on you. I’ll train you just like a new recruit, no exceptions!”
Luo Qiu chuckled.
He thought to himself that, given his current physical condition, it shouldn’t be a problem.
“Ah, ti flies,” Leng Feng said wistfully. “I still rember the first ti you ca to my camp—you weren’t even half my height, and now you’re taller than . Back then, I thought you were too soft, not at all like your father, more like your mother actually. You looked like a little girl! I even wondered if you were born into the wrong family.”
Even with all his composure, Boss Luo couldn’t help but look slightly awkward.
Leng Feng smiled. “But it only took a few days for to change my mind.”
Luo Qiu looked puzzled—he couldn’t have known what the adults were thinking back then.
Leng Feng reminisced. “Do you rember the ti you got lost and spent a night alone in the forest?”
Luo Qiu nodded. Childhood mories often faded, but if he wanted to recall sothing, it ca back to him with perfect clarity. Compared to his other abilities, that was nothing special.
“Your father and I were worried sick,” Leng Feng continued. “We thought when we found you, you’d be terrified—but no, when we found you the next morning, you were calm and bright-eyed, not scared at all. You spent the whole night in the forest by yourself… brave little guy! I said then that you’d grow into a real man.”
Well, he was already a boy back then…
“Oh right,” Leng Feng suddenly added, “there’s another funny story from that night. Do you rember the girl you t while you were lost?”
Luo Qiu nodded. The mory beca clearer—a young girl curled up in a tree hollow, crying softly. As his recollection sharpened, details surfaced instantly, and the image beca vivid.
So it was her… Miss Zhong.
“What happened to that girl later?” Luo Qiu asked casually.
Leng Feng replied, “According to what you told us, our people found her afterward. She ca from a rather special background—powerful family, influential connections. I won’t go into details. But it was thanks to you that we found her at all. You probably don’t know this, but when her family learned what happened, they quietly helped your father out. Otherwise, as a newcor without connections, he’d never have beco captain of the criminal investigation team so quickly. Your father really benefited from your luck. Not many people know about this—I only found out years later from one of their family friends.”
Luo Qiu had always thought his father’s career had gone unusually smoothly, assuming it was simply good fortune. But now, it seed a hidden benefactor had lent a hand behind the scenes.
Back then, he was just a child—before he ever beca the owner of the shop. Yet after he took on that role, fate once again brought the Zhong family before him.
It wasn’t part of 003 Alaya’s “script”… that script no longer governed him.
This was sothing else—sothing higher. Luo Qiu could faintly sense a power that existed across countless sub-worlds, beyond the control of the Alaya System itself.
It couldn’t be greater than the Root behind the altar he had encountered… but it was obscure and elusive. Could it be—the Royal Power of the Eternal Empire?
Seeing Luo Qiu fall silent, Leng Feng laughed and teased, “What’s this? Thinking about that girl? Figuring maybe fate’s giving you a chance for a prince-and-princess kind of story? If you’re serious, maybe I could even lend a hand.”
“Uncle Leng, you’re joking.” Luo Qiu ca back to himself. “I already have a girlfriend.”
Leng Feng shrugged and said nothing more.
They had reached the gravestone. He placed the bouquet down, bowed deeply several tis, and said softly, “Brother Luo, I’ve co to see you.”
---
Since returning from abroad, Miss Zhong—the third daughter of the Zhong family—had moved into her private villa on Fragrant Mountain, seldom receiving guests.
Most of her Four Seasons Group business was now handled by her subordinates, and she had long withdrawn from family affairs.
Fragrant Mountain was famous for its red maples, but now was not the season for them.
Inside a room with all the curtains drawn, Miss Zhong sat alone at the piano, lost in thought—her mind wandering back to the mory of a boy and a girl who had once t in the forest.
(End of Chapter)
Reviews
All reviews (0)