C35 Prey

"Eldest Miss Feng, please have a seat." It was hard to say whether the usually carefree Prince Rong Qi was the same person as the formidable and awe-inspiring Master of the Four-sea Merchant Alliance.

In different settings, he could perfectly embody different roles.

"Tiange, I hope you don't mind me being direct. Does what you said at the Nether Market still stand?" Feng Tiange knew that the man before her was a busy and important figure, so she got straight to the point.

To be honest, Rong Qi had been waiting for Feng Tiange to approach him for what felt like ages. "Are you having trouble at the Nether Market, Miss?"

"It's not the Nether Market, it's the Fish Market," Feng Tiange steadied herself. "I want to expand my business there. Do you have any suggestions, Master?"

Behind his mask, Rong Qi's eyes twitched, and his lips followed suit. He couldn't believe how in sync he was with Feng Tiange!

Although Rong Qi hadn't anticipated why Feng Tiange would seek his help, he was determined to hand over the No-south House to her today, even if he had to force it on her.

Meanwhile, Lyi Xiaotian was scouring the entire capital for a backer, on the brink of desperation.

Seeing Wen Yu remain silent, Feng Tiange blushed slightly. She knew there was an agreement among the markets not to interfere with each other, so her request was indeed a bold one.

If it wasn't something difficult, why would she seek out Wen Yu? Feng Tiange held back her words, waiting quietly for Wen Yu's response.

"To be honest, I happen to have an opportunity on hand. I'm curious if Miss Feng would be interested," Rong Qi said, feeling more confident in Feng Tiange. Her idea of using the Fish Market to approach the court was impressive.

"Please, go on," Feng Tiange replied calmly, showing no urgency.

"After Xie Jin abandoned the No-south House, I was fortunate enough to acquire it from a significant figure in the court. If Miss Feng doesn't mind, you could represent me as the new patron of the No-south House." As Rong Qi spoke, he pulled a gold token from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

Feng Tiange looked up, her heart skipping a beat. The Carefree King... Royal Uncle Beiming Di!

"You have connections with the Carefree King?" Feng Tiange asked, astonished. The Four-sea Merchant Alliance had an agreement with the Great Qi court not to interfere in politics or form private relationships with officials.

This connection runs deep!

For a moment, Feng Tiange saw a resemblance between Wen Yu and Rong Qi, but it was fleeting. Wen Yu was his own person, incomparable to Rong Qi.

"Eldest Miss Feng plans to report to Beiming Yuan?" Rong Qi noticed the shock in Feng Tiange's eyes and asked calmly.

The biggest advantage of being reborn is knowing where you were wrong in your previous life. Feng Tiange wouldn't tell, and anyone who tried to inform her would be silenced.

"How can the Master trust Tiange?" Feng Tiange picked up her token and tucked it into her sleeve, leaving no room for Wen Yu to backtrack.

"Chu Ping said you have a grudge against Beiming Yuan. Coincidentally, I don't like that kid much either," Rong Qi said nonchalantly. Beneath his golden mask, his face was as cold and resolute as ice.

He didn't just dislike that kid; he intended to ruin him...

Feng Tiange understood.

She should have guessed that as the Master of the Merchant Alliance, Wen Yu would know about Chu Ping hiding in the Virtue Helping Hall.

Feng Tiange agreed to Wen Yu's terms, promising to split the net profits from the Fish Market evenly, and Wen Yu agreed not to interfere with her actions there.

After leaving the Merchant Alliance, Feng Tiange visited the Virtue Helping Hall, where she heard from Xue Li about Qian Chuan's death.

She wasn't surprised; only those who've been deceived by Beiming Yuan know how treacherous he can be.

After Feng Tiange left, Lei Yi appeared with two messages for Rong Qi. One was that the Carefree King wanted to play chess with him, and the other was that Wei Zixuan invited him to the South Suppressing Marquis Mansion.

Why is life so difficult? One Rong Qi just isn't enough.

After weighing the pros and cons, someone decided to seek out the Carefree King because the old man still owed him two hundred dollars...

So, Wei Zixuan waited at the Rong residence for two hours without seeing Rong Qi and then headed to the South Suppressing Marquis Mansion, where he finally met Feng Xueyao.

If Feng Xueyao hadn't noticed Wei Zixuan among the hostages before, she certainly had no fondness for him after the incident with the embroidered handkerchief. And after the commotion at Biyuan, her dislike for him grew even stronger.

If it weren't for Wei Zixuan, the Biyuan incident wouldn't have blown up so much!

However, Wei Zixuan's status was ultimately different.

In the hall, Wei Zixuan, dressed in a black fox fur coat, held a teacup brought by the butler, occasionally glancing toward the door.

"Please wait a moment, the young lady will be here soon," the butler said just as the sound of soft footsteps approached from outside.

Feng Xueyao arrived gracefully, her light blue robe enhancing her delicate and beautiful features.

Wei Zixuan was usually competent in most matters, but when it came to affairs of the heart, he was clueless. Anyone with sense would know not to delegate something like an embroidered handkerchief to someone else.

Seeing Feng Xueyao now, Wei Zixuan got excited, but in his haste, he spilled tea on the back of his hand, leaving a large red mark.

When it comes to matters of the heart, the first to fall loses.

Feng Xueyao remained silent, waiting until Wei Zixuan nervously placed the teacup back on the table. She then turned and offered a graceful bow. "Xueyao greets Prince Wei."

"No, no... there's no need for such formality!" Wei Zixuan had seen Feng Xueyao before at a grand banquet.

It was love at first sight, and ever since, he couldn't get her out of his mind. At various events where they both appeared, he often thought about approaching her, but she never seemed to notice him, not even a glance.

Afraid of being too forward, Wei Zixuan would often ask Rong Qi to make the introductions, which Rong Qi reluctantly did time and again.

This time, Wei Zixuan didn't wait for Rong Qi. He had heard that Feng Xueyao had caught a cold after returning from the garden, and he was anxious to check on her. Even so, it took him two or three days to muster the courage.

"The butler mentioned that you wanted to see me?" Feng Xueyao showed no sign of deference, even though her status was technically below Wei Zixuan's.

She understood the look in Wei Zixuan's eyes—it was the same as Dugu Jin's had been, intense yet without desire.

At that moment, Feng Xueyao saw her prey.

"No... it's nothing too important. I just heard that you were unwell, so I brought some herbal remedies from home..." Wei Zixuan couldn't meet Feng Xueyao's gaze, feeling as if she were the radiant moon and stars, while he was as insignificant as dust.

"Thank you, Prince." Feng Xueyao's voice was calm, revealing nothing of her emotions, leaving Wei Zixuan unable to discern her thoughts. They both avoided mentioning the incident at the garden, as it was less than honorable. After some pleasantries, Feng Xueyao, citing her discomfort, saw Wei Zixuan out of the South Suppressing Marquis Mansion. There was plenty of time ahead, and this man was destined to be a pawn in her game.

Since the upheaval in the Qi Palace, the capital had seen its second snowfall of the winter in the twenty-eighth year of Tianwu. The sky was overcast, and the oppressive air seemed to weigh down on the heart. Before long, snowflakes began to fall, covering the ground in a blanket of silver frost.

Dugu Rou stood in the corner by the window, using her delicate fingers to open a crack in the window frame. On the bustling street below, a luxurious carriage had stopped outside the Drunken Immortal Tower, catching her eye.