Rising Phoenix

Even though the man didn’t make things difficult for her, not to mention he had even helped her, Feng Zhiwei still didn’t dare feel lucky about the situation.

When she saw that glance of his reflection in the lake, she clearly saw the murderous look on his face.

She had gone stiff in the water, not even daring to move the little hair on her hand.

“This is such a terrible feeling, being a fish on someone’s chopping board…” Feng Zhiwei sighed and waved the broom weakly. The broom shook feebly in the air, raising a small blanket of snow. Feng Zhiwei took up the broom resentfully, imagining the time when she could be so arrogant.

If she could, then she wouldn’t have knelt in front of the front door on a cold winter and then had dirty water poured on her.

If she could, then she wouldn’t be cornered in an empty room by a scumbag.

If she could, then she wouldn’t have to depend on another person’s roof and look on powerlessly as her mother silently swallowed insults and humiliation in order to protect her and her brother.

I’m dreaming. Feng Zhiwei mocked herself and moved forward, dragging her broom.

She couldn’t even live past twenty, what was the point of thinking so much?

She turned down the path at the corner of the flower wall without even realizing that behind the wall, a pair of eyes watched her quietly.

A witness to her hollow and helpless eyes.

The wind blew and shuffled the leaves, but there was no trace of human passage by the ivy bushes in that corner. Behind those dark green leaves, however, was a vague silhouette of a raised brow, showing the colors of the dark green mountain in the distance.

A while later.

“Ning Cheng.”

“Oh.”

“Tell me…” The man straightened the collar of his pale fur coat, the soft, bright fur covering part of the dangerous expression on his face; a cold smile showed through his crystalline eyes. “Should I kill her? She ruined my plans, and I feel… she’s dangerous.”

“Master.” The man in grey standing to the left had a forgettable face; he examined the woman’s disappearing silhouette in due seriousness and then counted with his fingers. After a moment, he answered in a respectful tone, “Seven and a half minutes.”

This seven and a half meant that he could kill her and destroy her body and all traces within seven and a half minutes.

The man in the pale fur tapped his chin and smiled faintly as he looked at his servant. “Your speed has slowed down.”

“This girl is different.” Ning Cheng said carefully, “She gives me a familiar feeling—a little dark, a little weird, a little cold, and a little inhuman.” He tilted his head to think. “Like…”

The man in the pale fur lifted his eyebrows with a cold smile on his face. His smile was a little dark, a little weird, a little cold, and a little… inhuman.

And as expected, the man in grey found his answer, clapping his hands happily. “Like master!”

Coughing lightly into his hand, the man looked at his beaming subordinate while smiling lightly. “Really?”

Clueless, the plain-faced man nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

To the side stood another man in grey who immediately dragged away the walking disaster while sweating coldly.

The man watched on with amusement as his two loyal followers ran away before turning his eyes back to the path Feng Zhiwei had disappeared down. He thought back to her stunning appearance and his eyes glittered. After a while, he laughed heartily.

“… Like me?”

After his guard helped him into his sown ink-black Flying Feather Dragon Cloak, he took a final amused look at the area before walking away with a smile, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Since it’s like this, I’ll just watch.” His laugh was not loud, but it shook the leaves free from the trees around him. “I want to see if she can be like me and survive in this stormy and murky capital where the wind and the rain pours and blows, and the changes are like the clouds and the waves. I want to see if she can…”

He paused and a cold killing intent emanated outward. Far above him, a white plum blossom on the highest branch shattered.

“… Survive pass three months.”

In the farthest northwest corner of the Qiu Mansion stood a small yard with its door half opened. This yard had no name and used to be part of the servant’s quarters before it was given to Qiu Shangqi’s sister. For better or for worse, she was part of the family, and so they built a short wall to separate her yard from the servant’s. This was the last dignity for the former Qiu Family Young Mistress; everything else was the same as a servant’s.

The yard was arranged by Madam Qiu who had originally thought that her proud and arrogant sister-in-law would definitely make a big scene. To her surprise, after the young Qiu Mingying eloped and came back with a son and daughter as Madam Feng, her temper had changed. She quietly accepted everything her brother and sister-in-law arranged.

She had already brought scandal to the family and came back begging for help when she had nowhere else to turn; she was in no position to complain.

Feng Zhiwei went straight to the dining table after she entered the yard—she had fallen into the river and was hugged so early in the morning, and now she was so hungry that the skin of her stomach was stuck to her ribs.

There was a bowl of Chinese Rice Vermicelli with cabbage and two steamed buns. They were all cold; the vermicelli had dissolved, and the steamed buns were hard as bricks. The former Qiu Family Young Mistress, Madam Feng, sat by the broken leg of the short dining table. She was holding a small knife, trying to scratch away the ugly black stains on the table.

When Feng Zhiwei came in, Madam Feng carefully picked up a steamed bun and called to her. “Wei’er, come eat.”

Feng Zhiwei frowned as she sat down. “There are three people here, why did they only give two steamed buns?”

“Manager Zhao said that His Majesty will be coming to the Qiu Mansion tomorrow and the kitchen is very busy. This is all they have.” Madam Feng didn’t touch the steamed bun and instead carefully took some of the Chinese Rice Vermicelli soup and drank slowly.

Feng Zhiwei remained silent, looking at Madam Feng as she bit into the steamed bun. Above the bun, her pair of misty eyes shone with a gentle charm and brilliant light. As the eyes remained still, a glittering nobility flashed forth.

Madam Feng helplessly returned her gaze and answered honestly, “I hear that Shao Ning Princess will also be coming.”

“Oh,” Feng Zhiwei replied, turning her gaze away and taking another bite out of the cold steamed bun. Shao Ning was coming, and all of her uncle’s sons were excited. The whole mansion was busy trying to flatter her, and the kitchen was preparing things for the picky princess. They had no choice but to eat these leftovers from yesterday.

This was normal. It’s fine as long as you’re used to it.

The mother and daughter pair ate and talked.

“What is His Majesty leaving his palace for?”

“The cold wave a couple days ago killed many people in the city. Jiu Cheng Yamen is trying to help the people by giving out free food. His Majesty is probably coming to check on the situation.”

“Checking on the situation should be just an excuse. Isn’t the real reason because he wants to check whether Lord Chu is commanding Jiu Cheng Yamen well?” Feng Zhiwei had to use some strength to rip the skin off of the cold steamed bun. “The Crown Prince was accused of misconduct when he took those beauties from Western Liao, and Prince Chu is in his camp. With the situation in the palace so chaotic, someone is taking the opportunity to throw stones down the well and kick a man when he’s down.”