Instead of answering right away, she lifted her sleeve and carefully wiped the blood from Lang Huan's face.
"I find you even more charming like this," she said softly, placing both hands on Lang Huan's collar.
Lang Huan paused for a moment before letting out a low chuckle. "Your Highness truly is extraordinary." Her gaze lingered on Feng Yao, and the cold, dark pupils slowly softened, regaining their warmth.
The snow fell heavier, white flakes drifting through the air before settling on the ground like a cold blanket. The freezing wind slipped into their clothes, stinging their skin.
"Let's go back to the Princess's mansion." She bent down and, with a light movement, lifted the Eldest Princess into her arms. Snow clung to their hair and clothes, but the wind quickly swept it away as she soared into the sky using qinggong, their figures disappearing into the swirling snowstorm.
Lin Ruochen watched as Lang Huan carried the princess away, her silhouette fading into the snowy haze. Even her qinggong was so skillful.
If she had such strong internal force, why did she claim to know nothing about the soldiers' deaths?
Was she just pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger[1] all along?
Doubt crept into Lin Ruochen's thoughts, making her reconsider everything Lang Huan had said back in the cave.
Meanwhile, Qiu Hua, who had left Lang Huan to train with Mo Yuan, returned to the training yard to escort Lang Huan back to the mansion. However, to her surprise, A Li and the others were already there.
"Her Highness is here?" she asked in disbelief. The Eldest Princess had never set foot in the training yard before. What could have possibly brought her here now?
Qiu Yue gave a small nod, but before she could say anything, Qiu Hua suddenly froze. Her gaze fell upon a shocking sight—a body lying motionless on the ground.
Mo Yuan… was dead?
"What happened?" she asked, her voice tense.
Qiu Yue didn't answer. Instead, she turned to A Li, who also shook her head in silence.
Lin Ruochen lowered her gaze, her expression unreadable.
"You should clean this mess," Qiu Yue said, pointing at the body.
"I'll tell you later," she added, patting Qiu Hua's shoulder before hurrying away.
Qiu Hua stood there, still confused, as snow continued to fall around them, covering the blood-stained ground bit by bit, as if trying to erase the traces of the chaos.
---
Lang Huan carefully lowered the Princess in front of her room.
So this is what it feels like to use qinggong—effortless and fast. I'm lucky to have inherited all these martial arts skills instantly just by being a descendant of the Lang Clan. But…the killing intent is too strong.
She stood there, lost in thought.
Feng Yao frowned and tugged at Lang Huan's sleeve, snapping her out of her daze. "Your hand looks pretty bad. You should let the imperial physician check it."
Lang Huan's face tensed. She feared the physicians—not because of the pain, but because they could easily uncover a person's true gender.
She quickly shook her head. "No need, just send me some medicine. It doesn't hurt anymore," she said, trying to sound calm even though her movements were still a little stiff.
But Feng Yao ignored her words. She grabbed Lang Huan's arm and pulled her into the room.
"Sit," she ordered firmly.
Lang Huan let out a small sigh but still sat obediently. Meanwhile, Feng Yao searched for medicine and bandages. She brought a basin of warm water and placed everything on the table.
Lang Huan watched her move back and forth, busy with preparations, but remained silent.
Gently, Feng Yao began cleaning her wound. As she got a clearer look at the injury, her face slightly twisted in discomfort.
Feng Yao carefully applied medicine to Lang Huan's wounds. After ensuring the medicine was properly absorbed, she wrapped the wounds tightly with bandages.
"Does it hurt?"
Lang Huan shook her head, though in truth, the stinging pain was still there. However, she didn't mind—it was rare to receive such careful attention from the Eldest Princess.
Feng Yao narrowed her eyes slightly, then raised an eyebrow. "Is there nothing you want to tell me?"
Lang Huan paused, frowning in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Feng Yao let out a small chuckle, tapping her fingers lightly against the table. "You're good at playing dumb, but how long do you think you can keep fooling me?"
Lang Huan winced. Her right hand felt like it was being bitten by a thousand ants—painful and unbearably itchy.
"What kind of medicine did you use? This is so itchy!" she complained.
"It's an itching poison," Feng Yao said with a playful smile
"You—!"
She tried to undo the bandage wrapped around her hand, but Feng Yao had tied it so tightly. Frustated, Lang Huan bit the edge of the bandage, trying to pull it off with her teeth, but it was useless.
Feng Yao elegantly picked up a cup of tea and took a slow sip before continuing, "You better answer me honestly, and I'll give you the antidote. Otherwise, your hand will rot within an hour."
Lang Huan's face turned pale. She hadn't expected Feng Yao to go this far just to make her talk.
Which lie was Feng Yao even talking about? There were too many.
"You were the one who killed the Second Prince's men that night, weren't you?"
Lang Huan felt a slight sense of relief upon hearing the question. As long as it wasn't about her true identity being exposed.
She nodded, enduring the unbearable itch spreading through her hand. "I didn't lie, Your Highness. As far as I remember, you never directly asked me about it."
"Shut up!" Feng Yao snapped sharply. "Well done, Lang Huan. You even bewitched Lin Ruochen into lying just to protect you!"
Feng Yao was truly ruthless. Lang Huan feared that she would drag Lin Ruochen further into trouble.
"Your Highness, I was the one who forced her to lie. If someone must be punished, let it be me! Please, don't punish Ruochen."
Seeing how Lang Huan pleaded for Lin Ruochen, Feng Yao's expression darkened. She shot up from her seat, her eyes burning with resentment.
"Do you care about her that much?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Feng Yao leaned down slightly, her gaze locking onto Lang Huan's face, searching for answer.
"Do you like her?" she asked again, her voice quieter this time, as if even she wasn't sure why she was asking.
Lang Huan blinked, confused. Of all the things Feng Yao could have asked, why this? Why did it even matter whether I liked Lin Ruochen or not? She frowned slightly, trying to understand Feng Yao's intentions.
[1] The phrase "pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger" comes from the Chinese proverb which means to pretend to be weak or foolish in order to deceive an opponent