Wen Yuwei was momentarily stunned by his words, a faint sorrow clouding her face. But this brief moment of melancholy passed, and her eyes, now full of determination, turned to Wen Xinglu.
"No, ever since I was young, I vowed to marry into this Eastern Capital and become someone of status. Although the current situation seems a bit perilous, I believe it's only temporary. Once I rise again, I will reclaim all the suffering I've endured!"
Wen Xinglu was unsure whether to advise her or not. Looking at her persistent demeanor, his gaze was complex.
Feng Jinyao, whom Wen Yuwei resented, slept soundly.
The fire fox, resting beside her, suddenly smelled a familiar scent in its sleep. It glanced at Feng Jinyao, then darted towards the door, disappearing in an instant.
Its fiery red fur made it conspicuous wherever it went, yet foxes were naturally agile and adept at hiding. Following the familiar scent, it weaved through streets and alleys, eventually running into the Xu residence.
With a whoosh, Tuanrong burrowed into Elder Xu's embrace, finding a comfortable position. Its eyes signaled to the accompanying Chil Ling, as if to say, "This is my territory, play as you please."
After resting for over half a month, its injuries had long since healed. However, the string of events in the Feng family had delayed everything, and it hadn't been able to go out.
Chil Ling playfully pounced on Tuanrong, and the fox and cat became "friends."
"Oh, out gallivanting again? Let this old man see which little female cat you've brought back this time?"
Elder Xu was accustomed to Tuanrong's philandering "feline" ways. However, when he picked up Chil Ling, he realized it was a male.
His white beard twitched, and his gaze towards Tuanrong changed. "You truly are indiscriminate, aren't you!"
Xiao Tingyi, who was sipping tea nearby, was somewhat surprised. "Why is it here?"
"The fox raised by that Miss Feng, named Chil Ling. It was injured by Tuanrong at Fahua Temple last time and took over half a month to recover."
As Chil Ling's story unfolded from his lips, Elder Xu looked at him with amusement. "You say you have no interest in that girl, yet you know so clearly what she keeps around her."
Xiao Tingyi was speechless. He glanced at Yang Zhao beside him, his expression conveying a silent reprimand for his talkativeness.
Yang Zhao looked up at the heavens, speechless. Who knew that young man would suddenly come looking for them? He had merely investigated the Feng family as he usually did. Now, it had become his problem. Unfortunately, he dared not speak his mind and secretly harbored resentment towards the other person.
When he returns next time, he swore he would give him a good training session.
As he was contemplating this, Chil Ling heard its name being called. It turned its head and saw a man with sharp eyebrows, a straight nose, and thin lips. Though it was a fox, it recognized beauty. A hint of astonishment flashed in its round, large eyes.
Furthermore, it was attracted by the cold and indifferent aura he exuded. The strong admired the strong; it was an eternal truth!
With a whoosh, Chil Ling burrowed into Xiao Tingyi's embrace, as docile as it had been when it first sought refuge with Feng Jinyao.
He looked down at the ball of fiery red fur curled up on his crimson brocade robe, appearing exceptionally brilliant.
"You certainly know how to find yourself a protector!"
Elder Xu said enviously. He then looked down at his own Tuanrong, who only knew how to eat, drink, and play, and felt a pang of disappointment.
Chil Ling did its best to exude its soft, cuddly side. This was an animal's most acute intuition. It knew that the person before it was not to be trifled with, at least compared to its owner.
His fingers, well-defined yet slender and cool, stroked Chil Ling's smooth fur. The long-chilled spot in his heart seemed to gradually warm.
"Quite cute."
Thinking this, he casually took out a brocade ribbon and tied it around its neck. The brocade was woven with intricate golden patterns. Ordinary people wouldn't recognize its significance, but Yang Zhao was quite surprised.
"Your Highness, this item..."
"It's nothing. I merely thought it matched its fur color."
Upon hearing this, Yang Zhao fell silent. What else could he say? Such an important item could be casually given to Miss Feng's fox, and he still claimed to have no interest.
Chil Ling, unaware of the implications, felt a restraint around its neck. It initially wanted to struggle, but then it remembered that it was tied by the man himself, so it obediently wore it. Little did it know that this brocade ribbon would later save its life.
Chil Ling played in the Xu residence for half the day before returning to the Feng residence at dusk.
It slipped back through the window it had left from earlier and looked up. The woman on the bed was still sleeping soundly.
Fortunately, it had returned after eating its fill, otherwise, it would be hungry again.
It licked its nose, its mouth still savoring the recent taste. No wonder it was so likable; the chicken cakes the man had given it were ten thousand times tastier than those made by Xiùqiú.
Alas, such opportunities were not always available. However, it had firmly remembered the man's scent before leaving and would seek him out again next time.
With this thought, it fell asleep contentedly.
Outside, Yun Xu tiptoed in and saw Feng Jinyao still sleeping soundly, so she didn't disturb her. She turned and instructed Xiùqiú to keep the food warm in the small kitchen, so that if their lady woke up in the middle of the night, she would have a hot meal.
A night of sweet dreams.
When Feng Jinyao woke up again, it was already broad daylight.
"Yun Xu, Yun Xu..."
She called out softly to the outside and saw someone enter.
"Miss is finally awake. Are you hungry? I'll have them bring breakfast right away."
Yun Xu lifted the curtain and entered, bringing a hint of chill with her. Behind her followed La Mei and several maids to help with her toilette.
"I didn't realize I was hungry until you mentioned it. I slept so soundly; it's been a long time since I've had such peaceful rest."
"Miss was exhausted from taking care of Brother for so long, so you naturally need more rest," Yun Xu said as she helped her put on her clothes.
Chil Ling, hearing the commotion, lazily lifted its head. Seeing familiar faces, it relaxed its body again.
"This lazy fox..." Before she could finish speaking, Yun Xu exclaimed with a "yi" sound and walked over to pick it up. She stared at the brocade ribbon and asked curiously, "Did Miss tie this on it? I've never seen it before."
She reached out to try and pull it off, but the ribbon seemed to have no seam, and she didn't know where to start.
"Let me see." Feng Jinyao looked down. She felt that the item seemed somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. "It looks good on it."
As the mistress and servant were discussing, they heard someone announce from outside that people from the Bai family had arrived.
Everyone?
Could it be that her maternal grandparents had also come?
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, she quickly asked the maids to help her get ready.
With her elders arriving, it wouldn't be proper for a junior like her to dawdle.
She put aside her curiosity about the brocade ribbon, ate only a few mouthfuls of porridge to fill her stomach, and after getting dressed and groomed, she went to the main hall.