Inside the private room.
Xuan Yuan Heng directly threw Feng Ran onto the bed and said coldly, "Feng Ran, stay here and contemplate your mistakes."
He glanced at An Ying, "If anything else happens this time, this King will not spare you."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Feng Ran's face was deathly pale. She was somewhat bewildered. Xuan Yuan Heng had brought her back, only for this?
Or were there more things to come?
However, she dared not speak. She dared not utter a single word.
Looking at the unusually obedient Feng Ran, Xuan Yuan Heng said chillingly, "Feng Ran, wait. The real show is yet to come."
"How could this King possibly let you off so easily?"
Feng Ran's expression turned extremely ugly, a bad premonition surfacing in her eyes.
She trembled all over, curling up in a corner, trying to make herself as small as possible, as if that would make her cease to exist.
Although she knew these actions were futile, mere self-deception, she had no better options at the moment.
Feng Ran stared vigilantly at the people before her. Even after Xuan Yuan Heng had left her sight, she still looked at them with a cold gaze.
Spring Overflowing Courtyard, the quiet room.
Sheng Yi sat not far away, looking at the man above her, his face dark and stern. Sheng Yi trembled all over.
She knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound.
Xuan Yuan Heng's icy voice questioned with malice, "What happened to her these past few days?"
Sheng Yi shivered, but finally, she braced herself and recounted everything that had happened in the past few days.
However, Xuan Yuan Heng was not satisfied with Sheng Yi's account.
His cold gaze fell upon Sheng Yi, "Sheng Yi, you know that this King does not keep useless people by his side. If even such a simple matter cannot be accomplished, then this position should be given to someone else."
Sheng Yi shivered.
She had anticipated punishment but had never imagined it would be so severe.
"Your Highness, I will investigate this matter thoroughly."
Xuan Yuan Heng glanced at Sheng Yi, "Then, it is best that you give this King a satisfactory answer."
Sheng Yi retreated. The moment she stepped out, she was drenched in sweat. In all her years serving Xuan Yuan Heng, she had never seen him so enraged.
It seemed the Regent King still cared about Feng Ran.
Sheng Yi thought to herself, she had to do a good job, or else she would be the next one to suffer.
...
The Ling Family.
Ling Chi Yuan seemed to have suffered a heavy blow, clutching a wine jar and drinking one after another, occasionally smashing jars.
Drunk and disheveled, Ling Chi Yuan looked quite fearsome at this moment, yet none of the servants in the manor dared to approach him, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.
At this moment, his mind was filled with Feng Ran's cold, heartless words.
"No, it's not like that, it's not like this." Ling Chi Yuan stood up, a wine jar in his hand, staggering as he walked. Seemingly unable to stand, he fell to the ground with a thud.
The wine jar shattered, and he himself collapsed onto the ground.
Recalling Feng Ran's words, Ling Chi Yuan even believed that all the fault lay with Xuan Yuan Heng.
Suddenly, he stood up, "Xuan Yuan Heng, one day I will replace you. Replace your position in Feng Ran's heart."
"Feng Ran will forever belong only to me."
Ling Chi Yuan shouted loudly, and after shouting, he lay flat on the ground.
...
Qing Huan was still in her room, extremely pleased.
She thought that by tricking Feng Ran away, Feng Ran would now be subjected to humiliation. A smug smile spread across her face as she thought that even heaven was on her side this time, and Feng Ran was truly finished.
Without Feng Ran, Ling Chi Yuan would surely be hers.
Qing Huan hummed a song, looking content.
She sat in front of the mirror, adorning herself. She had to dress up nicely now to attract Ling Chi Yuan's attention.
At this moment, a rapid knocking sound came from the door: *knock, knock, knock*.
Because of the knocking, Qing Huan's eyebrow line was drawn crooked. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, so angry that she wanted to smash the mirror. Everything had been going so well; why did something like this have to happen?
Qing Huan stood up, walking towards the door with a furious expression, muttering, "Who is it? I must see who is tired of living. To disturb me at this time."
"Just you wait, I'll skin you alive."
Qing Huan reached the door and was about to open it when it was kicked open from the outside. She was clearly caught off guard and was sent flying, landing on the ground, her forehead hitting the wall directly.
Her freshly styled hair was now disheveled.
"Who is so tired of living? Do you know who I am? How dare you treat me like this. I will take your life. Hmph, you don't even know who I am, to dare..."
Before she could finish speaking, she looked up and saw the person who had arrived. The once furious Qing Huan almost fainted on the spot.
Her face instantly burned red.
Her lips turned pale, and she trembled all over, cold sweat breaking out on her back.
"Regent King, n-no. I... I..."
"I truly didn't know it was the Regent King. If I had known, I wouldn't have dared to utter such treasonous words, no matter how bold I was."
Xuan Yuan Heng's eyes were icy, and he exuded a chilling aura. His gaze fell maliciously on Qing Huan, and he kicked her again, sending her flying.
"Is that so? Who are you? To be so defiant? Tell me, who is behind you, and let this King see if this King can move them."
"Under this sky, this King has yet to meet someone he fears. Now, I am very interested to know."
Qing Huan trembled all over, her hands clenched tightly, not daring to say a word.
Xuan Yuan Heng's foot stepped directly onto the back of her hand, and he said coldly, "Who gave you the audacity to touch Feng Ran?"
After speaking, he kicked her again.
Hatred flickered in Qing Huan's eyes.
Feng Ran, Feng Ran, it was Feng Ran again.
Wait, if Xuan Yuan Heng was so enraged, did that mean her plan had succeeded?
She had gotten carried away with her excitement. She asked gleefully, "Feng Ran? Is the Regent King so enraged because Feng Ran is dead? Is she no longer alive?"
She looked at Xuan Yuan Heng expectantly.
However, Xuan Yuan Heng said nothing.
Qing Huan looked at her bleeding hand, feeling no pain at all. A smile spread across Qing Huan's face, and she started laughing heartily at Xuan Yuan Heng.
"Feng Ran is dead, isn't she?"
"Did she die a particularly ugly death?"
"Did she die horribly? Did many people see it?"
"Haha, she must be dead. Even a celestial being couldn't save her now."
"Regent King, I was doing this for you. Didn't you hate Feng Ran to the bone? Feng Ran killed the woman you loved for her own selfish reasons, so she deserved to pay with her life."
"Of course, the Regent King publicly stated he wouldn't kill Feng Ran, that he would let her live well. I think the Regent King actually wanted Feng Ran dead, but he couldn't say so out loud."
"So, Regent King, everything I've done is for you."
Qing Huan said with conviction, as if everything she said was absolutely correct.