Tao Lengshuang acted as if she had heard the funniest joke, laughing non-stop, her words dripping with sarcasm, "Heavens, I've finally seen what it means to be shamelessly invincible."
"Madam Sheng is my godmother. It is only right and proper for me to handle this matter. As for you, Lord Zhou, you admire my godmother yet act in such a way. Do you think you can do whatever you please?"
Zhou Wenxing noticed the growing crowd of onlookers and did not wish to argue further with Tao Lengshuang. The most important thing now was to obtain Madam Qi as quickly as possible.
He would not let anyone else snatch his Madam Qi away. He would not spare anyone who stood in his way.
"Princess Mingrui has a silver tongue. I have other matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave."
Just as Tao Lengshuang was about to have her hidden guards stop him, she saw Mo Lingxi appear. Seeing that Zhou Wenxing was being blocked, she was delighted to stand and watch the show.
"Where does Lord Zhou wish to go?" Mo Lingxi's eyes were cold as he looked at Zhou Wenxing.
Zhou Wenxing did not fear Tao Lengshuang, but he was wary and afraid of Mo Lingxi. He knew better than anyone else the terror and danger of Prince Mingrui, which was one of the reasons he had not acted when he learned that Prince Mingrui was hiding in Shilipo Village.
"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Mingrui." He bowed respectfully. "I have matters to attend to, so I wished to take my leave."
Mo Lingxi glanced at Sheng Li and said indifferently to Zhou Wenxing, "What urgent matters do you have to attend to, Lord Zhou? Perhaps you could tell me, and I might be able to help you."
Zhou Wenxing had used an excuse and did not actually have anything urgent. He understood that Mo Lingxi was preventing him from leaving and was filled with resentment.
"It is a private matter, and it is inconvenient to discuss it."
Mo Lingxi nodded and made a gesture to invite him, "It's rare to encounter Lord Zhou. I invite you for a drink."
Saying this, he led the way into the wine shop, taking Tao Lengshuang's hand.
Zhou Wenxing knew he could not leave at this moment and could only grit his teeth and follow. He wondered what Prince Mingrui intended to do, but he had to be careful.
The hidden guards dragged Sheng Li inside.
The onlookers dispersed in twos and threes, discussing what had just happened and calling Zhou Wenxing a madman.
In a private room of the wine shop.
Mo Lingxi poured a cup of wine for Tao Lengshuang, completely ignoring Zhou Wenxing and Sheng Li, and spoke to Tao Lengshuang about the gradually warming weather.
Tao Lengshuang looked at the snow on the rooftops outside the window, recalling the sweet potatoes that had finally survived, and wondered if she should find a piece of land to plant them.
Sweet potatoes did not grow well in pots, and if planted in the ground, she could make some adjustments.
However, she needed to choose the right plot of land for planting.
"When the weather warms up a bit more, I'll take Xiao Feng around. This child has been to too few places."
Mo Lingxi replied with a "Good," and added, "Take a few more people. There are many bad people in this day and age, and there are always some self-righteous bad people."
Tao Lengshuang hummed in agreement and then heard Zhou Wenxing's voice.
"Your Highness Prince Mingrui, Princess Mingrui, may I be excused? Honestly, my private matters are rather urgent."
Tao Lengshuang remained silent. It was more appropriate to let Mo Lingxi handle this matter.
Mo Lingxi raised an eyelid and said in a low voice to Zhou Wenxing, "Since Lord Zhou has urgent matters to attend to, I shall not keep you any longer."
"I hope Lord Zhou remembers one thing: do not do what you should not do, otherwise... I do not like to kill people; I prefer to make others taste how painful it is to be alive."
Zhou Wenxing shivered violently, his face turning completely pale. He stammered a reply of "I dare not," and without even looking at Sheng Li, he stumbled away.
Seeing that Mo Lingxi and Tao Lengshuang were ignoring her, Sheng Li scrambled away, her previous arrogance gone.
As for Luo Yang, she had fled as soon as she saw Mo Lingxi, fearing that Mo Lingxi would settle accounts with her and make her lose the prosperous life she had finally obtained.
"Let's go back and check on our godmother," Tao Lengshuang said with concern. "I wonder how godmother is doing."
Mo Lingxi took her hand and got into the carriage, a hint of jealousy in his voice, "You treat my godparents better than you treat me. When will you ever be this good to me?"
Tao Lengshuang casually replied, "Oh," and patted her thigh, thinking about Zhou Wenxing's matter. How could she investigate Zhou Wenxing's affairs quickly and resolve this person?
Judging by Zhou Wenxing's state today, if he wasn't dealt with promptly, he would go mad and harm her godparents.
Also, regarding the matter of swapping daughters, she needed to obtain irrefutable evidence from Zhou Wenxing.
"Tao Lengshuang, I'm talking to you. Did you hear me?"
Mo Lingxi's slightly displeased voice pulled Tao Lengshuang back from her thoughts. She asked in confusion, "Ah? Sorry, what did you just say? I was thinking about something."
Mo Lingxi, however, was reluctant to lose his temper with her. He rubbed his temples helplessly and said, "I was asking when you would be a little nicer to me."
"I feel like I am an existence that can be discarded in your heart."
Tao Lengshuang replied very seriously, "I've said this many times. This is not the life I want."
"Perhaps it's because I grew up in the countryside, or perhaps I'm used to being free. I'm really not suited for this kind of life."
Mo Lingxi sighed, "Can't you change a little for me?"
Tao Lengshuang stated that she would not change, "If I change, I won't be Tao Lengshuang anymore. More importantly, I cannot compromise myself and live a life of deceit for you."
"I know this sounds selfish, but I really cannot live this kind of life."
Mo Lingxi stroked her head and said softly, "You are not selfish. Your thoughts are correct, just as I cannot give up everything for you, regardless of Zi Cheng and the empire."
"I hope you can change a little for me. It's not about compromising yourself, but about changing a little for me, can you?"
Tao Lengshuang stared at him blankly for a moment, then sighed softly, "Mo Lingxi, why must you do this?"
"You know I cannot stay here for long. Perhaps I will return to Shilipo Village soon, or move to Hehua Town."
She had considered staying in Dongdu, and she had considered spending her life with Mo Lingxi, but she truly could not stand the deceit and restrictive life here.
Mo Lingxi knew he couldn't rush. He gazed at her tenderly, "No rush. We have a lifetime. If you cannot change for me, then I will change for you."
"When all the matters are resolved, I will accompany you to the places you want to go, alright?"
A hint of sweetness and warmth filled Tao Lengshuang's heart, but more so, there was struggle, "You really don't need to do all this."
Mo Lingxi, however, said it was necessary, "I want to be with you."
Tao Lengshuang's lips curved into a smile unconsciously. She turned her head to look at the bustling crowd outside the carriage, "I'll think about it."
Mo Lingxi's thin lips curved into a smile, and he said, "Good." He couldn't push Tao Lengshuang too hard; this matter had to be handled step by step.
"There are more and more people on the street," Tao Lengshuang changed the subject. "How are the supplies?"