"Came to the kitchen to get something?"
Feng Wuxi's life-threatening voice rang out behind her. In the dark, Feng Yinwan, whose heart was colder than ice, let go and snapped the pot lid back on.
"You wouldn't understand. Special things need to be kept in special places."
Feng Wuxi warned her, "Stop with the sweet talk. Get what you need and leave."
"Got it."
She fumbled around vaguely, making a show of leaving. In the darkness, several silver needles silently scattered from her fingertips.
...
To avoid alerting anyone in the military camp, Xu Yunxiao and his trusted men had been secretly searching the city for the past few days.
However, after several days without any trace of Feng Yinwan, Yuping was already frantic. Yet, Li Chengyan wouldn't let her go with them.
"You're a girl, not fast enough to run, not high enough to jump. You wouldn't be much help and would only distract them, making them worry about taking care of you. Better to stay here and recover from your injuries."
He tugged at her collar, clicking his tongue.
"Look at your injuries."
Only one bottle of Jade Muscle Dew had been used, and the scabbed areas were a purplish-red, still looking pitiful.
Yuping frowned and pulled her collar back. Glancing at the gauze on his chest, she wasn't about to be outdone.
"You should look at your own!"
The two injured individuals together, their upper body injuries were almost complete, neither any better than the other.
Li Chengyan chuckled and withdrew his hand. "Your mouth is quite sharp."
Not wanting to bicker with him, Yuping pursed her lips and was about to head out. However, just as she took a step, the tent flap was already lifted.
Upon seeing who it was, Li Chengyan's gaze darkened, and he pulled Yuping back.
"General Xie, what brings you here?"
He was now a deputy general, subordinate to the main general, but judging by his demeanor, he showed no proper respect or courtesy.
Xie Changlin's eyes narrowed slightly. Looking up, he caught sight of the pale pink dress behind him.
Li Chengyan partially blocked his view, so he couldn't see Yuping's face clearly, but he knew it was a woman. His eyes flickered, and he spoke immediately.
"I came specifically to check on General Li's injuries. It seems you have someone to care for you, so you must be recovering well."
He emphasized the words "someone," looking at Yuping with obvious meaning.
Li Chengyan chuckled and blocked her even more firmly.
"She's just a clumsy maid, too foolish to take care of herself. How can she possibly care for someone? General Xie thinks too highly of her."
"Is that so? Then I'll order some considerate women to be sent to General Li. How about that?"
This remark carried a subtle probe.
Li Chengyan smirked, "I wouldn't dare refuse."
"Good!"
With a meaningful curl of his lips, he turned to leave. However, he paused at the tent entrance.
"The dense forest on the west side of the camp is very dangerous. General Li should avoid it in the future."
Li Chengyan's expression remained unchanged, "General Xie, rest assured. I have already ordered that beast to be dealt with."
Xie Changlin said he would send people, and within half an hour, several heavily made-up women appeared in the tent.
"General Li, General Xie has ordered us to serve you well. There are no outsiders here, so you can do as you please and command us as you wish~"
They fluttered around Li Chengyan, their figures hinted at beneath their thin clothing, and their words were extremely suggestive, treating Yuping behind him as if she were invisible.
Li Chengyan smirked, his fingers caressing the teacup with a touch of nonchalance.
"Alright, I certainly wouldn't want to disappoint General Xie's kindness."
Mistaking his words for consent, the women's actions became bolder. But just as one was about to touch the tie at his waist, a teacup lid firmly blocked her.
"What are you doing?"
His eyes held a smile, deep and shallow, making him unreadable.
The woman was momentarily stunned, then giggled charmingly, her eyes full of allure, "I naturally want to serve the General well~"
Li Chengyan scoffed, "I already have someone serving me."
He glanced sideways at the person behind him, his meaning clear.
Seeing this, the woman's expression changed. She scrutinized Yuping with sharp eyes and then spoke in an even more seductive tone.
"The General is joking, isn't he? How could such a foolish maid serve you well?"
"Is it up to you to decide if it's good or not?"
The teacup lid pressed down on her hand with force. The woman cried out in pain and her hand was flung away.
"Go and shell those walnuts."
"Shell... shell walnuts?"
The woman was dumbfounded.
What? She was about to reach the climax, and now it was like being a baby again?
She met Li Chengyan's fleeting cold gaze and dared not say another word, immediately getting up and kneeling to the side.
Li Chengyan raised an eyebrow and added casually, "Shell them with your hands."
The walnut shells were harder than her bones. Shelling them with her hands was practically a death sentence!
The woman's face turned pale, but before she could protest, she saw him turn to the others beside him and coldly command,
"Don't you all be idle either."
"You, sweep the floor. You, wipe the tables and chairs. And you, stand guard outside. Your scent is giving me a headache."
They never expected that Xie Changlin would send them over, only for Li Chengyan to make them do such chores. The women exchanged glances, filled with regret.
Seeing them still frozen in place, unwilling to move, Li Chengyan stood up and with a gentle flick of his foot, overturned the table in front of them.
"Why aren't you going yet?"
"Yes...!"
The annoying chatter receded, and even the air around him felt fresher.
He stretched lazily, then turned to find that the slender figure in the tent had already disappeared. Li Chengyan's eyes flickered, and he immediately strode out.
Little girl, you're fast.
As soon as he exited the tent, he saw two figures standing together. Xu Yunxiao had returned at some point and was now beside Yuping, the two whispering about something.
He narrowed his eyes and approached, just as he heard Yuping's anxious voice.
"Brother Xu, is there still no news of Miss?"
Xu Yunxiao shook his head, fatigue tinged with self-reproach.
"We've searched all over Jinzhou City for the past two days, and indeed, there has been no sign of the Princess Consort."
He paused, his expression growing more serious. "It seems the officials are also looking for the Princess Consort's whereabouts..."
They had been searching secretly, but yesterday they encountered several yamen runners searching the streets with portraits. At first, they were surprised, but then they realized it was likely an order from the capital.
Yuping frowned upon hearing this as well.
"Brother Xu, do you think Miss hasn't appeared because she's trying to avoid being searched by the officials?"
An order from the capital was equivalent to Ye Tinglan's will.
If that were the case, it would make sense for Feng Yinwan to intentionally avoid them.
Xu Yunxiao considered it and nodded, "It's possible."
After a moment of silence, he continued, "If the Princess Consort doesn't wish to reveal herself, our search will be in vain. How about this, I'll go back home one more time to see if the Princess Consort left any clues."
Yuping nodded, "Brother Song, I'll go back with you."
She couldn't stand to be in Li Chengyan's tent with those vamps for another second.
Unexpectedly, before she could finish speaking, that voice, laced with a hint of laziness, suddenly sounded in her ear.
"What are you following for? He's a grown man, can't he go back by himself?"