Rebirth of the Duke's Daughter and the Little Imperial Uncle

Chapter 194 Iceberg Blue Maple

Yingchun looked up, her gaze sharp as if she could see right through Lan Feng. She stared intently at him and asked, "Are you here to see Qiuye?" A hint of doubt arose in Lan Feng's heart. He wondered to himself, "If I'm not here to see Qiuye, what other purpose could I possibly have?" So, with a calm and expressionless face, he replied, "Of course. So, I wonder if Miss Yingchun could tell me?"

Yingchun stared at Lanfeng's cold and aloof expression, her doubts growing stronger, like a fog she couldn't dispel. She thought to herself, "Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem like a heartless person! Is he just putting on an act in front of me? I'll observe him further."

So, Yingchun said to Lanfeng, "Since Guard Lan is here to see Qiuye, I have a few questions I'd like to ask you. Please sit down." She then gracefully gestured for Lanfeng to sit opposite her. Lanfeng, wanting to find out what Yingchun wanted to ask, obediently sat down.

Yingchun said softly, "In what capacity did Guard Lan come to see our Qiuye?" As soon as she finished speaking, her gaze pierced Lan Feng like a sharp sword. Lan Feng was slightly taken aback, and before he could recover, he heard Yingchun continue, "Or let me put it another way, what do you take Qiuye for? Is she someone insignificant who can be summoned and dismissed at will, or is she your plaything?" These words were like sharp knives, piercing straight into Lan Feng's heart, making his face turn pale instantly.

Upon hearing the word "plaything," Lan Feng flew into a rage, slamming his fist on the table like a volcanic eruption. The impact was so powerful it sent shivers down Banxia and Dongxue's spines. Lan Feng's eyes flashed like knives, radiating cold light, and his entire being seemed to instantly plummet to freezing. He said icily, "Miss Qiuye is a rare and extraordinary woman, and Miss Yingchun is surely well aware of this. I hope you will refrain from making baseless accusations and defaming her reputation."

Looking at Lan Feng's frosty face, even the usually fearless Dong Xue was terrified and fell silent, not daring to utter a word. Ying Chun, however, smiled slightly and said softly, "I know perfectly well what kind of person Qiu Ye is; you don't need to waste your breath explaining. But since you know so much about her, why did you abandon her after starting something so wonderful?" Lan Feng was filled with suspicion, completely bewildered, and pressed, "What do you mean, Miss Ying Chun? When did I betray Miss Qiu Ye? Please enlighten me." At this moment, Dong Xue interjected, "You still dare to stubbornly say you didn't betray Qiu Ye? Don't you already have a new love? Still pretending here, humph!"

Lan Feng grew increasingly puzzled, his voice icy and piercing, like a sharp, cold wind, as he questioned Dongxue like a knife: "When did I acquire a new love? Please enlighten me, Miss Dongxue." Dongxue scoffed, her tone filled with disdain, like a snowflake in the cold wind, cold and ruthless: "What, Guard Lan, are you forgetful? Just now in the garden, weren't you chatting and laughing with your new love? Could you possibly remember our Qiuye?" Lan Feng pondered for a moment before suddenly realizing that Dongxue had misunderstood his question, assuming he had a new love. No wonder she had attacked him earlier. His tone softened slightly, but he still said coldly, "I have never met her before."

Banxia was furious, like a powder keg that had been lit. She said irritably, "How can you be so hypocritical? You don't know her, how could you talk to her? I heard Lan Yu say that you never interact with strange women. If you have, then she must be someone you know well. You're just deceiving yourself and burying your head in the sand!" Lan Feng retorted, "Asking for directions counts as knowing someone well?" Banxia was about to argue when Yingchun interjected, "So, Guard Lan means you were asking for directions?" Lan Feng continued to retort, "Do you think I know the way around here?" Yingchun was speechless, realizing she had misunderstood. Dongxue said, "Fine, even if we misunderstood you, you're still a heartless person. Why haven't you come to find Qiuye for so long, without even leaving a word? Do you know how sad and heartbroken Qiuye has been during this time?" Banxia also chimed in, "That's right, do you know she hasn't been able to eat or sleep lately, and she's lost a lot of weight."

Upon hearing this, Lan Feng was immediately struck dumb, his face filled with anxiety. He asked urgently, "What did you say? She hasn't been doing well lately?" Banxia continued, "It's more than just not doing well! She's been crying her eyes out. She's like a candle flickering in the wind, teetering on the verge of collapse every day."

Before he could finish speaking, Lan Feng asked anxiously, like an ant on a hot pan, "Where is she? Tell me quickly!" The others exchanged glances, all remaining silent as if their mouths had been sawed off. Lan Feng, having heard that Qiu Ye cried every day, felt as if a thousand cats were scratching at his heart, and panic instantly gripped him. Seeing no response, he pressed on again, his voice sharp and stern, like a thunderclap: "Where is she?"

Banxia mustered her courage and stammered, "What if we don't tell you? What can you do about it?" Lan Feng's eyes were as cold as frost, so indifferent that they seemed to freeze everything in the world. He said in a cold voice, "Then I'll search room by room." After saying that, he shot his gaze at Yingchun like an arrow.

Yingchun shivered involuntarily. His gaze was like a sharp blade, radiating a chilling light that sent shivers down her spine. She quickly said, "The second room on the left." Lan Feng then withdrew his gaze, thanked her, and turned to leave. After he left, Banxia breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest and saying with lingering fear, "Finally gone! I was so scared! Did you see the look in his eyes just now? I felt like if I hadn't told him, he would have devoured me alive! It was terrifying!" Dongxue looked at Banxia's timid appearance with disdain and scoffed, "What's there to be afraid of? He's not going to eat you up." Then, she couldn't wait to ask, "Sister Yingchun, why did you tell him?"

Yingchun smiled slightly and said softly, "He doesn't seem to be lying. He managed to silence the three of us all by himself, which shows he knows exactly what he's saying. Besides, this is between the two of them, and they need to face the consequences themselves, whatever they decide." Banxia and Dongxue nodded vigorously in agreement. Yingchun then added half-jokingly, "The main thing is, I'm also afraid of getting a beating from him!" At this, the group burst into laughter, the sound seemingly piercing the sky.