Chapter Thirty-Four-Quando a concubina diz que eu não mereço? A filha legítima renascida, abalando a corte e conquistando o posto de fênix(Chuva intensa)

Shen Ningshuang’s expression was calm, like a strategist with a plan already well in hand. It was clear that she had not conceived this scheme overnight; she had likely played it out and rehearsed it countless times in her mind, with every detail and every variable mastered to perfection.

Leng Zhaowen, listening from the side, felt his blood boil. He blurted out excitedly, "Uncle, the path is laid out before us. Are we doing this or not? Give us a straight answer." His voice was high and impassioned, as if he were cheering them on.

Leng Yichen scanned the three of them, his gaze weighing and assessing. After a long silence, he spoke: "If things are truly as you say—that war between the two nations is inevitable within three months and that I am to be the commander-in-chief—then I believe you." His voice held a note of resolve, as if he had issued a formal military pledge.

Upon hearing this, Leng Zhaowen’s face lit up. He lunged forward, draped an arm over Leng Yichen’s shoulder, and wore a comically exaggerated grin. "Uncle, a man of honor keeps his word. Since you’ve agreed, you can’t doubt us anymore. You have no idea how much effort we put into forming this alliance with you! But since I’ve worked so hard, could you promise me one thing?" His eyes twinkled with mischief, as if he were hiding some ulterior motive.

Leng Yichen looked at him, recalling how Shen Ningshuang had once described this man as lacking decorum. Now, he seemed far worse than that; he was a complete clown, at once infuriating and amusing. "Tell me."

"If one day you marry my sister Shuang’er, can I avoid calling her 'Imperial Aunt'?" Leng Zhaowen suppressed a wicked grin, looking like a cat that had just stolen cream.

At these words, Shen Ningshuang turned crimson with indignation. She snatched the sword from Shen Muyun’s waist and hissed, "Leng Zhaowen! I swear I’ll sew that mouth of yours shut one day! Stop right there!" Her cheeks were flushed like ripe apples, and she had completely shed her usual composed, maidenly demeanor, appearing instead playful and spirited, like a delicate flower blooming in spring, bright and captivating.

Seeing this, Leng Zhaowen took to his heels. He fled, turning back a short distance away to make a face at her before making his escape with the triumph of a victorious general. Whether from shame or anger, Shen Ningshuang was still bright red, her chest heaving as she panted. This left Leng Yichen puzzled. Why had Leng Zhaowen said something so abrupt? He pondered silently, wondering if Leng Zhaowen and Shen Ningshuang were not a couple. The thought flickered through his mind, leaving his thoughts in a tangle, as if he were lost in a thick fog.

Shen Ningshuang said sheepishly, "Your Highness, don’t mind him. He’s just like that. Although he’s usually frivolous, he is certainly reliable when it comes to business." Her voice carried a hint of helplessness, as if she were excusing Leng Zhaowen’s antics.

Leng Yichen did not want to dwell on this, eager to escape the awkward mire. He shifted the subject: "The task I gave you three days ago—is there a result?" He was referring to the investigation into the origins of the mysterious crystal ball.

Shen Ningshuang had not expected him to be so persistent about the orb, as if he would not stop until he achieved his goal. Her heart skipped a beat, but she had to force herself to improvise: "The seller was extremely mysterious. When they delivered it to Yuhua Pavilion, they stated that there was someone who would be determined to have this orb. If that person bought it, so be it, but if someone else obtained it, they would rather not sell it at all." Her eyes darted about, fearful that Leng Yichen would see through her lie.

Leng Yichen raised a brow, sensing a discrepancy. "How could they be sure who they were targeting?"

Shen Ningshuang shook her head feignedly. "The person was enigmatic, claiming that fate is governed by cause and effect. If the item fell into the hands of others, they would find a way to take it back. Your Highness knows that such sellers often have peculiar temperaments; since they said that, we naturally couldn't press them further. After they left, our people followed the clues they left behind, but we only tracked them to a mountain range where no human had ever set foot before we were forced to turn back." Her voice grew quieter, lacking conviction.

Leng Yichen asked urgently, "Have you seen the seller?" His eyes locked onto hers, as if trying to see through her.

Shen Ningshuang shook her head. "I have not, but my subordinates saw her once when she brought the ball for auction. They said it was a woman wearing a white cloak. Beyond that, we know nothing."

Leng Yichen’s heart erupted! It was as if a thunderclap had struck within him, and his face turned deathly pale.

It was her—it was truly her!

That woman was like a faint, ethereal shadow in the dead of night. During their two previous encounters, he had mistakenly believed them to be mere hallucinations. Only now could he be certain that she existed and had been watching him from the shadows all along, as if guarding an unknown secret.

For a long time, he had walked the thorny, obscure path of cultivation in solitude, like an outcast detached from the mortal world, radiating a chilling sense of distance. Yet this mysterious woman was like a glimmer of light piercing the lonely night, his only connection to this chaotic world, a beacon of hope in the barren sea of his heart.

Though they had met only a handful of times, a deep, indescribable intuition had always lingered: she was like his twin flame, the only one capable of resonating with his soul, a fated soulmate. Only by joining with her could he part the heavy mists and glimpse the truth at the end of the unfathomable path of cultivation.

At this moment, his face lost all its usual frost. In its place was an unprecedented, frantic look, as if he had been set ablaze by a sudden, wild fervor. He laughed heartily and wantonly, like a traveler in the desert who had suddenly unearthed a rare treasure; then, he would furrow his brow in deep thought, his forehead creased as he weighed the pros and cons, his eyes filled with gravity and contemplation. At other times, he seemed entirely conflicted, trapped in a tangled web of confusion, his steps aimless. He was entirely consumed by his inner world, ignoring the two people standing beside him. Shen Ningshuang watched him with cold indifference. Was such a loss of composure truly necessary? A living person stood right in front of him, yet he ignored her, becoming obsessed with someone whose face he hadn't even clearly seen. It seemed the allure of a fairy held a truly fatal attraction for men.