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The cold wind howled, causing the swaying tree trunks to dance wildly. Suddenly, a faint fragrance filled the air, prompting Shan Yue to take a light sniff, then, as if in disbelief, she took a deep breath and froze in place: this scent?!
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand and approached Shanling and Shining, whispering, "Sisters, we should leave quickly. Let's not stay here..." Her words carried an indescribable urgency.
Both of them were taken aback, and even Yun Kexin looked at Shan Yue in disbelief, not understanding what was wrong with her.
"Shan Yue, did you smell something?" Shining asked abruptly, staring at Shan Yue.
Among the three sisters, Shan Yue had the most sensitive nose and could detect scents that others could not. Shanling and Shining had jokingly called her "dog nose."
"Shan Yue, do you know who it is?" Yun Kexin furrowed her brow and questioned with increased intensity.
"Please don't ask any more questions," Shan Yue lowered her head, her eyes fixed on the grass as she nervously rubbed her hands together. "I believe he is not that kind of person; there must be a misunderstanding. Please don't pressure me."
Yun Kexin was taken aback: "She" or "he"? Or still...
Soon, Yun Kexin felt a chill in her heart and vaguely sensed something. She frowned and said softly, "Forget it, let's go."
Shan Yue looked up and gratefully glanced at Yun Kexin. Then she desperately winked at Shanling and Shining. The two also sensed that Shan Yue might have some unspoken concerns but were reluctant to let the "lecher" go so easily. They stood there unwilling to move until Seventh Sister "gave the order," after which they reluctantly followed behind.
Meanwhile, the Black Cloaked Youth, who had been hesitating and conflicted while hiding in an ancient tree, suddenly overheard their conversation. He was startled at first, then felt ashamed: Shan Yue must have guessed it was him, which is why she was reluctant. But then he thought: he hadn't done anything wrong. The earlier "peeping" was purely accidental; once he realized it, he had stopped looking. What was there to be conflicted about?
Lost in thought, he leaped down from the tree and quickly caught up with the group of women, calling out from behind them, "Please wait a moment, ladies."
Yun Kexin, Shanling, and Shining heard his deep and powerful voice. They all paused simultaneously, while only Shan Yue slightly curved her lips: she indeed hadn't misjudged him! He was open and responsible!
The group of women turned around to face the Black Cloaked Youth—at this moment they were illuminated by moonlight, clearly seeing each other: Feng Yinxiao stood tall in his black cloak like a proud eagle surveying its domain. His dark eyes were vigilant yet held a hint of shyness as if he still felt embarrassed and uneasy about what had happened earlier; while the three women before him displayed expressions of surprise, confusion, and bewilderment. Only Yun Kexin remained calm and composed after a brief moment of shock.
A flicker of astonishment passed through Feng Yinxiao's dark and bright eyes: why wasn't she questioning him? No matter how well-mannered a woman might be, surely she couldn't tolerate such behavior?! This Seventh Sister left him somewhat perplexed.
Unexpectedly, Yun Kexin coldly stared at Yin Xiao for a moment and suddenly said something unusually clear:
"Shanling, Shanying, Shanyue, listen to my command: kill Yin Xiao."
The three sisters were stunned, looking at each other in confusion! Even Yin Xiao was taken aback; he had just been blaming Yun Kexin for treating her reputation lightly, and now he was conflicted about why she was so "arbitrary" as to want to kill him!
"Did you hear that? Kill him!" Yun Kexin glared with her watery eyes, filled with unprecedented anger.
"Sister, I—I believe Young Lord, he—" Shanyue struggled to defend Yin Xiao, "He's not the kind of person you imagine, he's not..."
"Yes, yes, Seventh Sister," Shanling, although unsure why Young Lord appeared in the fields at such an awkward time, hurriedly urged Yun Kexin, "If Young Lord were really that kind of person, we would follow orders and strike without mercy. But he is indeed a gentleman."
Even the usually eloquent Shanling was stuttering now.
Shanying didn't know what to do; she nodded desperately. She liked Yun Kexin, but she really couldn't bring herself to carry out that order.
Yun Kexin remained unmoved, her delicate beauty overshadowed by a layer of frost as she said, "Shanling, Shanying, Shanyue, do you remember what was written in the contract when we sold ourselves?"
"We remember," the three replied softly, "but—"
"There are no 'buts,'" Yun Kexin interrupted with a frown, her disappointment and frustration evident in her voice. "In the end, you are still Young Lord's people, not my Seventh Sister's. Go back and serve Young Lord; I don't need you here." With that, she turned and left.
Upon hearing this, the three sisters exclaimed in realization: Seventh Sister didn't actually want them to kill Yin Xiao; it was just a test.
They immediately regretted it and rushed after her, but Yun Kexin never said another word.
Meanwhile, Yin Xiao stood there with a heart ready for "execution," but he saw that the three maidservants did not act and even managed to annoy the usually good-tempered Seventh Sister. In the end, she left without looking back... However, just at that moment when Yun Kexin frowned and pouted as she turned away, he recalled her tone and demeanor—especially that last sentence. Why did it feel like a sulking wife? Was Seventh Sister angry that the three maidservants didn't obey her orders or was she sulking because they were "protecting" him? And in fact, she had always believed in him and didn't truly want to take action?!
A faint sense of warmth suddenly seized his heart and mind: whether it was as he thought or not, he had to act first.
He heard a soft rustling sound and quickly dashed forward like the wind beneath his feet. He blocked Yun Kexin's path. The three sisters who were anxious about their unspoken grievances saw Yin Xiao appear and exchanged glances before silently retreating to the side with smiles.
"Yun Kexin, please forgive me. Whether you believe it or not, just listen to me," Feng Yinxiao said with a nod. "What happened tonight was purely an accident; I did not intend to offend you."
His dark eyes, slightly lowered, seemed to gaze into her heart without blinking. Yun Kexin, who had been looking up, suddenly felt as if his gaze had burned her. She quickly turned her face away.
"It's nothing," Yun Kexin said, looking towards the jungle and casually uttering three words.
But those three words sounded like the sulky response of a young girl. Her voice was soft yet somewhat petulant and stifled, making those who understood her feel a sweet sensation in their hearts.
"There are also Shanling, Shining, and Shan Yue; they are all your people and will listen to you," Feng Yinxiao said gently. "It's just that they have grown accustomed to trusting me."
"That's why I let them continue serving Young Lord," Yun Kexin pouted for some reason, feeling a ripple in her previously calm heart due to Feng Yinxiao's words. "No matter what, they signed a contract of servitude. I even announced in front of Young Lord and my brothers and sisters that they are my Seventh Sister's people. But tonight, they disappointed me too much." Yun Kexin paused, her delicate voice trembling in the cold wind. "I was thinking that from now on, anything related to Young Lord should prioritize Young Lord first. In this situation tonight, I think it wouldn't be wrong even if I really wanted to kill Young Lord!" She indeed did not truly want to kill him!
"Yun Kexin, you are right," Feng Yinxiao replied calmly to Yun Kexin's firm yet childish tone of accusation. He continued softly, "No matter what, your reputation has been tarnished because of me." He then pulled a short knife from his sleeve and handed it to Yun Kexin earnestly. "You can solve this with one stroke right now."
Yun Kexin did not back down; instead, she defiantly snatched the short knife from him, swiftly drawing it from its sheath. The short and sharp dagger gleamed with a piercing cold light in her palm. Without thinking twice, she placed the knife against Feng Yinxiao's neck and looked up into his eyes. Yet she noticed that his eyelids did not flutter at all.
The Three Maidservants were so frightened their hearts raced: Seventh Sister wouldn't really want to kill Young Lord, would she? Shan Yue clasped her hands over her chest, holding her breath with wide-open eyes but dared not move an inch.
Yun Kexin looked at the unflappable Big Brother above her and felt inexplicably discouraged. She relaxed her grip and let the knife drop back into its sheath before pushing it towards Feng Yinxiao's chest.
"Here you go," Yun Kexin said as she turned slightly aside.
"Yun Kexin, you saw it just now, didn't you?" Feng Yinxiao did not take the knife but smiled instead. "When you were about to kill me, Shanling, Shining, and Shan Yue did not come forward to stop you, did they?"
Yun Kexin wanted to retort but found herself disarmed by Feng Yinxiao's gentle demeanor, as if saying another word would make her seem like a child throwing a tantrum.
"Let's go inside; it's a bit cold out here," Yun Kexin said somewhat incoherently.
Seeing the joyful scene unfold, the Three Maidservants couldn't contain their excitement as they eagerly followed along into the house while Feng Yinxiao smiled and followed closely behind.
Shanling went to boil water while the others gathered around the table.
"Sister, did you know that 'hiding' in the tree is Young Lord?" Shan Yue, the youngest, spoke with innocent curiosity as she looked at Yun Kexin, smiling lightly. "I thought I was the only one who noticed."
Shan Yue's words caused a faint blush to appear on Feng Yinxiao's handsome face, but it quickly faded away.
"Then how did Shan Yue know it was Young Lord?"
"I..." Shan Yue blushed and smiled, "I smelled the faint fragrance on Young Lord. What about you, Sister?"
"I inferred it from Shan Yue's reaction," Yun Kexin replied with a calm smile. "When a cold breeze passed by, I also caught a whiff of the fragrance in the air, but I didn't think much of it. Instead, I noticed your surprised expression when you smelled it and guessed you might have thought of someone. Thinking further, you used to serve Young Lord at Duke of Yan's Residence, so you must be very familiar with his habits regarding food, daily life, and clothing." Yun Kexin paused for a moment and added somewhat shyly, "I had noticed earlier that although Young Lord practices martial arts, he is exceptionally clean. He doesn't have the usual sweat smell of martial artists or the alcohol scent typical of military generals. However, since he interacts with his peers, his clothes inevitably get 'tainted' with strange odors. Therefore, Young Lord must have asked you to find ways to eliminate those strange smells. So, Shan Yue, you are most familiar with and sensitive to this faint fragrance, right?"
"Seventh Sister, you are really smart," Shan Yue said with a bright smile. "Yes, that's right! Because my sense of smell is quite sensitive, Young Lord entrusted me with eliminating the strange odors."
Yun Kexin teased with a smile, "It's not that I'm smart; it's that you're too protective of your master."
Shan Yue panicked and waved her hands repeatedly. "Seventh Sister, I didn't mean that! Please don't misunderstand..."
"Don't be nervous; I'm genuinely complimenting you, Shan Yue," Yun Kexin laughed and then turned her gaze toward Feng Yinxiao. "Young Lord, how did you come to Tian Zhuang? How long have you been here?" (To be continued)
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