Chapter 26

By evening, everyone in the manor knew that the Eldest Miss and the Young Master of the Rong family were engaged.

However, the visit from the Princess Consort of Prince Rong earlier that day had still left a lingering impact.

Marquis Changle had been away from the manor during the day. When he returned in high spirits, only to learn that the Princess Consort had come to propose a marriage between her son, the Heir of Prince Rong, and his daughter, his entire mood soured.

Others might not truly understand that Heir of Prince Rong, but Marquis Changle—a seasoned, unconventional old playboy—certainly did. And as for that Princess Consort, he never expected she would set her sights on his daughter.

“Susu, that Princess Consort is a piece of work,” Marquis Changle said, referring to his wife. “Don’t you dare be fooled by her exterior. A ‘model for all women’? Bah! She can’t even hold a candle to my Susu.” Aside from his own wife, the Marquis had no interest in other women, no matter how heavenly they looked, let alone any desire to “protect the fair sex.”

It was a mercy he didn’t trample them instead.

Rong Susu arched an eyebrow and shot him a sidelong glance. “Do I look like someone that stupid to you?” Internally, however, she was quite pleased, her heart swelling at the compliment.

“Mother isn’t stupid at all,” Cheng Ruyi chimed in with a grin, finishing off a slice of watermelon.

Moxiang had already briefed her on the Princess Consort, her words filled with praise, as if the woman were the only perfect specimen of femininity under heaven. Hearing her parents’ actual impressions now, Cheng Ruyi found it quite fascinating.

In the original book, this Princess Consort was a mere background character who appeared only once; the rest of her presence consisted of the public’s endless praise.

Cheng Yu nodded in agreement while eating his own watermelon. “Sister is right.”

Rong Mo looked thoughtful. It seemed his aunt and uncle both disliked the universally praised Princess Consort. Could there be some hidden story? He felt there was something suspicious about her coming to propose for her son.

Seeing her children stand up for her, Rong Susu smiled happily.

Marquis Changle was still a bit disgruntled, but he knew he had to give them a proper warning. “Susu, and daughter, and kid Rong Mo—if you encounter the Princess Consort in the future, it’s best to avoid her. That woman is not simple.”

“A-Yuan, you said she’s ‘a piece of work.’ What exactly is the story?” Seeing her husband’s repeated warnings, Rong Susu’s expression turned solemn.

The Marquis sneered. “Years ago, I accidentally stumbled upon the Princess Consort having a secret meeting in the back hills of Xiangguo Temple. She was talking to someone about killing someone—cutting the grass and pulling up the roots, that sort of thing.”

“So, I’m telling you, appearances are deceiving. She isn’t as simple as she looks; that woman is ruthless.”

Rong Susu was shocked. “To think such a thing happened… then why would she take an interest in our daughter?” At that moment, a spark of anger rose in her heart.

Rong Mo listened calmly, casually handing a slice of watermelon to his cousin. Over the past eight years, his people had investigated almost every influential figure in the capital—save for a few highly guarded, secretive households. He was well aware of many hidden scandals. He had long grown used to the dark schemes used by women in the inner courts to vie for favor.

It was exactly why he found his straightforward cousin so refreshing.

Cheng Ruyi didn’t have much of a reaction. In her past life, she had killed zombies and even supernatural ability users who plotted against her family. Killing was nothing new to her. The back courtyards of ancient wealthy families were full of intrigue; people died there all the time.

At least my cousin is better, she thought. He’s all on his own.

The newly engaged couple was, surprisingly, thinking on the exact same wavelength.

Marquis Changle huffed. “What else could it be? Don’t be fooled by the Heir’s excellent reputation. He’s having an affair with Prince Rong’s most beloved concubine. The Princess Consort definitely knows, but she’s covering it up to protect her son’s name.”

“So, she likely wanted to use our daughter to get rid of that concubine and then ‘resolve’ the marriage later.”

“How incredibly sinister.”

The Marquis spent his days wandering about, so he often stumbled upon secrets, though he usually kept them to himself. If his daughter hadn’t been dragged into this, he would have taken this secret to his grave. The more you know, the faster you die—and the Marquis felt he hadn’t lived nearly long enough yet.

Rong Mo narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t expected his uncle to know such explosive, hidden information. Are my informants useless? he wondered.

Cheng Ruyi chuckled. “That Heir has some guts, giving his own father a ‘green hat’! Haha!” Her focus was, as always, slightly off-target.

Rong Susu’s eyebrows shot up in fury. “So that’s it! I knew that woman was plotting something. To dare use my daughter! Humph!”

“Thank goodness her marriage was already settled, or that woman might have succeeded!”

If Rong Mo hadn’t liked her daughter, Rong Susu might have been tempted to agree to the match with the “highly-reputed” Heir just to spite others. Thinking about it now made her break into a cold sweat. Thank goodness!

“Why not just kill the concubine directly? Why go through all these loops?” muttered Cheng Yu, who had been acting as a “invisible man” until now.

“Exactly,” Cheng Ruyi agreed, always a fan of simple and direct solutions.

Cheng Yu gave his father a smug look.

Marquis Changle was speechless. His daughter was too simple-minded; thank goodness she had someone as reliable as Rong Mo to protect her.

“Son, daughter, you’re thinking too simply. That concubine managed to steal the Prince’s favor right under the nose of the Princess Consort, forcing her to retreat. Her schemes are not to be underestimated.”

“So this fame-cherishing Princess Consort wanted to ‘kill with a borrowed knife,'” Rong Susu said, her face grim.

The couple exchanged a look. They were both petty people who held grudges; if the Princess Consort dared to use their daughter, she would have to face their wrath, even if she hadn’t succeeded.

The thick-skinned Cheng Ruyi just thought, I really don’t get these ancients. They love talking in circles. If it were her, she’d just solve the source of the trouble.

A cold light flickered in Rong Mo’s eyes. He didn’t think the Princess Consort was the type to give up easily. Apparently, his uncle thought so too.

Returning to her courtyard, Cheng Ruyi bathed and then happily rolled around in her quilts. Now that she was engaged, she was a woman with a “husband” and no longer had to envy others. It was a pity her Da Jiejie ¹ Eldest Sister wasn’t here to see her get married and have children.

She had heard that for engaged couples, the woman usually gave the man some small handmade items. Cheng Ruyi was a bit troubled about what to give her cousin.

Moxiang, who had just finished lighting the incense, saw her mistress’s conflicted expression and asked curiously, “Miss, are you unhappy about the engagement to the Young Master?”

“How am I unhappy? I’m just thinking about what small gift to give him,” Cheng Ruyi replied, giving her a look.

Moxiang breathed a sigh of relief. So that was it. That was easy. “Miss, for these small items, it’s best if you make them yourself to show your sincerity.”

Cheng Ruyi thought this made sense and nodded solemnly, feeling a bit embarrassed that she had just been planning to use silver to buy something. It seemed she needed to learn from her Da Jiejie . She decided to go ask her cousin what he liked.

Being a woman of action, she jumped out of bed, slipped on her embroidered shoes, and dashed off to the Bamboo Garden.

Moxiang: “…”

The Bamboo Garden was a quiet place, requiring a walk through a second gate, but it wasn’t far from Cheng Ruyi’s courtyard. A few lanterns hung in the yard, and it was peaceful. Rong Mo didn’t like having many servants; there were only two pages and an old woman who managed the yard.

When Cheng Ruyi entered, she found it strange that no one was around. Is he not here? she wondered. Impossible, the moon is already high. If he isn’t home, is he out being a thief?

She entered the house and saw candles lit. Sensing someone’s presence, she assumed he was inside and barged in, calling out, “Cousin, are you there?”

“Ah! Cousin, you’re bathing!” She walked in to see a “Beautiful Man Bathing” scene and her eyes widened, showing not a hint of shyness.

Rong Mo’s lips twitched helplessly. He hadn’t expected her to barge in while he was in the tub, let alone stare at him so brazenly. His ears turned red, and he gave a light cough. “Cousin, please go out for a moment.”

Cheng Ruyi chuckled inwardly. She hadn’t realized that while her cousin looked lean, his physique was actually toned and powerful—he even had abs! The only pity was that she couldn’t see the whole picture to check if he had long legs. “Alright, I’ll go out first.”

As soon as she left, Rong Mo quickly grabbed his clothes from the screen and threw them on. Only after calming the heat in his chest did he call her back in.

Cheng Ruyi saw him fully dressed and felt a twinge of disappointment. That was the downside of being an ancient—even the men rarely showed any skin.

“Cousin, why have you come?” Rong Mo didn’t miss her disappointed look; a playful spark touched his eyes.

“It’s nothing much. I just wanted to ask what kind of small items you like?” Cheng Ruyi remembered her purpose.

Rong Mo’s heart stirred, his gaze deepening. Is she planning to give me a gift? “As long as it’s from you, I will like it.”

Cheng Ruyi was delighted. Every time her Da Jiejie asked her husband what he liked, he always said that. It seemed Rong Mo’s personality was similar to her brother-in-law’s. Perfect. She could use everything she learned from her sister on him.

“Then I’ll carve an eagle for you.” Men liked eagles; he should too. In the post-apocalyptic world, she had often done stone and wood carvings to train her mental power, and her work had been very popular. Thinking it over, this was the only craft she could actually show off.

Rong Mo couldn’t hide the joy in his eyes. “Good!”

Having received his answer, Cheng Ruyi happily lunged forward and gave him a big hug, even sneaking a quick squeeze of his waist.

With the soft, fragrant beauty in his arms and the faint scent of her post-bath fragrance lingering in his nose—plus that little hand wandering at his waist—Rong Mo’s body stiffened. For once, he was at a loss. Just as he was considering hugging her back, she let go.

A trace of disappointment flickered in his heart.

“Cousin, it’s late. I’m going back. Get some rest!”

After her bit of mischief, Cheng Ruyi bolted.

Rong Mo: “…”

Tonight was going to be a sleepless night.

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