Feng Jin Yue pondered inwardly, Qi Bei Han really had no reason to be jealous, right? What needed consideration now was why Qi Bei Han knew every detail about the private room she and her second brother were in. Just now, seeing Han Chen emerge from Qi Bei Han’s presence, she had formed a suspicion—the true master behind the Drunken Immortal Pavilion was most likely Qi Bei Han.
Qi Bei Han fixed his gaze on Feng Jin Yue and declared firmly, “This prince has told you before, in Dongling City, every person and every matter is under my control.”
“Alright,” Feng Jin Yue responded casually. As for her conjecture, she couldn’t be bothered to verify it. The only thing that piqued her interest about the Drunken Immortal Pavilion was the water source used to brew the Immortal’s Intoxication—whether it was due to the presence of a Spirit Vein.
“Do you think this prince is inferior to Han Chen?”
“Ah?” Feng Jin Yue was taken aback by this sudden comparison. So he really was keeping score? She let out a long sigh and explained, “Firstly, I didn’t know beforehand that the deputy Tower Master of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion was so young, so upon first sight, I merely offered a polite compliment. Secondly, Your Highness knows I excel in the art of disguise, and the moment I saw him, I saw through it and couldn’t help but laugh.”
Meeting Qi Bei Han’s eyes squarely, Feng Jin Yue said earnestly, “I don’t even have that kind of interest in someone like Your Highness, whose looks are so devastatingly handsome—a Celestial Immortal Beauty—let alone a mere passing acquaintance. So, Your Highness need not make such comparisons.”
Having received this explanation, Qi Bei Han retorted arrogantly, “Hah, this prince never intended to compare myself with him!” Suddenly, he caught the implication in her words and asked in a low voice, “You said you have no ‘that kind of interest’ in this prince—what kind of interest is that?”
“Isn’t it just the usual interest between men and women, the natural human inclinations?” Feng Jin Yue said offhandedly, but her mind involuntarily replayed the scene in the carriage that afternoon that had left her flushed and heated…
“You…” Qi Bei Han frowned deeply, his mind filled entirely with what had happened in the carriage during the day. They had been pressed so close together, yet she could remain utterly unaffected? “Is this prince so lacking that you feel nothing at all?”
Feng Jin Yue never expected Qi Bei Han to question her so bluntly, especially with the way he was looking at her now. She fell completely silent. Oh dear, she shouldn’t have said that earlier—now things were awkward, and whatever she said would only make it worse.
Just as she hesitated over how to respond, a voice came from outside: “Reporting to the Regent, the auction is about to begin. You may proceed now.”
Immediately, Feng Jin Yue said to Qi Bei Han, “Your Highness, let’s go to the auction first and not waste time. My second brother is still waiting outside.” As she spoke, she stood up, but the moment she took a step, her right wrist was seized by a large, firm hand.
Qi Bei Han leaned in close, pressing down on her, and enunciated each word, “No hurry. We’ll continue our conversation!”
Feng Jin Yue thought quickly—this was a situation that called for a distraction. A spark of inspiration struck, and she had it.
Stealthily, she retrieved a crimson, lustrous pill and, reaching out, directly fed it into Qi Bei Han’s mouth. Pressing it in with the pad of her index finger, she pushed it into his mouth while explaining, “This is something I made from a sweet medicinal fruit, similar to a candy pill. When the sweet flavor spreads, it clears the mind and brings a sense of ease and pleasure.”
A uniquely sweet taste—Qi Bei Han did indeed find the flavor soothing and pleasant. Was she treating him like a child, using ‘candy’ to divert his attention?
Feng Jinyue noticed that Qi Beihan had no intention of spitting it out or questioning her further, and the large hand gripping her wrist had already released its hold. It seemed the effect she intended had been achieved. However, at that moment, she suddenly realized her finger was still resting on Qi Beihan’s thin lips—half of it even slipped inside, and her fingertip seemed to touch a warm, moist sensation…
What in the world was she doing? The scene was utterly seductive and shameless. Flustered, she quickly withdrew her finger, trying hard to appear calm, then turned and hurried away from the spot.
Qi Beihan watched her retreating figure, somewhat flustered, and thought to himself, It’s not as if she felt nothing at all. He raised his hand to touch the spot on his lips where her finger had been, his mouth still filled with a lingering sweet taste.
Feng Jinyue opened the door, and Liu Ying and Liu Shang, seeing Miss Feng emerge first, felt puzzled but knew better than to ask questions that weren’t their place.
Feng Lingze, who had been waiting nearby, rushed over as soon as he saw his younger sister come out. “Little sister, are you… alright? Why is your face so red?”
“N-no, I’m fine.” Feng Jinyue quickly changed the subject. “Second Brother, the auction is about to start. Let’s hurry over.”
“Ah, right, right, let’s hurry.” Feng Lingze agreed verbally but didn’t move his feet. “Um, little sister, are you sure we shouldn’t wait for the Regent to join us?”
“No need.”
“Alright then, whatever you say, little sister.”
Soon, the two siblings entered the auction hall. The auction venue was enormous, occupying almost the entire seventh floor of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. The hall was brightly lit, as clear as daylight.
In the center of the auction hall was a raised square platform, undoubtedly for displaying auction items. Seats were arranged on all four sides, and naturally, the higher the level of the Distinguished Guest Token one held, the better the seating.
Feng Jinyue followed her second brother to find a seat. Fortunately, the auction hall was spacious enough that they were unlikely to run into Qi Beihan in their chosen spot.
Before long, the auctioneer took the stage, and most of the guests participating in the auction had taken their seats. The auction began…
Feng Jinyue listened as bids were called out one after another in the hall, then asked her brother, “By the way, which lot is the one you’re interested in?”
“The sixth lot—a Golden Feather Fan. According to the auction’s listed starting price, it’s three thousand taels of silver. I estimate it could go for eight to ten times the starting price, which I can accept, but the actual bidding outcome is unpredictable, and it’s very likely to exceed that.”
“Second Brother enjoys collecting fans, and for this one to capture your interest so strongly, it must be quite extraordinary.”
Feng Lingze nodded. “This Golden Feather Fan is made of pure gold, with twelve fan ribs as light as feathers forming the entire fan surface. But that’s secondary. The main feature is that it conceals a fine steel soft sword inside. When the fan is closed, triggering the mechanism transforms it into a sword.”
“No wonder.” Feng Jinyue smiled. “From what you’ve said, if the final bid exceeds your expectations, will you give up on it?”
“It’s a fine item, but one must act within their means. Besides, ten times the starting price is the peak of its value.”
“Does Second Brother not like it enough?”
“Why do you ask that?”
“If you like it, then bid for it. Second Brother, don’t worry about how many times the starting price it reaches. What matters most is that you like it. Matters that can be resolved with gold and silver are no trouble at all.”
Feng Lingze gently tapped his younger sister’s head and said, “Is little sister planning to sponsor her second brother?”
“Why not?”
“It seems our little sister’s ‘treasury’ is quite substantial.”
Feng Jin Yue calmly replied: “Not much, not much, just a tiny bit!”