Lu Changqing halted in his tracks, his eyebrows twitching violently. “Don’t even mention a separation agreement—I wouldn’t even give you a letter of divorce!”
Who would take care of his children if they separated? How could he let the Lu family’s descendants wander outside? Besides, where would he find Heart’s Blood to cure his beloved if they parted ways?
“You want me to sacrifice my life to fulfill your love? Lu Changqing, you go too far.” Fang Qianxue bit her lip, tightening her grip on the handkerchief in her hand.
Just as she had expected, this man was utterly selfish—he would never let her go.
“Qianxue! The Qilin Beast is starving and on the verge of death. The Empress Dowager has already issued an edict summoning Miaoyan to the palace, but she’s so ill—how can she possibly go?” Lu Changqing walked back to her side, intending to pull her into his embrace, but Fang Qianxue dodged him. “Couldn’t you just… reluctantly offer a day’s worth of Heart’s Blood for her? Just enough to ease Miaoyan’s condition so she can enter the palace. Please?”
“Impossible,” Fang Qianxue replied, sitting back down on the soft couch and pouring herself a cup of tea. “I’ve already told you she isn’t sick at all. You just refuse to believe me.”
“You! Fine, since you’re so stubborn, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” Lu Changqing said triumphantly. “His Majesty has already ordered me to fill my elder brother’s vacancy at the Surveillance Bureau and take charge of Prince Yong’s case. I was originally planning to spare Fang Jue and the others, but now… we’ll see!”
With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.
The tea in Fang Qianxue’s cup spilled over, and she hurriedly wiped the table with her handkerchief.
Lu Changli’s memorial accusing Prince Yong of treason had just reached the capital when Emperor Ming received a letter reporting troop movements in Jiangnan. Believing that Prince Yong had received word and launched a preemptive rebellion, the emperor immediately dispatched troops to Jiangning to suppress the unrest and imprisoned several ministers who were friendly with Prince Yong.
Prince Yong’s entire household was exterminated overnight. Her grandfather, Grand Tutor Fang, had once been Prince Yong’s teacher and had repeatedly recommended him as the crown prince, so naturally, he couldn’t escape involvement.
Come to think of it, the case had never been properly tried. It wasn’t until the storm had passed that Emperor Ming remembered to hold a trial.
In the original story, she had agreed to give her blood to Xu Miaoyan, and Lu Changqing had promised to spare the Fang family. But she died before the trial concluded, and Lu Changqing, showing no regard for his promise, sentenced all the male members of the Fang family to death to demonstrate his righteousness in upholding the law.
So what did his promise to her even mean?
Fortunately, now that she had awakened, she would never again leave her fate in someone else’s hands.
“We’ll see,” Fang Qianxue murmured, gazing out at the night beyond the window, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips.
Feeling a surge of restless anger with nowhere to vent, Lu Changqing left Plum Blossom Pride. Instead of returning to his study, he turned and walked into the small courtyard behind Pinesong Residence.
This was a relatively secluded courtyard that Lady Chen had ordered to be tidied up for Xu Miaoyan to live in.
“What nonsense about killing someone to exchange lives? That jealous woman has been utterly absurd lately, even claiming that Miaoyan is pretending to be sick. Ridiculous,” Lu Changqing muttered to himself as he walked. “Could I possibly not tell if she’s pretending? Could the household physician not tell? Does she really think only the Fang family is clever in this world?”
Before he reached the covered walkway, he suddenly caught sight of a graceful figure leaning against the railing.
Xu Miaoyan was holding a tabby cat in her arms, admiring the moon.
“It’s Miaoyan,” Lu Changqing whispered, his steps softening as he gazed dreamily at the beautiful scene before him.
After all, she was a girl of sixteen or seventeen. Xu Miaoyan’s hair was half-tied up, and she wore only a loose, plain sleeping robe, yet she exuded an irresistible charm.
To Lu Changqing, every inch of her snow-white skin felt new and captivating.
He couldn’t help but swallow hard.
“Kitty, why hasn’t Lu Changqing brought me Lady Fang’s Heart’s Blood yet? Could it be he’s realized I’ve been deceiving him?” Xu Miaoyan’s gentle voice drifted over. “If Lady Fang doesn’t die soon, I really won’t be able to keep up this pretense of illness. The medicine that quack of a physician prescribed is even more bitter than coptis root.”
“Meow~ Meow!” The tabby cat let out two melodious cries.
“Reversing fate and altering destiny is no simple matter. This illness must be feigned, and I must endure the bitterness,” Xu Miaoyan sighed. “Fang Qianxue and I—one real, one illusory. If she doesn’t die, I’ll always remain a mere shadow, incapable of accomplishing anything. Only when she dies can I transform into a true phoenix.”
“Meow meow!”
“Don’t worry, I’ve long since spread the word. Everyone believes I suffer from a heart condition,” Xu Miaoyan said while stroking the cat’s fur. “Combined with the pills that create a chaotic pulse, even a divine physician wouldn’t detect anything amiss. Once Lady Fang dies, I’ll announce that my heart condition has miraculously healed. Then I’ll never have to drink that medicine again!”
“F-Feigning… feigning illness?” The man standing in the night suddenly felt his vision darken, nearly collapsing on the spot.
How could Miaoyan, so innocent and pure, possibly be feigning illness to deceive him?
She wasn’t ill at all? Taking Fang Qianxue’s Heart’s Blood was merely to kill and exchange fates?
Could it be that what that jealous woman said was actually true?
“What did you say? What feigned illness? What fate alteration?!” Countless images flooded his mind, and his heart filled with remorse instantly transformed into hatred: He had nearly killed his own wife with his own hands for the sake of a deceiver!