As soon as Zhou Yingkui spoke, not only Su Luo’an, but even Leng Yaoda was startled.
Whether in the book or in the original body’s memories, Su Luo’an’s fiery temper had been fueled in no small part by Zhou Yingkui.
Although the young man had endured many hardships to become stronger, Zhou Yingkui had always been indulgent toward him, never even speaking harshly to him.
For him to suddenly act this way in front of Leng Yaoda today was, in Su Luo’an’s eyes, already an extremely severe tone.
“Mas… Master?” The young man’s voice carried confusion and grievance.
Leng Yaoda and Zhou Yingkui had known each other for several years—longer than she and Su Luo’an, in fact—but their relationship was merely ordinary, bordering on unfamiliar.
Now that he had spoken like this, Leng Yaoda found it difficult to interject.
No matter what the young woman said, it would be wrong. In Su Luo’an’s eyes, it would still be her fault, and even if she wanted to say something kind, it wouldn’t be appropriate.
Thus, this silence became, in Zhou Yingkui’s eyes, a point of suspicion.
In the past, Leng Yaoda had been as clear and foolish as a puddle of water—easy to read at a glance. However, the young woman harbored no ill intentions and even had a kind and lovely side, so Zhou Yingkui had always treated her like a little sister.
But a few days ago, she had somehow learned about Shen Jinxiao’s frequent outings from the palace and even had the audacity to seek him out herself.
After finally cornering the emperor in a room, the young woman’s request turned out to be about a bestowed marriage.
Zhou Yingkui remembered that Leng Yaoda had some admiration for Lu Zhiyou. After all, that man was exceptionally skilled at deceiving others, and someone like Leng Yaoda would be the first to fall for it.
Initially, he thought the young woman might have learned something, but recalling that she had no means to do so, the man secretly began investigating other members of the Leng family.
Yet, even now, he had found nothing.
Zhou Yingkui was the Omniscient of Shengjing City; nothing could escape his notice.
Therefore, he didn’t believe he had overlooked anything. The only explanation was Leng Yaoda’s own sudden change.
Ever since parting ways with Shen Jinxiao at the Victorious Spring Court that day, he had been investigating Leng Yaoda and the Leng family. Today, he intended to enter the palace through a side path to discuss the matter with Shen Jinxiao.
After a few seconds, Zhou Yingkui looked at Su Luo’an. “What? Are you disobeying your master now? You’re acting recklessly without considering the place. Is this somewhere you can speak nonsense?”
Hearing this, Su Luo’an paled and lowered his head, shooting a fierce glare at Leng Yaoda when he stole a glance at her.
The young woman couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated, thinking that Su Luo’an truly was… a child.
Only then did Leng Yaoda speak softly, “Daji thanks the Regent for intervening here.”
The young woman said nothing more. As Zhou Yingkui looked at her, a flicker of coldness passed through his eyes, but his chest felt slightly tight.
For the past few years, he had felt this way whenever he saw Leng Yaoda. It might have been some kind of heart ailment, but even after consulting many renowned physicians without a cure, he had stopped paying it any mind.
Su Luo’an, still fuming, wanted to say something more but was silenced by a sharp glance from Zhou Yingkui beside him, his handsome face flushing red with suppressed anger.
Seeing him like this, Leng Yaoda nearly couldn’t hold back a laugh.
The young woman’s lips twitched slightly before she addressed Zhou Yingkui, “The Regent is compassionate. Daji will heed her father’s words and learn more from you. Young General Su, we shall meet again another day.”
Leng Yaoda deliberately added that last sentence, which sounded almost like a deliberate provocation, causing Su Luo’an to turn his head away in anger, refusing to look at her.
A hint of amusement flickered in Leng Yaoda’s eyes. She had always possessed a slightly mischievous nature, and here, it was becoming increasingly evident.In the blink of an eye, she caught sight of Zhou Yingkui, who had been staring at her all along. The young woman stiffened, lowered her head, and returned to the carriage.
Su Luo’an, having been humiliated in front of his enemy, couldn’t swallow his anger and spurred his horse forward with a crack of the whip. Zhou Yingkui glanced at his young disciple, then at the leisurely moving carriage, before turning and heading deeper into the palace.
Shen Jinxiao had already returned to the imperial study. Before him, on the broad mahogany desk, lay numerous memorials, yet he hadn’t touched a single one.
Lost in deep thought, he was startled when Zhou Yingkui pushed the door open without waiting for the eunuch’s announcement—such was their familiarity.
Su Luo’an, looking dejected, waited outside. The moment Zhou Yingkui entered, he noticed Shen Jinxiao lost in thought, which was a rare sight for him.
“What are you spacing out for?”
Hearing his friend’s voice, Shen Jinxiao realized he hadn’t even noticed the door opening until Zhou Yingkui spoke.
“Nothing,” Shen Jinxiao replied, raising an eyebrow.
Though he said so, the faint trace of irritation that was almost imperceptible didn’t escape Zhou Yingkui’s notice.
Zhou Yingkui paused for a moment, then casually sat down opposite the emperor, leaning back lazily. “I’ve seen Daji these past two days, as well as the other members of the Leng family. Nothing seems amiss.”
Shen Jinxiao listened, but his mind seemed elsewhere.
Zhou Yingkui finally furrowed his brow and reminded him, “Don’t forget you’re the emperor now. There are nearly a hundred memorials waiting for your review. Do you really have time to daydream?”
Shen Jinxiao pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know.”
“You seem off today. Is it because of that mess with Daji and Physician Lu?”
With that, Zhou Yingkui leaned back, narrowing his fox-like eyes. “I saw Daji just now when I went out. She looked fine but not particularly happy. The substitution must have failed.”
Upon hearing that Zhou Yingkui had seen Leng Yaoda, Shen Jinxiao’s fingers twitched slightly before he nodded. “Mm.”
Every subtle movement held meaning. Zhou Yingkui noticed but said nothing, silently pondering.
After a moment of silence, Shen Jinxiao seemed to finally snap out of his thoughts.
“Any movement from the Marquis of Anding?”
Zhou Yingkui raised an eyebrow, teasingly. “Oh, so you’ve finally pulled your soul back from the beauty?”
Shen Jinxiao’s tone turned sharp. “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Leng Yaoda was now the wife of a subject, and he himself had issued the decree. If such words were to spread, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Zhou Yingkui remained his usual nonchalant self. “What’s there to fear? What spreads and what doesn’t in the capital is up to us. Don’t worry, the Marquis of Anding is doing fine. The Xu Kingdom is nothing more than a barbaric land. He’s more than capable of guarding it.”
Only then did Shen Jinxiao relax his tense posture before turning to Zhou Yingkui. “You may leave for now. I’ll call for you if needed.”
Without another word, the man opposite him stood up and left the imperial study.
Su Luo’an had calmed down considerably. Seeing Zhou Yingkui emerge, he obediently called out, “Master.”
Zhou Yingkui looked at him. “Let’s go. I’ll take you to Victorious Spring Court for a meal. Order whatever you like—it’s on me.”
This was his way of comforting the young man. Su Luo’an, no longer as downcast as before, replied, “Alright! Thank you, Master!”
The two mounted their horses once more on the palace path and soon left the palace, heading toward Xunyang Street.
Leng Yaoda stepped out of the carriage and made her way to Victorious Spring Court. It was nearly noon, and the sun beat down warmly on her skin.She had come to realize that as long as she didn’t actively court death, she might just survive until the end even after marriage.
So now, Leng Yaoda only wanted to eat and didn’t care about anything else anymore.