Chapter 86
Qin Zhao stared intently, momentarily unsure if the person before him was truly Jiang Xiurun or a shadow woman disguised by the Second Prince, Feng Wu.

At that moment, the woman on the bed stirred and slowly opened her eyes. When she saw Qin Zhao standing by the bed, her eyes revealed a trace of fear and disgust.

In that instant, Qin Zhao’s heart was filled with sorrow, confirming that this woman was indeed Jiang Xiurun.

The absurdities of his dreams had felt incredibly real, like vivid shadow plays. These past days, he had been tormented by these dreams, often waking up in tears.

She must hate him, he thought, because it was his lawful wife, Lady Xu, who had forced her to her death. He had been compelled to marry and establish a family to appease his father and break free from his clan’s control. Yet, from the moment Lady Xu entered his household, he had never touched her.

The thought of Lady Xu, the one who had driven his beloved to her death in his past life, filled him with disgust.

In this life, he was determined not to let the tragedy of his past life repeat itself. Sooner or later, he would make Jiang Xiurun his rightful wife!

With this thought, he took a step forward and spoke softly, “You’re awake? How are you feeling?”

Jiang Xiurun’s mind was in complete disarray.

Her memories were still stuck on the moment she fell into the water.

The sensation of suddenly plunging into the water was eerily similar to the experience of being drowned in her past life. Instinctively holding her breath, she was overwhelmed with panic.

Just as she struggled to surface, someone grabbed her waist and pulled her deeper, placing a leather-like mask over her face. After inhaling a strange fragrance, she lost consciousness.

But when she opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar room, her clothes changed by someone unknown…

Now, looking at Qin Zhao, she vaguely guessed that he must have been the one who had orchestrated her abduction…

Was Qin Zhao out of his mind? Didn’t he know that Feng Liwu would surely investigate her disappearance?

She slowly shifted her gaze to the young man beside him.

This tall and handsome young man looked strikingly familiar, bearing a strong resemblance to Feng Liwu. The royal bloodline of the Feng family was unmistakable, yet this young man also resembled Xu Ying, though he lacked Xu Ying’s height and youthful demeanor. It was all very confusing.

Uncertain of the situation, she pursed her lips and remained silent until Qin Zhao reluctantly left at the young man’s command, leaving them alone. Only then did Jiang Xiurun coldly ask, “What is your relationship with Xu Ying?”

The young man smiled slightly, then suddenly shrank in size, tilting his head with an air of childlike innocence, “Senior brother, what do you think?”

Jiang Xiurun gasped, instinctively leaning back as the suddenly shorter Xu Ying slowly returned to his original form amidst the cracking of bones, smiling faintly, “Just a small trick of the trade. I hope I didn’t startle you, Princess Jiang.”

From the moment she woke up, Jiang Xiurun had been in a state of shock, but it forced her to remain calm.

She asked in a tense voice, “Who… are you really?”

Feng Wu smiled, “With your intelligence, Princess Jiang, you should be able to guess my identity.”

Jiang Xiurun had indeed guessed, but she dared not speak it aloud, fearing that knowing too much would only hasten her death.

However, Feng Wu didn’t seem to mind her silence and continued, “Back then, I was imprisoned by my elder brother but managed to escape. Fortunately, I was taken in by a mysterious figure from the martial world. That’s why I understand the difficulties of living in the shadows, Princess Jiang.”

Feng Wu spoke as gently and kindly as he had when he was her junior brother, without the arrogance of a kidnapper.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Xiurun said, “If I go missing, someone will come looking for me.”

Feng Wu laughed, “Who said you’re missing? Aren’t you safely attending the Mochi Literary Gathering with Master Mufeng?”

Jiang Xiurun’s heart trembled. She suddenly lunged forward, trying to grab his collar, but he easily deflected her move, turning her around and pulling her into his arms.

Jiang Xiurun hissed, “You want to use my identity to assassinate Feng Liwu… and then frame me for it! If you fail, won’t my brother be implicated? You vile man, how despicable!”

Feng Wu, accustomed to Jiang Xiurun’s reserved and haughty demeanor, found her sudden ferocity amusing. He whispered in her ear, “Princess Jiang, you’re thinking about this all wrong. Why not consider that if I succeed, I will be the crown prince of Great Qi, and your life and your brother’s will be entirely in my hands… By the way, do you act this feisty when you’re alone with Feng Liwu?”

To be honest, Jiang Xiurun had never considered the possibility of Feng Wu succeeding.

Feng Liwu was an extremely cautious man. Even when they slept together, if she moved slightly in the middle of the night, he would wake up.

So when would the imposter posing as her carry out the assassination? Could it be…

The thought made Jiang Xiurun uncomfortable, and she struggled to break free from Feng Wu’s grasp.

Feng Wu, however, maintained his gentlemanly demeanor and released her, smoothing her disheveled hair as he said, “You inhaled a powerful sedative in the water and have been unconscious for a long time. If you move too suddenly, you might feel nauseous.”

With that, he helped her sit on the edge of the bed, her steps slightly unsteady, and continued, “You’re a pragmatic person. Attaching yourself to Feng Liwu is just for a stable and prosperous life. We have no enmity between us, and I’ve enjoyed our time together these past few days. As long as you cooperate and tell me about Feng Liwu’s daily habits and your interactions, I promise to give you double what Feng Liwu has offered you. How does that sound?”

Jiang Xiurun was doing her best to suppress the fear and anger in her heart. In truth, she didn’t know why she felt so furious upon hearing Feng Wu’s plan to assassinate Feng Liwu.

But the thought of Feng Liwu, with a knife in his chest, blood gushing out, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the assassin who resembled her, made her feel deeply uncomfortable.

Back then, the young man who had struggled through the cold palace, lacking food and clothing, walking a lonely path, would surely believe that she was the murderer. He, who had rarely trusted anyone, would feel utterly betrayed, dying with his eyes wide open…

At this thought, Jiang Xiurun felt a slight sting in her nose. She told herself she didn’t care about Feng Liwu’s life or death, but she didn’t want him to misunderstand her…

Seeing Jiang Xiurun remain silent for so long, Feng Wu decided it was time to pressure her. His tone turned slightly colder as he said, “Your loyal maid was also drugged in the water and is being held here with you. If you don’t cooperate, don’t blame me for being merciless, despite your close bond.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xiurun’s heart sank again: Of course, someone who had planned this so meticulously wouldn’t let Qian’er continue serving the imposter. This dashed her hope that Qian’er might quickly notice something amiss.

She took a deep breath and slowly calmed herself, then said, “Since I still have value to you, you won’t hand me over to Qin Zhao, right? What did he tell you about me?”

Seeing her attitude soften, Feng Wu took a robe from nearby and draped it over her shoulders, saying, “He’s infatuated with you, almost to the point of madness. He keeps dreaming about you, claiming that you were husband and wife in a past life…”

Jiang Xiurun’s heart skipped a beat, and she said, “You don’t believe that, do you? Who was ever married to him?”

To be honest, Feng Wu had only half-believed Qin Zhao’s claims, and after getting closer to Jiang Xiurun, he was even more convinced that it was the delusion of an unrequited love.

After all, who wouldn’t love such a graceful and intelligent woman with such a captivating aura?

Now, Feng Wu was increasingly convinced that this woman had indeed bewitched his otherwise indifferent elder brother.

As long as Feng Liwu truly loved this woman, his assassination plan would be flawless.

But before that, he needed to thoroughly understand the dynamics between her and Feng Liwu to ensure a fatal strike!

As for what to do with this woman, Feng Wu silently observed her.

Due to the effects of the sedative, she still seemed slightly fatigued, her drowsy eyes like a lazy cat’s, her semi-transparent robe revealing the curves of her chest…

He had thought he would despise anything related to Feng Liwu, but if the woman he truly loved could submit to him and gradually forget about Feng Liwu, wouldn’t that be another form of victory?

With this thought, he continued to coax her gently, “Since you have no love for Qin Zhao, I naturally won’t hand you over to him. But you must be pragmatic. From now on, treat me as you would Feng Liwu, and tell me everything about your interactions. As long as you cooperate, I will be a considerate man and offer you and your brother a bright future…”

Hearing this, Jiang Xiurun glared at him and said, “I’m not a fickle woman. How could I share a bed with you after knowing you for only a few days?”

Feng Wu was slightly stirred by her reproachful gaze and smiled, “That’s fine. You can just attend to my daily needs for now, and we can take things further once we’re more familiar, alright?”

The gentle and polite young man suddenly exuded the charm of a seasoned lover.

Jiang Xiurun bit her lip slightly and said, “Do we have to start like this now?”

Feng Wu wrapped his arm around her waist, looked into her bright eyes, and slowly said, “Now… is the time.”

Jiang Xiurun fell silent for a moment, as if struggling internally, before finally letting out a slow breath, seemingly making up her mind, “You must keep your word.”

After Feng Wu repeatedly assured her, she stretched slightly and leaned against him, lazily saying, “Your Highness, pour me a cup of water, just like usual, not too hot or too cold.”

Feng Wu raised an eyebrow and called for a maid outside to bring water, but Jiang Xiurun tugged on his sleeve, her eyes pleading, “Didn’t you say that within these curtains, you would do as I say? Why are you so lazy when I ask you to pour me a cup of water? Do you want me to hit your bottom with the jade ruler like last time?”

Seeing Feng Wu still unmoved, she raised an eyebrow and pinched his cheek, “Hurry up! Do you really want a spanking?”

She even raised her hand as if she really intended to spank him.

To be honest, Feng Wu’s impression of his elder brother was that of a cold, ascetic young man who was indifferent to everything.

And Jiang Xiurun, in public, carried herself with the haughtiness of a young nobleman. He had assumed that even after revealing her true gender, she would maintain the demeanor of a proper lady.

He never expected that in private, the cold Crown Prince and the stunningly beautiful, haughty woman would interact like this…

It was truly baffling!