The Rise of Phoenixes

“Are you planning to come up like this?” After a moment, he asked in a warm and gentle voice. If one listened closely, however, they could hear the indifferent coldness hidden underneath.

Feng Zhiwei looked back—Fifth Aunt had sunk already.

“What if she floats?” The man looked to the water where Fifth Aunt had sunk down. “When the time comes, as the person who’s in charge of cleaning the yard, how are you going to answer Qiu Family’s interrogation?”

Feng Zhiwei felt that his tone wasn’t worried, and he wasn’t asking out of concern. It was more like he was testing her, but why would she let a stranger test her?

“Oh? Interrogation?” Feng Zhiwei smiled. She walked over to the shore with water dripping from her hair. When the water reached the man’s beautiful shoes, he stepped back slightly as she expected.

“Fifth Aunt accidentally fell into the lake on the way to meet with Your Honor.” Feng Zhiwei gathered up her wet hair and touched her face with some slight regret. Fifth Aunt’s nail polish contained some Wu Na Flower which had a nice fragrance and made colors more vibrant; the powder mixed in the water washed away the yellow-ginger color, the same color as the dye that her mother asked her to put on whenever she met with other people. Feng Zhiwei also thought that it could spare her from a lot of trouble, but now this man had seen her real color.

Feng Zhiwei sighed helplessly before turning around with a smile. “The one who needs to give Qiu Mansion an explanation seems to be you?”

“To meet with me?” The man turned toward her and smiled meaningfully. “But young lady, I thought I was here to meet you, not some woman past her prime.”

Feng Zhiwei stopped as she tilted her head to examine him. Her eyes had a natural misty gentleness, and paired with a little smile, her gaze was soft and lovely like a delicate and fragile flower.

“Really? Then it’s truly my honor… then, may I ask your honor… What is my name?”

The man’s smile widened as he suddenly reached forward and grasped her waist. He leaned forward and spoke gently into her ear, “Sooner or later, you will tell me…”

Feng Zhiwei was unprepared and fell into his arms. She tried to struggle but couldn’t move the man at all, and she realized that aside from having a pretty face and good figure, the man’s Kung Fu also could not be underestimated. She looked down at his fingers; they were long and thin, and the bones were distinct. His skin was fine and smooth, and the shape of his hands was too beautiful to be a warrior’s, but they hid a force that she couldn’t resist.

They were close, and a cold mint smell mixed with blackberry rose scent filled her nose. It was a cold and subtle smell that filled the air. She frowned against his chest, and just as she was about to struggle again, she heard disorderly footsteps approaching.

An exasperated voice filled the air, “Where’s Yuhua? I told her to come to the front yard. Where is she?”

Feng Zhiwei’s heart trembled. It was her uncle’s voice, the Commander-in-Chief of the Five Armies and Commander of the Flying Shadow Guard, Qiu Shangqi, the Dynasty’s top military official.

As for Yuhua, she was lying at the bottom of the lake.

A man behind Qiu Shangqi whispered to him in a low voice before being cut off. Shangqi exclaimed with some surprise, “Ah, so you were here…”

He spoke in Feng Zhiwei’s direction, but halfway through his sentence, he was cut off as well. “Qiu Daren, I was just wandering around. What, is it inconvenient?”

“I do not dare.” Qiu Shangqi bowed immediately with fear in his voice.

Feng Zhiwei listened closely, and even though his uncle’s voice had fear in it, it did not have much respect. In addition, this man holding her also spoke strangely, making their conversation seem somewhat odd.

“The Mansion’s Concubine Yuhua is excellent at singing and dancing and playing the Chinese Lute. I had asked her to accompany you.” Qiu Shangqi smiled with some awkwardness. “But it seems that she is feeling ill…”

“I’ve already seen her.” The man draped in fur sounded relaxed. Feng Zhiwei lifted her eyebrows and met his eyes. The man smiled meaningfully.

He had seen her… in the water.

Their eyes exchanged looks, communicating silently.

… Do you know what I am going to say?

… That is your honor’s choice.

… Are you afraid?

… A life for a life; I have no complaint.

The girl’s eyes were smiling the whole time, and it was impossible to determine her true emotions. All the man knew was the coldness on his chest where her fingers were placed… The man cocked his eyebrows.

It’s strange that even through these thick winter clothes, I can still feel the coldness. Am I imagining it, or is it the old wound acting up again, spreading a coldness in my bones?

The old wound had been quiet for a long time, and now it suddenly acted up while this young girl’s misty eyes stared at him. The answer was just out of reach, and he grew absentminded.

What an interesting person…

Complex thoughts ran through his mind in a flash, and then he refocused as he turned slightly and met with Qiu Shangqi’s confused eyes.

“Oh, I killed her.”

His tone was calm and indifferent, as if what he had killed was an ant.

Qiu Shangqi’s eyes widened in shock—he examined this man’s elegant face and the coldness hidden in his smile. He breathed in a sharp, cold air, remembering the rumors about this man. Behind his talents, romantic appearance, and beauty were cruelty and maliciousness, and sudden caprices and moods. Qiu Shangqi smoothed his surprised expression and replied in a calm voice, “What’s happened has happened. How did my concubine offend you?”

Qiu Shangqi was cut off again as the man in the pale fur rolled his cuffs indifferently, and he spoke with a voice as calm as the winter wind.

“Do I need a reason to kill?”

“Do I need a reason to kill?”

“Do I need a reason?”

“Do I?”

“Don’t you?”

Feng Zhiwei shuffled forward in her half-dried clothes, mumbling the domineering words as she dragged her broom and trembled down the snowy road.

That bamboo shoot of a man could actually say such dumbfounding words? Feng Zhiwei always considered herself a steady person, but even she couldn’t help but shiver at those words.

She had thought even if her uncle didn’t immediately rage, he would still show his discontent, but all he did was laugh hollowly as if he was used to that man’s way of speech. While the two were talking, her uncle had looked over at her several times, but in the end never approached.

The two spoke for a little while longer before her uncle finally sent him away. The man let her go and left, but before stepping away, he took a deep and meaningful look at her that gave her goosebumps.

Feng Zhiwei hugged her arms and sighed helplessly. What bad luck… after swallowing insults and humiliation for so many years and finally finding a good opportunity to kill, she actually got caught red-handed. What terrible luck.