Chapter 8: It Was My Own Blindness

At those words, Qiao Qingyun immediately understood—this was the man in black whom she had just saved!

“Oh, it’s you? I thought you’d need a long while to recover, but it seems your constitution is quite strong after all.” Delight sparkled in Qiao Qingyun’s eyes. Did this mean her medical skills had reached a transcendent level?

Liu Fu hadn’t expected such words as soon as Qiao Qingyun spoke; for a moment, he didn’t know how to respond. He could only smile and agree, “Yes, thank you, Miss Qiao.”

“No need to thank me—save your gratitude for your prince.”

Seeing that the man was unharmed, Qiao Qingyun couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Moreover, had it not been for Yun Zaichun agreeing to her request, she wouldn’t have intervened at all.

“Yes, I understand, but there’s something I’m not sure if I should mention…”

There was something else?

Hearing this, Qiao Qingyun reclined gracefully on her chaise, plucked a grape, and tossed it into her mouth. With a gentle bite, its sweetness lingered on her lips and teeth.

“Speak.”

She had already suspected what he might say—perhaps Yun Zaichun had sent him after all.

Still, she needed to hear it to be certain before she decided whether to be angry.

Every gesture Qiao Qingyun made radiated effortless elegance. Little did they know, in her previous life, she had been a renowned figure. How many powerful people had sought her presence at their banquets, or begged her for treatment?

Maintaining poise was simply second nature to Qiao Qingyun.

“Er… I know it’s improper for a subordinate to eavesdrop on matters between masters, but I must say one thing: Our prince already has someone in his heart. I hope Miss Qiao might…”

“Are you here of your own accord, or did your prince send you?”

Qiao Qingyun cut straight to the heart of the matter, her anger undisguised. She poured herself a cup of tea with a delicate hand.

Liu Fu hurriedly clasped his hands in salute. “This has nothing to do with the prince—this was entirely my own idea…”

“Leave.”

Qiao Qingyun had no interest in wasting words with him. Such matters, wherever one might be, were never for outsiders to meddle in.

Liu Fu was startled, wanting to say more, but Qiao Qingyun interrupted him coldly.

“Miss Qiao—”

“Withdraw!”

At that moment, a cold, dangerous aura emanated from Qiao Qingyun, making Liu Fu’s heart tremble. For some reason, the woman before him suddenly seemed terrifying. He hastily obeyed, turning on his heel to flee.

As the door closed, Qiao Qingyun let out a long breath, patting her chest with her small hand. Her face was full of lingering fear.

“That was terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!”

The next day, when Qiao Qingyun woke, Qingluo was already helping her dress. She ate a hazy breakfast, and by the time she was fully awake, the two of them were basking in the sunlight outdoors.

“Miss Qiao, there are rumors spreading in the residence…”

Qingluo stopped herself mid-sentence, but Qiao Qingyun was unfazed. She took a bite of the apple by her lips. “What are they saying?”

“They’re saying… that you forced the prince to marry you.”

“Heh…” Qiao Qingyun let out a cold laugh, a dark glint flashing in her eyes. Who would have thought that the influence of that guard from yesterday would be so considerable?

“If that’s what they want to believe, let them. Come, let’s go to the market. Has the prince given us any money?”

Suddenly remembering she had no money on her, she turned to ask Qingluo, who nodded affirmatively. “Yesterday, when you returned, the prince gave you a hundred taels.”

“Good, then let’s go.”

Qiao Qingyun clapped her hands, snatched up her little skirt, and strode out, Qingluo hurrying behind.

Out on the bustling streets, Qiao Qingyun wandered from stall to stall. Though this place was backward in many ways, there were still plenty of wonderful things to be found!

Before long, her arms were filled with treats, and she bought a pile for Qingluo as well.

She couldn’t very well bring someone out and let her go hungry, after all.

“Miss, what about all this?”

“Don’t worry, eat up. There’s no poison.”

As she spoke, Qiao Qingyun was suddenly knocked to the ground by a tremendous force. If not for Qingluo’s quick reflexes, she might have landed face-first in the dirt.

“Ouch!”

“Who was that? How dare they run into our young miss!”

Qiao Qingyun was shaken, anger flaring in her chest. She glanced at the man before her—handsome and refined, but with a roguish air that screamed hypocrisy.

“Who are you? Are you blind—”

The man was just about to curse, but when he turned and saw Qiao Qingyun’s lovely face, he swallowed his words on the spot.

Qiao Qingyun frowned. “Sir, were you about to say that I was blind? The road is wide enough for everyone—how is it you managed to run into me?”

She’d had her fill of misfortune these past few days. If she couldn’t vent her anger at the prince, surely she could at this man.

The man’s appearance was the sort that drew admiring glances—especially in that ostentatious purple robe, which was almost painful to look at. His phoenix eyes were all the more captivating.

He’d seen thousands of women, yet somehow Qiao Qingyun was precisely his type.

“It was I who was blind, colliding with such a beauty.”

The man smiled, cupping his fists and bowing low. “My name is Feng Ke, proprietor of the Hundred Fragrances Pavilion. If I offended such a beauty just now, I beg your forgiveness.”

“What beauty? How can you speak so lightly of our miss?” Qingluo was incensed, but before she could say more, Qiao Qingyun pulled her back.

“Enough, Qingluo. We’ve wasted enough time. There are still many places I haven’t visited.”

Hearing this, Qingluo suppressed her anger, though she still glared at Feng Ke before returning to Qiao Qingyun’s side, anxiously asking, “Miss, are you alright? Did you hurt yourself? If the master finds out, what am I to do?”

“If he finds out, so what? Is he going to kill you?”

Just as the words left her lips, Qiao Qingyun regretted them. This wasn’t an age where lives were cheap. She pursed her lips, then pulled Qingluo over to stand before Feng Ke.

“Young Master Feng, you may hold your head high, but when walking, it’s the ground you need to watch. Step steadily—who knows who you might run into otherwise?”

With that, Qiao Qingyun brushed past Feng Ke and disappeared into the throng.

The man’s attendant was furious, grinding his teeth. “Master, just who does she think she is? Shall I seize her and teach her a lesson?”

“Heh… What a proud woman. I’ve never seen the like. Most women throw themselves at me, but she’s interesting indeed.”

Feng Ke laughed, pointing after Qiao Qingyun. “Go. Find out everything there is to know about that woman.”

“Yes, sir. The prince is still waiting for you.”