It was around four or five in the morning when the doors of the medical clinic were kicked open. The doctor was, understandably, terrified—but upon seeing a silver ingot tossed his way, he regained his professional composure and began treating the “patient.”
Only to discover the man didn’t have any real injuries. Physically, he was just fine. It was the pretty young woman beside him who looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown.
“Sorry for disturbing your rest, doctor,” Feng Guang said awkwardly as she stepped out of the clinic. Then she turned to the man beside her with a disgruntled huff. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I was worried sick!”
“My fault,” Si Jia admitted sincerely, even though he had already told her it was just a minor injury. She hadn’t believed him.
Feng Guang had been ready to argue, but now that he’d taken the blame so directly, she suddenly felt guilty and quickly changed the subject. “I heard from Feng Mieyin that her son’s gone missing. Was that your doing?”
“Yes.”
His straightforward admission left her speechless for a moment. “Why would you kidnap her son? You didn’t… kill him, did you!?”
You couldn’t just mess with the female lead’s kid like that—things could spiral out of control!
“I didn’t kill him,” Si Jia said calmly. “I just threw him into Wutong Alley.”
Even in a wealthy capital like this, there were still slums, and Wutong Alley was notorious for being one. The place was packed with beggars and known for being filthy and chaotic. A pampered, well-fed young master like Feng Liu would probably be crying his eyes out the moment he stepped in.
Feng Guang relaxed once she knew he hadn’t killed the boy, but still pressed on, “Why did you kidnap him?”
“Because Feng Guang likes children.”
“Well… yeah, I do like kids.”
Si Jia’s tone was casual to the extreme. “With Feng Liu missing, Feng Mieyin would surely come to you.”
“You figured… even if I were angry and didn’t want to see you, I’d still come find you for Feng Liu’s sake?”
“Exactly.” Si Jia’s lips curled into a faint smile. It was subtle, but the contentment in his expression was unmistakable. Feng Guang had come to find him, not for Feng Liu, but for him.
Feng Guang kept a straight face. “Si Jia, you’re something.”
“Feng Guang knows—I’m not a good person.”
Well, to be honest, she didn’t care that much about Feng Liu anyway. As long as he wasn’t dead, that was good enough. She glanced up at the sky. “Si Jia, I need to head back to the palace. If my royal parents find out I’m missing, it’ll be a huge headache.”
“I’ll take you back.”
“No, better not. If my brother sees you again, things could get ugly. I’ll ride Little Red back myself.” She stepped forward and hugged him. “Don’t worry. I’ll explain everything to my father and mother. I’m going to marry you. If they don’t approve, I’ll just leave with you. I’m their only daughter—they won’t stay mad at me forever. Once they’ve calmed down, I’ll bring you back to meet them properly. Just wait for me in the capital for a few days, okay?”
“Okay. I’ll do as you say,” he said, kissing the top of her head, though his smile carried an unreadable mystery.
Just as the sun was about to rise, Xia Fengxue, back at the palace, received word from his men that the princess had returned safely. Relieved, he was about to extinguish the lights and go to bed when he suddenly spun around.
There, standing silently in his bedchamber, was a man dressed in white.
The man let out a low chuckle, then spoke slowly:
“As a stand-in, you should know your place… and not covet what was never meant to be yours.”
Lucien On ABRWF Chapter 34.1