The Cry of the Phoenix Which Reached the Ninth Heaven - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Careful, Lest You Burn Yourself Playing with Fire

“Niang niang, could Consort Li really have gone dumb?” Ting Yue walked with small quick steps behind Yao Mowan as she asked this in a doubtful tone.

“Even a fool has basic survival instincts. When she was pulled out of the water earlier, this consort noticed that her legs weren’t cramping. You understand what this indicates?” Yao Mowan looked towards Ting Yue.

“It means… she had allowed herself to sink on purpose?” This was the answer Ting Yue came to after listening to Yao Mowan’s observations.

“How could a person this shrewd possibly be a fool? However, she actually gambled her own life in order to attract His Majesty’s attention. It seems that she really is at the end of her rope!” Yao Mowan’s lips hooked in a cold smile. Her eyes sparkled like glass with dazzling light.

“Niang niang, in reality… this servant feels that His Majesty treats you really well…” Ting Yue had been keeping these words inside for a long time. Although she could sense the feelings her master had for the Esteemed Prince and also how indifferent her master was towards His Majesty, she felt that His Majesty treated her master way better than Ye Junqing did.

Yao Mowan abruptly stopped walking. Her eyes instantly turned cold as ice and as she looked over. Ting Yue felt like sharp blades were piercing into her.

“Niang niang…” The moment she made contact with Yao Mowan’s eyes, Ting Yue felt as if she had been dropped into a cave of ice. She froze, not knowing what to do.

“Ting Yue, how has this consort treated you during this past period?” A cold voice spilled out softly from Yao Mowan’s lips. Her eyes were still, without a single ripple, like an ancient well.

“Niang niang treats Ting Yue extremely well… Ting Yue has said the wrong things. Niang niang, please punish.” Ting Yue had never seen Yao Mowan with such a cold gaze ever since she started serving her. It was so cold that the temperature around them seemed to drop.

“You have indeed said the wrong things. If this consort hears something like this from you again, you will no longer be welcomed in Guan Osprey Palace!” Yao Mowan spoke coldly without a trace of warmth. Ting Yue was silent with regret.

In Pure Flowers Palace, when Yao Suluan woke up, the first thing she saw was that Ming Yu was holding ginger soup and standing to the side.

“Niang niang, the imperial physician said that you should drink this ginger soup once you wake up in order to avoid catching a chill.” Ming Yu carefully offered the soup to Yao Suluan.

“His Majesty…” Yao Suluan asked in a questioning tone as she looked towards Ming Yu.

“His Majesty isn’t here…” Before Ming Yu could even finish her sentence, Yao Suluan had slapped the soup away with a furious expression on her face. When she recalled how His Majesty had been flirting with Yao Mowan while she was struggling in the water, her heart would seize with pain like it was being branded by iron.

“His Majesty actually did not come to visit this consort!?” Yao Suluan shrieked angrily.

“Don’t worry, even though His Majesty didn’t come, Wan er came to visit you!” Right at this moment, Yao Mowan walked over leisurely from behind Ming Yu. Her clear eyes were filled with amusement.

“Ming Yu!” Yao Suluan hadn’t expected for Yao Mowan to be in the room. She immediately glared at Ming Yu.

“Niang niang, this servant wanted to tell you earlier…” Ming Yu felt wrongly accused. She really had nothing to do with this.

“Withdraw!” Yao Suluan didn’t want to listen to Ming Yu’s explanation and just waved for her to withdraw. Once Ming Yu left, Yao Suluan shifted her glare onto Yao Mowan.

“Don’t celebrate too early!”

“Mowan isn’t celebrating, Mowan’s just surprised. Second Older Sister is sure clever. A rainbow fish? What a poetic name, how were you able to come up with it?” Even as Yao Mowan clicked her tongue in praise, her eyes continued to be filled with ridicule.

“His Majesty likes fools, so this consort is adapting to his taste! Aren’t you always pretending to be an obedient fool in front of him as well? You have no right to judge!” Yao Suluan said coldly.

“En. This is a good idea, but Mowan has to remind Second Older Sister that pretending to be a fool isn’t easy. It’s best if you don’t make any mistakes. If His Majesty found out that you were pretending to be a fool in order to gain favor, he’d definitely punish you for the crime of deceiving the monarch. At that time, Second Older Sister would suffer a huge loss. Wan er has warned you, so you shouldn’t blame Wan er later for not warning you!” Yao Mowan spoke with laughter in her eyes.

“We’re in the same boat! You and I both know these dangers. You can leave now, you’re not welcomed in Pure Flowers Palace!” Yao Suluan glared at Yao Mowan, then pointed towards the palace doors.

“Well, since Second Older Sister doesn’t like Mowan, then Mowan will leave now.” Yao Mowan lifted her brows lightly. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly leaned over and drew close to Yao Suluan. “Second Older Sister has once said that, if one day, His Majesty found out what Wan er was truly like, Wan er would definitely die a more tragic death than Eldest Sister. Based on these words, if His Majesty found out that Second Older Sister was pretending to be dumb, Second Older Sister would also die a death worse than Eldest Sister’s?”

“You… what are you trying to say?” Yao Suluan subconsciously gulped when she saw those eyes that were so dark the depths couldn’t be seen. For some reason, she felt like Yao Mowan knew something, but she had no way to verify it.

“It’s nothing, I just want to warn Second Older Sister to be careful, lest you burn yourself when playing with fire!” Yao Mowan said these words lightly before turning to leave. The moment she turned, her eyes flashed cold. She swore that she would make Yao Suluan suffer and die a death worse than hers!

When Yao Mowan returned to Guan Osprey Palace, Ye Junqing was playing with the two kittens. His handsome face was pressed against the kitten’s pure white fur and he seemed to be enjoying the moment.

“If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that Prince was their father!” This scene improved Yao Mowan’s mood a lot. She was also happy that Yao Suluan had started to act like a fool, just as she had wanted.

“You came back just in time. This prince wants a kitten!” Ye Junqing didn’t mind Yao Mowan’s teasing.

“What does Prince want a cat for?” Yao Mowan looked towards Ye Junqing, puzzled.

“Of course, to raise.” Ye Junqing continued fiddling with the kitten in his palm so he didn’t notice the surprise on Yao Mowan’s face.

“But Mowan has already agreed to give it to Feng Yihan?” Yao Mowan suddenly felt that Ye Junqing was different today. Normally, that teasing sentence from her would have caused his face to go black.

“You only agreed to give him one. Isn’t there still one more?”

“Mowan only agreed to give one to Feng Yihan because he saved Fluffy and her kittens. Moreover, he had agreed to give Mowan a luxurious return gift. What has Prince done? And what can Prince give Mowan?” Yao Mowan walked leisurely to the chaise lounge and slowly sat down next to Fluffy, stroking her fur as she spoke.

“Yao Mowan, can you bear to let Liu Sha find out that he was exchanged for a cat?” He really wondered if Feng Yihan would still praise her for being pure and untainted by the world when he saw her like this. In any case, he didn’t see any trace of being untainted by the world in her. She was completely dyed, he had never seen anyone as materialistic as her!

“Prince is agreeing?” Yao Mowan slowly looked up with her glistening eyes. She was really curious. Ye Junqing has always acted as if Liu Sha was more important than his life, yet he was suddenly willing to part with him?

“This prince has one more condition!” Ye Junqing finally got to the main point.

“What?” Yao Mowan lifted her brows as she looked towards Ye Junqing. Wanting the cat was probably just a pretense, what he actually wanted was probably about to come next.

“Feng Yihan will be inviting you to have tea with him tonight while moon viewing. This prince feels that there’s a need for this prince to be present,” said Ye Junqing in a confident tone.

“He invited Prince as well?” Yao Mowan hadn’t expected for Feng Yihan to make such a request. From the looks of it, he planned to break this pretense in order to get the full truth.

“He hasn’t, but this prince feels that this prince should be present!” Ye Junqing felt that there was no way Yao Mowan would reject this request.

“But Mowan doesn’t feel that there’s such a need. Mowan can’t agree to this request, but Mowan can give a kitten to Prince as a consolement gift.” Yao Mowan decisively rejected this request.

“You don’t want Liu Sha anymore?” Ye Junqing was surprised when Yao Mowan refused.

“Mowan has thought about it. Yan Nangong had given Liu Sha to Prince out of sincerity. Noblemen live on the happiness of helping others and should never steal the prized possessions of others. Mowan has always thought of herself as a nobleman, so Prince has no need to worry about Mowan stealing Liu Sha away!” Yao Mowan’s attitude of being completely devoted to righteousness thoroughly defeated Ye Junqing. In reality, he was really curious why Feng Yihan had decided to meet with Yao Mowan. There was no way it’d just be for enjoying the fragrance of the tea and the beauty of the flowers.

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Credits: Translated by Chiyomira