ASTRP -Chapter 179 Turns Out She Was Being Used

When Xiao Jinghan noticed Feng Jingge looking at him, he glanced at the still-unconscious Xi Liyue.

“When she wakes up, ask her whether she wants to stay or leave with you.”

Since matters had reached this point, Prince Yu could no longer say much.

He nodded. “Mm, we’ll do as Imperial Uncle says.”

Not long after, Feng Jingge took the needles away to sterilize them.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jinghan and Prince Yu stayed behind, waiting for Xi Liyue to wake up.

After she awoke and a few arrangements were made, Xiao Jinghan headed over to Feng Jingge’s side.

At that moment, Feng Jingge had just finished sterilizing the needles and was about to put them away when Xiao Jinghan arrived.

She lifted her eyes to glance at him before lowering her gaze again, continuing the work in her hands.

“Xi Liyue chose to stay behind, didn’t she?”

Xiao Jinghan gave a soft response. “You guessed it from the start?”

“Mm.” Feng Jingge replied calmly, “Xi Liyue may have lost her memory, but she isn’t stupid. She can tell Prince Yu doesn’t like her and has been trying to send her away.”

“She’s still a princess. Deep down, she still has her pride.”

As she spoke, Feng Jingge let out a sigh.

“Sigh… Xi Liyue is quite pitiful too.”

“She used to be the most beloved daughter of the King of Western Ling. Then the royal family fell into chaos, and a once-pampered princess became a servant living under someone else’s roof.”

“And someone even stole her identity and took her place.”

Feng Jingge looked toward Xiao Jinghan.

“If she regains her memories, do you think she’ll be able to accept all of this?”

Xiao Jinghan hesitated briefly before shaking his head.

“I’m not her, so I can’t answer that question.”

“But if it were me, I definitely wouldn’t accept it.”

“I’d hide my strength, wait for an opportunity, and strike back.”

“Strike back?” Feng Jingge laughed softly. “Your Highness, you stand at the center of power, so you can’t see how hard ordinary people struggle just to survive.”

“She already has difficulty surviving after losing her identity as the Princess of Western Ling. Forget striking back.”

“Who said she lost her identity as a princess?”

Xiao Jinghan replied indifferently, “Truth is truth. A fake can never become real, no matter what.”

Feng Jingge wrapped up the silver needles and tucked them into her robes.

After finishing everything, she smiled at Xiao Jinghan.

“Your Highness, are you hinting at something?”

“Did you uncover some new information again?”

“Want to know?” Xiao Jinghan raised a brow.

Feng Jingge mistakenly thought he was about to pull the same trick again and immediately answered, “Nope, not interested.”

The corners of Xiao Jinghan’s lips curled upward, the amusement in his eyes deepening.

“Really not interested?”

Feng Jingge patted her chest. “If you have the ability, then don’t tell me.”

Xiao Jinghan chuckled.

“In front of my wife, I don’t need ability. I only need—”

Knowing no good words would come from his mouth, Feng Jingge hurriedly interrupted, “Right, which courtyard did you arrange for Xi Liyue to stay in?”

“I’ll go check on her.”

As she spoke, she headed outside.

“The western courtyard.”

Xiao Jinghan didn’t follow her. Instead, he called out toward her retreating figure.

“The western courtyard.”

The western courtyard…

Halfway there, Feng Jingge suddenly realized something.

There were so many western courtyards in the manor—how was she supposed to know which one Xi Liyue was staying in?

Left with no choice, she turned back to find the steward.

Things like arranging accommodations were usually handled by him.

After locating the steward, Feng Jingge finally got the exact address.

When she arrived at the small courtyard, it was brightly lit.

She stepped forward and knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

Xi Liyue’s voice came from inside, filled with caution and a trace of fear.

“It’s me, Feng Jingge.”

Silence followed.

Thinking Xi Liyue might not know who she was, Feng Jingge quickly added, “The one who treated your illness…”

Before she could finish speaking, the door opened.

Xi Liyue stood opposite her, her face unable to hide its loneliness.

She softly greeted, “Greetings, Princess Consort.”

“No need, no need.”

Feng Jingge waved her hands repeatedly before asking, “May I come in?”

Xi Liyue said nothing and silently stepped aside, clearly agreeing.

Feng Jingge walked inside.

Xi Liyue closed the door behind her and followed her into the inner room.

Feng Jingge noticed the bed was completely bare, with no bedding laid out.

She frowned and looked to the side, where two quilts had been stacked neatly.

The sheets and covers were there as well.

Everything had been delivered, but the rest had to be done by Xi Liyue herself.

Xi Liyue moved a stool beside Feng Jingge.

“Princess Consort, please sit.”

“I was the one who told them not to make the bed.”

“They were all men. I felt it was inappropriate for them to do it, so I refused.”

“I’ll help you.”

As soon as Feng Jingge finished speaking, she stepped forward to help.

Xi Liyue’s expression changed immediately, and she quickly stopped her.

“Princess Consort, no, you mustn’t.”

Feng Jingge countered, “It’s just making a bed. What’s so improper about that?”

“If we do it together, it’ll be done in no time.”

Unable to persuade her otherwise, Xi Liyue could only step forward and help.

With the two of them working together, the bed was soon made.

“Princess Consort, you must be tired. I’ll pour you a cup of water.”

“Alright.”

Just as Feng Jingge sat down on the stool, Xi Liyue returned with the water and suddenly asked, “Princess Consort, you can treat my headaches… so can you also cure my memory loss?”

Upon hearing that, Feng Jingge suddenly asked a rather foolish question.

“You know you have amnesia?”

The moment those words left her mouth, not only was Feng Jingge stunned, even Xi Liyue froze.

Feng Jingge recovered first and lightly smacked her own mouth with a smile.

“Listen to the nonsense I’m asking. Prince Yu must’ve told you about your memory loss, right?”

Xi Liyue shook her head.

“It wasn’t Prince Yu who told me.”

“These past days, whenever my head hurt, fragmented scenes would appear in my mind.”

“To me, those fragments felt both familiar and unfamiliar.”

“After a while, I started suspecting they were my lost memories.”

“And your question just now confirmed my suspicion.”

Hearing this, Feng Jingge finally understood.

So she had actually been tricked by Xi Liyue.

As expected of royalty.

One careless moment, and they’d already set a trap for someone.

Xi Liyue seemed to see through Feng Jingge’s thoughts and hurriedly explained, “Princess Consort, I bear no ill intentions toward you.”

“The reason I did this is because, within those fragmented memories, there’s a middle-aged man wearing a crown.”

“He kept shouting, begging me to go back and save him.”

“I asked him who he was.”

“He told me he was my royal father—the King of Western Ling.”

“Afterward, I secretly asked the servants in the manor behind Prince Yu’s back. They told me Western Ling is at least a thousand li away from here.”

“So I became suspicious…”

“But whenever I tried to think about it, my head would hurt terribly.”

Feng Jingge suddenly interrupted her.

“Your headaches didn’t appear suddenly?”

“They happened because you kept racking your brain trying to remember?”