MFURCC -Chapter 57 Kindred Spirits

A sharp scream pierced the air: “Ah—!” Fu Yunqi’s tongue was sliced through.

He had originally been knocked unconscious by Liuzheng and then woken up by intense pain.

When he realized that his tongue had been cut, his eyes widened in horror, and he clutched his mouth tightly.

But blood gushed from the root of his tongue. Even with his hands pressed against it, a relentless stream seeped through his fingers.

He tried to speak, but the blood poured into his throat.

He couldn’t breathe properly, yet he couldn’t utter a single word—any movement of the tongue brought unbearable pain that nearly made him faint.

Liuzheng had already covered Madam Yuan’s eyes.

“Sister Yuan, don’t look.”

Just like back then, when Fu Yunqi and Feng Lunian were entangled on the bed, Madam Yuan had shielded her eyes.

Liuzheng hadn’t witnessed or experienced what happened under that bed, but such a gory scene would terrify Madam Yuan just as much.

Thankfully, Liuzheng’s intervention was timely. Madam Yuan saw nothing and could only hear the screams.

Whenever Fu Yunsheng moved, Master Fu immediately shouted, “Doctor! Quickly! Treat my son!”

The two doctors, after examining the painting, had not been dismissed but were asked to stay—just in case.

If his son could not produce any evidence proving that this act was Liuzheng’s doing, there was a high chance his tongue would be lost.

Thus, he prepared for the worst and kept the doctors nearby.

It turned out to be useful.

Fu Yunqi was soon carried into an inner room.

Master Fu was about to follow when, passing Liuzheng, he gave her a deep look.

“Master Fu, may I ask your orders?” Liuzheng met his gaze without fear.

His gaze faltered.

But his son’s screams reignited his anger.

“General Ruan, as the saying goes, one should not be utterly ruthless—leave a thread of mercy, so that paths may cross again. You, who take advantage of righteousness to show no mercy, aren’t you afraid that one day you might still need the Fu family?”

Liuzheng looked him squarely in the eye.

“Master Fu, the phrase ‘utterly ruthless’ does not belong on me—it belongs on Second Young Master Fu. He repeatedly slandered me with nothing to back it up. Was that not being utterly ruthless toward me?”

“You think the chances I gave him to present evidence were for nothing? Was it not out of respect for you that I cooperated time and again?”

“But in the end, all I got was your accusation?”

Master Fu choked.

He had no ground to argue, and Liuzheng was sharp with words. He couldn’t outtalk her. He only gave her a long look and said, “Show them out!”

“No need. We will leave ourselves.”

Liuzheng removed her hand from Madam Yuan’s eyes.

Madam Yuan had seen nothing, but merely seeing the blood on the floor drained the color from her face.

“Sister Yuan, let’s go!”

“Yes! Let’s go!” Madam Yuan looped her arm through Liuzheng’s, and they left the courtyard together.

Feng Lunian, seeing the “culprit” captured, also moved to leave.

He quickened his pace to catch up.

“General Ruan, are you truly uninvolved in today’s affair?”

Liuzheng sneered. “What, General Feng, are you going to produce some evidence to slander me as well?”

Feng Lunian narrowed his eyes. “If that weren’t the case, why would he have immediately claimed it was your doing? How could I have ended up on the same bed with him?”

“Of course it’s because he fell for me at first sight, yet his love was unrequited. Realizing he made a drunken mess and became an undesirable, dirty man, he was eager to drag me into it. By slandering me, perhaps he still had a chance with me, right?”

Feng Lunian’s mouth twitched.

That was too far-fetched.

Liuzheng said, “Think carefully. If you stop using that brain of yours, it might rust!”

Feng Lunian glared at her fiercely.

“Let’s hope it’s exactly as you say! Otherwise, if it’s later discovered you were involved, I won’t let you off!”

Liuzheng looked at him, half-smiling.

“General Feng, if you have time to threaten me, you’d better go back and figure out how to contain today’s incident!”

“Ridiculous! We only lay on the same bed. If His Majesty asks, I can explain to him!”

Liuzheng repeated his words mockingly.

“Only lay on the same bed?”

It seemed the Fu family had not told him the full circumstances.

“Any problems?” Feng Lunian asked.

Liuzheng’s lips curved.

“No problems! We should return. General Feng, you should go home quickly too!”

She looped Madam Yuan’s hand through hers and left without looking back.

Feng Lunian frowned.

Something felt off. He also felt that Fu Yunqi couldn’t have been as foolish as Liuzheng claimed.

There had to be something suspicious.

Although he had been drunk and, after being escorted by a servant to a side room, remembered nothing, Fu Yunqi was usually a strong drinker—he couldn’t have conveniently gotten drunk.

Even if he had, the servants wouldn’t have placed them on the same bed.

The Fu mansion was huge! Rooms were countless!

It was impossible for someone to coincidentally see them lying together.

Yet all evidence Fu Yunqi produced had nothing to do with Liuzheng; instead, it proved that Fu Yunqi was the one rambling nonsense.

What really happened?

At that moment, Fu Yunyi arrived.

She wore a beautiful silk gown, her hair arranged high, and the golden hairpin jingled softly with each step.

“General Feng.”

Feng Lunian recognized her—Third Miss Fu.

On Greenbriar Street, a horse-drawn carriage had spooked, and the horse charged toward her. He happened to be there and saved her.

Afterward, the Third Miss had repeatedly sent sweets to his residence.

But he preferred the proactive, flirtatious women of the brothel, not well-bred noble ladies like her.

Even Liuzheng was more exciting than Third Miss Fu.

So, upon seeing Fu Yunyi, Feng Lunian instinctively stepped back and saluted her formally.

“Third Miss Fu.”

Fu Yunyi’s chest tightened seeing his retreat.

Still, she reminded him, “There are many guests at the mansion today. Your matter with my second brother may have spread. I suggest you enter the palace now, before tomorrow’s court session, and report it to His Majesty. Say you and my second brother were merely drunk and made a foolish mistake.”

“Thank you for your advice, Third Miss. But this small matter, if clarified, will resolve the misunderstanding. If His Majesty does not ask, there’s no need to mention it.”

“Small matter?” Fu Yunyi’s eyes widened. “You actually think this is a small matter?”

“What else could it be?”

Her mind buzzed. She was at a loss for words.

“If there’s nothing else, Third Miss, I will take my leave!”

Feng Lunian saluted, and seeing she said nothing more, decisively turned and left.

Being entangled with such a noble lady would be troublesome!

If he married her, he might not even be able to visit the taverns freely.

Better to run.

…

Fu Yunyi stared dumbly in the direction Feng Lunian had left, her mind still numb.

The shock she experienced today was too great—her brain couldn’t think clearly.

One of her maids finally spoke up boldly: “Third Miss, this man is not a suitable match! He and Second Young Master are already… that, and you think it’s just a small matter? If you marry him in the future, the backhouse will likely be filled with absurdities!”

“Shut up!”

Fu Yunyi regained herself and slapped the maid.

The maid clutched her face in pain and lowered her head, saying no more.

Yet Fu Yunyi knew the maid was right.

But once a woman’s heart is given, it’s not easy to take back.

She did not want to fall for such a man—but she had, and there was nothing she could do.

Tears welled in Fu Yunyi’s eyes.

Whether out of anger or sorrow, she didn’t know.

At that moment, a servant rushed over.

“Third Miss! Something terrible! Second Young Master… he… he’s in critical condition!”

Fu Yunyi snapped out of her daze.

“How? Does my mother know?”

“Master Fu is keeping it from her. Hurry and go see!”

Fu Yunyi nodded and hurried off with the servant.

Before the news of Fu Yunqi’s condition reached Liuzheng, she was in the carriage recounting the day’s events to Yuan.

“It was my fifth brother. He seemed to reach some arrangement with Fu Yunqi. He sent his valet out to swap clothes with Fu Yunqi…”

“Fu Yunqi took the opportunity to steal a handkerchief from my mansion. When I realized it was missing, I began thinking about how they would try to deal with me.”

“Once I had an idea, I decided to act first. I asked my fifth brother what birthday gift Fu Yunqi wanted, and he mentioned Xie Huaiyuan.”

“Few nobles in the capital knew Xie Huaiyuan, but he was known for gambling. If he mentioned him, there must be a problem…”

So she played their game and got the calligraphy and painting from Xie Huaiyuan.

“Then I discovered the painting truly had an issue.”

She had Sister Xue make a copy.

The overturned donkey cart spilling fruit today was arranged in advance by her.

After the cart collided, Liuzheng made sure Feng Lunian could smell the poison from the painting, but before entering General Dingyuan’s mansion, she had swapped the painting with the copy Sister Xue made.

“That kind of poison requires a medicinal guide.”

It was the same wine Fu Yunqi served her.

“Without being poisoned, drinking only the guide is useless. When I asked him for it, he feared being exposed and gave me the sweet wine instead.”

She served the wine to Feng Lunian then, making him drink the guide while already poisoned by the painting.

Afterward, she had Yuliu secretly swap the servants’ clothes in Dingyuan Mansion so that if Feng Lunian appeared ‘drunk,’ she could support him to ‘rest.’

Hearing this, Madam Yuan asked, “Then how did Fu Yunqi fall into the trap? Their states were clearly abnormal.”

If Fu Yunqi were sober, he couldn’t have been still entangled with Feng Lunian after Du Panpan kicked the door.

Liuzheng smiled.

“Only the official may start a fire; the commoner cannot light a lamp?”

Fu Yunqi could poison her; why couldn’t she poison him?

“When did you poison him?” Madam Yuan asked curiously.