FRGNM -Chapter 132 Triggering Conflict

The woman who had drunk herself senseless had long lost awareness of her actions. When she woke up the next morning, her head throbbed as if something had violently pierced her skull.

Her clothes had already been changed, and the vomit she had expelled was cleaned away. The room was neat, showing no trace of disorder.

“I already said alcohol is addictive and I should quit… so why did I drink so much? Why the hell did I drink?” Ling Ruoxi gulped down her tea, finally feeling her throat ease slightly.

Still groggy, her vision was double.

Bang! She pushed open the door. The inn outside was quiet; the courtyard was empty.

Where had everyone gone? Puzzled, Ling Ruoxi prepared to return to her room. But as she stepped forward, a white figure moved past the artificial rock formation.

It was her! A flash of determination lit Ling Ruoxi’s eyes, and she hurried after her. She had suspected something was off about Baili Ling—how could she appear so coincidentally?

Perfect. Baili Ling had tried to harm her yesterday; now following her secretly was her chance to catch her in the act. And then, she’d see what that despicable Luo Mingyu had to say.

Smirking, Ling Ruoxi quickened her pace, keeping an eye on the woman standing by the lake, seemingly watching for something.

Hiding behind the rocks, Ling Ruoxi peered through the grass at her target.

Baili Ling, after observing for a while and confirming no one was around, slowly took a white sheet of paper from her bosom. With a flick of her right hand, a little bird quickly flew to her fingertip.

“Little sparrow, this is the latest news. Take it to Mother and tell her to send reinforcements, setting up ambushes around here. In three days, I’ll arrange to meet Luo Mingyu, and you act according to the situation—capture the traitor from Qiongyu Immortal Island!”

Humming softly, Baili Ling rolled up the paper, preparing to put it into the bamboo tube.

Of course, a spy! Ling Ruoxi pushed aside the grass, her eyes sharp and alert, like a leopard ready to pounce. A silver-white figure shot out like lightning, hands grabbing for the paper in Baili Ling’s hands.

If she could seize that evidence and show it to Luo Mingyu, he wouldn’t doubt her words!

“Eh?” Baili Ling turned in surprise, immediately shielding the paper. “What… what are you trying to do?!”

The figure rushing at her landed both hands on Baili Ling’s wrist. “Give me the paper, spy! Luo Mingyu trusted you, and yet you betray her!”

“I… what are you saying? I don’t understand… help, Brother Mingyu!”

“Call me again and I’ll kill you! Shut up!”

The grip tightened. The woman by the lake stepped back, and Ling Ruoxi, whose hand was pressing Baili Ling’s wrist, felt a force pulling her backward. Baili Ling, tilting back, revealed a sly smile. “You’ve lost…”

What? She… lost? Ling Ruoxi had no idea what the woman was talking about.

Then a silver-white figure appeared, and the scene made it look as if Ling Ruoxi had pushed Baili Ling into the pool.

Splash! The figure in the water struggled.

The standing person dashed forward, his face dark with anger. With a flick of his right hand, the figure in the water was lifted by Dou Qi. He removed his coat, draping it over her shivering body. “Are you okay, Ling’er?”

The intimate words carried meticulous care. His anxious expression proved how important Baili Ling was to him.

Ling Ruoxi almost laughed bitterly. She had been chasing evidence only to be tricked by a woman—her first time ever being played like this. Even as a trained agent, she had been outwitted.

“Ling Ruoxi!” Luo Mingyu’s voice carried anger. He had never expected this woman to stoop so low as to act against Baili Ling.

Raising her eyebrows, Ling Ruoxi snatched the paper from Baili Ling’s hands. “This is the evidence. She wanted to communicate with her mother and expose our movements. And which eye of yours saw me push her into the pool?”

“You—”

“Brother Mingyu, don’t be angry. It wasn’t Sister Ruoxi, really it wasn’t her—it was my own carelessness, cough cough…” Baili Ling’s pale face shook as she tried to explain.

Luo Mingyu had already seen the scene. There was no way it could have been accidental.

“Ling’er wouldn’t do such a thing. There’s no need to read this letter,” he said softly, shielding her.

“Luo Mingyu! Who do you believe, her or me? What’s written here is clear as day! You’ll see for yourself!” Ling Ruoxi glared, gripping the paper tightly.

The man frowned but hesitated to take it.

In Luo Mingyu’s arms, Baili Ling trembled pitifully. “Sister Ruoxi, I just wrote this casually…”

“Shut up. You have no place here! Luo Mingyu, will you look or not?” Ling Ruoxi’s eyes were icy.

Luo Mingyu’s face darkened further, but seeing Ling Ruoxi’s expression, he finally took the letter. The elegant handwriting only made his handsome face look grimmer.

“See? She wrote to report, saying in three days she would lure you somewhere and have Qiongyu Island set an ambush. It’s all written here…”

“Ling Ruoxi, have you caused enough trouble?!” He threw the letter at her face, glaring. “If you’re just looking to cause problems, I’ll tell you: Ling’er is the most important person to me! Even if you’re my woman, you cannot touch her! If you keep bullying her, we don’t need to be together anymore!”

“Luo Mingyu, you…” Ling Ruoxi wanted to curse, but seeing the gleam of satisfaction in Baili Ling’s eyes, she realized the truth.

The letter was ordinary writing, nothing more. This woman had set her up from the start, luring her here intentionally. The ‘reporting to her mother’ was just bait—everything was targeted at her.

Ling Ruoxi coldly smiled, discarding the letter. That moment of heartbreak made her feel breathless. Even the person she once knew had become a stranger.

She realized that, in his heart, she meant nothing. Even she, his devoted woman, could not compete with another woman using seduction and deceit.

She was a woman too, but she would never use such methods to bind someone she loved.

Why did she leave Liuli Island? Why come to this continent?

All for her two children—to find a husband who truly understands her. She had never intended to chase that man in the first place, had she?

Her faint, bitter smile reflected despair. She brushed her hair from her forehead, her cool expression void of warmth. “I see. I understand.”

No other emotions, yet it worried Luo Mingyu more than anything. Seeing Ling Ruoxi like that, his heart twisted. He reached to stop her, but she turned away indifferently.

“Then you better protect this woman. Otherwise, given a chance, I will kill her! Don’t forget, I always avenge my grudges—then and now.” His eyes flashed with lethal intent.

The sleeping woman no longer needed to rely on such tactics to keep a man. She loved him, but that didn’t mean she had to obey everything. Her task was to secretly protect him.

Stretching out her right hand, she tossed the white medicine bottle. The person ahead continued onward.

“The remaining antidote, I’ll give you within ten days. Your Dou Qi will also recover. Then I can rest assured.”

Ling Ruoxi… didn’t know why, but those three words she once blurted out couldn’t leave her lips now. She held Baili Ling’s hand tighter. Luo Mingyu frowned slightly, watching as the woman he loved moved farther from him.

“Brother Mingyu, that hurt,” Baili Ling whispered.

He quickly released his grip, adjusting his emotions. “It’s fine. Let’s go. Don’t mind her—she’s just throwing a tantrum. Ling’er, are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you, Brother Mingyu…”

Truly ironic. Ling Ruoxi’s ears had been sharp enough to hear everything. She smiled faintly, not knowing what she herself was feeling.

Luo Mingyu, why don’t you trust me? Why don’t you trust the woman you love most? Or am I… not the woman you love?

She smiled faintly, looking at the alchemy furnace, recalling the steps to prepare the antidote according to Luo Mingyu’s Dou Qi. She had to brew the counteracting medicine quickly.

She hadn’t expected Luo Mingyu to have another type of Dou Qi in his body, making the medicine effective only for him. If one could really control Dou Qi with medicine, the world would become almost like Earth.

Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the furnace. She reached out, gently stroking it. Very well—she would try. At least she had to brew the antidote to feel at ease.

“You really plan to start alchemy now? With your current state, wait a few days.” A figure in blue moved the ingredients into Ling Ruoxi’s room, frowning at her determination.

The stubborn woman smiled softly. “I’m afraid there won’t be time. Even in Duanyun, there are many who would harm Luo Mingyu. If he recovers sooner, he’ll have one more guarantee.”

“It seems you care for him. But don’t overwork yourself. If he falters, he still has his birthright magical beast. That beast is powerful too…”