FRGNM -Chapter 216 Tinder Meets Flame

“This part didn’t quite turn out the way you hoped—but then again, men and women who’ve never experienced such things are like dry tinder and raging fire. Once you spark it, how could they possibly rely on sheer willpower to hold back?” Luo Mingyu chuckled softly, his expression serious as he explained.

The result clearly startled Ling Ruoxi. Her brush trembled in her hand as she abruptly raised her head and met Luo Mingyu’s gaze. She swallowed hard and asked in a shaking voice, “What did you say? Nangong Mo and Qian Yi… the two of them…”

“No idea,” Luo Mingyu replied. “Qian Yi has a fierce temper and comes from a ministerial family. Even if something like that happened, she wouldn’t lower her head to demand anything from Nangong Mo. As for Nangong Mo, he’s a sealed gourd—never likes to speak about feelings or care, and even less likely to bow his head to Qian Yi. So the two of them just keep it bottled up. Watching that, doesn’t it make you uncomfortable too? Since you’ve already matched them up, why not add another spark?”

As he spoke, Luo Mingyu reached out and made a small ‘lighting a fire’ gesture in front of Ling Ruoxi.

No way—how could Nangong Mo’s willpower have become so weak? Even if his resolve faltered, women who lived in military camps usually had far stronger resistance than ordinary men. How did she get dragged down too? Ling Ruoxi truly couldn’t understand it. What she didn’t know was that, at this very moment, she herself had already been sold out by the man in front of her.

If she had known that Luo Mingyu had asked Qingyi to add yet another spark, she would definitely have raised absolute havoc.

“I… I still find it hard to accept this. How could Nangong Mo be so…” So undiscriminating? Or had he been hiding it that deeply—so that just a bit of aphrodisiac sent him straight into bed with a girl?

Luo Mingyu, however, felt slightly displeased. Raising an eyebrow, he smiled and said, “What, feeling uncomfortable? Is it because Nangong Mo was with another woman, so you’re upset and still thinking about him?”

“You! Are you jealous?” Ling Ruoxi arched her brows and smiled faintly at him. “I like him. I still think about him. So what?” Back then he’d tricked her—she still hadn’t settled that score.

The corner of Luo Mingyu’s mouth twitched. Taking advantage of the situation, he leaned into Ling Ruoxi’s arms, hooked her chin with one hand, and laughed softly. “The effects of the drug haven’t worn off yet. You think Nangong Mo could hold out? In the end, he lost. What about me—do you think I can hold out?”

“Pfft—you’re absolutely insane!” Ling Ruoxi was nearly provoked into jumping up. She wished she could stuff the aphrodisiac straight up Luo Mingyu’s nose. But then she raised her brows and smiled triumphantly. “Oh, I forgot to tell you—I’ve got my period. If you really can’t deal with it, go to Yihong Courtyard. The girls there are lining up waiting for you…”

“Alright, enough. Get some sleep.” Luo Mingyu was only joking anyway. Seeing her reaction, he could only smile helplessly. He reached out, lifted her up, and strode toward the bed.

Night fell. The cold wind brushed against her cheeks. Her slender figure stood trembling in the wind, while the man before her already had a livid expression.

“Who gave this to you?!” Hu Qiang roared, staring at the handwriting as his face darkened completely.

Hu Qiao’er shook her head, her voice trembling. “I don’t know. Today, Sister Zier and I went into the forest. We ran into wild beasts—several servants died, and even Uncle Lin nearly lost his life. Luckily, two young masters rescued us. But I… I fainted and don’t remember what they looked like.”

“Two young masters?” Hu Qiang frowned slightly, withdrew the paper from his hand, and said coldly, “Fine. Don’t spread this matter. I’ll handle it myself. You’re not well—go back and rest.”

“Yes, Father.” Hu Qiao’er trembled and turned back to her room.

The man remained standing. He unfolded the paper and looked at the flowing handwriting:

If you wish to save her, tomorrow at Yihong Courtyard, first private room. Be there or be square.

Such a simple sentence—on the surface, nothing special.

But Hu Qiao’er’s poison suddenly flared up. The physician examined her and confirmed that she carried a potent poison that required immediate treatment. Fortunately, the toxin had been suppressed; her life was no longer in danger.

Did he want to save her? His only daughter—how could he not?

But why did the meeting place have to be Yihong Courtyard, of all places?!

In the imperial city, if Lotus Pond was a famous scenic spot, then Yihong Courtyard was the most indulgent place of all—a favorite haunt of young noblemen. It was an establishment authorized by the emperor himself.

The girls there included those who sold only their talents, not their bodies, as well as women who willingly stayed on. Even within the dust of the red-light world, there were peerless beauties. Day or night, they were open for business. The girls rotated their rest, and countless young masters exhausted themselves there, all for a single smile from a beauty.

“What kind of place is this? I really don’t know what the emperor was thinking, allowing it to continue operating.” Ling Ruoxi frowned. The heavy scent of rouge and powder rushing toward her nearly made her dizzy.

She pinched her nose with one hand and glared at Luo Mingyu.

The man, clearly accustomed to such places, propped his chin with one hand and chuckled. “What, not used to it? That’s fine. Let’s go upstairs and wait.”

“Wait for who?” Ling Ruoxi froze, not yet understanding his plan.

Holding her small hand, Luo Mingyu led her up to the second floor.

If the first floor was a place of romance and indulgence, the second floor was where scholars and refined guests gathered. But it felt rather desolate—empty and cold. Only a few young girls holding a guqin, pipa, or zither were present, beginning to play softly when someone came up.

“This place…” Ling Ruoxi paused slightly as she looked at the calligraphy and paintings covering the walls. The sounds from the first floor were completely cut off here—it felt like an entirely different world.

Luo Mingyu sat down. “This is the second floor of Yihong Courtyard, where scholars once gathered. But it’s been abandoned for a long time. Most men who come here seek pleasure. Very few can truly quiet their hearts and listen to a tune. Just like some people—on the surface they look bold and romantic, but in truth, they’re rigid and old-fashioned.”

“Are you talking about yourself?” Ling Ruoxi laughed, lifting one of the ancient paintings. She didn’t understand their deeper meaning—she only felt they were beautiful.

“That one was painted a hundred years ago by the scholar Hanmoxuan—Morning Moon over Green Mountains, worth two thousand taels of silver. To your left is Willows by the Emerald Lake by Du Juanyuan, painted one hundred and fifty years ago, worth two thousand five hundred taels. On the right is…”
Luo Mingyu smiled lightly, casually naming each piece’s origin as Ling Ruoxi walked around.

The musicians nearby turned pale with shock. Never before had someone been able to identify everything here so precisely on their first visit—even the emperor of Duanyun Kingdom might not know their origins so clearly!

“Clap, clap, clap…”

Applause rang out. A stern-faced man strode forward, looking at the man seated nearby.

Ling Ruoxi froze, quickly returned, and sat down cross-legged.

“Is the general here to admire paintings, or to drink himself into oblivion?” Luo Mingyu smiled calmly, lifting his teacup. “If it’s drinking, please go to the first floor. This is the second.”

Hu Qiang pulled the paper from his robes and slammed it onto the table. “I know it was you. As long as you can save Qiao’er, even if you want all the paintings here, I can buy them!”

“Haha—General, you’re truly generous,” Luo Mingyu said lightly, setting down his teacup. “But the one who summoned you here wasn’t me.”

Ling Ruoxi immediately understood. So this was Hu Qiao’er’s father. She sized up the military man and smiled faintly. “So it’s General Hu. What is it that you wish to know?”

“Naturally, about the poison in Qiao’er’s body!” Hu Qiang’s eyes reddened. No matter what, he had to protect his last bloodline. Besides, the Hu family had never offended anyone—why were they targeting his daughter so relentlessly?!

Ling Ruoxi chuckled, propping her chin with one hand. “Since General Hu knows about the poison, you should also know that Qiao’er has been poisoned for over ten years. Ten years—do you really think this was done by outsiders?”

“What do you mean? Are you saying there’s a traitor in my household?!” Hu Qiang exploded in anger. Everyone in the residence had followed him for years—servants and guards he personally trained. How could there be a spy secretly poisoning his daughter?!

“An open arrow is easy to dodge; a hidden one is hard to guard against.” Ling Ruoxi smiled faintly. “If outsiders wanted to harm your daughter, would it really take ten years?”

With that, she raised her hand. A white jade bottle appeared in her palm. She pushed it forward calmly. “This contains a pill I refined for her. After taking it, it can temporarily suppress the poison.”

“Thank you!” Hu Qiang’s eyes lit up as he reached for the bottle.

But Ling Ruoxi was faster. She tapped the bottle and shook her head with a smile. “The antidote isn’t so easy to obtain.”

“Then what do you want?!” Hu Qiang froze. Without even knowing the other party’s identity, he had already lost. He had only one daughter—no matter what they demanded, he had to comply.

What did she want? Ling Ruoxi curled her lips into a smile. “I’ve heard that General Hu commands three hundred thousand troops, all stationed at the border. Is that correct?”

“You—what are you trying to do?! If you want me to rebel against Duanyun Kingdom, I’d rather die than agree!” Hu Qiang’s expression changed drastically. The moment military authority was mentioned, he understood her intent and snorted, refusing to touch the bottle.

But Ling Ruoxi shook her head with a calm smile. “Of course not. You know the current situation of the realm well enough. We all support the Crown Prince. I won’t make things difficult for you.”

“Oh? Then the two of you are…?” Hu Qiang’s eyes brightened. So they were allies.

Ling Ruoxi smiled and shook her head. “It’s not convenient to reveal our identities yet. But we are absolutely loyal to Duanyun Kingdom and will only support the Crown Prince. However, Lieyun commands a million troops, with countless officials backing him. I want to use this opportunity for you to reclaim your military authority—withdraw part of the border troops and station them in the imperial city. After the former emperor’s birthday, he will go into seclusion. That will be a trial for the Crown Prince—and also the moment for Lieyun to strike back.”