FRGNM -Chapter 80 A Scheming Man

She had the strength to wipe out Ling Huiru, but the power backing Ling Huiru was not something she could provoke alone—much less go up against the entire Nangong imperial clan. That was why, despite being framed by Ling Huiru so many times, she had always ignored it coldly.

She never expected the man before her to act the moment he decided to—without the slightest mercy. He handled it so decisively. But then again, he had Qiongyu Immortal Island backing him, and more than that, he was the young master of Qiongyu Immortal Island. The Kingdom of Beining would rather lose a willful princess consort than make an enemy of the young master of Qiongyu.

“Do you think I’m handsome?” With a curl of his lips, Luo Mingyu raised his thumb and looked at Ling Ruoxi. That smug expression—his tail practically wagging up to the sky.

What man didn’t like showing off his manliness in front of his woman? He was no exception. Even if he was just crushing opponents like ants, as long as his woman was happy, that was enough.

“You’re like Brother Sharp.” Ling Ruoxi’s mouth twitched, goosebumps rising all over her body. At that moment, she really was conquered by the smile on Luo Mingyu’s face.

The glow of the setting sun fell upon his cheeks, making his handsome face breathtakingly beautiful. If she was a seductress, then he was the real man. Every frown and smile, every gesture carried a bewitching charm. A holy radiance seemed to crown his head, making it impossible to associate him with evil.

Yet it was precisely this kind of man whose heart was darker than anyone’s.

“Brother Sharp?” Luo Mingyu hurriedly picked up the things on the ground and chased after her. “Ruoxi, Ruoxi, wait! You can’t abandon me! Who’s Brother Sharp? Is he more handsome than me? Cooler than me? Do you like him? I’ll duel him!”

“…”

So this was the young master of Qiongyu Immortal Island? The onlookers’ mouths twitched. They couldn’t imagine that such a man was truly the young master of Qiongyu Immortal Island. For a moment, they even doubted what they had just witnessed—was that really something he had done?

He just looked like a man trailing after a woman, not particularly capable at all.

The farce ended quickly. The trembling little maid supported the already cold body and staggered toward the imperial palace.

Lowering the bamboo hat on his head, the man leaning against the wall smiled faintly. His gaze fell upon the silver-white figure ahead as he murmured calmly, “Luo Mingyu, I’m back.”

“Hm?” A trace of unease slowly rose in Luo Mingyu’s heart. He turned around to look, but the crowd flowed endlessly. The black figure he thought he saw vanished in an instant.

Was it an illusion? His sword-like brows lifted slightly as he suppressed his doubts.

Impossible. That man was still imprisoned in the dungeons of Qiongyu Immortal Island—how could he appear here? The island’s defenses were absolutely first-class. Unless someone was deliberately released, no one inside could possibly escape.

Just like the Great Protector who had been imprisoned for over twenty years—still locked away even now. No matter how capable she was, she could only spend the rest of her life in prison.

“Luo Mingyu, tell me—did you deliberately send Yizhui and Yimeng away?” Ling Ruoxi glared at him fiercely, clutching the blanket.

The man lying on his side smiled oddly, reached out, and pulled her into his arms. Lowering his head, he kissed her cheek and inhaled her faint fragrance. “Don’t you think that after sending them away, we can be happier? Those two little brats keep interrupting our good moments. We can’t let them stay.”

“So you really had selfish motives!” Ling Ruoxi glared at him and tugged the blanket as she retreated deeper into the bed.

Yawning, Luo Mingyu smiled lightly. “Alright, no more jokes. We still have things to do tomorrow. Go to sleep early.”

“If you want to sleep early, then why did you come!” Wanting nothing more than to snap that man’s little thing in half, Ling Ruoxi slapped at his hardened body and turned over, pushing him away.

She seriously suspected this man had taken some kind of drug—otherwise how could he be so vigorous?

“I already told you, don’t bully my little Mingyu. What if you break it?” With a grin, Luo Mingyu shamelessly pressed closer. Unlike other women’s scents, she carried the fresh fragrance of flowers—a natural scent he couldn’t get enough of.

Her smooth skin was unmatched. The obedient way she curled in his arms made her like a cloth doll. He was tall and strong; she was small and fragile. By comparison, she was heartbreakingly thin.

No matter how much she ate, she never gained weight—she had even lost some recently. There was barely any flesh on her body; he could even feel her ribs. Her flat stomach had sunk inward, and her long legs were free of any excess flesh.

Thinking of how this stubborn woman had faced hundreds of magical beasts alone in that forest—he had seen it with his own eyes, and it had hurt his heart even more. He had wanted nothing more than to rush out and protect her.

But he knew he couldn’t. He had to let her suffer a little so she would understand his worth. He had only intervened secretly—whenever a beast struck at her vital points, he would shatter the attack in a flash.

Even so, she was still covered in wounds.

Thinking of how she laughed with other men, yet always wore a cold face with him—every conversation turning into an argument, her anger coming out of nowhere—he couldn’t understand a woman’s heart anymore.

That illusion…

Recalling how she had called his name then, Luo Mingyu’s heart turned sweet. His arms tightened around Ling Ruoxi.

“It hurts! What are you doing!” Ling Ruoxi felt like she was about to be crushed. Her face flushed crimson as she buried her head under the blanket.

Chuckling softly, Luo Mingyu held her tighter. “Ruoxi, tomorrow you’ll attend as Madam Luo. I’ll give you a proper status—carry you back in a sedan chair. I won’t let anyone gossip about you.”

“What’s wrong with you today—did you take the wrong medicine?” Ling Ruoxi rolled her eyes, though her heart was racing. Luo Mingyu wanted to marry her? Despite everything between them, he had never mentioned marriage before.

In ancient times, a woman’s chastity was extremely important. Only someone like her—shameless and thick-skinned—wouldn’t care. Yet hearing about marriage still made her a little flustered.

“Then after I marry you, can I still flirt with other men? If I see someone handsome, I can’t tease him anymore?”

“What man could be more handsome than me?” Luo Mingyu raised his brows confidently and smiled. “I’m officially recognized as the man with the strongest ‘male god’ aura. Stick with me—you won’t regret it. Once you marry me, you’re not allowed to provoke other men. Not even boys!”

“Then why would I marry you? I won’t. I already have a son and a daughter. When I’m bored, I can just go flirt with other handsome men. Haven’t you heard the saying? The beautiful can turn ugly, and the ugly can turn beautiful. Once you’ve had too much, beauty loses its charm—by then, you’ll be wishing I’d hurry up and get lost!” Ling Ruoxi pinched the flesh at his waist and raised her brows provocatively.

She reached up, pressed down his sword-like brows, traced along them, and stopped at his lips. “What you gain, you’ll eventually lose. What you lose will never return. Do you understand?”

“I do—but I also know what it means to cherish.” Holding her small hand gently, Luo Mingyu smiled faintly and lowered his head to kiss her lips. “Sleep.”

Qiongyu Immortal Island, passed down since ancient times, selected only the finest among men as young master candidates. On the Dragonwalking Continent, they were idols in the hearts of countless maidens—admired from afar, never within reach.

There was a saying: Qiongyu Immortal Island cared deeply about appearances. Among the candidates, they must choose the most beautiful man—one with both virtue and talent, and of Purple Sovereign rank. A perfect, all-around man.

Under such rules, countless candidates were eliminated. They would rather be pierced through the heart by a sword than leave even the slightest blemish on their faces. As a result, most people of Qiongyu Immortal Island were extremely concerned with appearances.

It was precisely these unchanging rules over a thousand years that made Luo Song, while in Beining Kingdom, pay meticulous attention to everything—even an ordinary banquet had to be grand and luxurious.

In contrast, although Luo Mingyu possessed a holy aura, he was carefree and unrestrained. To him, “face” was merely superficial. In front of Ling Ruoxi, his scheming and his shamelessly cute side were fully exposed—there wasn’t a shred of young master dignity left.

Restraint only made a person lose themselves.

In the spotless backyard, with carved railings and jade masonry, even the potted plants had been replaced. That germaphobic man even had servants wash the chairs ten times before he would sit. All the bowls, chopsticks, and washing utensils were brought by himself.

Ling Ruoxi seriously doubted whether Luo Song was even a man. That level of cleanliness didn’t look masculine at all.

“Hey, are all the men on Qiongyu Immortal Island this girly?” She poked Luo Mingyu in the ribs, watching the man over there fuss endlessly, her appetite instantly halved.

Smiling helplessly, Luo Mingyu said, “No choice. I hated all their rules—that’s why I like staying here. Do you know how I felt on the island? Clothes had to be changed and washed daily. You had to bathe every day. Bowls, chopsticks, towels—all uniformly issued, and thrown away after one use. Men’s hair couldn’t reach past the waist. Women had to clean armpit hair and… that area. Men couldn’t grow beards. You had to wash your hands after using the toilet… so many rules—it made my head hurt.”

“Wash hands after using the toilet… you bastard! So after you came here, you didn’t wash your hands after peeing?!” Ling Ruoxi quickly moved away, looking at him with disgust.

Glancing at his hands, Luo Mingyu said indifferently, “Of course… not. I didn’t even wash after taking a dump. Want to smell them? You might still catch the scent of what I produced this morning.”

“Get lost!” Ling Ruoxi wished she could move to another table. Her face screamed I don’t know this man. This was disgusting—no handwashing after peeing? Just holding that thing alone should require washing!

Grinning, Luo Mingyu stopped teasing her. “Any Dou Qi practitioner can use qi to cleanse themselves. Dou Qi expels all filth, so washing or not washing makes no difference. Of course, I’m used to washing my hands. It’s only the people of Qiongyu Immortal Island who think Dou Qi is more important than water.”