Chapter Thirty: A-Li, Saving Her Will Only Bring You More Trouble!

Feng Xiaoli spat disdainfully, thinking to herself how she had run into an unusual number of lunatics today—one after another, each stranger than the last. Waving her hands animatedly, she exclaimed, “Zi Lin, get lost! Who are you calling my husband? My future husband is still in your mother’s womb and hasn’t even been born yet!”

“Li’er, if my wife isn’t you, then who is she? So, you like that kind of relationship?” He looked dejected, as though regretting that he had been born too soon. “Ah, so you like that sort of thing, Li’er. I truly regret meeting you so early!”

Feng Xiaoli nodded approvingly. “You’re absolutely right—you shouldn’t have met me so soon! Wait, no, who said I like that kind of thing? You’re the one who likes it! Just because you do doesn’t mean I do!”

Zi Lin looked puzzled. “Didn’t you just say it yourself? You’re my wife, but you won’t admit I’m your husband. Yet you admit our child is your husband. If that’s not it, what is?”

“Stop!” Feng Xiaoli cut him off before he could continue. “Who agreed to be your wife? Don’t be so thick-skinned! Since you’re so skilled in martial arts, hurry up and deal with those black-clad pursuers. I’m going to save Mu Xinmi!”

But Zi Lin had no intention of letting her go so easily. The arm around her waist tightened, and he said reluctantly, “Forget about saving her. If you do, you’ll only bring more trouble upon yourself.”

Feng Xiaoli rolled her eyes at him. "Zi Lin, sometimes you’re clever, but other times you’re truly dense. If I don’t save her, I’ll end up with even more trouble. Besides, you yourself are already a huge headache—how did I end up entangled with someone like you?”

“Is it really so bad to be entangled with me?” Zi Lin asked with a teasing smile.

“Not good at all!” Feng Xiaoli met his gaze intently. “Being with you is like courting danger. Wherever you go, those black-clad assailants follow, and their martial arts are only getting stronger. I can’t guarantee I’ll always escape unscathed, especially earlier when you hadn’t appeared yet. I was honestly worried something might happen to Mu Xinmi. If it were just me, I could have handled everything with ease, but dragging along a pampered lady who can do nothing but scream makes things much more complicated. At least for now, I’m grateful to you.” Her words, for once, were sincere, lacking the usual sharpness.

But Zi Lin seemed accustomed to her barbs. “Li’er, don’t thank me. Your gratitude only makes me uncomfortable. Remember, I’m your husband and you’re my wife—protecting you is my duty. Leave those black-clad men to me; I’ll make sure none remain. As for Mu Xinmi, save her if you wish, or let her go if you don’t. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you—saving her will bring you nothing but trouble!”

He released her waist and vanished in an instant. Feng Xiaoli, who had been about to retort, “Only a ghost would be your wife—there’s no way anything could happen between us!” found her words stuck in her throat. But knowing Zi Lin’s tendency to appear before her every now and then, she wasn’t worried about lacking opportunities to speak her mind.

Feng Xiaoli leapt down from the tree, landing directly at the center of the lake. It wasn’t that she couldn’t have skimmed the water’s surface and fished Mu Xinmi out more gently, but she had other plans.

Mu Xinmi had long since lost her strength and fainted. Perhaps the commotion between Zi Lin and the black-clad men had alerted distant guards, who soon arrived in force. The first to rush forward, faces full of worry, were Prince Chun and Grand Duke Liao. Following them was Mu Xinqi, who kept calling out for her sister, with Yu Wenhao close behind and Yu Wence looking on with a face that said he was there merely for the spectacle. Even the Emperor Qianqing and Empress Yuan Min arrived; Feng Xiaoli couldn’t help but sigh at the sight of their august figures, surprised that even the Emperor and Empress had been disturbed by these events.

“Ah Li, what happened? Jin Ning, quickly bring a cloak for Miss! Ah Li, put this on or you’ll catch a chill!” Prince Chun’s worry was evident as he hurriedly ordered Jin Ning to fetch a cloak. Upon hearing the guards’ report that both Feng Xiaoli and Mu Xinmi had fallen into the water, he had rushed over at once. Seeing that Feng Xiaoli was unharmed, his heart eased, but looking at Mu Xinmi lying motionless, he felt far less optimistic.

Grand Duke Liao stormed over and immediately began berating Feng Xiaoli. “Feng Xiaoli, what did you do to our Xinmi? How could she have fallen into the lake for no reason? If anything happens to her, I will not forgive you!”

Hearing such accusations, Prince Chun, ever protective of his beloved, retorted, “Grand Duke Liao, we don’t know the truth yet. You can’t just blame Ah Li for everything. We should wait for Miss Xinmi to wake up and explain what happened before jumping to conclusions.”

“Hmph!” Grand Duke Liao snorted coldly. “Prince Chun, don’t think I don’t know how dear Feng Xiaoli is to you. You may use your entire princely estate as her shield, but I see right through you.” Turning to the Emperor, he put on an almost tearful face. “Your Majesty, I beg you—give my daughter justice.”

The Emperor replied evenly, “I will see that Xinmi receives justice.”

“Your Majesty!” Prince Chun also stepped forward to petition. “Your Majesty, please give Ah Li justice as well. I am certain there must be some misunderstanding here!”

Grand Duke Liao sneered. “What misunderstanding could there possibly be? Only Xinmi and Feng Xiaoli were here—are you suggesting Xinmi jumped into the lake of her own accord? Logically, it must have been Feng Xiaoli who pushed her!”

“That’s just your own imagination, Grand Duke. Don’t make baseless accusations. Such claims could deeply hurt Ah Li!”

“Hurt? Do you not see how much more deeply Xinmi has been hurt? Look at Feng Xiaoli—aside from being soaked, she’s perfectly fine. Meanwhile, my poor Xinmi lies suffering on the ground, chilled and in pain. Yet you stand here defending Feng Xiaoli’s innocence—do you call that logic?”

Indeed, when comparing Feng Xiaoli and Mu Xinmi, it was clear that Mu Xinmi had suffered the greater harm.

“Enough! What are you all arguing about? Can’t you see I’m trying to save her? If you want to quarrel, take it to the Golden Throne Hall—don’t do it here and make a racket!”

After Jin Ning draped the cloak over her shoulders, Feng Xiaoli bent down, pressing several times over Mu Xinmi’s chest. After a moment, Mu Xinmi coughed up the water she had swallowed and, as she came to, looked around at the crowd gathered above her. She caught sight of Feng Xiaoli, then the Emperor, and tears welled up in her eyes, her expression pitiable and her voice weak enough to make Feng Xiaoli frown.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness, Father, Prince, this wasn’t Miss Li’s fault—it was—” But before she could finish, Mu Xinmi fainted again.

In a haze, she seemed to glimpse Zi Lin standing atop a distant tree, mouthing soundless words: “Ah Li, you’re dead!”

—Happy April Fool’s Day to all!