Chapter 8: 第七章 来头

Shuniang looked at her master helplessly, clearly waiting for him to issue orders; Feng Feixuan's words carried no weight here.

"Are you truly unhurt?" The man's eyes opened just a crack in a lazy manner. As he asked softly, the hand resting on Feng Feixuan's waist tightened, as if he intended to crush her slender waist.

With his other hand, he swiftly grabbed the black cloth on Feng Feixuan's thumb and tore it away. A crystal-clear emerald ring was revealed before his eyes. The entire ring was translucent, with a soft red glow faintly visible inside, reflecting in the man's half-lidded eyes, making the color appear deeper and deeper.

He said deeply, "As expected, you aren't injured; instead, you've been hiding a treasure."

"You... don't go too far!" Feng Feixuan gritted her teeth. She clenched one hand into a fist and swung it wildly at the man's handsome face. Perhaps because his mind was still lingering on the ring, he hesitated slightly and failed to dodge the heavy blow.

However, Feng Feixuan was not so lucky in the next moment. Her hands were tightly clamped by the man and pulled before his eyes, as if he were admiring a top-tier work of art. Feng Feixuan only knew that the iron claws gripping her wrists were nearly crushing her bones, making even struggling an effort.

At this moment, their bodies were pressed tightly together, their warm breaths intertwining. Any slight movement would easily cause their bodies to rub against one another.

"Let me go! Let go!!" Feng Feixuan struggled to sit up, trying her utmost to escape this monster's advances. A ring with such distinct characteristics had clearly piqued the man's interest.

However, he showed little expression. He cast a lazy glance at her and chuckled softly, "The carriage is small; there isn't room for three people to lie down, unless you want to be thrown out. But with your dilapidated body, do you even have the ability to crawl back to the capital?"

When he smiled, his white teeth and starry eyes were breathtakingly beautiful, yet the flippancy in his phoenix eyes made it seem as though he were looking at a mere cricket for amusement, something he could manipulate in the palm of his hand at any time. His words were even more cutting, striking her heart so deeply that she couldn't find the strength to retort.

Being thrown out wasn't a matter of whether she could crawl back to the capital or not; it was a matter of whether she would be captured and tortured by the Copper-Faced Man.

At the mere thought of the Copper-Faced Man's cruelty, Feng Feixuan felt a chill run through her. By comparison, this place was already heaven. Forget it; for now, she had no choice but to endure.

"Tell me, who are you?" Seeing that she had finally quieted down, the man spoke.

Such a possessive and forceful tone made it seem as though Feng Feixuan were already his prize, and he could ask whatever he pleased. In this world, no one dared to snatch anything from him. Feng Feixuan no longer needed to guess; this monster was either a member of the imperial clan or a high-ranking noble. Having been pampered since childhood, he likely had everything he desired.

However, when it came to names, the color in her eyes deepened. In her previous life, she was called Feng Feixuan, but in this life, she did not know the original owner's name. Recalling her struggle with the Copper-Faced Man yesterday, she had once sworn a curse and inadvertently uttered her name, yet the Copper-Faced Man had not been surprised, as if her name had always been Feng Feixuan.

Either the Copper-Faced Man did not know the original owner's name, or the original owner was also named Feng Feixuan. Could it really be such a coincidence?

"Hmm?" The man's slender fingers pinched her delicate, soft chin. His follow-up question turned somewhat cold, as if he greatly disliked her distracted expression, which made it impossible to fathom what she was thinking.

"Uh... let go. I don't even know who I am, so how can I tell you?" Feng Feixuan gave him a cold glance and stubbornly turned her head away, breaking free from his hand.

But this monster was relentless. He firmly gripped her chin again and chuckled, "Hmph, if you're so capable, say it again?"

Feng Feixuan took a deep breath, suppressing the rising anger in her heart. As if to complete a mission, she dropped a few words: "I don't know. I only vaguely remember that my surname is Fang."

Fang was her mother's surname from her previous life, which happened to be useful now. She had to be careful; if the original owner truly was named Feng Feixuan, then the Copper-Faced Man would find her sooner or later. Since she was going to be in disguise, she might as well discard even her name.

In this life, taking her mother's surname could be considered a way to fulfill her filial piety.

"Speak." This monster had no intention of letting her off so easily. He squeezed her chin with increasing force, his cold aura revealing his current impatience.

Feng Feixuan rolled her eyes; threats were useless against her.

Realizing that continued entanglement was meaningless, she relaxed. She found a comfortable position in his arms and put on a charming, innocent expression, teasingly saying, "I forgot. I hit my head yesterday and can't remember anything. Besides, who are you, handsome?"

Fearing he wouldn't believe her, Feng Feixuan reached up to brush away her bangs, revealing a shocking wound that was still seeping blood.

The woman's nonchalance made Zhao Yuqi feel very uneasy. He felt an impulse to strip this woman bare and consume her entirely, just to see how she was constructed.

However, looking at the bloody wound, he couldn't help but feel a flicker of compassion. He barked angrily, "You have a wound here, why didn't you say so sooner? You're a weak woman with no internal strength at all; do you really think you're made of iron?"

"It's just a small wound, what are you so worked up about?" Feng Feixuan was somewhat bewildered by his inexplicable anger.

Zhao Yuqi ignored her and said to Shuniang beside him, "What are you standing there for? Are you blind? Hurry and bring medicine to me!"

"Oh, yes..." Shuniang was completely petrified. She had followed her master for over three years, and this was the first time she had seen him fly into such a rage—and all for a strange female thief he had known for less than an hour?

The guard driving the carriage outside seemed to sense something. Thinking the female thief inside had done something sacrilegious to his master again, he gripped his sword hilt and asked loudly, "Master, has something happened?"

"Nothing. Speed up and head back to the capital. Once we arrive, immediately send someone to invite Imperial Physician Feng to the manor to treat Miss Fang." Zhao Yuqi's face was dark as he applied medicine to Feng Feixuan.

In all his life, this was the first time he had ever served someone.

Seeing him like this, Feng Feixuan also felt awkward and embarrassed to speak. After all, she was the one who had occupied his carriage, used a knife to threaten him, and even injured him... although he was very forceful, he hadn't actually done anything to her. The one who had truly gone too far was likely her.

"Um, how should I address you?" Just as Feng Feixuan was about to say something of thanks, she was barked at by the guard outside, "How dare you! Is the Master's name something you can ask?"

"Ahem..." Feng Feixuan raised an eyebrow and obediently shut her mouth. There was a saying: when you are under someone else's roof, you must bow your head. Moreover, this host had quite a significant background.

Zhao Yuqi gave a bitter smile but offered no explanation, only asking, "What were you going to say?" To this point, no one had ever dared to ask for his name so casually.