Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Several days later, in Tiandou City, the first light of dawn broke.

Feng Yao returned, stepping through the morning dew, carrying a pink and white rabbit in his arms, and slowly walked through the city gate. Tian Dou City had just awakened, and the streets were sparsely populated. Early-rising vendors were setting up their stalls, and steaming mist filled the cool air.

Xiao Wu twitched her ears in his arms, her ruby-like eyes scanning their surroundings warily. Feng Yao noticed her unease, gently stroking her downy fur with his fingertips, and chuckled softly, "Don't be nervous, this place is much safer than the Star Dou Great Forest."

Xiao Wu glanced at him, and although unwilling, she didn't struggle anymore. However, her ears were still perked up warily, indicating that she hadn't completely let her guard down.

Feng Yao passed through the many gates of the Tian Dou Imperial Palace with ease and went straight to the East Palace. He walked with composure, as if he were returning to his own home, and soon stood in front of Qian Renxue's study.

"Squeak—"

As the door opened slightly, Qian Renxue, who was reviewing memorials, immediately looked up. When she saw who it was, her golden eyes lit up instantly, and she instinctively reached out to greet them. However, the next second, she suddenly stopped—her gaze was fixed on the pink and white soft-boned rabbit in Feng Yao's arms.

"What is this...?" Qian Renxue's voice was hesitant, her slender fingers unconsciously clenching the memorial in her hand.

"Soft-boned Rabbit?" Qian Renxue frowned slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her golden eyes, clearly having already guessed something.

"Is it that girl?" Her voice suddenly turned cold, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing the edge of the table, clearly she already had the answer in her heart.

Feng Yao chuckled and gently placed Xiao Wu on a soft chair beside him. "Now she's just an ordinary rabbit." He casually rubbed Xiao Wu's ears. "Since we took her soul ring and soul bone, we should at least leave her a way to live, shouldn't we?"

Turning to the little rabbit, she half-jokingly warned, "Don't run around. If the palace servants catch you and keep you as a pet, I won't be responsible."

Qian Renxue snorted softly, the gilded phoenix hairpin swaying slightly with her movement: "You're quite kind-hearted. I asked you to go there, and she took the soul bone and soul ring, so you got a rabbit instead." She picked up her teacup, her tone clearly tinged with jealousy, her slightly pursed red lips making her look like a wronged little wife.

Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice, casting dappled shadows in the study. Xiao Wu curled up in the corner of the chair, her ruby-like eyes warily observing the couple, while her furry ears involuntarily perked up, seemingly quite interested in the conversation unfolding before her.

Seeing this, Feng Yao couldn't help but smile, stepping forward to gently embrace Qian Renxue: "You've misunderstood His Holiness the Pope." He took Qian Renxue's slender hand and tenderly pressed it against his heart, "Feel it carefully."

A hint of confusion flashed in Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes, but when she carefully sensed the soul power fluctuations that Feng Yao was intentionally releasing, she was immediately shocked.

"Contra?!" She looked up abruptly, her gilded phoenix hairpin swaying gently with the movement. "She actually gave you her 100,000-year soul ring and soul bone?"

Feng Yao's lips curled slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes: "It's all thanks to His Holiness the Pope." He glanced meaningfully at Xiao Wu, who was curled up in the chair, "If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have had this opportunity."

"What exactly happened?" Qian Renxue's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, her gilded phoenix hairpin swaying gently as she tilted her head. "I don't believe she would be so generous as to hand over a 100,000-year-old soul ring and soul bone so easily." Her slender fingers suddenly gripped Feng Yao's collar. "And you still haven't told me what her purpose was in sending you there?"

Feng Yao chuckled and took her soft hand in his. "Don't rush, let me explain slowly." As he spoke, Qian Renxue's expression grew increasingly solemn.

Upon hearing that Bibi Dong had deliberately leaked information to Heaven Dou City, Qian Renxue abruptly broke free from Feng Yao's embrace: "So, her real purpose was to expose you to everyone's scrutiny!" Her golden pupils narrowed slightly, her voice filled with suppressed anger, "What a clever scheme!"

Xiao Wu shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her red eyes warily observing the changes in the expressions of the two. Feng Yao reached out to comfort Qian Renxue, but she stepped aside to avoid him.

"She's using you as bait!" Qian Renxue gritted her teeth, her fingers unconsciously digging into her palms, revealing the turbulent emotions surging in her beautiful eyes.

Feng Yao quickly stepped forward, gently taking Qian Renxue's slightly cold hands in his, and said softly, "Alright, don't overthink it." He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "This is also my fault. His Holiness the Pope was worried because he saw that I had a close relationship with Lingling and Yanyan."

He paused, gazing into Qian Renxue's eyes: "She's afraid something might happen between us; ultimately, it's all for your sake."

Qian Renxue was taken aback by his words, her red lips unconsciously biting down. She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her face, momentarily at a loss for how to respond. Complex emotions surged within her—there was dissatisfaction with Bibi Dong's scheming, yet she was also deeply troubled by the hidden concern in his words.

Feng Yao gently stroked Qian Renxue's hair, his voice growing even softer: "She knows better than anyone that doing this might affect your plans in Tian Dou. But in her heart—" He paused, "the bond between us is far more important than those schemes."

"Including later," Feng Yao continued, gently wiping away the tears that hadn't yet fallen from the corner of her eye, "Although it was her own wrong decision, she had no complaints whatsoever about me obtaining the soul ring and soul bone. Even though I returned empty-handed this time..."

Before he could finish speaking, Qian Renxue suddenly threw herself into his arms. Feng Yao could clearly feel his clothes gradually becoming soaked with warm tears. The person in his arms trembled slightly, but stubbornly refused to utter a single sob.

He gently embraced her and whispered in her ear, "It's okay."

The sunlight outside the window quietly fell on the two people embracing. Xiao Wu looked at them with red eyes, but her ears were still perked up.

Feng Yao gently stroked Qian Renxue's back, speaking softly like he was coaxing a child, "It's alright, don't cry." His fingertips lightly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "We still have a long time ahead of us, everything will be alright." He then turned his gaze to the little white rabbit curled up in the chair, "Now, we need to find this little one a suitable home."

Qian Renxue lifted her head from his embrace, her eyes still red-rimmed, but she had regained some of her usual composure. She nodded gently, the gilded phoenix hairpin swaying slightly with the movement, reflecting shimmering light in the sunlight.

Xiao Wu's ears suddenly perked up, her ruby-like eyes warily fixed on the two, as if she understood they were discussing her whereabouts. Feng Yao, seeing this, couldn't help but smile, reaching out to gently tap her pink nose: "Don't worry, you won't be treated unfairly."

"What are you doing?" Qian Renxue suddenly slapped away Feng Yao's hand, which was teasing the rabbit. The gilded phoenix hairpin swayed gently as she tilted her head. Although it was just a snow-white rabbit in front of her, in her heart, she always remembered that girl. Feng Yao chuckled, cupping Qian Renxue's tear-streaked face in his hands, his thumbs gently wiping away the tears on her cheeks. "Alright, my little jealous one," he whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, "you're even jealous of a rabbit?"

"Get lost!" Qian Renxue burst into laughter through her tears, playfully pushing him away, but she couldn't hide the smile on her lips. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled patterns of light on her reddened earlobes.

Xiao Wu squatted on the chair, her red eyes darting around, her three-lobed lips moving involuntarily, as if silently complaining about the cloying couple.

Feng Yao turned his gaze to Xiao Wu not far away, where she saw that Xiao Wu's rabbit eyes, as clear as rubies, were staring straight at them, with complex emotions seemingly flowing within them. But no one could decipher any deeper meaning from a rabbit's expression.

"Come here." Feng Yao reached out to pick up Xiao Wu, but a white shadow flashed and the little rabbit nimbly jumped far away, making a "coo coo" sound of dissatisfaction. It squatted on the windowsill, its ears perked up alertly, its three-lobed mouth trembling incessantly, looking just like a wronged little girl.

"Hey," Qian Renxue looked at the flustered Xiao Wu and couldn't help but laugh at Feng Yao, "She seems to have a lot of opinions about you?"

Feng Yao shrugged. "That little one's shrewd. She definitely overheard our conversation—" He winked meaningfully, "especially about your relationship with His Holiness the Pope."

Before she could finish speaking, Qian Renxue flashed to the windowsill like a phantom, precisely pinching Xiao Wu's nape. The little rabbit immediately kicked wildly, her snow-white hind legs thrashing in the air, looking like a pitiful little thing whose fate had been seized by the scruff of its neck.

"Coo coo coo!" Xiao Wu protested, her red eyes wide open. Qian Renxue smiled even more brightly, her gilded hairpin swaying gently with her movements: "Run, why aren't you running anymore?" She deliberately shook the little white rabbit in her hand, making Xiao Wu's ears perk up in anger.

"Alright, stop bullying her." Feng Yao said, unable to suppress a laugh, reaching out to take the ruffled little rabbit.

Qian Renxue suddenly turned aside, looking at Feng Yao suspiciously: "You wouldn't have any particular interest in her—" She deliberately drew out the word, her gilded phoenix hairpin swaying gently with the tilt of her head, "...wouldn't you?"

Feng Yao was both amused and exasperated: "What are you thinking?" He shook his head helplessly, "She's just an ordinary soft-boned rabbit now."

"Gurgle!" Xiao Wu suddenly struggled violently in Qian Renxue's hands, her red eyes glaring angrily at Feng Yao, her three-lobed mouth trembling incessantly, as if protesting the term "ordinary rabbit".

Seeing this, Qian Renxue's eyes flashed with a mischievous glint. She deliberately lifted Xiao Wu up in front of Feng Yao and shook it, causing the little rabbit to thrash about again.

Feng Yao could only sigh and rub his forehead as he watched the two of them locked in a fierce struggle.

Feng Yao sighed softly, his gaze softening as he looked at Xiao Wu in Qian Renxue's hands. "Although obtaining her soul ring and soul bone wasn't my original intention, since it's already a fait accompli, and given our somewhat existing relationship," he paused, "I'm willing to grant her some reasonable requests. Letting her live on in this way, watching Tang San from afar, might be a comfort to her."

Qian Renxue gently stroked Xiao Wu's soft fur with her fingertips and whispered, "Sometimes, not looking is the best choice."

Feng Yao nodded slightly: "It would be best if she could let go of her obsession. But—" He looked at the suddenly quiet little rabbit, "she clearly can't let go. If we don't let her see him, she'll find a way to go to Tang San herself. With good luck, she might arrive safely, but if luck isn't on her side..."

He didn't continue, but Xiao Wu understood what he meant—in her current state, crossing the perilous Soul Beast Forest alone would likely make her prey for other Soul Beasts.

Xiao Wu's body stiffened noticeably for a moment, then fell completely still. Her ruby-like eyes lost their previous vitality, and she curled up in Qian Renxue's palm with drooping ears. Sunlight filtered through the window curtains, casting dappled shadows on her snow-white fur, but it couldn't reach her dim rabbit eyes.

Qian Renxue looked at Feng Yao with a strange expression, her golden eyes flashing with confusion: "Don't you think this is contradictory?"

Feng Yao chuckled as he took Xiao Wu from her hands, his fingertips gently stroking the rabbit's soft fur: "Doesn't it seem a bit like feigned compassion?"

Qian Renxue nodded hesitantly, the gilded phoenix hairpin swaying slightly with her movements.

"Humans are inherently contradictory beings, a mixture of emotion and reason," Feng Yao's voice was gentle yet profound. "Now that the strategic objective has been achieved," he glanced down at the quiet little white rabbit in his arms, "I don't mind letting emotion prevail for once."

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on Feng Yao's profile. Xiao Wu's red eyes flickered slightly, her ears involuntarily perking up, as if she too was pondering the deeper meaning of his words. Qian Renxue stared blankly at the man before her, who was sometimes decisive and ruthless, and at other times gentle and tender, her red lips unconsciously curving into a soft smile.

Feng Yao's hand gently rested on Qian Renxue's shoulder, the warmth of his palm seeping through the thin fabric of her clothes. He gazed into her eyes, his voice low and gentle: "Xue'er, reason certainly allows you to distinguish right from wrong, but—" his fingertips tightened slightly—"it is precisely emotion that allows humanity to shine with its most moving light."

Qian Renxue's eyes flickered slightly, a thoughtful expression appearing on her face. She lowered her gaze to Xiao Wu in Feng Yao's arms, the pure white rabbit quietly looking back at her, its ruby-like eyes seemingly holding untold stories.

Qian Renxue nodded slightly, the phoenix hairpin in her hair scattering tiny golden fragments with the movement. She suddenly understood that perhaps it was this gentleness, preserved even in a cruel world, that made the man before her so extraordinary.

Feng Yao gently patted Qian Renxue's hand and said softly, "Alright, I'll take her to settle down first." He looked down at Xiao Wu, who had quieted down in his arms, her ruby-like eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

A gentle smile curved Qian Renxue's lips, and the gilded phoenix hairpin swayed slightly as she nodded. "Go." Her gaze shifted between Feng Yao and Xiao Wu, a knowing smile flashing in her eyes.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a warm golden glow on the departing figure. Xiao Wu peeked out from Feng Yao's arms, her red eyes taking one last look at Qian Renxue, who stood still, her ears twitching slightly.

(End of this chapter)