I have been farming since I crossed over.

In the bright, clear moonlight, Yang Mingxi narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed on the direction Lu Jintang was leading her. A hint of doubt crept into her heart, and her brow furrowed slightly. Was he taking her to visit Aunt Liu? Whether influenced by modern ideas or for some other reason, Yang Mingxi felt a deep-seated dislike and aversion to the so-called concubines.

Lu Jintang was keenly aware of Yang Mingxi's gloomy expression. A gentle smile appeared on his lips as he asked softly, "What's wrong? Why are you so unhappy all of a sudden?"

Yang Mingxi pondered for a moment. Hadn't they just agreed to be honest with each other? If that was the case, it would be better to speak directly. So, she reluctantly opened her mouth and said, "It doesn't seem appropriate to go to Aunt Liu at this hour!"

Lu Jintang was stunned at first, clearly not expecting Yang Mingxi to say such a thing. After a long while, he finally came to his senses, as if waking from a dream. He then burst into laughter, explaining, "Oh my! Who told you I was taking you to visit Aunt Liu? Besides, I think I forgot to tell you that there are no more concubines in our family now. Not even one left!"

After hearing this, Yang Mingxi was struck by lightning and froze in her tracks. Her eyes widened in disbelief. As far as she knew, the Lu family had three concubines! And these concubines had given birth to Lu Jintang's brothers and sisters. And now, she was suddenly told that such a thing didn't exist. What on earth was going on? Could it be that...

Had all those concubines met with misfortune and been secretly executed? If so, it would be far too cruel! In that case, how would the children born to those concubines cope with the future?

At this moment, Lu Jintang seemed to see through Yang Mingxi's thoughts. He smiled bitterly and said slowly, "To be honest, even my father and grandmother were kept in the dark. Concubine Li and Concubine Qin were both spies deliberately planted by others. Unfortunately, their plan was later exposed. Knowing that they could not escape the blame, they both chose to commit suicide out of fear of punishment. Only Concubine Liu's situation was slightly different. She was originally my mother's personal maid, but later took the concubine certificate and left our Lu family. Before leaving, she expressed her desire to live at the vegetable planting base. My father not only readily agreed, but also allowed her to marry someone else."

Hearing this, Yang Mingxi couldn't help but shudder, a chill running down her spine. A spy? And one who had been lurking for over thirty years! This was simply horrifying and chilling!

Lu Jintang gently reached out his hand and gently pulled Yang Mingxi into his warm arms. Then he hugged her tenderly and said softly, "Xi'er, don't be afraid. There can't be such a hateful person around us. Because in this world, there are only the two of us, and we will always be together."

Just like that, the two of them hugged each other quietly, feeling each other's warmth and heartbeat. Time seemed to stand still at this moment. After a long while, Yang Mingxi suddenly seemed to remember something. She looked up and asked in confusion, "But, didn't you tell me before that Aunt Liu still lives in this vegetable farm? But why is this house now pitch black, with no signs of anyone living there? Could it be..."

Hearing Yang Mingxi's question, Lu Jintang's heart tightened. He quickly stopped what Yang Mingxi was about to say, then quickly held his breath, concentrating his attention and carefully sensing everything around him. Suddenly, his face turned pale, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Without hesitation, he stretched out his arm and grasped Yang Mingxi's slender waist. Then, with a push of his foot, he sped away like a ghost towards the place where Aunt Liu once lived.

When they arrived at their destination, the sight before them made them both gasp—the place was completely deserted, cold and desolate, with no sign of anyone having ever lived there. Looking at the empty room, Lu Jintang suddenly felt a strong sense of unease. He knew this matter was serious; if he couldn't find Concubine Liu's whereabouts quickly, he feared unpredictable consequences. So, he made a quick decision and immediately set out to inform his secret guards and launch a full-scale investigation into Concubine Liu's whereabouts.

Yang Mingxi gently reached out her hand and took Lu Jintang's sleeve. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, revealing a gentle smile as she said, "Let's go, let's go back! This matter is quite urgent. There will definitely be opportunities to visit the place you originally planned to take me to in the future. We can take our time to appreciate it. There's no need to rush now."

Lu Jintang listened to her words and subconsciously wanted to nod in agreement. However, at that moment, a strong intuition came to his mind - if he missed the opportunity to see that place today, he might miss out on many important things. So, he shook his head without hesitation, looked at Yang Mingxi with a firm gaze and said, "Don't worry, since Aunt Liu has been gone for so long, it doesn't matter if you wait a little longer. I can't wait to take you to see the surprise gift I prepared just for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Jintang opened his arms and hugged Yang Mingxi tightly, then his figure flashed and rushed towards the back like a flash of lightning.

Behind the vegetable farm, there was a slightly low-lying area. Surrounded by lush trees and overgrown grass, it seemed particularly quiet and mysterious. In the middle of the woods, a small courtyard stood quietly. It was about five times the size of the courtyard given to Yang Mingxi by her uncle-master, but the layout was similar to that of the backyard, which gave Yang Mingxi a sudden sense of unease.

Yang Mingxi stared at Lu Jintang with a smile on her face and asked softly, "What kind of place is this? Why did you bring me here to see it?" Curiosity and confusion flashed in her eyes, as bright as stars.

Lu Jintang scratched his head nervously, as if he had something to hide that he didn't know how to begin. After much hesitation, he finally stammered, "I'm thinking... I'll bring my aunt-in-law and uncle-in-law over here too. That way, you can save yourself the trouble of running back and forth every time..."

At that moment, a loud boom sounded, as if a bolt of thunder had exploded in Yang Mingxi's mind. Instantly, she felt the world spinning, as if something important was collapsing. Could it be that Lu Jintang had discovered the secret she had been so carefully guarding? At this thought, Yang Mingxi's heart sank to the bottom of the valley, and a chill ran down her spine, quickly spreading throughout her body.

Her face turned pale as snow, completely devoid of any color. Her lips were bitten so tightly that even a trace of blood oozed out, but she felt no pain at all. Her body trembled uncontrollably, trembling so violently that she couldn't even utter a complete sentence. At this moment, Yang Mingxi was like a frightened deer, staring at Lu Jintang in panic and helplessness, her heart filled with fear of an unknown fate.