Quick Transmigration: The Charming Beauty Who Was Short-Lived and Alluring

"Yes." Chu Yun carefully opened the food box, took out the pastries inside, and placed them on the table.

Feng Jinnian opened his eyes at that moment. He glanced at the pastries and his gaze quickly fell on Chu Yun's face. "Sit closer."

Chu Yun sat down at the table as instructed, only one person's distance away from Feng Jinnian. The strong perfume scent on him made Chu Yun's sensitive nose feel a little uncomfortable.

"Do you know what the most important thing is for a spy?" After a long while, Feng Jinnian suddenly asked.

It was strange to ask such an abrupt question in this situation, but Feng Jinnian not only asked it, but also looked at Chu Yun seriously, waiting for her answer.

Chu Yun was slightly taken aback, but quickly replied, "Loyalty to the master."

Feng Jinnian laughed, and in his flat tone, he rebuked Chu Yun, "Utterly foolish."

He rubbed his temples, seemingly troubled by Chu Yun's foolishness.

"I am foolish and ignorant, please enlighten me, Your Highness," Chu Yun said.

Feng Jinnian glanced at her and said coolly, "Do I have to teach you this? You should spend some time thinking about my questions. If you answer incorrectly again next time, you will be severely punished."

Chu Yun forced a smile, "Yes, I will definitely consider your question carefully."

Feng Jinnian gave a soft "hmm" and then closed his eyes, pretending to sleep.

Chu Yun wasn't as at ease as him. She maintained a smile, her gaze lingering on the delicate pastries on the table, lost in thought.

Even after getting off the carriage, Feng Jinnian didn't touch the so-called favorite pastry.

*

Today's banquet was hosted by the Crown Prince of Liang to celebrate his twenty-second birthday.

Several years ago, the Seven Princes rebelled. Although all the princes involved have been executed, the rebellion caused too much damage to the Great Qi and served as a severe warning. The remaining princes are all living in fear, lest Qi Jingheng make trouble for them.

At this critical moment, the Prince of Liang and the Prince of Zhennan took the lead in sending their sons to the capital to show their loyalty. Other princes followed suit and sent their eldest sons to the capital as well. This stabilized the turbulent situation and eased the conflict between the current emperor's lineage and other members of the imperial clan.

The Prince of Liang was the younger brother of the late Emperor, and the Prince of Liang's heir was the current Emperor's cousin. Among all the princes who came to the capital, he was closest to Qi Jingheng. In addition, the Prince of Liang was the first to surrender and helped Qi Jingheng. Therefore, the Prince of Liang's heir was deeply favored by the Emperor and held an extremely prestigious position in the capital.

Today, he held a grand banquet, which was extremely lavish, demonstrating Qi Jingheng's great favor towards him.

Feng Jinnian said to Chu Yun beside him, "The relationships between various parties in the capital are complicated. You have learned about these things before. Pay attention to how you handle them and don't cause trouble for me."

Chu Yun lowered her head and said, "Yes."

"Brother Jin Nian, you've arrived." A voice came from afar.

Chu Yun didn't look up, but felt Feng Jinnian's aura suddenly change. The oppressive feeling from before disappeared without a trace. He put his arm around her waist very naturally and said in a nonchalant tone, "Huai Ren, how have you been?"

As he spoke, he embraced Chu Yun and walked forward.

Qi Huai Ren, son of King Jiang, belonged to a distant branch of the royal family.

Jiangdi was a barren land, and it was always in arrears with its tributes. Qi Huai Ren was born and raised in Jiangdi. Although he was the heir apparent, he was not as prestigious as the prominent families in the capital. When he entered the capital, he was still young and his mind was not settled. He was blinded by the prosperity of the capital and picked up a lot of bad habits. He played with cats and dogs, slept with brothels and indulged in all sorts of vices.

Some prominent families in the capital were unwilling to associate with him, but Feng Jinnian remained close to him.

The two frequented brothels together and were notorious playboys with an infamous reputation.

Just by looking at how the people around them slightly stepped back after the two of them appeared, you could tell how annoying they were.

Qi Huai Ren, however, seemed oblivious, smiling as he looked at Feng Jin Nian, who was only seventeen or eighteen years old. His eyes were dark and his steps were unsteady, lacking any of the vigor a young man should have, like a piece of rotten wood about to decay.

As he drew closer, the smell of alcohol mixed with the scent of perfume created a strange, indescribable odor that assaulted Chu Yun's nostrils, almost making her vomit.

Feng Jinnian didn't care at all. He abandoned Chu Yun, hugged Qi Huai Ren tightly, and called him brother this and that, being extremely affectionate.

The two walked arm in arm, about to move forward, when Qi Huai-ren stared intently at Chu Yun, his murky eyes radiating an unpleasant gaze.

"Hey, Brother Jin Nian, where did you find this beauty? I've never seen her before," Qi Huai Ren asked, his gaze fixed on Chu Yun.

“She’s a new hire, but she’s not exactly a beauty. She has scars on her face, so it’s not appropriate to bring her out in public. That’s why she’s wearing a mask,” Feng Jinnian replied.

"Is that so? What a pity. Her eyes are beautiful, but since she's such an ugly duckling, why keep her around and make yourself miserable, Brother Jin Nian?" Qi Huai Ren said regretfully, but quickly looked away, as if looking at Chu Yun even once would be an insult to him.

Feng Jinnian laughed and said, "It's a gift from someone else, so it's hard to refuse. Besides, it was I who ruined her face because I was too rough. If I really kick her out of the manor, my father will have someone beat me again."

His arrogant tone made it seem as if easily ruining a woman's face was nothing; his arrogance and despicable character were outrageous.

Those who heard the voice seemed to cast disdainful glances at Feng Jinnian. Everyone said that the Prince of Zhennan was violent and would beat and scold his servants at the slightest dissatisfaction, and that he didn't care about human life. Seeing him today, he was even worse than the rumors suggested.

It's a shame that the Prince of Zhennan didn't send someone to kill or maim him last time, to prevent him from ruining the reputation of the Prince of Zhennan's family.

"Uncle went too far, actually sending people to beat you so badly you can't get out of bed." Unlike others, Qi Huai-ren spoke with indignation, defending Feng Jin-nian.

"Alright, it's all in the past. My father sent over a lot of tonics afterward. He still cares about me, after all, I'm his only legitimate son." Feng Jinnian said nonchalantly.

"That's true. Just like my father, I'm his only son, and I live far away in Jiangdi. No matter what I do, he can't control me, and he can't bear to control me. I really have to thank my father for sending me to the capital back then, so that I can enjoy a peaceful and happy life," Qi Huai Ren sighed.

“Of course, staying in the fiefdom is nowhere near as enjoyable as being in the capital!” Feng Jinnian agreed.

After hearing their remarks, if it weren't for their status, the people around them would probably roll their eyes to the heavens. They couldn't help but sigh in their hearts, how could there be such muddle-headed and useless people in the world, treating a cage as a golden house and flattery as a blessing, completely unaware that a knife is always hanging over their heads. If they were to lose their lives one day, it would be their own fault.

Feng Jinnian didn't have mind-reading abilities, but he was very clear about how the people around him viewed him, and he understood how much they disdained him.

His eyes flickered slightly, and his smile became even more unrestrained. He said to Qi Huai Ren, "Let's go in quickly. I heard that His Majesty bestowed many fine things upon Prince Liang. Let's go and broaden our horizons."