cold clothes

“The dead have no say in the affairs of the widow.” Zhao Yin remained completely unmoved. “When I go to hell, the King of Hell will judge my crimes. Aunt, you don’t need to worry about me.”

"Shameless scoundrel!" Mrs. Hu cursed.

“Indeed, I am naturally not as polite and dignified as my aunt, after all, she comes from the illustrious He family of Shanyin.” Zhao Yin said calmly, “My aunt’s human skin mask will not last long in the dark and damp prison cell. When people discover that the shrewd and charming madam of Fengxiang Pavilion is actually the eldest daughter of the prestigious He family, the mistress of the Xie family, and a wanted criminal of the court with unknown whereabouts, what do you think will happen?”

"Hmph, don't think you can fool me. If I expose myself, you won't have a good ending either!" Mother Hu's face, wearing a human skin mask, appeared slightly distorted, whether from anger or some other reason.

A cold glint flashed in Zhao Yin's dark eyes. Then he sighed and said with regret, "Since my aunt insists on mutual destruction, I have nothing more to say. It's just a pity that my cousin will be buried with us." After saying that, Zhao Yin said nothing more and turned to leave.

"..."

Mother Hu clenched her fists. Zhao Yin's words, though seemingly meant to be negotiated, were nothing but threats. She had no room to bargain. If he revealed the location of the gold and silver treasure, she and Xia Hua would be completely useless to Zhao Yin, and that would be dangerous.

She was gambling that Zhao Yin wouldn't be willing to sacrifice everyone; of course, Zhao Yin was also gambling that Hu's mother would be concerned about Xia Hua's safety.

"Sigh, as expected, my aunt is not so easy to fool." As he walked out of the Dali Temple prison, Zhao Yin sighed as he looked at the moonlight obscured by dark clouds.

He changed his clothes and went to Fengxiang Tower, but his subordinates had already told him that Leng Yi had been taken away by someone else.

Zhao Yin remained silent for a while without any expression, then went straight to Shuiguangxuan to find Xia Hua. When he arrived, he found Weifeng and Nongyue there as well.

Breeze and Moon were quite surprised to see Zhao Yin, while Summer Flower seemed to have expected it.

"You two go back first," Xia Hua said to Wei Feng and Nong Yue, who both nodded and left the room.

As Wei Feng left, her gaze involuntarily drifted to Zhao Yin's tall, slender back.

"Nongyue, what do you think Xia Huahui and the Fifth Prince said?" Wei Feng blinked and asked Nongyue.

"It's probably about the future of Fengxiang Pavilion. With Mom arrested, Xia Hua and the young master will be in charge of Fengxiang Pavilion now," Nongyue speculated seriously.

The breeze said coolly, "Xia Hua is so lucky. Even if her family is destroyed, there will always be someone to pave the way for her... Ning Bi is also incredibly lucky. If she really manages to seduce the Third Prince, what exactly does the Third Prince see in her?"

Heaven knows how jealous she was when she stepped out of the carriage and saw Qingyou hand the unconscious Ningbi to the Third Prince, and how the Third Prince steadily carried Ningbi into the carriage... What was so dangerous about the mission of seducing the Third Prince? She thought Ningbi was incredibly lucky!

She wasn't stupid; she could tell that Fengxianglou was probably going to collapse, that Mama Hu was in jail, and that Xia Hua and Ning Bi both had powerful backers, while she and Nong Yue were in a terrible situation... No, she had to find a backer too.

His Highness the Prince must have more than one woman by his side, right?

-

Xia Hua couldn't help but clutch her skirt. After hearing her aunt's words, her impression of her cousin's politeness was completely overturned, and she even felt uneasy when she was alone with him.

Nevertheless, she could not lose heart. Now she had to shoulder the responsibility for both her aunt's future and her own, and she could not betray the name of the young master of the Xie family.