Chapter Twenty-Three: I Surrender at Your Feet!

Feng Xiaoli decided to carry out what she had just said. The man before her must have some sort of mental illness—otherwise, how could he keep smiling foolishly in front of her without pause? So she followed his lead and said, “You’ve chosen the right person to seek out. I am Feng Xiaoli, beloved by all and admired everywhere, skilled both in the kitchen and the drawing room, famed for my beauty. Seeing how hard you’ve pursued me, I’ll reluctantly accept you as my five hundred and first lover.”

Jin Ning nudged Feng Xiaoli and whispered, “Miss, this man clearly comes from a wealthy family. Are you sure he’s really courting you?” What she actually wanted to say was, Miss, can I pretend not to know you? You call others eccentric, but you’re even more so. Your narcissism rivals that of Miss Mu Xinqi, and since when did you have so many lovers? You’re exaggerating far too much!

Feng Xiaoli slapped Jin Ning's forehead and scolded, “Jin Ning, how can a maid dampen her mistress’s spirit? We must first believe in ourselves. If even we lack self-confidence, how could anyone admire us? Yes, your mistress must first admire herself, then let others appreciate her. Now that I’ve admired myself enough, it’s time to let others do so!”

“Miss, where are your five hundred lovers?” Jin Ning asked timidly.

“Oh, those five hundred lovers!” Feng Xiaoli smiled mysteriously. “Of course, I made them up. Did you really think your mistress was so easy to pursue? When it comes to men, you have to keep them guessing. If I were so easy, they’d treat me like a weed. I refuse to become a neglected housewife, raising children all day!”

Jin Ning broke into a smile. “Miss, you really are smart!”

“Of course! Did you really think your mistress was a fool?” Feng Xiaoli replied curtly.

“But, Miss!” Jin Ning raised a new question.

“What is it now?”

“Wouldn’t being the five hundred and first be unfair to him?”

Feng Xiaoli chose to ignore Jin Ning. She turned back to the young man, grinning, and asked, “Young master, have you thought it over? Do you want to be my five hundred and first lover, or remain free and unattached? I think you’d better not become my five hundred and first. You should know I see my lovely lovers all year round, and you’d have to wait until next year for your turn! I am simply irresistible!”

The young man stroked his chin thoughtfully and after a moment replied, “So I’m number five hundred and one. Alas, why was I born so late? Otherwise, I could have been your very first lover!”

Feng Xiaoli immediately nodded in agreement.

“But what am I to do about my lingering feelings for you?” he wondered.

“Ah!” Feng Xiaoli was momentarily stunned, then quickly recovered and answered, “Usually, there are two ways to solve this. One, find a lady you like, marry her, and raise children. Two, you could become a eunuch, but really, with your looks, it would be a waste. So I advise you to choose the first.”

The young man pondered again. “But what if neither method works?”

“Haha!” Feng Xiaoli laughed, then suddenly grew serious and whispered mysteriously, “If neither works, then you might as well bash your head and end it all!”

“That’s a good suggestion!” the young man praised.

Feng Xiaoli, with a look of sudden realization, turned to Jin Ning and said, “Jin Ning, see? I said this person was mentally ill, and I wasn’t wrong!”

This time, Jin Ning truly believed Feng Xiaoli’s words. She said, “Miss, next time keep those thoughts to yourself. If others hear, we’ll be in trouble!” After speaking, she glanced around, and seeing no one had overheard, finally relaxed.

Suddenly, Feng Xiaoli caught sight of a pink sleeve, a warning flashing through her mind. But she moved too slowly—her splendid clothes were soaked halfway. Clearly, this was the handiwork of Yue Wanqing. Strange, wasn’t Wanqing away from Huaijing? Why was she back?

Indeed, as Feng Xiaoli suspected, Yue Wanqing appeared swiftly after tossing a teacup, looking at Feng Xiaoli with distaste and unwillingness. “A’li, you’ve slowed down. Back in Huaijing, you eat and sleep well, but neglect your training. If your mind is dull, at least you should compensate with martial arts. But you’re not only dull; you’re lazy. Your martial skills haven’t improved, yet you indulge in eating, drinking, and playing. Are you asking me to beat you?”

While Yue Wanqing spoke, Feng Xiaoli brushed away the remaining tea from her collar. With a single motion, the stain vanished, as if her clothes had never been soaked.

“How did you come back? Weren’t you gone? All right, Yue Wanqing, you now have wings and feathers—you don’t need me to protect you anymore. Go wherever you wish, no need to inform me. Sigh, as a senior sister, I’ve failed so miserably. If future generations hear of this, they’ll laugh themselves to death.”

Yue Wanqing listened to Feng Xiaoli’s words and could only smile helplessly. “A’li, you’re mistaken. It’s I who’ve always protected you, not the other way around. Has anyone told you how good you are at boasting? No one in all Huaijing can rival you, King of Bragging. How can you be so shameless?” At this moment, she faced Feng Xiaoli directly, seeing only the young man’s back. Her anger flared again. “What nonsense did you feed this innocent youth? A’li, can’t you restrain yourself? Can’t you behave? Are you determined to drive me mad?”

Now, Yue Wanqing seemed like a nagging mother, cutting off anything Feng Xiaoli wanted to say. Feng Xiaoli could only sigh to herself. As for Jin Ning, when Yue Wanqing called Feng Xiaoli the King of Bragging, she nodded so vigorously she nearly twisted her neck.

“Let me see what kind of youth you’ve lured in this time!” She walked around the young man to get a look at his face, and her expression shifted from heavenly delight to hellish despair, caught between tears and laughter. After a moment, she let out a startled cry—delivering a thunderbolt to Feng Xiaoli.

“Lord Right Chancellor, have you set your sights on our A’li?”