Volume One, Chapter Seven: The Elegant Young Master

The tabby cat lying on the desk nodded obediently, rubbing its furry head twice against her hand. “That impostor said that only by killing you can she take over all your fortune and become the phoenix fate!”

Fang Qianxue felt a chill run down her spine, her fingers trembling slightly.

Although she understood the storyline, many parts in the book were only briefly mentioned, so she had previously thought it was truly her own lifeblood that cured her heart ailment.

Swapping lives and borrowing fate—this was the highest form of dominance ritual, long forbidden by imperial decree. She never expected it would happen to her!

Years ago, to prevent her from being selected into the palace, her grandfather never publicized her as a phoenix-fated girl and had even sealed her away early with a golden hairpin.

So how did Xu Miaoyan find out about all this?

It turned out she never came to heal the heart ailment, nor was it for Lu Changqing. From the very beginning, her only purpose in coming to the capital was to kill her and steal her life!

“Well done, these are your rewards.” Fang Qianxue picked up a spoon and scooped the fish meat from the bowl onto a small white porcelain plate.

The tabby cat finished eating in a few bites, then softly called twice.

“You want to follow me?” Fang Qianxue looked into the cat’s eyes and shook her head. “How do I know you won’t betray me? Perhaps in front of that Xu lady, you’ve already repeated every word I said.”

“Meow!” The fat cat’s eyes suddenly widened, and it shouted loudly, “She’s not worthy! That impostor can’t compare to even one finger of Xue Xue! Lu Changqing is useless, blind and foolish!”

“...” Fang Qianxue didn’t expect the cat to be so cathartic when insulting someone and couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, you’ve eaten your fill, so go back quickly. I’ll call you when I need you.”

The cat rubbed its furry head against her hand twice more, then leapt down from the windowsill.

“Madam! Lord Yan is here. He says there’s a letter from the Second Young Master!” Cui Shuang hurried in, her face beaming with joy.

---

“A letter from the Second Young Master?” Fang Qianxue stood up excitedly. “Where is he?”

“He’s waiting in the garden hall of the outer courtyard.”

“Let’s go. Come with me.” Fang Qianxue tidied her hair and led Cui Shuang out.

Yan Fenghua, Deputy Minister of Justice, was her grandfather’s disciple and a close friend of Lu Changqing. Since the Fang family’s downfall, Lu Changqing hadn’t spoken a word in their defense. Instead, Yan Fenghua had worked tirelessly behind the scenes to smooth relations, saving the Fang family from much hardship on their path of exile.

Inside the garden hall.

A stern man in a long cyan robe sipped tea, then asked the maid beside him, “I heard your master brought a woman back from Jiangning?”

The tale of Xu Miaoyan had been widely spread. A few days ago, Lu Changqing had led her into the palace to meet the Empress, and Xu had been appointed as a sixth-rank “Silkworm Attendant,” a fact known throughout the court.

Rumors in the capital whispered that Lu Changqing behaved intimately with the Silkworm Attendant and was planning to divorce his wife and remarry. Yan Fenghua didn’t believe it.

Back then, several of them had courted Fang Qianxue at the same time. Lu Changqing had nearly worn out the threshold of the Fang family’s home before securing the marriage. Divorce and remarriage? Impossible!

“My lord, you mean Miss Xu? She’s truly an extraordinary woman!” The maid glanced at the man with admiration. “She can understand animal speech. Our old madam really likes her.”

No wonder this “Gentleman Fenghua” of the capital was endlessly captivating.

White tea steam curled between the man’s brows, accentuating his sharply carved, handsome features. Having overseen the judicial bureau for so long, he was accustomed to a slight furrow of his brow, giving him a cold and austere air.

“Too bad your master is no longer here; otherwise, that Xu lady could have become your family’s matron,” Yan Fenghua remarked casually.

The maid smiled awkwardly. “Now... it might be possible.”

---

The man’s long brows knit together, sensing something amiss. “Explain yourself.”

“Lord Yan, you don’t know yet?” The maid, seeing he was the Second Young Master’s friend, no longer held back, “Our Second Young Master intends to merge the two family lines and bring Miss Xu into the household…”

Yan Fenghua was first shocked, then slammed his teacup down with a loud bang. “Absurd!”

“Please calm down, Lord Yan!” The maid hurriedly tidied the spilled tea.

At that moment, Fang Qianxue entered the garden hall.

“What’s going on? Why are you so angry?”

Yan Fenghua had often visited the Fang residence since their youth; the two were as close as siblings.

“That girl claims Changqing plans to merge the two family lines and marry that woman from Jiangning!” Yan Fenghua said. “Nonsense!”

“So that’s the matter. It’s not nonsense—it’s true,” Fang Qianxue said with a bitter smile and sat down opposite him.

The maid served tea to Fang Qianxue and refreshed Yan Fenghua’s cup before hurriedly withdrawing.

“Lord Yan, you must stand up for our madam!” Cui Shuang spoke loudly. “Our madam has worked tirelessly all these years without fault, yet now she’s being bullied! If that witch enters the household, our madam will have to call her sister-in-law and bow her head in greeting!”