Chapter 23: Taking My Wife to a Matchmaking Event

This silence persisted all the way to the Prince Xiang’s residence. After Qin Daofei stepped down from the carriage, Linglong followed, and though Qin Daofei kept a cold expression, he still wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her down from the carriage. The footstool prepared by the Prince’s household was rendered unnecessary.

The Prince, who had been greeting guests at the door, seemed to sense something, and abandoned the pleasantries to approach them. His eyes lit up with astonishment as he looked at Linglong and said, “You finally deign to come see me?”

“Your Highness grows ever more adept at receiving guests. Have you considered earning some silver at the Hundred Flowers House to supplement your household?” Linglong grinned, all carefree mischief.

“How dare you, insolent woman, show such disrespect to His Highness!” The Prince’s attendant, who had only served him in recent years, was unaware of the history between Linglong and the Prince.

The Prince landed a slap on his attendant, sending him sprawling to the ground. “From now on, when you see her, treat it as if you are seeing me, understand?” The Prince reached out to take Linglong’s hand, but Qin Daofei was a step quicker and pulled her into his arms.

The attendant, kneeling on the ground, nodded fervently. “Yes, yes, I greet you, miss!”

Linglong offered a faint smile, took Qin Daofei’s hand, and led the way inside.

The Prince’s gaze grew cold as he watched their clasped hands. “You’ve truly chosen the perfect time to return,” he said in a low voice.

Once Linglong and Qin Daofei entered, the once lively hall fell into a deathly silence. The Princess, not understanding the situation, along with her sister, looked in confusion at Linglong, who had arrived arm in arm with Qin Daofei. They acknowledged her extraordinary beauty, but was that enough to render everyone speechless?

“Your servant Qin Daofei, accompanied by my humble wife Feng Linglong, greets Your Highness the Princess,” Qin Daofei said, inclining his head with Linglong’s hand in his.

At the mention of Linglong’s name, a cold glint flashed through the Princess’s eyes. So, this was the Feng Linglong who had haunted the Prince’s thoughts all these years?

“Greetings, Master Qin. I had only ever heard of your gentle wife, Tan Xiyin…” the Princess began, but was stopped by a tug at her sleeve from her old nurse.

Looking up, she saw the Prince had already entered. His gaze was brazen, ambitious, fixed on Linglong, paying no mind to the Princess’s actions.

Those at the banquet who knew the past quietly cheered in their hearts, anticipating a night full of fireworks.

Qin Daofei led Linglong past the Prince and sat at the seat assigned to him. The Prince, intending to humiliate Qin Daofei, had seated him in the farthest corner, never imagining that Qin Daofei would bring Linglong to this matchmaking banquet. Now, with the two of them tucked away in a corner, the Prince found it impossible to look up and see Linglong as he wished.

But the Prince was no ordinary man. Glancing at their seats, he smiled and said, “I didn’t know Master Qin would bring a lady guest. That spot is a bit cramped—why not have Linglong sit with the Princess?”

“That won’t do,” Linglong said with a mischievous smile. “His Highness has arranged this gathering to find my husband a concubine. I need to keep an eye on him; one concubine at home is trouble enough. Another, and I’d have no hope left. If Your Highness truly likes my husband, I could let you look at him for a moment.”

Tilting her head playfully, Linglong tugged at Qin Daofei’s sleeve like a jealous miser. “Just a glance, only one.”

Qin Daofei only smiled, the fondness in his eyes as gentle as spring water.

The Prince’s eyes burned with anger. Who in the world wanted to look at Qin Daofei!

“Since the two of you are so deeply attached, it’s fine for you to sit together. Master Fang, please come sit beside the Princess,” the Princess quickly interjected, worried the Prince would lose his composure.

The Prince shot her a cold look, but, mindful of the assembled guests, restrained his temper. Still, that frosty glance was enough to make the Princess tremble so much she nearly dropped her teacup.

As the banquet began, the Prince rose, raised his cup, and addressed the guests, “Thank you, all you talented young men of the capital, for attending my banquet. Please, make yourselves at home—drink freely and enjoy the night.”

Qin Daofei lifted his cup, gently clinking it against Linglong’s. Though he said nothing, Linglong seemed to hear, “Welcome home.”

She thought, “Perhaps I imagined it, just a trick of the mind?”

Squinting with a smile, she touched her cup to his, and both drained their wine—neither “seeing” the Prince awkwardly raising his glass in their direction.

The Princess dared not speak further, but her sister, graceful and charming, sauntered up to the Prince, smiling alluringly as she raised her glass. “Brother-in-law, a toast to you!”

Linglong leaned close to Qin Daofei and whispered, “This sister of yours is quite interesting.”

“You’re even more fun,” Qin Daofei replied, drawing out the words with emphasis, the seriousness of his tone betraying a teasing undercurrent.

Linglong gave him a light slap, and Qin Daofei smiled faintly, the subtle affection between them causing those nearby to click their tongues in envy.

By rights, after what Qin Daofei had done—sending Feng Linglong to prison for the sake of a concubine—Linglong should hate him to the bone. Yet now, their affection seemed boundless.

Watching their tender display, a shadow flickered in the Prince’s eyes.

The Princess, observing closely, noticed that Linglong paid the Prince no mind from start to finish, while the Prince, seeing the couple so in love, could only drink in sullen silence.

“Where is Master Qin?” the Prince called after a while, his voice calm.

Qin Daofei put down his cup and walked out unhurriedly. “Your Highness?”

“Miss Linglong is a lady. With her here, it’s difficult for everyone to joke freely. Why not have the Princess accompany her for a stroll in the rear garden? The roses there are in full bloom this season, their fragrance at its peak.” The Prince’s gaze burned as he watched Linglong.

His intentions were obvious to all, though everyone pretended otherwise.

But Qin Daofei was not like the rest. He lazily glanced at the Prince and said, his tone clear and unhurried, “Your Highness’s care for my wife is truly touching. You even planted her favorite roses throughout the back garden.”

At these words, the Princess’s face flushed hotly, as if she had been stripped bare before everyone.

The laughter and conversation ceased; a heavy silence filled the hall. No one had expected Qin Daofei to so bluntly call out the Prince’s intentions toward Linglong.

The Prince, however, only smiled faintly, his eyes chilling as he looked at Qin Daofei.

Linglong was surprised that Qin Daofei knew she loved roses—clearly, he had gone to great lengths to investigate her.

How amusing.

While everyone grew tense, Linglong laughed.

“It’s true, I haven’t experienced the scent of roses from home for many years. Your Highness’s memory of my preferences is impressive—I must accept the invitation.”

In truth, the strife between the Prince and Qin Daofei had nothing to do with her, and even worked to her advantage. But seeing the Prince’s venomous gaze, Linglong decided to speak up.

A true scoundrel was easier to handle than a hypocrite, but a scoundrel as difficult as the Prince was still not someone she wished Qin Daofei to provoke.

The moment she agreed to leave with the Princess, surprise and confusion flashed in Qin Daofei’s deep eyes, but after a brief moment, they filled with gratitude.

This woman, with her playful manner, moved him deeply.

“Then, I will take my leave with Miss Linglong,” the Princess said with composure, rising and curtseying to the gentlemen before leading Linglong away.

“The word is, Master Qin never gets drunk and is skilled in music. My sister-in-law also holds her wine well and plays the lute beautifully. Why not let them have a contest?” The words had barely faded from the air before the Prince eagerly pushed his sister-in-law toward Qin Daofei.

Qin Daofei gently set down his cup, half-smiling. “Is Your Highness honoring me, or trying to set me up for a mistake?”

“Oh? Does Master Qin misbehave after drinking?” The Prince’s smile was as cold as ever.

Qin Daofei twirled his cup, his voice calm. “I do…” He paused, then added, “But only with Linglong.”

The Prince’s face changed as quickly as summer weather.

His sister-in-law, radiant with youth, clutched her lute, nearly dizzy with happiness to find herself standing beside the wealthiest man in the land.

Qin Daofei took the lute from her, his slender fingers plucking a string gently before he said softly, “I once vowed to play music for only one person in my life.”

He handed the lute back to her.

“Well, it’s said that Master Qin’s concubine is both learned and virtuous. I suppose your music is reserved for her alone?” someone teased.

Qin Daofei raised his cup in a polite toast, neither confirming nor denying.

Meanwhile, Linglong, following the Princess into the rear garden, was enveloped in a fragrance that soothed the soul. She breathed in deeply, smiling. “This is the scent I’ve missed. In the frontier, all I ever smelled was sand. I longed for this.”

“Miss Linglong’s freedom is enviable—unlike us, trapped in this tiny capital,” the Princess replied coolly.

Linglong turned and caught the disdain in the Princess’s eyes, but paid it no mind.