Chapter 4: Lady Qin Walks Right Into the Trap

Once she stepped out of the inner hall and no longer felt that scorching gaze upon her, Linglong finally realized her back was drenched in a fine, cold sweat.

She drew a deep breath and strode toward the door.

Across from the gate of the Free Spirit Manor, a black lacquered carriage made of huanghuali wood was parked. Atop it sat a youth in bright attire, listlessly chewing on a stalk of dried grass. Beside him sat a man in black, exuding an exotic air. His features were striking and sharply defined, and most remarkable of all were his eyes—one pure black, the other a pale blue, both glinting like glass.

Though the man’s expression was stern, the moment he saw Linglong step through the doorway, those bewitching eyes softened with deep affection.

“Ling—” The youth was about to shout her name when the man next to him rapped him sharply on the head, cutting him off.

Rubbing his aching forehead, the youth grumbled, “Brother Han, why’d you hit me?”

“Don’t disturb her.” Han Zhi let the carriage curtain fall and instructed the driver in a cool voice, “Back to the inn.”

The horses trotted away.

Linglong glanced at the departing carriage with a distant gaze, then turned and walked the other way.

At that moment, a man wearing a hat in the distance tugged the brim lower to conceal his face and strode toward Linglong.

As they brushed past each other, he bumped into her hard. Linglong froze for an instant, then quickly reached into her bosom—her one hundred thousand tael banknote had vanished.

She turned and shot the man a glare, drawing a deep breath before shouting, “Thief!” and dashed after him.

The man clearly hadn’t expected Linglong to discover the theft so quickly. He sprang lightly on his toes and, in a flash, darted away into the distance.

“It must be Qin Daofei.”

Linglong cast a furious look at the Free Spirit Manor nearby, gritted her teeth, and plunged back inside.

No sooner had she entered than the innkeeper, the waiters, and even the hired thugs streamed out behind her, slammed the doors shut, hung up a sign reading, “The master has joyous news, closed for the day,” and hurried off, each faster than the last.

Linglong found herself inside, staring helplessly at the identical layouts of all four directions.

She was hopeless with directions and couldn’t find the place where she’d just seen Qin Daofei!

“Qin Daofei, come out here!” Linglong didn’t bother with pointless searching. She stood her ground, hands on hips, and shouted.

Upstairs.

Qin Daofei stood in the pavilion, hands behind his back, and replied coolly, “What do you want with me?”

What did she want? Linglong stormed up the stairs, thrust out her hands, and demanded, “Give me back my one hundred thousand tael banknote!”

“If you want to act like a scoundrel, at least do it properly. Did I give my note to a dog just now?” Qin Daofei strolled unhurriedly over to a table, sat down, and poured himself a cup of tea.

The tea was excellent—crisp and refreshing!

“Don’t think I don’t see through you. I was already wondering how someone as stingy as you could possibly let me walk away with a hundred thousand taels so easily. So you were waiting for me at the door, weren’t you?” Linglong walked over, standing over Qin Daofei.

Qin Daofei looked back at her with a half-smile, but his tone was icy. “You give me too much credit. A mere hundred thousand taels? I could throw that much at the flower girls in a brothel without blinking.”

Insinuating she was worth less than a courtesan!

Linglong only laughed, her voice just as cold. “Is that so? I’m indeed not worth as much as a courtesan, but Tan Xiyin is just the right price—not a tael more, not a tael less.”

He’d implied she was beneath a prostitute, so Linglong made it plain: Tan Xiyin was one.

“Feng Linglong!” Qin Daofei called her by her full name.

Only when he was truly angry would he use her full name.

For a man as ruthless and decisive as Qin Daofei, only Tan Xiyin could provoke such a reaction.

“My name’s not Feng Linglong. My surname is Da. You can call me Uncle.” Linglong was no longer the timid girl who had once only wanted to please him. She was not the least bit afraid of his anger.

Damn her!

Qin Daofei gritted his teeth so hard he nearly broke a silver filling, and spat, “Feng Linglong, you’ve died twice already, and your shameless tricks haven’t gotten any cleverer. How disappointing.”

“What a joke. Do you think you’re some gold or jewel? If I’m going to cling to someone, I’d rather pester a street thug than hound a heartless block of ice like—”

Mmph!

Qin Daofei loathed the distance Linglong insisted on keeping. Without thinking, he pressed his lips to hers, silencing her stubborn protests.

Smack!

Linglong slapped him hard across the face and said coldly, “What right do you have to treat me this way?”

A flash of ruthless anger glinted in Qin Daofei’s eyes, but when he saw the tears shimmering in Linglong’s, that fierceness vanished in an instant.

“The whole world knows you, Feng Linglong, are my wife. I haven’t divorced you, and you’ve never received a letter of separation. How could I not have the right?”