Chapter 67: Linglong's Joyful Surprise of Motherhood

Linglong grew drowsy the moment her head touched the pillow, murmuring, "Who is it?"

Qin Daofei replied, "You'll find out soon enough."

Then he asked, "Didn't you say Tan Xiyin was sent to probe? What exactly did she test?"

Linglong had a feeling: "It seemed she just wanted to see if I really dared not kill her."

Qin Daofei smiled coldly, lips curling. "It seems the person behind her is getting impatient again."

"You mean that person has already made a move?" Though sleepy, Linglong perked up at Qin Daofei’s words and tried to sit up.

Qin Daofei gently pressed her back down. "We've never been in a rush. It's he who’s anxious because he doesn't know our purpose, so he acted first."

"But I think that person is quite clever. You need to be careful," Linglong warned before lowering her head and falling asleep.

Watching her drift off so easily, Qin Daofei felt a twinge of worry—had the poison inside her body truly been cleansed?

That night.

The wind and snow outside were unusually fierce for some reason.

Linglong had been curled up, clutching the brazier while sitting on the desk, embroidering flowers. Suddenly, Qin Daofei pushed the door open and grabbed her to leave.

Linglong patted his hand. "The wind and snow outside are too strong. Don’t make me go out—I don’t want to."

"No problem, I’ll carry you!" Qin Daofei reassured her, then hoisted her up and headed outside.

"Aiya, Qin Daofei, you madman! Where are you taking me?" Linglong struggled.

"To meet someone at the Tongtian Pavilion," Qin Daofei answered.

"Tongtian Pavilion? Let’s go then!" Linglong quickly stopped resisting.

Qin Daofei frowned and pinched her waist to express his displeasure.

But Linglong suppressed her temper because she was curious about the Tongtian Pavilion as much as about Tan Xiyin and the person behind Xiang Wang.

It was Linglong’s first time entering the legendary Tongtian Pavilion. Though it was spoken of as magical by outsiders, inside, it looked quite ordinary—just a tower built from countless wooden beams.

Linglong looked around, feeling the place was truly nothing special—just a wooden tower.

Seeing Linglong’s disappointment, Qin Daofei said, "Tongtian Pavilion has 999 traps. Without me guiding you in, the guards wouldn’t recognize you; every step you take would trigger a trap."

"So... it means certain death?" Linglong swallowed nervously, feeling intimidated.

Qin Daofei glanced at her sideways. "Yes, you’d be pierced like a hornet’s nest."

At that moment, the quiet space echoed with the eerie cry of a baby, sending a chill down Linglong’s spine. She instinctively pressed against Qin Daofei.

He patted her hand to comfort her.

Listening carefully, the faint sound of a baby’s cry came from behind a massive log pillar. In the silent pavilion, it was unsettling.

Linglong instinctively grabbed Qin Daofei’s sleeve, trembling. "Why is there a child here?"

"Feng Linglong, long time no see," a woman emerged from beneath a huge black cloak, holding a baby and bowing her head.

Her face was hidden because she kept her head lowered.

Linglong stepped closer, bent down to glance at the child, then took a few steps back, surprised. "You’re still alive?"

"Yes, Master Qin saved me and my child," the woman said.

Linglong asked, "Then why do you want to see me?"

"We’re both people who clawed our way out of hell. You should understand the pain in my heart. But I’m different from you. Though you were hurt, you still have more who love you than those who harm you. I only have one wish now—to seek revenge and reclaim everything owed to me." Her voice was chilling, as if truly risen from hell.

Linglong looked at the child waving its tiny hands and said softly, "But you still have this child."

To Linglong, having a child meant hope.

"She was born weak. I don’t know if she’ll survive. But I know she’s doomed if she stays with me. So I want to ask you to adopt her," the woman said, handing the baby to Linglong.

Linglong hesitated to take the child.

"You said she’s weak; I’m afraid I can’t raise her well, and that I might fail you," Linglong admitted. To her, a child was the most precious gift, not something to be given lightly.

The woman smiled bitterly, gently holding the child’s hand. "You know, in hell, no one has the right to talk about betrayal."

"Are you going to take revenge?" Linglong asked.

"Must," she answered.

"But... I can only care for her on your behalf. When you return, I will give the child back to you!" Linglong held the baby.

The child seemed to sense something and grasped Linglong’s hair, smiling.

That smile melted Linglong’s resistance.

"Oh, little ancestor, you’re so clever. With that smile, I could never bear to part with you." Linglong poked the baby’s cheek, and the little one laughed even more warmly.

The woman seemed unwilling to watch any longer. She turned slightly and said softly, "Though reluctant to admit it, entrusting her to you was the best choice."

"You go seek your revenge, but don’t be foolish. I hope you’ll be smarter next time," Linglong said, wrapping the child in her cloak and heading out.

Qin Daofei tried to follow, but the woman called out, "Master Qin, I’ve made my decision. Let Ye Lishang come!"

"Alright, rest assured, we will treat the child as our own," Qin Daofei said, then left.

The woman was led away from Tongtian Pavilion by a lean man in black.

When Qin Daofei came out, he saw Linglong fussing with her cloak, unable to make it feel right, frustrated.

"What’s wrong?" Qin Daofei asked.

"This little one is so tiny. What if I hurt her?" Linglong kept adjusting her posture.

Qin Daofei, holding the baby in one arm and Linglong in the other, lightly tiptoed to the main hall’s door.

The child, startled by the sudden motion, burst into loud crying.

Linglong got angry and pounded Qin Daofei with tiny fists. "Look what you did! You scared the baby. Come, come, be good now, stop crying. We won’t pay attention to the stinky man. Tomorrow, Mommy will bring you to live in Linglong Pavilion. We don’t want to stay here—it’s too hateful."

"You’re her mother, then what am I?" Qin Daofei asked, displeased.

Linglong grinned. "You’re her big brother! Brother Daofei!"

"Feng Linglong!" Qin Daofei raised his voice slightly, causing the little girl to cry again.

He earned many glares from Linglong.

Hua’er heard the baby crying from Linglong’s room and hurried over. "Miss, why do I hear a child crying in your room?"

Hearing Hua’er’s voice, Linglong quickly placed the child on the bed and lay down herself, shouting, "I’m not having any more children. It’s too painful!"

Hmm?

Qin Daofei frowned and gave Linglong a sideways look, as if she were an idiot.

But Linglong was enjoying the act. Grabbing the bedsheet, she yelled, "Hua’er, I’m not having this baby. Please save me!"

Hua’er rushed in, scolding, "Who was it that cried in pain three days ago and wanted red sugar water?"

"That was me—I got pregnant yesterday and am giving birth today!" Linglong proudly showed off the baby.

Hua’er rolled her eyes and glanced at the child, her face paling. "Miss, where did you get this child?"

"..." Linglong was speechless.

Qin Daofei covered his mouth with his fist, barely suppressing a laugh.

"This is my child, my own!" Linglong insisted.

Qin Daofei nodded obediently. "Alright, alright, it’s yours."

So Linglong happily decided, on her own, that the baby was hers.

Hua’er accepted this explanation. After all, as long as her lady liked it, that was enough. She poked the child’s cheek and asked, "Has she been named yet?"

"Uh..." Linglong looked at Qin Daofei.

Qin Daofei looked up at the ceiling. "You pick a name, then."

"This little girl smiles every time she sees me. Let’s call her Feng Yixiao—Phoenix’s First Smile, alright?" Linglong made a funny face to tease the baby, who laughed happily.

Qin Daofei said coldly, "Qin Yixiao."

"Why? This is my child. Why should she have your surname?" Linglong stiffened her neck and pretended to be fierce toward Qin Daofei.

Hua’er said quietly, "Because Miss, you are Qin Feng Linglong."

Pfft!

Qin Daofei gave Hua’er a approving glance, thinking that he’d better find a chance to bring Tang Li back—this girl had potential.

But Linglong was stunned. "Hua’er, how could you treat me like this?"

"Come on, Qin Yixiao, smile for me and come sleep in my room. Let those two sort their own business," Hua’er said, taking back the toy Linglong had just received.

Linglong, furious, stomped her foot and tried to grab the child, but Qin Daofei pulled her close by the slender waist. "Let’s calmly discuss what the child’s name should be."

Uh!

"I thought you didn’t like this child?" Linglong tried a roundabout tactic.

Qin Daofei raised an eyebrow. "There’s no like or dislike with me. As long as you like her, I can accept it. But since she calls you mother, then I must be the father. She must have the surname Qin, and only Qin."

Hmph!

"But she clearly—" Linglong’s words were silenced by a kiss from Qin Daofei.

In the end, Qin Daofei used "force" to subdue Linglong into accepting that Feng Yixiao would become Qin Yixiao.

The next day, the whole Xiaoyao Manor buzzed with rumors.

"No wonder the Lady of the manor stayed hidden in her room all winter—turns out she was secretly pregnant!"

"Yeah, no wonder the master changed after she came back. Turns out the lady had a child."

Many such rumors circulated, and Qin Daofei never stopped them. Soon, everyone at Xiaoyao Manor knew that Linglong had given birth on a snowy night.

At Miaoyin Pavilion.

The little maid hurried back to her room and saw Tan Xiyin holding the brazier, reading. After thinking for a long time, she finally said, "Second Madam, have you heard? The Lady of the manor gave birth to a child."

"..." Tan Xiyin turned, shocked. "Are you joking? We just met yesterday. She didn’t look pregnant at all."

"But don’t you find it strange? Why has the master been so doting on her this time? Why hasn’t he ever lost his temper with her? Why hasn’t she been outside since autumn?" the maid said.

Tan Xiyin narrowed her eyes, speaking coldly, "But she shows no signs of pregnancy!"

"She’s so thin, and if she doesn’t show, it’s normal to hide it."

"No... how does she have the right to bear Daofei’s child? I can’t have children. Why should she?" Tan Xiyin seemed to accept the maid’s words but cried out in frustration and resentment.

The maid covered Tan Xiyin’s mouth and whispered, "Second Madam, be careful what you say—if the master hears, it’ll be terrible."

"But I’m not willing! I was the first to meet and like Qin Daofei. Everyone thought we were made for each other, but Feng Linglong shamelessly appeared, constantly flirting with Brother Daofei. If I could have children, none of this would have anything to do with her."

Perhaps the child was also a wound in Tan Xiyin’s heart, hence her loss of control. She felt defeated and terrified.

"Second Madam, in your state, you can’t keep fighting the lady. You’d better accept it," the maid said, seeing through her.

Tan Xiyin lifted her tear-streaked face and hissed, "I won’t let her off. I won’t. Get out!"

The maid dared not say more and left, leaving Tan Xiyin alone.

After the maid left, Tan Xiyin hung a silk scarf on her window, waiting for someone to meet her.

Back to Songbai Residence.

After hearing about Linglong, Qin Wang Xiangyu instinctively suspected that Linglong was causing trouble again. Unlike Tan Xiyin, who was easily fooled, she met Feng Linglong regularly. If Linglong had a child, she wouldn’t be unaware.

But since the manor was abuzz with gossip, she had to take it seriously.

"Xia He, pack your things. We’re leaving!" Qin Wang Xiangyu led the way.

When they reached the main hall, they saw Hua’er packing, apparently moving back to the newly built Linglong Pavilion.

Linglong held a baby wrapped in a red blanket; it was hard to tell what kind of child it was, but it definitely looked very young.

"What’s going on with this child?" Qin Wang Xiangyu asked as soon as she entered.

Linglong adjusted the baby and said coldly, "Did the old madam ask me?"

"You’re holding a child; naturally, I’m asking you," Qin Wang Xiangyu said sharply. She disliked dealing with Linglong—it was exhausting.

Linglong nodded. "The child is mine."

"Feng Linglong, don’t think I’ll believe your nonsense so easily!" Qin Wang Xiangyu warned herself countless times not to be influenced by Linglong, to stay calm. But every time she spoke to her, all her poise vanished.

Linglong sneered and patted the baby. "Did the old madam not believe me and still ask?"

"You brought a child to my house without reason. Don’t you owe me an explanation?" Qin Wang Xiangyu was on the verge of losing control.

Linglong laughed. "No, no, Old Madam, please watch your words. Strictly speaking, this child was brought to me by Master Qin."

Linglong might have deliberately spoken ambiguously to make Qin Wang Xiangyu misunderstand, and indeed, she was fooled.

"You say this child is Daofei’s? Oh heavens, the child finally awakened. Thank the heavens!" Qin Wang Xiangyu excitedly went to the study to find Qin Daofei.

She thought this was Daofei’s illegitimate child with another woman.

Effie descended from the rafters coldly. "Woman, you’re truly shameless!"

"What? This child was given to me by Qin Daofei," Linglong said without hesitation.

Effie stared at Linglong coldly. "How exactly did this child come about?"

"I was in so much pain last night, didn’t you see? I gave birth—my own!" Linglong grinned and joked.

Effie took a deep breath of fresh air. "Feng Linglong, I’ve been merciful to have let you live this long."

"Well then, I must have wronged you. Come, come, let me hug you!" Linglong kept teasing Effie.

Effie glanced at Linglong coldly. "Before I kill you, I’m leaving!"

If she stayed any longer, she feared she’d lose control.

Linglong ignored her, cuddling Qin Yixiao and teasing, "Look, no one knows how our little Yixiao came about. Is she a fairy? Fairies naturally descend from the heavens. Come on, little fairy Yixiao, smile for Mommy."

And the baby really smiled.

Linglong was overjoyed and refused to let go.

At noon, the people of Xiaoyao Manor helped move Linglong’s belongings back to Linglong Pavilion. Qin Daofei wasn’t polite—he ordered his things moved there as well and left them in Linglong’s room.

Linglong was furious.

All the joy of moving vanished because of Qin Daofei’s belongings.

By dusk, Steward Zhang reported to Qin Daofei, "Master, Xiang Wang has arrived."

"Hmph, that was fast," Qin Daofei muttered, thinking, "Tan Xiyin and Xiang Wang really are tangled up."

"What should we do now, Master?" Zhang wiped cold sweat.

"No problem, I’ll meet him," Qin Daofei said.

He donned a light coat and prepared to leave.

Linglong came out, holding a red oil-paper umbrella, smiling. "Such a lively event, why didn’t you invite me?"

"Aren’t you supposed to be resting after childbirth? Why come out?" Qin Daofei teased.

Linglong nodded. "Oh, right. I nearly forgot I just gave birth yesterday... But Xiang Wang’s here. Even if I were still in labor, I’d have to go greet him, right? Let’s go together."

She placed the umbrella above Qin Daofei’s head. Seeing her tiptoe to hold it for him, he took it and pulled her into his arms as they stepped outside.

They seemed coordinated—Linglong in black, Qin Daofei in white, sharing a red umbrella as they walked through the snow.

The red was passionate, the white dignified, the black mysterious—and together they formed a stunning picture.

Such beauty pierced Xiang Wang’s eyes like a thorn.

He snatched a guard’s long sword and lunged at Qin Daofei.

The people of Xiaoyao Manor prepared to subdue Xiang Wang’s men.

"Wait, we are law-abiding citizens; we can’t start fighting. Put down your weapons!" Linglong stopped them before they acted.

Everyone exchanged glances and held back.

Linglong stood by the wall, resting the umbrella, watching Qin Daofei and Xiang Wang spar with a faint smile.

If they truly fought, Qin Daofei could end Xiang Wang with a single move. But Xiang Wang was no ordinary man, so Qin Daofei refrained, only dodging attacks without striking.

Yet, a skilled observer like Effie would notice that although Qin Daofei seemed passive, Xiang Wang was suffering.

Qin Daofei dodged strikes perfectly, causing Xiang Wang immense pain.

Qin Daofei’s teasing only made Xiang Wang want to kill him.

"Qin Daofei, if you’re a man, fight me properly," Xiang Wang growled.

Qin Daofei smiled faintly. "Do you really think you can fight me like a man?"

As he spoke, Qin Daofei disarmed Xiang Wang, holding the sword to his neck.

"How dare you threaten Prince Xiang Wang!" Xiang Wang’s guards drew swords in alarm.

"Hey, hey, you’re wrong. Prince Xiang insisted I act. My husband couldn’t refuse the face, so he acted. You can’t talk like that!" Linglong spread her hands, blocking the guards.

They knew how much Xiang Wang treasured Feng Linglong; no one dared harm her.

Qin Daofei casually tossed the sword, which stuck into a tree on the street, wobbling before settling.

"Prince, you wanted to spar. It’s over now. Any advice?" Qin Daofei asked coldly.

Xiang Wang ignored him and approached Linglong.

Qin Daofei stopped him. "Prince, you may be royal, but openly provoking my family like this will get you nowhere with His Majesty."

"Linglong, tell me, did you give birth to Qin Daofei’s child?" Xiang Wang asked coldly, unable to let it go.

Linglong sneered. "Your question is laughable. Qin Daofei and I are husband and wife. Even if we have a child, it’s no crime. If you want to come celebrate, prepare the gifts and invitation, and come properly. Why come with a sword drawn?"

"I allowed you to be by his side all these years, but I will never allow you to bear his child. I won’t!" Xiang Wang shouted.

Linglong still sneered. "You’re funny. I’m Qin Daofei’s lawful wife. Do I need your permission to have his child? What kind of law is that?"

"I just won’tI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.