Chapter 58 The Connection Was Destined To Be So

ar's greetings and dedicated my time to writing. Although I missed the opportunity to gather with relatives and friends, having everyone’s blessings and glowing red hearts made me feel incredibly happ...Chapter 58: Such Is Fate

Yun Qianyue led Rong Jing around the corridor and waterside pavilion, leaving behind the noisy atmosphere of the main hall where the wedding banquet was taking place. The two returned to Yun Qianyue's residence in silence; all the maidservants had been called to assist with the wedding preparations, making her residence unusually quiet.

Yun Qianyue let go of Rong Jing’s hand and said gently, "You should rest inside. I'll go to the kitchen to make dumplings for you."

"I’ll come with you!" Rong Jing shook his head.

"Aren’t you tired" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

“Seeing you makes me not feel tired at all!” Rong Jing smiled as he looked at her.

Yun Qianyue clearly saw her reflection in Rong Jing's eyes. She smiled and nodded, then took his hand again with a relaxed tone, "Then let’s go! Let’s see if your dumplings are better than those of Rong Feng and Ye Qingran."

Rong Jing smiled but did not speak; he followed Yun Qianyue to the kitchen.

The two arrived at the small kitchen, washed their hands, kneaded dough, prepared fillings, rolled out wrappers. Under Yun Qianyue's explanations as she worked, Rong Jing calmly and unhurriedly followed her in making dumplings.

Rong Jing’s dumplings were naturally of excellent quality, surpassing those made by both Rong Feng and Ye Qingran, even better than hers after years of practice. Yun Qianyue stared at the dumplings that Rong Jing had made for a long time before saying somewhat unwillingly, "If you’re so capable, do others have any chance to live"

Rong Jing chuckled softly and leaned close to Yun Qianyue, “Do you hope I’m incapable”

Yun Qianyue was speechless for a moment before shaking her head in resignation, "Being capable is still better!"

"Indeed! Being as capable as I am means you’ll have good fortune marrying me." Rong Jing laughed smugly.

Rarely did Yun Qianyue see such a self-satisfied expression on Rong Jing’s face, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

They finished making the dumplings quickly. Yun Qianyue lit the fire while Rong Jing tended to the pot.

Yun Qianyue looked at Rong Jing, who was still as elegant in the hot and smoky kitchen as elsewhere, and couldn’t help but say, "In the future if we fall on hard times, let’s open a dumpling shop. With you standing at the entrance like that, our business will surely be bustling with customers."

"Our family's business," Rong Jing corrected.

“Right, our family’s business!” Yun Qianyue smiled joyfully.

Rong Jing curved his lips. With a spoon he gently stirred the pot to keep the dumplings apart; watching them belly up and become translucent in the water, he seemed in an excellent mood as he tilted his head to kiss her cheek lightly before moving away, like a dragonfly skimming over the surface of the water.

Yun Qianyue’s face suddenly flushed red, making her look more radiant than the dumplings boiling in the pot.

Rong Jing tilted his head to look at her; he was so moved that he suddenly threw down the spoon and pulled Yun Qianyue into a hug, lowering himself to kiss her lips. Yun Qianyue was taken aback and hurriedly pushed his hand away, blushing and saying reproachfully, "The dumplings will get overcooked!

"Boil it if you must!" Rong Jing stared at Yun Qianyue's hand, signaling her to take over.

"If we boil it, all our efforts will be in vain!" Yun Qianyue blinked.

"So what if they're in vain" A dark tide rose in Rong Jing’s eyes.

"Then there'll be nothing left to eat for you!" Yun Qianyue looked straight into the dark current in Rong Jing's gaze, her heart thudding rapidly.

"I will just eat you then." A faint smile curved his thin lips as he spoke這兩個字，目光更加陰沉。, sending ripples through her heart.

Yun Qianyue's whole face turned red. She pouted and said, "I am hungry too!"

"Then you will eat me." Rong Jing leaned closer to Yun Qianyue’s lips, his voice hoarse.

Unable to bear the heat in the small kitchen any longer, she felt as if her whole body was burning. She lowered her eyelids and didn't dare look at Rong Jing, whispering weakly like a mosquito fly, "That's not right! Today is Brother Yu and his wife’s wedding night, not ours."

"Hm" Rong Jing’s gaze flickered.

"If you don’t let go of me soon, the dumplings really will be boiled to pieces!" Yun Qianyue pushed him away with her hand.

Rong Jing gazed at Yun Qianyue for a while before the dark current in his eyes subsided. He released her and said softly with a smile, "Then another day!"

Yun Qianyue raised her head, her face flushed like rosy clouds. Seeing Rong Jing pick up the spoon to stir again, she took the plates blushing red. Soon, they filled the plates with dumplings and left the small kitchen for their room.

Back in their room, the two sat at the table but didn't speak as they ate their meal. Though there was a silence between them, it felt warm and cozy, like spring enveloping everything in its embrace.

After dinner, Yun Qianyue cleared the dishes from the table and returned to the small kitchen with them. When she came back, she saw Rong Jing lying on the soft couch, eyes closed in a state of rest. The sunlight streamed into the room, casting a warm glow on him; his moon-white brocade robe shone like a snow lotus blooming under the sun, giving off an inviting warmth. She walked lightly to him and was about to sit down when he pulled her into his arms for a long kiss.

Yun Qianyue's heart thumped fiercely as she responded to the kiss with trembling lips. The longing of countless nights transformed into this white silhouette upon her return, and she felt that this life would melt away in it forever. Truly fitting the poem: Until the mountains crumble and the seas run dry, I shall never part from thee.

After a long while, their clothes were half-disheveled, hair messy with loose braids, sweat glistening heavily, osmanthus fragrance thickening into an intoxicating aroma; when the room was suffused with a haze of passion, Rong Jing slowly released Yun Qianyue and buried his head in her neck to catch his breath.

Yun Qianyue also panted softly, dazed and drunk.

After a long time, Rong Jing lifted his lowered head, gently tucking Yun Qianyue's disheveled clothes with jade-like fingers. His eyes locked onto her as he spoke in a gentle tone like flowing water, "Is there anything you want to ask me"

"What should I ask" Yun Qianyue raised her eyes, her clear gaze veiled by a thin gauze.

"You don't have any questions" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow.

Yun Qianyue smiled faintly, "Should I ask who you brought back with you Or should I inquire how you knew of someone’s plot in the capital while a thousand miles away and brought them back accordingly Or should I wonder why you returned just when everything happened"

With a faint smile, Rong Jing softly said, "Sometimes I wish you were even more naive and relied solely on me!"

"I am already very naive!" Yun Qianyue lowered her head with a slightly darkened expression.

Rong Jing's smile gradually faded as he embraced Yun Qianyue in his arms, saying softly, "You're not naive; you just don't want to scheme. The current situation is such that once the layers of veils are peeled away, there will either be piles of bones or blood everywhere. I know you prefer not to look."

Yun Qianyue was stunned for a moment and then smiled broadly as she buried her head in Rong Jing's embrace, inhaling his refined scent before exhaling contentedly, "Yes, you understand me, but how foolish of me! I thought that by not scheming, not looking, closing my eyes to it all, the world would be at peace. Today, I nearly caused trouble for the Yun王府."

"Today is not your fault!" Rong Jing shook his head.

"It's my fault! If I hadn't closed my eyes to everything, how could I have let Cloud Wu fall into others' traps Although his death wasn't a pity, he was still part of the Yun王府 lineage, carrying the Yun氏 blood. Seeing Yun Li in pain and Uncle Second heartbroken, Grandpa must also be distressed, which is why I regret not focusing solely on Cloud Li's wedding preparations while neglecting other matters inside and outside the manor."

"What were you thinking when you prepared for Cloud Li's wedding" Rong Jing asked softly.

"Thinking of you!" Yun Qianyue blurted out two words.

Rong Jing tightened his arms, leaning down to kiss Yun Qianyue’s hair. His happiness seemed to overflow from the depths of his chest, his smile radiant, "I’m very happy."

Yun Qianyue pushed him away, "You’re still glad even though you nearly caused trouble"

"When you were solely focused on preparing for the wedding and thinking only of me during that time, did it also cross your mind how our own wedding should be like" Rong Jing asked with a smile.

Yun Qianyue grunted in agreement. Only in thoughts! When would their turn come She never thought she’d eagerly want to marry herself off one day. A bit of shamelessness!

The corners of Rong Jing's eyes curved, like a crescent moon, "This means you really care about me deeply. So much so that it allows you to focus solely on this and not be disturbed, just as if you were preparing for your own wedding by blocking out all the other complications. How could I possibly not be happy"

"You've always been very important in my heart!" Yun Qianyue laughed.

"This shows that Miss Yun Qianyue's heart has come to life," Rong Jing tapped her chest lightly, smiling.

Yun Qianyue’s lips twitched as she pushed away his hand and poked hard at his chest. Her tone suddenly turned stern, "Tell me the truth! How did you find him Don’t say it was a coincidence or something like that. There are no such coincidences in this world! Or have you always known where he is"

"Ouch!" Rong Jing looked at his chest with a pained expression.

Yun Qianyue immediately retracted her hand but couldn’t help rubbing his chest. Looking up into his eyes filled with laughter, she glared, "Speak!"

"Do you think that over the past ten years I could have survived solely on Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus" Rong Jing sighed, "Even with Master Lingyin’s medical skills, Heavenly Mountain Snow Lotus, hot spring pools, warm jade beds, and my martial arts, these are all auxiliary conditions that cannot fundamentally solve the problem. How could I possibly endure for ten years"

Yun Qianyue was stunned and immediately stopped her hands, looking at Rong Jing seriously, "Then how did you survive"

"Uncle Yuan visits the Glory Manor once a year to help me enhance my martial arts to resist the increasingly severe cold poison. Those three days are what keep me going for the rest of the year," Rong Jing explained.

"At what time of the year" Yun Qianyue asked in surprise.

Rong Jing replied, "Around the Qiqiao Festival! Because it's when the cold poison is at its worst every year!"

"I've always kept a close eye on the Rong王府. I basically know what you do there and almost everything about your excursions outside. But how did I not notice Don't tell me I went to the Rong王府 during each Qiqiao Festival" Yun Qianyue frowned.

Rong Jing chuckled softly, "Uncle Yuan deliberately avoided meeting you, and I didn't want you to see him in his painful state while expelling poison. So naturally, I kept it from you. It was possible not to let you find out."

"So you've known he's my father for a long time" Yun Qianyue's face darkened. Her father came every year to the Heavenly Capital to help Rong Jing resist the cold poison, yet she had never seen him She used to have no grudge against him, but now anger welled up in her heart. He knew all along and didn't tell her, which made her even angrier.

Rong Jing shook his head, "I didn't know earlier either! I only found out recently!"

"You didn't know My father is called Yun Shao Yuan, yet you've been calling him Uncle Yuan for ten years and still don’t know" Yun Qianyue gave Rong Jing a look that said 'you’re lying through your teeth.'

Rong Jing leaned his hand on his forehead, sighing lightly. "I really didn't know. All I knew was he is the Imperial Tutor of South Liang. This wasn’t something he told me but what I deduced after a few times seeing him come and leave the Rong王府. Because each year, the Imperial Tutor would stay in South Liang for two months around mid-autumn, with such high martial arts skills, there are not many like him in the world. Based on when he left South Liang along with his behavior and rumors about the Imperial Tutor of South Liang, I guessed that he was the Imperial Tutor of South Liang. He’s very secretive; after helping me resist cold poison for three days, he leaves without rest each time. Therefore, I thought he kept it secret to prevent others from knowing his identity as the Imperial Tutor of South Liang, which would bring a lot of trouble. You know how much His Majesty hates him. As I never considered you in this matter, how could I think he was your father"

"So when did you find out recently" Yun Qianyue’s anger lessened somewhat.

"Not long ago, during the last visit of the Imperial Tutor to the capital. He went to Aunt's Honghua Palace and his gaze towards you made me suspicious. Then he didn't reveal to anyone that he'd expelled my cold poison ailment; Uncle Yuan thought I was still suffering from cold poison and came again to assist me at Rong王府. Later, when Prince Wei left a letter for you, then I knew he was your father." Rong Jing said.

"So what did you use to make him tell you his whereabouts" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

"He wouldn't tell me! Who do you think Uncle Yuan is Do you think I could coerce him" Rong Jing suddenly laughed, somewhat smugly. "I knew he was about to leave, so I took the chance and put迷衣香 on him. It's scentless and tasteless; it’s a concoction of mine. Qing Ti can track by smell without being noticed."

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes at Rong Jing’s rare smugness and said with a laugh, "迷衣香 must have been specially made to deal with him!"

"Yes!" Rong Jing nodded with a smile. “I’ve always wondered about him; over the years I've also tried tracking him whether by sending people or doing it myself, but in the end they all lost track of him and couldn't find his whereabouts. So, to know where he has other dens apart from South Liang, I concocted that scent."

"Qing Ti tracked him without being noticed Such a slippery fellow!" Yun Qianyue remembered how Nan Ling Rui spoke about the Imperial Tutor of South Liang with such hatred and helplessness. He used every means to tie them together but still managed to leave. Could Qing Ti track him unnoticed

"Of course not! Because I only let Qing Ti follow his scent three days after he left, by then he wouldn't know that someone was tracking him.迷衣香 takes three days to dissipate, so by then Qing Ti had already found him." Rong Jing said with a smile.

"Sly!" Yun Qianyue raised her eyes and looked at the canopy top, indeed finding that Rong Jing was more sly than Nan Ling Rui.

"To deal with Uncle Yuan, one must be sly. I’ve never seen anyone as slippery as him in this world; it took me many years to find out where he is." Rong Jing smiled and gently tapped Yun Qianyue's nose.

"Why did he help you enhance your skills to expel poison Did you ask him" Yun Qianyue shifted her gaze away from the canopy top.

"I asked! He said he was an old acquaintance of my father. Unable to bear seeing his only bloodline harmed, so he helped me. At that time I thought the Imperial Tutor of South Liang and Father were old acquaintances, hence why he helped me; never did I think that he was Cloud King." Rong Jing's face lost some of its smile when talking about his father. "My survival until now is largely due to Uncle Yuan’s efforts."

Yun Qianyue snorted coldly. “Though Brother didn’t know for these years who the man was, he could see him every year. You might not have known either that he’s my father, but you saw him each year too. I'm just an unwanted child; if he hadn't come to the capital, it would be fine, but even when he did come, he avoided me Truly despicable!”

When Rong Jing saw this, he smiled warmly. "It's probably because you're more cunning than me; Uncle Yuan is afraid that once he sees you, there will be no way to get rid of you! So, it’s better not to meet."

"I can still tie him down and make sure he doesn’t leave" Yun Qianyue's face was gloomy as she felt frustrated. "What kind of father is that I thought he was my father back then when my brother got so angry he wanted to kill him, and I had to spend a long time calming him down. Now, this makes me want to die from anger."

Hearing this, Rong Jing chuckled as he patted Yun Qianyue's body gently, like soothing a child. "Be good, I’ll comfort you. He must have his reasons for avoiding you; otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible. Anyway, since he’s here now, why don’t you ask him later"

"I won’t ask!" Yun Qianyue shook her head gloomily.

"Why not Make him make up for your loss with the greatest compensation possible!" Rong Jing said.

"I don't need any compensation! For all these years, what can possibly compensate me for losing both my parents Even if he compensated me a thousand times or ten thousand times, even if he filled this entire Qianyue Hall with precious jewels, it wouldn’t make up for it." Yun Qianyue's eyes were slightly moist. No one could imagine the tumultuous feeling in her heart when she returned from being verified by Duke Deying, Duke Xiaoxing, and Cloud King, only to have him appear at the wedding hall. She never expected him to turn up again at the Cloud王府. He truly played his role as Cloud王爺so well that even Emperor Taizong didn't notice; no one could distinguish between him and the real Cloud王爺, not even if they knew about the birthmark on Cloud王爺's body.

"Foolish girl, it’s precisely because of this reason we need to make up for your loss. You still have both parents in this world who you can take advantage of; what's wrong with that I want to take advantage and get compensation but I can't find anyone," Rong Jing gently stroked Yun Qianyue's head, filled with infinite affection and melancholy.

"That’s true!" Yun Qianyue's anger lessened slightly. She pushed Rong Jing away angrily and said, "Comparing what Then from now on, you’re responsible for helping me take advantage of him; the more ruthless, the better."

"Alright! I’ll help you," Rong Jing laughed softly.

Satisfied, Yun Qianyue curled back into Rong Jing's arms. Although she still felt uncomfortable inside, she was relieved by what Rong Jing said; after all, her parents were alive, and if there was a reason he avoided seeing her, she could still get compensation from them. Unlike Rong Jing’s deceased parents, she would have no one to turn to for that. Taking full advantage of them didn’t sound so bad.

"When did you discover this and notify him" Yun Qianyue inquired as she felt more relaxed.

"Half a month ago," Rong Jing replied.

"Then it’s on the day of Mid-Autumn Festival, right" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! That morning, I left and encountered someone sneaking through a side gate into Cloud王府without wearing any outer clothes. He was only dressed in trousers; he must have lost at gambling. The person guarding the side gate seemed accustomed to it, easily letting him in. So, I casually asked the guard about who this person was, and they said that his name is Yun Wu, a cousin of Young Master Yun Li. When he first came to Cloud王府, he tried to keep a low profile but now almost daily leaves late at night and returns early in the morning to gamble every day. Out of helplessness, a special door is left open for him every day," Rong Jing continued. "I knew that this side gate leads to the Western courtyard, which is Cloud王府’s side branch. Since you don’t really care about the household matters and leave them to two maidservants, it's likely you wouldn't know such things; if you did, he would not have been able to go gambling daily."

"That’s right! I left all of that to Jade Bracelet and Green Twig. They knew how little I cared about household matters unless there was something important, then they wouldn’t bother me. But since he leaves late at night every day and comes back early in the morning, they probably don't know," Yun Qianyue nodded.

"The guard mentioned that he goes out to gamble when it gets dark and returns just as the sky starts to lighten. This made me very curious; although you treat the branch family well, each person still has their monthly silver allowance set. The side branch of Cloud王府in Yun County is indeed a wealthy household with some savings, but the expenses incurred from moving here would be substantial, not allowing such daily losses at gambling. Moreover, I know that the current Second Master and father of Young Master Yun Li, who is also the head of the branch family, is quite upright. Although Yun Wu is raised under him as a son, it's unlikely he would give him so much money to indulge in this behavior without knowing about it. Obviously, he doesn't know about these matters either. If he isn’t winning and losing daily, where does that silver come from" Rong Jing said with warmth. "So I instructed the covert guards to investigate further. It was reported that Yun Wu has been engaging in illegal activities like stealing chickens and dogs in Yun County for a long time, but nothing serious had happened until he came to Cloud王府and started gambling daily. Initially, he kept a low profile, but later on, using his status as Young Master Yun Li’s cousin, he forced the guard at the side gate to leave the door open exclusively for him and forbade any leaks."

"Indeed, everything has its roots!" Yun Qianyue pursed her lips tightly. "Then did they find out where the silver came from"

"They found something but didn’t get results in the end. The people at the casino knew he was Young Master Yun Li’s cousin and lent him money on credit. Daily lending, accumulating a debt of over 40,000 taels," Rong Jing said.

"A cousin of Cloud王府Young Master can borrow such a large sum" Yun Qianyue frowned. "Does the casino not fear that Cloud王府won’t repay the debts After his gambling spree is exposed, will the accounting office release such a huge amount without informing me and give it to him A prodigal son like this, would I help pay off his gambling debts for him That’s nonsense!"

"The cousin of Cloud王府Young Master indeed is worth that much. Also, there's another reason: the largest casino belongs to Duke Xiaoxing and has a rule since it was set up that it can lend up to 30,000 taels to sons and heirs of noble families in the capital city. All the wastrels gather there, and as long as their names are on the list, they will be lent money on credit. You know everyone respects Duke Xiaoxing’s authority in the capital; no one dares not repay his debts. So even if these ministers cannot control their sons properly, when the time comes for Duke Xiaoxing's people to come collect the debts with signed contracts and personal seals, they dare not offend them and can only pay up," Rong Jing explained.

"That is indeed a reason! Cold Shaozhuo’s profligacy didn’t exhaust his wealth these years due to this casino making him money hand over fist." Yun Qianyue's face turned gloomy. "But Cloud王府and Duke Xiaoxing are typically at odds with each other; why would the casino dare lend Yun Wu so much Moreover, wasn't it supposed to be a maximum of 30,000 taels Why is his debt over 40,000

"The casino was initially reluctant to give him credit. They reported the matter to the Filial Prince Wang. The prince, however, had some ulterior motive. Perhaps he wanted Yun Wu to lose so much that when the time came, people from the Filial Prince's household would come and collect debts on his behalf, humiliating the Cloud Family’s reputation. Or perhaps it was a chance for him to repay you for saving Leng Shaozhuo by having Yun Wu owe more and then offering you an insulted face as if he were repaying a small favor instead of a big one. After all, Yun Wu is from the same family and belongs to the Cloud Family now; when something happens, how could you ignore it" Rong Jing slowly explained: "So they gave him credit at first. A month ago, he owed three thousand taels, but right then Leng Shaozhuo shielded you in front of everyone with his sword and was injured in the Cloud Family's residence. The news that you two had reconciled and were spending time together every day circulated outside. Yun Wu continued to play, and the casino hesitated whether they should continue giving him credit. They consulted the Filial Prince Wang again, who waved them off to allow it, reaching a total of four thousand taels today."

“He lost one thousand taels in half a month! He's really something!” Yun Qianyue felt that if Yun Wu were dead, she would have stuffed him back into his mother’s belly. She looked at Rong Jing and said, "Continue!"

"What I mean is the gambling hall has people of all sorts coming in daily. Not only from within the capital, but also merchants from outside. Yun Wu doesn't have a stable group of gamblers to play with; he plays with anyone. So even after investigating this thoroughly, nothing else was found," Rong Jing explained.

Yun Qianyue frowned and asked, "Since you didn’t find anything, how did you know about this"

"Although we found nothing out of the ordinary at first glance, Yun Wu’s behavior is abnormal. He should be depressed after losing money, but on that day when he was acting suspiciously, his face showed excitement. My men reported back to me later and said that he had lost again as usual, unlike before where he would sulk after losing at the casino. But since that day, every time I sent people to follow him, my spies told me that although he kept losing money, he was still very excited. He played with great enthusiasm in the casinos each day and greeted everyone with a smile on his face as if something good had happened," Rong Jing continued: "The Cloud Family is preparing for their heir's wedding, which is indeed joyful news. But my findings show that Yun Wu doesn’t accept Yun Li being named successor and feels resentful about it, let alone marrying the princess. He should have been sulking quietly and drowning his sorrows in alcohol instead of feeling excited."

Yun Qianyue nodded and waited for Rong Jing to continue.

"After I felt something was off, I sent people to investigate further. You know that the Filial Prince has his own spies at his gambling place. The news is that no one is particularly close with Yun Wu and this hasn’t changed since before. Most of them actually looked down on him. Despite being spoiled brats in the capital, they are not from Cloud County like Yun Wu, who uses petty tricks to gain small advantages. They all consider themselves highborn and there’s a hierarchy at the casino as well. My spies monitored Yun Wu for days but found nothing, leading me to believe that whatever was happening must be serious enough that even my agents couldn’t uncover it, and Yun Wu's behavior clearly indicates something is amiss," Rong Jing said with a slightly solemn tone: "After much thought, I sent people to Cloud County."

“That’s quite a leap in logic. From Yun Wu to Cloud County” Yun Qianyue wondered if she should admire the person behind it for their deep planning and secrecy or Rong Jing's sharp mind.

"Yes, actually it makes sense when you think about it. If someone wants to take down the Cloud Family, they must use a major crime like exterminating nine generations of family members since minor offenses would be ineffective against them. What could the Cloud Family have done through Yun Wu that would lead to such severe charges That leaves only one possibility: the case involving the twin brothers and the switch with two Cloud Princes." Rong Jing smiled back at her when she looked at him with a glare saying “You’re not human!” before continuing: "The agents sent to Cloud County quickly received news. One month ago, three families moved away en masse. Upon further investigation, these three families all had close ties with the former minor branch of the Cloud Family. Two provided medical services for the matriarch’s family forty years ago, and one specialized in childbirth and delivered her. So it's clear someone knows about the twin brothers’ secret and is targeting the Cloud Family now. With Yun Li and Seventh Princess's marriage as an opportunity, the Cloud Family will be at their peak of popularity. Even if they have to compete with a wedding involving the second prince and the chancellor’s daughter, he is no longer the crown prince. There are many opportunists in the court who would take advantage of this moment when the Cloud Family has full attendance from guests for such an important event. Announcing it then under everyone's watchful eyes could cause them to act before they’re ready, potentially leading to a disaster!"

“So you found my father and had him come back,” Yun Qianyue said.

"Yes. My men couldn’t find the three families’ whereabouts in a short time, even if we killed Yun Wu, it wouldn't stop them, and stopping once would not prevent further attempts. Once secrets are leaked, they become a threat sooner or later. A permanent solution is necessary; only coming back for real while faking departure works," Rong Jing said: "I had Qing Ti send word to Uncle Yuan through whom we met on the way back to the capital. Uncle Yuan has unparalleled martial arts skills and wouldn’t be deterred by the emperor’s spies or the Dignitary Prince Wang and Filial Prince Wang who follow them. So I had him take over. As a real Cloud Prince, he naturally bears birthmarks which silences any objections from the emperor and officials. This stops those plotting behind the scenes from stirring up trouble as there is no evidence left."

Yun Qianyue nodded with a sigh: "Is this what we call ‘the calamity brings fortune’ If you hadn’t come back for Mid-Autumn Festival, and Yun Wu hadn't been exposed, the Cloud Family might have met its downfall! Even using all my resources to save lives wouldn’t be enough; there would still be a limited number of survivors. The Cloud Family has already suffered a complete destruction of their household and lineage."

Rong Jing smiled and nodded: "Indeed, whoever is behind this move is quite powerful! But it also shows that the heavens didn't want the Cloud Family to perish; Yun Wu happened upon me instead of anyone else!"

Yun Qianyue forced a smile before sighing deeply with a dark expression: “Who has such influence to act without leaving any trace Even you couldn’t find anything. They concealed everything so well! If Yun Wu wasn't so insignificant, and his behavior didn't betray him, things would have been much worse today!”

"Heh, who could be that person in the world" Rong Jing smiled with a light tone: "There are only a few people capable of this."

Yun Qianyue clenched her fist tightly inside her sleeve. She thought of someone and suddenly felt an icy chill run through her heart.

"What's on your mind" Rong Jing reached out to pull Yun Qianyue’s hand, his white fingers gently prying apart her slender ones.

Yun Qianyue instantly released the coldness and said in a calm voice: "I can no longer sit idly by!"

"Hmm" Rong Jing raised an eyebrow with a warm tone, “Then rise up!”

Yun Qianyue suddenly smiled, her cheeks showing two dimples like ripples on the water: "Alright, let’s rise up!e looked at Yun Qianyue."Don't go! What gives you the right to not come over!" Yun Qianyue raised her eyebrows.Rong Jing reached out and rubbed his forehead, sighed, then conceded with a compromise: "...