Song Jia pursed her lips. It was true that she knew Xiang Feng was having nightmares about his past, but he had never told her what his nightmares were about.
"It doesn't matter to me," she finally said.
Since Xiang Feng had never told her, then it must be because he wasn't ready to tell her yet. She wasn't the type to pick the scabs of other people and confirm if their wounds were still bleeding.
At her admission, the smile on Princess Bai Xue's brightened. Her face was full of excitement, seemingly happy that she had finally something of Xiang Feng's that was only hers alone.
She said arrogantly, "So you didn't know that his mother was a whore who sold her body and her son for opium?"
Princess Bai Xue wanted to prove her superiority to Song Jia. Ever since she had learned of this foreign girl's existence, she had been suppressed again and again. That's why, even if Xiang Feng decided to tell his story to this woman later on, his confession would already be stained by the fact that Song Jia learned it from other people first. The smile on her face grew wider.
"Feng's mother sold him to a perverted man that likes little boys to warm his bed. He had to burn his own face to get away from that hell, and even then, he already felt dirty. That's why he ran away to become a slave. Jin Jia, do you know who executed those criminals for hurting Feng?"
Princess Bai Xue didn't wait for her to answer.
"I did! I did all of these for him. And you? What have you ever done for Feng? Could you even compare your love to mine? You're just a whore who used your beauty to seduce him!"
Princess Bai Xue suddenly grabbed something from behind her and threw it on Song Jia's feet. Seeing the harmless painting, Song Jia's tense body relaxed.
Princess Bai Xue lifted her chin.
"I found this in the royal garden with your signature on the bottom. This was something Xiang Feng told you to paint for him, wasn't it? Jin Jia, open your eyes and look clearly at that woman's face! Isn't it obvious that the woman in the painting was me?"
Song Jia, "..."
My dear crown princess, I painted that when you were still wet behind the ears. How could it be you?
"Your Highness, my eyes are open and I can clearly see that the woman in that painting isn't you. Furthermore, Xiang Feng had never told me to paint it."
"If that isn't me, then who else could it be?"
Princess Bai Xue also knew that the woman in the painting wasn't her. She only wanted to misled Song Jia, wanting her to believe that the woman Xiang Feng truly loved was her.
"My past life?" Song Jia rolled her eyes. "In any case, why would Xiang Feng tell me to paint a picture of you? You were both still young when I painted that and the two of you had never even met."
This princess certainly enjoyed having jumps in logic. Song Jia waved her hand, wanting to retire. All of her plans revolved around the coronation that was going to happen soon, and she had no time to play bartender pouring Princess Bai Xue's daily dose of vinegar.
"Your Highness, if nothing else, let this lowly servant retire. You can have that painting if you want it. This servant has no need of it."
Li Jia looked so much like Princess Bai Xue that every time Song Jia looked at that painting of hers, it only turned her mood for the worse. It was too bad that she had spent a lot of time on it.
Hearing no response from Princess Bai Xue, Song Jia turned around and left. She had no idea that behind her, a cold madness grew in the eyes of the crown princess as she stared at the painting on the ground.
It was an arctic chill that settled deep into the bones, cracking her sanity and reason little by little.
...
Song Jia returned to her tower, only to see Xiang Feng carelessly dumping Su Liang and Qiao Huan's unconscious bodies on the bed. He turned around when she entered the room.
"Jia, you're finished?" He immediately came forward and embraced her, his expression happy.
Song Jia hesitated, and gently put her arms around him. She remembered Princess Bai Xue's words. Xiang Feng was still young when her mother had abandoned him to a perverted man in exchange for drugs. The horrible things he experienced, Song Jia was afraid she would never understand in this lifetime.
Maybe that was why his personality became twisted. She could only be thankful in her heart that she rescued him from the slave encampment as soon as she transmigrated. It prevented him from experiencing more hardship.
Xiang Feng was happy that she hugged him back. It was the first time she returned any of his intimate gestures. His lips curved up before he kissed her, gently drawing her lower lip between his teeth.
After a while, he released her from his embrace and held her hand, "I have something to give Jia, will Jia willingly receive it?"
He looked towards the bed, his eyes dimming in displeasure when he saw the two unconscious women. If he didn't think they wouldn't be safe stowed away in any of the castle rooms, he wouldn't have brought them here. This was a place reserved only for him and Song Jia. But now that two people have intruded in it, he had to burn the bed he and Song Jia had created so many happy memories in. How unpleasant.
Song Jia released his hand and approached the bed, but Xiang Feng caught her hand again and held it tightly. He swung their hands as he came with her towards the bed.
Song Jia observed Su Liang and Qiao Huan, they didn't seem to be hurt anywhere. "Where did you find them?"
"Dungeon, pull a trap door open and there will be another secret room. They were trapped there," Xiang Feng responded smoothly.
If he decided to hunt for someone, even hiding them underground would not be sufficient to stop him.
Xiang Feng tipped his head to the side. He looked at Song Jia, his eyelids dropping to a half-mast, covering his eyes.
"How did you know the two of them were missing?"
Song Jia looked at his handsome face and replied, "That time I went out of the tower, the manservant I bumped into had given me a secret message. It was from Nian Shou, telling me that Su Liang and Qiao Huan were kidnapped by the crown princess."