Foster Son, Don’t Be So Crazy (52)

While Song Jia was wondering at Nian Shou's sudden appearance, Xiang Feng had bumped into Princess Bai Xue on his way to the kitchen.

"Feng."

Seeing that the man had no intention to greet her, Princess Bai Xue blocked his way and flashed him a soft, warm smile.

Xiang Feng's eyes grew colder. Stepping aside, he continued walking past her.

"Feng!"

Princess Bai Xue's hand shot out to directly grab his wrist, but Xiang Feng evaded her easily.

"Your Highness," his voice was cold and detached, "Do you not want your arm anymore?"

Princess Bai Xue froze, but after seeing his back going further and further away, she persistently chased him.

"Feng! If you don't turn around and talk to me, I'll stop giving you potions to meet her!"

As for which 'her' she was talking about, Xiang Feng naturally knew.

He stopped walking.

Princess Bai Xue's lips curved into a gloating smile. "Feng, I..."

She trailed off.

Xiang Feng had continued walking again, his strides even longer than before. As if he had made a decision, his fists were clenched, his eyes dark like bottomless pits.

Princess Bai Xue's face went pale with shock.

"You really don't care about her anymore?"

"Feng!"

"You won't see her ever again!"

"Feng..."

Princess Bai Xue was gradually being left behind, and at last, she stopped chasing after him. She looked at Xiang Feng's back that quickly disappeared from her view.

These past few days, she had been going out of her mind, as her name and reputation was splashed with dirty water by the gossip that was spreading like wildfire all over the kingdom. No matter what she did, it seemed that there were a lot of people trying to spark the flames, and there was now talk of picking a new successor for the throne.

Her mother was of no help at all, her skill in potions barely mediocre, and it was Princess Bai Xue herself who had to concoct and refine potions that would restore her reputation by herself. Soothing potions, elixirs of reversed time, tonics that could empty a person's mind...

Princess Bai Xue could only recall her past life, when Xiang Feng stayed by her side through her ups and downs. It was because he was with her, that she managed to conquer kingdoms left and right. It was because he was with her, that she was so invincible...

She bit her lips, so harshly that she drew blood. With her snow-white face, the trickle of blood on her chin showed a kind of wicked beauty.

"Feng, do you really like that woman so much that you can choose her over the one in your dream? That you can choose her...over me?"

She gently caressed her face. Princess Bai Xue suddenly began to crazily laugh, "Feng...Feng ah, you've made me her substitute, so I'll be her substitute to the very end! You love me so much, you can't bear to let me go, no? What does that foreigner girl count as? We'll be together forever, you and me, no one will get between us again..."

Hearing this, the maids passing by were so scared that their whole bodies trembled. They fixed their eyes on the floor, hoping that they were invisible, hoping that the obviously crazy crown princess wouldn't spot them.

Princess Bai Xue's lips curled up into a chilling smile.

"Then Feng, don't blame me for being ruthless."

It seemed that it was time for her hidden spy to come out.

...

Song Jia hurriedly entered the royal garden.

"Nian Shou? What are you doing here?"

It wasn't time to move to the next step of their plan yet. And if Xiang Feng sees him, who knows what that possessive pervert would think.

But Song Jia knew what he would do.

It would definitely be another exhausting round of papapa [1].

Song Jia's face turned black.

Nian Shou didn't waste time either. He instantly said, "The crown princess has managed to kidnap Su Liang and Huanhuan."

If Nian Shou could take care of it by himself, he naturally wouldn't inform Song Jia. But half a day had already passed, and there were still no news about the two. He knew what Su Liang meant to Song Jia, so he hurriedly came to the castle to inform her.

Song Jia was shocked, "Already?"

She knew that Princess Bai Xue targeting those close to her wasn't a question of 'if,' but a question of 'when.' However, she didn't think she would move so quickly.

"She's too hasty."

Song Jia pursed her lips. What is this crown princess doing? Didn't she know that she should wait for a while before targeting her? Her reputation was already this bad, and Song Jia's fame was starting to rise up. Isn't she afraid that by doing this, even those loyal to her would begin having different thoughts?

Song Jia didn't know that at this point in time, Princess Bai Xue wasn't only suffering from possibly losing the throne, but also losing the springtime in her heart. Princess Bai Xue was so filled with anger that there were times when she would vomit blood from out of nowhere, making her become severely anemic.

'Skin white as snow, lips red as blood...' Those were symptoms of severe anemia, ah.

Nian Shou also agreed with her, "I've managed to avoid her previous assassination attempts through our spies within the palace, but I didn't use them often in case they would be discovered. Somebody had leaked our location to the crown princess. She also managed to attack at the perfect opportunity, when I was injured and couldn't protect them.  It seems like we have a traitor in our midst."

During the eight years they spent together, they lived in a safe house to ensure complete protection. Despite having married Qiao Huan, Nian Shou spent nearly all of his time with Song Jia. They had a safe house inside the capital too, where the location was only told to a selected few.

Without having the need to say it aloud, the two of them began to walk towards the pavilion.

"Have you found the spy yet?"

"As of now, we're still investigating. Jia...it seems that we need to advance our plans forward."

Song Jia pursed her lips.

"What about the queen? Does she pose any harm to our plans?"

"No. Since you told me that she was a witch, I kept an eye on her properly and observed everything that she did. The results are...Princess Bai Xue is more dangerous than she ever could be."

"So a chess king and a shogi queen." [2]

The two of them finally reached the pavilion.

Song Jia worriedly looked at his forehead.

"Are your injuries okay?"

"I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me. Are you planning on confronting the crown princess?"

Song Jia lightly humphed, "I don't need to confront her as she would definitely come forward and summon me. At best, it would probably be tomorrow."

Now that Princess Bai Xue had some important 'chips' in her hand, she would turn antsy and wouldn't be able to resist threatening her.

Nian Shou smiled. He turned to the side and brought out a package he had been carrying.

"I actually went back to our old house with Huanhuan and Su Liang a few days ago to pick up the rest of our belongings and found this." He handed it to her. "I forgot to give it to you before."

Song Jia opened up the package and her mood immediately soured. "Why did you bring this?"

Nian Shou was confused. "Didn't you paint it? I thought you would be happy if I returned it to you."

It was a painting of a koi pond, with clusters of red lotus flowers blooming everywhere. In the center of the painting was a waterside pavilion, and in that waterside pavilion was a woman strumming a qin.

[1] Ch. slang for having sex

[2] The queen piece is weak in both Dai & Chu Shogi