The Slender Waist-Chapter 92 - 73: Endless Resentment

Ge Yi whispered, "That is Mr. Ren. My lady, we did not betray you, we said nothing; it was Mr. Ren who guessed..."

Feng Yun smiled without a word, giving them a reassuring look.

She remained still until the lone figure on horseback approached.

A few attendants gathered around, ready for action.

Meanwhile, Feng Yun was searching through old memories...

The knight’s laughter was hearty—the sound arriving before he did.

"Brothers Ge, you’ve given me quite the chase."

His voice was light and familiar, as though he were a close friend.

After speaking, he dismounted and walked up to Feng Yun, greeting her with a clasped fist salute.

"I am Ren Rude, and I have the pleasure of meeting the lady of Changmen."

It was the first time she had been called the lady of Changmen; Feng Yun smiled and returned the gesture.

"May I ask what brings Mr. Ren here?" Feng Yun confirmed to herself that she had not met this man in her current life, as she spoke with caution.

Ren Rude smiled again, looking very approachable and affable.

"I’ll not conceal from the lady that I come today to apologize; earlier, there was a misunderstanding between myself and your servants, as I invited them to be my guests for a time. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, I hurried to deliver them back to you, and I ask for your forgiveness."

Ren Rude gave a long bow to the ground, showing sincerity.

Feng Yun suppressed a smile.

By revealing the Brothers Ge’s identities, it was clear his intent was to unsettle, yet he didn’t disclose his purpose—Feng Yun found it hard to gauge this man, responding only with:

"Mr. Ren’s words, I do not understand."

Ren Rude stroked his beard, smiling, "It’s a long story; may I request a cup of water at your residence to explain further?"

Feng Yun gave Xiaoman a sign, "Please."

In her previous life, she had encountered Ren Rude three years later.

By then, Xiao Cheng had already proclaimed himself emperor in Nanqi, and Ren Rude was one of his strategists, later a highly valued and rewarded official...

Ridiculously, Ren Rude was the very man who in her previous life had come to negotiate peace on behalf of Xiao Cheng.

With his clever tongue and persuasive speech, he exerted great effort to convince Feng Yun to assist Xiao Cheng in taking back Andu County and betray Pei Jue—it was also he and Xiao Cheng who masterminded the rebellion in Andu, leading to Pei Jue’s retreat to Pingcheng...

In this life, he had arrived again, three years earlier than before.

Had he not come, Feng Yun wouldn’t have known that this man had been lurking in Andu County for so long, always an observer of the events...

This time she wanted to see how Ren Rude intended to coax her.

-

Ren Rude entered Feng Yun’s Tianzhuang with confidence.

At least, he felt no reverence when he saw the cypress plaque with the word "Changmen" written on it; but after less than a quarter-hour sitting in the main hall, he discarded his previous contempt.

He had not seen Feng Shi Er Niang up close but knew a great deal about her.

His impression of Feng Twelve was of a beautiful but useless lady, enamored with the Prince of Jingling from a young age, disfavored by the Feng Family, perhaps slightly clever but unable to escape the shortsightedness and ignorance typical of women raised in the back chambers...

Aside from her beauty, he originally had no high regard for Feng Yun...

But upon sitting down, the clean and tidy hall, two lotus plants in tall-necked porcelain vases on the desk, integrated with the stunning and elegant lady before him, could not adequately be described as merely delicate—it was a beauty beyond words in his mind.

Moreover,

It was hard to say what kind of person this woman was, but she was certainly not impulsive.

Difficult to deal with.

Ren Rude took another sip of tea, his third one.

Feng Yun smiled slightly, "Does Mr. Ren like the tea I have made?"

Ren Rude’s eyes brightened, seemingly surprised, "Made by the lady herself?"

Feng Yun nodded with a smile.

Ren Rude inquired, "What is the name of this tea?"

Feng Yun replied, "Endless Resentment."

Ren Rude frowned slightly, "Forgive my frankness, but that name sounds melancholic, quite desolate—ill-suited to the lady’s radiant spirit..."

Feng Yun: "How would Mr. Ren know my spirit is radiant?"

Ren Rude laughed heartily, "In Andu, I’ve heard of a female village chief emerging from Huaxi Village. Throughout history, the lady must be the first of her kind, how could she not be radiant?"

He believed that saying this would elicit some pleased reaction from Feng Yun.

A mere young lady, how could she contain her pride?

Her sister, Feng Ying, for instance, had been overjoyed like she had won the world just by being carried in a small sedan into the Jingling Royal Residence...

However, Feng Yun remained unmoved, sitting still like a seasoned monk watching him, her smile faint and her intent unclear, leaving him to guess.

Ren Rude was tired of speaking in riddles.

He bowed to Feng Yun, "Ren here runs a tea house in Andu City, at Mingyue Alley by the West City Gate. Does the lady recall passing by it the other day?"

Feng Yun looked at him with a smile, "No wonder Mr. Ren is so concerned about the humble tea here; it turns out you’re a tea house owner. I have indeed been presumptuous with my words earlier."

Yet again he lifted his hand, "Mr. Ren, please enlighten me further."

Feng Yun spoke slowly, with both decorum and propriety, not betraying the slightest change in her demeanor.

Ren Rude suddenly broke out in a sweat.

If it hadn’t been him who came today, this young lady might have easily flustered anyone with just a few words.

Thus, Ren Rude thought of the Prince of Jingling.

How could he have the heart to not marry such a ravishing beauty, choosing instead to guard a tomb in the miserable wind and rain? Now having to settle for her sister, how torturous must it be for him?

No wonder he still yearned for her amidst the impending war, unwilling to give up...

Ren Rude said sincerely, Feng Ying was indeed a beauty, but true beauty lies in the bones not in the skin. To compare Feng Yun’s grace and bearing to Feng Ying was almost blasphemous.

"Mr. Ren?" Feng Yun reminded the distracted Ren Rude again, "Have you found anything contemptible in the tea? Please speak freely."

Her finger brushed past the edge of the tea cup.

Impatience was becoming apparent, Ren Rude realized.

Even he suddenly understood that playing games in front of this woman was less effective than being honest about his intentions, which would more likely gain her trust.

Those beautiful eyes could see into one’s heart. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Suddenly, Ren Rude stood up and gave a deep bow to Feng Yun.

"To be completely honest, I, along with two of my men, had visited Huaxi Village several days ago."

Having said that, he glanced at the Ge brothers, who knelt at the lower end of the room with their heads down, not making a sound.

"That day, I saw the two Ge brothers spying behind the lady’s house, mistaking them for rogues, I immediately knocked them out and took them away..."

Feng Yun was still smiling, her face unchanged.

No questions, no urgency; she simply waited for him to continue.

Ren Rude said, "I should have informed the lady, but being a man from Qi, and often frequenting Tai City, I feared a misunderstanding that would cause trouble for the lady. Moreover, the lady’s reputation is important, and spreading the word could cause inconvenience..."

Feng Yun responded, "Then I must thank you, Mr. Ren."

Ren Rude showed no reaction, but Xing Bing’s ears burned hot.

Whenever his mistress said she was grateful to someone, that person either received a great reward or was about to face a calamity, and it was clear Mr. Ren was not the former.

As if unperceptive of Feng Yun’s facial expressions, Ren Rude’s expression became graver.

"What the lady may not know is that my visit to Huaxi Village was originally meant to probe the lady’s reality."

Only then did Feng Yun raise her eyebrows, appearing surprised.

"Oh? A mere woman like me, how could I attract the gentleman’s attention?"

Ren Rude’s gaze sharpened. He looked around, then lowered his voice, his expression and gestures those of someone about to disclose a serious matter. Feng Yun accordingly grew solemn and listened attentively.

But he said,

"The lady may not know, but I had some private dealings with Master Feng."

Feng Yun’s eyes flickered slightly, and she lowered her head to sip her tea, "Feng Jingteng surrendered and fled Andu in a pitiful state, leaving such a mess behind for me. Mr. Ren, your private dealings with him are of no use here."

Ren Rude gave an awkward laugh, "At first, the situation was unstable, and I chose to watch from the sidelines; the lady’s days were truly tough. But Master Feng, I fear he never gave up on the lady, still keeping you in his thoughts..."

Feng Yun lifted her eyes, chuckling dismissively.

"Is the situation stable now? Is the Qi Army preparing to cross the river and attack, or does the Prince of Jingling hold the winning tickets? Or did Feng Jingteng send Mr. Ren as a mediator?"

Ren Rude’s brow creased slightly.

He paused for a moment, then asked in a low voice,

"Does the lady wish to return to Qi?"

Feng Yun smiled faintly and shook her head, "The Feng Family abandoned me, and the Prince of Jingling has taken another wife. Where would there be a place for me to return to?"

Ren Rude was slightly taken aback.

It seemed he hadn’t expected Feng Yun to be so quickly informed about the matters in Tai City, and his words were filled with hesitation.

"The lady has heard about this?"

Feng Yun calmly hummed in acknowledgment, smilingly said, "The Great General is very fond of me and never hides anything of importance. The Prince of Jingling’s wedding was joyous news known to all. Once the General received the information, naturally, he would share it with me."

She knew that every word she spoke today would reach Xiao Cheng’s ears.

Therefore, she unapologetically flaunted her affectionate relationship with Pei Jue.

"I initially thought defecting to the enemy camp meant jumping into the fire pit, but who would have thought it was a blessing from heaven... Mr. Pei treats me with great kindness and affection, surpassing even that of my own family. In this life, I will never leave him."

Ren Rude was somewhat surprised.

"To my knowledge, the Prince of Jingling’s marriage was to his principal wife, and on the wedding day, in front of his ancestors, he declared publicly that the lady here is his rightful wife..."

Pfft! Feng Yun laughed as if he had just told her the biggest joke in the world, her eyes curving into crescents with amusement.

"Then he truly lacks self-awareness."

As if reminded of something, she asked mockingly, "On the wedding day, did the Prince of Jingling not grab a hen to worship with him? And on the wedding night, was there also a tied up hen in the nuptial chamber with him and Feng Ying? A pair of chickens representing the true wife, with the hen being honoured as superior?"

Ren Rude was left speechless by her retort.

He realized the situation was unfolding quite differently from what he had anticipated.

This woman had not spared a single thought for Qi Country, the Feng Family, or even Xiao Cheng.