Chapter 610: Chapter 372, Gastrodia Pork Slices Soup!

“Tang Fei, are you really not coming up to sleep?”

Coming up to sleep?

Where would I sleep?

On the bed? On you?

What kind of brazen words are these?

Of course, Tang Fei didn’t dare to go up to sleep. If he climbed up, what would happen next?

The emotions of adults are sometimes just such a shiver-inducing matter.

Naturally, most people don’t want to shiver with you.

Besides, what if he did go up and Sheng Xinhua suddenly burst into laughter, saying she didn’t expect Tang Fei to be that kind of person…

Wouldn’t that be even more embarrassing?

With Mr. Sheng’s personality, it was entirely something she could do.

He dared not think about it, not even dare to think.

Tang Fei chose to play dead.

I’m asleep, don’t @ me.

“Tang Fei…” Sheng Xinhua suddenly giggled and said, “What? Playing dead? I don’t believe you’re already asleep.”

Tang Fei helplessly smiled wryly and spoke up, “Mr. Sheng, what exactly do you want to do?”

“I read in a book that only men hanging on the wall are honest. I want to see if you’re honest or not.”

“So, do you want me to be honest or not?”

“I don’t know, I have to follow my heart.”

“….”

Where do I have a heart of my own?

Whether I have a heart or not… that was an unknown for Tang Fei.

“How far have you and Phoenix progressed?” Sheng Xinhua apparently had no intention of sleeping peacefully, seeming to be in the mood for a chat.

Tang Fei was helpless, so he simply sat up and said, “Doesn’t she tell you everything? Don’t you know?”

“We used to tell each other everything, she would tell me anything that happened.” Sheng Xinhua sighed softly and said, “But since you appeared, she’s started to have secrets.”

“And you’re blaming me for that?”

“Otherwise? Men, they really do affect our friendship.”

She paused for a moment, then hurriedly said, “You haven’t told me how far you two have developed.”

“Why do you want to know all this?”

“Who doesn’t have a bit of curiosity?”

“We’re still very pure,” Tang Fei said.

“So, you haven’t slept together?”

“….Why do you start with whether or not we’ve slept together as soon as you open your mouth?”

“Between men and women, isn’t it just about that one thing?” Sheng Xinhua’s voice was full of disdain as she said, “I just want to help you weigh up whether it’s worth it for you to go to such lengths for the Royal Family….”

The room was in sleep mode, pitch-black as ink, barely a glimmer of light visible.

Yet, Tang Fei could smell that faint scent in his nostrils.

He knew it was Sheng Xinhua’s body fragrance.

Bedroom, bathroom, especially the sheets and bedding where she had slept, it was everywhere.

A scent like a mix of roses and patchouli, rich and with a wild aroma.

Just like Sheng Xinhua herself.

Tang Fei looked towards Sheng Xinhua in the darkness; he could see her eyes, as well as her delicate and enchanting features—a perk of being a Cultivator.

“Do you think it’s worth it?”

“If you’ve slept together it’s worth it, if not, it isn’t,” Sheng Xinhua said plainly. “You work at the Monitoring Bureau, that place isn’t fit for people… best not to overexert yourself, otherwise, if you haven’t gotten the girl, you might end up with people already scheming for your head.”

She was subtly advising Tang Fei that even if he wanted to gain the favor of the Royal Family and Zhong Daolong’s trust and advancement, he should still be mindful of the extent.

Don’t be too desperate, because that could indeed cost you your life.

This is Phoenix City, after all; how deep are the waters here?

Even Zhong Daolong has to be extremely cautious and probe carefully before doing anything, let alone a rootless young man?

This was also something she couldn’t understand, she thought Tang Fei was a smart person, but why do smart people always do foolish things?

“I understand,” Tang Fei nodded and said softly. “But if I don’t struggle for it… do you think I have a chance?”

Sheng Xinhua rolled over, from lying down, she shifted to lying on her stomach on the bed.

Her black silk pajamas were loose, exposing a generous expanse of snow-white skin.

That was the only light in the room.

Of course, Sheng Xinhua hadn’t realized that she had inadvertently revealed herself.

Because she mistakenly thought she couldn’t see Tang Fei, naturally Tang Fei wouldn’t be able to see her either.

“Do you think you have a chance if you struggle for it?” Sheng Xinhua propped her head with one hand and countered. “If you have such an idea, are you not misunderstanding the Royal Family? Or perhaps, do you not understand our King?”

“How so?” Tang Fei tried hard to shift his gaze away from that flash of white and joked, “Sounds like you don’t have much respect for the King?”

“Not just him, all kings are the same,” Sheng Xinhua was frank, speaking straightforwardly. “Interest comes first, little kindness and thin loyalty. A truly genuine and pure person can’t be a king.”

“Do I have other choices?” asked Tang Fei.

“Yes, I have three strategies, upper, middle, and lower; which one would you like to hear?”

“Let’s hear the worst one first,” said Tang Fei.

“The two of you elope.”

“Elope? Where could we escape to?”

“Old Land, or another country…”

Tang Fei shook his head and said, “The living environment in Old Land is too poor. Even if Phoenix and I could bear it, what if we had children in the future…”

“Oh, you’ve thought about children?”

“Of course.” Tang Fei, full of conviction, said, “Since we want to be together, how could we not consider the future?”

“I know what life is like in Old Land, I know how dangerous it is there; every hunt is hanging by a thread, every day in the mountains could be the last… lacking clothes, lacking food, not knowing whether you’re facing a human or a beast in front of you.”

“I can live that life, but I don’t want Phoenix to endure such a life, nor do I want our children to live like that. It’s too cruel, and it’s not fair to them.”

Sheng Xinhua didn’t know what she was thinking, silent for a long time.

If it weren’t for the sight of her wide-open eyes and a lost expression, Tang Fei would wonder if she had fallen asleep.

After a while, Sheng Xinhua spoke, “It seems that this path is not feasible.”

“Yes, this route is closed.”

“Then we only have two strategies left, the middle and the high.”

“What is the middle strategy?” Tang Fei asked.

“You have feelings for her, she has feelings for you, so why not just go ahead and turn the uncooked rice into cooked rice,” Sheng Xinhua said with her long eyelashes fluttering. “By the time you go to the Royal Family with a child in your belly, perhaps they will just have to grit their teeth and accept it.”

“What kind of plan is that?” Tang Fei couldn’t help but offer a bitter smile. “Isn’t the worst strategy better than that? If we did that, wouldn’t the Royal Family have me beheaded?”

“You could take Phoenix and hide in White Crane Mountain with the Great Grandmaster shielding you. I’m sure the Royal Family would have to give him some face.”

Tang Fei thought about it and felt the plan did indeed have merit.

If it weren’t for those other matters they were secretly planning, he could indeed do this.

But, because his thoughts lay elsewhere, he couldn’t choose such an answer.

“Is the Great Grandmaster definitely going to protect me?”

“If he didn’t want to protect you, he wouldn’t have taken you in at the beginning.”

“But we can’t hide forever,” said Tang Fei.

“Hide for three, five years, wait until the child grows up… then he’ll have to recognize you no matter what.”

After pondering for a moment, Tang Fei spoke up, “What’s the high strategy then?”

“It’s what you’re currently doing,” said Sheng Xinhua. “By making an effort to gain the acceptance of the Royal Family, with a grand procession, marrying openly and honorably; both you and the child could have a bright future.”

“If you say this is the high strategy… then why aren’t you in favor of me doing it?”

“Didn’t I say? The risk is too great. Either you could die before the job is done, or even after the job is done, you could still be gone.”

“…”

“Do you feel frustrated?”

“A little,” said Tang Fei.

“Do you think a Princess is that easy to marry?” Sheng Xinhua said mockingly, “The Phoenix Empire has countless men who want to marry the Princess. Shen Xinglan, Qin Jianyi… which one of them isn’t a young and promising individual? Which one isn’t from a distinguished background?”

“Who would have thought Phoenix would fall in a chicken coop, yet she just fancied someone from the Old Land… isn’t it only right that you face some setbacks and trials?”

“Yes,” Tang Fei said, a heavy heart within, yet he had to stiffen up and say, “So, I want to give it a try.”

So many people wanted to marry the Princess, but she fell for him.

What could he offer her?

Use? Harm?

Sheng Xinhua felt Tang Fei’s sorrow but didn’t know where it came from, nor was it the atmosphere she liked.

Suddenly, she jumped up from the bed, complaining, “You’ve gotten me so worked up I don’t even feel like sleeping anymore, I feel like drinking…”

“…”

Tang Fei felt wronged.

Is this what I wanted to talk about?

I was even asleep, and you insisted on asking how far our relationship had developed.

Mr. Sheng opened the door abruptly and exclaimed, “Mom, what are you sneaking around for? Why aren’t you sleeping so late?”

“Who’s sneaking around? I just got up to go to the toilet.”

“There is a toilet inside the room. What are you doing outside?”

“Can’t I come out for a drink of water?”

“Fine, fine, you drink.”

“What are you doing getting up in the middle of the night?”

“Can’t I come out for a drink too?”

“Sheng Xinhua, are you seeking death? Do you believe I’d call Mr. Sheng right now to come over?”

“A light drink lifts the spirit, don’t you understand?”

“Well… then drink less.”

“I know, go back to sleep. You better turn on the mute mode in the room.”

“You brat… what are you talking about…”

——

In the morning, when he got up, the dining table was already filled with various pastries.

What shocked Tang Fei most was that there was actually a steaming bowl of Gastrodia Pork Slices Soup.

Looking at the floating oil droplets in that bowl of soup, Tang Fei’s stomach felt a little queasy.

Who wants to eat this so early in the morning?

Oh, it was him.

“Xiao Tang, are you up? Did you rest well?” Mei Yuyin came out carrying a basket of deep-fried dough sticks.

“Quite well,” Tang Fei smiled sheepishly.

Being in the same room with Sheng Xinhua in front of someone else’s parents made him feel awfully strange.

“That’s good, that’s good. Sit down and eat, it won’t taste good when it cools.”

“Thank you, Auntie. You eat too.”

“Okay, let’s eat together.” Mei Yuyin took the initiative to serve Tang Fei a large bowl of soup and handed it over, “I know you’re busy with work, so I specially made you a pot of soup… Come on, drink a lot. Gastrodia is good for replenishing vitality.”

Tang Fei took the bowl of kidney soup and smiled, “Thank you, Auntie.”

“What’s there to thank for? Drink up, and I’ll serve you some more. There’s plenty of soup.”

“… Thank you, Auntie.”

“We’re family, why be so polite?”

Sheng Xinhua buried her head in her soy milk, pretending not to hear their conversation.

But her shaking shoulders revealed too much.

——

Monitoring Bureau. Interrogation room.

Tang Fei looked at Qin Jianyi sitting opposite him and said, “Feeling better?”

“Are you asking about new wounds or old wounds?” Qin Jianyi looked at Tang Fei expressionlessly and asked.

“Eh? Someone bullied you? That can’t be. I especially made sure you’d be taken good care of, and that no one would use those despicable methods.”

“It’s not an external injury, but internal.”

Tang Fei’s expression turned grave, and he glanced at Qin Jianyi with a strange look in his eyes, lowered his voice and asked softly, “Did someone slip through your back door?”

“…”

“I know there’s often that kind of disgusting thing happening in jail, but you’re my good friend. I made sure you got a private cell… It shouldn’t have come to that, right?”

“You know what I’m talking about.” Qin Jianyi’s eyes were fierce as he stared at Tang Fei, angrily shouting, “Why kill? Why kill Wang Chao?”