Feng Tianlan's tone was sincere and his expression earnest, as if he were genuinely concerned for Xiao Man. Xiao Man, however, could only suppress a laugh. If she hadn't known about the many wicked deeds Feng Tianlan had committed, she would have believed him, believed he was a good person, and that he had her best interests at heart!
"Master, please don't worry, I will live well and live for a long, long time," Xiao Man said slowly. "Until I send all the murderers to hell."
"You, you're always focused on this. You must also take care of yourself," Feng Tianlan said disapprovingly. "Revenge is important, but your life shouldn't be solely about revenge."
Xiao Man nodded in agreement. "Master, do you know my mother?"
"Yes," Feng Tianlan replied affirmatively. "I knew her from childhood. Even your father didn't know her for as long as I did."
"Then do you know everyone around my mother?"
"Naturally."
"Then, Master, do you know someone named Qin Gu?" Xiao Man asked, staring intently at Feng Tianlan's face, not missing a single flicker of expression.
Feng Tianlan frowned. "Why would you suddenly bring her up?"
"What happened to her?"
"She died long ago." Feng Tianlan's brows were tightly knit. "Qin Gu was your mother's chief personal guard. When your family met disaster, she protected your mother and you as you fled, and she was killed."
"Are you certain?" Xiao Man was somewhat shocked. Had Cen Yu lied to her? Was it not Qin Gu who lured her father to Nanluo Manor? Or was someone using Qin Gu to lure her father away?
"Of course, I'm certain." Feng Tianlan seemed to find it difficult to speak. "After all, she was among those whose bodies were hung as a public display."
Xiao Man's expression grew somber. She remained silent for a long time. If Qin Gu was truly dead and her body had been displayed, her father couldn't possibly not know. Therefore, the person who lured her father away could not have been Qin Gu. Then, who could it have been?
Xiao Man made an excuse to stay at the State Preceptor's manor. Her room had always been kept there, though she rarely stayed. In the past, she only resided there if she was studying late.
Feng Tianlan appeared indifferent, yet he personally cooked. Old Fu watched Feng Tianlan busy in the kitchen and murmured, "Young Master hasn't been this happy in a long time."
Xiao Man appeared behind Old Fu like a phantom, startling him. "My dear Princess, can't you avoid scaring me? I'm old; I can't withstand your frights."
"I think you're quite brave!" Xiao Man stood beside Old Fu. "Old Fu, is my Master very happy?"
"Yes, Young Master is very happy, and it's all thanks to Your Highness," Old Fu said with a smile. "Whenever you visit, Young Master is always happy. In the past, when Young Master wasn't often at home, you came every day. Now that Young Master is usually here, you rarely visit. He's quite lonely by himself."
"Aren't you a person?" Xiao Man retorted.
Old Fu paused for a moment, then spoke after a long silence. "I am merely a servant. I cannot engage Young Master in long conversations. But Your Highness is different. Young Master enjoys having Your Highness talk with him."
"How much does he like it?" Xiao Man asked curiously.
Old Fu didn't know how to answer for a moment. "Young Master probably likes Your Highness the most."
"Your Highness, or me?"
"Aren't you Your Highness?" Old Fu looked as if Xiao Man had lost her mind. "I haven't gotten senile yet, but Your Highness seems to be getting confused."
Xiao Man smiled broadly. "Old Fu, how many years have you been by my Master's side?"
"Many years. I was by Young Master's side when he was still a child," Old Fu said with a smile. "I watched him grow from this small to his current peerless appearance. I've grown old."
"Old Fu, how does my Master maintain himself?" Xiao Man asked, resting her elbow on her hand and her chin on her palm, gazing at the figure busy in the kitchen. "He's almost forty, yet he looks like a young man in his early twenties. His skin is as smooth as a freshly peeled egg, white and smooth."
Old Fu watched Xiao Man touch her own face as she spoke, and his mouth twitched involuntarily. He coughed and said, "Your Highness, you must not disrespect the State Preceptor."
Xiao Man rolled her eyes. "How have I disrespected him? During the day, I only touched him when Master was asleep. Not to mention, his skin is even better than the young men at Lanxiao Pavilion. After dinner, I must have a long talk with Master tonight and ask him for his skincare secrets."
The words "hopeless" flashed in Old Fu's mind. But he swallowed them back down.
"The State Preceptor is a recluse, detached from worldly affairs. How would he know about these frivolous things? Your Highness, please do not speak nonsense."
"Detached from worldly affairs? Has my Master seen through the vanity of the world?"
Old Fu opened his mouth. "I mean, the State Preceptor is a cultivated individual, unlike ordinary people. He does not possess the common human emotions of love, hate, anger, or infatuation."
"Meaning my Master is not attracted to women?" Xiao Man's eyes lit up. "Could he be... impotent?"
Old Fu felt as if a mouthful of blood was stuck in his throat, unable to be swallowed or spat out. In the end, he angrily flicked his sleeve and left, leaving Xiao Man alone, shaking with laughter.
"Why are you laughing foolishly over there? Come in and help," Feng Tianlan poked his head out. Seeing Xiao Man laughing to herself outside, he immediately called her in to help.
Xiao Man went in to help wash dishes and set the table. "Master, are there other guests? You've made so much delicious food."
"No, just the two of us."
"Can the two of us eat all this?"
"I accidentally made a few extra dishes. Come wash your hands, and let's eat."
Xiao Man washed her hands and then sat at the table, picking up her chopsticks and starting to eat. Feng Tianlan's cooking was excellent. He was the best cook among the men she knew. However, he rarely stayed at home, and the number of people who could eat his cooking was very limited.
"Eat slowly, no one is snatching it from you," Feng Tianlan said, seeing Xiao Man eating ravenously, fearing she might choke. He placed a bowl of soup in front of Xiao Man. "Have some soup."
Xiao Man picked it up, took a sip, and put it down. "Master, your cooking is truly delicious, even better than my family's chef."
Feng Tianlan continued to put food on Xiao Man's plate and said, "What, in your heart, Master can only be compared to your household chef?"
"That's not true." Xiao Man smiled broadly. "In my heart, Master is very special."
Feng Tianlan's eyes deepened slightly. "How special?"
Xiao Man bit on her chopsticks, thinking carefully. "So special that I think of Master during the day and still think of Master at night."
Think about how to take your life!
A faint blush appeared on Feng Tianlan's fair cheeks, but Xiao Man was too busy eating to notice.
"In winter, I brewed two jars of plum blossom wine. It was brewed with the first snow of early winter. Would you like to try it?"
"My alcohol tolerance isn't good now. If I get drunk later, I'll cause trouble for you."
"It's alright. It's not like you haven't caused trouble for me before. Tonight, you're allowed to have two cups."