Du Chenyan could tell that this was the first time Huang Ningmeng had revealed her true self in front of others; otherwise, the news of her martial arts skills would have spread throughout the capital long ago.

Seeing his sincere expression, Huang Ningmeng decided against pursuing the matter further. She walked to the side, stood with her back to Du Chenyan, and untied the black veil from her hands. In the darkness, she couldn't see clearly, but she was certain her hands were bruised and battered.

Her hands were more delicate than she had imagined; they were already injured like this after just one fight with Du Chenyan.

Whether I travel at night is my business, but as for the fact that I know martial arts, I must never let a third person know that.

"I understand."

Huang Ningmeng meant it literally, but Du Chenyan thought about it much more deeply.

Jiang Sheng likes women who look like ladies from well-to-do families, but Huang Ningmeng probably doesn't want him to know that.

Du Chenyan couldn't help but feel envious.

"I punched you a few times, but my anger has subsided. Let's leave it at that and I won't pursue it any further. It's late, I'll head back now. Goodbye."

After speaking, Huang Ningmeng leaped up, lightly touched the ground a few times, and returned to the courtyard where she was temporarily staying at the Huang family.

Du Chenyan watched her retreating figure with reluctance, but did not say anything to stop her.

But the thought that the person she liked was Jiang Sheng made him feel empty and sad.

...

Huang Ningmeng returned to her room, untied the black veil wrapped around her body, and disposed of it.

Starting tonight, this black veil will serve no purpose for her anymore.

Huang Ningmeng took out her medicine box and sat down at the table.

She examined her hands under the candlelight and, as she had suspected, found several areas where the skin was broken and bruised.

"I overestimated myself."

"After all, this body of yours belongs to a lady from a respectable family. She has never lifted a finger since childhood, so even if her physique is improved, there is no guarantee that she won't get injured easily," the ring said.

"I know." Huang Ningmeng opened the medicine box, skillfully disinfected with alcohol, applied medicine, and wrapped it with gauze.

Suddenly, a strange sound came from outside. It was very short, lasting only a moment, but it was definitely a human voice.

"Xiao Jie, find out what's going on?"

"good."

The ring used its abilities to quickly find out the truth, but the result was...

"Master, we've found it. It's from the west wing..."

Sensing something unusual in the ring's sound, Huang Ningmeng raised an eyebrow slightly. "What happened?"

“Hongyan and Jiang Sheng, those two… just finished… doing what is expected on their wedding night,” the ring said.

Huang Ningmeng's eyebrows twitched; this matter was definitely related to her.

“Master, you’ve caused trouble. It’s your sleeping powder, combined with the aphrodisiac that Red Smoke put in, that caused this to happen,” the ring said.

"How...how was I supposed to know this would happen?" Huang Ningmeng frowned.

The sleeping powder she released only lasted for an hour; after that hour, Jiang Sheng would regain consciousness. And that hour had long since passed.

"Hongyan's methods are quite impressive. But Master, why did she drug Jiang Sheng?" The ring was puzzled.

Huang Ningmeng's expression darkened slightly. "She wasn't trying to drug Jiang Sheng, she was trying to drug Du Chenyan. She just got the room wrong and didn't know their rooms had been switched."

"How insidious!" Even the ring felt horrified. "To get someone, she actually resorted to this method, selling her body."

Huang Ningmeng packed up her medicine kit, frowned, walked to the window, and looked at the courtyard wall. "The Red Smoke Society has resorted to such a desperate measure. So, what was the original plot going to do..."

"Master, do you suspect that Hongyan drugged Du Chenyan? They had their wedding night first, and Du Chenyan proposed to her so early out of a sense of responsibility?" the ring said.

“I do doubt that possibility. Ji Rufeng isn’t that kind of person,” Huang Ningmeng said.

"Master, perhaps you are wrong."

"Huh?" Huang Ningmeng asked, puzzled.

"If you hadn't come here, Du Chenyan wouldn't be Ji Rufeng at all. Now that you're here, Du Chenyan is Ji Rufeng," the ring said.

"What's the meaning?"

The ring spoke with a hint of speculation: "Ji Rufeng is either sleeping inside Du Chenyan's body or wandering in this world. Only when we arrive will he truly be in harmony with that body."

"Xiao Jie, did you discover something to make that guess?" Huang Ningmeng asked.

“I have a strange feeling, and I’ve looked into Du Chenyan. Du Chenyan is indeed very good, but it seems like he was just following the script before, his soul was incomplete. Now it’s different, his mind is more active, it’s like his soul has been completed.”

Huang Ningmeng looked outside, her face calm, but her heart was racing. "So, Ru Feng is actually the same as me?"

The ring nodded. "Perhaps."

What it didn't tell her was that it felt more like Ji Rufeng had been following it all along.

But it also follows its owner. Their relationship is much closer than its relationship with its owner. Before, it might have followed it, but now it can say without hesitation that it came for its owner.

Who can blame them when their souls are already intertwined?

This kind of thing doesn't come easily.

"Xiao Jie, thank you."

"No need to thank me. Master, would you like to go take a look?" the ring suggested, sounding somewhat eager.

"Look at you, the curtain has fallen, I'm going to sleep." Huang Ningmeng removed the black veil and lay down on the bed. After today, she wouldn't need to wear the black veil anymore.

...

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

Hongyan, who was sleeping in the east wing, woke up with a soft moan. Her face was still flushed. She leaned her face against the man's chest, laughed, and a triumphant glint flashed in her eyes.

She looked up to see the face of the person she longed for.

Suddenly, she froze.

The face of the person sleeping soundly was Jiang Sheng's.

What's going on? Isn't this Young Master Du's room? How come Jiang Sheng is here?

Hongyan's tears fell.

Her innocence was ruined, ruined by this man!

She was unwilling to accept it, unwilling to accept it!

Jiang Sheng felt an itch in his chest, opened his eyes, and woke up, his mind still a little foggy. The moment he looked down and saw Hong Yan's face, he immediately became alert.

He reflexively pushed the red smoke aside and moved back a bit. "You, you, you, how did you get here?"

Hongyan bit her red lips, tears continuing to fall. She couldn't let the secret slip, she couldn't let Jiang Sheng tell anyone about it.

“Last night, I sneaked out for some fresh air. I thought it would be quieter here, so I came here. Then I saw that the door was open. I was curious, so I came in to take a look. Who knew you would suddenly… just… pull me up here.”

"I... I don't remember anything? No, I seem to remember a little..." Jiang Sheng had a wet dream last night, in which he dreamt that he and Miss Huang were making love. He felt that the sensation was intoxicating and real, but he never expected it to be real!

Red smoke continued to weep silently.

"Knock knock knock—"

A knock came at the door.