[Ye Qixiao's favorability increased by 5, current favorability is 10.]

It's strange...

Qin Wan's honesty and admission did not decrease someone's favorability; on the contrary, it increased it.

Even though that cold smile still lingered on someone's face...

"What about Ji Wenruo?" Qi Xiao suddenly asked.

"...What do you want to know?" Qin Wan asked in return.

Does he know your true identity?

Qin Wan paused for a moment, then said hesitantly, "I was certain before that my elder brother did not know that I was a woman or a phoenix maiden."

"But this time... I'm not sure if my elder brother suddenly appeared in Sifang City."

“My elder brother has been frail since childhood, and Father has always secretly sent people to protect and keep an eye on him. Under normal circumstances, Four Directions City is a dangerous place, and Father would never allow my elder brother to come here. But my elder brother just happened to show up…”

Seeing the seriousness in Qin Wan's eyes, Qi Xiao couldn't help but frown. "Do you suspect that Ji Wenruo's appearance at the border is the work of someone with ulterior motives?"

Qin Wan glanced at him but did not refute him.

In that instant, in a flash, the image of the "new empress" in the palace flashed through Qi Xiao's mind.

It is said that this man was responsible for sending him to the border.

According to rumors circulating in the palace, she was able to ascend to the position of empress because of her status as a "phoenix maiden".

Thinking of this, Qi Xiao's eyes flickered slightly, and then, as if he had thought of something, his burning gaze locked onto Qin Wan.

Do you know Feng Yurou?

"I don't know him."

"You really don't know him?" Qi Xiao didn't believe it.

Even though Qin Wan's expression on her face and in her eyes looked incredibly sincere.

“I grew up by my father’s side and am not familiar with the powerful families in Shengjing.”

Before Qi Xiao could press further, Qin Wan spoke up, "You suspect I have connections with the Feng family?"

Qi Xiao did not deny it, "Ever since the prophecy 'He who obtains the Phoenix Maiden obtains the world' came out, all the countries have been keeping an eye on the Phoenix family."

"There is a reason why women from the Feng family have been the object of desire for men from all over the world for decades."

Upon hearing this, Qin Wan fell silent.

"What do you think our new empress did to deserve this position?" Qi Xiao sneered.

"Perhaps, who knows?" Qin Wan said calmly.

Qi Xiao glanced at her and couldn't help but ask, "I don't believe you never had any doubts."

Qin Wan glanced at him indifferently, remained silent for a moment, and surprisingly did not hide anything from him.

“I asked my father, but he didn’t tell me.”

Upon hearing this, Qi Xiao already knew the answer in his heart.

"Didn't you investigate this yourself in private?" Qi Xiao couldn't help but press further.

“I’ve investigated the Feng family.”

With just that simple sentence, Qi Xiao miraculously understood what Qin Wan was trying to express.

The Feng family...

A large family that has been passed down for thousands of years in the Great Xia Dynasty.

The Feng family's influence is extraordinary.

The Feng family has produced many empresses and empress dowagers, and is closely related to the royal bloodline of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Large families like the Feng family have intricate internal relationships and countless underhanded tactics.

If Qin Wan is indeed related to the Feng family, and is the prophesied Phoenix Maiden, and was adopted by the Prince of Huainan, then her identity must be a deeply hidden secret within the Feng family.

It certainly won't be easy for Qin Wan to investigate.

But based on what Qin Wan could investigate, she probably had no intention or expectation of the Feng family...

Thinking of this, Qi Xiao inexplicably felt a sense of "shared suffering" towards Qin Wan.

Neither of them seemed to be much luckier than the other.

However, compared to him, Qin Wan's childhood was at least happy.

Thinking of this, Qi Xiao glanced at Qin Wan again, "Tell me your story with Ji Wenruo."

"Me and my older brother?" Qin Wan was taken aback.

"My older brother and I have no history."

Qi Xiao glanced at her and said sarcastically, "What? Is this Ji Wenruo so good that you're protecting her like this?"

Qin Wan: "..."

“My elder brother and I grew up together in the Prince of Huainan’s mansion. My elder brother was frail and sickly, but he always doted on me.”

“Every time I got into trouble, it was my eldest brother who protected me and pleaded with our father for me…”

As she spoke, the cold and aloof expression on Qin Wan's face faded considerably, a rare occurrence.

When Qin Wan mentioned her and Ji Wenruo's childhood, Qi Xiao was surprised to see a gentle and tender look on her face.

Her relationship with Ji Wenruo was indeed unusual...

"You like Ji Wenruo?" Qi Xiao blurted out.

Upon hearing this, Qin Wan, who was recounting the past, suddenly paused.

Upon seeing this, a faint hint of annoyance flashed across Qi Xiao's eyes.

"What do you like about Ji Wenruo, that sickly guy?"

Seeing Qin Wan suddenly fall silent and her expression seem a little off, Qi Xiao couldn't help but frown.

"No, you're overthinking it," Qin Wan retorted.

"There is only brotherly affection between me and my older brother."

Upon hearing this, Qi Xiao couldn't help but sneer, "Brotherhood? Does anyone besides yourself believe in that?"

"What brotherly love! Why did you keep putting food on my plate during dinner? Why didn't you put food on Ji Wenruo's plate?"

"Your good older brother was watching you with such longing eyes back then."

"No matter what happened in the past, my brother and I will only ever be brothers in this life." Qin Wan raised her eyes and looked directly at Qi Xiao, her tone unusually firm.

After a brief eye contact, Qi Xiao smiled knowingly, "The Prince of Huainan is indeed a clever man."

Qin Wan stared at Qi Xiao with a slightly cold gaze.

“Ji Wenruo is destined not to live long. You were born with the destiny of a phoenix, and you are definitely not someone that Ji Wenruo can covet. The Prince of Huainan is well aware of this.”

"But he raised you and hoped to use you to protect Ji Wenruo, so he single-handedly cultivated you into the War God Qin Wan you are today."

“With you here, even if the King of Huainan is no longer here, Ji Wenruo can still smoothly inherit the title of King of Huainan and receive your protection.”

"If you're even luckier, you might be able to use your phoenix destiny to find a world-class physician to cure Ji Wenruo's congenital deficiency."

"A brilliant plan!"

"What a brilliant plan!"

Qi Xiao made these speculations, which were clearly hostile towards the Prince of Huainan. Strangely, Qin Wan neither stopped or interrupted him, nor did she refute him.

Taking in her silence and seeing her expressionless face, Qi Xiao subconsciously frowned slightly, a hint of annoyance flashing in his eyes.

"Are you really willing to accept this?" Qi Xiao couldn't help but ask.

“My life was saved by my father, and I was raised by him. He never harmed me; he only hoped that I could take good care of my elder brother.”

“Even if my father didn’t ask me repeatedly, this is still my duty,” Qin Wan said calmly.

"You like Ji Wenruo so much, are you really willing to accept this? Don't you want to be with him?" Qi Xiao didn't believe Qin Wan would be willing to accept this.

"Seventh Prince, life is full of disappointments."

"My elder brother and I are destined to be apart; forcing it will only hurt both of us."

"Rather than forcing it, I, like my father, would prefer my elder brother to be well," Qin Wan said with a selfless expression.

"Heh..." Qi Xiao sneered, "The Prince of Huainan has really trained you well."