Chapter 166

Chapter 166

After a series of crashes and bangs inside, the door opened to reveal a lovely face.

Just as I thought, Shengsheng Zhou mused. She smiled at Xiyuan Duanmu, whom she had not seen in ages. “Hello.” (Xiyuan Duanmu: appeared in Chapter 83; Zhiyu Jiang’s mother.)

Xiyuan stared blankly at Shengsheng and raised a hand to wipe nonexistent drool from the corner of her mouth.

“Beauty… No, fairy, may I ask your age, your name, and whether you’re betrothed?”

Fusheng Duan squeezed forward. “Xiyuan Duanmu.”

Xiyuan’s face instantly transformed with horror. “Noble Consort?!”

She had met Fusheng once before leaving the capital and had never expected to encounter him here.

Flustered, she ushered all three inside, served tea, poured water, and then ran to the doorway and shouted toward the room next door, “Eldest daughter, we have guests!”

The form of address made Shengsheng nervous.

As expected, the moment she heard that every inhabitant of Deep Mountain bore the surname Duanmu, she had formed a suspicion. When Weiqing Song mentioned thunder, she became completely certain.

Zhiyu Jiang had left the palace and gone to Xiyuan Duanmu.

Noticing the turmoil in Shengsheng’s emotions, Fusheng casually picked up a tangerine. He clumsily peeled it, then stuffed it into her hand.

At first, Shengsheng did not want to eat it. Yet after glancing at Fusheng’s eyes, she somehow broke off a segment and put it into her mouth.

The sourness shriveled her face like old tree bark.

Damn it. This was no tangerine. It was a damned biochemical weapon.

Fusheng silently took the tangerine back from her and looked away with a trace of guilt.

“I didn’t hear you just now. Who came, Mother?”

At the familiar voice, Shengsheng forgot to glare at Fusheng and turned toward the doorway.

A slender young woman stood framed by the light. She wore a simple, elegant dress in a pale color, with no hairpins or ornaments. Her hair was gathered at the sides with simple ribbons that fell to her chest.

Shengsheng’s gaze lingered on her hair for a moment. This was the same hairstyle Shengsheng had given her when they had gone shopping in matching dresses.

She had pestered Shengsheng to teach her afterward. Shengsheng eventually relented, but she could never do it properly. Had she already learned to tie it so beautifully?

Zhiyu’s gaze swept over Shengsheng, who was staring at her, and she started when she saw Weiqing and Fusheng.

“Your Highness the Noble Consort. Your Highness the Crown Prince.” She bowed.

What were these two doing here together?

Looking at Shengsheng, she asked, “And this young lady is…?”

Shengsheng rose and approached her, smiling naturally. “Greetings, Miss Jiang. My name is Mosheng Song.”

Song was the royal surname. Zhiyu immediately understood. “Your Highness the Princess.”

Looking at the familiar yet faintly unfamiliar Zhiyu, Shengsheng could not untangle the emotions in her heart.

She still remembered everything that had happened before, didn’t she?

Seeing that Shengsheng had met the person she came for, Fusheng briefly spoke to Weiqing and walked outside.

As he passed Shengsheng, he pressed something round into her hand and whispered, “This one is certain to be sweet.”

Shengsheng lowered her gaze. A round tangerine rested in her palm.

What did it matter? That was no longer the tangerine she wanted.

The exchange between them seemed to prick Zhiyu like a thorn. “What is the relationship between you two?”

Shengsheng did not understand her reaction, but she still answered gently, “We met only a few days ago.”

Only a few days ago… Some of Zhiyu’s anger faded.
*Don’t think being Noble Consort gives you the right to flirt with anyone you please. Shengsheng hasn’t even been gone that long!*

Seeing that the two of them had fallen silent, Weiqing Song smoothed things over by explaining their purpose to Xiyuan Duanmu and her daughter.

At his words, Zhiyu Jiang lowered her head in embarrassment.

So this was about the lightning.

That schemer Weiqing had truly found the right person. She had summoned the lightning.

Thinking of the oaths she had sworn, Zhiyu’s eyes dimmed.

Eighty-nine times, she had asked heaven to strike her with lightning if Shengsheng Zhou was truly dead.

And not one of those eighty-nine bolts had failed to fall.

That meant Shengsheng Zhou really was dead.

Seeing her like this, Shengsheng suddenly formed a suspicion.

Could the lightning have been because of her?

She could not help agonizing over whether she should tell Xiaoyu.

She was different now and could certainly keep a secret… The only question was what she thought of Shengsheng after recovering her memories.

Weiqing thought, *You ought to tell her. Everyone else knows now. One more person hardly matters.*

Zhiyu promised that nothing like this would happen again.

Seizing the opportunity, Weiqing asked, “I have long heard that every member of the Duanmu family possesses extraordinary abilities. When did you acquire such a remarkable gift, Miss Jiang?”

Shengsheng thought, *Didn’t you have the honor of witnessing her glory back then? Have you already forgotten the lightning strike? It seems my plan at the time wasn’t memorable enough. Was I really that unimpressive?*

The corner of Weiqing’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He thought, *Yes, yes, you’re amazing–the most amazing of all. Climb onto a stool and you’ll reach the moon.*

Hm… What was the moon?

At the mention of this, Zhiyu brightened a little. “Shengsheng taught me. Do you still remember her? Shengsheng and I spent some time together in the palace.”

Weiqing raised his brows in feigned surprise. “Oh? I scarcely remember. Do you mean that palace maid from back then? To think she possessed such an ability.”

Shengsheng lowered her head and rolled her eyes fiercely.

*Scarcely remember? Is one hour equal to a year in your system of time? It hasn’t been that long. Isn’t this the part where ‘Wanwan resembles my beloved’?*

Weiqing desperately wanted to ask why this child could not tell good from bad. He was helping her draw out information!

“Yes. She was wonderful. She took excellent care of people and had such a good temper. She never got angry at Beauty or me, and she taught me so many things…”

Zhiyu’s voice choked at the end, and she nearly burst into tears.

That aggrieved little face almost broke Shengsheng’s heart.

*I thought you’d be angry that I taught you so many ridiculous things while you’d lost your memory.*

She had to find a chance to tell Xiaoyu the truth.

Glancing at Shengsheng’s moved expression, that old schemer Weiqing suddenly felt the urge to stir up trouble.

“Come to think of it, Sheng’er still doesn’t know who Shengsheng Zhou is, does she?”

Shengsheng smiled. “Sheng’er truly does not.”

*I stand right before you. How much do I resemble the person I was before?*

“Shengsheng Zhou was once Noble Consort’s personal palace maid, and also… the woman Noble Consort loved.”

Weiqing thought, *Fusheng Duan, you had better give me half of Qing Kingdom’s treasure. I’m enduring heartache to help you here.*

Shengsheng opened her mouth wide and drew out an “Oh.” Then she changed the subject. “Where is Noble Consort?”

Weiqing glanced out the window. “Hm… He went to arrange betrothal gifts for his future wife.”

Zhiyu slammed the table. “What? Future! Wife? Where did she come from?”

Shengsheng: “…”

*Silly girl, even I haven’t gotten excited yet.*