The Stunning Mad Empress: The Useless Third Miss - Chapter 31

“Master, someone’s coming,” Little Pearl said, curling up inside Xiao Qingcheng’s sleeve upon hearing the knock on the door.

“Miss Xiao, I apologize for the intrusion. May I have a cup of tea?” came the voice before the person was seen.

Xiao Qingcheng opened the door of the main house to see Nan Gong Feng standing at the entrance with a radiant smile.

“My courtyard is so dilapidated; I don’t have any good tea to offer to the eldest young master of the Nan Gong family!” Xiao Qingcheng immediately issued a polite refusal.

Gong San, standing nearby, immediately frowned and said, “Miss Xiao, do you know that the wealthiest merchant in the Southern Kingdom would give anything to have an audience with our master?”

Nan Gong Feng raised his hand to stop him, “Gong San, go prepare our tea set. Bring the food from noon, and I will have tea with Miss Xiao on the stone bench in this courtyard.”

Gong San hesitated and said, “But master, your health…”

Nan Gong Feng shook his head, “It’s fine!”

With that, Nan Gong Feng slightly adjusted his cloak and gestured for Gong San to leave.

Xiao Qingcheng, observing the behavior of the master and servant, curled her lips into a cold smile, “Eldest Young Master Nan Gong, what brings you to seek me out privately? Just say it.”

Nan Gong Feng looked at Xiao Qingcheng, who was leaning against the door frame, and said with a smile, “Miss Xiao, the poison juice you left on the black box can be neutralized. Did you know?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, “Oh? With what?”

Nan Gong Feng raised an eyebrow in return, with a half-smile, “What? Not pretending to be foolish anymore?”

Xiao Qingcheng shrugged, “Who said I was foolish? Handsome brother, are you the one with the problem?”

Nan Gong Feng pursed his lips, “Alright, I shouldn’t have joked with you. Actually, I came here on purpose to ask where Miss Xiao learned her skills.

After all, on the Fengming Continent, it’s not easy to cultivate medical and poison arts. Besides the well-known Master Mo Yun, only my master, Gui Du, is the most formidable.

But as far as I know, Master Mo Yun doesn’t take on disciples easily.”

Xiao Qingcheng met Nan Gong Feng’s scrutinizing gaze and said indifferently, “I’m self-taught. Moreover, I don’t think my medical skills are that impressive. To be honest, they’re just the basics.

I can’t compare to the illustrious Eldest Young Master Nan Gong!”

Instead of being offended by Xiao Qingcheng’s sarcasm, Nan Gong Feng laughed, “Hehe, truly adorable. If I were to marry you in the future, life probably wouldn’t be too boring!”

“Whoa! This despicable man actually wants to marry you, Master! Let me go, I’m going to beat him up!”

Little Pearl , inside the sleeve, immediately became agitated upon hearing this.

To cover up the restless Little Pearl , Xiao Qingcheng walked to the stone bench in the courtyard and sat down.

“Eldest Young Master Nan Gong, your family’s threshold is too high. I, Xiao Qingcheng, dare not aspire to it!”

Nan Gong Feng, with a smile, followed and sat opposite Xiao Qingcheng.

Across the stone table, he looked at Xiao Qingcheng with a half-smile, “Miss Xiao, you absolutely can. You have noble blood and are exceptionally intelligent. Although you’re a bit ugly… I, as your young master, don’t mind.”

Xiao Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, propped her chin with one hand, and looked at Nan Gong Feng playfully, “You want me, but I don’t want you. You, Nan Gong Feng, are not even in my eyes!”

“Master is dominant! Master is mighty!”

Little Pearl in the sleeve chimed in.

“Miss Xiao, whether you believe it or not… you will eventually be my woman.”

Nan Gong Feng’s beautiful peach blossom eyes were filled with sparks, and slowly rising possessiveness.

Xiao Qingcheng ignored the partially unveiled Nan Gong Feng and said to herself, “I don’t care what you think. If I, Xiao Qingcheng, am not willing, no one has the ability to marry me!”

“Let me be frank. The matriarch won’t agree to you breaking off the engagement. The precondition for Nan Gongyu and Xiao Qingxue’s marriage is that you and I get engaged first.”

Nan Gong Feng, with his arms crossed and eyes narrowed, continued to scrutinize Xiao Qingcheng.

Xiao Qingcheng slightly frowned, feeling a surge of anger inside.

“I don’t want to get married, and they still want to force me?”

“Exactly! Master, beat him up!”

“Beating him up is out of the question, but poisoning him is doable!”

Regaining her composure, Xiao Qingcheng glanced at Gong San, who had just walked in through the courtyard gate.

“Ah! Is this Yulu tea?”

“No, this is the flower tea I brewed myself. Yulu tea is too nourishing and not suitable for drinking around noon. But this flower tea is quite tasty as well.”

Nan Gong Feng curled his lips, took the tea tray from Gong San’s hand, and personally poured two cups.

Xiao Qingcheng glanced at the emerald jade cups on the table and deliberately shook one, “Your teacups are quite nice. I know you have a cleanliness obsession. Does that mean any cup I use is mine?”

Nan Gong Feng gestured with his hand, “Don’t even mention a cup. Even if you want a lifetime, I can afford it!”

Xiao Qingcheng, indifferent to sweet talk, picked up the teacup and smiled sinisterly.

“Drink it quickly! Drink it quickly! I hope it doesn’t poison you!”

“Yay! Poison the despicable man!”

Little Pearl in the sleeve was cheering.

Nan Gong Feng glanced at the irregularly moving sleeve of Xiao Qingcheng, smiled slightly, and drained the tea in front of him.

“Hmm, this tea has a bit more flavor than usual.”

After a pause, Nan Gong Feng spoke, “The poison is well-applied. Colorless, tasteless, and not easy to neutralize!”

“How dare you poison my master?”

Gong San, standing nearby, made a move to draw his sword but was stopped by Nan Gong Feng, “It’s fine, you may step back.”

After Gong San reluctantly left, Nan Gong Feng continued, “Miss Xiao, what you’ve done only strengthens my determination to marry you.”

Xiao Qingcheng put away the playful look on her face and looked at Nan Gong Feng, who was confident in his poison skills, and coldly smiled:

“Everyone says the young master of the Nan Gong family is exceptionally talented. In my opinion, Eldest Young Master Nan Gong is the true dragon among men. I’m afraid, what you want, ordinary people really can’t afford!”

Nan Gong Feng raised an eyebrow, a glint of interest flashing in his eyes: “Miss Xiao is so smart, don’t you want to rise to prominence through marriage?”

“Maybe it’s marrying the wrong person, and then living a lonely life forever? I’ve never thought about relying on a man.

Nan Gong Feng, if you want to cooperate with me, I can consider it. But not the engagement!”

Nan Gong Feng put down his teacup and curiously pressed on: “Why not? I think I, Nan Gong Feng, am more than enough for you, Xiao Qingcheng!”

“My man has to be chosen by me. Forced, or delivered on a silver platter, no thanks!”

Xiao Qingcheng spoke with certainty,

Her bright, star-like eyes were even more radiant.

Qianxin, perched on a distant tree branch, quietly added: “Delivered on a silver platter… don’t want it?”

“Oh? Miss Xiao is truly interesting. But if you don’t marry me, I really can’t think of anything you have that’s worth trading or cooperating with me?”