Chapter 44: Meeting Li Qinghong Again

Jiang Rui stood frozen in place, her mind racing with a single question: Why was Li Qinghong here?

Wasn't he supposed to have returned to the capital in secret? Didn't he need to conceal his whereabouts?

With Li Qingxue calling Li Qinghong her brother right in front of Jiang Rui, the latter could no longer pretend to be ignorant of Li Qinghong's true identity as the Prince of Zhenbei, as she had originally planned.

"Woof! Woof!" The moment Baibai was let out, it excitedly barked at Yao Beibei, as if congratulating her on becoming even more beautiful.

As Mu Qinghan spoke, he cast occasional glances in Tian Tian's direction. Seeing that Madame Zhu was not carrying any bundles, he glanced briefly at the nearby Bachelor Jiang and noticed him carrying a shoulder pole, looking anxiously toward their side. Since he had his carrying poles ready, he must have packed everything necessary.

From the appearance of the four dark figures to their departure, mere seconds had elapsed. Yao Beibei and the other three, who had been following Fan Tuan the entire way, happened to witness the entire scene unfold before their eyes.

Although they were mere projections, both the ice dragon and the golden dragon looked indistinguishable from fully matured dragons. The moment they coiled and soared outward, their bodies instantly expanded, and an awe-inspiring dragon might rippled across the heavens and earth from the illusory forms.

"Nineteen years old." Bai Ziming was already accustomed to Yao Beibei's endless questions. However, he only answered on rare occasions and never spoke of his own accord.

The burning sensation on her hand grew increasingly severe, feeling as though it might scorch right through her skin, its arrogant posture leaving no room for refusal.

Therefore, the Empress still favored him to a certain extent, though this came with the prerequisite that he remain obedient. Tao Junlan was the apple of his eye—a fact known to everyone in the capital. Striking at Tao Junlan was precisely a test of his attitude.

First and foremost, it was necessary to train, divide, and streamline the troops. After conducting large-scale training and evaluations, soldiers were to be categorized into first, second, and third tiers based on combat effectiveness, putting an end to the old practice of treating everyone the same in one single pot.

"Go ahead. I believe in you; you can definitely handle this." Wang Haitao clenched his fist and flashed a brilliant smile to boost her morale.

Just as Wanyan Zhenyi, Yao Beibei, and the others clenched their fists, poised to take action, the sound of Ying Zilu cursing abruptly rang in their ears.

Yet human curiosity was often the most difficult thing to control. The more she treasured him, the more she wanted to know what was hidden inside.

"Hey, Brother Haitao, your Xiaoyue is over there. Why does she keep staring at our classmates? Even a rabbit doesn't eat the grass near its burrow," Ma Yu'er suddenly teased with a chuckle.

"Indeed. Her Imperial Noble Consort has looked upon this concubine with great favor over the years, and I have always been deeply grateful. Later, I even planned to go to the Fengluan Palace to thank you for your years of guidance to Qingrong," Zhang Lan said, exchanging a meaningful wink with Noble Consort Liu. She was determined to speak with Noble Consort Liu in private today.

"Could it be that the phoenix is destined to remain nothing more than a totem, living an ethereal and tasteless existence?" Ziyan was so immersed in her own narrative that she completely failed to notice the glaring loopholes in Jia Chao's question.

"Maybe a little later..." But looking at her gaze, it seemed somewhat different. Han Junzhe and the others were already waiting, and he didn't have time to overthink it.

In his past life, he had accepted all sorts of commissions at the base, many of which were entrusted by various political regimes. The pay was exorbitant, and the missions weren't particularly difficult. The crucial catch, however, was that once the deed was done, the clients would almost always turn hostile and deny everything, leaving him to face the enemies alone.

Fortunately, the traffic wasn't too congested, as they had managed to bypass the evening rush hour between five and six o'clock. A dozen minutes later, Wang Haitao pulled up directly at the south entrance of Hongqiao Airport.

Ye Shiqin's face flushed red as she leaned against the outer side. Sure enough, the looks some people gave her were far from friendly, clearly keeping their distance. In the depths of his heart, Wang Haitao understood that the incident with the diamond ring last time had apparently tainted people's perception of her.