No woman can escape my grasp.
Li Fei thought this with great satisfaction — while simultaneously shooting a look of pure disdain at Grace, who had thrown her arms around her without a second thought. Li Fei said coldly:
"Let go."
"What kind of way is that to talk?"
The middle-aged woman who had been trying to take over management of the mine and the lumber yard — some distant relative of Yarman's, removed by countless generations — planted one hand on her hip and jabbed a finger at Li Fei. "Which class are you in? Is this how the Magic Academy teaches its students?"
Special-recruit students of the Magic Academy carried enough prestige that even a stranger visitor didn't dare say anything truly harsh to Li Fei's face — which meant Miss Courtesan had been robbed of the golden opportunity to "reveal her identity after being sneered at by a rich matron and deliver a satisfying public humiliation."
"I apologize. I lost my composure."
Li Fei resumed her model-student persona and offered a humble, gracious apology.
"A little friction between classmates is nothing to worry about."
A middle-aged man who had been one of Salim's business partners smoothed things over with a jovial laugh. "If I'm not mistaken… this must be the Angel of the Isolated Isle? What a pleasure, what a pleasure."
The dark-skinned, broad-shouldered man wore a warmly hospitable smile as he pressed a calling card into Li Fei's hands. "I run a transport operation. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you ever need anything."
"Ah, of course, the pleasure is mine…"
Li Fei handled the guest with polished, practiced courtesy, then turned and bowed three times before the coffin before walking out the door without another word.
Three… two…
The countdown in her head hadn't even finished before Poker-face came running after her, eyes rimmed red.
"Thank you."
Grace hesitated for a moment, then forced out those two words — thanking Li Fei for coming to pay her respects.
Oh, you sweet little idiot. I got your adoptive family of three killed, and you're standing here thanking me in front of their memorial hall? Aren't you afraid Lady Belikeli is going to claw her way out of that coffin and strangle you?
Li Fei gave a private snort of contempt, kept her face cold, and said:
"Thank you? Don't tell me — don't tell me you actually think I came here to see you?"
"Ridiculous. I could happily eat you alive."
"I'm here to notify you: get your affairs at home sorted out today. Tomorrow is the Academy's draw ceremony, and the Dean has arranged a duel between the two of us."
"Prepare yourself, Grace. I won't be showing any mercy."
— That morning, after making pointed, cutting remarks to the Dean's face and finding herself promptly outmaneuvered, Miss Special-Recruit had reacted with impressive speed — dropping to her knees on the spot, kneading the Dean's waist and hammering her back, pleading in the sweetest of tones, until Lady Nicole agreed to swap Li Fei's exhibition-match opponent from Irena to Grace.
Add in the 9,610 fortune points' worth of preparation, and Miss Special-Recruit was certain to put on a breathtaking performance tomorrow.
"But the Academy has messengers for that…"
As if compelled by some impulse she couldn't explain, Grace weakly called out Li Fei's obvious excuse for what it was.
The moment her real motive was "exposed," Li Fei instantly schooled her features into an expression of flustered indignation. "You—!"
She flushed slightly, then gave a sharp "Hmph" and glared. "Fine. I won't stoop to arguing with you. Let your sword do the talking tomorrow — you'll pay for what you've done, criminal."
"I'm done wasting words on you."
With a final dismissive wave, Li Fei mounted her broomstick and swept back up into the sky.
Grace stood there, staring blankly at the retreating figure, eyes shimmering with the shimmer of unshed tears.
She reached one hand out toward the direction Li Fei had gone. Her face — still streaked with the faint traces of tears — broke into a smile, the way a glacier cracks open or a mirror shatters: stunning in its sudden, fragile beauty.
"Thank you," Grace murmured, repeating the words she'd said before, this time in a tone that bordered on reverence.
And Li Fei, who had already vanished from Grace's sight, curved the corners of her mouth as well. She glanced back at the lumber yard below, then cast her gaze toward the mine not far beyond.
Yarman… you died at just the right time.
All of this — it's mine now.
Li Fei was already calculating how best to manage the lumber yard and the mine.
Sending fairies to haul timber and lay bricks would be too inefficient — and frankly, a bit of a waste of them. Half-beasts were far better suited to that kind of work.
Kenan with all that muscle, stuck at the Magic Academy as a sparring dummy — what a waste of talent. Hauling bricks suited him far better. And where Kenan went, Yusura was sure to follow. She'd been a chieftain for the better part of her life, after all — running a small operation should hardly be beneath her.
Li Fei squinted into the brilliant sunlight, her mood utterly buoyant.
"How are things progressing in Viranean?"
Kenneth sat at the center of the hall, asking the question in a tone of idle indifference.
"Everything is proceeding smoothly."
His trusted subordinate Annan replied with calm composure. "We've had men plant the flora favored by the sea-folk, and stocked the waters with the species of fish most popular among Thornshell Turtles. We've also hired three Sequence 6 beast-tamers to take turns playing the 'Ocean Flute'… it won't be long before the task is complete."
"Good."
Kenneth nodded. "Have the condolence gifts been sent to Miss Grace?"
"They have been delivered."
Annan nodded. "Her steward has also been bought. All the managers at the mine and lumber yard are our people now."
"Have them manage the properties properly and follow Miss Grace's orders."
Kenneth's expression grew slightly more serious. "Go yourself and warn off anyone eyeing the inheritance. Tell them to put their petty ambitions away."
A lumber yard and mine with steady output were prime assets for the Mettis family, whose fortunes had fallen considerably from their former glory.
But for now, Grace bore the mission of feeding him intelligence and, when the time was right, eliminating that bitch — so she had to be kept stable.
Once the deed was done, if Grace found herself facing retaliation and landed in trouble, the mine and lumber yard would naturally take the surname "Mett" — but if those women didn't care all that deeply for Li Fei and were too lazy to bother avenging her, leaving Grace unharmed… well, that was even better. Was there anything sweeter than having both wealth and beauty?
The thought of Grace's strikingly elegant face brought a curl to Kenneth's lips. He emphasized, "Keep a close eye on Grace's situation — if she runs into any problems, make sure they're handled properly."
"Understood."
"Oh — take her this as well."
Kenneth lifted a teacup that was practically a work of art — said to have originated in some royal house before being plundered from a dragon's lair and claimed as one of the dragon-slaying champions' trophies.
"Young master, that's your favorite teacup."
Annan naturally understood exactly what Kenneth was up to, and a rare knowing smile appeared on his face.
"Though I am devoted to Lady Nicole, Grace possesses not only exceptional looks but considerable potential of her own."
Kenneth smiled with easy confidence. "How do you bind a woman to you?"
"You capture her heart."
"A woman who has lost her loved ones and is adrift and alone — all it takes is just a little warmth, and she'll be moved enough to offer herself body and soul."
"And this… is my sincerity."
Annan, who had never witnessed truly masterful manipulation, accepted the teacup with both hands and bowed in genuine admiration. "Young master, you are brilliant."
Li Fei had absolutely no idea that Kenneth was being so nobly philanthropic on her behalf — not only drawing enemies to himself so she didn't have to, but going out of his way to manage her properties for her. A true paragon of repaying kindness with kindness.
At this moment, she stood somewhat nervously outside Su Ling'er's door, holding a cake.
Qin Zhihua was also staying here.
Although this trip had gone far faster than expected — leaving her an entire afternoon to study foreign languages — in order to avoid being run through like a pincushion by Zhihua's wild sword strikes, she had made the wise decision to come and see her beloved early.
"Good afternoon, Miss Li Fei."
Su Ling'er was carrying a basin of water and greeted Li Fei with a bright, energetic wave when she saw her.
After the coming-of-age ceremony, Su Ling'er had gone back to calling her "Miss Li Fei."
"Ling'er-jie."
Li Fei returned the greeting with a smile, then leaned in close and murmured into her ear. "How's Zhihua-jie's mood?"
Su Ling'er pointed toward the large tree in the courtyard. The trunk was covered in dense sword marks, and at the center, someone had carved Li Fei's face.
"Zhihua-jie keeps coming outside every now and then to practice her sword against that tree… She hasn't carved into your likeness, but still…"
Su Ling'er patted Li Fei on the shoulder, shook her head with a sigh, and gave her a look that said: you're on your own.
"I understand."
Li Fei took a few deep breaths, mustered the spirit of a warrior marching bravely to their doom, and walked toward Qin Zhihua's door.
Creak—
The door swung slowly open. Lady Zhihua was reading, and appeared not to notice Li Fei's arrival at all.
She had already realized that attempting to refine medicines in her current state of mind would be a waste of materials, so she had stopped working.
Li Fei sidled up to her guiltily and began kneading her shoulders.
"How's the pressure? Too hard?"
Li Fei asked in her most ingratiating tone.
"It's fine."
Qin Zhihua's voice was perfectly calm, without the faintest ripple of emotion.
But that itself was the problem. In the past, whenever Lady Zhihua spoke to her beloved, wasn't she always tender and gentle as spring water?
"Just finished making a cake — used Lucky Fountain water too. Give it a taste."
Li Fei kept massaging as she continued to curry favor. "I remember Zhihua-jie likes the cakes I make~"
— In truth, Li Fei's contribution to this cake's creation had been substantial: not only had she provided the Lucky Fountain water, she had also made the special trip home to bring it over while it was still warm. That had to count for at least 2% of the credit, didn't it?
Round up, and that was practically 100%. Saying she made it herself wasn't technically wrong at all.
"Mm."
Qin Zhihua set her book down and quietly enjoyed the massage.
Seeing this, Miss Courtesan said no more, and concentrated patiently on working the pressure points and muscles.
She was careful to avoid sensitive areas, and even when massaging her legs and feet, she took great pains not to let a single improper thought show — terrified of giving Lady Zhihua the impression that she was only after her body.
Whatever you do, don't believe that old line about winning a girlfriend back through physical intimacy. Try it at the wrong moment and you'll get a slap — of course, that tried-and-true fantasy of old-school wish-fulfillment web novels wasn't completely useless, but it depended entirely on the person and the timing.
Time dripped slowly by.
The blazing furnace in the sky sank westward, staining the distant mountains red.
"Aren't you tired?"
After several hours of massage, Lady Zhihua's heart finally softened enough that she couldn't help speaking, breaking the silence.
Having deliberately applied the Sensitivity Aura to herself, Li Fei — even with her Witch Constitution — had worked her soft little hands red over those long hours, a dull ache building in them.
But it was worth it. Just like drinking culture — making others perform acts of self-torment to prove their loyalty was a human instinct, and by the same token, the more you suffered, the easier it was to satisfy someone.
Li Fei knew: the moment Qin Zhihua opened her mouth with those words of concern, her anger had nearly run its course.
"Tired…"
Li Fei pitifully tucked herself against Qin Zhihua's arm, and her lips grazed lightly across her forehead.
Qin Zhihua's hand closed around Li Fei's throat. Her voice came out slightly hoarse.
"I really want to strangle you."
Li Fei cooperated fully — closing her eyes and going limp as though accepting her fate — while her hands moved gently over Qin Zhihua's shoulders and arms, conveying everything she felt.
"You absolute wretch."
Qin Zhihua stared at her for a long moment, then let out a slow, mournful sigh and produced a small vial of medicine to apply to Li Fei's hands.
She had long since made her peace with Li Fei's wandering heart. It was just that she had emerged from seclusion right after the coming-of-age ceremony only to find her beloved already off dallying with someone new — how could Qin Zhihua not be furious?
But Li Fei's conduct had been so impeccably penitent that Qin Zhihua's resolve quickly melted. She took Li Fei's hand, and memories began to flood her mind — scenes of standing side by side with her beloved through life and death in Viranean, a moonlit glance over a shoulder…
In the end, Qin Zhihua lowered her eyes and heaved a resigned sigh, as though accepting her lot.
This is just how it is, I suppose. It's not like I'm going to break up with her.
The transparent, oil-like liquid spread over Li Fei's skin and sent a cool, soothing sensation rippling through her hands. Li Fei turned her hand over and laced her fingers through Qin Zhihua's fair, elegant ones, smiling brilliantly.
"Zhihua-jie, I've moved into a new house… Want to live there together from now on?"
There was still a thread of unspent frustration coiled in her chest — but the moment those words reached her ears, an irrepressible rush of joy and sweetness flooded through Qin Zhihua's heart.
She turned her face away. "Who else is there?"
"Just me and the fairies."
Li Fei pressed her lips softly against the back of Qin Zhihua's delicate, snow-pale hand. "You're the first. And the one and only."
"Then… all right."
The line of Qin Zhihua's lips finally curved into a faint, gentle arc — and then that arc was covered by a brighter, more ardent one.
— The first one.
In the long-missed sweetness of that moment, Li Fei's heart blazed with inexplicable, magnificent ambition.
Where there's a first, there will be a second.
Someday, I'll fill every last room in that five-story villa.
At her writing desk, a graceful, literary-natured woman in a white nightgown felt inexplicably restless.
She set down her pen, walked to the windowsill, and pushed open the window — gazing out in the direction of the Magic Academy, waiting and watching.
But today, Lady Annie was destined not to see the person she longed for.
By the time the sky had gradually darkened, she came back to herself as if waking from a dream, closed the window, and sat alone in the empty, quiet room.
The scenes from yesterday — like rain breaking a long drought — drifted through her mind unbidden, dreamlike and unreal.
That warm, burning breath still seemed to fan against her ear; it made the composed, quietly elegant blond wife sit up straight, the toes encased in her flesh-toned stockings curling and shifting with unease.
At last, she could no longer sit still.
Lady Annie, her face flushed red, bit her lip and walked to the bedroom. She opened the wardrobe and stood staring blankly at the nightgown — the one both Li Fei and her wife had worn.
After a long, drawn-out internal struggle, she finally reached out with trembling fingertips and lifted it down. She pressed the nightgown against her face, as though its warmth and scent still lingered in the fabric.
When the nightgown was lowered, it revealed a pair of moist, dazed, water-blue eyes.
Though the house was entirely empty, Lady Annie glanced around guiltily, her gaze snagging for just a moment on the wedding portrait — then flinching away as if burned.
At last, to the rhythm of her own hammering heartbeat, the red-faced woman bowed her head, quietly pulled the bedroom door shut, clutched the pink-white nightgown, and walked toward the bed that — besides a family of three, once upon a time — had only ever held one other person.
Some time later, the bedroom door swung open.
A haggard, weakened Li Fei was helped out by a raven-haired beauty.
Bathed in the morning light streaming through the corridor window, Qin Zhihua glanced at her beloved's pale face, and wrapped her arm more tightly around Li Fei's shoulders — her expression a mixture of tenderness, self-reproach, and guilt.
Knowing it would come to this, I really should have held back a little…
"Good morning, miss — and young madam."
A flash of bright yellow skirt hem came into view, accompanied by a cheerful greeting.
Su Ling'er looked at the two of them — that perfect, picture-perfect pair — and hid a quietly inexplicable pang of loss and bitterness behind her lively, radiant smile.
She had moved in together with Qin Zhihua into Li Fei's new home, and her form of address for Li Fei had shifted once again.
"Morning, Ling'er-jie."
Li Fei, who these days was losing several jin of water weight every morning, offered a feeble greeting.
Miss Courtesan had intended last night to keep things "platonic" — to simply hold Lady Zhihua and sleep.
Somehow, one thing led to another, and she couldn't stop herself.
"Good morning, Ram."
Seated at the dining table, a parched Li Fei raised a large bowl with practiced ease and chugged down the soup in great, gulping swallows.
"Drink more slowly."
Qin Zhihua patted Li Fei on the back, waited until she was sure she hadn't choked, then thanked Ram and lifted her own small bowl of soup to her lips.
The moment the liquid touched her tongue, her well-trained pharmacological senses detected the flavor of serpent-woman scales in the broth.
Something dawning in her expression, Qin Zhihua couldn't help but shift her gaze to Ram's face.
The pink-haired fairy in her maid's white-stocking uniform fluttered her crystal-clear butterfly wings, watching Li Fei with a look of tender, focused devotion.
It was the kind of gaze that could only be described as deeply affectionate — the sort of single-minded longing that had no other name.
Could it be…
Qin Zhihua's heart gave a lurch. Her eyelashes trembled, and the smile on her face took on a faint, helpless tinge of bitterness.
"Zhihua-jie, is the soup not to your taste?"
Li Fei turned her head — still a little dazed, her pale, fragile face wearing a slightly dopey smile.
— Forget it.
As long as she lives well and in peace… let her do as she will.
Qin Zhihua gave her one long, deep look, then shook her head, picked up her bowl, and drained it in a single swallow.
____
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