"His Highness seems to be in a really good mood today." Zhang Yunlei remarked after finishing their meal.

"Oh, hmm?" Long Sangyu couldn't hide the grin on his face.

It was too easy to spot that something good happened.

Junwang briefly retold that he was now a proper subordinate of the King.

Concubine Zhang was confused. "Proper... subordinate?"

"Well, I've only operated on orders until now. Whether it was a short errand or a long term project, they would be named under the house of Wan Li, Wangye and Junwang." The Prince beamed. One could see that he was proud of the tasks he did. "But now, I am titled as one of the King's advisors and a member of her Highness' council."

Zhang Yunlei's twitched but he was able to hide it behind a smile mirroring the Prince's happiness.

"Then, shouldn't we celebrate tonight? I'll cook."

That was when Long Sangyu hesitated. "It's too early to celebrate."

The concubine tilted his head in an adorable way that Junwang couldn't help but ruffle his hair.

"Da jie still has to review the recommendation of the Council. In other words, she could still refuse if she wants to."

"Hmm? I'm sure Wangye will approve of the Prince. You're working hard." Zhang Yunlei patted his back in encouragement.

Concubine Zhang had always been warm like this. It was like Long Sangyu found an intimate padded jacket.

>Padded jacket in the winter is an idiom commonly used by parents for heartwarming daughters but LSY referred to ZYL because the latter made him feel loved and supported<

The prince regained his sunny smile. "I hope so."

He knew his sister's insanely high standards. He didn't know if the effort he was showing these days was enough.

As he was in a warm embrace, Junwang naturally wouldn't see the ugly expression Zhang Yunlei sported.

Pat. Pat. Pat.

Every caress was a wish, a prayer... for the King to disappear so Long Sangyu would finally realize his own brilliance. And not be like a scared cat whenever he mentioned his sister.

---

"Why are you back here?" Feng Yanyan went to Zhongqing as usual but found out that Wangye was in the study instead of resting in her room.

The worst part about this was she was already working even though she was still on leave.

Madam Lian was the one who told him that her Highness had taken an official leave from work for three days.

This was only the third day.

"Ben dian sees your mouth is getting bolder each day." Long Xu Le said without even looking at him.

Feng Yanyan gave a fawning smile. "That wasn't Feng's intention at all, Wangye. What Feng meant was your Highness is still sick and should still be in bed."

"Start grinding ink."

"Ugh," he had never seen this kind of workaholic before.

But one glance from her got him running to the side and doing as told.

It was a quiet morning until a knock on the door came.

Xiao Bao's voice was heard from the outside.

"What is it?" The King asked.

"Master, a visitor came..."

Long Xu Le suddenly had a distinct feeling that this happened before but shook it off.

Before Xiao Bao even finished what he was saying, the doors were forced open.

Feng Yanyan didn't know what happened and why a man came barging in.

In the middle of summer, the man was wearing bear fur as a belt with the head dangling over his shoulder.

It was so over the top that our Beauty Feng was wondering if the man would suddenly die of heatstroke right here.

The man was huge and hulking with a bald head covered in tattoos. His ferocious eyes swept the room and landed on the calm King behind the desk.

"Oh-ho..." That was the only thing that left his mouth.

Feng Yanyan was puzzled why nobody was drawing swords and starting to kill each other. Wasn't that always the case when a stranger entered the King's house all of a sudden. What's with the incompetence of Wan Li Wang's shadow guards?

Unbeknownst to him, the bald man was feeling countless swords directed at him from all sorts of hidden places.

It was just that Wan Li Wang leaned back even further to her cushioned seat. "Mo Chou... one certainly doesn't know how to make a proper visit."

>莫 愁 - Mò - do not; there is none who; chóu - to worry about<

There was a cold edge to her tone.

"It's a coincidence that Mo Chou also thinks of the King the same."

Feng Yanyan saw Long Xu Le laugh. But it was a hollow single "ha!" that was oozing with dark sarcasm.

He didn't know that her Highness was only remembering how she ransacked several important warehouses of San He Hui. This was probably the only time this buddha could pay her a visit after trying to salvage whatever was salvageable there.

>三合會 - sān hé huì - Triad, crime gang, anti-government secret society during the Qing dynasty. In this novel, they are the mafia of Dalong. Mo Chou is part of one of the Triad groups<

She was really annoyed by the troubles the Triad had been making after knowing that she got a hold of Pei Bohai. So to stop their fussing, she decided to give them a lesson.

They probably didn't expect that the King would lash out that way when it was her who was seeking them out to strike a deal.

Wan Li Wang could only say that she wasn't the most tolerant person out there.

"Well, don't we have something to discuss?" Mo Chou cocked his head sideways.

Long Xu Le raised her hand. "Go."

The palpable tension vanished immediately. What Feng Yanyan only saw was Xiao Bao bowing and leaving but the hidden guards also ebbed their weapons away.

The innocent mei ren, seeing that there was no harm, rinsed his hands in the basin nearby and was about to leave too.

"Then let's start the negotiation. Mo Chou wants that man."

Feng Yanyan jumped in fright when the fat finger pointed at him. It wasn't that the man was obese, it was just that his body was so muscly that even his fingers looked like they're jam packed with muscles.

He backtracked and stood behind the King.

Like a monarch that was deeply amused, Long Xu Le propped her chin on her hand.

"Oh." Surprisingly, there were no traces of her being sick these past few days.

It was summer but there was a burst of cool wind from the windows and swept Feng Yanyan's hair. Today, he didn't wear it up as he expected to just serve Wangye in the confines of her quarters.

This was normally seen as improper in front of guests but this man barged in here so he couldn't do anything about that.

The beauty was baffled but he already judged the situation the moment he saw King Wan Li revert to her business face earlier.

His name as the top mei ren was not for show. With a lofty gaze and an eminent posture, he looked down at the man as though he was filth.

This expression seemed to say "Dream on!"

"Ben dian doesn't like sharing my plaything." A vicious smirk made the King's lips curve.

And the malice was something Feng Yanyan could even hear from behind her.

He wanted to complain to the police. He did his best to act the part as Tanglin Great Palace's Number One Mei Ren and Wan Li Wang referred to him as plaything.

What a bummer.

The man, Mo Chou, laughed his belly out after hearing that.

Was the man really a plaything?

Barefoot and fearless in front of the brutal King, look at him acting like he owned the house. Mo Chou could only spot a spoiled lover.

Mo Chou decided to change his teasing tactic.

"Some bird told us that the honorable King was sick. Looks like that's only hearsay."

With a wooden stare, Wangye replied without missing a beat. "Ben dian is very sick indeed. Ben dian even felt these were my last days. Too bad, ben dian lived through it."

Mo Chou chuckled. No wonder this King was infamous, her sense of humor was tilted. The bald man didn't buy the narrative that her Highness was sick at all.

It was something Long Xu Le wanted. The deal she wanted to initiate wouldn't proceed if this man of the Triad saw any weakness.

Even though her back was perspiring, she had to act the part of an omnipotent King. Immense pressure emanated from Long Xu Le and the target was none other than the stranger in the room.

Mo Chou's eyelid was twitching. Although he seemed unperturbed, he now understood what the people meant when they referred to Wan Li Wang as a demon god.

The more he stayed in this room, the heavier he felt from the oppression from the woman.

She was akin to a big boulder that he couldn't push. It was an aura that killers like him recognized. He had always been proud of this sixth sense that he had.

There were others out there who were mass murderers. But Wan Li Wang seemed to outpower them.

Just how many people...

A silent terror in his heart sprouted and when the King gave him a vacant smile, the hairs on his arms and neck stood.

That was it. Mo Chou decided he couldn't hold a candle in front of her.

An embarrassing fact but one he had to acknowledge.

"Our boss will give the final decision. Does the King have any words for him?"

For the first time, the bald man lowered his gaze.

He couldn't see the triumphant gleam in Long Xu Le's eyes.

"Give ben dian his precious daughter and your group will have a little more freedom in Suliang now and then Dalong next." 

---

Heeheehaha What will she do with the daughter?

How was your Valentine's everyone?