Chapter 120

"Bastard! You're the one with no brains! Jerk jerk jerk!"

Upon learning the truth, Jin Lingzhi was furious, her cheeks and rear end both burning with pain.

That was from embarrassment.

She had never expected that guy, who looked so lecherous, to actually have so many tricks up his sleeve.

【Very good, Yuan Suiyun didn't beat me to it—this little chili pepper is mine now】

【But I just barely talked Feifei around; if I were to scheme after another girl right in front of her 307, that really wouldn't be appropriate】

【Feifei would be heartbroken】

【Just as I was thinking of setting Jin Lingzhi aside for the moment, Feifei actually took the initiative to suggest bringing Jin Lingzhi along to Mantuo Shanzhuang!】

【For something this good, there's simply no "refuse" option!】

【So I agreed on the spot, granting their deep sisterly affection】

【But come to think of it, why do I get the feeling Feifei can tell I'm scheming after Jin Lingzhi?】

【But if that's the case, why doesn't she get jealous and stop me, instead acting as if she's deliberately creating opportunities for me?】

Right! Why!

Jin Lingzhi wanted to know the answer to this question just as much.

In her original plan, she was supposed to meet Jiang Sishui and then leave; she had never intended to go to Mantuo Shanzhuang at all.

And Bai Feifei's move was completely outside the plan the two had agreed on beforehand—a series of maneuvers that left Jin Lingzhi completely dumbfounded.

Since Bai Feifei could see through Jiang Sishui's intentions, why would she still pull her along to Mantuo Shanzhuang? Wasn't that just adding a rival for herself?

Jin Lingzhi couldn't figure it out, so she asked again.

This time Bai Feifei didn't stay silent, but smiled faintly: "That's because when he held me and swore to me, I suddenly understood something."

"What?"

"Not to compete is the greatest competition."

"Not to compete is the greatest competition…"

Jin Lingzhi froze, chewed on it carefully, a flash of realization dawning in her eyes, and all her doubts were resolved at once.

She looked at Bai Feifei deeply, the corners of her lips curving up slightly with a hint of mockery: "You're quite the helpmeet for him, helping your own husband chase after other women."

Bai Feifei smiled slightly: "Since I can't stop him, why would I stir up more trouble? Isn't it a better choice to let him remember my goodness forever?"

Jin Lingzhi: "…"

Bai Feifei's such blunt answer actually left her at a loss for words.

But thinking carefully, although Bai Feifei's actions seemed baffling at first glance, each one actually had its own logic.

After all, she had an advantage no one else had—

Jiang Sishui's first woman!

This undoubtedly put her a step ahead of everyone.

It could be said that as long as she didn't commit some irredeemable, earth-shattering blunder later, her position in Jiang Sishui's heart would be unshakable.

"So to please him, you dragged me down with you?!"

At this thought, Jin Lingzhi's anger flared up, feeling as if she'd been stabbed in the back.

Bai Feifei turned her head to glance at the huffy Jin Lingzhi and laughed: "Isn't being with Jiang Dage good?"

Jin Lingzhi scoffed and replied without thinking: "What's so good about being with him? Good that I get to fight a bunch of women over his favor?"

Bai Feifei's gaze drifted into the distance, and she said softly: "Being with him means never worrying about trusting the wrong person, being abandoned, or being used."

"Being with him means no one will force you to do things you don't like, and no one will bully you."

"Being with him means you can stay forever young, and even have a chance at immortality, or even ascend to become an immortal."

"These are all the benefits of being with him—isn't that enough?"

Jin Lingzhi was left speechless.

After a long silence, she said: "Is this why you offered yourself to him back then?"

Bai Feifei nodded lightly: "When everyone else was hesitating and watching, I made my choice one step ahead, which is why I became the first one."

"All of this is about benefits."

"Yes."

"Then do you love him?"

"Which time are you asking about?"

"Before, and now."

"Before, I really did want to use him, but later I slowly discovered that when you keep putting on an act, eventually it becomes real."

"But he loves many women."

"What can I do about it? If I could, of course I'd want him to love only me. But clearly, I can't do that."

Jin Lingzhi fell silent again.

Bai Feifei suddenly laughed.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I think you can't escape the palm of his hand."

"You you you… you still have the nerve to say that! If it weren't for you… I'm furious!"

Jin Lingzhi was getting a bit frantic.

In fact, after learning the truth about "Bat Young Master" and hearing Bai Feifei's words, her resistance toward Jiang Sishui wasn't that strong anymore.

It's just that she was proud by nature, yielding to softness but not to force; the thought of being forcibly taken by the two of them together made her unable to contain her anger.

"Wanting to court this Miss won't be that easy! I'll go against you on purpose!"

Jin Lingzhi's rebellious streak flared up, and she decided to dig in her heels against Jiang Sishui.

She had no interest in learning Bai Feifei's ways — with her own fiery temper, she couldn't have pulled them off anyway.

She felt that would be far too much of a slight to herself!

【Forget it, why overthink it? If there's a benefit to be had, grab it first and talk later — everything else can wait.】

【So I didn't give Jin Lingzhi a chance to object — I just took her away on the spot.】

【The guards of Wan Shouyuan tried to give chase, but I used the "Water-Control Orb" to manipulate the Taihu waters and sent men and boat alike shooting dozens of zhang into the air. Their souls are probably still too scared to find their way back.】

"Water-Control Orb? So that's how it is — must be a new reward from the system."

Bai Feifei and Jin Lingzhi suddenly understood.

During the day, Huang Rong and the other four women had also seen that scene from afar, and they were equally shocked.

But there were too many people around at the time, and Jiang Sishui didn't explain, so none of them asked.

Only now did they learn the truth.

And as for this "Water-Control Orb" — as the name Gu Mingsiyi suggests, one can pretty much guess what it does.

【After introducing Feifei to Rong'er and the others, we finally arrived at the Shanzhuang.】

【The Shanzhuang was very beautiful — the people beautiful, the scenery beautiful.】

【But beneath that lovely outer garment lay heaps of bones.】

【All because the Shanzhuang's mistress, Li Qingluo, was a true snake-and-scorpion beauty.】

"A snake-and-scorpion beauty!"

Wang Yuyan started, never expecting Jiang Sishui would pass such a judgment on her own mother.

But right after that, she fell silent again.

Because she recalled Li Qingluo's past deeds, and dimly understood why Jiang Sishui had said so.

【In "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," when Li Qingluo was young she met Duan Zhengchun, and was conquered by that philandering prince.】

【At first Li Qingluo had no idea Duan Zhengchun was a married man — only after giving herself to him did she learn the truth.】

【Li Qingluo was furious, and ordered Duan Zhengchun to divorce his wife, then take her into the household in proper style.】

【But Duan Zhengchun didn't dare, and refused.】

【Because Duan Zhengchun's lawful wife, Dao Baifeng, was the daughter of a local Baiyi chieftain of the Dali Kingdom — their marriage was political, with far-reaching ties.】

【Seeing he wouldn't comply, Li Qingluo left in a rage, pregnant with her daughter Yuyan, and married into the Wang family, later becoming the mistress of the Shanzhuang.】

【Because of that heartbreak, Li Qingluo's character turned cruel and extreme.】

【She herself had once been the other woman in someone else's marriage, so from then on, whenever she caught a married man philandering outside, she would have the man kidnapped and give him two choices —】

【Either go kill yourself, or go home and kill your wedded wife, then formally court the outside woman with the six rites and take her into the household.】