Chapter 124
Chapter 124: Even Dogs Would Turn Away
[Don’t blame me for being a conspiracy theorist, but the feng shui master the emperor invited should at least be the top in the country, right?]
[I just can’t believe that a top-tier feng shui master would make such a mistake.]
[So, either the late emperor wanted to harm my father, or the feng shui master wanted to harm my father. In any case, one of the two definitely couldn’t bear to see him well.]
Although the late emperor had shown Yun Zheng kindness and recognition, the imperial heart was like a needle at the bottom of the sea—one could never be certain he had no other designs.
Yun Wan Ning bit her finger, pondering seriously. When she couldn’t figure it out, she quickly tossed the matter aside.
[Forget it. The late emperor has been dead for ages. Chasing this now is meaningless. Even if it was him, I can’t drag him out of his grave for a flogging.]
[For now, the priority is to think of a way to change my home’s layout.]
[Changing it is easy—the hard part is getting Father and Mother to willingly agree to the change.]
[Ah, that’s the real problem.]
[This house has been lived in for more than ten years. Who would be willing to remodel it just like that?]
[Besides, I can’t speak yet. Even if I could, who would believe the words of a baby?]
[What, am I supposed to use my spiritual power to control a random passerby, make them pretend to be some half-immortal, and have them come to the manor to read the feng shui?]
[If I really did that, Father would have them beaten and thrown out.]
[Father is loyal to the late emperor. How could he casually believe a wandering half-immortal’s words? Without even thinking, I know they’d treat him as a fraud.]
[Then… maybe dream weaving again?]
[But Father and Mother aren’t fools. Why would they believe a dream every time?]
[Last time I wove a dream, Mother had Eldest Brother go to the Fragrant Tea House to verify it. How would they verify it this time?]
[No, no, they definitely won’t believe it.]
The more Yun Wan Ning thought, the more discouraged she became. She considered several ideas, but none seemed right, so she rejected them all.
After a moment, she sighed with deep melancholy.
[Forget it. Let’s put this aside. I’ll think it over again later. Changing the feng shui isn’t something I can rush—it needs long-term planning.]
[As for now, since my spiritual power has just broken through, I might as well go out for a walk.]
At the thought of strolling through the streets, her eyes immediately lit up, and she completely cast aside the matter of feng shui. Heaven knew how long it had been since she’d gone out. Now, even if the sky fell, nothing would be more important than her street wandering.
She meant it!!!
With a thought, her spiritual power drifted out of the manor and immersed itself in the bustling mortal world.
Madam Yun: “…”
Wasn’t this child a little too flighty? One moment she was analyzing feng shui and how they might react to her tricks—Madam Yun had been listening with rapt attention—and the next moment she was off to wander the streets?
Looking at the little one lying on the couch with such an expressive face, Madam Yun couldn’t help but laugh and cry at once.
[Wow, there are so many households near my home. I must control myself and absolutely not let my spiritual power enter other people’s rooms.]
[A respectable and revered great figure must not pry into others’ secrets.]
Madam Yun: “…”
Hard to believe this nosy little one would suddenly resist snooping. But then she thought about how the baby already knew the inner-courtyard gossip of several ladies and found herself at a loss for words.
[Eh, is this a snack street? There are so many food stalls here.]
[Tanghulu, peach blossom noodles, sesame flatbread, fried rice, cold yuanzi dumplings, dragon’s beard candy, glutinous rice rolls with red bean paste, sugar figurines, soup dumplings, pea cake, braised lion’s head meatballs…]
[Ssshh, my mouth is watering again…]
[You wicked delicacies! How dare you tempt me! Just wait until I grow teeth—I’ll eat every last one of you.]
At the sight of the food, she began drooling uncontrollably.
Madam Yun: “…”
What was that? Did the child just say the food was tempting her? What kind of logic was that?
Leaning closer, Madam Yun saw the telltale shine at the corner of her lips and could only chuckle helplessly. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the little one’s mouth.
[Is Mother wiping my drool?]
[Oh no, I’m so weak-willed. How can I drool just from looking? What if Mother laughs at me?]
[Better play dead. Pretend I don’t know anything.]
[Also, I can’t keep wandering this snack street. If I stay, I might not resist using my spiritual power to steal all the delicious aromas from the whole street.]
[If I did, these snacks wouldn’t sell. Even if they sold, customers would complain, and the shopkeepers would be furious.]
Food stripped of its aroma had no taste at all—not in smell or flavor. Who would buy that? As for her, she could enjoy the scents without eating, something she could only do after her spiritual power reached the second stage.
But that would be as bad as eating without paying, and she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Madam Yun was startled—she had never heard of aromas being stolen from food before. Truly a first in her life.
Yun Wan Ning wandered with her spiritual power for a good half hour before her mother’s voice called her back for milk. She reluctantly returned.
When she got back, she saw that a small side table had been set by the beauty couch with several dishes and half a bowl of milk: fried fish slices, spicy duck tongue, meat rolls, and steamed cured meats. Her eyes went wide.
[What’s going on? Mother’s never put food by me before.]
[Ahhh, Mother, do you know what you’re doing?]
[This is like tying a sheep next to a tiger, or putting a meat bun in a dog’s mouth…]
[No, no, I’m not a dog. Forget that last one.]
[Mother, are you trying to tempt me? Street food I don’t dare touch, but our own food—if I take all the aroma, you can’t blame me.]
She stared at the dishes, swallowing hard, oblivious to her mother’s amused gaze.
Madam Yun nearly choked from holding back her laughter. These dishes had been prepared especially for the little one to “taste” in her own way.
“Why is Little Fourth staring at the food? Do you think it smells good? Too bad you haven’t grown teeth yet—you can’t eat them.”
[I can, Mother! Even if I can’t eat the food, I can eat the smell. But would you let me?]
“If Little Fourth could eat, you could help Mother finish them. The kitchen made them for me, but I’ve no appetite. Sigh, I suppose I’ll have to feed them to the dogs later.”
“Never mind that. Here, drink your milk.”
At the mention of feeding the dogs, Yun Wan Ning panicked.
[Feed what dog? Feed me, Mother!]
[Wait, did she say these were going to the dogs?]
[Perfect! Dogs can’t tattle. If I take all the aroma, no one will know! Hahaha!]
[As for you, dog, be grateful you have food at all. Don’t complain about the taste. Besides, who knows if your tongue can even appreciate it.]
She didn’t feel the slightest shame about stealing from a dog.
Madam Yun laughed again, finding her daughter’s lively, open, and unpretentious nature utterly charming.
Before drinking her milk, Yun Wan Ning sent her spiritual power to sweep away the aroma from all the dishes, savoring it with deep satisfaction.
[So fragrant! If only I could chew it, that would be even better. But I’m happy enough.]
[Alright, time for milk. And Mother, be quick to feed the dogs before anyone notices. Not that they’d think it was me—they’d probably assume it was a ghost.]
[Hmm… that’s not a good misunderstanding either.]
She recalled the time in the secret room when the black-clad men thought they’d encountered a haunting and sighed inwardly.
After her milk, she lay back on the couch while Madam Yun took the food to the dogs.
Halfway there, Madam Yun couldn’t resist tasting a duck tongue herself. The moment she chewed, her brow furrowed. It had no flavor at all—not even salt or meatiness. White paper might have been better. Fighting the urge to spit it out, she swallowed and continued toward the back courtyard, only to meet Yun Zheng along the way.
“Wife, what are you doing?” He frowned in puzzlement—since when did the Duchess of Ning personally carry plates?
Surprised to see him, she replied, “Feeding the dogs. Why are you here?”
“Checking the guards,” he said. After Little Fourth’s near-abduction, he had no intention of letting it happen again. Then, suspicious, he added, “Why are you feeding them yourself? Where are the maids?”
Madam Yun sighed. She’d been curious to confirm what food without aroma was like, and she couldn’t risk doing it in the room under the baby’s watchful gaze.
Leaning close, she whispered in his ear. He obligingly bent down and took the plate from her.
“Little Fourth’s spiritual power has advanced…”
She told him everything—about the breakthrough, the feng shui problem, and her deliberate cooperation in letting the child strip the food of its aroma.
Yun Zheng’s brows drew together. “Is that so?” It was unclear whether he meant the feng shui or the food incident.
“I understand. You’re far from the back courtyard now, so return home. I’ll feed the dogs.”
“Very well.” Satisfied with her experiment, she kissed him and left.
When she was gone, he glanced at the plate and, like her, sampled a duck tongue. His face remained calm, but inwardly waves crashed in his heart. Truly, strange things had multiplied since Little Fourth’s birth. To be able to take away a dish’s aroma—remarkable.
At the kennel, he divided the food among several large wolfhounds, but they only sniffed and turned away in disdain.
Yun Zheng: “…”
What was this? Even the dogs refused it? It was the first time he’d seen wolfhounds spurn meat. Tch!
All the while, Yun Wan Ning was oblivious. Since her breakthrough, her energy had greatly improved, and she no longer tired easily. Bored, she let her spiritual power wander freely again.
Su Qian Xue / Host: [System, my parents want me to marry Pei Yu. They’ve already sent someone to the Pei clan with the message. What do I do?]
Heavenly Dao System: [What do you mean, what do you do? This is your mission. Even if you face obstacles, you must handle them yourself. If I could solve it for you, what would I need you for?]
Su Qian Xue / Host: […]
As Yun Wan Ning enjoyed the manor’s night scenery, a dialogue box suddenly popped into her mind, messages appearing one by one.
She froze in shock—Su Qian Xue? Heavenly Dao System? What was going on?
Last time she had overheard them, Su Qian Xue had switched to text mode for secrecy, so now what she saw was the same dialogue box. But hadn’t she been blocked from seeing it?
Why could she suddenly see it again?