"Sister-in-law, I'll head back first. You should also rest early."
It was indeed late. She hadn't seen her mother since returning to the manor, and Ling Wan didn't try to persuade her further. Ling Wan left directly.
Feng Jin removed the heavy jewelry from her head and played with her two children for a while before coaxing them to sleep. By the time she was almost dozing off, she still hadn't seen Ling Mohan return.
Drowsily, she stood up, draped an outer robe over herself, and was about to go out when she bumped into Ling Mohan, who had just returned.
"Why are you back so late?" Feng Jin's first words to the man were a direct question. It was already deep into the night, and he had spent such a long time in the study. He was truly taking his time.
"There were some official documents to review, which delayed me. Weren't you just back too?"
The man's words made Feng Jin's heart tighten slightly. She glanced at him with a slightly embarrassed gaze and, steeling herself, gave a rather guilty explanation, "I returned much earlier. Didn't Ling Wan tell you?"
"The servant at the door reported not seeing you return with Ling Wan. Shall I invite the coachman to inquire further?"
Since it had come to this, Feng Jin no longer pretended. She laid her cards on the table, "Since you know, why didn't you say so earlier? You just wanted to watch me keep up the pretense. You did it on purpose."
Ling Mohan was already accustomed to Feng Jin's tendency to bite back and shift blame. "Tell me, where did you go?"
"To Prince Jing's manor, to save lives."
"Chu Chenyi is close to death, and you went to save him?"
"Not close to death, but nearly infertile. The meaning is more or less the same."
Feng Jin explained it as she understood it, implying that she had gone to treat Chu Chenyi for infertility, and if it couldn't be cured, he would indeed be unable to have descendants.
This statement instantly captured the man's attention. Ling Mohan's gaze fell on Feng Jin, and he asked with confusion, "Why infertile? What do you mean?"
"Actually, it's..." Feng Jin thought for a moment. It shouldn't matter if she told Ling Mohan about these things. She could let Ling Mohan mock Chu Chenyi thoroughly and see if he dared to be so arrogant again.
"Haha... haha..."
After listening to Feng Jin's explanation, Ling Mohan couldn't help but burst into uproarious laughter. He simply couldn't believe that Chu Chenyi had such a hidden ailment. He would have to extort a hefty sum from Chu Chenyi for his silence.
"Keep your voice down, don't scare the little ones!"
After finally coaxing them to sleep, it would be a real trouble if Ling Mohan woke them up.
Ling Mohan forcibly suppressed his laughter. Feng Jin's news was too explosive. He really wanted to see Chu Chenyi's flustered expression; it would surely be very amusing.
"Look at your gloating expression. I instantly regret telling you this."
Just by looking at Ling Mohan's expression, she knew his intentions. He was definitely planning to use this to mock Chu Chenyi.
Feng Jin instantly regretted telling Ling Mohan. Now, she could only silently pray for Chu Chenyi, hoping he would be mocked less severely.
"It's too late to regret it now. I already know."
The smile on Ling Mohan's lips had not yet faded. He truly couldn't imagine that Chu Chenyi would have such a problem. This was indeed the most explosive news he had heard in a long time.
He figured Chu Chenyi wouldn't want this matter to spread, so he should make good use of this leverage.
Feng Jin looked at Ling Mohan's schadenfreude expression speechlessly and helplessly asked the doubt in her heart, "Are you really in cahoots with Chu Chenyi? Why do you look so..."
She simply couldn't find any adjective to describe Ling Mohan's expression at that moment. Anyone who didn't know the inside story would surely think they had a deep-seated hatred for each other, judging by his demeanor.
"This doesn't mean I can't mock him," Ling Mohan said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The losses he had suffered at Chu Chenyi's hands could finally be repaid with interest.
Instantly, his mood improved to the extreme. He even reminded Feng Jin, "If there are such things in the future, don't forget to tell me promptly."
Feng Jin rolled her eyes, silently grumbling that if there were such things in the future, she would never tell him again.
Now, she could only hope that Chu Chenyi knew the leak came from her and wouldn't come charging at her with a sword.
And Lin Yuwei... she was truly sorry to her this time, and she hoped this wouldn't involve her.
After a silent prayer, Feng Jin immediately turned her gaze to Ling Mohan beside her. "If you sell me out, I'll make sure you can never be a man for the rest of your life, rendering you completely infertile."
Feng Jin's fierce threat had no effect on the man. Ling Mohan laughed instead of getting angry. He pulled the furious woman into his arms and, leaning down to her ear, said in an extremely ambiguous tone, "If I were incapable, wouldn't that be an injustice to my dear wife, forcing her to remain a widow? For your future happiness, my wife, it's best not to murder your husband."
"You scoundrel..." Feng Jin's face immediately fell, and she struck the man hard.
As Ling Mohan dodged, he firmly held Feng Jin in his embrace. Finally, he scooped her up and placed her on the bed. His tall body immediately pressed down.
"No... the children are still here!"
Fearing that something unspeakable might happen, Feng Jin quickly reminded Ling Mohan of the presence of their two children.
Suppressing his inner urges, the man calmed down and then got off Feng Jin. He glanced angrily at the two sleeping children, calling them little rascals who only knew how to ruin his good intentions.
"From now on, don't let them sleep here anymore." It left him with nowhere to sleep. His own bed was cold and hard, nowhere near as comfortable as this one.
Seeing his territory occupied by these two little ones, he felt wronged and just wanted to pick them up and throw them out.
Feng Jin glanced at the two sleeping children, her eyes filled with a gentle smile. "They insisted on sleeping here. I couldn't possibly turn them away, so I had to inconvenience you."
She pulled the man up, then lifted the quilt and lay down. "Tonight, you'll have to make do elsewhere. I'm going to sleep first."
The bed wasn't large, and it was already a tight squeeze for her and the children. If Ling Mohan were to join them, there would be no room at all. She had no choice but to reluctantly send him away.