flamboyant - Chapter 101
"You're an imposter!" The woman who called herself Feng Ning watched Long San and Feng Ning's interaction and conversation, her heart filled with rage. She didn't love Long San, but it wasn't her fault. If Long San had shown her even the slightest bit of affection he had shown this imposter back then, how could she have endured such loneliness and hardship in the Long family, how could she have been seduced and cheated on by Lan Hu? If Long San had shown her even a shred of tenderness, and hadn't abandoned her and left her to live a life of widowhood, how could she have ended up in this state?
"I'm not!" In front of Long San, Feng Ning was determined not to be inferior to this woman in the slightest. She hugged Long San tightly and refused to let go, saying loudly, "I didn't impersonate anyone. I was brought back from the river by the Long family. I have no memory, and my identity and situation were all told to me by the Long family. Even my husband acknowledges me." As Feng Ning spoke, she looked up at Long San and saw that he was neither angry nor rejecting her, which reassured her a little.
"Your husband?" The woman who called herself Feng Ning sneered, "Since you are not Feng Ning, then Third Master Long is naturally not your husband."
Feng Ning's heart trembled; this was exactly what she feared. She gritted her teeth and said firmly, "Even if my name isn't Feng Ning, Long San is still my husband. Just like if his name isn't Long Fei anymore, and he's not the Third Master of the Long family, he's still my husband."
Long San remained silent, unsure of what to say. He was even more terrified of everything being exposed than Feng Ning. He knew he should feign surprise, act completely unaware and bewildered, as if he were discovering for the first time that there were two identical Feng Nings in the world. But he couldn't pretend. Hearing Feng Ning's words, he couldn't utter a single word. Compared to her, how despicable and shameless he was! He actually felt ashamed.
"Don't be stubborn." The woman who called herself Feng Ning was silenced by Feng Ning's words, but she couldn't help but pour cold water on her: "If you're not called Feng Ning, how can you be the Third Madam of the Dragon Clan? You live under my identity, what's there to be proud of?"
“We are a loving couple with a harmonious family. Should we cry when things aren’t going well?” Feng Ning retorted while cautiously glancing at Long San, who was also looking at her with a stern face.
Feng Ning gritted her teeth, not daring to look again, and buried her face in his chest. Long San did not push her away, holding her silently. He looked up and met the gaze of the woman who called herself Feng Ning. Their eyes met, each with their own feelings.
After a long while, the woman who called herself Feng Ning seemed unable to resist and turned to leave, but Long San stopped her: "Blue Tiger is in my hands."
The woman turned around quickly, glared at Long San, and shouted, "Lying!"
Long San remained expressionless, only bowing his head to Feng Ning in his arms and saying, "Feng'er, let's go back."
Feng Ning looked up, glancing at Long San and then at the woman, hesitating. Shouldn't they have made everything clear before leaving? Wouldn't it be unpleasant to keep things bottled up like this?
Long San patted her head, gave her a look, took her hand, and turned to leave. The woman who called herself Feng Ning stared at Long San's actions. Seeing that he was really leaving with such confidence, she gritted her teeth, turned around abruptly, and ran away.
Feng Ning turned her head and looked around, then suddenly understood.
"Long San..." She had a thousand words in her heart, yet they were all tangled up like a ball of yarn, and she didn't know where to begin. She called his name, but then she couldn't continue.
Long San gripped her hand tightly, so tightly that Feng Ning felt a pain. Looking at Long San's profile, she gritted her teeth and said, "She told me a lot yesterday, but I dared not tell you. I was afraid that if you knew… if I really wasn't Feng Ning, I was afraid…"
She felt a sharp pain in her hand and turned to see Long San looking at her with a deep and complicated gaze: "Feng'er, I have something to tell you."
Feng Ning's heart was pounding, and he whispered, "Perhaps... perhaps we shouldn't say anything." Did he want to say that if she was indeed not Feng Ning, then her identity was indeed in trouble? Or did he want to say that if she wasn't Feng Ning, then he would still have to explain things to the Feng family, and once he did, he didn't know how to deal with her?
"I'm pregnant, Long San." She looked at him pleadingly. She was carrying his child. Could they discuss any trouble later?
Long San was taken aback. He looked down at her belly, placed his large hand on her lower abdomen, and after thinking for a long time, he finally said, "Feng'er, you are my wife."
Feng Ning looked into his eyes and heard him say again, "From the moment I picked you up at the city gate, only you will be my wife."
Feng Ning's tears welled up instantly.
Long San wiped away her tears with his fingers: "We're having a baby now. We can deal with any troubles later. You need to take good care of yourself, be happy, and don't let yourself get sick again."
Feng Ning nodded vigorously, clinging to Long San, unwilling to let go. Long San pulled her, "Let's go back first. Did you run out without eating anything? Did you take your medicine?"
Feng Ning shook her head, earning a glare from Long San. Feng Ning quickly feigned innocence, "I was so nervous just now, my legs are weak and I can't walk."
Long San glared at her again, and Feng Ning said, "I feel really hungry right now."
Long San silently turned around and squatted down in front of her. Feng Ning bit her lip and chuckled, then leaped onto his back and hugged his neck. Long San panicked and shouted, "You jumped? You actually jumped?"
"I forgot, I forgot, I'll definitely crawl next time." Feng Ning buried her head in his shoulder and begged for forgiveness.
Long San snorted, but still steadily carried her on his back and slowly walked towards their residence. After walking for a while, he whispered, "Once you've recovered, there are some things I'll tell you."
Does that mean you don't want me?
"Of course not."
Having received this answer, Feng Ning felt relieved, but Long San said, "You can't abandon me either."
"Of course not."
Long San stopped and thought for a moment, then swallowed his words and said only, "Just take your medicine and rest well for now. Eat whatever you want. Once you're better, we'll take care of this matter."
"Long San, if I really am not Feng Ning, what do you suggest we do?"
What do you want to do?
“Anyway, I’m still your wife. You said it yourself, I’m your only wife. So, even if I’m not Feng Ning, I’m still your wife, and you can’t go back on your word.” Feng Ning gritted her teeth: “That person who claims to be Feng Ning, the Feng family, the Long family, and whoever might appear, you’ll have to deal with them all. Anyway, I’m your wife.”
“Yes, you are my wife.” Long San assured him in a calm voice, “I will do whatever you say.”
The two chatted on and on about these nonsensical things. When Feng Ning returned to the courtyard, her mood finally calmed down during dinner. She began to feel that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She attributed it to the fact that she was pregnant and her mind wasn't working properly.
Long San watched Feng Ning drink the medicine until the guard came to report that they had succeeded. Feng Ning, now quick-witted, asked, "Did you capture Lan Hu?"
Long San nodded, told her to rest well, and said he was going to go and take a look.
Feng Ning sat alone for a long time, feeling sleepy again, when suddenly a thought struck her, and she finally remembered what was wrong. Then she remembered that Long San had used that woman who called herself Feng Ning to find Lan Hu, and now that Lan Hu had been captured, that woman might have come too. She stood up, thought it over and over, and then ran out of the house. She went around to the small courtyard next door and secretly forced her way in.
Sure enough, as soon as they entered, they heard the woman's voice yelling from inside the room: "Long San, you despicable scoundrel!"
Feng Ning crept over quietly and hid under the window to listen. The woman said, "You lied to me that you captured Lan Hu, but you sent people to follow me."
"Thank you for leading the way." Long San's voice was flat and emotionless. Feng Ning felt both relieved and nervous. She was happy that he was calm and composed in front of another woman, but she was also nervous that something unexpected might happen next.
The room was quiet for a while. Feng Ning could only hear the woman breathing heavily in anger. After a long while, the woman said in a hoarse voice, "What exactly do you want?"
“Blue Tiger has caused trouble for my Long family time and time again. He not only nearly killed me, but also broke into the Long mansion to steal treasures. Not to mention he tried to kill Feng’er several times. Tell me, now that I have captured him, what else can I do?”
The woman paused for a moment, as if considering, and then gritted her teeth and said, "Don't kill him. I will elope with him. I will help persuade my mother and the Feng family to stop making things difficult for the Long family."
"Feng Ning, what makes you think Lan Hu will go with you? What makes you think Madam Feng will be manipulated by you?"
Feng Ning, hiding outside the window, felt a pang of unease. Sure enough, he had called her "Feng Ning" on the street, but now that she was here, he called her "Feng'er."