Both Lang Huan and Feng Yao were startled when they heard a loud shout. Instinctively, they hugged each other, trying to cover their naked bodies.
Feng Xiyan ran off in a panic, her face burning with embarrassment after getting caught peeking.
"Feng Xiyan!" Lang Huan shouted, her voice filled with anger and shame. She was furious—not just because someone had seen them in such an intimate moment, but also because her biggest secret might be exposed. For ten years, she had hidden the truth that she was a woman.
She turned to Feng Yao, panic in her eyes.
But the eldest princess stayed calm, as if none of it mattered. She looked at Lang Huan and said casually, "If it gets exposed, I'll just help you reclaim your identity as a woman."
"No!" Lang Huan said firmly, shaking her head. "My father doesn't even know I'm a woman." She let out a deep sigh, the weight of her secret pressing down on her.
Feng Yao frowned slightly, confused. How could the Duke of Huguo not know his own child was a girl? Maybe it had something to do with Lang Huan's mother, who had been a spy from the Yan Kingdom. Perhaps the woman had hidden Lang Huan's true identity for a reason. Until now, Feng Yao had always believed it was the duke who had forced Lang Huan to live as a man.
Lang Huan leaned in closer, her face only inches from Feng Yao's. Her voice softened as she spoke.
"If I go back to being a woman," she said, "with my look, there will be so many men lining up at the Duke's door, all wanting to marry me. But if I stay like this—as a man—I can still marry you… and be your husband."
Hearing that, the eldest princess paused. What Lang Huan said actually made sense. But deep inside, she felt a wave of disgust. Just the thought of those filthy men trying to take Lang Huan away from her made her sick.
"Then… just kill her," Feng Yao said coldly.
Lang Huan frowned and shook her head. "No... How could you just kill your own sister like that?"
Instead of arguing more, she gently picked Feng Yao up in her arms and carried her to the hot spring, wanting to help wash her body.
Feng Yao chuckled and whispered, "Aren't you worried about your secret being exposed? Sooner or later, I'll kill them all."
Lang Huan looked at her with confusion. "I thought you only wanted the throne. Why kill all your siblings?"
The eldest princess gave a cold laugh, then leaned in close to Lang Huan's ear and whispered, "It's not just the throne. I want to wipe out the entire royal bloodline. My father won't have a single heir left… except for me. The daughter he hates the most. The one he wishes he could kill."
Lang Huan was stunned. She didn't know what to say.
She thought the princess and princes in this family were truly twisted. Feng Tianhao only cared about indulging in sex. Feng Tianwei was greedy for wealth. Feng Xiyan, the youngest, had a habit of voyeurism. And when she turned her head to look at Feng Yao, her beloved woman… she realized Feng Yao killed people so casually, like it was no big deal.
Lang Huan shook her head and quickly put on her clothes. Her mind raced, thinking about how to deal with Feng Xiyan so she wouldn't reveal the truth about her.
Just as she was about to leave, Feng Yao scolded her sharply. "Where are you going? Help me get dressed."
Feng Yao glanced down at her own body. The kiss marks on her chest were too obvious. There was no way she could ask A Li for help with this.
Lang Huan sighed. "Oh… okay." She quickly grabbed the clean clothes A Li had prepared earlier and helped Feng Yao dress.
When she was done, Lang Huan walked back to the campfire. Everyone else was already asleep. She quietly sat down next to Xiao Bai, who was curled up beside the warm fire.
Not long after, the eldest princess returned with Qiu Yue and A Li. They walked over to where Lang Huan was sitting.
Qiu Yue looked at her with a confused expression. "Young Master, why are your clothes wet? Did it rain?"
Lang Huan's face turned red with embarrassment. She laughed awkwardly and didn't answer.
Then A Li noticed the way the princess was looking at Lang Huan—as if she wanted to speak to her alone. A Li gently pulled on Qiu Yue's arm and said, "Come on, let's go over there," giving them space to talk.
Once they were alone, Feng Yao spoke coldly, "Why haven't you changed your clothes?" She tossed a clean set of clothes at Lang Huan.
Lang Huan, still weighed down by her own worries, somehow managed a small joke. With a sly smile, she replied, "Because I love your scent… it's still on my robe."
Hearing those words, Feng Yao was suddenly reminded of the passionate moment they had just shared. Her cheeks grew warm, and she quickly reached out and pinched Lang Huan's cheek, flustered.
Before she could say anything else, the eighth princess appeared.
Feng Xiyan walked over and sat a few meters away, pretending as if nothing unusual had happened.
But Feng Yao noticed something strange. Her younger sister kept looking at Lang Huan—not just with curiosity, but with a certain admiration. Even though she now knew Lang Huan was a woman, her gaze hadn't changed.
Feng Yao's instincts as a woman whispered the truth to her: Feng Xiyan liked Lang Huan. She suddenly sat on Lang Huan's lap. Her hand gently held Lang Huan's face, and she kissed her. But the whole time, her eyes stayed fixed on Feng Xiyan, carefully watching her reaction.
Lang Huan was confused at first. But when she met Feng Yao's gaze, she finally understood what the eldest princess was doing.
She frowned and leaned in slightly. "What are you trying to do?" she asked in a low voice.
Feng Yao didn't answer. Instead, she turned her eyes back toward Feng Xiyan, who was now standing and slowly walking toward them.
The eldest princess gently patted Lang Huan's shoulder with a doting smile. "Change your clothes. You'll catch a cold."
Lang Huan hesitated for a moment, her eyes meeting the eighth princess's. But in the end, she nodded slightly and walked away.
Feng Yao's eyes narrowed, burning with silent anger. But before she could speak, Feng Xiyan said, her tone sharp and mocking. "What now? Are you going to kill me to keep your dirty little secret safe?"
Her hand tightened around the hilt of her sword. Cold sweat ran down her back as she met Feng Yao's eyes.
Feng Xiyan hated the way she felt. The woman standing in front of her was delicate, soft, and not trained in martial arts like she was.
She should've been the one in control. She should've felt stronger. But for some reason… she felt afraid of her eldest sister.
Feng Yao didn't bother answering her earlier question. Instead, she asked in a cold, calm voice,
"Is my lover that beautiful? Is that why you keep staring at her with such obsession?"
Feng Xiyan froze. She didn't know how to respond.
She was a little obsessed with Lang Huan after seeing that intimate moment between her and Feng Yao. The image kept replaying in her mind. She also couldn't forget the way Lang Huan held and protected her sister… the way she cared for her, gentle and full of affection, without the harshness or selfishness most men had.
Feng Xiyan bit her lip, her chest tight with confusion. This is crazy, she thought. Why am I feeling this way about a woman? Hadn't she always dreamed of marrying an upright, honorable man—someone who would protect her with all his heart?