Chapter 325: The Deal

　　Even though Jiang Yuan said otherwise, the Floating Cloud young master insisted on checking the corpses. And just as she said, he found nothing.

　　As soon as he stood up, Jiang Yuan smiled thinly and bowed. “Since you’re here, I’ll leave now. Goodbye.”

　　“Goodbye,” the Floating Cloud young master replied calmly and bowed. “Thank you so much for the trouble.”

　　“You’re welcome.” Jiang Yuan nodded and left.

　　“Husband….” Eldest Miss Nie sniffed.

　　The Floating Cloud young master went back to her side, allowing her to grab him tightly. “My bad for getting tricked by them and being maneuvered away,” he said after Eldest Miss Nie stopped crying.

　　Eldest Miss Nie took a deep breath and shook her head with tears still rolling down her cheeks. “No, they are too crafty.”

　　The Floating Cloud young master said no more and helped her up. “It seems that I’m now somebody’s target. It’s dangerous for you to be here.”

　　“Am I useless? I seem to have dragged you down.” Eldest Miss Nie bit her lips, looking at the Floating Cloud young master with puppy dog eyes.

　　He looked at her for a while and sighed. “Let me send you to the entrance.”

　　“I’m indeed useless, huh?” Eldest Miss Nie burst into tears again.

　　But the Floating Cloud young master said nothing. After a while, he then looked down at her and reassured her, “I didn’t say that, and you need not think of yourself that way.”

　　“But…” Eldest Miss Nie started but decided to not continue.

　　“Just voice it out. What’s there to hide between us?”

　　“…I’m afraid, Fu Yun,” Eldest Miss Nie mumbled, looking at the ground.

　　“I’m right here. There’s nothing to fear.”

　　“No, not this.” She looked up in tears. “I fear that… that you won’t want me.”

　　The Floating Cloud young master patted her shoulder. “Rufei, I’m going to repeat it; I have what you need and you have what I need. We benefit each other and we are suitable. There’s no need to worry.”

　　“That’s what you said….” Eldest Miss Nie bit her lips and decided to say it out, “But I’m not as good as Jiang Wan and would never be like her in your heart, right?”

　　“Can you stop thinking about her? I have already let go of my feelings for her, and you should do so too.” The Floating Cloud young master sounded exasperated.

　　“I’m sorry….”

　　“There’s no need to be. Whatever, let’s send you back first.”

　　He held Eldest Miss Nie, and both of them left.

　　“Whew….” Yan Wugui looked at Lu Mingshu, amused. “Women are indeed the most troublesome creatures ever!”

　　Receiving Lu Mingshu’s death glare, he burst into laughter. “Haha, I didn’t mean that you’re troublesome, really….”

　　“Yeah, I’m not a woman, right?” Lu Mingshu smiled sweetly.

　　“Hehehehe, look, it was just spur of the moment. A woman like her is the most troublesome, don’t you agree? If she continues to be like this, she won’t need anyone else to make problems for her, because she can do it on her own!”

　　Lu Mingshu shook her head. She was indeed troublesome, but it wasn’t hard to know what Eldest Miss Nie was thinking about. However, that was her choice. Since she chose to marry the Floating Cloud young master, she should have been prepared to accept the fact that her rival was way better than herself. Having a love rival way better than you was the hardest truth to accept, so why put oneself in such a pitiful position?

　　The most hateful love rivals were the ones like Jiang Yuan. You take everything to heart, yet she does not seem to give a damn about you. The more she ignores you, the angrier you get.

　　Whatever, that’s her problem, not mine.

　　As they were about to leave their hiding spot, a voice stopped them.

　　“How was the free show, miss and mister?”

　　Swish! Yan Wugui fished out his sword immediately, shocked.

　　Lu Mingshu didn’t have such a huge reaction, but she immediately got into a defensive position.

　　They looked up to see Jiang Yuan sitting on a tree a few meters away from them, laughing. “Hey, calm down, I’m not here to kill.”

　　“….” Lu Mingshu immediately understood how Eldest Miss Nie felt previously. When one was beside Prince Jiang, he or she immediately became a mere prop to make Jiang Yuan even more brilliant.

　　“Prince Jiang?” Yan Wugui looked at her cautiously, not keeping his weapon. “Didn’t you leave?”

　　“I knew that you were here since I arrived.”

　　“What the heck….” Yan Wugui gulped. They were indeed too relaxed, thinking that they were well-hidden. There are always skies above skies and mountains beyond mountains. But if she knows, the Floating Cloud young master…

　　As if she could read his mind, Jiang Yuan said, “He should know it too. It’s just that we could sense you’re not here to kill, so we didn’t care.”

　　Lu Mingshu gulped. It seems like we have underestimated them. They are stronger than we thought.

　　“What does Prince Jiang need from us?” Lu Mingshu was very cautious. They heard everything, and while the Floating Cloud young master chose to not care about them, Prince Jiang was here next to them. Does she want to kill us? But she said she’s not here to kill….

　　Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow and smirked. “This question should be for you. What do you want from peeping?”

　　“Nothing much.” Yan Wugui shrugged. “We’re just passersby.”

　　Jiang Yuan smiled thinly. “But you heard everything, didn’t you?”

　　Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui exchanged glances.

　　Jiang Yuan said, “That is supposed to be a secret, you know.”

　　“You want to silence us?” Lu Mingshu furrowed her eyebrows.

　　“Not a bad idea.” Jiang Yuan crossed her arms. “Even if I kill you here, there’s nobody that would come after me. It’s the Sea of Cloud’s debate!”

　　“But it won’t be easy.” Yan Wugui smiled. “You do not want so much trouble, do you?”

　　Jiang Yuan nodded. “Yeah, you’re not weak, so it’s too troublesome. But you heard it all, so why should I let you go?”

　　“So?”

　　“So…” Jiang Yuan stared at them. “Work with me.”

　　Lu Mingshu and Yan Wugui both stood there, not knowing how to respond.

　　Work with her? Why us?

　　“The debate is not difficult during the first two rounds, but the last round is. And to be very honest, the Jiang Family may value me, but I did not grow up there, so there aren’t many I can trust. I need help.”

　　“That reason is so weak. You’ve been there for five years already and don’t trust your own comrades, but you trust a couple of strangers you just met who know your secret?”

　　“Since when did I say that I trust you?” Jiang Yuan laughed. “To be honest, I am not even asking for your opinion, just making it a peaceful solution. I wouldn’t let you off so easily otherwise, and I don’t think you would prefer to die.”

　　“So you want us to cooperate with you?”

　　Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Yes, but it’s to your benefit.”

　　Lu Mingshu stared at her coldly. What does that mean?

　　“I can’t just let you off, but wasting my energy to kill you is not worth it. So, let’s make a deal, alright?”