129 She is alive!

Lin Feng nervously hung her head, twisting the hem of her dress. Her eyes had turned slightly red at some point, and with a sobbing voice, she poured out her heart, "But, I'm still afraid... sniff... I really don't know what to do... Langjun, I really don't want to be burned to death..."

"Who wants to burn you? Who dares to burn you?" Lin Feng muttered with a sullen expression.

"That's what all these scripts say," Shen Tang raised an eyebrow, "Scripts? What scripts?"

Lin Feng blinked and hesitantly mentioned a few.

The core of these stories seemed cut from the same mold— the male lead is a talented but poor scholar from humble origins, skilled in literature and possibly ranked second or first grade. The female lead is often a daughter of a prime minister, an emperor, or a powerful minister. Their relationship is either mutual admiration, the woman pursuing the man, or her family recognizing his potential and aggressively pushing her to marry him. The villainous supporting female character is a societal "deviant," possessing literary talent or martial courage. Her interference in the couple's lives brings disaster. She remains infatuated with the male lead, becomes bitter after rejection, and eventually faces punishment, reform, incineration, or ruin...

Shen Tang was briefly speechless. "I thought your family's women in the inner courtyard wouldn't be exposed to such scripts."

"But they're so fascinating..." Lin Feng muttered.

The world depicted in these stories was strange and exciting, vastly different from the inner courtyard where she spent most of her time.

Even when she occasionally ventured out, she was surrounded by maids and servants like a canary raised in a gilded cage. While she lacked nothing in material comforts, without the cage's protection, she and others— her mother, sisters, and even handmaidens— would have no means of survival.

She just liked how the women in these scripts had both literary talent and courage, daring to love and hate, even though their endings were often tragic.

Shen Tang looked at the youthful but stubborn Lin Feng and sighed, "You shouldn't read too much of these. The men in them are like toads lusting after swan meat, deceiving naive and inexperienced girls..."

"...If you read too many scripts, you might think those are what good men are like. Innocent girls following scoundrels, it could make a farmer spit blood."

Lin Feng fell silent.

Her focus seemed different from Langjun's.

Shen Tang continued persuasively, "Do you think those who write these scripts have any literary talent? They imagine a scholar of second or first grade talent out of thin air. How is that different from the palace ladies making up stories about the East Palace Consort baking big pancakes or the West Palace Consort curling big onions?"

Lin Feng pondered, "There's some truth to that."

Shen Tang persisted, "I know of someone with second or first grade literary talent. Before Wuhui got into trouble, could you make him the protagonist of these scripts? Would he do what the protagonist does?"

Lin Feng hesitated, "..."

If it were Mr. Chu...

She couldn't bear to look at those scripts anymore.

For a moment, she forgot her worries about the future.

Suddenly, Shen Tang asked her, "Do you want to study with Wuhui? Yuanliang is also an option, but I can't decide."

Chu Yao is nominally the one she bought back, so it shouldn't be a problem to entrust him with teaching a child. But guiding an NPC like Qishan is different; he may not have the patience to teach a girl. Most importantly, Chu Yao can help keep things hidden, which Qishan may not be able to do.

Lin Feng looked at her in shock and nervousness.

"If you want to, then just say so..."

"If I want to, then I want to. There's nothing to debate," Shen Tang cut her off, comforting her, "Wuhui and the others aren't incorrigible."

They even have a streak of rebellion in them.

Otherwise, Chu Yao wouldn't have encouraged Shen Tang to explore pig farming, or allowed her to ride pigs wildly without restraint. Qishan did try to stop her once, but when that didn't work, he equipped the pigs with saddles and reins overnight.

From this, it can be seen—

The former is unconventional, while the latter is flexible and adaptable.

Lin Feng whispered, "Should I be honest with the two gentlemen?"

Shen Tang hesitated.

Originally, she only planned to confess Lin Feng's situation to Chu Yao, and wait to see about Qishan. But when Lin Feng asked like this, she felt it might be better to be upfront about everything together. Qishan's temperament, as reflected in his scholarly demeanor, made it clear—he couldn't tolerate the slightest deviation.

Shen Tang nodded, "Yes, let's be honest."

As for her own gender—

Tsk, she had never hidden it.

After a satisfying meal, Zhai Le invited Gong Shuwu to spar. Although Gong Shuwu's talent was inferior, his martial experience far exceeded Zhai Le's, and there was much he could learn from him.

As the two left, Qishan and Chu Yao silently put down their chopsticks.

Shen Tang, still preparing to drink her soup, muttered, "..."

Qishan stared at her from the left, Chu Yao from the right, while Lin Feng stood by her side, lowering her head and signaling to her covertly.

Shen Tang sighed, "..."

She felt a bit troubled.

Qishan broke the silence, "Shen Xiaolangjun, do you have something to say?"

"How did you know?"

"It's written all over your face. How could I not know?"

Shen Tang cleared her throat awkwardly, set down her pottery bowl, and wiped her mouth, "There is indeed something. It's a bit strange, so I hope both gentlemen won't be too surprised, and please stay calm, don't get too excited..."

Qishan didn't even bother to raise his eyelids. "Speak."

He knew very well that with Shen Xiaolangjun's penchant for long-windedness, if he didn't prompt her like this, she might still drag on with several more paragraphs of nonsense.

Shen Tang replied, "Then I'll say it."

After a while, she added, "I really mean it."

Another few moments passed, "I really mean it..."

Qishan rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. "Just say it!"

Shen Tang grabbed Lin Feng's hand excitedly and announced to the two of them, "I have a major piece of good news to share—she's got it!"

Qishan: "..."

Chu Yao: "..."

Retracting his earlier words, they couldn't help but be excited and surprised!

Qishan nearly crushed his pottery bowl, "When did this happen?"

Shen Tang replied, "Just these past few days."

Lin Feng quietly corrected, "Discovered this morning."

Chu Yao, somewhat troubled, propped his forehead with his hand, his voice lowering with a hint of negativity, "Shen Yuli, she's still in deep mourning!"

Shen Tang: "..."

Wait a minute—

Shen Tang realized and awkwardly clarified, "Let me explain—I meant, she has vital energy!"

Qishan chuckled sarcastically, "If she had no vital energy left, could she still stand?"

Shen Tang: "..."

Seeing their identical expressions, Shen Tang felt immense pressure and nervously swallowed saliva.

"I meant the energy of the cosmos," she clarified.

Qishan sneered, "Hypocritical energy is useless!"

Shen Tang: "..."

Chu Yao: "..."

Qishan: "..."

Wait, what kind of energy???

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room became unusually tense and eerie. Suddenly, Chu Yao and Qishan both stood up simultaneously, went to bolt the wooden door of the room, then sat back down simultaneously. Qishan even raised a hand and muttered a spell to prevent eavesdropping.

Qishan looked at Lin Feng and asked, "A boy?"

Shen Tang whispered, "A girl."

"Not joking?"

"No, absolutely true!"

Chu Yao also asked, "Is it really vital energy?"

"More real than pearls, I've checked."

Qishan fell silent, gestured for Lin Feng to come closer.

Encouraged by Shen Tang's gaze, Lin Feng bravely approached and, somewhat clumsily, demonstrated a very faint "energy."

Though very weak, it undeniably existed.

Qishan and the others: "..."