My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

In the grand hall, Chen Yi watched as Zhu E stepped out.

"How is she?" Chen Yi stood up and asked immediately.

It wasn't just her well-being he was concerned about, but also the unborn child developing in her womb.

Calculating by time, it was nearly one month along.

If Qin Qingluo were to discover it as usual, it would take another two months, after the New Year.

However, this turn of events threatened to shatter the remaining sliver of tenderness in Chen Yi's heart.

This proud and defiant female Prince had dared to play with fire like this!

Zhu E nestled in his embrace, her tone tinged with guilt as she said:

"She's much better now, just a bit fatigued. I'm afraid this final encounter, my lord, she won't be able to join you."

Chen Yi, knowing what to say, lightly patted her shoulder and replied:

"It's fine. With Aunt Zhu here, it's enough."

Zhu E curled her lips into a faint smile, her tone shedding its seductive quality for a more serious, elder-like one:

"Nephew, how about Aunt gives you a surprise?"

Her words made Chen Yi's fingers tremble slightly.

Chen Yi asked:

"What kind of surprise?"

Clad in red, the woman gripped his collar lightly, leaned close to his ear, and in a voice as fleeting as a wisp of smoke, sneeringly uttered:

"Whore, I grant you this last time."

She mimicked Qin Qingluo's tone as she spat the words, rendering Chen Yi momentarily dazed.

So alike… eerily alike.

It was an exact replica—wasn't this role-playing by definition?

Zhu E grasped his hand, lifting layers upon layers of drapes, guiding the dazed Chen Yi inward. She intended to complete her identity swap plan—making Chen Yi mistake her for Qin Qingluo, unaware of the deception.

The draperies swirled and fell, the dim lamplight casting a hazy glow, obscuring all sight ahead.

Amid the layers of curtains and the faint fragrance of flower pollen, at some point, she released his hand.

Chen Yi chuckled to himself; already teased to this state, how could he stop now? He pushed aside the drapes one by one, finally arriving in the dimly lit bedchamber.

On the bed, a tall figure lay.

So alike… uncannily alike.

Chen Yi harbored no doubt about Zhu E's skill in disguises.

He stepped closer to the bedside, locking eyes with the female Prince, who glared at him with hatred and disdain.

Even the gaze—identical to a fault. Otherwise, they wouldn't have deceived the West Factory's Overseer, Wu Qingsheng, back at Jinya Pavilion.

Chen Yi casually pulled out a chair and sat down slowly.

He immediately slipped into the role-play, speaking with a faint smirk:

"How does it feel to lose control and let the madness consume you?"

The female Prince's expression, flickering under the wavering candlelight, alternated between shadow and glow. Her voice low, she replied:

"A mere taste—still tolerable."

Watching him step into the room, Qin Qingluo realized Zhu E's identity swap had succeeded. He clearly mistook her, Qin Qingluo, for Zhu E.

As for why Zhu E had done this, Qin Qingluo couldn't fathom.

Chen Yi, hearing Qin Qingluo's words, let out a soft laugh and replied:

"I wonder if the fleeting tastes at Medicine Temple were also tolerable?"

In the dim light, Qin Qingluo's fingers clutched the bedside tightly, a faint sound of wood splintering breaking the silence.

Her lips seemed poised to spit out two venomous words.

If not "abomination," then "whore."

Chen Yi gazed at her intently; if not for the silver hairpin in her hair, he might truly have been deceived.

After what felt like an eternity, the female Prince loosened her hand, lowering her gaze as though deep in thought. What exactly she was contemplating was a mystery.

Chen Yi waited patiently.

All of a sudden, Qin Qingluo's demeanor seemed to shift, her expression softening. Out of due consideration, she chose not to expose the truth.

On the contrary, her previously tense posture relaxed as she imitated Zhu E's tone, saying:

"My lord, Zhu E… has some words she wishes to share…"

As her voice trailed off, seeing her abandon the role-play, even Chen Yi softened his tone, replying:

"What is it? Haven't you spoken enough already?"

With her acupoints sealed, Qin Qingluo gently shook her head, silently channeling her energy to discreetly unseal them.

She didn't forcefully break them open; doing so might further solidify the lock or create a commotion that Chen Yi wouldn't fail to notice.

As she meticulously worked to unseal her acupoints, the female Prince, while maintaining the impersonation, casually asked:

"She's regaining her martial prowess. My lord, are you truly not worried?"

She deliberately added an emphatic "truly," ensuring that even if Zhu E had asked something similar earlier, her own question wouldn't arouse suspicion.

Not far away, Chen Yi responded with a smile:

"What I've granted her, I can just as easily take back. These matters are for me to worry about. You needn't fret. Once you return to the Southern Border, focus on your health and await the child's birth."

Qin Qingluo hesitated slightly, but understanding dawned on her moments later.

Zhu E was pregnant, and in his eyes, she herself was Zhu E. Naturally, she was expected to focus on nurturing the child.

Qin Qingluo sighed faintly and said:

"I only fear she might attempt another round of madness. Her matters, aside from my lord, weigh heaviest on my heart."

Chen Yi naturally knew how much Zhu E cared for Qin Qingluo—even disguises and pretense couldn't mask genuine feelings.

He didn't mind discussing the female Prince further, pulling his chair slightly closer.

Under the candlelight, the silver hairpin glimmered faintly.

"Aunt Zhu," Chen Yi called softly.

Qin Qingluo felt a shiver creep across her skin but quickly suppressed it, responding gently:

"My lord."

"Her descent into madness today—ultimately, it's my fault." Chen Yi sighed and continued with a bitter smile, "Was I wrong to treat her so well?"

The female Prince heard his remark, maintaining an expression of feigned worry as she replied:

"Why does my lord treat her so? If she regains her full martial prowess, she might become a danger to you."

Chen Yi answered calmly:

"I'm not afraid."

Qin Qingluo's snake-like eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of chill creeping into her tone as she asked:

"Why aren't you afraid?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, she noticed Chen Yi glance at her in mild surprise. Thinking quickly, she smiled and added:

"…Did my lord get startled?"