Chapter 373 – The Sweet Princess Was Here – The Inside Agent (18)
Fang Xianglian was sent back to the other residence. Soon after, the main gate was knocked on. Xiao Duzi came to open it, and when he saw Fang Xianglian—whom he hadn’t seen for a long time—he was surprised. Aside from her, there was no one else outside.
Fang Xianglian said, “Brother Xiao Du, I have something I wish to discuss with Young Master Bai. May I come in?”
Xiao Duzi stepped aside. “Come in.”
After Fang Xianglian entered, Xiao Duzi closed the gate. From behind the trees, Li Xiuming and the others watched the tightly shut door, their expressions unreadable.
Fang Xianglian sat in the familiar front hall, and the first person she saw was Su Wen.
Su Wen was very surprised by her arrival. “Xianglian, why did you come here?” Looking at Fang Xianglian’s attire, she seemed to be living fairly well in the Prefect’s Manor.
Fang Xianglian gave a bitter smile. Everything was her own doing—she didn’t know whether her benefactors were still willing to help her again.
“I was sent by Li Xiuming as a messenger. My benefactor has refused to see him, and he’s practically frantic in the Prefect’s Manor,” Fang Xianglian said honestly. Her straightforwardness actually earned the goodwill of Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang.
To be honest, Wu Chenyi didn’t like Fang Xianglian’s personality, but she did have one redeeming quality—honesty. Very few people around him possessed such sincerity.
After Fang Xianglian saw Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang enter, she waited until they were seated and then dropped to her knees with a loud thud.
Qiu’er, who had lost count of how many times she’d seen Fang Xianglian kneel, muttered quietly, “Why does this side-character woman love kneeling so much?”
“Everyone has their own personality. We can’t force someone to change just because we don’t like it. It’s her own choice,” Xiao A said with clarity. Since it had nothing to do with him, he kept his distance. He had neither the responsibility nor the interest to rescue a side-character unrelated to their mission.
But Xiao A’s assumption would soon fail—he and Qiu’er truly wouldn’t be able to stay uninvolved with Fang Xianglian.
“Benefactor, I know I’ve caused you much trouble. You have warned me again and again, yet I insisted on being stubborn. Whatever suffering I endured in the Prefect’s Manor… I have no right to blame anyone.”
Hearing these words, Wu Chenyi frowned. He wasn’t worried that Fang Xianglian would do anything that could harm them, but Tang Tang seemed somewhat concerned about her.
It wasn’t as if they hadn’t advised her before, nor had they failed to warn her. Fang Xianglian simply refused to listen. Bai Tang felt tired as well—he no longer wished to involve himself in her affairs.
He looked at Wu Chenyi, and at that moment, the latter also turned to him. Their eyes met, and Bai Tang quietly held Wu Chenyi’s hand, as if saying: This time, I won’t cause trouble for A-Yi over an outsider.
“As long as it’s something Tang Tang wants to do, it will never be trouble for me.” Wu Chenyi’s gaze was gentle. He touched the teacup and poured Bai Tang a fresh cup of tea.
“If you came to speak on Li Xiuming’s behalf, then don’t bother. I don’t want to hear it. You may return,” Bai Tang said, waving his hand to signal Fang Xianglian to stop speaking.
“No, that’s not why I came.” Fang Xianglian paused. “I came hoping my benefactor could help me once more. If you do not help me, then I truly have no one else to turn to.”
She kowtowed to them, tears streaming down her face. “I once believed Li Xiuming was a good man. Even a vicious tiger will not harm its cubs, yet Li Xiuming is cruel beyond measure. For wealth and status, he would even kill his own son. Since he has no affection or loyalty, I no longer hold any hopes for him.”
Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang exchanged glances. So this is why she finally gave up on Li Xiuming.
Although Fang Xianglian spoke as if it were the absolute truth, it was still possible that she had been manipulated by Li Xiuming and was being used in some kind of pity scheme. They would still need someone to investigate.
Fang Xianglian had come this time to beg Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang to save her child.
She had overheard Zhu Lanxiao sending someone to fetch her child from the countryside in order to threaten her. If the child refused to cooperate… they would kill him.
Zhu Lanxiao’s exact words were: “Children? Xiuming and I can always have our own. As for that countryside woman’s child—Xiuming won’t care.”
Comparing this with Li Xiuming’s attitude toward her, and then hearing Zhu Lanxiao’s words, Fang Xianglian realized more clearly than ever that they were not reliable. If Li Xiuming had to choose between wealth and his child, he would undoubtedly choose wealth.
Fang Xianglian was overwhelmed with despair. She could endure suffering herself, but if anyone dared lay a hand on her child, she could not tolerate it. She had no connections and nowhere to turn. After thinking through everything, the only people capable of helping her were Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang.
Bai Tang quietly asked the two systems, and the answer came back: everything Fang Xianglian said was true.
Qiu’er and Xiao A would never lie to him, so Bai Tang finally let down his guard.
He tugged on Wu Chenyi’s sleeve and pulled him toward the back hall. “I don’t think Fang Xianglian is lying. You’ve been struggling to find someone inside the Perfect’s Manor—we might have an opportunity here.”
“You mean… letting Fang Xianglian act as our insider in the Perfect’s Manor?!”
“Yes. They all look down on her, so they definitely won’t suspect her.”
Wu Chenyi tapped Bai Tang’s nose lightly. “Tang Tang always has ideas.”
After hearing Fang Xianglian’s tearful account, Wu Chenyi had indeed considered this possibility—though only as a passing thought. As Bai Tang said, Fang Xianglian was an unimportant and easily overlooked figure in the manor, making her suitable as an informant. But she was too insignificant. Entering places like the study would raise suspicion.
Fang Xianglian was naturally timid. Wu Chenyi worried that if she were discovered, she wouldn’t be able to improvise and might even ruin the plan.
“Since Tang Tang thinks she’s suitable, then let’s ask her opinion,” Wu Chenyi said. He didn’t want to disappoint Bai Tang. One informant wasn’t enough anyway. With or without Fang Xianglian, it didn’t change much. She wouldn’t be told the full plan regardless.
Bai Tang returned to the front hall and asked Fang Xianglian what she thought.
To Fang Xianglian, as long as it meant saving her child, she was willing to do anything—not just becoming an informant. If she had to fight Li Xiuming to the death, she would do it.
Once they reached an agreement, the next step was to ensure Fang Xianglian held enough influence in the Perfect’s Manor to speak and act without attracting suspicion. If she remained low-status and timid, everything she did would appear questionable, and the informant role would be meaningless.
Wu Chenyi made a small adjustment to the plan. At dusk, Xiao Duzi personally escorted Fang Xianglian to the gate, wearing a kind smile—as if they had just finished a pleasant discussion.
Li Xiuming, who had been waiting under the tree the whole time, quickly stepped forward the moment he saw Fang Xianglian come out.
“Well? What did Young Master Bai say?” Li Xiuming asked anxiously.
“What else could he say? I spoke every good word I could. Young Master Bai is not an unreasonable person. He said that as long as Madam apologizes to Young Master Bai, he will no longer pursue the previous matter. Xiuming, this is all I can do. But asking Madam to apologize… well…” Fang Xianglian showed a troubled expression.
Li Xiuming also realized that, given Zhu Lanxiao’s temperament, getting her to bow her head would be extremely difficult.
But for the sake of his future, he would make Zhu Lanxiao lower her head and admit her mistake.
“Xianglian, you’ve worked hard. I’ll talk to Lanxiao.” Seeing that Fang Xianglian could now communicate with Wu Chenyi, Li Xiuming’s attitude toward her had become much more ambiguous.
Fang Xianglian’s heart turned cold, as icy as a winter cellar.
When she was useful, she was “Xianglian.”
When she wasn’t… she was just the discarded wife.
Li Xiuming didn’t know what method he used, but he actually managed to persuade Zhu Lanxiao. He immediately sent Fang Xianglian to invite Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang over.
The two sat in the main seats. Zhu Lanxiao brought over tea, bowing politely as she apologized.
“Earlier, I was the one who acted improperly. I hope the two of you, being generous, will overlook my offense and not hold it against a mere woman.”
With her apology said in such a way, if they refused to forgive her, they would be labeled as petty and narrow-minded.
Bai Tang still felt uncomfortable in his heart, but he said nothing. He followed Wu Chenyi and drank the apology tea.
After they finished, Li Xiuming smiled. “Brother Bai, now that we’ve resolved our misunderstanding, the trading firm has been lost without you these past few days. We really don’t know how to keep things running…”
Li Xiuming smoothly shifted the topic back to business. Wu Chenyi whispered a few words to Bai Tang to reassure him, then followed Li Xiuming to the study.
In the front hall, Bai Tang and Zhu Lanxiao sat staring at each other, neither willing to yield, even though they had drunk the tea.
Bai Tang cleared his throat. “Madam Li, I hope you will be more cautious with your words and actions from now on. You’re lucky it was me this time—I’m willing to let it go. If it had been someone else, the outcome might’ve been very different.”
The youth’s straightforward words made Zhu Lanxiao’s face turn visibly green, but she couldn’t argue. If she made trouble again, not only would Li Xiuming be displeased, her own father would accuse her of being inconsiderate.
“I understand. Thank you, Young Master Bai, for not holding it against me.” Zhu Lanxiao felt that if she stayed near Bai Tang any longer, she would surely be angered to death.
She found an excuse, saying she needed to handle matters in the household, and left the front hall with her maids.
They hadn’t walked far when the sound of laughter from inside made her mood sink even further.
Bai Tang refused to give her a good face, yet treated that Fang Xianglian woman politely—
it was practically a slap to her own face.
“A Xia, has that woman’s child been brought here yet?” Zhu Lanxiao asked.
“Miss, almost. Dashan sent word—the child should arrive in Ning City the day after tomorrow,” replied the head maid behind her.
“Good. Once that little bastard is in our hands, wait until Xiuming takes over Bai Chenyi’s network. Then have the brat disposed of.”
Li Xiuming and Zhu Lanxiao were husband and wife—husbands and wives were supposed to be one entity. Li Xiuming rarely hid anything from her, including his plan to seize Wu Chenyi’s connections, kick him aside afterward, and swallow all the profit for himself.
Zhu Lanxiao narrowed her eyes and looked back toward the front hall where the laughter came from.
“Enjoy your laughter while you can. It won’t last long,” she muttered.
Whatever schemes Li Xiuming was plotting, Wu Chenyi saw through them instantly. He wasn’t stupid—everything he had learned about Li Xiuming’s dealings came from indirect probing. Greed and ambition were practically written across the man’s face.
Wu Chenyi had casually mentioned that Fang Xianglian’s embroidery skills were exceptional, that he admired her craftsmanship, and that she handled social matters skillfully.
After Wu Chenyi and Bai Tang left the Perfect’s residence, Li Xiuming immediately raised Fang Xianglian’s status by more than one level, even allowing her access to the study.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Lanxiao swept the jewelry box beside her to the floor with a crash.
“Wretch, wretch—nothing but a wretch! Just you wait. I am the lady of the perfect’s residence. A peasant woman dares to steal Xiuming from me? Go die!”