"Have you ever considered it?" Tang Fei looked at Phoenix and retorted, "Why would I do this? Why would I want to destroy everything you have?"

"I'm not an ambitious person, and besides, I am frightened of death. I come from the Old Land, my only extravagant hope is to be able to live well...

"Because of you, Little Fatty and I had the chance to come to New Star... And it's also because of you, we brothers live a life without worries about clothing and food."

"Having the leg of Her Highness the Princess to lean on, having a lucrative career, owning a beautiful house, studying at the best schools... What else could I possibly look forward to?"

"Yes, I did look forward to something... I even anticipated our future."

"..."

"I've fantasized countless times that we could be together, safely and steadily. I know it's an unreachable dream, but still, I wanted to strive for it... What if it actually happens? Right?"

"I was already so content, I felt I was the happiest man in the world. Perhaps, just one step away from being the happiest man in the world, just that little bit..."

"But what made me willing to make an enemy of the most powerful man in the world? What drove me to take risks to my life to overthrow this largest power?"

"..."

Seeing Tang Fei's appearance, filled with indignant, desperate pain, Phoenix suddenly felt a little bewildered.

Why does he seem more wronged than me?

Does the loudest voice make you right?

If he keeps on, Phoenix would start to suspect that the one incarcerated in Beehive No. 1 is his father...

Seeing Phoenix remain silent, Tang Fei sighed deeply and said, "I am Tang Li's son."

"I guessed as much," Phoenix spoke, "He is a General I greatly admire..."

Phoenix didn't continue.

The outside world might be unaware, but for those who grew up inside the court, they knew very well—Tang Li's death wasn't due to treason.

At his position, commanding a million soldiers, adored by the masses, for what would he possibly betray his country?

Which nation could offer him a higher honor and position?

He died because his power was too great, he died because he was too beloved and liked by the people.

He died because his merits overshadowed his master, with no rewards left to give.

At that point, the only award left for you is a 'thumbs-up.'

So, for a long time, Phoenix earnestly hoped that he could become a Great General like Tang Li.

Yet he never imagined that his boyfriend would turn out to be the son of Tang Li...

Truly, life is full of wonders.

"I encountered betrayal from my teammates on the Old Land, then the escape pod took me to Hate Mountain... It was the Lu Family's doing, right?"

A single leaf heralds autumn.

With everything that had developed to this point, and after encountering the old man in Beehive No. 1, it would belittle her intelligence if Phoenix couldn't figure out the cause and effect.

"You saw the old man?" Tang Fei immediately understood.

"He went to see my father." Phoenix replied, "I didn't expect that the scruffy old man from the Old Land was actually the legendary Imperial Treasure... I really can't recognize a gem in disguise."

There's no time for detailed thought, no room for deep inquiry.

Who could have imagined that a 'chance meeting' in a remote and desolate place was with Lu Yu, the famed mechanic master of the Phoenix Empire?

Who could have guessed?

According to rumors, Lu Yu had long since passed away in depression.

"What if I say... at that time, I knew nothing. Would you believe me?"

"I believe," Phoenix nodded. "Had you known, you wouldn't have treated me the way you did."

"..."

Tang Fei admitted that when he first saw Phoenix, he did indeed treat her disrespectfully...

Be you the Heavenly Noble Lady or the Empire Princess, in a place like the Old Land, you're not as useful as a single three-headed sheep.

Of course, that's only true for virtuous gentlemen like Tang Fei and Little Fatty who don't care for women.

If she had fallen into the hands of those predators, they could have sold her for a good price.

"So, at that time, he was already plotting how to use me?"

"The old man... thinks about much longer-term things, unlike our simple minds."

Phoenix looked at Tang Fei thoughtfully and asked, "When did you learn about your own identity?"

"After I came to New Star..." Tang Fei explained, "The old man initiated contact with me, and only then did I learn about my origins."

"Oh." Phoenix nodded, saying, "Not bad acting."

"..."

That was sarcasm.

Tang Fei understood.

"Now I understand why you insisted on staying in the Monitoring Bureau... For a very long time, I really thought you were doing it for me, to gain the support and recognition of my father..."

"I did think that way," Tang Fei stated earnestly.

"Whatever you said before, I believed. Now, how do you expect me to believe you?" Phoenix retorted.

"..."

"You stirring up trouble in the Monitoring Bureau, Xin Huai and I were very worried... Xin Huai asked me to persuade you... to persuade you to leave the Monitoring Bureau."

"You wanted to earn merits, you wanted the Royal Family's favor... There were many other places you could go, even the frontier or the frontline, it would all be much better than being in the Monitoring Bureau..."

"I persuaded, Xin Huai also advised, you insisted on staying... We found it strange but didn't think too much of it..."

"I never imagined you were playing such a complex game..."

"It wasn't my choice, but your father's," Tang Fei looked at Phoenix and said, "You should know that it was him who put me in the Monitoring Bureau, he wanted me to become a knife in his hand."

"Besides, he's different from you... He always knew my identity... Perhaps, he knew from the moment I arrived in New Star."

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