Serena Feng hadn't misheard, and Nolan Dongling hadn't misspoken.
If that woman is Serena Feng, then even if she lost her chastity before marriage, he would still marry her!
Just that one sentence brought their inexplicable quarrel to an end. You look at me, I look at you, and neither of us says a word.
This time, it wasn't about refusing to give in; both of them simply couldn't bear to break this gentle warmth, as if this moment could last forever.
In your eyes, there is only me; in my eyes, there is only you.
Later, no one could say whether it was Nolan who pulled Serena into his arms first, or Serena who leaned into him—either way...
Their argument started for no clear reason and ended just as strangely, but neither felt anything was amiss. After reaffirming their place in each other's hearts, both were content.
Who says quarrels are meaningless? If they hadn't argued, how would they know what the other truly felt? If they hadn't argued, how would they realize just how much trust there was between them?
After the quarrel, both of them felt a sweet warmth in their hearts and had so much they wanted to say to each other. But just then... there was no time. Nolan let go, stood up, and clumsily straightened Serena's waistband for her.
There was so much he wanted to tell Serena, but in the end, he only said the simplest thing: "For tomorrow's free clinics, I'll have Vincent Su come help you. Don't wear yourself out."
Serena's eyes lit up as she met Nolan's gaze, her silent question clear: Have you agreed to my plan? Isn't it risky?
Nolan smiled and nodded, patting Serena on the head: "Serena, you're my good luck charm."
Mmm... Serena blushed, embarrassed. Nolan didn't tease her, just brushed a gentle kiss across her brow: "Get some rest."
Sweet dreams—let me be the only one in them.
Nolan didn't linger; he strode out and disappeared into the night, leaving Serena standing there, dazed. After a moment, she composed herself, smiled, and climbed into bed.
Choosing to be Nolan's woman meant accepting all that came with it. She knew there'd be no lifetime of constant closeness—only separation and loneliness. Even with her heart feeling empty...
A gentle warmth lingered between her brows.
Just as Nolan promised, Serena slept soundly that night—though, to her disappointment, he didn't appear in her dreams.
Nolan left Feng Manor and headed straight for the Su residence's secret room. Vincent Su had gotten his message and was waiting inside. When Nolan entered, Vincent quickly rose to greet him: "Nin..."
Vincent hesitated over how to address him, but Nolan cut straight to business: "Is the grain for the porridge kitchens ready? With all this snow, how will you get it distributed?"
He’d lingered too long with Serena and had no patience left for Vincent’s chatter.
The disaster is massive—apart from Jiangnan, nearly every town in the northwest is buried under snow. I’ve done the math: our stored grain will last about half a month. If we add in the potatoes and sweet potatoes, we can stretch it to a month.
There’s a stash in every town—we’ll use those first. Locally, grain will hold out for three or four days. After that, I’ll ship more from Jiangnan, but with the rivers frozen and snow everywhere, water routes are out and land transport will crawl.
Don’t let anyone know about the potatoes and sweet potatoes just yet. Use the stored grain, and if that runs out, tap into army supplies. With snow like this, next year’s harvest will be plentiful—we won’t be short. If the military runs low, tell General Warren Yu to break out the potatoes and sweet potatoes so the troops can get by.
Once potatoes and sweet potatoes catch on, no one in the Nine Provinces will ever go hungry again—the yields are phenomenal, and Nolan knows it.
He’d spread these crops eventually, but for now, they were his secret weapon to keep his soldiers fed and his army strong.
Okay." Vincent nodded, unfurling the map and pointing to the nearest towns: "I’m thinking of pulling grain from Xuzhou and Qingzhou military regions. What do you think, Jiuqing?
By land, it’ll take at least five or six days. If the snow shuts down the roads, nothing gets through. Your local grain won’t last five days. Serena’s whole plan hinges on this relief—if it fails, everything else is meaningless." Nolan wasn’t criticizing, just stating the facts.
For Serena’s plan to work, he needs to pull off something big—something every commoner will hear about. Disaster relief is that big event. If it flops, nothing else matters.
This time, they had to go all out. The key was to have enough grain so every victim would genuinely praise the relief. Only then would people see his actions in a good light—even if he took the throne, they’d believe he did it for the people.
He was seen as selfless, though he found the word ironic. Still, it worked—otherwise, why would all those so-called virtuous officials chase after reputation?
I’ll handle the grain. I promise I won’t let this fail." Vincent understood just how much this meant to Nolan.
If they pulled this off, Nolan would walk free, and his reputation would skyrocket. Even the Emperor would have to think twice before moving against him.
But if they failed, everything would collapse. They’d lose it all—and pay a steep price.
Serena starts the free clinics tomorrow. Join her, and try to get her to scale them up. Wherever we have porridge kitchens, her clinics should be there too. If you hit a wall with grain transport, ask Serena—if she can turn disaster relief into a political tool, she can figure out how to move grain.
Nolan circled several locations—each one a disaster zone and military hotspot. "We have to secure these. Keep things quiet in the capital; just coordinate with Serena’s clinics there. The real push is in these areas."
If this succeeded, half the northwest would know his name—and owe their survival to his relief.
Got it. I’ll rally our people." Every Su shop assistant and manager would be mobilized.
Nolan studied Vincent’s proposals—every detail was covered, no need for further comment. He handed the plan back. "Follow this. After you meet Serena tomorrow, use the relief effort to sound out William Warren."
You’re thinking of working with the Warren family?" Vincent understood, but that only made him more puzzled.
The Warren family has never involved itself in the struggle for the throne.
The Warren family wouldn't get involved before, but now things have changed. They're at a crossroads—either move forward or fall behind. William Warren may look mild-mannered, but when it comes to his family, he's ruthless enough to risk everything. Even if they lose, the Warren family's losses would be minimal. William is too cautious to leave any evidence.
If we're talking about working with a powerful clan, wouldn't the Cui family be a better choice? They've always stood by the Former Dynasty. For the sake of the old imperial house, they withdrew from politics, even though all four current emperors tried to win them over.
Vincent had no fondness for the great clans. They controlled too many resources, leaving those from humble backgrounds with no chance at all.
The Cui family? Hmph... Their loyalty to the Former Dynasty doesn't mean they'll support me. The Cui clan will back a direct heir from the old imperial bloodline in taking the throne, but that heir isn't me." Nolan had never even considered partnering with the Cui family.
Compared to the Cui family, he favored the Warren and Yun families.
The Warren family needs a breakthrough; the Yun clan needs a chance to shed their merchant label.
He had to admit, Serena truly was his lucky star. Without her, he wouldn't have connected so easily with William Warren, nor gained the backing of Titus of Lyndaria.
You mean there are other Lan royals still alive—and the Cui clan is loyal to them?' Vincent's eyes went wide in disbelief.
If that's true, they're in real trouble—completely surrounded by enemies.
"If I survived, of course others could too. The emperors of the Four Kingdoms could never wipe out the entire Lan royal clan." Of course, this was just his suspicion.
Whether or not other Lan royals survived, it didn't concern him. If the Cui family wanted to step back onto the stage, so be it—the more chaos in the continent, the easier it would be for him to do what he needed.
"That's true. If other Lan royals are still alive, the Cui family won't just refuse to help us—they might even turn around and wipe us out." Years of power struggles had taught Vincent that for the throne, people would slaughter even their own sons.
"No matter if any other Lan clan members survived, the Cui family can never be relied on." He was only the son of a former-dynasty princess; the Cui clan would never stand with him, since he wasn't direct Lan blood.
"I understand. I won't let even a hint slip to the Cui family." Vincent's face was grave, his eyes more serious than ever.
Nolan hadn't spelled it out, but Vincent understood: the Cui family almost certainly had a real Lan royal hidden away. Otherwise, they wouldn't be reemerging now.
What does it mean for the Cui family to reappear? It means they're vying for power over the continent. From their posture, they're openly opposing the Eastlyn Emperor the moment they step out—clearly refusing to submit to imperial authority.
Refusing imperial authority means they're trying to build their own power base. It looks like they're moving fast—otherwise, all their efforts would be wasted.
"Just keep things with the Cui family as usual, and strengthen our own defenses. Don't alert the snake in the grass." Nolan knew the Cui family was playing a big game. If Serena hadn't accidentally treated Holden Cui's illness and named an odd repayment condition, he wouldn't have realized their plot until much later.
Serena, that foolish woman, seemed born with political instincts. What looked like casual, impulsive choices always turned out, on reflection, to yield unexpected strategic gains.