166: Chapter 166 Murong Zhaoling's Differential Treatment

Hearing the names the two had blurted out, Jiang Feiyu, who was in the middle of gnawing on a greasy roast chicken, froze completely.

She blinked her large eyes, the chicken in her mouth nearly spraying out as she asked blankly:

"What... did you two just call each other?"

Wanqing? Husband Chen?

What kind of scandalous words were these!

How did these two suddenly become so... mushy?

Hearing Jiang Feiyu's exclamation, Chen Shanzhi and Ouyang Wanqing were also momentarily stunned.

In their minds, the real-world memories that had been tightly sealed away in the illusion began to flood back like a tidal wave!

The Prime Minister's daughter, the heir to the Marquis of Zhenguo, the evil Formation in Shi Village...

All sorts of memories intertwined, and the two of them realized the situation instantly.

That long and magnificent life they had just lived was actually nothing more than an illusion!

But that great dream had felt all too real.

From being childhood sweethearts in their youth, to defying the imperial decree and refusing marriage in the grand hall, to their later years living in seclusion in the mountains, raising children, and growing old together...

Every scene, every vow, and even the heart-wrenching pain of their final parting at death...

Everything was deeply etched into the depths of their Souls.

Both were still immersed in the tacit understanding of an old married couple, completely unable to snap out of it.

Even more critically...

In the illusion, they had truly lived as a loving couple for decades!

Sharing a bed, whispering endearments, and constant intimacy.

Every inch of the other's skin, every sensitive spot, and even every subtle habit—they were as familiar with each other as they could possibly be.

Indescribable, frantic scenes from their wedding night in the illusion suddenly flashed through Ouyang Wanqing's mind.

For some reason, these memories were incredibly vivid.

Whoosh!

Ouyang Wanqing's beautiful face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple, and even her slender neck was tinged with a layer of pink.

She lowered her head in a panic, not daring to look Chen Shanzhi in the eye, her hands clutching the quilt tightly.

Just as the atmosphere reached a peak of awkwardness...

*Creak.*

The door to the ward was pushed open.

Shen Lingfu, who had gone out to notify the others, walked in with small, hurried steps.

As soon as she entered, she caught the latter half of Jiang Feiyu's sentence.

Shen Lingfu blinked her watery eyes in confusion and asked, "Sister Feiyu, what was called what?"

Jiang Feiyu was just about to recount the shocking scene she had just witnessed.

"Ahem!"

Chen Shanzhi interrupted her with a dry cough, forcibly changing the subject: "Uh, Miss Shen, Feiyu, how long have Miss Ouyang and I been unconscious?"

Hearing this, Shen Lingfu forgot her question and patted her chest with lingering fear. "Brother Chen, you're finally awake! You've been asleep for an entire month!"

"A month?"

Both Chen Shanzhi and Ouyang Wanqing were greatly shocked.

They had spent most of a lifetime in the illusion, yet a month had actually passed in reality?

Chen Shanzhi frowned and immediately followed up, "What's the situation in Shi Village? Is that monster dead? What about the refugees in the dungeon?"

Shen Lingfu sighed and shook her head.

"We found out later that the monster was an Evil Spirit created by the God-Invoking Sect. However, it was crushed by the altar's backlash."

"As for the refugees in the dungeon... none of them could be saved. That Formation drained all of their Qi and blood..."

At this point, Shen Lingfu's tone lightened slightly. "But fortunately, Yaya survived."

"Feiyu brought her back to the Four Seas Academy. It's said she caught the eye of an Elder in the academy and was taken in as a personal Disciple."

Hearing that Yaya was safe, Chen Shanzhi felt a bit better.

However, the one-month time gap still made him feel somewhat uneasy.

Just as he was about to continue asking about the major events that had occurred in the capital during the past month...

*Creak.*

The ward door was once again pushed open abruptly.

A pair of exceptionally eye-catching, straight, long legs stepped in first, followed by a tall and heroic figure in martial attire walking in quickly.

It was Murong Zhaoling!

As she entered, her usually composed face was filled with anxiety.

Seeing Chen Shanzhi with his eyes open on the hospital bed, she let out a long sigh of relief and hurried to the bedside.

"You're awake!"

Murong Zhaoling didn't even spare a glance at the others in the room as she rushed to Chen Shanzhi's side.

She naturally reached out both hands and grabbed Chen Shanzhi's hand, looking him up and down with undisguised concern and tension in her voice:

"How do you feel? Is there anywhere else you're uncomfortable? Is your True Essence circulating smoothly? Are there any lingering injuries?"

This sudden barrage of concern...

...left Chen Shanzhi completely dazed.

He stared blankly at the graceful, long-legged beauty before him, his mind filled with question marks.

What was going on?

He knew this Genius Young Miss of the Murong Family, but wasn't it a bit too intimate to grab his hand like this in public?

And why did it feel like she was looking at him with the eyes of a young wife looking at her husband?

Chen Shanzhi wanted to pull his hand back, but he found that Murong Zhaoling was holding it very tightly.

He instinctively turned his head to look at Jiang Feiyu and Shen Lingfu nearby.

Instead, the two women had their arms crossed, looking on like spectators enjoying a show, seemingly finding Murong Zhaoling's actions perfectly natural!

What exactly was going on? What had happened during this past month?

While Chen Shanzhi's mind was a mess...

Beside him, Ouyang Wanqing saw Murong Zhaoling's tense and concerned behavior, especially the way their hands were tightly clasped.

A dangerous coldness instantly flashed in her beautiful eyes!

Having been a loving couple with Chen Shanzhi for decades in the illusion, Ouyang Wanqing had long since subconsciously regarded Chen Shanzhi as her man!

Now, seeing another woman being so hands-on with her man right in front of her...

...how could she endure this?

"Ahem, ahem!"

Ouyang Wanqing coughed softly, a fake smile hanging on her usually dignified face.

Her eyes darted about as she looked at Murong Zhaoling with a half-smile, her tone carrying a clear hint of sarcasm:

"Teacher Murong, you're being a bit biased here. As soon as you walked in, you only had eyes for Chen Shanzhi."

"I, your student, have also just returned from the gates of hell and have only just woken up."

"Shouldn't you also spare some thought to care for your weak student?"

Hearing these barbed words...

...Murong Zhaoling's movements stiffened, and a rare, unnatural flush crept onto her heroic face.

She somewhat reluctantly let go of Chen Shanzhi's hand, turned to look at Ouyang Wanqing, and forced a concerned smile, offering a few formulaic words of care:

"It's good that Wanqing is fine. Rest well."

After saying that, she immediately turned back to continue fussing over Chen Shanzhi, even reaching out to check his pulse.

At this, the anger in the depths of Ouyang Wanqing's eyes grew even more intense.