Luzhou-Mond

Kapitel 72

Chapter word count: 3874 Update time: 09-08-12 12:54

Back at the Prince Qing's residence, my initial anxiety about Yin Nuo and Shen Haoyu's journey was calmed down by Shen Zexuan. When I expressed my concerns to Shen Zexuan, he smiled mysteriously and said, "Their journey will surely be fraught with danger but ultimately safe."

Although I was eager to know why they escaped unharmed, seeing Shen Zexuan's reluctance to discuss it further, I had no choice but to swallow my questions. Oh well, as long as they were safe and sound, that was enough. This matter put my mind at ease, but I hadn't ignored Shen Zexuan's repeated mentions of Shen Haoyu's feelings for me. Actually, Shen Haoyu had always treated me fairly well; if I had to pinpoint anything special, it was only these past few days that he'd acted slightly differently. Yet, my heart was still somewhat unsettled.

Let's put these things aside for now and not make a fuss over nothing before things actually happen. I carefully recalled the flower tea making process that I had a little knowledge of before, and wrote it down bit by bit, intending to send it to Shen Tingxuan tomorrow, as a small way of repaying him for his kindness to me over the years.

Finally finished, I breathed a huge sigh of relief and got up to go outside. It was getting dark, and the scenery in the courtyard was somewhat dim and not very clear. I heard soft footsteps in the corridor, and when I turned around, I saw Yin Yan carrying a tray.

"Let's eat together." Yin Yan smiled slightly at me; it turned out she had brought dinner.

Yinyan and I went into the house and sat down at the table. After setting the dishes out, Yinyan took two small wine glasses and poured them full. I took one and took a small sip: "Osmanthus wine?"

Yin Yan smiled and nodded: "It's freshly brewed, I secretly brought a pot over."

I grinned and remembered that the last time I drank was during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I got so drunk that Shen Haoyu banned me from drinking again. So I said, "It's a good thing the young prince isn't in the manor."

Yin Yan also laughed and said, "Last time I drank too much, Yu Ying insisted that I not drink anymore. Now that the master is not here, and Yu Ying has temporarily gone to the princess's place, we must have a good time to satisfy our cravings."

The two exchanged a smile and, quite in unison, tilted their heads back and drank the wine in their glasses.

"This Autumn Maple Garden has suddenly become so cold and indifferent." After drinking another cup of wine, Yin Yan's tone carried a hint of unspeakable loneliness.

Yes, Shen Haoyu is gone, and most of the guards in Qiufeng Garden have been taken away. Zi Nuo is also gone. I can hardly find anyone to talk to. I glanced at Yin Yan and waved my hand in front of her: "Sister Yin Yan, don't we still have each other to keep you company?"

Yin Yan glanced at me sideways, her eyes already showing a hint of drunkenness: "You? You wouldn't stay here with me."

I looked at her, somewhat puzzled, but she didn't say anything, only poured herself another glass of wine and drank it down. Why is everyone acting so strangely? Afraid that Yin Yan would get drunk, I took the wine jug and drank it all in. At least my alcohol tolerance is better than Yin Yan's; I really hope Yin Yan doesn't get drunk as soon as Shen Haoyu leaves, or people will gossip. Shen Haoyu used to go out often, always taking only Yu Ying with him, and Yin Yan never seemed to be in any trouble. What's wrong this time?

Seeing that there was no more wine to drink, Yin Yan picked up her bowl and focused on eating, and I quickly started eating too.

After clearing away the dishes, lanterns were lit throughout the garden. Since Shen Haoyu wasn't there, fewer lanterns were lit than usual, so the garden wasn't very bright, just enough to illuminate the path. After escorting the slightly tipsy Yinyan back to her room, I inexplicably leaped onto the roof and sat down, imitating Shen Haoyu. A cold wind blew, and the effects of the alcohol wore off considerably. Sitting on the roof, the view was truly unique.

The next day, I slept in late, washed my still groggy face with cold water, and started getting dressed. As I was combing my hair, Yin Yan's voice rang out from outside the door again: "It's almost noon!" I quickly tied my hair up and opened the door with a smile: "Did you sleep well last night, sister?" After drinking the wine, I slept soundly.

Yin Yan glanced at me sideways, then looked at my attire with some surprise: "What's this?"

I smiled and walked out of the room: "I'm going to get something to eat, then I have some errands to run."

Yin Yan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Did Master give these instructions?"

I nodded slightly, thinking, "Let me use this opportunity to act on my own."

After eating the pastries Yin Yan had left me, I left the Prince Qing's residence through a side gate. Ultimately, I needed to see Shen Tingxuan on personal business, so I circled the bustling city several times before heading towards the Second Prince's residence, hoping to mislead any potential spies. Familiar with the place, I leaped over the wall and into the residence, carefully hiding behind a tree. Just as I was about to move to another spot, a deep voice sounded above me: "It's you again!"

Helplessly, I turned around and looked up, only to see a faint disdain on Dongcheng's young and resolute face. I quickly smiled and greeted him. Dongcheng seemed to remember something, and his slightly dark and handsome face turned a little red.

"His Highness has not yet returned to the residence," Dongcheng said directly, turning his face away.

I asked, somewhat disappointed, "When will Your Highness return?"

Dongcheng shook his head, saying he didn't know. After thinking for a moment, I could only say helplessly, "This guard is called Dongcheng, right? When His Highness returns, please tell him that I will come to have lunch with him before 11 PM tomorrow." I then asked, "Is this your duty area? Then I'll come in from here from now on."

Hearing this, Dongcheng glared at me angrily. I chuckled, turned around, and leaped over the courtyard wall again. Sigh, what can I do? The food at Qiufeng Garden has gotten much worse since Shen Haoyu left. I'll come find Shen Tingxuan tomorrow and try to get a free meal.

Having just come out so easily for the first time, I didn't want to go back so soon. I turned around and strode towards the market. As I passed Cui Xin Fang, I couldn't help but glance inside. The familiar waiter was greeting customers with a beaming smile. I smiled slightly and strode away.

Walking through the familiar streets, I felt a surge of excitement. I had walked almost every corner of the capital city with Shen Zexuan, and now, walking alone, I wasn't afraid of getting lost. I considered asking Shen Zexuan to come out with me, but ultimately decided against it. Firstly, I didn't know if Shen Zexuan was away from the manor like Shen Tingxuan, and secondly, I didn't want to get into any more trouble at this time.

When I arrived at a jade shop, I thought about it and went in anyway. The shop assistant didn't pay any attention to me because I wasn't dressed well. He was busy serving other customers and left me to look around on my own. He would only glance at me cautiously from time to time, as if he was afraid that I would damage the items or steal them.

I sneered inwardly, turned around and left the jade shop. I had originally intended to buy something for Zinuo, but I decided to look elsewhere. I had just stepped off the shop's steps when my arm was grabbed. Turning around, I saw it was the shop assistant from the jade shop. He grabbed me and shouted, "You thief, hand over the jade ring you just stole from us!"

The young man wasn't particularly imposing, but his voice was loud enough to immediately draw the attention of passersby. Several onlookers even gathered around. I had never encountered such a situation before, and I was both anxious and angry. My tone was quite unfriendly: "Young man, you say I took something from your shop, but you need evidence!"

The waiter sneered, "The moment you walked in, I could tell you were shifty-eyed. You looked around the shop for so long but didn't buy anything. As soon as you left, the pair of jade rings on the shelf disappeared. Who else could it be but you?"

Hearing this, I became even more furious. I thought to myself, although I'm not exactly a beauty queen, and this men's clothing I'm wearing isn't exactly made of good material, surely I don't deserve to be called "shifty-eyed"? The onlookers whispered among themselves, "This young man is actually quite handsome, how come he's doing this kind of thing?"

I forcefully shook off the servant's hand and said coldly, "Brother, did you see me take that jade ring?"

"Even if I didn't see it, a search of you would make it clear, wouldn't it?" The servant glared at me, making a move to grab me again. I moved aside, naturally refusing to be grabbed again, and certainly not foolish enough to let them actually search me.

Seeing me dodge, the waiter shouted again, "The thief is going to get away!" The crowd immediately swarmed around me, surrounding me completely. At this moment, a middle-aged man with a small mustache came out of the shop. As soon as the waiter saw him, he immediately stepped aside respectfully. I couldn't tell if he was the shopkeeper or the owner.

"That jade ring isn't anything particularly valuable. If you know what's good for you, young man, you'd better return it to our shop quickly, and we won't send you to the authorities to be punished." The middle-aged man smiled elegantly, but to me it seemed unfathomably eerie.

I shook my head and said, "Let alone that I didn't steal anything from your shop, even if I did, I would have stolen something valuable, as you said, and I would never have taken such a jade ring and almost been caught on the spot."

"Is that so?" Before the middle-aged man could finish speaking, he was already in front of me in a flash. His hand reached around my waist and revealed a pair of jade rings, their emerald green shimmering in the sunlight. I knew perfectly well whether he had taken the jade rings or not, but now they had been found on me. I wondered if someone had placed them on me beforehand or if they were already in this middle-aged man's possession. Moreover, this man was quite skilled. I had a feeling that I had fallen into a trap the moment I entered this jade shop. Remembering Shen Haoyu's words before I left, a chill ran down my spine.

The middle-aged man opened his palm and smiled, "Young brother, is there anything else you have to say?"

I stared coldly at the middle-aged man, my face expressionless, but my mind was racing, unable to come up with a good plan. If they were doing this intentionally, how could I easily escape? Just as I was struggling with this dilemma, a pleasant male voice came from inside the shop: "Manager Chen has indeed wronged this young man. I can testify that this jade ring was not stolen by him." I looked up and saw a handsome young man in white slowly walking out of the shop. It was the same young man who had been warmly entertained with tea earlier. Every step he took had a peculiar rhythm, as if he were dancing to some musical beat. Who was this man?

Upon seeing the young man in white, Manager Chen immediately put on a professional smile: "What advice do you have for me, Young Master Yu?"

Young Master Yu smiled slightly, which had a captivating charm: "Unfortunately, I just saw someone else take the jade ring in the shop. When I realized that the matter was about to be exposed, I quietly put the jade ring on this young man. This young man did not steal Manager Chen's jade ring."

A fleeting ruthlessness crossed Manager Chen's face, but it was quickly masked by a broad smile: "It seems we really wronged this young man." Manager Chen glanced at me indifferently, then asked Young Master Yu, "Since you saw the real thief of the jade ring, could you tell us what he looked like so we can search for him?"

Young Master Yu shook his head and smiled, "Manager Chen, there's no need for such trouble. I've already kept the person here." As he spoke, he clapped his hands, and the man who had been standing next to Young Master Yu pulled a young man dressed in dark blue cloth clothes out of the shop.

Shopkeeper Chen stepped forward and asked, "Did you steal this jade ring?"

The young man in blue nodded silently. Manager Chen waved his hand and said, "Take this man to the yamen." He then turned to me and said, "There was a misunderstanding earlier. I apologize." I glanced at him but didn't say anything. Two shop assistants came out and took the young man away, presumably to the yamen.

The matter was resolved, and the onlookers gradually dispersed. I cupped my hands and said to Young Master Yu, "Thank you, Young Master."

Young Master Yu smiled faintly and slowly walked away in another direction with his follower. After watching Young Master Yu leave and disappear around the corner, I finally set off to return to Prince Qing's residence. Neither Manager Chen nor Young Master Yu are simple characters. But are these two truly not on the same side, or were they putting on an act for me?