Geschichte über einen Ehemanndiebstahl

Kapitel 33

Duan Chen straightened up, glanced at the speaker, and turned to leave. Unexpectedly, the man stepped forward and blocked Duan Chen's way, bowing and saying, "My name is Fang Wenli. May I ask your name, Miss?"

Duan Chen frowned and was about to walk around to the side when Zhan Yun stood beside him, holding a jade-bone fan and returning the greeting: "So it's Young Master Fang. I've long admired your father's name, but I've never had the chance to pay him a visit. It's truly an honor to meet you today."

The man's face changed color the moment he saw the jade-shaped folding fan in Zhan Yun's hand. After hearing Zhan Yun's words, cold sweat poured down his forehead. He exchanged a few perfunctory pleasantries and hurriedly left the house.

Zhao Ting, somewhat confused, turned his gaze to Zhou Yufei. The young master Zhou smiled and said in a low voice, "His father just passed away two months ago, and he's still in mourning, yet he went out to travel and flirt with women. After Xingzhi stirred things up like this, how could he possibly stay put? One person in this house could spit on him and drown him!"

Not only Zhao Ting, but Duan Chen also only understood the implications after hearing these words, and when he looked at Zhan Yun again, he naturally became more wary. Zhan Yun was both amused and exasperated by Duan Chen's gaze, thinking to himself, "How did I become the villain again!" Just as he was feeling annoyed, he heard a gentle voice behind him: "I wonder if this gentleman is the Second Young Master Zhan, known in the martial arts world as 'The Gentleman of Jade and Clouds'?"

Chapter Four: Maneuvering and Clues

The group turned around and saw three beautiful women, each with a distinct charm, standing before them. The woman in the middle wore a delicate pale yellow dress, with tassel-like light yellow glass beads cascading from her dark hair to her forehead. Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and her cherry-pink lips curved into a charming smile. The two women beside her were quite different; the one in a light purple dress exuded arrogance, while the one in a light pink dress had her face bowed in shy blush.

Before anyone could respond, the young lady in the middle spoke again, this time shifting her gaze from Zhan Yun to Duan Chen: "This lady, is she Young Master Xingzhi's cousin?"

Duan Chen stood beside Zhan Yun with his phoenix eyes half-closed, offering no reply. Zhan Yun tucked his folding fan into his sleeve, bowed slightly, and smiled gently, saying, "I suppose this is the Miss Liu that the young master mentioned yesterday."

Liu Manyie covered her mouth and giggled, "Young Master Xingzhi has a good eye." As she spoke, she glanced at Duan Chen again, her eyes darting around, and her smile became even sweeter, "Young Master hasn't introduced us to the young lady beside him yet. There are very few female guests at the manor, unlike in previous years when we invited many ladies and young misses to come and enjoy the plum blossoms together, which has worried us a lot! We finally managed to find out from the steward that a young lady arrived last night, and she came with Young Master Xingzhi. That's why we came to find her first thing this morning!"

Zhan Yun smiled faintly, turning her head to look at Duan Chen, a hint of doting in her eyes: "Chen'er has never been one to talk much, which might bore the young ladies. How about this, we've looked at the weapons quite a bit, would Miss Liu be willing to be our guide and lead us to the back garden to admire the plum blossoms?"

Liu Mandie's smile remained unchanged, but her gaze towards Duan Chen held a hint of inquiry: "Of course. Today, after the snow has cleared, it's the perfect time to appreciate the plum blossoms."

Thus, the group left the house and, led by Liu Mandie, headed west towards the manor. Liu Mandie and Zhan Yun walked side by side at the front, about a meter apart. Duan Chen walked on Zhan Yun's other side, deliberately slowing his pace to avoid them, keeping a step's distance but not too far from Zhan Yun. Zhao Ting and Zhou Yufei followed behind, the woman in the light purple dress beside Zhou Yufei, while the woman in the pink dress walked beside Zhao Ting.

The group had just introduced themselves. Zhao Ting and Zhou Yufei both used their courtesy names as their given names, saying they were old friends of Zhan Yun from Suzhou. The two women, the one in the light purple dress was Liu Mandie's cousin, surnamed Lou, and the one in the pink dress, Miss Yue, was a close friend of Liu and Lou, having played together since childhood. She had come to the birthday banquet with her brother.

Yue Yiyi was already somewhat timid, and now she walked cautiously beside Zhao Ting, her head bowed low, her hands tightly twisting a silk handkerchief. She secretly glanced at the man beside her, then quickly lowered her head even further. So fierce! Although he's also quite handsome.

Zhao Ting's brows furrowed deeply, his face darkening as he stared at the three people walking ahead. Cousin? Chen'er? Xingzhi hadn't been up to any good from the start! Besides, when had Duan Chen ever agreed to such an intimate address? Just now, when Zhan Yun called out "Chen'er" in front of everyone, to Zhao Ting's surprise, Duan Chen remained completely calm, not even lifting an eyelid, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The more Zhao Ting thought about it, the darker his face became. This brat must have pre-arranged the words with Duan Chen!

Zhou Yufei casually chatted with the two young ladies. Who was this young master Zhou? He was a seasoned player in the game of love, a womanizer who could "pass through a sea of flowers without a single petal touching his clothes." Teasing these two young girls was as easy as drinking water for him! A casual remark caused the previously anxious Yue Yiyi to burst into laughter, followed by a series of silvery giggles. On the other side, although Lou Yueru maintained a tense expression, a closer look revealed that her unconsciously curved lips and subtly smiling eyes once again proved the irresistible charm of young master Zhou.

Duan Chen walked slowly behind Liu Mandie and Zhan Yun, secretly comparing the scenery along the way with the map in his mind, paying little attention to their conversation. Just as he was deep in thought, he heard someone softly call his name from the side. He subconsciously looked up and met Zhan Yun's crescent-shaped eyes, which seemed to be smiling but not smiling: "What are you thinking about? Miss Liu was just talking to you, didn't you hear me?"

Duan Chen remained calm and turned to look at Liu Mandie: "I'm sorry. I was just thinking, this manor is called 'Wanliu', but we haven't seen a single willow tree along the way."

Upon hearing this, Liu Manyie's cherry-pink lips curved into a beautiful smile, her eyes sparkling as she glanced at Zhan Yun with a hint of reproach: "Why didn't Young Master Xingzhi properly introduce our manor to Sister Chen? Our 'Wanliu Manor' has ten thousand plum trees, but only one ancient willow, right behind the house where those weapons were just displayed. My grandfather told me that the name 'Wan' was given when he was still alive, supposedly to express gratitude to a senior who had been a great benefactor to our Liu family. It means that as long as our Liu family exists in the martial world, we welcome that benefactor and his descendants to visit us. The friendship between the Liu and Wan families will last for generations."

Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting quickly exchanged a glance, then Zhan Yun smiled and sighed, "This is the first time I've heard this story from Miss Liu. I always thought the name 'Wan Liu' came from the 'ten thousand' plum trees of the Liu family and the 'Liu' in the surname of the owner. I never imagined there was such a connection. I'm truly ignorant." As he spoke, Zhan Yun frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled, "But is this Wan family the Wan family lord of 'Flying Eagle Fortress' in the southwest?" Apart from that, Zhan Yun really couldn't think of any other Wan family in the martial world that could match the prestige described by Liu Manyie.

Upon hearing Zhan Yun's words, Liu Manyie seemed a little embarrassed. She gently shook her head, and the glass beads on her forehead swayed slightly, making her look even more charming: "It shouldn't be. I heard that since my grandfather's generation, no one from the Wan family has ever appeared in the martial arts world. My grandfather only saw the descendant of that benefactor come to the manor once when he was very young. After that, it seems that the person disappeared without a trace. My grandfather has always been very sad about this."

Everyone nodded, understanding the situation. As they spoke, they arrived at the plum garden on the west side. At the entrance lay a green rock with four large vermilion characters inscribed on it: "Fragrance of Plum Blossoms Across Ten Thousand Acres." Even before entering the garden, a subtle fragrance wafted around them. The air after the snow was pure and clear, and the unique, delicate scent of plum blossoms filled their nostrils. Before even seeing the plum blossoms, they were already intoxicated by their fragrance.

Following Liu Mandie's footsteps, the group stepped into the plum garden through the snow. The first thing that caught their eye was a patch of pale pink plum trees. Each pink plum blossom resembled a pink butterfly fluttering on the branches. A cold wind blew, and the petals trembled gently, adding to their delicate and graceful appearance. Liu Mandie smiled and explained, "This patch of 'Palace Pink Butterfly' plum blossoms is in full bloom. Further ahead, there are two other types of plum blossoms that are also blooming beautifully these days. The snow came early this year, and most of the other varieties are just beginning to bud. To see them properly, you'll have to wait a little longer."

"Holding it to play with, I'm not satisfied, the flower withers in my hand. Its fragrance fades in my grasp, and I feel a pang of regret. Surely it will bloom again, but I think it's better to bloom first." Zhou Yufei picked a plum blossom and handed it to Lou Yueru. His amber eyes were fixed on the beauty before him, and a smile played on his lips, making him look exceptionally charming.

Lou Yueru's cheeks flushed slightly as she reached out to take the plum branch, her eyes glancing somewhat uncomfortably to the side. Liu Mandie had already covered her mouth and laughed out loud: "What a pity that a newly blossoming 'Palace Pink Butterfly' plum was plucked by Young Master Zhou just to win a smile from my beautiful cousin. Cousin Yueru, you should smile. Otherwise, if Young Master Zhou gets inspired to compose poetry while plucking plum blossoms, my plum garden can't withstand his antics!"

Lou Yueru blushed crimson at Zhou Yufei's teasing, turning away and ignoring her. Zhou Yufei, however, remained unfazed, raising an eyebrow and smiling wickedly: "I'm following the teachings of the ancients, the saying 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for time waits for no one.'" As he spoke, Zhou Yufei glanced at Zhao Ting, his eyes seemingly full of meaning, then smiled at Zhan Yun: "I say, Xingzhi, Miss Liu has worked very hard explaining things along the way. Even if you were to offer her a plum blossom as a gift, I'm sure Miss Liu wouldn't utter a single complaint."

Zhao Ting naturally understood Zhou Yufei's implied meaning, his face remaining indifferent, but his deep eyes looked at Duan Chen standing not far away. Walking through the snow to the beauty's side, Zhao Ting parted his thin lips and said in a deep voice, "You like these plum blossoms?"

Duan Chen was standing in front of a plum tree with pale yellow petals. Hearing Zhao Ting's question, he glanced at him sideways but remained silent. Zhao Ting's heart pounded rapidly at that indifferent glance, and in his confusion, he reached out to break off a branch in front of him. Duan Chen looked at the person breaking off the plum blossom with some surprise: "I don't like it."

Zhao Ting paused, his dark eyes fixed intently on the woman before him: "Which one do you like?"

Duan Chen pursed his lips and turned to leave. But Zhan Yun also came to greet him, smiling slightly as he looked at Duan Chen: "Aren't the plum blossoms beautiful?"

Duan Chen stood silently, his expression slightly darkening. He thought to himself, "I just wanted to admire the plum blossoms, why have these people made such a fuss! It's utterly boring." Seeing Liu Mandie's suppressed smile as she scrutinized him, and Zhou Yufei's half-closed gaze, Duan Chen frowned and looked at Zhan Yun. Just how deep are this man's thoughts?

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Lunch was eaten with the others in a house outside the plum garden. The food was exquisitely prepared, though noticeably on the heavier side. The other three ate with gusto, but Duan Chen clearly ate more rice than dishes. Fortunately, the plum wine brewed at the manor had a unique flavor; the clear liquid carried a subtle plum aroma. After being warmed, the alcohol content decreased, but the taste became more lingering. Duan Chen slowly sipped his wine, quietly listening to the others at the table chatting animatedly.

Liu Mandie picked up the serving chopsticks to serve food to Zhan Yun. Zhan Yun smiled slightly and turned to look at Duan Chen sitting next to him. Duan Chen took a sip of wine and said softly, "Cousin doesn't like eggplant."

Liu Manyie opened her mouth, looking at Zhan Yun somewhat at a loss, her smile momentarily forced: "I'm sorry, I didn't know Young Master Xingzhi..."

Zhan Yun smiled and said gently, "It's alright, it's not like I won't eat anything." But when she picked up her chopsticks again, she didn't touch the piece of eggplant in her bowl until she finished lunch.

Liu Manyie stopped serving food to Zhan Yun, and each time she glanced at Duan Chen, she couldn't hide the complex expression in her eyes. The expressions of the others were all somewhat inscrutable, especially Zhao Ting and Zhou Yufei. Zhou Yufei's mouth was constantly moving; he was either eating and drinking or making jokes, so the atmosphere at the table was still harmonious. Zhao Ting, however, remained silent with a cold expression. Several times when he met Zhan Yun's gaze, he narrowed his eyes slightly, his eyes filled with a strong warning. Zhan Yun seemed completely oblivious, smiling faintly as he ate and drank, occasionally saying a few words.

After the meal, the group was still full of energy, except for Duan Chen, who said she had drunk a bit too much and wanted to go back to her room to rest. Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun insisted on taking her back, but Duan Chen only said softly, "It's very close, no need," and then got up and left the room. Zhan Yun lowered her eyes and tightened the jade-bone fan hidden in her sleeve; she had already figured it out.

Zhao Ting got up and chased after him, but only caught a glimpse of a figure in the distance before it quickly disappeared into the snow. The young prince sighed softly, a hint of sorrow creeping into his eyes.

Meanwhile, Duan Chen used his lightness skill to head towards the house where the weapons were displayed. Before long, he slowed his pace, pretending to take a stroll, and unhurriedly circled around to the back of the house. There, as expected, stood a thick willow tree. Looking around, his fair brows furrowed. The area was empty; apart from the house in front, there were no other buildings. After all, fifteen years had passed; judging by this, the original house must have been demolished long ago. Duan Chen turned around, frowning, but was startled in the next instant.

The man before him was of ordinary appearance and dressed plainly, yet he exuded an air of imposing nobility, his brows revealing a dignified and authoritative presence. Duan Chen took a step back, then turned and walked in another direction. The man didn't stop him, only saying in a low voice, "The changes here are indeed significant." The man's voice was somewhat strange, like fingernails scraping sandpaper, almost unbearable to hear. Furthermore, he spoke almost as if his words were muffled, deliberately unclear, and spoke quickly; if Duan Chen hadn't just had the same thought flash through his mind a moment earlier, it would have been almost impossible to understand what he was saying.

Seeing Duan Chen stop, a strange glint flashed in the man's eyes, but he quickly feigned a troubled expression as Duan Chen turned around. Duan Chen knew this man was too dangerous; appearing behind him so silently required superior internal energy. His face was clearly disguised, and his voice was likely distorted by medication. Yet, his words just now were enough to make Duan Chen stop and wait to see what the man would say or do next.

The man frowned and met Duan Chen's gaze, tentatively asking with slight hesitation, "You, too, are here to find that thing?"

Duan Chen curled his lips into a smile, his expression calm: "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're saying."

A flash of annoyance crossed the man's eyes. This woman was definitely doing it on purpose! She had said that her voice was low and hoarse, and that she had deliberately mumbled to cover up her accent. Anyone who paid attention would have no problem understanding her!

The two were locked in a stalemate when they heard a man's panicked shouts from not far away: "It's terrible! Master, Young Master, Miss, help us quickly!"