Mercenary Princess - Chapter 28
"Still slow!"
"One thousand three hundred and sixty-three taels and six strings and eight mace..."
"Faster!"
"one thousand……"
"Faster!"
"One thousand three hundred and sixty-six taels, six strings and eight mace, five thousand two hundred taels, seven strings and five mace, three thousand..."
...
"Young master, the master and son-in-law are in the accounting office. This way, please."
"This is troublesome!"
"Young master, you are too kind. It is my honor to show you the way."
As the sun set, the sky was ablaze with rosy clouds. Inside the Murong mansion, on a narrow, cobblestone path, two figures, one in white and one in blue, slowly made their way towards the accounting office. The old man in blue leading the way was a long-time servant of the mansion, while the man in white behind him was Chu Xuyao, who had come to find Rongyue.
He thought he and Luo Di had hit it off immediately and chatted happily, and that Luo Di would surely come to see him today. He assumed Luo Di would come to Ke Lai Ju, fearing he might miss him, so he arrived early this morning, foolishly waiting for Luo Di's arrival. But what happened? Perhaps Luo Di had completely forgotten about the brother he had just met yesterday! He waited and waited, from sunrise to sunset, but still, not a trace of him appeared! Didn't Luo Di say he was his most admired hero? Why had he forgotten him so completely in the blink of an eye? What was he to Luo Di? A brother? A passerby? Or just an insignificant outsider? Resentment, anger, disappointment, and frustration surged into his heart, forcing him to personally go and find Luo Di, to demand an explanation!
“…Young master, young master?” Looking at Chu Xuyao’s face full of resentment and unwillingness, the old servant leading the way couldn’t help but mutter to himself: This expression is just like the resentful woman from the Wang family next door.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Young master, the accounting office is just ahead."
Oh, so the accounting office has arrived! After waving away the old servant in blue, Chu Xuyao flicked his moon-white robe and, seeing that he was alright, strode towards the accounting office with his long, powerful legs.
From afar, he could hear Luo Di's confident voice: "This account totals 183,656 taels, 3 strings, and 7 qian! Ade, here we go! The twenty-fourth account, and the last one!"
A moment later, a hoarse voice rattled off a string of numbers like popping beans: "Five hundred and sixty-three taels and five mace, one thousand six hundred and thirteen strings of cash, two thousand eight hundred and fifty taels and two mace, seven thousand..."
About fifteen minutes later, the hoarse voice stopped abruptly, and immediately, Luo Di's voice rang out again: "122,735 taels, 4 strings and 3 mace!"
After he finished speaking, the entire hall erupted in uproar! Master Murong trembled with excitement, his snow-white beard quivering, before he finally roared, "Excellent! Excellent! A genius, a prodigy!!"
Chu Xuyao, who was eavesdropping at the door, was also utterly astonished! Brother Luo was truly extraordinary! Such a fast calculation speed was probably unmatched in the entire Eastern Dynasty, and even in the world today! Looking at Rongyue, who sat gracefully and confidently in the armchair, Chu Xuyao's heartstrings twitched, and a hint of admiration, which he himself did not realize, flickered in his cold eyes...
With an elegant snap of her fingers and a victorious smile, Rongyue leaped up from her armchair: "Father, the mission? Your son-in-law completed it within the stipulated time! A month, a month's vacation! A gentleman's word is as good as his bond! Father, you can't go back on your word!"
"Three hours, just three hours! Hahaha... A genius! I've gained a genius son-in-law! Hahaha—"
Seeing that her father Murong seemed to be overly excited and somewhat possessed, Rongyue rolled her eyes, told Ade to take good care of her father, and then cheerfully prepared to go back to her room to find Yuyan!
But as soon as she stepped out, Rongyue was grabbed by a powerful force and instantly pulled into a body as cold and hard as iron.
Rongyue's first thought was that there was an assassin! She was about to raise her right leg to deliver a fatal blow when a muffled sound from above made her body tremble: "Brother Luo, why didn't you come to find me?"
Chu Xuyao! What the hell is this bastard doing here?! Is this world even letting people live anymore?!
"Brother Chu, it's you... Hmm, what brings you here?"
The arms that were holding her tightened suddenly, and Chu Xuyao's face turned gloomy and cold: "What, you don't like me?"
Here we go again! Why does this jerk like to hold people so much? Learning from her last experience, she didn't dare to move and could only obediently nestle in his arms: "Brother Chu, what are you saying! I'm overjoyed to see you again, how could I possibly dislike you?"
The iron arm loosened slightly, and Rongyue breathed a sigh of relief. She realized she couldn't tell the truth in front of Chu Xuyao! Telling the truth meant trouble, and trouble meant saying things she didn't mean. Hearing these lies would make Chu Xuyao overjoyed and relieved, and he would stop tormenting her! It was a vicious cycle! If this continued, she really wondered if she would become a liar, a woman who told lies nine out of ten times.
"Then why don't you come find me?"
"Huh? Looking for you? Why would I look for you?" Rongyue blurted out, oblivious to everything else.
"You!" Chu Xuyao's cold eyes widened in anger. His iron hands moved to her shoulders, roughly turning her body to force her to look at him. "You didn't actually want to see me, did you! You didn't miss me at all! How could you be so heartless! All day long, I waited like a fool from sunrise to sunset, and what was the result? I didn't even see a trace of you! How could you do this to me!"
She has no conscience? She wronged him? Something doesn't sound right here! It's like a heartless man abandoning his young wife! Rongyue was stunned by Chu Xuyao's words, her face full of black lines, listening blankly to his roar and staring at his angry eyes.
"I really doubt whether I have a place in your heart at all? Brother Luo, tell me, do you even care about Brother Chu?! Speak up, say something! Why won't you speak? Speak up!!" Seeing Rong Yue remain silent, almost driven mad, Chu Xuyao assumed she was too guilty to answer. A burning anger or jealousy flared within him, and he wildly shook Rong Yue's shoulders, the force almost breaking them!
"Stop!" With a loud shout, a jujube wood cane flew towards Chu Xuyao with the force of a thunderbolt! He quickly dodged to the side, and the jujube wood cane whistled past his outer robe.
Their sharp, hawk-like eyes shot towards the source of the weapon, their sinister gaze fixed on Master Murong, who was walking towards them not far away.
Startled by the noise outside, Master Murong rushed out to see what was happening, only to be furious to find his beloved son-in-law being bullied! Without a second thought, he flung his jujube wood cane, only to have it evaded by the villain! His son-in-law was the treasure of the Murong family; he would risk his life to prevent anyone from harming him in the slightest!
"You're courting death!" Chu Xuyao's eyes were bloodthirsty as his iron palm began to slide up to his waist.
Rong Yue froze when she saw Chu Xuyao's ferocious expression. When she felt the intense killing intent emanating from him, she reacted immediately and quickly wrapped her arms around his waist.
Chu Xuyao's body stiffened instantly, a tingling, trembling sensation shooting from his spine to his brain. The murderous aura around him vanished without a trace in an instant. Chu Xuyao breathed erratically, standing frozen in place like a petrified statue for a long time without moving.
"A Luo, come here to your father!" Master Murong's shout broke the rare silence between the two.
Sensing Chu Xuyao's murderous aura rising again, Rongyue hurriedly sacrificed herself, grabbed Chu Xuyao's hand, and came to Master Murong with a smile: "Father, you've misunderstood! Brother Chu is not a bad person, he is the sworn brother Chu Xuyao, the Master of Manor, whom I mentioned to you last night!"
He secretly gave Master Murong a wink, and Master Murong understood, his old face softening as he clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chu Xuyao: "So it's the renowned Master Chu! I've heard so much about you! It's said that Master Chu is exceptionally brave and valiant, with a cold and domineering aura. Meeting you today, I can see that your reputation is well-deserved!"
Chu Xuyao gave Old Master Murong a cold look, then turned his gaze to Rongyue beside him, showing no intention of responding.
Master Murong's old face immediately showed suppressed anger. Seeing that the atmosphere had reached a stalemate, Rongyue was afraid that if this continued, it would really lead to a fierce battle. So she was about to say something to ease the tension, but the next second she was picked up by Chu Xuyao and disappeared in the blink of an eye in front of Master Murong!
"Father, I'll be back a little later tonight... Don't worry..." Rongyue's voice faintly drifted from the direction she disappeared outside the Murong residence...
Volume 1, Pear Blossom Courtyard, Melting Moon, Chapter 35: Chu Xuyao's Fury
Red lanterns cast an ambiguous, hazy glow; alluring women leaned against the door, welcoming and seeing off guests. This familiar scene made Rongyue uneasy: Could this guy be planning to bring her to a brothel?