Compendio de hombres apuestos en el mundo de las artes marciales

Capítulo 114

Lord Ding's men had already taken the strip of cloth to cloth shops in the city and confirmed that it was the most common and ordinary cotton cloth, readily available to anyone, and nothing special. Therefore, the investigation route focusing on the murder weapon was also closed.

When Duan Chen and Zhan Yun came out of the government office, it was already noon. The sky was a bit gloomy, and it started to rain after they had only walked a few steps. Neither of them had brought an umbrella, so Zhan Yun quickly pulled them into a nearby restaurant, saying with a smile, "I was originally planning to bring you here to try their specialties sometime, but this rain is quite timely."

As they talked, they followed the waiter up to the second floor. Duan Chen paused slightly as she stepped onto the last step. Zhan Yun, following behind, gently placed his hand on her waist and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

As she spoke, she followed Duan Chen's gaze. The person by the window stood up awkwardly, a few cracks appearing on his usually cold face. He forced a smile, and his eyes were somewhat evasive: "Xingzhi, Chen'er."

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100

Chapter Four: Longing and Departure...

Zhao Ting had been in Suzhou for three days. He had ridden from Bianjing all the way, which wasn't a particularly fast journey. On the evening of his arrival in the city, he heard that the second young master of Xingyun Manor had become engaged, and the two had already held their betrothal ceremony a few days prior. He heard that the marriage was held in a very low-key and simple manner, with only two close friends from the city invited besides the families of both sides. Therefore, not many people knew about it, and the news was only being whispered about among the people of Suzhou; it hadn't yet spread throughout the martial arts world.

Zhao Ting hadn't figured out how to get to Xingyun Manor to find the person, and now, even that last bit of hope in his mind was gone. Before, when he and Zhou Yufei came to Suzhou to visit Zhan Yun, the three of them often lingered at this restaurant. The place had beautiful scenery, the food was very elegant, and because of its relatively high prices, it was never very crowded.

Zhao Ting came here to meditate for three consecutive days. He didn't order many dishes, but he kept ordering pot after pot of wine, drinking until the restaurant closed before leaving. He returned to a nearby inn, lay down on the bed, and slept soundly until dawn, then came back again after waking up.

These days, Zhao Ting is always alone, and he can't help but think back to the days when the three of them traveled all over the country together, laughing and playing, and the time when he first met Duan Chen in Hangzhou. Now, Zhan Yun has returned to Xingyun Manor with Duan Chen, Zhou Yufei is busy in and out of the Ministry of Justice every day, Zhao Qi is critically ill several times and has no time to take care of himself, and the Northwest is unusually quiet, so even if he wanted to volunteer, there are no battles to fight.

A man sat there drinking, watching the bustling crowds, but the image of that person's aloof face and the final scene at the gates of Bianjing kept replaying in his mind. The bamboo curtain slowly lowered, and she sat beside Zhan Yun, a faint smile playing on her lips. Zhao Ting had never imagined she would smile at him like that, but seeing it that day, his heart died.

Although Zhao Ting was straightforward and stubborn, he wasn't stupid. He knew that Duan Chen's smile was because of the person behind her. Because Zhan Yun was by her side, because the two of them could finally escape the chaos of Bianjing and return to Suzhou to live a carefree life just for the two of them, that's why she smiled at him like that. It was a kind of comfort, but also a farewell.

He had been thinking a lot these past few days. Calming down and reflecting on the past, Zhao Ting gradually understood the difference between himself and Zhan Yun. What he could offer Duan Chen was the prestigious position of a princess, a comfortable and peaceful life in a noble family, and unwavering, lifelong affection. But Duan Chen needed none of these three things.

What she longed for was the freedom of wandering the world, solving cases, and helping others, the boundless freedom of the skies, and a confidant who could support and accompany her. Leaving aside whether he, as a royal prince, could achieve the first two, he was inferior to Zhan Yun in the last one alone. He believed he hadn't fallen for Zhan Yun later, nor loved him less, but he simply didn't understand Duan Chen as well as Zhan Yun did.

These thoughts churned and churned within her, the clearer and more thorough her analysis, the more her heart ached with bitterness. Her longing for that person bordered on madness. Turning her head, she saw her in a light blue dress, her hair styled in an elegant updo, standing calmly at the top of the stairs, watching her. Just as she was about to doubt if she was hallucinating from drinking too much, another person appeared beside her in a snow-white robe, his arm possessively resting on her waist, whispering a soft laugh in her ear.

They are truly a perfect couple; anyone who sees them would feel the same way. Zhao Ting forced a smile as he stiffly stood up to greet the two.

Not daring to look at the expressions on their faces, Zhao Ting lowered his eyes, his thin lips slightly curved, and racked his brains for words of greeting: "I heard that your engagement has been completed, congratulations."

Duan Chen and Zhan Yun had already reached the table. Duan Chen glanced at the food and wine on the table, then nodded slightly without saying much. Zhan Yun had known this man for many years and could tell that Zhao Ting hadn't just arrived, and knew that he certainly wasn't traveling with anyone. He called for a waiter to bring two more sets of bowls and chopsticks, as well as some hot dishes. Zhan Yun pulled Duan Chen to sit opposite Zhao Ting, a faint smile on his lips as he greeted him, "How are Your Highness and Your Highness's consort?"

Zhao Ting curled his lips: "Very good. Yiran is very busy. His mother was chasing him hard a while ago. He would go straight to 'Lancao Pavilion' after leaving the Ministry of Justice and sleep there every night. He didn't come home for many days. His father would go to the Ministry of Justice to wait for him every day, but he could never catch him."

Zhan Yun shook his head and chuckled. That really was that kid's style.

Zhao Ting stared intently at the person sitting across from her. The person had a fair complexion, bright eyes, and a cheerful demeanor; it seemed she had been doing quite well at Xingyun Manor. Inwardly, however, she couldn't help but scoff. Those two were a loving couple, and Zhan Yun was always gentle and considerate—how could she not be doing well!

Duan Chen noticed the other person's unusually focused gaze, but didn't look up. She simply picked up the chrysanthemum tea that Zhan Yun had poured for her and sipped it slowly. Zhan Yun smiled slightly and said gently, "We just came across a case today, in Suzhou. If you're not busy, you can help us look for clues."

Zhao Ting turned his gaze to Zhan Yun, only to see a faint smile in his eyes, his face calm and composed, as if he hadn't noticed anything. Zhao Ting felt a slight tightness in his chest because of the other's thoughtfulness, and his eyes showed a hint of apology as he looked at Zhan Yun. He quickly glanced at Duan Chen, and seeing that she didn't seem to object to Zhan Yun's suggestion, he smiled and said in a deep voice, "Okay."

After having lunch together, the three went to the inn and teahouse alley where the murder had occurred, and finally returned to the Suzhou government office. Unfortunately, the weather was bad, with a light drizzle that came and went, and after a whole afternoon of searching, they didn't find much of a trace. Zhan Yun asked Zhao Ting to go back to the inn to get their belongings, and the three of them took a carriage back to Xingyun Manor.

That evening, when everyone in the manor saw Zhao Ting, they exchanged pleasantries. After a lively dinner together, Zhan Ye also became interested, and the three of them joined him for tea and conversation. Qin Qin and Qing Zi pulled Duan Chen into their room for a private chat, while Xiao Yiyi listened with a smile, occasionally chiming in.

Qingzi pouted and complained for a long time, then solemnly warned Duan Chen: "Xiao Luo, let me tell you, you absolutely cannot let him get the slightest advantage before we get married, understand? Look at me, if it weren't for the baby, I wouldn't have married him so early. I originally wanted to go to Bianjing to find you..."

Xiao Yiyi's lips twitched immediately, and disregarding the teacher-student relationship, she revealed the truth on the spot: "Qingzi, I vaguely remember that back then, it seems that you were drunk and took advantage of Mr. Jiang, didn't you..."

Qingzi's cheeks flushed, and she widened her eyes as she argued, "I just wanted to tie him up so he wouldn't return to Hangzhou so soon. I never knew that just that one time would..." As a result, she not only tied up Jiang Cheng, but also got herself trapped!

Qin Qin chuckled, covering her mouth, finding the conversations between the master and apprentice particularly amusing. Seeing Duan Chen sitting in the middle, his eyes half-closed, seemingly uncomfortable, she cleared her throat twice and said in a deliberately serious tone, "Qingzi, Master Xiao, please be mindful of your words. Chen'er is different from us; he hasn't experienced many things yet..." If Zhan Yun knew they were just chatting about this kind of nonsense with Duan Chen, she'd definitely pull him away with a dark expression!

Xiao Yiyi immediately scoffed, playing with her fingers in her hair: "It's alright! I've been nagging like this for years. This girl is a late bloomer, and there are many things I've explained that she wouldn't understand."

Qingzi clung to Duan Chen's arm and said coquettishly, "Xiao Luo, we've already talked about it. Tell us too, how far have you and he gone? Even though he hasn't done the full thing, there must have been kissing and touching, right? Is he gentle? Is he eager to take advantage of you?"

Duan Chen glanced at her sideways and replied calmly, "No."

Qingzi pouted and persisted, "What?! I asked so many questions, how can you just brush me off with a simple 'no'? Xiaoluo, you're so mean! I told you my story with Lao Jiang, even the details of our first time, you should at least tell me about kissing!"

Duan Chen sat cross-legged, her expression unchanged: "I didn't want to hear it." They had insisted on dragging her along. Her master was there, and Qin Qin was there too; she couldn't very well refuse them by saying she didn't want to listen.

Qingzi gritted her teeth and threatened fiercely, tightening her grip on Duan Chen's arm slightly, but without actually pinching him: "No! You've already listened, so as a fair exchange, you have to tell at least one thing!" She raised her index finger and shook it, "Just one."

Xiao Yiyi, standing nearby, didn't try to stop them, but just watched the two bickering with a smile. Qin Qin, standing to the side, gently intervened: "Why don't you talk about why you like Xingzhi, or what he did that moved you?"

Duan Chen thought for a moment and answered softly, "He planted a patch of pale blue orchids and gave it to me." These past two nights, she would go to see that patch of orchids by herself, and every time she saw it, she felt a warm glow in her heart.

Qin Qin smiled leisurely. Xingzhi, this kid, is more romantic than his older brother. Qingzi exclaimed "Wow!" and shook Duan Chen's arm, repeatedly calling out, "Where? Where? I want to see too! Pale blue flowers, I've never seen anything like them in my life!"

Xiao Yiyi scoffed and pointed a finger at Duan Chen's brow: "Silly girl, you were won over by a single orchid! If I hadn't happened to be passing by the other night, you would have been eaten alive, wouldn't you? Where did your dodging skills and lightness skills go?"

Qingzi earnestly instructed Duan Chen: "Xiao Luo, you must listen to your master in this matter. I suffered because of this. Look at you, you are always thinking about traveling around and solving cases. If you have a baby, you won't be able to do any of these things."

Duan Chen frowned slightly; she hadn't really thought about this carefully. What if she had a child…

That evening, Zhan Yun came to pick up Duan Chen and take her back to her room. As they reached the door, Duan Chen asked, "What if you have a child..."

Zhan Yun almost choked on his own saliva. They hadn't even tied the knot, hadn't consummated their marriage, hadn't done anything yet, so why were they suddenly talking about children? Zhan Yun quickly steadied his breathing, smiled, and gently stroked Duan Chen's cheek: "Why did you suddenly think about children?"

Duan Chen frowned slightly, not answering immediately, clearly troubled as well.