Los bandidos de montaña están en movimiento

Capítulo 151

"Why another night patrol? I remember you've been on night shift for four or five days in a row," Ma Hanqi said.

“Who says otherwise?” Mo Yan yawned wearily. “We’re really short-handed right now. How about you transfer a few people to me?”

Mahan sympathized with her, but there was nothing he could do: "We don't have many more people here."

“Then please tell your sister-in-law for me… Oh, right…” She bent down and pulled out two large smoked fish from behind the chair, handing them to Ma Han, “They were a gift from someone, please take them to your sister-in-law for me.”

Ma Han subconsciously took it, but only realized something was wrong when he held it in his hand. He looked around anxiously, trying to find a place to hide the fish, and muttered uneasily, "You actually accept gifts from people. If Lord Bao finds out, it will be terrible."

"Don't worry, I've already paid the money."

Mo Yan scratched her ear impatiently, got up, put on her raincoat, took off her straw hat, and walked into the rain. Because it was a rainy day, it got dark earlier than usual; it was only past dusk, but the sky was already dark and oppressive. She walked slowly through the market; several shops had already lit their lamps, which, though hazy through the rain and mist, appeared exceptionally bright.

Her eyes were a little sore, so she closed them tightly for a few moments. She seemed to hear someone calling her: "Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi."

She turned around, and in the dim light, she vaguely saw a figure in a warm red dress, his face calm and serene, a gentle smile on his lips... Even though she knew it was an illusion, she stared at him without blinking.

"Finally, I've seen you. Is this how busy you are in Kaifeng Prefecture?" Ning Jin, wearing a cloak and standing in the rain, walked over with a look of dissatisfaction. "I sent people to look for you several times the past few days, but you always said you weren't there. Are there that many thieves to catch lately?"

Mo Yan snapped out of her daze, pointed nearby, and gestured for him to come to the shop's veranda to talk.

"You can still recognize me even dressed like this?" She took off the straw hat that almost covered most of her face, shook off the water droplets, and casually smoothed the slightly messy strands of hair at her temples.

Ning Jin curled his lip arrogantly, with an expression of complete self-righteousness.

Seeing that his cloak was also soaked through, Mo Yan sighed softly and said, "I wonder what Your Highness Prince Ning's instructions are? It's getting late, and I have to patrol the streets soon."

Having just met her, and before they could even exchange two words, she seemed ready to leave. Ning Jin said with slight annoyance, "You're a constable now, why are you still patrolling the streets? What are your men doing?"

"There's no other way. We're short-handed lately. The rice shop was robbed, and the owner is making a huge fuss, so we had to transfer a few people to guard it for him. Plus, some of the constables have sick mothers or wives about to give birth. Oh, and another one said his fields are flooded and he has to rush back to help." Mo Yan looked up at the rain dripping from the eaves and said casually.

"So you took on all their work by yourself?" Ning Jin shook his head, staring at her with displeasure. "Girl, are you possessed by that cat?"

Mo Yan withdrew her gaze from the raindrops, turned to look at him, her eyes devoid of sadness, and smiled slightly, as if she had said something amusing.

Seeing this, Ning Jin turned her face away sharply. Three years had passed, and she was still like this, busy every day in Kaifeng Prefecture, as if she was doing the things that Zhan Zhao had not finished.

"Your Highness, what brings you here?"

"Something has gone missing from my house." He had built a residence in the capital a couple of years ago; although it wasn't large, he "didn't know what it was."

When she asked this question, her tone and expression were exactly like Zhan Zhao's. Ning Jin gritted his teeth inwardly and replied impatiently, "Jadeite Snow Rabbit Paperweight."

Mo Yan thought for a moment and asked curiously, "I remember you said you lost this thing two months ago."

Ning Jin was speechless for a moment, then quickly said, "That's right. This paperweight was originally a pair. One was lost two months ago, and now the other one is missing. It's possible that the same person stole it."

"That thief really doesn't mind the trouble." Mo Yan muttered to herself, then put her hat back on and said calmly, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will send someone over tomorrow."

“I don’t want those clumsy guys, I want you to come.” Ning Jin said bluntly, then paused and added, “You can come back in the afternoon, you can rest in the morning.”

Mo Yan shook her head slightly and said calmly, "I have important business to attend to tomorrow, and I'm afraid I won't be able to get away." Over the past few years, even if she was foolish, she understood Ning Jin's intentions towards her. However... Ning Jin was indeed very good, but she just didn't like him, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"You... at least you still call me Your Highness. I don't care about all that. If you don't come, I'll go find Bao Zheng and sue you, the head constable of Kaifeng, for dereliction of duty." Ning Jin was furious and started to act unreasonably.

Mo Yan remained silent for a moment, then looked up and said, "Your Highness, to be honest, I am, after all, a widow."

"What's wrong with the widow?"

"A widow's door is always a source of gossip, and I don't want to get involved. Do you... understand?"

Upon hearing this, Ning Jin stared intently at her: "I don't understand, I don't understand when you, Xiao Qi, started to care about these things?"

Mo Yan smiled bitterly and remained silent. She naturally didn't care about these things; they were merely her excuse to reject Ning Jin. She actually hoped that Ning Jin would care about his reputation.

Volume 3, Chapter 2

Wu Zichu waited at a distance on the street corner. Just now, Ning Jin hadn't even opened an umbrella, and hurriedly rushed forward to find Mo Yan after pulling up his cloak. Wu Zichu remained silent, not daring to offer any advice or approach. Firstly, he was afraid that it would be inconvenient for Ning Jin to speak, and secondly, even though he knew that Ning Jin was very fond of Mo Yan, he still felt it was inappropriate.

Fortunately, the two of them only stood under the eaves for a short while before he saw Mo Yan bow to Ning Jin in farewell and step back into the rain. Ning Jin stood alone under the eaves for a while, looking annoyed, seemingly glaring at her back, until Mo Yan disappeared into the rain and mist. Only then did he reluctantly turn his gaze away and slowly walk back.

Wu Zichu hurriedly held up his umbrella and went to greet him.

"When you get back, hide my pair of jade snow rabbit paperweights," Ning Jin said lazily, knowing it was someone sheltering him from the rain without even looking up. "Hide them well, don't let that girl find them. She should be coming tomorrow afternoon."

"yes."

Ning Jin paused for a moment, then said, "Prepare more snacks... I think she seems to have lost some weight lately."

"Yes." Wu Zichu sighed inwardly, thinking to himself, "Aren't you the same?"

Just as Ning Jin was about to get into the carriage, he suddenly saw a rider galloping from afar. Before the rider even reached the carriage, the rider dismounted and bowed to Ning Jin, saying, "Your Highness, the Emperor has decreed that you be summoned to the palace."

"My brother is looking for me?"

Ning Jin was slightly taken aback, wondering what was going on. He quickly boarded the carriage and ordered, "Go back to the manor to change."

The next day, Mo Yan was extremely reluctant to go to the Prince Ning's residence, but she was afraid that Ning Jin might actually come to Kaifeng Prefecture, which would only make things more complicated. She had been patrolling the streets all night and was exhausted. She splashed some well water on herself to refresh herself before she finally perked up. Too lazy to wait until the afternoon, she quickly tidied herself up and headed to the Prince Ning's residence.

The servants of the Prince Ning's mansion seemed to have just gotten up. When they opened the door, they were still sleepy. The constable's badge was waved under their noses several times before they finally woke up and let Mo Yan into the mansion.

"His Highness Prince Ning has not yet risen. Officer Mo, please wait here while I go and inform him."

Mo Yan nodded slightly, took off her raincoat and straw hat and placed them against the wall outside, then chose the chair closest to the window in the small side hall to sit down and wait.

The rain continued to fall softly. A clump of banana trees grew outside the window, and the raindrops pattered on them, creating a pleasant, tinkling sound. Here, apart from the sound of the rain, the surroundings were eerily quiet. Mo Yan lowered her head slightly and closed her eyes…

She didn't know when it started, but she really enjoyed listening to the rain quietly. It seemed that as long as she listened attentively, she could hear that familiar breathing sound mixed in with the rain.