But today is a little different. When Qin Xiaoyou heard that her master—no, Qin Qin's master—had been murdered, two shining words flashed through her mind: conspiracy!
As a young woman who had been immersed in the television and time-travel novel industries for many years, Qin Xiaoyou felt that there must be a big conspiracy involved, and as the only protagonist, the responsibility of unraveling the conspiracy undoubtedly fell on her shoulders. Just thinking about having to deal with a bunch of people who were secretly and openly plotting against her made Qin Xiaoyou feel a surge of tension, well, plus a tiny bit of excitement.
Qin Xiaoyou quickly went through all the period dramas, martial arts dramas, time-travel dramas, and various crime dramas she had ever watched in her mind. Then, she realized that her first priority should be to narrow down the suspects. Thinking that Kongkongzi was Qin Qin's master and knew martial arts, he was practically a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world). So Qin Xiaoyou looked up at Wenren Qi, blinked, and asked, "Brother Wenren, how good is my master's kung fu?"
Although he didn't understand why Qin Xiaoyou suddenly asked this question, Wenren Qi still answered patiently: "I don't know the exact level of your master's skills, but there's no problem in ranking him among the top ten masters in the martial arts world."
"Top ten!" Qin Xiaoyou exclaimed, cupping her face in longing. To be ranked among the top ten masters would be quite impressive. Ugh, realizing this, Qin Xiaoyou wanted to slap herself. Why hadn't she gone to Kongkongzi earlier? Perhaps Kongkongzi could have helped her remember how Qin Qin used her skills. Although her soul had been replaced, her body was still the same. After all, Qin Qin was a disciple of one of the top ten masters; her basic bodily functions should still be there. If she had thought to ask Kongkongzi for pointers sooner, she might be able to scale walls and leap across rooftops by now.
Seeing Qin Xiaoyou's expression shift from regret to shaking her head and sighing, Wenren Qi assumed she was lamenting not spending more time with her master to fulfill her filial duties. Just as he was about to offer her some comfort, Qin Xiaoyou suddenly grabbed Wenren Qi's shirt and asked, "Wait, how do you know my master was murdered?"
Qin Xiaoyou lunged a little too hard and tumbled towards Wenren Qi. Worried she would fall, Wenren Qi quickly caught her, but the result was that Qin Xiaoyou ended up in Wenren Qi's arms. For a moment, both were stunned, staring at each other face to face, when the door to Qin Xiaoyou's room was pushed open. "Xiaoyou, look who I came back with!" Zui Linglong had barely finished speaking when she saw the scene in the room and was also stunned. Bai Yuxiao, who had come with her, snorted coldly and turned to leave. Qin Xiaoyou and Wenren Qi then reacted, hurriedly pushing each other away. However, Qin Xiaoyou lost her balance and fell backward. Zui Linglong and Wenren Qi rushed to help her, but Zui Linglong and Wenren Qi bumped into each other again, creating a chaotic scene.
After the three of them finally sat down, Qin Xiaoyou casually tidied her slightly disheveled hair and asked, "Sister Linglong, when did you get back? Why didn't you send someone to let me know beforehand?"
Zui Linglong seemed lost in thought as she looked at Wenren Qi. Qin Xiaoyou asked her a question, but Wenren Qi didn't respond for a long time, and his expression was also strange. Qin Xiaoyou glanced at the two of them and asked, "Do you two know each other?"
"Tch, who knows him?" Zui Linglong curled her lip, also withdrawing her gaze from Wenren Qi, which had been glued to her since she entered. Turning to Qin Xiaoyou, she asked, "Xiaoyou, what did you just ask me?"
Qin Xiaoyou propped her forehead with one hand, making a helpless gesture as she looked up at the sky, and said, "I think I just saw a white figure next to you, how come you're all alone now?"
Zui Linglong clapped her hands, "Oh dear, how could I forget about Young Master Bai?"
"Young Master Bai? You mean Bai Yuxiao?" Qin Xiaoyou was a little surprised.
"Who else could it be but him?" Zui Linglong gave Qin Xiaoyou a look that said, "You're so dense."
However, Qin Xiaoyou ignored Zui Linglong's sharp glare and stroked her chin, pondering: Why is Bai Yuxiao here again? Didn't he leave in a huff last time? No, why did he disappear in a flash this time? Could it be that he specially brought Sister Linglong back? Thinking of this last guess, Qin Xiaoyou felt a pang of sadness and was quite unhappy.
Chapter 34: Everyone Has a Story
Because all three were preoccupied with their own thoughts, they sat in silence for a while, and decided to disperse. Qin Xiaoyou was in her room thinking about Zui Linglong and Bai Yuxiao appearing together. The more she thought about it, the more a surge of anger rose in her heart. Later, she kicked the stool, stormed out of the room, and ran into the street with murderous intent. She wanted to find Bai Yuxiao and find out what it meant for him to appear with Zui Linglong.
After Wenren Qi and Zui Linglong left the room together, they exchanged a glance and both coughed awkwardly. Then, Zui Linglong glared at Wenren Qi, muttered "You scoundrel!" and turned to leave. Wenren Qi's lips twitched, a little helpless. He waved to Xiao Feng, who had been waiting outside, muttered a few words, and also turned to leave.
Whether it was fate or not, Wenren Qi and Zui Linglong were truly destined for each other. Wenren Qi had just sat down at Laifu Restaurant when Zui Linglong entered shortly after. Zui Linglong frowned and glanced around the hall; it was packed with people, so she decided to find another place to eat. The busy waiter, seeing such a beautiful woman enter the restaurant, immediately approached her with great enthusiasm, saying, "Oh, young lady, are you here to eat? If you don't mind, would you like to share a table with that young master over there?" He then pointed in Wenren Qi's direction.
When Zui Linglong, who was originally planning to leave, saw Wenren Qi, she smiled and changed her steps. Instead of leaving, she walked over gracefully and said with a smile, "Oh, I wondered who was so generous as to occupy such a good spot. It turns out to be the number one hooligan in the world."
The waiter following behind Zui Linglong broke out in a cold sweat, thinking to himself: This is bad. How could I have pushed such a beautiful girl to the side of a hooligan? What if something happens later?
Because Zui Linglong spoke quite loudly, the diners in the restaurant began to whisper among themselves, sighing: "The world is going to the dogs! This young master looks so refined, but I never expected him to do such shady things. Tsk tsk."
Wenren Qi was truly well-mannered. Zui Linglong was clearly provoking him, but he only smiled gently and pointed to the seat next to him, asking, "If you don't mind, how about I treat you to a meal this time?"
"Of course I don't mind. It's a rogue's treat, so why not take it?" Zui Linglong said as she sat down without any hesitation.
Wenren Qi rattled off a list of dishes to the waiter without batting an eye. Zui Linglong looked at him and asked with a slight smile, "Oh, you come here often?"
Wenren Qi maintained his usual calm and composed expression, politely replying, "I came here once a few years ago."
"No wonder you're a rogue, you have such a good memory," Zui Linglong said sarcastically. But Wenren Qi just stared blankly at the teacup in his hand, completely ignoring Zui Linglong.
After talking for a while, Wenren Qi didn't react at all, and Zui Linglong also found it boring. She tapped her chopsticks and waited for the dishes to be served.
"Hey, where did this little beauty come from?" A burly man, a bit drunk, staggered towards Wenren Qi's table with his protruding belly. Zui Linglong glanced at the man, frowned in disgust, and muttered under her breath, "So ugly, one more look and I'll throw up my dinner from last night." Wenren Qi chuckled, giving Zui Linglong a meaningful look, which she returned.
In the brief moment between their staring contest, the burly man staggered to the table, reaching out to grab Zui Linglong's sleeve. But his hand was pierced halfway through by a chopstick, followed by a pig-like scream. Zui Linglong glanced in surprise at the single chopstick remaining in Wenren Qi's hand. Seeing her looking at him, Wenren Qi calmly explained, "That pig looks disgusting." Hearing this, Zui Linglong smiled and said, "Indeed, its master must have fed it well; it's gotten so fat and bloated."
The others at the same table as the burly man were already annoyed when they saw Wenren Qi make a move. However, one of them, who seemed to be the leader, signaled to everyone to keep quiet and not cause trouble for the time being. So, although the burly man whose palm had been pierced by chopsticks was full of resentment, he didn't make a fuss and swallowed his anger, turning back to his own table.
But as soon as Zui Linglong uttered those words, the diners in the restaurant burst into laughter. The men at the burly man's table couldn't help but draw their knives, determined to teach Wenren Qi a lesson. At this moment, the man who appeared to be the leader also spoke up, "Miss, my subordinate just spoke rudely, and that young master has already taught him a lesson for you. Why are you so unforgiving and humiliating him like this?"
Zui Linglong gave a flirtatious glance, looked around, and said, "This is really strange. I was just laughing at a pig, so why are there people speaking up for the pig? Tell me, are you that pig's companion or its master?"
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at the man who had spoken. He was also fat and big-eared, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a companion. They burst into laughter again.
However, this laugh enraged the leader, who roared, "You've really gone too far!" He then brandished two large swords and slashed at Wenren Qi. The shopkeeper, seeing that something was wrong, quickly told the waiter to sneak out and report to the authorities, thinking to himself that the young master looked so weak and frail, he might get killed in one blow.
As it turned out, the shopkeeper's worries were unnecessary. Before the leader could even get close to Wenren Qi, he suddenly fell to the ground. Those present immediately understood that the leader had met a formidable opponent; this "palm strike from a distance" was no joke. They all stared wide-eyed, wondering what other clever moves Wenren Qi would come up with next.
But the leader was a complete coward; after that fall, he stopped fighting and ordered his men to slink away. The crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle, seeing there was no more excitement, dispersed and returned to their tables, some eating, some drinking.
The atmosphere at Wenren Qi's table was somewhat strange. All the dishes they ordered had been served, but neither of them had touched their chopsticks. Wenren Qi didn't eat because he was a gentleman; this meal was his treat to Zui Linglong, so he wouldn't start eating if she didn't. Zui Linglong, on the other hand, rested her chin on her hands, staring intently at Wenren Qi, her gaze so intense it would burn a hole in an iron plate.
Seeing that Zui Linglong was staring at him without speaking or eating, Wenren Qi couldn't sit still any longer and asked, "What does this mean, young lady?"
Zui Linglong frowned slightly, a hint of anger in her voice, "I was just about to ask you what you mean?"
Wenren Qi shook his head blankly, indicating that he didn't understand Zui Linglong's meaning. However, Zui Linglong didn't explain, but instead picked up her chopsticks and started eating by herself, and she seemed to be enjoying it very much. In her own words, since the rogue was treating, she might as well eat it and not let the rogue get away with it.
Although Wenren Qi was puzzled, he didn't want to disturb them while they were eating, so he didn't say anything. He picked up a Four Happiness Meatball and was about to put it in his mouth when Zui Linglong suddenly blurted out, "Do you think I'll forgive you just because you played the rogue to save the damsel in distress?"
Wenren Qi was both amused and exasperated. He put down his chopsticks and asked, "Is the young lady still bothered by that matter?"
Zui Linglong pouted, "Do you expect me to let you see it for nothing?"
Wenren Qi said seriously, "Since you mind so much, young lady, why don't you tell me where you live? I will send someone to propose marriage on a chosen day. This will be a way of protecting your innocence."
"Propose marriage in person? That's good!" Before Zui Linglong could answer, a voice preemptively accepted the marriage proposal for her. This sudden voice caused Wenren Qi and Zui Linglong to turn their heads to look.
Chapter 35, The Origin of Rogues
The two turned around at the same time, only to see that the one who spoke was Qin Xiaoyou, who had gone out to look for someone and had come into the restaurant to eat because she was hungry. At that moment, Zui Linglong forgot about being angry with Wenren Qi and quickly pulled up a chair next to her, inviting Qin Xiaoyou to sit down and asking, "Xiaoyou, why did you come out?"
Qin Xiaoyou sat down without any ceremony, winking and saying, "If I hadn't come out, I would have missed a good show. Tsk tsk, I've heard about it. Brother Wenren's heroic rescue of the beauty was really cool."
Zui Linglong curled her lip and said, "What kind of hero is he? He's clearly just a rogue."
Hearing Zui Linglong repeatedly call Wenren Qi a rogue, Qin Xiaoyou's curiosity was piqued, and she hurriedly asked with a gossipy look, "Sister Linglong, could it be that he once came to Zuiyunxuan looking for girls and accidentally harassed you?"
Zui Linglong glanced at Qin Xiaoyou speechlessly: "That's not how it is."
"What happened?" Qin Xiaoyou tugged at Zui Linglong's sleeve and shook it, as if she wouldn't give up until she told him.
Zui Linglong sighed, about to speak, when Wenren Qi interrupted, explaining, "Some time ago, I accidentally wandered into a lake, and unfortunately, this young lady was bathing there, so..."
"So you saw Linglong completely naked?" Qin Xiaoyou asked, her face full of surprise. She thought to herself that she never expected Wenren Qi, who usually seemed so honest, would do such a thing.
Seeing Qin Xiaoyou's eyes darting around, Zui Linglong knew what she was thinking without even guessing. She then explained with a helpless expression, "Actually, I hadn't started showering when he barged in. I was still wearing my undergarments."
"Huh? If no one saw it, then why did you call Brother Wenren a pervert?" Qin Xiaoyou suddenly realized that she couldn't understand Zui Linglong's logic.
Zui Linglong glared at Wenren Qi and said, "Even if you didn't see anything, you're still a hooligan!" Wenren Qi touched his nose, and Qin Xiaoyou looked at him with pity. This was the legendary case of being shot while lying down.
While eating with her head down, Qin Xiaoyou suddenly slapped her forehead and asked, "Did I just hear you talking about proposing marriage?"
"No!" Zui Linglong blurted out before Wenren Qi could answer.
Although Zui Linglong denied it quickly, her guilty look and slightly reddened ears proved that it was indeed true. So Qin Xiaoyou ignored Zui Linglong and turned to Wenren Qi, saying, "Brother Wenren, if you want to propose marriage, just come to me. I am Linglong's family member. I am very satisfied with you. Let's settle it here. Send the betrothal gifts later, and pick an auspicious day to get things done. I think you two are a perfect match."
"No one would be a perfect match for this rogue." After saying that, Zui Linglong stopped eating and ran out.
This turn of events happened so fast that Qin Xiaoyou and Wenren Qi stared at each other, mouths agape. After a long while, Qin Xiaoyou asked, "Is she shy?" Wenren Qi thought about it seriously and nodded, "Probably."
Qin Xiaoyou touched her chin and looked up at the sky, blushing. It seems there's potential in their relationship. Moreover, Wenren Qi has the figure, looks, ability, and wealth, making him a perfect match for Zui Linglong. Hmm, I should really try to bring them together.
The thought of bearing the weight of Zui Linglong's lifelong happiness filled her with excitement, and she quickly sat down next to Wenren Qi, her eyes shining, and asked, "Brother Wenren, when are you planning to come and propose marriage?"
Wenren Qi frowned: "Let's wait until your master's matter is resolved."
"My master? Oh right, I almost forgot about that. You came to see me today because you had something to say, right?" Qin Xiaoyou felt a little ashamed. She had actually forgotten something so important. She wondered if Qin Qin would get angry and come back to kick her out of this body.
Upon hearing Qin Xiaoyou mention this, Wenren Qi's expression turned serious. Just as he was about to speak, a commotion suddenly erupted downstairs, seemingly interspersed with the voice of Zui Linglong. The two exchanged a glance, thinking: This is bad. Wenren Qi flipped out the window in a flash, while Qin Xiaoyou, considering the height, resigned herself to taking the stairs.
When she went downstairs, she saw Wenren Qi subduing a spoiled young man, while Zui Linglong kicked him hard, cursing as she did so: "You dare to flirt with me, see how I cripple you. You useless social parasite, you only waste food while alive, and you occupy a piece of land even when you're dead. You're utterly worthless, and you're so ugly that even a ghost would be scared to death by you. I really don't know where you get the courage to walk on the street. It's truly amazing that you don't scare yourself to death when you look in the mirror every day."
The onlookers shrank back, thinking to themselves, "This girl looks pretty, but how come she can be so fierce when she curses?" Seeing that the young master was almost beaten to a pulp by Zui Linglong, and fearing someone might die, Qin Xiaoyou quickly stepped forward and pulled Zui Linglong away. Unexpectedly, whether the young master was dim-witted or truly infatuated with Zui Linglong's beauty, he actually raised his head, grinned with his swollen lips, and said, "You're quite the shrew, I like that. If you don't kill me today, I'll definitely get you into my bed later."
These words infuriated Zui Linglong again. Not only Zui Linglong, but Qin Xiaoyou also wanted to beat him up. How could this guy have such a foul mouth? However, before the two of them could make a move, Wenren Qi kicked him cleanly and neatly. Then the man clutched his crotch and rolled on the ground, howling, "Ouch, it hurts so much! My manhood!"
Zui Linglong and Qin Xiaoyou stared wide-eyed at Wenren Qi, who said indifferently, "It's too lenient to cripple someone like this. But since we're in the capital, we don't want to cause trouble. Now that we've eaten, let's go back."
Qin Xiaoyou winked at Zui Linglong: "See? She's angry. That kick just now was really hard. It probably killed her completely."
Zui Linglong replied heartlessly, "What does it have to do with me?" But on her face, she was all smiles and quickened her pace to catch up with Wenren Qi.
Qin Xiaoyou watched for a while, and couldn't help but think the two were a perfect match. She secretly resolved to pair them up no matter what. Wenren Qi was clearly interested in Zui Linglong; otherwise, given his usually indifferent nature, he wouldn't have jumped out of the window so hastily. As for Zui Linglong, Qin Xiaoyou stroked her chin and thought for a moment. She probably still liked Wenren Qi. Zui Linglong didn't seem like someone who blushed easily, even though she was always fierce towards Wenren Qi. But, sometimes scolding is a sign of affection, right? Zui Linglong was good in every way, except for her stubborn personality. If she liked him, she should just admit it. Hmm, she'd have to find a chance to ask Zui Linglong about it later. With that thought, Qin Xiaoyou followed the two with light steps.
Chapter 36, As Expected, There Was a Conspiracy
The three returned to the pharmacy together. Qin Xiaoyou looked around, noticing that Su Lin wasn't there—this was highly unusual. She waved to a young shop assistant and, like a thief, whispered inquiries about Su Lin. Seeing Qin Xiaoyou's demeanor, the assistant lowered his voice as well. However, to Zui Linglong and Wenren Qi, their behavior seemed like they were plotting something nefarious. They both tugged at their clothes, feeling a chill run down their spines.
After ascertaining Su Lin's whereabouts, Qin Xiaoyou dismissed the waiter, telling him to go about his business, and led Wenren Qi and Zui Linglong back to her room. She had originally intended to have Ren Dong bring some fruit or something for dessert, but despite calling out for a long time, no one came. In the end, she brewed the tea for the three of them herself. While muttering to herself, "Girls really are hard to keep at home now; they forget about their mistress as soon as they have a sweetheart," Qin Xiaoyou couldn't help but glance at Zui Linglong.
Seeing that Qin Xiaoyou was getting more and more rambling, and worried that if she continued to ramble on and on about all sorts of things, they wouldn't be able to get to the point by evening, Wenren Qi quickly interrupted her: "Xiaoyou, you said before that you were a family member of Miss Linglong?"
"Yeah, right." Qin Xiaoyou's mind raced with gossip. Could it be that Wenren Qi couldn't wait any longer and was planning to propose marriage now? Zui Linglong, upon hearing Wenren Qi's words, also had the same thought as Qin Xiaoyou, and her face instantly turned crimson.
Wenren Qi looked at Qin Xiaoyou and Zui Linglong with a puzzled expression. He wondered if he had said anything wrong. He asked this only to confirm whether Zui Linglong was trustworthy. After all, it would be bad if someone with ulterior motives overheard what he was about to say and used it against Qin Xiaoyou.
After thinking for a while and still not understanding why the two people reacted that way, Wenren Qi didn't dwell on it and got down to business, "Xiao You, your master died at Yucheng Manor."
"What? Your master is dead?" Before Wenren Qi could finish speaking, Zui Linglong exclaimed in surprise, glaring at Qin Xiaoyou with obvious displeasure, as if to say, "You didn't tell me about something so important." Qin Xiaoyou returned her a helpless expression, "I just found out myself." After exchanging glances with Qin Xiaoyou, Zui Linglong turned and nudged Wenren Qi: "Hey, you rascal, how did you know Xiaoyou's master is dead?"
Wenren Qi glanced helplessly at Zui Linglong and slowly said, "I reckon quite a few people in the martial arts world know that Kongkongzi died at Yucheng Manor, but I don't know how the news got out. By the way, I'm not called a rogue; my surname is Wenren and my given name is Qi."
"Oh, so your name is Wenren Qi. I didn't expect someone with such a roguish appearance to have such a refined name," Zui Linglong clicked her tongue in amazement.
Seeing Zui Linglong's attitude towards Wenren Qi, Qin Xiaoyou thought for a moment and said, "Brother Wenren is the owner of Chunfeng Yidu Tower."
"What? You mean him? This rogue, he's the owner of Chunfeng Yidu, the number one intelligence agency in the martial arts world?" Zui Linglong was so shocked she almost jumped off her stool. After seeing Qin Xiaoyou and Wenren Qi nod in agreement, she hurriedly carried her stool to sit close to Qin Xiaoyou, keeping a good distance from Wenren Qi.
Seeing Zui Linglong's reaction, Wenren Qi twitched his lips and asked, "Why is Miss Linglong suddenly so afraid of me?"
Zui Linglong patted her chest and said, "Of course I'm afraid of you. You're the mysterious owner of the Spring Breeze Pavilion. I'm afraid that if I say something inappropriate and anger you, you'll send your men to take care of me."
Qin Xiaoyou turned her head and glanced at Zui Linglong, thinking to herself, "Do you really think you were being polite when you spoke earlier?"
Wenren Qi chuckled and said, "What, in your heart, is our Spring Breeze Pavilion just an assassin organization? We kill whoever we don't like?"
Zui Linglong explained, "I know you specialize in selling information, but you are also people of the martial arts world. The characteristic of people of the martial arts world is that they don't need a reason. If they don't like someone, they can kill them. After killing them, they can just make up a reason, such as saying that the person they killed was extremely wicked, or making up a lie that he had a priceless treasure."
“Priceless treasure?” Wenren Qi frowned, as if he had thought of something, and muttered to himself, “I found it strange, now I know.”
"What is it?" Qin Xiaoyou asked curiously, seeing Wenren Qi's thoughtful expression.