Une aura glaçante

Chapitre 7

“You don’t understand.” Xue Beifan shook his head. “Shen Xinghai’s father was a great general who died on the battlefield; his family was very prominent. Xiaoyue was a slave sold by human traffickers. Shen Xinghai kindly saved her life and kept her by his side, and they were established as master and servant. The Shen family has strict rules, and Madam Shen…”

"Alright, alright." Xiao Dao waved his hand. "I know this stuff. Doesn't Mother Shen want a marriage between equals? Are you implying that Xiaoyue will be Shen Xinghai's slave for life?"

"It is indeed unethical," Xue Beifan shrugged slightly, "but it is also understandable."

“I didn’t say it was wrong,” Xiao Dao countered. “Let Shen Xinghai want to marry someone of equal social standing, Xiaoyue can just marry someone else, right? Just because he wants to marry someone of equal social standing doesn’t mean there aren’t men better than him who don’t care about social standing, like Chonghua, for example?”

"Ha." Xue Beifan looked at Xiaodao speechlessly. "You really didn't mispronounce Xiaodao's name. You can tell Chonghua is interested in Xiaoyue just by looking at him?"

Xiao Dao crossed his arms. "Even without Chonghua, Xiaoyue can still have a happy life. All I can say is that she was born into a bad family. At worst, I'll spend money to redeem her. How can one person have all the advantages in this world? You can't have your cake and eat it too..." As he spoke, Xiao Dao waved his finger in front of Xue Beifan's eyes. "You can't have both! You can choose either one, but once you've made your choice, don't regret it, and don't be envious of others who choose the other." After saying that, he swung his arm and went into the house.

Xue Beifan sighed helplessly. Where did this Yan Xiaodao come from? He was just born with this kind of personality—meddling in other people's business and always trying to stir up trouble. Too lazy to care, he went back to the front.

As soon as he left, Shen Xinghai came out from behind the courtyard gate and stood in the shadow cast by the long porch, where he could see the window of Xiaoyue's room.

The window was open, and Xiaodao was pulling Xiaoyue along to look around, checking if there was anything that needed improvement.

Xiaoyue's bright smile was one Shen Xinghai had never seen before, and a strange sense of unease welled up inside him. Turning around, Shen Xinghai quickly walked away. Out of sight, out of mind; a man's priority is his career, everything else can wait.

Xiao Dao looked out the window with a slight frown. Perhaps—Shen Xinghai didn't care about Xiao Yue as much as he thought.

Xiaoyue walked over and gently closed the window. "Young Master swore an oath at Master's grave that he would not bring shame to the Shen family. The marriage with the princess must take place no matter what. Young Master values the Shen family more than anything else."

Xiao Dao was surprised; it turned out that Xiao Yue knew as well. Though she might be a bit slow, she was quite clear-headed in a crucial moment.

"So what are your plans?"

Xiaoyue shook her head. "My life was given to me by the young master. I will leave after he gets married."

"Are you thinking of leaving?"

"Yes." Xiaoyue nodded. "I mean it too."

Xiao Dao was taken aback, then couldn't help but laugh. That's right, being foolish and having a heart are two different things. Even fools have hearts, and those with hearts can feel sadness, just like her mother.

Thinking of this, Xiao Dao suddenly felt a surge of anger and malice, grabbed a teacup from the table and threw it, yelling, "You filthy man!"

As luck would have it, Xue Beifan ate a pear in the front yard and found it quite sweet, so he brought a few over to let the two of them try. Just as he reached the door, a teacup flew out.

"Hey!" Xue Beifan barely dodged, holding the pear and examining the knife. "Take it easy, I'm the only son in three generations of the Xue family now!"

Seeing his grinning face, Xiao Dao didn't bother arguing with him and put the teapot lid down.

Xue Beifan grinned and tossed a pear into her bowl, saying, "Here, have a pear."

He didn't control his strength well and threw it a bit too hard. Xiao Dao didn't catch it either, and when he turned around, a pear came crashing down on his head.

With a "smack," it hit him squarely on the forehead... and the surroundings fell silent instantly.

The pear wasn't hard at all; it smashed against Xiaodao's forehead, and the juice spilled all over his face.

Xue Beifan was stunned for a moment, then laughed so hard he almost fell over. "You've got a hard head. People say a kitten has a head of copper, bones of iron, and a waist of tofu. Are you one of them? Haha."

Xiao Dao was so angry that his face turned green. He picked up the red umbrella and chased Xue Beifan all over the yard.

Xiaoyue rested her chin on her hand and leaned against the window, watching the two chasing and playing in the yard. She couldn't help but laugh. Life was good just like this, simple and peaceful. Out of sight, out of mind.

Strike while the iron is hot.

As the lanterns were lit, the beautiful ladies and guests arrived as scheduled.

Xiao Dao didn't go to the front yard. Instead, he took the watermelon he had eaten and carved a pretty watermelon rind lantern. He lit a candle, placed it in front of Xiao Yue, and said, "This is for you."

Xiaoyue held the melon lantern and grinned foolishly at Xiaodao, receiving such a fun gift for the first time.

Xue Beifan had just been hit with a brick by Xiao Dao and was tidying up the yard when he saw the two girls chatting and laughing. He shook his head—this Yan Xiao Dao has a bit of a temper and seems to like to help the weak and punish the strong.

"Chai Ziyao has arrived. Feng Wuyou will try to get information out of him later," Xue Beifan told Xiaodao. Hao Jinfeng had secretly laid an ambush.

"If we catch him, we'll take him to the authorities; if we can't, we'll use you as a scapegoat! At least we're doing this for the people." He spoke with a veiled threat.

Xue Beifan knew he was still arguing with her; this girl had a bad temper and held grudges quite a bit.

"Is that Liu Ruyue pretty?" Xiao Dao changed the subject and asked Xue Beifan, adding, "Compared to Xiaoyue."

"Haven't you heard the saying 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder'?" Xue Beifan retorted, his words vague.

Xiao Dao grunted, then suddenly clasped his hands together and began muttering something under his breath.

Xue Beifan leaned closer to listen, and she was muttering to herself, "Thank God, she's a vicious vixen!"

"Ha." Xue Beifan couldn't help but gasp. "You're so mean! What? If she's a vixen, you'll help Xiaoyue get rid of her?"

"Tch." Xiao Dao scoffed. "Does Shen Xinghai have that much nerve? I think if Shen Xinghai is two-timing, it would be a waste if the other woman is a good girl! It's better if she's a cunning and wicked one. As the saying goes, every creature has its master, and barren land breeds slugs!"

"Actually, don't you have some prejudice against Shen Xinghai?" Xue Beifan advised Xiaodao. "He also has his own difficulties."

"Yeah, I understand," Xiao Dao shrugged. "Understanding doesn't mean I have to give in, right? I have a prejudice against him, so what?"

Xue Beifan looked up at the sky.

...

Before long, the banquet began, and a servant brought food to the backyard, saying it was ordered by Young Master Chonghua.

The servant was stunned when he saw Xiaoyue without her mask. As he was leaving, he bumped his head on a doorpost, clutched his forehead, and ran away.

Xue Beifan moved a tea table to the courtyard, placing melon rinds and other items in the center. Xiaodao and Xiaoyue ate and chatted. Xue Beifan held a wine pot in one hand and a handful of mugwort in the other, using it to swat away mosquitoes for the two girls.

"Little Knife," Xiaoyue asked her after eating for a while, "Why did you run off to venture into the world alone?"

"Hmm..." Xiao Dao hesitated for a moment, "to broaden my horizons."

Xiaoyue nodded.

Xue Beifan chuckled, "Look at Xiao Dao—you're just making this up!"

Xiao Dao threw watermelon rinds at him. Seeing that it was about time, Xue Beifan went forward to help Hao Jinfeng so that he wouldn't get covered in watermelon rinds later.

"You like Young Master Xue?" Xiaoyue suddenly asked.

"Pfft..." Xiao Dao spat out a mouthful of soup, his eyes wide with disbelief. "How is this possible?!"

"I noticed you've been following him the whole time." Xiaoyue lowered her voice when she saw that Xiaodao seemed annoyed.

"I was extorted by him," Xiao Dao said, still somewhat indignant.

“Young Master Xue is indeed very famous.” Xiaoyue told Xiaodao about Xue Beifan. “He is the younger brother of the famous Xue Beihai. But the young master always says that Xue Beihai is very powerful, but no matter how long you know him, you don’t know how powerful Xue Beifan really is.”

"Does that mean he's shameless to the point of having no bottom line?" Xiao Dao asked mischievously.

Xiaoyue smiled and shook her head. Xiaodao always seemed to be full of fighting spirit towards men, as if he wanted to argue with anyone, but he was very gentle with girls.

As they were talking, a commotion was heard coming from the front yard. Before Xiaodao could react, Xiaoyue had already rushed out.

Xiao Dao guessed that Hao Jinfeng and Xue Beifan had started to deal with Chai Ziyao, so he climbed onto the wall to see what was going on.

When Xiaoyue arrived at the front yard, she saw Hao Jinfeng and Chai Ziyao fighting.

Chai Ziyao was tricked into a secluded place by Madam Wuyou. After a few words, she tricked him into revealing that he had murdered his wife and framed Xue Beifan. Hao Jinfeng, who was hiding in the shadows, immediately came out to arrest him.

Chai Ziyao ran into Shen Xinghai, who was accompanying the princess on a stroll in the garden. The maidservant beside the princess was the one who was startled and cried out.

Shen Xinghai protected Liu Ruyue, while Xue Beifan and Chonghua watched the commotion from the sidelines. Hao Jinfeng dealt with Chai Ziyao. Xiaoyue assessed the situation and, seeing no need to intervene, stood motionless on one side of the porch.

Liu Ruyue happened to see it and asked Shen Xinghai, "Who is that girl?"

Right now, Xiao Dao was squatting on the rooftop watching the commotion. Seeing that Liu Ruyue had spotted Xiaoyue immediately and even asked Shen Xinghai, Xiao Dao raised an eyebrow slightly—"Quite sharp eyes!"

Not to mention Liu Ruyue, Shen Xinghai almost didn't recognize Xiaoyue either. Xiaoyue wasn't wearing a mask and was dressed in a dress, standing gracefully behind the porch. Shen Xinghai couldn't take his eyes off her.

Seeing that Chai Ziyao was subdued in no time, Xiaoyue quickly turned around and went back to the backyard.

Liu Ruyue seemed unfazed, not at all alarmed. She simply told Shen Xinghai she wanted to continue shopping before heading towards the porch. Xiao Dao curled his lip—"Heh heh, this princess is no pushover."

Looking at Shen Xinghai again, a faint wrinkle between his brows revealed a bit of his current mood.

When Xiaodao returned to the backyard, he saw Xiaoyue changing the candles for the watermelon and other vegetables; the previous one had already burned out.

"Chai Ziyao has been captured by Hao Jinfeng," Xiaodao said to Xiaoyue as he landed in the yard.

"Yes, I saw it." Xiaoyue carefully secured the half-burnt candle inside the melon-shaped lamp. "But he is, after all, a prince. Can Detective Hao convict him?"

"Of course, Madam Wang Rui's family is not easy to deal with; they'll probably give Chai Ziyao a hard time."

Xiaoyue stared thoughtfully at the flickering flame in the lantern and said softly, "Now that he's married, Madam Wang Rui can bring him status and wealth, isn't that what he wants? Why is he still thinking about Feng Wuyou? Who is he being fair to?"

Xiao Dao rested his chin on his hand and, hearing footsteps outside, said slowly, "If Madam Wang Rui didn't have a fortune, Chai Ziyao wouldn't have married her. Women grow old, but money doesn't. Money may decrease, but beauties never do. Once you have them, you naturally don't cherish them anymore. What you don't have is always the best."

Xiaoyue was completely confused.

Xiao Dao laughed, "My mother said so."

"Your mother seems to make a lot of sense." Xiaoyue suddenly really wanted to meet Xiaodao's mother.

At this moment, someone walked in from outside the courtyard gate. It was Liu Ruyue with her maid, and Shen Xinghai who was accompanying her.

Xiao Dao saw that Liu Ruyue's expression was calm and composed, and she didn't seem to be displeased by what he had just said, but the maid's expression was unfriendly.

Liu Ruyue entered the courtyard and immediately noticed the two beautiful girls. She smiled and asked Shen Xinghai, "Keeping beauties in a golden house?"

Shen Xinghai quickly shook his head, "Princess, please don't joke." Then, he introduced them, "This is Brother Xue's friend, Yan Xiaodao. This is someone you've met before, my attendant Lou Xiaoyue."

Liu Ruyue looked at Xiaoyue with surprise, "You're Xiaoyue? I didn't recognize you when you were wearing a mask all the time."

Xiaoyue stood by the table, unsure how to answer, and could only nod. She wondered why the young master had brought the princess here. Shen Xinghai had never liked meeting Liu Ruyue.

Yan Xiaodao stood aside watching when Liu Ruyue walked over, staring at the watermelon lantern. "It's so pretty, what's it made of?"

"Watermelon," Xiaodao answered for Xiaoyue.

"Watermelon?" Liu Ruyue asked in surprise. "Aren't watermelons for eating?"

“Princess,” Liu Ruyue’s maidservant interjected, “watermelons can also be used to carve lanterns; the maids and servants in our mansion all love to play with them.”

Xiao Dao raised an eyebrow and clicked his tongue twice inwardly—one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, how interesting.

"This is the first time I've seen it. It's so beautiful. Can I have it?" Liu Ruyue asked.

Xiaoyue remained silent, staring at the watermelon lantern. It was from Xiaodao...

Liu Ruyue asked the question, but felt somewhat embarrassed when Xiaoyue didn't answer.

Shen Xinghai walked over, "It's just a kid's toy."