Une aura glaçante

Chapitre 24

Xiao Dao almost laughed. The Mountain Woman had this effect? So, this spoiled Miss Cai must have met a heartless man?

As we were talking, we heard a commotion downstairs.

Not long after, a middle-aged man came up with a large group of people and shouted as he entered, "Yun Ting, where have you been? Your father has been looking for you everywhere!"

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan carefully examined the man. He was in his forties, with an oily face and a fairly tall stature, but his face was thin and lacked any flesh. He exuded wealth from head to toe. The innkeeper smiled obsequiously beside him, and the two guessed that this was probably Cai Bian.

Miss Cai's full name was Cai Yunting. Her spoiled and willful expression vanished, and she softly replied, "Father..."

"Take Miss back!" Cai Bian breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Cai Yunting was alright, and was about to leave as well. Turning around, he saw Xue Beifan and Xiao Dao standing at the door.

Cai Bian scrutinized the two men for a moment, or rather, scrutinized Xiao Dao, and immediately a smile spread across his face. "Gentlemen, could you be Yun Ting's saviors?"

Xiao Dao noticed that Cai Yunting's expression immediately changed, and she glared at him fiercely. Xiao Dao was somewhat confused, then realized that Cai Bian had approached sometime earlier. "Thank you for saving my daughter's life. Why don't you... come to my residence for a short while? I'll treat you well!"

Cai Yunting flung aside the servant who was supporting her and said to her father, "Father! What do you want with them?"

"Sigh!" Cai Bian's expression changed slightly. He glared at Cai Yunting with displeasure and ordered the servants, "Aren't you going to take them away yet?!"

Cai Yunting struggled as she was taken away; it was less like she was being "brought" back and more like she was being "escorted" back.

Xiao Dao frowned slightly.

Xue Beifan was a man of wide experience; he knew Cai Bian's lecherous nature was written all over his head. His fondness for young and beautiful girls was already infamous. Yan Xiaodao was a charming and lovely girl, and Cai Bian stared at her, his mouth practically watering.

"Ahem." Xue Beifan coughed, pulling Cai Bian back from the brink of madness. He waved his hand and said, "It was nothing, Lord Cai, no need to be so polite." With that, he turned to leave with Xiao Dao.

"Sigh!" Cai Bian gave a wink to the people at the door, and several guards immediately blocked their way.

Xue Beifan frowned.

Cai Bian stepped forward and asked Xiao Dao with a smile, "Young lady, what is your name?"

Xiao Dao subconsciously shrank closer to Xue Beifan, thinking to himself—this lecherous thief is alive!

Xue Beifan found it somewhat amusing. Look at her—this isn't a lecherous thief, this is a lecherous scoundrel!

Seeing the two exchanging glances and noticing Xue Beifan's youth and good looks, Cai Bian sneered and said to his subordinates, "Bring these two benefactors to the mansion. I will personally entertain them!" After saying this, he smiled meaningfully at Xiao Dao and left with satisfaction.

Several subordinates, each holding a knife, warned Xue Beifan and Xiao Dao, "Gentlemen, if you intend to stay in Jinling City, you cannot disobey Lord Cai's wishes."

Xue Beifan's expression was grim. Wasn't this blatant attempt to abduct a woman in broad daylight?! He couldn't bring his knife; what if he got hurt?

Xiao Dao waved his hand, "Alright, let's go."

Several subordinates turned and led the way.

Xue Beifan tugged at Xiao Dao's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Are you crazy? That lecherous bastard is clearly trying to take advantage of you!"

Xiao Dao patted the pouch at his waist and leaned over to whisper in Xue Beifan's ear, "Before I left, my mother specially taught me how to teach lecherous thieves a lesson, so that they would wet the bed at the mere thought of the word 'woman'."

Xue Beifan was startled, and felt that the words "my mother" that Xiao Dao said were particularly convincing.

Xiao Dao raised the corner of his mouth. "Besides, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We can go to the Cai residence and see if the map is inside."

Xue Beifan hesitated for a moment, then whispered to Xiao Dao, "If he acts recklessly in a moment, call me. I'll beat him so badly he'll never be able to have sex again."

Xiao Dao chuckled and glanced at Xue Beifan.

Xue Beifan caught her sidelong glance and returned a rare, genuine smile. Xiao Dao felt something was off and quickly turned her face away.

Xue Beifan helped her part the long hair behind her ears and sweep it to the front to cover her ears and neck.

Xiao Dao was puzzled.

Then Xue Beifan said in a low voice, "Cover it up a bit, don't let that lecherous man see it so beautifully."

Xiao Dao's ears were burning, and he mumbled an awkward curse, "You lecherous scoundrel."

A whole basket of wicked women [VIP]

Cai Bian's residence truly lived up to the name of a "lucrative post," with every detail reflecting the existence of this "profit," though it was somewhat gaudy.

When Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan entered the house, it was already dusk. They were invited to a small garden in the backyard, where tables and chairs were set up. A maid brought over a pot of fragrant tea and told them, "Please wait a moment, the master will be here shortly."

Xiao Dao nodded, and Xue Beifan began to look around the courtyard. The courtyard was also very exquisite, with peonies all over the ground, all potted, blooming beautifully, but none of them had taken root.

Xue Beifan stared at the flowers for a long time, which caught Xiao Dao's attention.

Xiao Dao smelled the tea, found nothing unusual, poured himself a cup and drank it, asking, "You like peonies?"

Xue Beifan smiled noncommittally and asked her, "Does your mother have any insightful comments about flowers?"

Xiao Dao smiled slightly, "I don't have any for the flowers, but I do have some for the flower growers."

"What did they say?" Xue Beifan asked curiously.

“Oh, my mother said that you shouldn’t marry into a family where the flowers in the yard never wither, because they can only share wealth and prosperity, not hardship.” Xiao Dao crossed her legs and rested her chin on her hand as she looked at Xue Beifan. “She also said that men who like to plant flowers are more reliable than men who like to pick them, and men who are sentimental about spring and autumn are not as considerate as men who stare at withered trees.”

Xue Beifan shook his head and laughed, "Your mother always teaches you how to judge men, but has she ever taught you how to judge women?"

Xiao Dao shrugged. "Of course I taught him."

“I’m more interested in this,” Xue Beifan said, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at her. “Tell me about it.”

“I am a woman,” Xiao Dao smiled. “My mother said that if a woman can understand other women, she only needs to do eight things.”

Xue Beifan raised an eyebrow, feeling he had stumbled upon invaluable advice, and quickly asked, "Which eight words?"

Xiao Dao smiled and took a sip of his tea, saying, "It's about putting yourself in someone else's shoes and feeling what they feel."

Before Xue Beifan could even offer an opinion after he finished speaking, Cai Bian's laughter came from outside.

Xiao Dao looked out, and Xue Beifan whispered, "Didn't your mother teach you how to tell a smile from a smile?"

Xiao Dao frowned, not quite understanding. "What's laughing?"

Xue Beifan glanced at Xiaodao. Perhaps it was because the night was so beautiful, but Xiaodao inexplicably felt that Xue Beifan had a look on his face that she hadn't noticed before. How to put it—was it the confidence of someone who had everything under control? Or the indifference of someone who didn't care?

“A person who laughs first and then judges others is not trustworthy; a person who judges others first and then laughs is someone you can laugh at.” After Xue Beifan finished speaking, he gently raised his chin, gesturing for Xiao Dao to look at the door.

Looking over there, Xiao Dao finally understood the meaning of the word "vivid." Cai Bian had walked in with a strange smile, then looked up at the two of them; disregarding the initial smile, what remained was a calculating glint in his eyes.

Xiao Dao couldn't help but curl the corner of his mouth slightly—that old lecher.

Cai Bian walked over to the two men and politely sat down at one end of the stone table. "My name is Cai Bian. May I ask your names, my two benefactors?"

"I dare not accept such a title of benefactor." Xue Beifan smiled slightly. "I am Xue Er, and this is my wife, Hao Ruyu."

Xiao Dao was initially angry that Xue Beifan had taken advantage of him again, but upon hearing the name Hao Ruyu, he became somewhat lost in thought… It turned out that for the two of them, being together was merely a name, while being apart represented twenty years of longing. Being together was too easy, so they didn't cherish it; but once they were apart, it was too late to regret it.

"Oh..." Cai Bian's face clearly showed some disappointment; he hadn't expected Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan to be husband and wife. Of course, this man was utterly shameless, and that didn't deter his wicked thoughts.

"Lord Cai," Xue Beifan bowed, "we haven't done anything, and we shouldn't accept undeserved rewards, so we'll take our leave."

Xiao Dao glanced at Xue Beifan discreetly, and seeing his cold expression, she almost laughed. This Xue Beifan was truly interesting. Wasn't he going to great lengths just to get her to help him find the whereabouts of the Five Dragon Bone Diagrams? Now that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was right in front of him, he actually wanted to let it slip away?

"Oh, my benefactor, you're too kind. We must have a meal." Cai Bian instructed his servants, "Prepare the banquet and call for Seventh Concubine."

The servant agreed and left. Not long after, a graceful figure, as delicate as a willow branch, walked in from outside the courtyard gate.

Xiao Dao and Xue Beifan couldn't help but frown upon seeing this... This seventh concubine was indeed about the same age as Cai Bian's daughter. No wonder Cai Yunting had such a strange personality; who could stand having a stepmother the same age as themselves? And who knew if Cai Bian had an eighth or ninth concubine?!