Ma femme escalade le mur

Chapitre 44

Xiao Changqing didn't even glance at him, and pouted at Duan Chen: "How did I become a senior? I'm only a little older than you..." The handsome man counted on his fingers as he spoke: "Twelve or thirteen years old. I don't count as a senior."

Duan Chen bowed slightly to him without changing his expression, and was about to speak when he saw the man's eyes widen. He pointed at himself and laughed, "I was wondering why something felt off. You always dress as a man, don't you? We're kindred spirits!" As he spoke, he reached out towards Duan Chen's collar. Duan Chen dodged back two meters, instinctively covering his neck, his face somewhat embarrassed. "Senior Xiao, please have some self-respect."

Xiao Changqing was about to chase after him when Zuo Xin grabbed his collar: "It's been so many years, and you still haven't changed your crazy temper! Business is important." Xiao Changqing was deflated by the words. Duan Chen had already walked back to the group and looked up at Zuo Xin: "The nuclear nail wasn't poisoned. Just use some medicine to treat external injuries."

Zuo Xin, also a straightforward person, nodded slightly to Duan Chen without offering any further words of gratitude. "What should we do with these people?" Liu Yichen frowned and sought their opinions.

“The ones who were causing the most trouble on both sides are already dead. Explain to them that you can release their pressure points first.” Zuo Xin released his hand, then glared at Xiao Changqing warningly, signaling him not to act recklessly again.

"Gather everyone in the 'Hall of Righteousness' and tell everyone everything," Zhan Yun said loudly, glancing at Duan Chen as he added, "Chen'er will explain the cases that have happened these past few days to everyone. Once everyone understands that they have been used, they will naturally stop making trouble."

The group nodded. Liu Yichen and Zuo Xin stayed behind to release the pressure points of these people and explain the current situation. Zhan Yun and the others turned back; there were still quite a few people lying in the courtyard waiting to have their pressure points released. Xiao Changqing rolled his eyes, smiling as he followed behind the group. He forcefully squeezed between Zhao Ting and Duan Chen, and with a gentle bump from his seemingly frail body, Zhao Ting couldn't withstand him.

Xiao Changqing stared intently at Duan Chen's profile, clicking his tongue in admiration: "He can be both male and female, both gentle and strong, and his temperament is just as captivating. He's truly rare, incredibly rare!"

Zhan Yun was so shocked by Xiao Changqing's "can be either male or female" statement that she almost choked on her own saliva. Meanwhile, Zhao Ting, having been cleverly positioned between himself and the beauty, was naturally already unhappy. Hearing Xiao Changqing's nonsensical remarks, his expression grew even colder. Just as he was about to retort sarcastically, Zhou Yufei beside him tentatively asked, "Am I not even more suitable for both men and women?"

Zhao Ting was speechless, Zhan Yun rubbed his forehead, and Xiao Changqing glared at him: "What do you know? Get out of here!"

Chapter Fifteen: Poisonous Tea • Debt Repayment

Evening. Inside Xianglu Pavilion.

Zhan Yun and his three companions, along with Zuo Xin, Mr. Xiao, Liu Yichen, Liu Mandie, and the Yue siblings, sat around a table. After several rounds of toasts, they chatted in small groups while eating and drinking.

Zuo Xin downed his drink in one gulp, twirling the cup between his fingers, and turned to look at Liu Yichen: "Young Master, the matter is temporarily resolved. But the Western Xia people's schemes are vicious, not only causing the deaths of many people, but also making the Northwest and Jiangnan enemies." As he spoke, he gestured towards the tables in the distance, his gaze becoming even more profound: "Explaining things clearly is useless. Those people may have let it go on the surface, but once they leave Wanliu Manor, they might clash again at any time."

Liu Yichen sighed, "The Deng family of Baode is quite renowned in the Northwest. With Deng Dingbo dead, nothing we say matters anymore. Whether we say he was from Western Xia, or that he and the third leader killed them, those who want to believe will believe, and those who don't will never believe. What happens at Wanliu Manor is irrelevant; what's likely to implicate Master Zuo and myself in this crime of bullying the weak..." After all, it's a fact that the two leaders of the Deng family's escort agency died at Wanliu Manor, and it's also a fact that Deng Dingbo died in front of everyone. Moreover, both Liu Yichen and Zuo Xin made a move at the time. It doesn't matter who else was involved, but these two have a certain reputation and status in the martial arts world. Two masters attacking one person at the same time is enough for outsiders to gossip endlessly. People say that the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows, and there's some truth to that.

Zuo Xin waved his hand and smiled, "The Thunderbolt Hall doesn't care about these things. Let them spread the word if they want." As he spoke, a hint of unruly domineering air was revealed in his brows. He then turned to Duan Chen and said, "I owe you a favor for what happened today. If you ever need our Thunderbolt Hall's help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. I will be waiting for you in Jingzhou."

Duan Chen didn't stand on ceremony, nodded slightly, and smiled gently, "If I have the opportunity to visit Jiangling Prefecture in the future, I will definitely visit the Thunderbolt Hall." The Thunderbolt Hall's firearms were famous throughout the world, and it had many business dealings with the Dali Kingdom in the southwest. Therefore, when officials of all levels in the Jinghu North Road area met Zuo Xin, they all nodded and bowed, showing him great courtesy.

Zuo Xin nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this, while Xiao Changqing grinned mischievously, nudging Zuo Xin's ribs with his elbow: "See? I told you this girl is likable!" Then, with a serious expression, he added: "Let's get this straight, you can't take her from me! I've traveled all over the country alone for so many years, and it wasn't easy to find such a good prospect. You can't..."

"All alone?" Zuo Xin raised an eyebrow, his voice lower and hoarser than usual. "Completely alone? Are you sure?"

Xiao Changqing blushed slightly, his dark, jade-like eyes darting around: "Well, I was just trying to highlight how hard I worked to find the right people! I'm recruiting talent right now, so can you please not undermine me?"

Duan Chen was sitting between Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting, just one seat away from them. The table was in a corner, not as noisy as the center of the hall, so Duan Chen heard every word of Zuo Xin and Xiao Changqing's conversation clearly. Zhan Yun was next to Xiao Changqing, his smile always gentle, but his gaze on the table in front of him was deeper than usual.

Feeling slightly uneasy, Zhan Yun couldn't help but turn his head to look at Duan Chen, only to see that the man's expression was calm, his eyes half-lowered, and he hadn't touched the food in his bowl, only drinking wine. Zhan Yun reached out and picked up the wine bottle, weighing it in his hand, his handsome brows furrowing slightly: "Chen'er."

Duan Chen glanced sideways, his phoenix eyes, slightly shimmering with moisture, casting a sidelong look without uttering a word. His gaze, however, swept over a cold, dark corner of her eye, carrying a strong sense of warning. Zhan Yun couldn't help but smile wryly to himself, knowing that his intimate address had displeased her. Just as he was about to speak, a soft voice rang out from across the table: "Young Master Xingzhi, this matter is largely thanks to you and your two friends, oh! and Sister Chen," Liu Mandie stood up, glancing apologetically at Duan Chen, then looking at Zhan Yun with tender affection in her beautiful eyes: "Mandie is here, offering a cup of tea in place of wine to Young Master Xingzhi to express my gratitude."

Zhan Yun stood up, picked up his wine cup, and smiled slightly, "Miss Liu, you're too kind. Actually, we weren't able to help much this time." He paused slightly, then looked down at the person beside him with a smile, his clear voice unconsciously becoming softer, "If we're talking about help, it's all thanks to Chen'er." After saying that, he raised his wine cup to Liu Mandie, drank it all in one gulp, and then gestured for Liu Mandie to sit down first.

Liu Mandie smiled gently and sat down gracefully, but her eyes betrayed a deep sadness. Beside her, Yue Linran placed some food into Yue Yiyi's bowl, then frowned at Zhan Yun: "I heard from Yiyi that this whole affair was largely thanks to Young Master Zhan's cousin, especially regarding Yue Ru's matter..." Yue Linran's voice choked slightly, then she whispered, "In any case, we must thank you all..." After all, Duan Chen was now in a woman's identity, which made many things inconvenient, so during the day at Juyi Hall, Zhan Yun was the one who explained the case. Aside from the people in front of them who knew the inside story, others only knew that Young Master Xingzhi, along with his two friends, had greatly helped Wanliu Manor, uncovering the murderer who stole the sword and exposed the Western Xia conspiracy.

Duan Chen simply nodded slightly, then raised her wine cup to drink again. Zhao Ting, who hadn't said much from the beginning, was already getting impatient watching the person beside him drink cup after cup without eating a single grain of rice. The moment Duan Chen's wine cup was empty and her hand dropped, Zhao Ting grabbed her wrist, his dark eyes burning with intensity, but his voice was cold: "Don't drink anymore."

Before Duan Chen could speak, Zhan Yun flicked his folding fan and tapped Zhao Ting's Hegu acupoint, while a gentle smile remained on his lips: "Chen'er, be good and drink less wine, or you'll have a headache later."

Seeing this, Xiao Changqing smiled even more broadly, crossed his arms, and nudged Zuo Xin next to him: "Look at the girl we've chosen, isn't she very popular!"

Zuo Xin's eyelids twitched, and he almost choked on the wine in his mouth. He quickly coughed twice, clenching his fist to his lips, and took the opportunity to complain in a low voice: "How can you talk like that! Did those two years at 'Apricot Blossom Spring Rain Pavilion' make you sick or something!"

Xiao Changqing realized that what he had just said was somewhat inappropriate, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his handsome face, but he still stubbornly insisted, "It was just a slip of the tongue, you get the idea, you get the idea!"

Zhou Yufei waved his hand, and the butler quickly came over. Zhou Yufei whispered a few instructions, and the butler nodded repeatedly. He then walked to the side and instructed the servants to hurry up and do their work.

Duan Chen withdrew his hand expressionlessly, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and began to eat. Zhan Yun tucked his folding fan into his sleeve, reached out and took the bowl, handing it to a servant standing not far away: "Bring me a hot bowl." Then he took an empty bowl, leaned forward slightly, picked up a spoon in his other hand, scooped up some of the freshly served hot soup, and handed it to Duan Chen: "Drink some soup first to warm your stomach."

Duan Chen took the bowl and thanked him softly. He then lowered his head slightly and picked up a small spoon to start eating the soup. Liu Yichen, who had been observing the three of them for a long time, frowned more and more. When Zhan Yun finally looked away, he said, "Nephew Zhan, now that things have finally come to an end, there is something I have been wanting to ask you clearly."

When Zhan Yun saw the questioning yet inquisitive look in Liu Yichen's eyes, he already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth, but he remained calm on the surface, with a warm smile still on his lips: "Young Master, please speak."

Liu Yichen glanced at Duan Chen, who was half-lowering his head and drinking soup, then looked at Zhan Yun with a serious expression: "Nephew, tell me honestly, is it really... you and Miss Duan..."

As they were talking, a servant carrying a teapot walked between Duan Chen and Zhan Yun. Zhan Yun stepped aside to take the teapot, glancing at Zhou Yufei as he did so. He then smiled slightly and poured a cup of strong tea, placing it beside Duan Chen. He said gently, "Let it cool for now. Drink this tea later; it'll help you sober up." Next, he took rice from another servant and gently placed it in front of Duan Chen, saying, "Eat first."

Liu Yichen stopped mid-sentence, subconsciously glancing at his niece. He saw Liu Manyie staring blankly in the direction of the two people, her hands tightly twisting a handkerchief on the table, her eyes already red. Liu Yichen sighed inwardly and said nothing more. He was an experienced man, and naturally understood that often, asking questions or not made little difference. Their hearts weren't with his niece; no amount of matchmaking from the older generation would help. However, with Yiyi's apprentice, plus that aloof personality, and that cold-faced but fiery-eyed young man beside her, these few together were going to cause quite a stir.

Zhan Yun turned his head and gave Liu Yichen a barely perceptible nod before quietly eating and drinking. For a moment, the atmosphere at the dinner table was somewhat subdued. Xiao Changqing kept observing Duan Chen with great interest, while Zuo Xin drank his wine, occasionally tapping the table lightly with his finger to signal the person next to him not to go too far, lest he really anger those two lads, and things wouldn't be so funny.

Ignoring the varied expressions and thoughtful gazes of the people around the table, Duan Chen maintained a blank expression, his eyes half-closed, from the moment he began drinking wine to the moment he ate soup. The wine jug beside him was long gone, yet the others refused to replace it. Duan Chen swallowed his food, picked up his teacup, and paused only slightly as he brought it to his lips, his half-closed eyes concealing his true feelings.

The teacup in my hand tilted slightly, the tea was about to touch my lips, when suddenly, with a "snap," the blue-and-white porcelain cup slipped from my hand and was smoothly sent to the opposite table. It spun in the center of the table and landed with a "crash" among several bowls and plates, shattering into pieces. The scalding hot tea splashed everywhere, and the wooden round table was charred black wherever it touched the water, with some places even having small grayish-white bubbles rising to the surface.

The people at the table were no ordinary individuals. Their first reaction was to look in the direction the cup had been thrown. Duan Chen, however, had already leaped out of the window the moment the cup left his hand, chasing after the dark figure. Zhan Yun and Zhao Ting followed closely behind, bursting through the window. Zhou Yufei grabbed the servant holding the teapot, snatched it, and poured it onto the ground. A plume of white smoke rose from the blue brick floor, followed quickly by grayish-white foam. It was clear that anyone who drank this tea would be doomed.

The servant, terrified, knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. Liu Yichen's face was grim, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Xiao Changqing, however, stood up with a smile, helping the servant to his feet and waving to the people at the tables in the center of the hall: "A broken cup, it's alright, it's alright." The hall quickly returned to its noisy state. In a corner, a group of people, some standing and some sitting, stared at the shattered cup on the table with varying expressions. For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat eerie again.

Duan Chen rushed out the window and used her lightness skill to give chase, but after turning a corner around a sycamore tree, she couldn't find the person. Just as she looked around, she felt a tightening around her waist, and then she was lifted into the air. A slightly biting wind brushed against her face, while the person's warm breath caressed her neck. Seeing that Duan Chen didn't struggle at all, the person's deep, slightly hoarse voice clearly carried a hint of amusement: "You little brat, you've got some nerve! If I hadn't flicked the cup away, were you really going to drink that poisoned tea?"

Duan Chen remained expressionless, his voice icy: "If not for this, how could I force you to show yourself?"

This person's lightness skill was clearly far superior to Duan Chen's. Even carrying another person, he moved with light steps and incredibly fast movements. Soon, the two arrived at the plum grove, and in no time, the small wooden house appeared in front of them.

Although it was still night, the sky was cloudless and the moonlight was bright. The two stood before the plum grove. Duan Chen tilted his head slightly and looked into a pair of deep, azure eyes. The man had a high nose, deep-set eyes, and slanted, sword-like eyebrows. His thin lips curved into a smile, and a few lines appeared at the corners of his eyes. The moonlight shone down from above, and the fine, cool moonlight shone into his eyes, making his azure pupils, as blue as the ocean, shine brightly, which made his crimson lips appear even more enchanting.

Duan Chen braced her arms against the man's chest, using all her strength to try and create some distance between them, but the man remained unmoved, staring at the woman in front of her with a smile and a hint of surprise: "Are you afraid of me?"

Duan Chen's hands were getting tired from pushing, but the other person's large hand, which was gripping his waist, tightened even more, and the face drew closer and closer. Anger welled up in Duan Chen's heart, and he spoke hastily, "Don't you know that men and women shouldn't touch each other?"