Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 107

The little white fox cried out.

Kiyoshitsuki added, "It said that when it cultivates into a fox spirit, it will only need to blow a breath to do everything, and we won't have to lift a finger."

Xiaoqian was amused and couldn't stop laughing.

The little white fox frolicked happily on the ground, its silvery-white fur shimmering. It leaped nimbly, somersaulting in the air with unparalleled grace. This spirit of nature put on its best show, enticing a beautiful young woman to fall in love with it.

The sky was overcast, and the snow fell thick and fast, like fragrant powder. Leaving the Cai residence, Qingfeng headed straight for the plum garden, Liu Mei's voice echoing in her mind.

"Madam Yan is not your biological mother."

“I know you don’t believe me, but I have enough evidence to prove that Madam Yan is not your biological mother.”

"Feng, believe me, I'm not lying to you this time."

"Wind, I love you, I really love you so much. Be careful, Wind, be careful of Tong Fengxian."

His personal attendants, Lü Ying and Zhou Lan, hurriedly chased after him. As he turned the corner, Lü Ying cried out, "Young Master, you're wrong, you're wrong, this isn't the way home!"

In the large study of the Shuxiang Academy, Lu Qingcheng leaned back in his tiger-skin chair, reading several thick documents. After finishing, a joyful smile appeared on his face. He looked at Su Haibo, who was sitting on his left, and smiled, "Manager Su, you have made another great contribution this time. You have secured another big deal for our fortress."

Su Haibo laughed and said, "If we're talking about merit, Fei Yang and his apprentice are the ones who truly made a great contribution."

Lu Qingcheng's bright gaze fell on a forty-year-old man, and she smiled and said, "Manager Su has already told me, Brother Feiyang, please feel free to speak your mind."

Li Feiyang was not tall, but his body was muscular and dark-skinned. He had a square face and his eyes flashed with a sharp, cold light, giving him a commanding presence. However, the melancholy hidden between his brows made his already composed character appear even more profound. He cupped his hands and said, "Please entrust Cuiyi Garden to my care, Lord."

Lu Qingcheng asked, "With your talent, I could transfer you to be a banner lord and manage a region. Why did you insist on choosing such a small place as Cuiyi Garden?"

Li Feiyang said, "Reporting to the Fortress Master, Cuiyi Garden is a place where all sorts of people mingle, and it is only in such a place that information is most readily available. This will be very helpful for me in finding people."

Lu Qingcheng nodded and looked at the young man beside him. The young man was quite young, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with fair skin and a pair of eyes full of wisdom and confidence. Lu Qingcheng asked, "Is he your little apprentice, Hu Shaofan?"

Li Feiyang said, "It is indeed my disciple. Shaofan, why don't you pay your respects to the Fortress Master?"

Hu Shaofan bowed and said, "Lord of the Fortress."

Lu Qingcheng nodded again and said, "Since it's your own idea, then go ahead and do it."

"Thank you, Lord of the Fortress."

Although his wish was fulfilled, Li Feiyang felt no joy, and the melancholy between his brows deepened.

At this moment, there was a knock on the carved door, and Zhang Zhichun entered. He bowed and said, "Lord of the Fortress, we have found Young Master Jianyue." Hu Shaofan noticed a dazzling light flashing in Lu Qingcheng's eyes, and even her voice was filled with joyful happiness.

"Found them, why haven't they returned yet?"

Zhang Zhichun cautiously replied, "Huang Chong and Zhang Lang found Young Master Jianyue at Yancui Lake. Young Master Jianyue was helping a girl wash clothes. I heard she was a laundry worker in the laundry room."

Lu Qingcheng exclaimed in surprise, "Washing clothes? Aren't you afraid of freezing to death washing clothes in this heavy snow at Yancui Lake?"

Zhang Zhichun said, "I heard that this laundry girl is quite beautiful. She first caught the eye of Zhang Sanlin, and because of this, she was beaten up by Young Master Jianyue. Later, in order to curry favor with Luo Yuting, Zhang Sanlin told Luo Yuting about her. With such beauty, Luo Yuting naturally wouldn't let her go and insisted on taking her as a concubine, but she refused to the death. So Luo Yuting bribed Li Er, the steward in charge of the laundry room, hoping to torture her in this way and force her to submit."

Lu Qingcheng angrily said, "It's that lecherous scoundrel again. Go and bring Yue back. Also, transfer the laundry maid to the Finance Institute. Isn't it short of a tea-serving maid there? Let her go and help you." The first sentence was addressed to Zhang Zhichun, and the second sentence was addressed to Su Haibo.

"Your subordinate obeys." Zhang Zhichun withdrew.

Su Haibo smiled and said, "Even I am moved by the Lord's affection for Young Master Jianyue."

Lu Qingcheng snorted, "But some people don't appreciate it." He recalled asking Cai Zhonghe if he had seen Qing Jianyue when he left the Cai residence. Cai Zhonghe's reply was, "As soon as Jianyue heard that the Lord of the Fortress was coming, she ran away like a rabbit." The more Lu Qingcheng thought about it, the more annoyed he became. That wretched fellow, just wait until I get back, I'll deal with you.

Zhang Zhichun rushed out of the academy and arrived at Yancui Lake as quickly as possible. Huang Chong and Zhang Lang greeted him.

"Where is Young Master Jianyue?" Zhang Zhichun asked.

"He's still washing clothes for that girl." Huang Chong raised his chin.

Zhang Zhichun looked in that direction and saw Qing Jianyue standing on a large, protruding rock by the frozen Yancui Lake, her sleeves rolled up, vigorously washing clothes. Xiaoqian was banging on the rocks, and the two of them were quite busy.

Zhang Lang sincerely admired him, saying, "I really can't imagine that someone like him would be willing to do that kind of work."

“A very incredible person.” Zhang Zhichun quickly walked down the hillside, with Huang Chong and Zhang Lang following closely behind. The three of them crunched through the thick snow.

"Ha, all washed." Qing Jianyue lowered her rolled-up sleeves, took the cotton robe that the white fox had brought her, and put it on. "If you had washed by yourself, you probably wouldn't have finished by midnight. It's almost dark now."

Xiaoqian, gentle and graceful, said with deep gratitude, "Thank you, Young Master Jianyue. I don't know what to say."

Kiyoshi Tsukishi draped the precious sword at his waist. "You know, if you want to save money, don't be so reckless. It's not worth it if you overwork yourself."

Xiaoqian said gratefully, "I remember everything you said, young master. Thank you so much."

Kiyomi Tsuki laughed and said, "You've already said thank you so many times, so stop. If you keep thanking me, I'll be torn to pieces."

Xiaoqian chuckled again.

Zhang Zhichun, Huang Chong, and Zhang Lang approached and said, "Young Master Jianyue, the Lord of the Fortress requests your return."

"Fox, let's go."

Kiyomi Tsuki whistled a clear tune as she ran across the silvery snow, her movements so light and agile, like an eagle soaring through the clouds, shimmering with light, carefree and unrestrained. The little white fox ran a couple of steps, then turned back and cried out before speeding up, shooting off like a shooting star.

As snowflakes fluttered down, a captivating light shone in Xiaoqian's clear, bright eyes.

Zhang Zhichun said, "Huang Chong, you two go back with Young Master Jianyue. Xiaoqian, come with me."

Xiaoqian was taken aback.

Zhang Zhichun smiled and said, "You should thank Young Master Jianyue. The reason he helped you wash your clothes wasn't just for the sake of washing them. The Lord of the Fortress already knows. From today onwards, you don't need to work in the laundry room anymore. The Lord of the Fortress is transferring you to work at the Finance Institute. You will only need to serve tea and snacks, and you won't have to work as hard as you do now."