Chapter 24

It was as if the usually docile and gentle cat had suddenly revealed its claws, leaving three bloody wounds on the person's body without any mercy.

The pastries with hidden flower fillings exuded a delightful aroma, which seemed particularly inappropriate during their long silence.

Their gazes met strangely in mid-air. Pei Lingjun gave a self-deprecating laugh and was the first to look away. He hadn't expected Wen Shu to like Qi Chengxuan so much. All she did was say he might not be the right person for her, and she got so angry?

Pei Lingjun's gaze lingered on the scattered pastries for a moment, then he ground his back teeth and muttered under his breath, "You like them that much? What kind of taste do you have?"

Pei Lingjun was already used to Wen Shu's sudden change in attitude. He tidied up the cakes on the ground, turned over and leaned against the window frame, crossed his arms and closed his eyes, intending to spend the night there.

The night breeze carried no sweet, cloying aroma of cakes; instead, it carried the fragrance of a young woman.

Pei Lingjun frowned deeply. Why did this taste have a strangely familiar feel to it?

You should know that there isn't a single female mosquito in the entire Xiaolong Guard, so how could he be familiar with the scent on a girl?

"Cousin, you don't want to help Father with his work?"

The familiar voice instantly snapped Pei Lingjun back to reality. He turned around abruptly and unexpectedly saw the girl under the osmanthus tree, still a head shorter than him, looking up at the young man in front of him.

The young man gazed at the girl before him, his thick, raven-feather-like eyelashes trembling slightly. His lips twitched a few times, but he ultimately didn't say anything, only nodding slightly.

The young woman pondered for a moment and then comforted him, "Father employs only his closest relatives. My cousin has only been in the Wen family for a short time and is not yet familiar with Anyang Prefecture. After a while, Father will surely discover my cousin's talent."

This comforting reassurance won't do much good. How long will it take him to gain Wen Tao's trust? A year, five years, or ten years?

Given Wen Tao's cautious nature, how long can his false identity remain intact? If no evidence is found before his identity is exposed, all these efforts will be in vain.

Years of lying low had taught Pei Lingjun to be patient, so the young man in front of Wen Shu still appeared upright and honest, without even a change in expression.

"Then I'll take my cousin's good wishes as a sign."

...

"Uncle, Lord Cai's birthday is approaching, I estimate it's at most a month away. Right now, all the prefectures and counties aren't showing it outwardly, but they're all secretly preparing birthday tributes!"

Pei Lingjun's nephew, a seventeen-year-old boy, was sighing, "If we could find evidence that Minister Cai had accepted bribes, and all the evidence accumulated over the years would be enough to bring him down."

“What a pity…” Zhu Zijin sighed, squatted down and glanced back at him, “You’ve been in Anyang for so long, and that Prefect Wen still won’t let his nephew do anything.”

No one responded. Zhu Zijin spread his hands and began to berate, "Uncle, you are so capable, why won't Wen Tao use you? Isn't it because your status as a cousin is too insignificant!"

He quickly went through the identities of Wen Tao's confidants in his mind. The more Zhu Zijin spoke, the more reasonable it seemed. He patiently persuaded, "Look at the people around him. Wen Quan is Wen Tao's own son. Aren't all those dirty things that he can't do himself handled by Wen Quan?"

"And another thing, isn't Wen Tao's right-hand man his own nephew?! He even got a job in the prefect's office later, so he's much closer to him than your distant nephew!"

Pei Lingjun glanced sideways.

Zhu Zijin suddenly perked up and laughed, "Don't you think what I said makes a lot of sense? I've long seen that Wen Tao is a timid and cowardly person. He won't easily use people without absolute trust. Uncle, if you want to find evidence before Lord Cai's birthday next month, I have a way."

Pei Lingjun rubbed his temples to rest, then, in a fit of desperation, said, "Just tell me what you're thinking."

What time is it? Why are you still keeping us in suspense?