Chapter 142 Hero Saves the Beauty

"I didn't bring it."

Seeing Lin Anyuan's confident demeanor, Chu Xiujie gritted his teeth and took out his purse. "Fine, here you go."

"By the way, cover your face. I don't want you to become the top courtesan in a brothel overnight, and then I'll have to go save you."

Seeing Lin Anyuan's gaze as sharp as a knife, Chu Xiujie flipped over and jumped onto the wall. "I have urgent business to attend to, I'll be going now."

Lin Anyuan chuckled, put away his purse, and was about to turn and leave when a person at the alley entrance looked at him with amazement.

"Young master, may I ask who you are...?"

The person was dressed as a man, but spoke like a woman, and jogged towards Lin Anyuan as she spoke.

"Young master, may I ask who you are and where you live?"

Lin Anyuan turned and left as if he hadn't seen anyone.

"Young master, I'm talking to you!" The woman disguised as a man became anxious and tried to tug at Lin Anyuan's sleeve.

Lin Anyuan frowned instantly.

"Miss, Miss!"

Hearing someone approaching from the alleyway, Lin Anyuan seized the opportunity when the woman disguised as a man wasn't paying attention and instantly climbed onto the roof.

The maidservant saw her mistress and hurriedly ran over.

"Where is he? Where is the peerless handsome man?" The woman disguised as a man turned around and he was gone. She frantically searched everywhere.

The maid looked left and right. "Miss, you must be seeing things. There's no handsome man to be found."

"I'm not seeing things, I really saw it just now. I told you to call me Young Master when we're out, how come you can't remember?"

"Look again. I've never seen anyone so handsome before. I want him to be my husband."

Upon hearing this, the maid hurriedly told her mistress to lower her voice, but the mistress ignored her and kept talking about how handsome the man she had just met was.

"Young lady, you can't sleep at night and are thinking about men? Why don't you let your brother take good care of you?"

A lewd man spotted the master and servant, his eyes lit up, and he blocked their path.

"Get out of the way!" the maidservant hurriedly shouted.

"Hey, they're a couple! I'm in luck tonight."

"Ah, let go of me! Do you know who my young lady is?!"

"I don't care who you are. To die under the peony is to die a romantic death."

Lin Anyuan, hiding in the shadows, watched as the master and servant pair, oblivious to their predicament, courted death. He had no intention of meddling, but soon a hothead rushed out.

"Don't you dare harass this young master! Let him go!"

On the rooftop, Lin Anyuan paused in his steps, which were about to leave.

"Oh, who do we have here? A weak scholar who dares to play the hero and save a beauty? Has he gone stupid from studying too much?"

The sleazy man didn't take them seriously at all, and instead said excitedly, "Since we're already here, one for you and one for me, we can have some fun together."

"Don't you dare harass this young master!" Tao Chuang said, holding a thin stick in his hand.

As he spoke, he didn't forget to shout to the master and servant, "Young master, you two should leave immediately!"

"Pah, you're giving me too much credit!"

"ah--"

Tao Chuang screamed in pain after being punched.

Lin Anyuan couldn't bear to watch. Just as Tao Chuang gritted his teeth and rushed over again, he threw the pebble in his hand.

The lewd man was struck in the temple and instantly collapsed to the ground.

Tao Chuang looked at his hands suspiciously. "Am I that good?"

"Miss, are you alright?" the maid asked, quickly shielding her mistress with her body.

The young lady's clothes were just torn; if word gets out, it'll be disastrous.

"Miss...are you alright?" Tao Chuang then realized that the person in front of him was a woman, and his face immediately turned red.

Just as he was about to apologize for being rude to the young lady, he lost his footing and fell over.

"Ah...you're a lecher too!"

"..."

"Have you heard? Last night, the daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites was rescued by a hero, and the marriage has been arranged."

"Didn't the Vice Minister of Rites announce that he would find a son-in-law through the examination results? How come this kid got lucky?"

"The list has been posted long ago. You're still dreaming. The top three are students from the capital, and the other one is from Suzhou, named... Liu Wenshu."

Lin Anyuan quietly drank her tea. As the daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites, Tao Chuang shouldn't starve to death.

He got up and left after hearing the name Liu Wenshu.

...

...

Liu Mansion.

As Madam Cui was trying on her new jewelry, the nanny spoke in a low voice, "Madam, the family banquet has been arranged according to your instructions."

"I know, where is the master?" Madam Cui put down the hairpin in her hand.

Madam Cui is thirty years old this year. She comes from the Cui family of Qinghe and is now the head mistress of the household. She is also the only head mistress in the entire capital city who has no mother-in-law to suppress after marriage. She is the envy of countless daughters-in-law.

"The master will be here shortly."

Not long after, Liu Zhongyuan, the Minister of Personnel, returned, and Lady Cui was already waiting for him in the main courtyard with her men.

“Master, the family banquet has been prepared as you instructed. However, today is a family banquet, and the young ladies of the family are also seated. Is it really appropriate to invite a guest here?”

When Cui heard Liu Zhongyuan's message, she almost couldn't keep up the smile on her face.

Liu Zhongyuan, over forty years old, with a thin and dignified face, frowned in displeasure upon hearing Cui's probing words.

“How can Wen Shu be considered a guest? He can’t write two Liu characters in one stroke. If he gets better, he will be a great help to Xi Shu and the girls in the family.”

Madam Cui smiled and said, "What you say is true, sir. I was being narrow-minded."

At the Liu family banquet, Liu Wenshu arrived at the perfect time, accompanied by his maid, Lü'er.

"uncle."

Seeing that Liu Wenshu was handsome and talented, and a newly appointed third-ranked scholar, Liu Zhongyuan smiled on his serious face. "Wenshu, please sit down. This is the first time I've seen you since you moved into the Liu residence. I'm sorry I've been too busy lately and have neglected you."

“Uncle is busy with official duties, how could he be delayed by such a small matter?” Liu Wenshu was very polite, friendly but not obsequious.

"Your child has grown up in that remote place quite well. Try the food from the capital; see if it suits your taste." Madam Cui, with a gentle demeanor, instructed her head maid to serve Liu Wenshu food.

Sitting to the side were the two young masters of the Liu family, Liu Xishu and Liu Zhishu, and their daughter, Liu Shiyu.

All three were born to the Cui family.

"Brother Wenshu, I'd like to offer you a toast." Liu Shiyu looked at Liu Wenshu curiously, and her face turned red as she looked at him.

This is the third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations; he is indeed more handsome than his two older brothers.

Liu Wenshu picked up his wine cup, about to drink, when Greenie, who was serving behind him, suddenly trembled and bumped into him, spilling the wine.

"This servant deserves to die, this servant deserves to die!" Greenie hurriedly knelt down.

Madam Cui's face darkened immediately. "How can you do things like this? You're so clumsy! Someone, take this maid out and discipline her properly."

"Madam, wait a moment."

Liu Wenshu suddenly stood up, picked up the wine pot, and said, "I didn't hold the wine cup properly just now. Why should Madam blame a little maid? I'd rather pour the wine myself and apologize to my sister."

"Are you trying to be a hero and save the damsel in distress?"