Chapter 130 Two Different People

Liu Yueli threw the remaining half of the plum cake back onto the plate, patted the powdered sugar on her hands, and said in a chilling tone: "She is your fiancée, not a prisoner. Do you need permission to go shopping and have a snack? Besides,"

She raised her chin towards the mess and said, "Doesn't this just save you the trouble? It saves you the trouble of having to be a hero and save the damsel in distress."

Pei Ji was almost choked by her.

At this moment, there was a bigger commotion at the door of the gambling house. A fat man who looked like a manager rushed in aggressively with more thugs holding sticks. It was obvious that the commotion just now alarmed the "big shot" behind.

The fat man took a look at the mess on the ground and saw those familiar gamblers lying on the ground. He immediately became furious.

One of them covered his waist and groaned, pointing at Liu Yueli: "Wang, Manager Wang! It's her! That stinky girl in old clothes! She tripped over the stool and hit me! And that guy..."

He glanced at Pei Ji, and was stung by Pei Ji's cold eyes, so he swallowed the rest of his words.

Manager Wang glanced at Liu Yueli with his green eyes and saw that she was dressed shabbily. The young lady who was protecting her was well dressed but looked weak and frail.

The only one who could fight was the young man with a cold face, and he suddenly became seven or eight points braver.

"Great! Who dares to run wild in our Hongyunfang?" Manager Wang put his hands on his hips, spitting everywhere. "You hurt our people and smashed our things. Even the gods will have to pay for it! Come on! Take down these troublemakers first!"

He pointed at Pei Ji and the other two.

Several thugs rushed forward with sticks.

Luo Zhaohan was so scared that he shrank behind Pei Ji again.

Pei Ji's face was as gloomy as water, and the murderous aura on his body almost condensed into substance. He took a step forward to stand in front of the two men.

"Wait a minute!" A clear voice suddenly interrupted.

Everyone was stunned.

Liu Yueli took two slow steps forward, standing just in front of Pei Ji and Luo Zhaohan.

She was not tall and looked even smaller next to the group of burly thugs.

Steward Wang put on a fake smile with a face full of flesh: "Little girl, what's the matter? Want to stand up? It's too late! For today's matter, if you don't have a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver, don't even think about it..."

He didn't finish his words.

Liu Yueli didn't even look at him. Instead, she tilted her head and smiled at the gambler on the ground who had been hit the hardest by the stool and was now barely standing up with the help of her waist. Her eyes were like poisoned silver needles:

"Hey, are your backs still hurting? I know a black doctor who specializes in treating injuries. He's quick and ruthless. I guarantee you'll never have any bad thoughts again after one treatment. But it's a little expensive. I see you've lost everything just now, so you probably can't afford it. How about..."

She paused, lowering her voice slightly with a hint of coaxing, "Tell this Steward Wang who sent you to pick a fight with us just now? Tell me, and I'll see you out of here safely, and I'll give you ten taels of silver for medicine."

As he spoke, he actually took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and turned it nimbly between his fingertips.

The air suddenly became quiet.

Even Pei Ji was slightly startled, and his eyes looked at Liu Yueli even more gloomy.

This girl is not trying to show off, but is trying to trick people?

The gambler's heart went wild under her gaze, and her smile made him feel a sharp pain in his waist. He looked at the silver in her hand, then at his companion whose face changed drastically, and finally caught a glimpse of the suddenly nervous face of Manager Wang...

He is a gambler, but not a fool.

"It's Zhao Laosan from the Sihai Casino on the next street!" The gambler pointed sharply at a tall, thin man standing beside Manager Wang. "He offered me five taels of silver to cause some trouble here, preferably to startle those two well-dressed nobles... He also said that if there was a chance, it would be best to touch that young lady..."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Manager Wang's face turned pale and he wanted to cover the gambler's mouth in anger.

The tall, thin man named Zhao Laosan was also panicking, his face flushed with anxiety: "Fatty Wang! Don't listen to his nonsense! He's slandering us!"

Good god! The vicious competition between the gambling houses is deliberately trying to stir up trouble on the territory of "Hongyunfang" and point the finger at them?

Pei Ji understood instantly and his eyes became even colder.

The surrounding onlookers were also in an uproar, talking about it. The nature of this matter changed instantly, from provoking trouble to deliberately framing by a competitor, and if it got out of hand, the entire Jingzhao Prefecture would be alarmed.

Hongyunfang has just opened and is most afraid of getting into this kind of trouble.

Steward Wang had cold sweat on his forehead. He glared fiercely at the gambler who had turned against him, then looked towards Pei Ji with fear. Finally, his gaze fell on Liu Yueli, who still had a calm expression and even looked like she was "watching the show". His teeth were about to break.

He knew that today's incident was doomed. If he continued to make a fuss, not only would Hongyunfang's reputation be ruined, but he would also offend the young man and young lady in front of him who were obviously of noble status.

"Haha... misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!" Manager Wang's expression changed instantly, forcing out a smile uglier than crying, and he bowed repeatedly to Pei Ji and Luo Zhaohan, "The flood has washed away the Dragon King Temple! Please forgive me, young master and young lady! It's our gambling house's fault for disturbing you two! All the losses you two suffered in the store today will be borne by Hongyunfang! Everyone else, please go to the inner hall for a cup of good tea to calm your nerves! As for this blind man..."

He glared at Zhao Laosan and the gambler, "I'll take care of it myself!"

I just want to get rid of this plague god and the even weirder girl beside him as soon as possible!

A crisis was resolved invisibly by Liu Yueli's few casual words, revealing the truth.

Pei Ji looked at the thin but straight figure standing in front of him, his eyes complex and difficult to read. When she threw out those words just now, the sharpness that was instantly revealed from her body did not seem like that of a timid orphan girl at all.

He pursed his lips, ignored Manager Wang's flattery, and said to Liu Yueli, "Let's go."

The voice was not gentle, but it also lacked the questioning tone from before.

Liu Yueli shrugged and threw the piece of silver to the gambler as if it were garbage: "Use it to buy medicine and stay away from the gambling house." After saying that, she clapped her hands, as if she had just done something insignificant.

She followed Pei Ji out, took two steps, then stopped and turned to wave at Luo Zhaohan, who was still standing there: "Zhaohan, come on, why are you still standing there? Are you waiting for them to invite you to be the boss lady?"

Luo Zhaohan woke up as if from a dream and quickly jogged to catch up.

After walking out of the gambling house, the hustle and bustle was left behind and the cool air on the street hit my face.

Luo Zhaohan was still frightened and patted his chest: "I was scared to death, Sister Yueli! Fortunately, I have you and Brother Ji!"

She looked at Liu Yueli with eyes full of admiration, "How did you know it was that Zhao Lao San who ordered this? He's so amazing!"

Liu Yueli twitched her lips lazily but said nothing. While she was eating in the gambling house, the eldest daughter of the Luo family was still in the embroidery building, painting her eyebrows with red ink.

That look, that incitement, it's just a trick.

"From now on," Pei Ji stopped and turned around. His tall figure completely enveloped Luo Zhaohan, but his eyes were fixed on Liu Yueli. His tone was unquestionable, "Stay away from her."

Luo Zhaohan was stunned: "Brother Ji? Sister Yueli protected me today..."

"I'm talking about her," Pei Ji interrupted her, his gaze sharp as a knife, stabbing Liu Yueli without hesitation, "Liu Yueli, put away those little thoughts and underhanded methods of yours. Stay quietly in the Luo Mansion and be a good adopted daughter. Don't take Zhao Han anywhere you shouldn't go, and don't cause any trouble. Otherwise, I don't care who you are, and the Luo Mansion can't protect you."

The cold wind blew through the streets, carrying a few dead leaves with it.

Liu Yueli raised her head and faced Pei Ji's cold eyes that were like deep pools.

The sharpness that had just appeared on her face disappeared in an instant, and she returned to that indifferent look with a hint of fatigue.

"Oh." She responded in a flat voice, without any emotion. "Master Pei is the master, and whatever he says is right. But..."

She suddenly forced a bright smile, dazzlingly bright, but her eyes were devoid of any warmth. "I don't have a very good memory, especially when it comes to things like being obedient. Next time, if Sister Zhaohan insists on taking me somewhere, should I listen to you or her?"

Luo Zhaohan was anxious: "Sister Yueli! Brother Ji is also worried about me..."

Pei Ji's face became even gloomier.

This woman is just like a ball of slippery cotton. You can hit her with your fists, but it won't work; and you can pressure her with words, but she will always find a gap to stick out her thorns and prick you.

"I'll only say this once." Pei Ji's voice was icy. "You'll have to take care of yourself."

He didn't give Liu Yueli a chance to speak anymore and held out his hand to Luo Zhaohan, "Zhaohan, the carriage is here, let's go back."

Luo Zhaohan looked at Liu Yueli worriedly, then looked at Pei Ji's expression that did not allow for negotiation, and finally put his hand into Pei Ji's warm big hand, and he carefully helped him onto the gorgeous red-wheeled carriage.

Liu Yueli looked at the intimate scene, raised her eyebrows, and kept smiling.

She stood there, not moving.

Pei Ji stood by the shaft of the carriage and did not get on immediately. Instead, he glanced at Liu Yueli again, his eyes as cold as ice-cold water: "Someone from the Luo Mansion will come to pick you up later."

The tone was like someone was getting rid of a burden.

"Don't worry, Master Pei." Liu Yueli waved her hand as if to shoo away a fly. "I can go back by myself. I know the way. Please take care on your way."

She spoke politely and distantly, turned around and walked towards a stall selling hot soup noodles across the street, as if the farce that almost endangered her life and the warning from Pei Ji, the cold-faced god of death, had nothing to do with her buying soup noodles for two copper coins a bowl.

The thin figure blended into the crowd in the street and soon became the most inconspicuous spot on the street.

Pei Ji stared at the figure that was about to disappear, his thin lips pursed into a straight line, and a trace of annoyance flashed across his eyes.

He knew that she had secrets, methods, and might even have hidden claws, but on the surface she appeared to be so unyielding.

This feeling of being out of control made him very unhappy.

"Brother Ji?" Luo Zhaohan called softly in the carriage.

Pei Ji withdrew his gaze, restrained all outward emotions, and got on the carriage.

The carriage was warm and comfortable, filled with a calming fragrance. He sat next to Luo Zhaohan, and she immediately snuggled up to him, hugging his arms as if seeking protection.

"Brother Ji, please don't be angry with Sister Yueli, okay?" Luo Zhaohan pleaded softly, "Although she is sometimes weird, she is really good to me. Just now in the gambling house, she really protected me."

Pei Ji lowered his eyes and looked at Luo Zhaohan's dependent face. His heart softened and he gently put his arm around her shoulders: "I'm not angry with her."

His voice softened. "It's just that that place is too dangerous. She shouldn't have taken you there. She's in danger herself. You're my fiancée. If anything happens to you, I..."

He didn't finish his words, but Luo Zhaohan felt the heavy weight of them.

Her face flushed slightly, and she leaned on Pei Ji's shoulder: "I know that Brother Ji loves me the most. I will be obedient in the future and not go to those places. Sister Yueli, I will persuade her."

Pei Ji didn't say anything else, just patted her back soothingly, but his eyes involuntarily drifted out the car window.

Through the gauze curtain, he saw the inconspicuous mauve figure sitting on a small stool at the simple soup and noodle stall, holding a large coarse porcelain bowl in his hand, lowering his head and preparing to eat.

The cold wind blew up a few strands of her hair, and her profile became a little blurry in the rising heat.

He looked like a completely different person from the one who had turned the situation around in the gambling house in an instant just now.

This woman seemed to be covered in a thick layer of fog. Pei Ji suddenly felt that putting her so close to Zhao Han might not be a wise decision.

He had to find out where this Liu Yueli came from.

How many storms are hidden under her seemingly calm mask?

He had a strong intuition that if left alone, she would cause more trouble.

It might even completely disrupt something he holds dear.

The car moved slowly. In front of the soup and noodle stall, Liu Yueli picked up the bowl and took a sip of the hot soup. The steaming white steam blurred her face.

Putting down the bowl, she exhaled a puff of white mist with satisfaction.

The wind was stronger at the corner of the street, causing her clothes to flutter.

She raised her head slightly, and her eyes seemed to accidentally sweep over the gorgeous carriage that was gradually moving away. The corners of her lips curled up, and then quickly disappeared, leaving only indifference.

The good show may have just begun.

She lowered her head and continued to deal with the few remaining hot soup noodles in the bowl.

…

The sun has completely passed over the west wall.

The sky was dim, as if covered with a layer of gray cloth that could never be washed off.

The courtyard was very deep and shady, and the feeble sunlight that came through was like debris leaking through a sieve, unable to illuminate the bluestone slabs below the hall.

The dripping tile beasts on the eaves slowly spit out water droplets from their mouths. The "click, click" sounds became clearer and clearer as they fell on the moss-covered stone platform.

The water splashed up, carrying the fishy smell of mud, and penetrated coldly into the gaps between people's bones.

Pei Ji was standing in the dim light and shadow, a few steps away from her.

He was wearing the signature black-blue official robe of the Dali Temple Shaoqing. The material looked plain and simple, but when you got closer you could sense its cold, hard toughness.

The belt was tied tightly, showing off his slender waist, making him look like a thin blade drawn from its sheath. Standing in this dilapidated courtyard, he looked out of place.

The shadow from the black hat on his head fell heavily on his brow, leaving only two sharp eyes that seemed to be able to tear open people's hearts. They pierced through the dim and humid air and fell directly on Liu Yueli, without any intention of moving away.

Liu Yueli could feel the weight of that gaze, pressing heavily on her drooped neck.

Her fingers that were holding onto the door frame subconsciously tightened a little, bringing a sobering pain.

What's coming will eventually come. It's not a debt that can be avoided.