Rong Zhi looked down at him condescendingly, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Uncle Xiao, won't you invite me in for a seat?"
Xiao Sheng gasped, his facial muscles twitching slightly. "Second Young Master, this dilapidated courtyard is really not convenient for receiving you. If you need to talk to me, we can go somewhere else."
Rong Zhi chuckled almost imperceptibly and teased, "Could Xiao Sheng be hiding some treasure in this courtyard?"
Xiao Sheng looked flustered, his voice trembling slightly, "What treasure could there be in my dilapidated courtyard? Second Young Master, you were looking for me..."
Rong Zhi didn't wait for him to finish speaking before stepping inside.
The man in black followed closely behind.
"Second Young Master..." Xiao Sheng panicked and tried to stop him.
The man in black yanked him away, saying, "No one can stop Second Master from going wherever he wants."
Xiao Sheng trembled.
The man in black turned around and slammed the courtyard gate shut.
Rong Zhi walked into the courtyard and stared at the apricot tree for a couple of seconds. Then he looked around the entire courtyard.
Compared to the walls and gate, the three large tile-roofed houses plus a small side room look quite nice.
The yard was kept quite clean.
Rong Zhi noticed smoke rising from the side room, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
He walked straight toward the side room.
Xiao Sheng was so frightened that he couldn't speak, and his steps even became unsteady.
With a creak, Rong Zhi pushed open the door to the side room.
The small kitchen is clean and tidy, with all the necessary cooking utensils. On the smokeless stove, pig's trotters are stewing.
A fragrant aroma wafted past Rong Zhi's nose.
He smiled and said to Xiao Sheng, who had walked to the door, "Uncle Xiao, your cooking is pretty good."
Xiao Sheng gripped the doorframe with his right hand, trembling slightly. "Second Young Master is joking."
Rong Zhi's eyes suddenly narrowed, and he emphasized, "Uncle Xiao, remember to turn off the stove when you go out, otherwise it will be very dangerous."
Xiao Sheng took a deep breath, clenched his fingers, and ran over with heavy steps, raising his hand to extinguish the fire in the stove.
Rong Zhi stood still and looked around.
On the counter, several washed and chopped vegetables were neatly arranged on a plate. Even the scallions, ginger, and garlic were chopped.
A mocking smile appeared on Rong Zhi's lips. "Uncle Xiao, you're living a good life, aren't you? You prepared so many dishes all by yourself."
Xiao Sheng shuddered and then knocked over a salt jar next to the stove.
With a crisp sound, the white porcelain jar shattered into pieces, spilling its entire contents of salt onto the ground.
Xiao Sheng subconsciously squatted down, preparing to tidy up.
The man in black stepped forward and pulled him away.
Those broken pieces of porcelain could also become murder weapons.
The man in black then took a clean white cloth and wrapped all the fragments inside.
Rong Zhi's slightly lowered eyebrows and eyes conveyed a cold and stern expression.
Xiao Sheng watched, and couldn't help but shudder. He swallowed hard, his breathing heavy and labored. A huge rock seemed to be lodged in his chest, making him extremely uncomfortable. "Second Young Master, what exactly did you find out about?"
Rong Zhi glanced at the wooden door leading from the side room to the main room, his expression cold and stern. "The person inside, should you go and call them, or should I go and invite them?"
"..." Xiao Sheng's eyes widened, and he was speechless for a moment.
The man in black walked up to him and reminded him, "You'd better go and call him yourself. Who knows what might happen if Second Master goes to invite him?"
Xiao Sheng slowly raised his eyes and looked at Rong Zhi, his eyes filled with fear.
Everything around seemed strangely unfamiliar; the familiar environment now appeared eerie and terrifying, with every shadow potentially concealing an unknown threat.
He tried to calm his inner turmoil with deep breaths, but each inhale seemed to inhale more anxiety, making his heart beat even faster and more erratically.
The man in black added, "Second Master's methods far surpass those of Bo Yuanshan."
Xiao Sheng took two deep breaths, opened his mouth, and froze. His throat gradually went dry, and the sound of him swallowing was particularly jarring in the silence, as if he could hear the echo of fear deep within his heart.
Rong Zhi snorted coldly and walked towards the main room.
Just as he was about to push open the door, Xiao Sheng suddenly spoke up, "Second Young Master, wait a moment."
Rong Zhi paused abruptly, turned slightly, and said with a half-smile, "Uncle Xiao, please."
Xiao Sheng's pupils contracted, his heart pounded wildly, and the veins on his forehead bulged inch by inch. He took a deep breath, steeled his resolve, and dragged his heavy legs over.
He stood in front of the door for a few seconds before pushing it open.
Rong Zhi gave the man in black a wink.
The man in black understood and immediately retreated.
Rong Zhi looked at the chopped vegetables on the counter, turned around, and lit the stove again.
He took the wok and, after heating it up, added oil to it.
The series of movements flowed smoothly, like clouds and water.
He added all the other seasonings that were supposed to be added, except for salt.
A dish is ready.
The man in black pushed two people in.
"Second Master, they actually tried to escape."
Rong Zhi had his back to him and didn't turn around. He turned on the tap and began washing the pot.
"them?"
The man in black spoke with anger, "Second Master, look who she is!"
Rong Zhi placed the clean wok on the stove, tore off some kitchen paper, and turned around while wiping his hands.
In their line of sight, besides Xiao Sheng, there was also a well-maintained middle-aged woman.
She had fair skin, willow-leaf eyebrows, and phoenix eyes. Her figure was slightly plump. Her beauty far surpassed that of Ning Wanzhen.
Rong Zhi narrowed his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing across them. "Uncle Xiao, who is this?"
The man in black closed the door to the side room, lowered his head, and suppressed a laugh. "Second Master is always like this; sometimes he really likes to put on an act."
Xiao Sheng felt a buzzing in his head, his lips turned purple, and he couldn't utter a single word.
The middle-aged woman was more composed than him. She looked at Rong Zhi and smiled faintly, "You are Rong Zhi."
"Who are you?" Rong Zhi asked in astonishment.
The middle-aged woman bit her lip, took a few steps toward him, and slowly said, "You managed to find this place, yet you don't know who I am?"
No wonder she's Bo Yuanshan's woman; after sleeping together for so long, their personalities have become somewhat similar.
Rong Zhi's eyes were dark and deep, a cold glint flashing in them. "As expected of someone raised by the Bo family, their demeanor is truly different."
The middle-aged woman slightly curved her lips, the smile not reaching her eyes, "Weren't you also raised by the Bo family?"
Rong Zhi's expression was cold and stern. "So, should I call you aunt, or mother?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Sheng's expression visibly froze, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened noticeably.
The middle-aged woman's chest heaved slightly as she said calmly, "I didn't raise you, so I don't deserve to be called 'mother'."
The air in the kitchen instantly condensed.
The aroma of the food was frozen solid.
Rong Zhi crumpled the kitchen paper he had used to wipe his hands into a ball and threw it heavily into the trash can. His eyes darkened slightly, and he said coldly, "My elder brother and I are not blood relatives, but our bond is stronger than that of blood relatives. Whatever he calls you, I should call you."
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