Chapter 104: Coming and Going in a Hurry
Although she said she wouldn't worry, Xie Huailing still had to make preparations. There were many things that required her orders, things that Su Mengzhen couldn't do, from how to place the spies Su Mengzhen had planted in Liufenbantang, to how to utilize the spies Su Mengzhen had deliberately placed in the building, and then there were the important financial matters... She had to come up with a comprehensive plan. At the same time, she also had to prepare contingency plans to prevent Lei Zha from doing anything underhanded.
"To be old and not die is to be a thief," and whatever he's harboring in his heart, it's nothing good. Xie Huailing understood that after his sudden emergence, Lei Sun was no longer as composed as before. He wouldn't panic or lose his composure, but he also wouldn't be blindly calm. The gap between Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou and Liu Fen Ban Tang was unacceptable to Lei Sun.
He must still be plotting, planning for the right opportunity to tear a piece of flesh from Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou.
When the topic of Six and a Half Hall came up, Lei Sun had a plan, so Di Feijing wouldn't remain silent. Xie Huailing then casually asked Su Mengzhen about Di Feijing, but since she herself had cut off contact with Di Feijing, no one in the building could contact him anymore. Su Mengzhen could only give some irrelevant answers, nothing more than guesses, which Xie Huailing refuted one by one.
If one had to pinpoint anything related to him, it would be that when Xie Huailing used the Stone Guanyin to smear Liufenbantang, Di Feijing sent someone to deliver a message, stating directly that the Stone Guanyin matter had nothing to do with Liufenbantang, and that Liufenbantang was also concerned about Miss Xie's safety. As for what he meant by that, neither Su Mengzhen nor Xie Huailing would bother to guess, even if the answer were laid bare. In short, the question remained unresolved.
After discussing the follow-up arrangements with Su Mengzhen, Xie Huailing saw him off at noon the next day. Before leaving, he seemed to have a thousand words to say, but he only left behind the words, "Take care."
After Su Mengzhen left, Xie Huailing remained in the Beggars' Sect. She took Zhu Qiqi with her, and they played cards with Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou for more than a day.
She was waiting for someone, someone who would definitely come, someone who would come soon and tell her more people—Shen Lang.
If Shen Lang can't let go of Zhu Qiqi, he will definitely come after her. And what he can perceive will be no less than what Xie Huailing would perceive if he personally went to the border.
Speaking of waiting for Shen Lang, we must mention Zhu Qiqi again, and the incident of Zhu Qiqi playing cards with Xie Huailing and the other two. This girl loves beauty and doesn't want to put anything on her face, so the nature of their card game slid in a certain unspeakable direction. She is extremely wealthy, and she and Hua Manlou are the seventh daughters of two extremely wealthy families, one in the south and one in the north, so it goes without saying how much they are rolling in money; Xie Huailing, on the other hand, has Su Mengzhen's money, making him even richer than the other two.
The three of them set a large sum of money. As Lu Xiaofeng listened, he felt something was wrong. He touched his purse and found it was even emptier than his face. He immediately stood up with a righteous air.
He said this was wrong and angrily denounced the three men's actions. How could they gamble? Gambling has ruined so many families!
"Master, Master!" Hua Manlou, a diligent and inquisitive student, asked, "What about the 100,000 taels of silver you squandered in one night at the casino last time? Was it for charity?"
Lu Xiaofeng frowned and said that the question was too tricky and the teacher would not answer it.
Zhu Qiqi couldn't help but burst into laughter, clapping her hands and saying it was hilarious. She was just thinking of generously giving away money to pay for Lu Xiaofeng, whom she had just met, when she heard Xie Huailing saying that some people, who didn't even know how many days of schooling they had, had become teachers.
The scene erupted in laughter. However, in the end, the group still considered Lu Xiaofeng's wallet, not wanting him to have to rely on his own two feet to travel in a few days. The penalty for losing at cards turned into a game of truth or dare.
When Shen Lang arrived, by sheer coincidence, this was the scene he witnessed.
After Zhu Qiqi stormed off in anger, Shen Lang was filled with regret over the events of that day. Sometimes he thought about Zhu Qiqi's temperament, and sometimes he felt extremely remorseful towards himself. But no matter what he was thinking, he knew that the most urgent task was to deal with 'Miao Langjun' first, and then find Zhu Qiqi as quickly as possible to prevent anything from happening to her.
So after managing to win over 'Wonderful Gentleman', he immediately set off without stopping, asking passersby for directions and gathering information, which took a lot of effort. If he hadn't heard about Xie Huailing on the way, thinking that Zhu Qiqi was probably coming to her to complain, and if he hadn't happened to have made a friend from the Beggars' Sect, he probably wouldn't have been able to find the Beggars' Sect, and even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to get in.
The maid relayed a message that Xie Huailing told him to just go in and enter directly at the door. Shen Lang couldn't understand her meaning. He hesitated after reaching the door. Zhu Qiqi's laughter seemed to float in the air. He didn't know if she would be unhappy if he went in, but what could he do if she was unhappy? Even if Xie Huailing said that Zhu Qiqi was fine, Shen Lang still had to see her and confirm it with his own eyes.
Without further hesitation, he pushed open the door and saw Zhu Qiqi shouting, "I don't want to say this!" glaring at Xie Huailing with a blushing face, then slamming her hand on the table and standing up.
Her cheeks flushed crimson as she turned and met Shen Lang's gaze. A few days after the misunderstanding cleared up, their reunion resulted in an even more intense blush on her face. However, it wasn't entirely Shen Lang's fault. The mischievous Xie Huailing let out a long "Oh," fanning the flames of this blush as if afraid it wouldn't take flight. Lu Xiaofeng, of course, understood perfectly well, and laughed, leaning back and urging Zhu Qiqi to honor her bet.
Zhu Qiqi blushed so much her ears felt like warm jade, her heart pounding with anxiety. She couldn't possibly bring herself to ask Xie Huailing for a dare. But... she wasn't the type to go back on her word. She was usually quite clever and had a temper, and she wouldn't break a promise she'd made. With a determined heart, Zhu Qiqi turned halfway to face Shen Lang, making up her mind.
When Shen Lang saw her appearance, his heart softened instantly. His expression also softened considerably. He wanted to borrow Zhu Qiqi from Xie Huailing, but Zhu Qiqi spoke first.
Zhu Qiqi shouted at him, "I hate it when you don't just say what you mean!"
Then, taking advantage of Shen Lang's momentary daze, she could no longer stay in the same place. She lifted her skirt, brushed past Shen Lang, and ran off to who-knows-where outside.
It seems that intelligence and emotional intelligence prevailed. Shen Lang, as expected of Shen Lang, immediately realized after a moment of confusion and shock that it must have been Xie Huailing's joke. He nodded to Xie Huailing as a greeting and an apology for his rudeness, then turned and followed Zhu Qiqi. The two figures disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Xie Huailing, refreshed and invigorated by his achievements, leaned back with his eyes half-closed, inexplicably relaxed. Lu Xiaofeng, laughing until this point, straightened up, crossed his chair legs, and swung over, saying, "That must be Young Master Shen, right? He's quite the handsome young man, and certainly not the heartless type."
He was the least worried about whether Zhu Qiqi and Shen Lang would have another fight. The seasoned playboy understood all too well that this was the perfect time for young men and women to whisper sweet nothings. If nothing progressed, it would be a waste of Xie Huailing's efforts, though not entirely well-intentioned. Lu Xiaofeng even felt it wasn't lively enough; Xie Huailing was watching the show, so he too, clicking his tongue, "Oh no, I should teach Miss Zhu Qiqi something more."
Xie Huailing snorted, not saying that there was anything wrong with his idea. Hua Manlou was still arranging the cards and laughed, "Don't go and join in the fun. Isn't it chaotic enough already?"
“What do you mean by joining in the fun?” Lu Xiaofeng said matter-of-factly. “A woman’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. Young Master Shen, you might as well guess a little more.”
But despite his words, he didn't intend to do anything. The three of them pretended nothing had happened and continued playing cards.
.
It's right to ignore it; some things have to be resolved by the people involved themselves.
Shen Lang always had a way of coaxing Zhu Qiqi, but not many. It was only after his feelings for Zhu Qiqi were exposed that he started to say things that Zhu Qiqi liked, and gradually he was able to coax her a little.
Zhu Qiqi felt guilty towards Shen Lang and understood her mistakes. This farce, which almost drove people away, finally came to an end with the two of them reconciling. Zhu Qiqi became the girl who clung to Shen Lang and didn't want to leave. Only when she remembered him did she reluctantly leave, telling Shen Lang that Xie Huailing had asked him to come find her.
The phrase "clever as a god" could also be used to describe Shen Lang. He was an exceptionally intelligent man, meticulous in his observations, and possessing both courage and wisdom. During his time at the border, he had noticed some unusual activity, so upon hearing this, he knew what Xie Huailing wanted to ask. Without any delay, he escorted Zhu Qiqi to her room and then returned to find Xie Huailing.
The grass in front of the pavilion was lush and green, and a gentle breeze blew past, its coolness almost imperceptible. Shen Lang stopped a few steps away, bowed slightly, and respectfully cupped his hands, saying, "Greetings, Miss Xie."
Zhu Qiqi's friends weren't his friends. Although he had met Xie Huailing a few times and even saved Zhu Qiqi together, Shen Lang knew perfectly well that he and Xie Huailing didn't have a deep connection. At their first meeting, with Zhu Qiqi's introduction, Xie Huailing was merely a young lady from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, relying on Su Mengzhen and not yet making a name for herself in the martial arts world. At that time, Xie Huailing was amiable, and they could naturally be considered equals. But now, their meeting was far different.
Shen Lang was dashing and magnanimous, yet also extremely tactful. Since they weren't exactly friends, nor did he intend to be, even if he was a renowned martial artist who preferred fame to being an unknown figure in the martial world, it was still Shen Lang who should have greeted Xie Huailing first. Given their high positions, it would be rather inappropriate for them if he didn't respect Xie Huailing, and for Xie Huailing to be unpretentious.
Despite harboring resentment, Xie Huailing had no intention of tormenting him. She waved for Shen Lang to sit down opposite her, and Sha Man poured him some tea.
"How is Young Master Shen doing at the border? I'm sorry to have troubled you," she said politely.
"Thank you for your concern, Miss. Everything is fine. Qiqi has not caused me any trouble. Taking care of her is what I should do." Shen Lang said with a smile. He was such a perceptive person that he noticed the change in Zhu Qiqi. He did not forget to thank her. "It is I who should apologize to Miss Xie for troubling you with my affairs with Qiqi."
There are still humans around. It's good that there are still humans. Xie Huailing sighed inwardly, but didn't show it on his face. He said, "These are all minor matters. It's good that Young Master Shen understands. As for the others, Young Master Shen should know what I wanted to ask you when I called you here."
Shen Lang smiled wryly, a look of helplessness on his handsome face, and sighed, "Unfortunately, I don't know. Miss Xie, there are too many things to say about the border region."
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