Chapter 11: No Fault, Yet Fault
Zhu Qiqi's boast of her superb martial arts skills is at least half true; at the very least, her lightness skill is undeniably excellent.
Xie Huailing ran a few steps, barely managing to catch a glimpse of Zhu Qiqi's tail, before promptly slacking off. It was too difficult to get someone with a poker face to act out a friend's worries, so she didn't want to talk to the other people at Jucailou. Instead, she wandered around in sparsely populated areas, going up and down the stairs.
Su Mengzhen said that it's not about the quantity of people, but the quality, and he only assigned her two people. One, Hua Wucuo, had already taken advantage of the chaos to go to work, and the other was not his confidant. He thought that what he was doing today was simply to protect her, to follow behind her without disturbing her, which was a win-win situation.
On the way, if Xie Huailing saw anyone, she would say that Zhu Qiqi had suddenly run away, fearing she might be in danger, and then produce the token Zhu Qiqi had taken when she left. This trick always worked; none of her servants or guards escaped, which effectively protected Zhu Qiqi's safety as she ran away.
She strolled leisurely through the ornately decorated corridors of Jucai Tower. The commotion inside couldn't penetrate the heavy doors and pillars, leaving only a faint background noise. The commotion caused by Zhu Qiqi was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool; the ripples only reached the surface. The bidding in the auction hall rose and fell, and the music never stopped. Beneath this orderly facade, the deeply ingrained rules of the "Living God of Wealth" family business operated silently. Even the sudden departure of the Seventh Miss wouldn't disrupt the entire Jucai Tower.
How long had Hua Wucuo been gone—a cup of tea? Or two? She couldn't be bothered to calculate. The only important thing was her own plans; the phrase "since we're already here" clicked loudly on Xie Huailing's abacus. If she could completely follow Su Mengzhen's arrangements, she might as well write her name backwards. Having come all this way, she had to get something extra for herself.
After walking up and down several floors, she went from the top floor to the first floor, and then back up to the top floor. The Gathering Wealth Building was circular, with an openwork design in the center to provide a direct view to the auction stage on the first floor for the VIPs on the top floor. Xie Huailing and Zhu Qiqi's private box was on the left. Returning to the top floor for the second time, she strolled aimlessly and casually to the right side of the top floor, which was also the west side.
The western corridor was equally luxurious, but less frequented. The most striking feature was a massive artificial rockery in its center. This rockery almost occupied the entire width of the passageway, with jagged rocks, entwined by vines, and interspersed with a profusion of rare, blooming flowers. Unlike the purely visually striking artificial flowers at the entrance on the first floor, every flower here was real. A rich fragrance, mingled with the slightly earthy scent, flowed quietly through the air—clearly, a costly creation. For aesthetic purposes, the corridor was somewhat narrowed by the artificial rockery, and the view was largely obstructed.
Xie Huailing's gaze fell on the delicate flowers. Thinking that since she was already there, she felt she might as well look at them and feel like she was missing out on a couple of dollars, she strolled around to the back of the artificial hill. The light behind the artificial hill was a bit dim, and the flowers' orientation appeared somewhat chaotic. There were a few precious black chrysanthemums, more than half of their petals had fallen off, as if they had been blown about by a gust of wind that had swept by something quickly.
The marks were too fresh and too unnatural. If it were the waiter's routine maintenance, this level of skill would be completely unrelated to Jucailou's hiring practices. A strange feeling swept through Xie Huailing's heart. Who would want to damage the flowers and leaves in Jucailou's flower garden?
Or is it that the turbulent times are the true path of the martial world, which is omnipresent?
She remained calm and continued walking forward as if it were nothing. The entire floor consisted of private rooms, and the security was tighter than in other places. Passing through one of the tightly closed carved wooden doors, Xie Huailing saw a servant standing at the door with his hands at his sides.
This man wore a short blue shirt indistinguishable from the other waiters at Jucailou, and his face was all smiles and eagerness. What was strange was that his feet weren't standing casually, but rather subconsciously slightly apart, shoulder-width apart, with his weight concentrated on the balls of his feet. This was a posture that allowed him to exert force at any moment and maintain balance, far from the sluggishness or shift in balance that often occurs when ordinary waiters stand for long periods. This was not the posture one would expect from a servant at Jucailou.
Xie Huailing raised an eyebrow, her mind racing, but she didn't need to say anything more. She didn't understand martial arts, and that was all.
How should I put it? There's so much to say, but perhaps the best approach is to say that a society governed by the rule of law is the best. Actually, I wasn't particularly surprised, but being squeezed into the same situation as the Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Pavilion makes it hard not to think deeply.
Perhaps we'll get to see a great show, or perhaps we'll be the ones performing a great show; in any case, after looking around and getting this far, we've finally found something. She yawned slightly and said to the guards, "We can't find it anywhere. Let's go back and wait for Qiqi."
The guards naturally had no objections.
Back in the luxurious private room that belonged to her and Zhu Qiqi, it was empty; Zhu Qiqi had not returned. Xie Huailing lazily slumped on the soft couch, closing her eyes to rest. In the gloom of her thoughts, flowers and faces intertwined, and the clues were repeatedly examined by the monk under the moon, but there were too few clues, and it was always missing a few pieces to piece them together.
A short while later, the door was gently pushed open, and Hua Wucuo returned. He looked as usual, his steps steady, still the same taciturn and capable man.
Xie Huailing didn't even lift her eyelids, and casually asked in her broken Mandarin, "Hua... Guard, have you seen Qiqi?"
Hua Wucuo bowed, her voice low and deep, and answered flawlessly, "Reporting to Miss Biao, I have not seen Miss Zhu Qi."
Xie Huailing opened her eyes and looked at him. Hua Wucuo stood in front of the door, showing no signs of fatigue, imposing and upright, like a door god without personal feelings. She knew perfectly well that he was loyal to Su Mengzhen and was the confidant Su Mengzhen dared to arrange for him to act alone.
But the unresolved questions lingered in her mind, and there was no harm in lying, even if she was wrong. Driven by a mischievous sense of amusement, tinged with suspicion and mockery, she leaned closer to Hua Wucuo, sniffing him as if confirming something trivial: "Hmm? That's strange, I think I smell a floral scent on you?"
She tilted her head, her eyes vacant, as if recalling a vague feeling.
She actually managed to trick him into revealing something. Hua Wucuo's expression froze for a moment, connecting everything, though he quickly regained his composure—he almost subconsciously took a slight breath, as if sensing his own scent, before immediately denying it: "Floral scent? I didn't notice it. Perhaps Miss Biao is mistaken, or perhaps the flowers in the building have carried a trace of it."
How could she describe this feeling? She really should laugh, but unfortunately, she didn't like to laugh. Su Mengzhen, oh Su Mengzhen, she really wanted to say your name properly.
“Really?” Xie Huailing drawled. “But I think… there is some.” She paused, then added, “However, only a little bit.”
Hua Wucuo lowered his head, unable to see through her deeper meaning: "This subordinate truly does not know."
Xie Huailing didn't press the matter further, as if it had really been just a casual remark, and lazily looked away. Hua Wucuo quietly retreated to a corner in the shadows, standing respectfully with his hands at his sides.
The auction continued, but Xie Huailing was already distracted, looking downstairs and keeping an eye on Hua Wucuo in the corner. When a magnificent brocade robe was sold for a high price, Hua Wucuo casually raised his hand and gently dusted off the fabric on his chest with his fingers—a perfectly ordinary gesture.
But that was just the original state.
There's no need to worry about whether the flower marks behind the artificial hill were left by Hua Wucuo, because it could only have been him. So what was he doing in the elegant courtyard on the west side? The Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion couldn't possibly have a complete list of Jucai Pavilion's VIPs, much less know who was sitting in that elegant courtyard that required skilled guards. If Su Mengzhen knew who was there, he wouldn't need to send Hua Wucuo at all; he could simply pressure or negotiate with the "Living God of Wealth."
The answer is that Hua Wucuo acted on his own. He was using this opportunity to contact someone who was detrimental to Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou and whose existence Su Mengzhen was unaware of. How to write the word "betrayal"? Hua Wucuo writes it in a more interesting way. I just don't know if his savior, who is so thoughtful, has considered this aspect.
There are no coincidences in the world, and she saw the dramatic changes as if she were looking down on all the mountains. Who will be swallowed by the whirlpool in the end, or will it be the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? That's the meaning of the struggle.
The door to the private room was suddenly pushed open, and Zhu Qiqi returned just in time, looking dejected and frustrated, followed by a manager from Jucailou.
"I'm so angry! He won't come back with me!" Zhu Qiqi pounced on the side and sat down, complaining to Xie Huailing, "Shen Lang said he had important business to attend to and was accompanying someone, and promised to come to see me later, but he just won't come with me today, how awful."
Xie Huailing's gaze swept over Zhu Qiqi and the steward, a hint of regret appearing on her face. Then, as if remembering something, she said to Hua Wucuo, "Guard Hua, I think I just dropped a little trinket that Miss Zhu gave me in the corridor. It's not easy to find. Could you please help me look for it?"
Hua Wucuo, unsuspecting, bowed and replied, "Your subordinate will go immediately."
"It's not wrong to send him away," Xie Huailing said, turning to Zhu Qiqi. "Don't be angry. At least he's been caught. We'll think of something else next time. Who is Young Master Shen with that's more important than you?"
Zhu Qiqi, who was just wondering where to say it, immediately said, "Who knows! So mysterious, but..."
Her eyes darted around, a hint of smugness in them: "This is no problem for me. I checked all the guest lists from the manager today. To find out who he came with, I just need to find whose name is next to his."
Xie Huailing continued, "I won't ask who it is; let's respect their privacy. But I'm curious about who's here. Anyone who can come here must be either rich or powerful."
Zhu Qiqi was not particularly cunning, and wanting to show off her "capabilities" in front of Xie Huailing, she started counting on her fingers: "There's Master Ma, a wealthy silk merchant from Jiangnan, with eight beautiful concubines; there's a young master from the Tang Clan in Sichuan, cold and aloof; oh, and a few martial arts figures who look intimidating, from Mount Emei. Oh, and there's the guy in the private room across from us, surnamed... surnamed Tian, right, manager?"
She looked at the steward behind her, who quickly bowed and replied, "Reporting to Miss Seven, Miss Xie, the distinguished guest in room number B on the right is Mr. Tian Wen, and he only brought one attendant."
Xie Huailing naturally asked, "What a coincidence! What nice thing did he buy?"
The steward looked embarrassed. "Uh... I won't hide it from you ladies. This is Mr. Tian's first time here. He only bid on the very first little item, an antique inkstone. The cost was less than the price of renting a room in the top-tier section for a day. He said he didn't like any of them. I was thinking of serving Mr. Tian well, hoping to keep this important guest here, but he didn't even want the maid I sent. He only took a sip of the ten or so kinds of tea I offered."
Xie Huailing was now certain that Su Mengzhen's plan had gone horribly wrong. Hua Wucuo, this seemingly honest but venomous snake, had not only failed to complete his mission but might have also leaked the information to this mysterious "Master Tian." She merely showed a hint of sarcastic doubt, worrying about Jucailou: "Could it be that Jucailou did something wrong to please this Master Tian, that he wouldn't even accept tea?"
She paused, and based on the premise that more trouble means more chaos, she knew that asking her to use her brain would cost her money. She didn't care whether it was someone else's undeserved misfortune, and she was quite adept at labeling Su Mengzhen: "My cousin said that he had encountered people like this before. Most of them had damaged their tongues from practicing martial arts and liked to eat things that smelled ordinary but tasted unusual."
Zhu Qiqi chuckled: "That's really strange. Usually, so many things have to be made separately."
The manager was taken aback, a look of sudden realization and "I've learned something" flashing in his eyes. Yes, what if the customer is like that? Jucailou only thinks of serving ordinary good tea, which is indeed a narrow approach!
Xie Huailing took in the manager's reaction and said nothing more.
Before leaving Jucai Tower, Xie Huailing hadn't forgotten what she most wanted to do. She did something that left Zhu Qiqi speechless: she lit a sky lantern for the last and most coveted item, supposedly a peerless treasure sword. This meant that no matter how high the price others offered, she would bid until no one else did.
This activity was purely a waste of Su Mengzhen's money. She felt she'd lost out because she hadn't even spent a significant amount of money before leaving. It wasn't that she wanted to buy a knife; it was mainly about building rapport, making sure her trip wasn't in vain and that she didn't cause any trouble—she was ruthless, after all.
Ultimately, this priceless sword, for an astonishing sum far exceeding its actual value, fell into the hands of "Miss Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou Biao".
On the other side, at the entrance of room number B in the Tianzi section of Jucai Building.
After seeing off most of the distinguished guests, the steward finally knocked on the door of Master Tian Wen's room. His face was plastered with a polite yet somewhat tentative smile as he respectfully offered fragrant hot tea through the curtain.
"Mr. Tian, please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality today. Although the auction is over, we have prepared some fine tea for you in the building. We hope you will do us the honor. This tea will surely help you relax and feel refreshed..."
Behind the curtain, all was silent, with a figure in blue bowing his head and sipping his drink.
Less than a breath later, a low cough, as if someone had choked on their tea, was heard, followed by a series of coughs, clearly choked by the pungent taste. After the coughing subsided, a voice, devoid of any emotion, sent a chill down the manager's spine—young and clear:
"see a visitor out."
The manager's smile faded. "Is this not acceptable? This man is really difficult to please." He withdrew.
Inside the curtain, Di Feijing, dressed in an old blue robe, kept his head bowed. His face was paler than usual, but his cheeks were slightly flushed. He wiped his lips and spat out the tea, which had been spiced with Western Region spices, that he hadn't swallowed.
Back in the carriage at Jinfeng Xiyu Tower, Xie Huailing leaned against the cool side of the carriage while Zhu Qiqi continued to chatter about when Shen Lang would arrive.
Only she knew that a silent storm was raging in her mind at that moment. Hua Wucuo's resolute and loyal face was twisted and peeled away at the center of the storm, revealing the betrayal beneath. And at the end of the storm were Su Mengzhen's unfathomable eyes, burning with a lonely, cold flame.
"Since we're already here, this is truly an age-old truth." She silently tugged at the corner of her mouth, a thought surfacing:
Su Mengzhen, your house is on fire.
————————
Some punching bags got punched before they even officially met.
Regarding whether there will be a romantic subplot involving Di Feijing, the answer is, of course there will be—
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com