Chapter 190: A Harmonious Relationship
Before arriving at the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion, Panda was filled with admiration and excitement for this place, the leader of the righteous path. Sometimes he wondered if he would have the opportunity to broaden his horizons and become famous overnight. As he thought about it, he began to fantasize.
On his first day at the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion, Xiongmao was filled with anxiety. Ever since Wang Lianhua and Xie Huailing had their falling out, he had been asking around, asking Zhu Qiqi, then Shen Lang, and even Wang Lianhua himself, but no one would tell him anything. He was terrified that the Golden Wind and Drizzle Pavilion would turn against them the next day, and he didn't sleep well that night.
On his third day at the Golden Breeze and Drizzle Pavilion, Panda put his worries aside and focused on enjoying life there. This panda simply ate and slept, completely forgetting about martial arts. He was living off the limited supply of fine wine, and even if there was a fight tomorrow, he would still finish today's worth.
He even warmly invited Wang Lianhua, who was passing by the room, to join him for drinks and a drinking game. However, Wang Lianhua glanced at him, said nothing, and went back to his room. Seeing the boy's strange, unspoken expression, Xiongmao'er didn't bother arguing with him. Just as he was about to close the door, he saw Wang Lianhua again with an indescribable expression, hurriedly using his light-footed skills to escape and climb out of the corridor window. It was truly baffling, leaving Xiongmao'er utterly bewildered.
He scratched his head, unable to find an answer. He went over to check again, but the person had vanished, as if someone was chasing him. Panda cursed under his breath, thinking this person was getting more and more outrageous. He turned around again and heard footsteps approaching, coming up to the floor.
Just a few days ago, Miss Xie, who had been at loggerheads with Wang Lianhua, walked over in a hurry. Xiongmao'er's hand trembled, and he almost dropped the wine jar out the window. He instantly understood what had gotten into Wang Lianhua again, but it was too late to go back to his room; Xie Huailing had already seen him.
Panda could only pretend to be very busy and go to look at the clouds outside the window—oh, today the sun is shining brightly, there are no clouds in the sky, it's a beautiful day as bright as the morning glow—then he saw the carvings on the window of the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion and thought that the carvings were really intricate, the wood was wood, and the patterns were patterns.
His acting was so bad that Xie Huailing couldn't see anyone around him. He asked the guards in Wang Lianhua's room, but got no answer. So he grabbed Xiongmao'er and called out, "Young master."
Panda felt a jolt run through his body and immediately called out Shen Lang's name in his heart, hoping that Shen Lang, who was just a few walls away, would come to his rescue and not let him get stuck between Wang Lianhua and Xie Huailing, which he really couldn't bear.
Shen Lang, busy writing his travelogue, was too preoccupied to notice Xiongmao'er's plea for help. He could only force a smile, turn around at Xie Huailing's call, and feign cheerfulness: "Miss Xie, what brings you here?"
Xie Huailing was too lazy to play games, so she pretended not to notice his panic and observed his expression before asking, "Does Young Master know where Wang Lianhua has gone? I have something to discuss with him."
Wang Lianhua. Hearing this formal address, Xiongmao'er panicked even more. He pinched himself behind his back, averted his gaze, and said, "I haven't seen him much. Didn't he go out and not come back yet?"
The maid who followed was, after all, from the Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Pavilion. She had been watching closely when she was guarding the entrance. Upon hearing this, she couldn't help but speak up for her superior, ensuring he wasn't deceived: "Didn't Young Master Wang just come upstairs?"
Caught red-handed, Xiongmao'er gave an awkward laugh, cold sweat slowly trickling down his face, cursing Wang Lianhua in his heart once again. To make amends, he rolled his eyes and said, "I was just focused on admiring the scenery and looking at the carvings on the window, so I didn't notice that he had come back."
Xie Huailing stared at him without moving, her gaze as still as a deep pool, undisturbed. Xiongmao'er broke out in a cold sweat. He knew that covering for Wang Lianhua in front of the smartest woman in the world was a real test of his abilities. He gritted his teeth and refused to say anything more.
Xie Huailing instead asked him, "Then, young master, could you tell me which part of the scenery you were admiring at the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion just now, and which flower among the carvings on the window?"
The little panda really didn't remember. Even though he had just seen it, he would sneak a peek, but he still couldn't recognize it. How could a big, burly panda recognize patterns? So he could only make up something and said, "Well, there are many different kinds of scenery. As for carvings, the peony on the left side of this window is quite pretty."
Xie Huailing reminded him, "There are no peonies on the window."
The panda chuckled dryly, the clean-loving child losing face in the process: "Haha, hahaha..."
He couldn't keep up the act any longer; his laughter died in his throat, and he was utterly desperate.
"Young master, please speak directly. I don't want to make things difficult for you," Xie Huailing said calmly. "There are some things that I need to discuss with Wang Lianhua. But if you don't want to, I can talk to you first. Please."
She stepped aside to make way for the panda, seemingly to take it away; in any case, the path wouldn't lead to anything good.
"No, no, no, no!" Panda shook his head like a rattle drum, having been driven to a dead end with no other options.
He finally spoke, pointing out the window: "Um, I suddenly remembered, I think I saw him climb out of this window, but I can't be sure, maybe I was mistaken..."
The panda's voice grew softer and softer, and he lost all courage. In his mind, he shouted, "Wang Lianhua, as a brother, he has done more than enough. You can worry about your messy relationships with other women yourself!"
Xie Huailing didn't expose him again. She glanced out the window one last time and saw the towering silhouette of the white building and people coming and going on the terrace. She didn't linger. She lifted her skirt and was about to leave, but turned back before going down the stairs.
Panda's heart skipped a beat. He thought of Wang Lianhua; how could these two be so alike? Fortunately, Xie Huailing didn't come looking for him this time. Instead, she knocked on Shen Lang's door, said a few words to him, and dragged him away before finally leaving. Panda was left standing in the corridor, clutching his chest, feeling sympathy for Shen Lang. At the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief and decided he didn't want to get involved in this matter anymore.
.
No matter how fast Wang Lianhua ran, Shen Lang wouldn't be slower than him, especially since Shen Lang was already suffering from a terrible headache. After hearing Xie Huailing's words, he felt uncomfortable all over, but he didn't know where to start, so he could only try to catch Wang Lianhua first.
This kid is really fast. Shen Lang chased him for about fifteen minutes, circling around, and finally found him in the pavilion in the woods behind the White Building. He saw him looking up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought, but he had figured it out. He stopped playing the chase game with Xie Huailing and gave Shen Lang some leeway, specifically to keep him quiet and talk properly.
Xie Huailing's state had returned to the time when she and Wang Lianhua were constantly tripping each other up around Wang Yunmeng. She walked out from behind Shen Lang, already somewhat tired, and looking at the person who had tormented her for half the day, she felt a nameless anger rising in her heart.
Wang Lianhua's skill in making her furious is truly unparalleled.
"If you run again, I'll tie you up in a sack and sink you to the bottom of Tianquan Pool," Xie Huailing threatened. "You're wasting your mealtime like this, and it'll ruin so many things."
Wang Lianhua found it amusing, but instead of reflecting on her own actions, she leaned back against the wooden pillar of the pavilion: "If you're late, then don't eat. If you starve to death, it's on me. I'll collect your body, and I'll buy you any color of cloth you like."
"You dare to do it but not admit it? You're quite the tough one?"
"So what if I don't deserve it? Running or not running is my own skill. Besides, tell me what I've done?"
The two didn't even approach each other, and started arguing with Shen Lang between them, making Shen Lang's head feel even bigger than twice as hard. He wanted to persuade the two to talk things out, but he was worried that he would become the one to judge, so he could only stand by a table and chair to drink tea, rubbing his temples. In the end, he thought it over. It was better to argue like this than before, so he decided to let it be. At least they could argue, which was better than never speaking to each other again.
Xie Huailing said, "Shaman has a lot on her plate. Don't talk to her too much and delay our business. Not everyone is as free as you."
Wang Lianhua said, "I haven't even said anything yet, and I can't even say hello? What a domineering young lady."
Xie Huailing continued, "Don't you think everyone knows what you're really thinking besides just saying hello?"
Wang Lianhua then said, "That's none of my business. After all, I have no idea what people I dislike are thinking, unlike you who have to guess."
They argued back and forth, not letting a single word fall to the ground. No matter what or who they resented, they vented it all on each other. The guard who came to deliver the message didn't dare to approach, standing trembling outside the woods. If it weren't for the urgency of the situation, he wouldn't have dared to go forward.
"Miss Xie, Steward Yang sent me to deliver a message." It was Shen Lang who kindly patted Wang Lianhua on the shoulder, interrupting the fight, and the guard then walked up slowly.
The two, reluctant to part, finally stopped. Xie Huailing looked over and asked him what was wrong.
The guard presented a letter with both hands and said to Xie Huailing, "The Divine Marquis's Mansion has sent a letter, hoping to meet with Miss today as soon as possible. Chief Steward Yang hopes Miss will make a decision on whether or not to go."
Of course, Xie Huailing was going. He took the letter and glanced at it briefly, but as he looked at it, he suddenly felt angry. When he looked up again, he felt that Wang Lianhua was gloating. He was furious.
Wang Lianhua was actually gloating, and gave her a slight smile, revealing a rather perfect smile.
Xie Huailing's anger flared even more. She shoved the letter back into the guard's hand and ordered him to arrange the carriages and horses. The guard asked her if she wanted to bring anything else, or which maids, but Xie Huailing said she didn't want anything; she had her own plans.
Then she looked back at Wang Lianhua and said, "Come with me."
Wang Lianhua's smile vanished, her eyelids twitched, and she had a bad feeling: "Why should I work for you? I'm not going."
"Do you know?" Xie Huailing said calmly, but then said something shocking. Shen Lang, who was drinking tea, was caught off guard and choked, coughing repeatedly. "I have your painting of a woman dressed as a beauty."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com