Chapter 229 Zhuang Wan and Pei Xingju meet
People who practice martial arts have excellent hearing, and Liang Jinxian was sure that he heard the sound just now.
He approached the window unnoticed and suddenly pushed the half-open window all the way open. Outside the window, the night was pitch black, with only the bright moonlight falling on the courtyard and the eaves.
Tonight, in order to have a secret meeting with Prince Wenle, he had specially dismissed everyone, but unexpectedly, something went wrong. He quickly jumped out of the window, looking around but saw no one.
Prince Wenle came over and asked in a low voice, "Did we hear wrongly?"
Liang Jinxian frowned, looked down and said nothing.
Prince Wenle laughed and said, "You are too cautious. This is your place. Who would dare to appear here without your order?"
Liang Jinxian still didn't say anything. He turned around and wanted to go back into the hall through the gate, but he suddenly stopped after taking half a step.
"What's wrong?" Wen Le saw that his face looked strange, and asked with bated breath.
Liang Jinxian twitched his nose, and after a while, he said, "Nothing, Prince Wenle, let's continue."
.
At this moment, in the side hall, Zhuang Wan had her mouth covered and could not make a sound.
After a long while, the man let her go.
"I'm sorry, I offended you just now."
Hearing the voice, Zhuang Wan immediately turned her head and with the help of the moonlight, she could clearly see the face of the person coming.
"You...how dare you appear in front of me?" she asked.
The man was dressed in black, with his long hair tied up high. He no longer had the gentle and cheerful demeanor he had before, but instead had the demeanor of a cold and stern killer.
This person is Su Zhiyan.
Zhuang Wan hadn't seen Su Zhiyan in over a month since she'd been tricked onto her boat. She'd assumed she'd vanished, but she hadn't expected her to actually come see her again.
"I used to trust you and treat you as a friend, but I never thought... you would treat me like this."
"I'm sorry!" Su Zhiyan did not explain, but just bowed her head and apologized.
"What are you doing now?" Zhuang Wan was puzzled. "Aren't you Liang Jinxian's man? Why didn't you expose me just now?"
"Ms. Zhuang," Su Zhiyan said calmly, "Do you know what you were doing just now? You've crossed his bottom line by prying into secrets. No one will survive."
"Oh? So I should thank you for helping me?"
"That's not what I meant, it's just..." Su Zhiyan paused and said, "I just can't bear to see you die."
"Don't be so hypocritical and say such things. Even if you don't feel disgusted, I do." Zhuang Wan sneered.
She had truly treated Su Zhiyan as a friend, but what happened? The feeling of being backstabbed by a friend was truly unpleasant!
"I won't thank you a word for what happened today. You owe me." She said, "See you someday..."
Zhuang Wan moved her throat, suddenly feeling a little tight. "When we meet again someday, I will only treat you as an enemy. You, Su Zhiyan, are not worthy of being my friend."
After saying that, Zhuang Wan turned around and left in another direction.
Su Zhiyan stood there silently, with her head lowered and a sore look in the corners of her eyes.
As Zhuang Wan was about to pass through the entrance, she said, "Miss Zhuang, please change your clothes as soon as possible when you return..."
Zhuang Wan stopped, puzzled.
Then Su Zhiyan reminded her, "Master, your sense of smell is very sensitive. Miss Zhuang has a scent on her body. To avoid being exposed, please go back and change your clothes."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Wan didn't want to say anything more and walked straight out of the hall.
.
"Prince Wenle, take care!"
"Please stay too!"
At midnight, Liang Jinxian escorted Prince Wenle out of the palace. After Prince Wenle left, he remained silent for a moment, then suddenly walked towards Zhuang Wan's palace.
Zhuang Wan's residence was not far away. Following the corridor and passing through two courtyards was Zhuang Wan's Mingluan Hall.
However, when he saw the bright lights in the palace, Liang Jinxian frowned and looked unhappy.
"Your Majesty!" Seeing him coming, the palace maids knelt down one after another.
Liang Jinxian continued walking until he reached the main hall entrance. Inside, Zhuang Wan sat in her nightgown, her long hair loose, eating from a large bowl of greasy, red food with gusto.
Seeing him coming, she greeted him with a grin.
"Would you like some crayfish?" Zhuang Wan picked up a large one and waved to him, "You've come at the perfect time. My unique cooking method isn't something most people can taste."
Her mouth was full of oil, and perhaps because it was too spicy, she was also panting. Her sleeves were rolled up high, and her hands were holding the shrimp, which was dirty and messy.
This was the scene Liang Jinxian never expected to see, and the corners of his mouth twitched.
He stepped through the door silently, scanning the hall with his eyes, nosing hard to discern the scent inside. However, apart from the pungent aroma of garlic, oil, and chili, there was nothing else.
"You don't like it?" Zhuang Wan asked. "This is a delicacy that can conquer the universe. It would be a shame not to eat it."
"It's so late, why aren't you sleeping yet?" Liang Jinxian walked over and sat down opposite her.
"Aren't you asleep either?" Zhuang Wan asked back.
"I can't sleep." Liang Jinxian said.
"What a coincidence." Zhuang Wan grinned. "I couldn't sleep either. It was so hot, so I just got up and made some midnight snack."
Liang Jinxian's eyes fell on the large bowl of shrimp in front of her, and he was speechless for a moment: "Are you...making some midnight snack?"
He focused on the word "a little," wondering how a woman could eat so much. It would be fine if she could eat, but eating like this...it was simply unbearable.
Zhuang Wan saw the disdain in his eyes and curled her lips: "What? Do you regret marrying me? It's not too late to regret it now."
Liang Jinxian curled his lips: "So, you did it on purpose?"
Zhuang Wan's heart suddenly tightened, thinking that he had discovered something.
The next sentence he said was: "In order to prevent me from marrying you, you went to great lengths to act vulgar and crude?"
"You think too much. I have no other intentions. I just like eating crayfish."
"Crayfish?" Liang Jinxian said slowly, "You're so bold! You actually dare to mention taboos in front of me."
Zhuang Wan was puzzled: "What taboo?"
Liang Jinxian scoffed coldly: "It's just a shrimp, how can it be called a dragon?"
“….” Holy shit, do you really think you’re a dragon?!
Zhuang Wan sneered indifferently and tore the shrimp into two halves in front of Liang Jinxian.
“.......”
Liang Jinxian lowered his eyes and looked at her. After a moment, he slowly curled his lips and smiled.
He suddenly stood up and sat next to Zhuang Wan.
Zhuang Wan was on guard: "What are you...doing?"
"What? To admire your face up close and prove it, of course."
"Prove what?"
Liang Jinxian lifted a strand of her long hair that fell on her chest and stared at her with an evil and ambiguous look.
"Didn't you say I dislike you?" He slowly put the long hair to the tip of his nose and sniffed it gently: "I like you so much that I can't wait to dislike you."
Zhuang Wan remained calm, knowing full well that he was testing the scent of her.
But before Liang Jinxian arrived, she had already bathed, changed her clothes, and even washed her hair. To prevent him from noticing, she even heated up the crayfish she hadn't had time to eat that afternoon and brought it into the hall.
She was nervous inside, but pretended to be calm on the surface.
Liang Jinxian sniffed her hair, examining Zhuang Wan's expression from the corner of his eye. Gradually, suspicion grew in his heart.
He had previously confirmed that he had heard correctly, that there was indeed a sound, and that the fragrance he smelled, though faint, was indeed that of a woman.
Throughout the entire palace, only one person dared to use incense on her body, and that was Zhuang Wan.
But now......
To further confirm his guess, he let down his long hair and put his nose close to her neck, intending to smell her scent.
However, just when he got half an inch closer, a piece of greasy shrimp was suddenly fed into his mouth.
Liang Jinxian seemed to be stuck and was stunned for a moment.
Zhuang Wan immediately stepped back, anger rising on her face. "Liang Jinxian, what do you want to do so late at night?"
"I, Zhuang Wan, am not a casual person. If you can't help it, go find someone else. Don't get horny with me."
Liang Jinxian's face darkened.
He swallowed the shrimp slowly and was amused by Zhuang Wan's wary expression.
"You'll be my woman sooner or later anyway, so why bother about this?"
"That's for the future. Anyway, I don't want to do that now."
"Oh?" Liang Jinxian's mood inexplicably improved: "The implication is that you are willing to marry me? But that's not what you said the day before yesterday."
The day before yesterday, Liang Jinxian came to see her and was scolded by her.
"The day before yesterday was the day before yesterday, and today is today." Zhuang Wan suddenly sighed. "Actually, I've thought about this. I probably won't be able to escape now that I'm in your hands. Even if I did, would Pei Xingju mind that I was kidnapped by you? Even if he doesn't mind now, maybe he will later. You men always say you don't care about a woman's innocence, but in reality, your hearts are smaller than a needle."
"In that case," she said, "I might as well stay here and be your queen."
Liang Jinxian narrowed his eyes, carefully trying to determine the truth of her words: "Do you really think so?"
"Of course, I think clearly. Oh, and there's something else I want to discuss with you."
"What is it?"
"That's right," Zhuang Wan said, "I've seen Shuzhou's business boom rival that of the capital, so I'm planning to open Zhuang's Seafood Snacks here, so..."
She asked with a smile, "Can I leave the palace? I'll go look around the shops and buy anything I find that's suitable."
"You're going to be the queen, why do you still need to open a shop?" He said, "If you need money, I'll give it to you."
"I open a shop to make money. Why should I be so against money?" Zhuang Wan held her neck high and said confidently, "It doesn't matter who a man lives with. But money must be his true love and his only love."
“..........”
How can I describe Liang Jinxian’s expression?
Well, it’s hard to put it into words.
He knew Zhuang Wan's personality was very different, but he hadn't expected it to be this different. But after thinking about it carefully, her twisted logic was correct.
After a moment, he laughed muffledly.
"Well, if you want to open a shop, you can do so."
"Then you agree to let me leave the palace?"
"Also, you."
"Hmm..." Zhuang Wan took a sip of the crayfish. "There's one more thing I need you to approve."
"What is it?"
"Lend me some money."
“.......”
.
After Prince Wenle and Liang Jinxian reached a conspiracy, they settled down in an unremarkable inn. To show his sincerity, he decided to attend Liang Jinxian's wedding banquet before leaving.
When Liang Jinxian learned of his decision, he immediately expressed his support, sending generous gifts and ordering the ceremonial officer to purchase furniture and luxurious toiletries.
That day, the ceremonial officer had several large boxes brought in. When he arrived at the door, he saw a guard and waved, "Hey, this is the guard of His Royal Highness Prince Wenle. Come over and help carry them in. These are gifts from our Emperor of Changguo to His Royal Highness Prince Wenle."
Pei Xingju had been hiding among the Lu delegation for several days, disguised as a guard. Hearing someone shouting, he walked down the steps to help.
The large box was carried into the inn hall. After the ceremonial officer handed it over, he said politely, "I won't rest for now. I have other things to do."
After leaving the house, he grumbled in a low voice, "Why would the Queen open a shop out of the blue? Oh! And I have to rush to deliver the land deeds in this hot weather."
Pei Xingju's eyes moved when he heard this, and he hurriedly called out to him, "Sir, please stay."
The ceremonial officer turned around and asked impatiently, "What's the matter?"
"I just heard you say you were going to deliver the land deed. I also happen to be on an errand for my prince, so I can stop by and do it for you."
"Run for me?"
Pei Xingju nodded and said, "Your Excellency has worked hard on your mission. I am just running errands for you. It is my duty."
The ceremonial officer knew that Prince Wenle was trying to curry favor with the Emperor of Changguo, and he assumed the guard was also trying to curry favor, so he didn't refuse. It just saved him a long journey, and he could still find time to go to the brothel and listen to music.
"You're quite perceptive." He took out the land deed from his sleeve and handed it to Pei Xingju: "Then I'll trouble you."
"Excuse me, sir, where is the shop?"
"Heyang Street, Zhuangji Snack Shop." said the ceremonial officer.
.
After leaving the inn, Pei Xingju went straight to the restaurant he had stayed at last time, and walked to the room on the second floor of the backyard as he was familiar with the route.
However, before he could knock on the door, it was opened from the inside.
"I knew it was you by the footsteps," Xue Gang said, "You've come just in time. I have some news to tell you."
"I understand." Pei Xingju nodded.
"You know? I haven't even told you yet."
"Are you talking about Zhuang's Snack Shop?" Pei Xingju walked into the house, tore off the mask on his face, and took out another mask from his arms and put it on.
Then he said, "I came here to tell you that you should stay with Prince Wenle for two days on my behalf."
He threw the removed mask to Xue Gang, who quickly caught it.
"I'll stay for you for two days. What about you? Where are you going?" Xue Gang asked.
"Prince Wenle has a close relationship with Liang Jinxian. I suspect they are planning something. I have to investigate this matter. Also..." Pei Xingju said, "I want to go see her."
"Come find me here in two days."
After saying this, Pei Xingju hurried out.
.
Zhuangji's shop was easy to find, with its spacious facade and conspicuous banners. Pei Xingju spotted it as soon as he entered Heyang.
At this time, the shop had not been repaired yet. There was a ladder at the door and a worker was brushing tung oil on the door plaque.
Pei Xingju walked over, and someone came up to him and asked, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"
Pei Xingju took out something and said, "I'm here on the orders of Master Qu to deliver the land deed to the owner."
Zhuang Wan was standing in the hall with her arms folded directing the carpenters to install shelves. When she heard the sound, her heart began to pound.
She hurried to the door and met Pei Xingju's eyes. Although his face had changed, she recognized him at a glance.
"Delivering the land deed?" She suppressed her joy and said, "Come with me."
Pei Xingju nodded and followed her into the back courtyard. Opposite the courtyard were the warehouse and accounting office.
The two of them walked into the accounting office one after the other. The next moment, Zhuang Wan turned around and threw herself into his arms.
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