Chapter 38 Secrets and Mysteries
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Wen Zhixu took out the embossed paper, and Mo Hu understood, bringing it close and sniffing it a few times to remember the scent.
To prevent Gou'er from failing to accomplish his task, he sent someone to fetch Mo Hu's favorite dried meat.
"Find only this item; do not touch anything else."
After Mo Hu successfully and precisely retrieved the embossed paper from the pile of scattered objects, it received a whole meat bun, its tail immediately flicking out of focus. When it mistakenly picked up the ordinary Xuan paper used to mislead its gaze—
In return, he received a cold look from his owner.
"What is this, Second Young Master...?" The master suddenly started scolding the dog, making Wen Ba, who had caused trouble, feel uneasy.
Wen Qi glanced at him: "How dare we, as servants, presume to fathom our master's thoughts?"
Wen Ba immediately fell silent.
He was genuinely afraid that the second young master might, on a whim, order the servants to imitate dogs and bark and search for things.
Night falls.
A ghostly figure flashed past Yinquan Pavilion. A faint sound echoed through the dog path, passing right through it, and then quickly disappeared without a trace.
Wen Zhixu pulled his nightgown tighter, letting the night wind tousle his unbound hair. Beneath his long hair lay a tense face.
He inwardly mocked himself: This is hardly the behavior of a gentleman; to resort to such despicable means.
If she claimed that the decision to annul the engagement was his own, he could calmly ask, "Where is the proof?" Thinking of Lin Xihe's expression when she couldn't find the annulment document, he felt at ease: tonight's trip was truly worthwhile.
A maid carried a wooden bucket into the room, and the clever Mo Hu followed behind. He used his snout to pry open the door, shrank back, and sneaked into the room.
The room was filled with the sweet fragrance of pomelos. Lin Xihe soaked her feet while fiddling with a large, round pomelo.
She learned this from Huixin: to make lamps from pomelo buds, and when candles are lit, the whole room smells of pomelo.
Lin Xihe liked the smell.
Mo Hu lay prone by the bed, staring at her with his two dark, round eyes, not moving an inch.
Lin Xihe picked up the scissors and started poking and scratching at the pomelo. Without the right tools, even a craft expert can only stare helplessly.
"Miss, what are you making?"
“Pumpkin lantern,” Lin Xihe said, looking at her failed creation, “we’ll take it trick-or-treating on Halloween.”
Halloween?
"Yes," Lin Xihe answered frankly.
Out of place in this world, she spoke in a language no one else could understand. Lin Xihe racked her brains, trying to recall who could understand and respond to her words, and it seemed only Wen Zhixu was the one.
He even learned simplified Chinese characters, and his handwriting was actually better than hers, a "fly who slipped through the net of nine years of compulsory education".
Lin Xihe put down the unrecognizable pomelo and looked down, suddenly noticing a dark figure curled up in the corner.
The shadowy creature's tail swayed incessantly, like a small, crouching beast. Seeing that Lin Xihe showed no fear, it cautiously moved closer, little by little.
Mo Hu grinned, revealing his teeth.
"Aaaaaaah!"
The one who let out this scream was none other than Qingwu, who was known for his strength and could split a tiger in two with his bare hands.
As screams erupted, the door to Yinquanxuan room was flung open, the candlelight blindingly bright.
Wen Zhixu personally carried a lantern and stealthily made his way to the backyard.
"Mo Hu?" he whispered like a thief, not noticing the dog he had sent to be the thief.
Wen Zhixu's heart sank: Oh no. He hadn't stolen anything, and this stupid dog had even alerted Lin Xihe.
Looking down at the dog hole again—there was no opening left.
Someone on the other side, I don't know who, actually moved a huge rock and blocked the opening completely.
The scene immediately appeared before Wen Zhixu's eyes: Mo Hu's attempt to steal failed, and he was caught red-handed by Lin Xihe.
Qingwu brushed the mud off her hands and said irritably, "Miss, look at this! The Second Young Master's dog is digging holes everywhere and pretending to be a ghost to scare people in the middle of the night!"
Lin Xihe squatted down, stroked the dog's head, and asked softly, "Why did you run over here? Did you have a nightmare?"
Mo Hu nodded frantically, whimpering...
The servants who had gathered at Hehe Pavilion because of the commotion were all speechless. The young lady was truly indulgent towards this dog.
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The next morning.
When Wen Hongyuan had breakfast, he did not see his grandson, who came to pay his respects every day. Although the boy was unruly, he never missed the daily rituals of paying his respects.
Because his beloved dog had not returned home all night, Wen Zhixu lingered outside the Lin residence, his feet glistening with morning dew.
The gatekeeper opened the door and started sweeping. The steward recognized him: "Young Master Wen?"
Wen Zhixu turned around, his face still showing his usual arrogance, but his tone carried a hint of hesitation: "Is your young lady in the manor?"
At this hour, why would the young lady be out? Everyone in the Lin household knows she's a heavy sleeper, often sleeping until noon, and has only greeted the master twice before stopping. The master, however, dotes on his daughter, and now the roles are reversed; every day after court, the first thing he does upon returning home is to go to his daughter's courtyard to inquire after her well-being.
Who is the real father?
They couldn't very well say directly that the young lady hadn't gotten up yet, so the steward racked his brains and tried to smooth things over, saying, "I wonder which young lady in the manor the second young master is asking about?"
Lin Zhirou was naturally considered a young lady of the Lin family.
Wen Zhixu's face was gloomy, as if the name "Lin Zhirou" was some kind of bad luck or plague, and that if you were tainted by it, you would get festering sores: "The one who is still lying in bed when the sun is high in the sky."
"Ah, this..." The steward was speechless for a moment. So the young lady's love of sleeping in was no longer a secret within the manor?
Wen Zhixu had never waited so long. He trampled the weeds under the stone lions of the Lin residence down, counted the hundreds of ants moving under the elm tree, and the gate of the mansion creaked open a crack.
A dark, black dog nose was the first to pop out.
Sure enough, that good-for-nothing thief was kicked out.
"Fine." Wen Zhixu, having given up, stepped forward to take it back.
Unexpectedly, the one who followed Mo Hu across the threshold was a sleepy-eyed Lin Xihe.
In her dazed state, she clutched a rope, the knot tied to Mo Hu's leather collar. The collar was unusual, unlike anything Wen Zhixu had ever seen before; a tiny copper bell adorned its base, jingling crisply with the dog's excited steps.
The sleep-deprived girl led her dog out of the mansion gate and began to complain, "Hey, control your little black dog. What's with sneaking into my room in the middle of the night and acting like a ghost?"
Judging from her tone, Mo Hu hadn't even caught a whiff of the annulment notice before his scheme was exposed. All that training he'd put the dog through the wringer—this useless thing!
After much internal struggle, Wen Zhixu finally uttered a perfunctory remark: "I thank Miss Lin for taking care of Xiao Hei."
His mind was slightly disturbed, and he was led astray by Lin Xihe, even calling Mo Hu by the wrong name.
Mo Hu, heartbroken at losing his real name, sobbed uncontrollably, unable to contain his grievances.
Lin Xihe scoffed lightly, but did not correct him. She simply lingered her gaze on him for a few moments.
The morning light illuminated his sculpted face and tinted his eyes a pale amber. When he shut his sharp tongue and spoke calmly, his every gesture exuded the refined elegance of a noble family.
This meticulously pruned, chiseled elegance inexplicably reminded Lin Xihe of the golden-leaved five-needle pine she had seen at the bonsai exhibition.
But right now, this important person is preoccupied with something far from noble.
"Here, here you go. I've had the dog hole blocked..." Lin Xihe handed the dog leash up high.
Wen Zhixu did not reach out to take it, but said only, "Then I, Wen, will thank Miss Lin again."
Lin Xihe's fingertips missed their target in the morning light. She looked at Wen Zhixu's clasped hands and a question flashed through her mind: Was he doing this on purpose?
Looking at Wen Zhixu's overly meticulous manners, Lin Xihe couldn't help but think: The ancients were far too meticulous in their manners. Wouldn't all this thanking and thanking make it difficult for her to catch up on her sleep? So she said, "It's just a small matter, nothing to mention. Second Young Master, there's no need to be so polite."
Ha, she clearly wanted to get rid of him, but he wouldn't have his way. Wen Zhixu waved his hand and pointed at Mo Hu: "This bracelet is quite exquisite."
"Huh?" Lin Xihe's attention was successfully diverted by him. She gently poked the copper bell with one end of the rope loop. The bell rang clearly. As she examined the text, he chuckled softly with each ring of the bell.
Lin Xihe: He was poisoned by the "Smiling Half-Step Intoxication"?
Wen Zhixu added, "Xiao Hei was separated from its mother at a young age and traveled with foreign merchants all the way to Shengjing before being adopted by me. It has never properly seen the prosperity of Shengjing, but now that it has the collar given to it by Miss Lin, it would be appropriate to take it for a walk on East Street."
Lin Xihe was soft-hearted and couldn't bear to hear such past events, so she followed Wen Zhixu's footsteps and turned towards the street corner.
Mo Hu led the way with an air of self-importance, while Wen Zhixu turned to Lin Xihe and extended his hand: "Let me lead the way."
"Should I go back now?" Walking the dog was too tiring, and Lin Xihe was still thinking about going back to sleep.
"I heard that a new breakfast shop has opened on East Street, and the food is delicious."
"……real?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that the girl's steps had become noticeably lighter, indicating that she was indeed hungry.
Preface to the text: "Dog Leash".
"Here you go." She blinked, wondering if she was being too greedy, unable to resist the thought of food.
A surge of sunlight suddenly rushed in, casting three shadows—two long and one short—on the white wall.
Wen Zhixu's fingertips trembled slightly, and his hand gripping the dog leash tightened subtly. Just moments before, when the girl handed him the leash, his fingertips had lightly brushed against hers.
After settling down in front of the breakfast stall, Mo Hu lay under the table, his tail brushing against the young master's shoes and then against the young lady's skirt.
Seeing that her gaze was wandering and she kept looking at the food at the next table, Wen Zhixu ordered the waiter to bring out all the food.
The small square table where the two were sitting was instantly covered with all kinds of breakfast items.
Lin Xihe looked up from the white steam, her face showing difficulty: "This is too much."
"Just take a small bite of each and savor the flavor."
Wen Zhixu had expected her to say something like "too wasteful" or "must be brought back to the mansion for the maids to try," and was wondering how to respond when he saw Lin Xihe had already picked up her chopsticks, clearly ready to feast.
"..." Her nickname "Greedy Fiend" is truly well-deserved.
The appearance of two prominent figures from Shengjing at a breakfast stall was quite eye-catching.
The local people rarely had the opportunity to get close to the noble families, and even though the soup was served, they were reluctant to leave.
Lin Xihe put a green lotus leaf dumpling into her mouth, then noticed the stares around her, her jaw muscles stiffening slightly: "Why are they watching me eat?" Could it be that I ordered too much?
Seeing that she enjoyed the food, Wen Zhixu naturally picked up a vegetarian dumpling and put it in her bowl: "Perhaps they were tempted because they saw Miss Lin enjoying it so much."
"Smells good? Is he praising me? Knowing his usual behavior, shouldn't he be calling me a good-for-nothing?" Lin Xihe was very suspicious.
To confirm her suspicions, she took the vegetarian dumpling and put it in her mouth. As a result, a small puff appeared on each of her cheeks.
Upon first seeing the young lady eat like this, Wen Zhixu hesitated for a moment. Amidst the deliberate smacking sounds Lin Xihe made, he almost blurted out: "Miss Lin, with such an appetite, could there be a refugee hiding in your belly?"
But as the words reached his lips, memories of past incidents that had angered her suddenly surfaced in his mind. Wen Zhixu abruptly changed his tone, finally swallowing his original words and squeezing out, "Like a squirrel hoarding food."
"?" Lin Xihe became increasingly puzzled. Could it be that he had joined the "Praise Cult"?
Wen Zhixu treated them to this meal. Lin Xihe felt obligated to eat his food, and considering that Wen Zhixu had been cheated when buying a dog and a bird, and that his personality had changed so much, he was now praising his mortal enemy.
She offered a friendly reminder: "Hey, have you joined some kind of Sun Moon Cult? You seem quite easily fooled. Take my advice: online order-brushing with rebates is a trap; be wary of high returns; don't give out your personal information carelessly; protecting your money is the most important thing."①
Preface to the text: "..."
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Author's note: ① This was inspired by Baidu's anti-fraud slogans.
This isn't a long book; the main text is expected to be around 150,000 words. Thanks for following along! Sending love! :)
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