Although he had had several encounters with Feng Monian in the past, those were all on formal occasions.
Strolling around with him in such a relaxed and comfortable manner like today is an experience I've never had before.
Therefore, he was filled with curiosity about this mysterious manor lord and wanted to learn more about him.
Feng Monian smiled and shook his head, saying, "This is also my first time visiting this restaurant. However, I've heard that the food here is excellent, so we might as well give it a try."
Shen Xu felt that this person was very similar to Qin Xiaolin.
They are not only similar in height and build, but even their tone of voice is somewhat similar.
However, Brother Qin is the son of a Duke! How could he possibly have any connection with people from the martial arts world?
Shen Xu couldn't help but laugh at himself, realizing that he had been so hungry that he had become confused and had such an absurd suspicion.
After all, the Duke's Mansion held an extremely prestigious position, and they were from a completely different world from the martial arts world.
This idea is so unrealistic; perhaps it's just because I'm too tired that I have this illusion.
Thinking of this, Shen Xu shook his head and decided to stop thinking about these things and focus on filling his stomach first.
At this moment, seeing Shen Xu's conflicted expression, Li Xi chuckled evasively:
"Brother Chen, judging from your appearance, your journey must have been quite arduous. Tsk tsk tsk, look at you, you've become so thin you're unrecognizable! You need to take good care of yourself, otherwise, if the Marquis finds out, he'll surely blame us for not taking good care of you!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Xu burst into laughter: "Brother Li, you always know how to make fun of me."
"Not at all, I genuinely care about you. Here," Li Xi said warmly, placing a duck leg on his plate.
Shen Xu felt a warm glow in his heart, infected by Li Xi's enthusiasm, and couldn't help but drink a few more cups.
The hour of Xu (7-9 PM) has passed, night has fallen, and the stars are twinkling.
The group bid farewell with lingering reluctance, as there was still some time before the curfew in Xuan Yue Kingdom.
Shen Xu was in an exceptionally good mood today and drank a few more glasses of wine.
When he got off the carriage, his steps were already a little unsteady, and his body swayed.
Just as he was about to step into his home, he suddenly stumbled, lost his balance, and was about to fall to the ground and collide with Li Xi beside him.
At the critical moment, Qin Xiaolin quickly reached out and grabbed him, stabilizing his body.
However, due to inertia, Shen Xu's foot still missed the mark for a moment.
In the midst of the chaos, Shen Xu instinctively reached out and grabbed wildly, trying to regain his balance.
However, something unexpected happened—he actually grabbed Qin Xiaolin's mask and ripped it off!
In an instant, a familiar face appeared before Shen Xu, causing him to exclaim in astonishment, "Brother Qin? How could it be you?"
This sudden turn of events stunned everyone present, especially Qin Xiaolin, whose eyes flashed with surprise and embarrassment.
His true identity, which had been hidden behind the mask, has now been fully revealed. Faced with Shen Xu's questioning, he was at a loss for words.
The air seemed to freeze, and a tense and subtle atmosphere permeated the surroundings.
"Let's go back to our room first; there are too many people talking here," Li Xi advised.
Qin Xiaolin nodded, knowing full well that this was not the time to explain.
The most urgent thing was to leave this public place as soon as possible. He took Shen Xu's hand and whispered, "Come with me."
The group returned to Qin Xiaolin's room at the inn.
As soon as he entered the room, Qin Xiaolin released Shen Xu's hand, turned around and closed the door to ensure that their conversation would not be disturbed by outsiders.
Shen Xu was still in shock.
He stared at Qin Xiaolin's face, trying to find answers in that familiar yet unfamiliar countenance. Li Xi stood to the side, silently observing their reactions.
"You...you really are Qin Xiaolin?" Shen Xu finally broke the silence.
Qin Xiaolin sighed softly and nodded, saying, "Yes."
The air suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Although Meng Zhelan and Tian Tian were also surprised that Qin Xiaolin was the head of Yinxian Manor, they were not very familiar with each other, so they didn't think it was a big deal.
Only Shen Xu remained in shock, unable to recover for a long time.
"Why...why are you the master of Yinxian Manor?" Shen Xu's voice trembled slightly, as if he wanted to get an answer from Qin Xiaolin.
Qin Xiaolin gazed into the distance with deep eyes and said calmly, "Some things are beyond my control. My becoming the master of Yinxian Manor was a matter of fate, not my own wish."
After hearing this, Shen Xu remained silent for a long while before slowly saying, "You...you're hiding a lot of things from me, aren't you?"
His voice was somewhat low, carrying a hint of indescribable emotion.
They've played together since they were little, and they know all each other's secrets.
However, at this moment he felt as if there was an invisible barrier between the two of them, making him feel unfamiliar and confused.
Qin Xiaolin turned his head and looked at Shen Xu, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
He took a deep breath and said slowly, "Yes, I do have many things I'm hiding from you. But it's not that I don't want to tell you, it's just that I simply can't bring myself to say them."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xu felt a strong sense of loss welling up inside him.
He always treated Qin Xiaolin as an ordinary scion of a prominent family, and the two got along very well.
However, at this moment, he learned that the other party was actually the master of Yinxian Manor, a sudden fact that he found hard to accept.
"I...I'm really sorry..." Qin Xiaolin's voice carried a hint of guilt and helplessness.
Shen Xu looked at him silently, a strange expression on his face.
After a long while, he managed to force a smile, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere: "It's okay, everyone has their own difficulties. Perhaps this is your way of protecting yourself."
Hearing this, Qin Xiaolin glanced gratefully at Shen Xu and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Xi had already left with Meng Zhelan and Tian Tian, because this kind of occasion was indeed not suitable for them to stay any longer.
Shen Xu also figured it out.
After all, the Hidden Sage Manor wields immense power, and if the Emperor and the others were to find out about this, it would certainly not be a good thing for the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.
After a short while, Shen Xu gradually let go of his annoyance.
It was clear that he had understood Qin Xiaolin's predicament.
However, at that moment, he suddenly thought of something and became excited.
He quickly said to Qin Xiaolin, "Brother Qin, since you are the head of the manor, may I visit your manor? Actually, I have long admired Yinxian Manor!"
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