When they reached the first floor, the two lost their way again. After wandering around and getting directions, they finally arrived at the living room on the second floor with the help of the maid.
Jin Che was already sitting on the sofa waiting for the two of them. When he saw them arrive, he smiled slightly as he looked at them.
"You've arrived. I didn't know what you'd like to eat, so I had the maid bring out some cakes and chocolates. Please sit down."
Jin Che pushed the dessert in front of them, gesturing for them to sit down first.
"These all look so delicious."
He Tiantian pulled Shen Yizhou to sit down. The desserts in front of her caught her eye; each one was exquisite and looked delicious.
Shen Yizhou took out a cigarette case from his pocket and handed one to Jin Che.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. The castle is quite big, so we went out for a walk and got lost."
Jin Che took the cigarette, lit it with a lighter, and chuckled as he exhaled a puff of smoke.
"It's nothing. What do you two think of the castle? Are you satisfied with your stay?"
"Mmm! I love the decor here, and the food is delicious too."
He Tiantian nodded frantically. She was easily satisfied; everything here felt like a dream to her.
"Haha, Xiao Zhou, your wife is so cute, you still don't know how to address her?"
"Just call her Tian Tian."
Shen Yizhou flicked his cigarette ash and chatted with Jin Che about the castle's architecture. He Tiantian, of course, didn't hear him; she was too busy eating.
"Has the lord gone out for a trip?"
"Yes, my father likes to travel around, and it's hard for his son to control him."
"It's a good thing that you're willing to walk; it proves you're in good health."
"Haha, Xiao Zhou, you're really good with words."
The two chatted for a while longer, but He Tiantian couldn't get a word in edgewise, so she simply kept quiet.
"Is there anything you want to ask, Tian Tian? I can answer it for you."
He Tiantian was stunned for a moment. She looked up and met Jin Che's eyes, which were beautiful brown.
"Does the lord of the fortress have a daughter?"
After some internal struggle, she asked the question in what she considered the most appropriate way.
"Hmm? Why does Tian Tian ask that?"
"Ah, I was just curious."
Jin Che paused for a moment, then took out a cigarette case from his pocket and gave one to Shen Yizhou.
“I had a daughter named Jin Lanyue, who unfortunately passed away at the age of 15.”
He Tiantian was calm when she heard the answer because she had already guessed it.
"It's a bit of a pity. The lord of the fortress must really like that daughter, right?"
"Yes, we all like her very much."
He Tiantian didn't say anything. If that's the case, then that girl isn't Lina.
"What caused your death?" Shen Yizhou broke the silence.
Jin Che took a deep drag on his cigarette. "When I was 12, it was winter. A homeless woman came to our house. She claimed to be a witch and wanted to ask for a drink of water, but my father was rather arrogant at the time and chased her away."
He paused here, stood up, walked to the side, and took out a box of cigars.
"Would you like to smoke one of these?" He handed one to Shen Yizhou.
Shen Yizhou nodded. He took the cigar and cigar cutter, skillfully cut off the other end, lit the cigar with a match, spun it once, and then put it in his mouth for a puff.
Jin Che couldn't help but admire his skillful movements.
"Xiao Zhou, you're amazing! You really surprised me, hahaha."
He Tiantian hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped. Why did she suddenly start smoking a cigar...?
Jin Che followed Shen Yizhou's steps, lit a cigar, paused for a moment, and then brought up the matter again.
"Then the witch fell to the ground and accurately described the situation in our family. She also cursed our youngest sister not to live past 15 years old, saying she would be bitten to death by a poisonous snake, and that all seven sons in the family would turn into monsters."
"Did the lord of the fortress believe it!?"
He Tiantian couldn't wait to ask, and Jin Che burst into laughter.
“Of course my father didn’t believe it. He thought this information could be found out and assumed that someone had sent it.”
"And then! Was my sister bitten to death by a poisonous snake?!"
"No, but he did die that year. The cause of death was that the maid was not watching him properly, and he accidentally fell into the pool and hit his head. He was already dead when they found him."
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