Chapter 64 A Model Youth
The day after Duan Yu and Lu Xiaofeng left together, Lu Yusheng welcomed the first snowfall in the new world.
Feeling the chill, she opened her eyes and saw the snowflakes melting on the windowsill. Excited, she got up early and nestled in the living room, enjoying the newly installed air conditioner and watching the snowflakes dance outside.
...If it's just buying some simple small appliances, that's fine. But for larger items that require drilling holes and are quite heavy, you'll have to pay extra for installation services.
It's not yet the dead of winter, so even if the snow falls, it won't pile up very high, and it won't last long. Everyone should take a look while they can. So, the people who came downstairs later were also inexplicably influenced by her and sat in the lobby to enjoy the view.
Hua Manlou sat next to her, and although he couldn't see her, he was also in a good mood because of her emotions.
He opened his arms, feeling the warm breeze that seemed to come from nowhere, and sighed softly, "...So warm."
New products always need to be introduced, and Lu Yusheng has always been very patient about it.
Sikong Zhaixing arrived a few minutes after him, sitting on the other side of her seat. She also listened to some of the "air conditioning principles" that were still not easy to understand even after being localized.
Lu Yusheng's approach to her seemed a little unnatural. Although he didn't say anything in the end yesterday and it seemed like he had just turned over a new leaf, it would still take her some time to fully adapt to Sikong Zhaixing's sudden change in personality, his polite and courteous manner, and his new voice.
Perhaps it's to get used to playing the role of the next one in advance?
She didn't think too much about it. Now that most of the people had arrived, it was time to prepare some food.
However, even with the help of Hua Manlou and the other person, who heated up the milk and put fried eggs and bread on the table, Lu Yusheng did not see a fourth person come down.
Of the group, Sikong Zhaixing was the closest to Feng Qingyang. Seeing that he hadn't arrived yet, and since Lu Yusheng, being a girl, couldn't easily go and call him, she volunteered to go upstairs to look for him.
Since not everyone had arrived, the remaining two people didn't rush to start eating. Lu Yusheng was lost in thought when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Hua Manlou had pulled out a delicate carving knife from somewhere, and was holding a small piece of wood in his other hand, clearly preparing to carve.
He couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you doing?"
Hua Manlou paused, temporarily concealing the truth: "I just wanted to practice wood carving."
Lu Yusheng wasn't so narcissistic as to think that any change the other person made was because of him. At this moment, he was just thinking that if he really mastered the skill, given their relationship, he could at least have him carve some small items for her to play with.
So, filled with anticipation, I watched the other person's movements with great patience.
However, he was still a beginner. Even people with perfect eyesight would need to practice for a long time to barely get the hang of this kind of extremely delicate craft, let alone someone like Hua Manlou who was not very convenient.
The effort he put in during his novice period far exceeded that of ordinary people; he would stop from time to time to confirm the landing point of his next strike.
However, he is an extremely serious person, which means that during this short period of practice, the actual time he spent using a knife was far less than the time he spent figuring out the correct placement on the wood.
For some reason, Sikong Zhaixing's trip took quite a long time, and when he finally returned, he was the only one coming down the stairs.
"Where is Senior Feng?"
Lu Yusheng raised his head, looked away from Hua Manlou's hand, and asked with some curiosity.
Hua Manlou, who had also only heard one person's footsteps, also pulled his thoughts away from his work. Facing the two heads that had turned around at the same time, Sikong Zhaixing shrugged and said, "He's gone."
Lu Yusheng keenly noticed the extra item in the other person's hand, and subconsciously stared at it for a while longer. He immediately sighed, unable to resist, and held out his hand, saying, "I saw this on his cabinet. Although there was no note left, I think it was meant for you."
Since Feng Qingyang had money on hand when he came here, he disdained to take advantage of a little girl. Although he left without a word, he left enough silver for the next few days on the cabinet in the room.
Lu Yusheng felt slightly embarrassed, but since the other party hadn't given her a chance to refuse, she had no choice but to accept.
Although it was a pity that there was no farewell, she had now gotten used to the free and unrestrained life of people in the martial arts world, and the gradually cooling food did not give her a chance to think too much about it.
The three of them have eaten together at the same table many times over the years. Although there are no formalities, they have eventually developed their own preferred seats.
"We made enough for one more person..."
Sikong Zhaixing, who had just sat down, shook his head. He knew that Lu Yusheng didn't like seeing waste, so he quickly took the plate from the empty seat and put it in front of him: "It's okay, I'll eat it."
The other two had small appetites and didn't compete with him.
"It tastes like a steamed bun with added sugar," commented Sikong Zhaixing after taking a bite of the toast.
Following Lu Yusheng's suggestion, Hua Manlou didn't use chopsticks. Instead, he gently broke off a small piece with his hand and put it in his mouth, praising, "It tastes good. Yusheng's cooking skills are really good."
Lu Yusheng felt guilty after being praised, and looked at him with a very embarrassed expression: "But this was bought, didn't you and I tear the bag together just now?"
The latter still wore that somewhat indulgent smile and replied very firmly, "That's good too."
Sikong Zhaixing also realized that praise was a quick way to make Lu Yusheng happy.
Upon hearing this, he suddenly felt a sense of unease about falling behind, and, not to be outdone, he lavishly praised Xiao Lu for his hard work and effort in everything from boiling water to plating the bread slices. Unfortunately, he was being too deliberate, and Lu Yusheng offered no further comment beyond a few polite compliments.
Her gaze did not linger on Sikong Zhaixing for long.
The rare snow scene had already ended before we had finished our meal.
After a brief snowfall, no trace was left on the ground, except for a few untouched white petals clinging to the branches.
Lu Yusheng held his head in his hands, staring intently outside, as if he thought that if he stared long enough, the snowflakes would fall again.
The creaking sound of the bearings turning, accompanied by the soft thud of horses' hooves, reached the group's ears from afar, interrupting their various thoughts.
Horse-drawn carriages were not uncommon here, but due to the location, only a few passed by her door. Lu Yusheng, still feeling a sense of novelty, focused his attention more intently, switching his gaze between the window and the doorway.
Unexpectedly, the small carriage stopped right in front of her door.
Lu Yusheng couldn't sit still any longer. After all, it wasn't the first time customers had come during breakfast, and it would be a pity to miss out on potential customers.
She quickly got up and went out the door. The burly man driving the carriage stopped the horse but didn't get off immediately, so she guessed that there must still be someone sitting in the carriage. Lu Yusheng stood beside him, waiting with some curiosity.
The man turned around, lifted the curtain, and went upstairs, seemingly to retrieve something. Through the gap in the curtain, another thin figure could be vaguely seen inside.
When he came out again, he was carrying a set of uniquely shaped wooden furniture. He put it on the ground and it turned into a simple wheelchair.
After the wheelchair was adjusted, he bent down and lifted the small, thin body out of the car and placed it on it.
Looking at the frail, handsome young man sitting in a makeshift wheelchair, Lu Yusheng's face was filled with undisguised shock.
Lin Pingzhi felt a little awkward under her gaze and was quite embarrassed by his current situation, but he still politely took the initiative to ask, "Boss Lu, it's been a long time. Do you have any rooms available today?"
She didn't know what had happened during the few days the boy had been gone, but seeing his current state, she nodded repeatedly and invited him inside.
"you……"
Along the way, Lu Yusheng hesitated, then decided against asking the other person about the cause of their injury. Instead, he changed the subject, saying, "Are you hungry? Let's have breakfast first."
Although the extra portion had already gone into Sikong Zhaixing's stomach, she could still find some common snacks in her connected system store, even though the variety of daily necessities was limited compared to the wide range of electronic products.
Before long, she had prepared two more meals. The bread was ready, and heating the milk in a double boiler was no trouble at all. It was a pity that the remaining meat buns hadn't been stored overnight, otherwise she would have really given the child some extra nutrition.
Thinking of this, she glanced at Sikong Zhaixing with mixed feelings, though she was a little disappointed that she couldn't let the pretty child taste her cooking...
But last night, she was quite pleased with how the other person kept saying "delicious, delicious" while devouring the food like a bulldozer, so she didn't say anything.
Lin Pingzhi's handsome face, inherited from his mother, leaves a deep impression on anyone who has seen him, let alone the fact that Sikong Zhaixing has encountered him more than once...
Seeing the other person in such a state, and being just a teenager, even someone who doesn't care about others couldn't help but ask, "What happened to your leg?"
At this moment, Lin Pingzhi was still immersed in the surprise of the warm breeze coming from inside the room. For some reason, the temperature had suddenly dropped today. The bodyguard who was traveling with him had internal energy to keep warm, but his martial arts skills were not up to par, so he could only rely on his clothes to keep warm.
Now, after only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea in the shop, he couldn't resist taking off his fur coat again amidst the warm steam.
Upon hearing Sikong Zhaixing's question, Hua Manlou immediately connected the sound of rolling wheels he had heard earlier with this one, surmising that the young man with the still somewhat immature voice must have a leg ailment, and couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
Seeing that someone had already spoken up, and Lin Pingzhi's expression wasn't exactly resistant, Lu Yusheng also asked with concern, "Did you encounter any robbers?"
"There are bandits here?"
The Jiangnan region is a prosperous area, and it is unlikely that anyone would be reduced to banditry due to poverty. Moreover, in times of peace, those who gather to form bandit gangs are mostly wicked people with malicious intentions.
Upon hearing this, not only Sikong Zhaixing, who couldn't help but ask, but even the usually calm Hua Manlou's face darkened.
"No...no." Lin Pingzhi could only shake his head upon seeing this.
He had been reluctant to speak when he suddenly heard Sikong Zhaixing's question, as it was not a respectable matter, but he could tell that the other party's inquiry stemmed from concern.
There were also two people next to him. He was not familiar with Hua Manlou since it was the first time he had met him, but he felt that their reactions did not seem to be malicious. The shop manager next to him had looked at him with a pained expression countless times.
For a moment, Lin Pingzhi felt that the beautiful glass cup in his hand was truly magical. It not only warmed his palm, but also seemed to bring him a sense of comfort.
The kindness of strangers is always touching. Although he still felt ashamed, he could only be honest with those who cared about him so as not to disappoint them.
Lin Pingzhi paused for a moment before finally recounting the embarrassing incident: "It's all my fault..."
"At first, there was just a small problem when we entered the city. One of our bodyguards ran into an enemy in the area. My father stepped in to protect him, but unfortunately, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. Although we didn't lose face on the surface, that person used some tricks to prevent us from leaving the city."
Although Fuwei Escort Agency had some connections in the Zhejiang area, it was still delayed.
"The goods were important, so everyone waited a few days to complete the formalities, and then..."
This was just a prelude, but the people in front of him listened very attentively, without the slightest impatience, which gave Lin Pingzhi more courage to speak.
After taking a sip of milk from his cup, he continued, "That day, while I was eating, I stayed alone at the inn and saw an old man begging being insulted by some chivalrous men at the next table. I overestimated myself and stepped in to help him."
The rest need not be mentioned; it's mostly because the children have an overwhelming sense of justice but lack the corresponding strength.
Lin Pingzhi was a somewhat arrogant person at heart, so it was really embarrassing for him to admit that he was not as skilled as others. Fortunately, after he finished speaking, the situation of being despised or scorned did not happen as he had imagined.
Sikong Zhaixing first gave the person who made the move a disdainful snort: "With this kind of character, what kind of knight-errant is he?"
Unlike him, Hua Manlou looked at Lin Pingzhi with praise and a hint of regret: "Bullying the old and weak is really going too far. He's coming to see you again, so just let me know."
His words seemed to imply that he was standing up for him, but unfortunately, Lin Pingzhi did not yet realize the weight of those words coming from Hua Manlou's mouth.
As for Boss Xiao Lu...
Lu Yusheng was speechless. How could there be such a good child? She wanted to give him a hug to encourage him, but out of politeness, she could only pat his head.
Then he said firmly, "Just stay here and relax. Are you going to wait until your father's car returns? Don't worry, I'll arrange nutritious meals for you."
Lin Pingzhi was somewhat moved, but also a little embarrassed, and nodded.
Because his leg injury made him unsuitable for traveling, and he feared retaliation if he stayed in the city, he had no choice but to find another place to settle down.
In fact, if it weren't for the need to rush on his journey as a镖师 (bodyguard/escort), and given that Lin Zhennan still had some connections with both the legitimate and underworld figures in the area, there was really no need for him to go back.
But when choosing a place to recuperate, Lin Pingzhi inexplicably thought of this place. Perhaps he didn't want to use the connections his father had built up, or perhaps he didn't want this humiliating experience to be known by more people...
Lin Zhennan finally couldn't persuade his injured son, so he let him be.
Since Lu Yusheng's background was still unclear, Lin Zhennan also hired a skilled and trustworthy old bodyguard to accompany his son, both to take care of his daily life and to protect him.
Lin Pingzhi is now only grateful that his father's arrangement was not too obvious, otherwise he would have no face to face Lu Yusheng's enthusiasm at this moment.
As the young master of the Fuwei Escort Agency, Lin Pingzhi had plenty of skilled fighters in the agency, so it shouldn't have been so difficult for him to learn some martial arts to protect himself... But his uncles had already done more than enough for him, so how could he possibly care about their family's martial arts?
Although the Lin family's Seventy-Two Styles of Evil-Repelling Sword Technique has many exquisite moves, and Lin Zhennan has rarely been defeated in his travels across the country with this skill, he suffers from the lack of a good internal energy cultivation method to support him, which makes him somewhat inadequate when fighting against other martial artists.
Lin Pingzhi felt worried when he thought of this.
Lu Yusheng was quite lucky. Although the martial arts world was currently in a golden age with many brilliant talents emerging from various schools, there were also many martial artists who were reluctant to share their skills. It was already quite rare for someone like Sikong Zhaixing to be willing to teach her lightness skills and train with her.
She often indulged and took care of Sikong Zhaixing, partly out of gratitude.
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