At the training ground, Commander Gu saw Shi Lan walking over leisurely and felt a headache coming on.
After dismissing the guards who had surrounded him, Commander Gu frowned. "It was one thing for him to be naughty when he was young, but now that he's grown up, he's still like this. What will become of him in the future?"
Shi Lan chuckled but remained silent.
Commander Gu shook his head helplessly at the girl who had been playing here since childhood and was also considered half of his disciple, then turned and called out, "Adi."
The young man who had been secretly watching from afar responded and quickly ran over.
Commander Gu said, "Take her to be settled."
Di Yingsheng blushed and looked at Shi Lan.
Shi Lan smiled faintly at him and followed him to a low-lying hut.
Di opened the door, and before he could speak, Shi Lan said, "Di, go ahead and do what you need to do. I can manage here by myself."
The flush of excitement on Di's face hadn't faded before it turned pale again. He hurriedly responded and turned to leave.
Shi Lan frowned slightly, ultimately not wanting to hurt this sensitive young man's feelings too much, so she said, "How about I take turns with you later?"
Di Huo turned his head, his young face beaming with joy, "Okay, I'll make the arrangements."
Shi Lan immediately scolded herself for being too soft-hearted, nodded, and watched the young man leave with light steps before getting busy.
There were many tools lying around in the storeroom. Shi Lan tidied them up, then carried several buckets of water and wiped the room clean inside and out.
Yi brought two maids carrying a long couch with him.
"Ah Lan, where should we put this?"
Shi Lan looked around the small room and pointed to an empty space, saying, "There."
Yi glanced inside and saw the drastically changed storage room, then clicked his tongue in disapproval.
The servants settled the long couch and then withdrew.
Yi looked around and said casually, "It's good that you came here. Xun Shiba is obviously a henpecked husband. No matter if you become the mistress of the Xiang family or another family, he will not support you. Even if you die for him a few times, he will probably send you to your death without batting an eye."
Shi Lan nodded, thinking to herself, "That's exactly right."
Seeing that she looked calm and seemed to have taken it to heart, Yi felt a little relieved.
Having spent so many years with her, Yi had long regarded this well-behaved and intelligent girl as his own family and brother. Seeing that she was beginning to fall in love, but the person in her heart was not a good match, Yi couldn't help but feel a little worried.
Now that she's no longer at the Green Courtyard, she'll never see Xun Shiba again, and over time those feelings will fade away.
Yi gently patted her and said, "Alright, I'm going to do my 'exercises,' we'll talk when I get back."
Shi Lan nodded slightly, turned around and went back into the room to tidy up the long couch.
As spring turned to summer, more than a month had passed in the blink of an eye. Shi Lan gradually adapted to the life of a guard. Because she lived in a room by herself, she diligently practiced her physical skills every day. The stretching of her muscles and bones improved the speed of her arms, and her swordsmanship improved to another level. Her already extremely fast speed became even faster, and now no one in the entire clan could rival her.
Commander Gu thus valued Shi Lan even more, often assigning her to important positions to take on the crucial task of protecting the young men.
One day, Shi Lan had just gotten up when Yi ran over and said, "Lan, hurry up and come with me."
Shi Lan had just finished washing up and hadn't even had a meal yet when Yi pulled her a couple of steps before she asked, "What is it?"
Yi said, "I heard that the young master of the Wang family is coming, and the fifth young master ordered us to go out to greet him."
Shi Lan blinked, silently calculated the time, and wondered if the person who came was Wang Liu.
Yi pulled her to the other guards who were already fully prepared, and Commander Gu nodded authoritatively.
Shi Lan then rejoined the queue.
The group walked to the carriage in the distance and waited for the young men to board. Then they mounted their horses and rode slowly.
After leaving the city gate, they soon saw several carriages approaching in the distance. At Fifth Prince's soft shout, everyone immediately stopped.
As the carriage approached, Xun Wu alighted and was about to lead the other young men of the manor forward when they heard the clatter of hooves from behind. Turning around, they saw the Shan, Xiang, Lu, and Liu families arriving one after another, their dark, dense group raising high clouds of dust that seemed to float in the sky.
Xun Wu frowned. Lu Er stopped his horse and jumped down. The other families followed suit.
Xun Wu tried to calm his breathing and maintain a composed and elegant demeanor. "Second Brother Lu, it's been a long time. You still have the same charm."
Lu Er smiled and said, "Fifth Brother, you flatter me. It's been over a month since I last saw you. You are still as handsome as ever."
The Lu and Xun families had intermarriages, so they would always exchange pleasantries when they met.
After exchanging compliments for a while, Lu Er looked at the approaching carriage and whispered, "Is that Wang Liulang in the carriage?"
Xun Wu smiled and said, "The Lu family is well-informed. I only know that they are from the Wang family, but I don't know their birth order."
Lu Er snorted silently. The two families were evenly matched, and each had spies. The information they received was also similar. Since he knew who the person was, Xun Wu must know as well. Yet he pretended to know nothing. He was really good at pretending.
As the carriage drew near, Xun Wu smiled and stepped forward. He had just bowed when, before he could speak, Shan Jia Si Lang took two steps, passing him by a head. Seemingly straightforward but actually somewhat reckless, he asked, "Is the person who comes the young master of the Wang family?"
The carriage slowly came to a stop, and the thin bamboo curtain was gently lifted, revealing a figure sitting inside. The carriage was spacious with wide and upturned eaves, and all that could be seen were a pair of bright, star-like eyes. Then, a clear and melodious voice slowly drifted over.
"Exactly."
The voice was low, with a slight upward curve at the end, sounding like a soft brush gently brushing against the ear canal, making one tremble slightly from head to toe.
Shi Lan shuddered involuntarily. The voice was so captivating that it was unforgettable once heard.
Upon hearing the reply, Shan Si showed delight, but before he could speak, Xun Wu stepped forward and said, "Having heard of your visit, we have prepared a refined place and would be honored to have you grace us with your presence."
Wang Liu remained silent. Xun Wu, seemingly aware of his concerns, smiled and said, "That elegant place is spacious and filled with pine and bamboo groves, perfect for drinking and chatting, but not for playing or having fun."
Wang Liu smiled slightly upon hearing this and immediately understood Xun Wu's meaning.
Yi tilted her head, puzzled, and asked Shi Lan in a low voice, "What does my lord mean?"
Shi Lan rolled her eyes at him and said, "That means there are no flowers or plants, no noble ladies or nuns, only men and wine there."
Yi suddenly realized and said, "I've heard that the sixth son of the Wang family is exceptionally handsome and talented, and that noble ladies in the capital are eager to be with him. Many nuns only want a one-night stand, but it turns out he doesn't like them."
Shi Lan glared at him, thinking to herself, "Even if you like it, you need to have the stamina. If you take turns taking turns, even the strongest person will be drained dry."
Seeing Shi Lan's unfriendly expression, Yi seemed to only then realize that Shi Lan was a woman, and awkwardly chuckled as he hid behind her.
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