Chapter 163 He touched my hand...
As the sound stopped.
Then, two women dressed in green skirts, who looked like maids, stepped down from the ornate carriage.
An oil-paper umbrella is raised.
Next, a tall man dressed in black brocade lifted the carriage curtain and jumped down.
His face was pale, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes; he was quite handsome.
However, his narrow, almond-shaped eyes gave him an air of effeminacy.
Especially in this overcast weather, he looked rather gloomy.
He stood beside the maid and urged the carriage behind him, "Third Sister."
"They're here."
In a slightly cool voice.
A woman dressed in a long dress and wearing a veil, revealing only her almond-shaped eyes, stepped down from the carriage.
Her glossy black hair was adorned with phoenix hairpins and pearls, and two neat strands of hair hung down beside her ears, making her look even more aloof and cold.
She glanced at the man and said coldly, "Second brother, the family sent you to Shuzhou not for a marriage alliance with the Xiao family."
Upon hearing this, the handsome man's lips curled into a smile:
Don't you think that Miss Xiao and I are a good match?
I don't think so.
Hearing the aloof woman's words, the effeminate man was not annoyed at all; instead, he smiled and nodded.
"Third sister is right, Xiao Wan'er is indeed not good enough for me."
"Leaving aside her sickly health, the Xiao family, in its current weakened state, is not worthy of our Liu family."
He finished speaking to himself, a slightly wicked smile on his face, "But I just glanced at her, and she's quite pretty, comparable to you."
The aloof woman glanced at him and walked ahead towards the alley outside the East Market.
Seeing this, the effeminate man followed on his own: "Zhaoxue, what do you think? Should I go to the Marquis's mansion to propose marriage tomorrow, or should we wait a little longer?"
No rush.
“Very well, since we have just arrived in Shu Prefecture, we should indeed pay our respects to our Third Uncle first.”
"After I've met my third uncle, how about you accompany me to the Marquis's residence to propose marriage?"
"I'm not going..."
At this moment, deep in the alley.
Inside that restaurant called "Dongshikou Restaurant".
The place was bustling with noise.
The small restaurant was packed with people, including locals from Shuzhou and visitors from other places, as well as a few martial arts practitioners carrying sharp weapons.
As soon as you enter, you can smell the enticing aroma of chili peppers.
Besides the cacophony of voices from all over the world, there was also the sizzling sound of iron pots and hot oil bubbling in the kitchen.
Since there were no private rooms available, Chen Yi, Xiao Wan'er, and the others had to sit in the main hall.
However, none of them showed any disgust; on the contrary, they found it novel.
They ordered six stir-fried dishes, two stewed dishes, and a few bottles of tea, and then waited quietly.
Xiao Wan'er was in a good mood, and her smile never faded.
Even though the smell made her feel a little uncomfortable, she still looked around with great interest.
She hasn't been out for a long time.
Even when they leave the manor, they mostly stay at the pharmacy or the farmhouses in their fiefdoms, and almost never come here.
If Chen Yi hadn't mentioned Jishi Pharmacy today, she wouldn't have even remembered such a place.
"It's the same as before, nothing has changed."
Chen Yi noticed her happiness and asked with a smile, "When was the last time you came here?"
"Eleven years ago, when my father and mother were still alive, they brought my second sister and me here to buy things."
"When we were about to return home, we happened to pass by here. My father smelled the aroma here, so he ordered the car to stop and invited us to have a meal here."
"I remember my second sister and I ate quite a lot..."
Xiao Wan'er spoke with a smile, her eyes revealing a hint of reminiscence, inevitably mixed with a touch of sadness.
It was clearly because he was thinking of his deceased parents.
Chen Yi saw it all but said nothing, only putting on a smile.
Xiao Wuge listened with great interest, and didn't feel sad at all.
Xiaodie's attention was completely focused on the bright red stir-fried dishes on the table next to her, and she was secretly swallowing her saliva.
Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang had clearly been to this kind of place many times and were quite familiar with it.
However, ever since they sat down here, both of them have had a strange expression on their faces, glancing at the door every now and then.
Chen Yi, sitting opposite them, noticed their gazes, glanced at the doorway out of the corner of his eye, and naturally heard some sounds.
"Second Brother intends to meet Xiao Wan'er here?"
"certainly."
"I, the second young master of the Liu family in Jingzhou, met the eldest young lady of the Xiao family in a humble canteen. Don't you find that interesting, Third Sister?"
I don't think so.
"But I must remind you, this is Shuzhou, you'd better not go too far."
"Look at what you're saying, do I look like a fool like Liu Jing? Why would I come here and offend someone?"
"Besides, it also offended my fiancée."
"Second brother, the Xiao family hasn't agreed to your marriage proposal yet. I advise you not to upset them later."
"I know, I know..."
Is he the second son of the Liu family in Jingzhou?
A marriage proposal?
Chen Yi frowned inwardly and looked at Xiao Wan'er, who was still smiling happily, completely oblivious to what was happening.
He had already guessed who had given the plaque to Ma Liangcai earlier.
But why at this particular time...?
That's annoying.
However, not many people and things will go as planned.
Not long after, Chen Yi saw a handsome man dressed in black brocade walk in.
Beside him was a woman wearing a veil, with bright, cold eyes.
After the two entered, the man looked towards Chen Yi, Xiao Wan'er, and the others.
They then walked over here.
Xiao Wan'er naturally saw them as well, but after glancing at them, she continued smiling and saying:
"Brother-in-law and Wu Ge, eat more later. Hua Tang and I don't eat much."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Xiao Wuge had just uttered the word "okay" when the man walked straight over and, as if they were very familiar with each other, continued:
"Don't worry, Miss Wan'er, I have a big appetite too, I can do it for you."
Xiao Wan'er paused slightly, her smile fading, and asked with a hint of displeasure, "Who are you?"
The handsome man smiled slightly, bowed, and said:
"Liu Wen and Liu Liming of Jingzhou have met Miss Wan'er."
"I apologize for disturbing you."
As he spoke, he paused slightly, then bowed again to Xiao Wuge beside him, saying, "I also greet the young marquis."
The woman next to her bowed slightly and said in a cool voice, "Liu Zhaoxue greets everyone."
Xiao Wan'er sized up the two of them, her brows furrowing slightly. She was clearly puzzled as to why the Liu family from Jingzhou had come looking for them.
Just as she was about to speak, Shen Huatang leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wan'er's eyes widened slightly as she glanced at Chen Yi, who stood to the side with a natural expression, seemingly relieved.
Then, with a somewhat cold expression, she said, "Since you know it's a disturbance, please leave."
Liu Wen seemed to have expected this, and shook his head with a smile: "As the saying goes, it's better to meet by chance than to meet by plan."
"My third sister and I just arrived in Shu Prefecture today, and it is truly fate that we were able to meet Miss Wan'er."
"Why does Miss Wan'er keep us at arm's length?"
At this point, Liu Wen paused, looking at the group with a half-smile:
"Or is it that Miss Wan'er is worried that something might happen between us?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Wan'er's brows furrowed, and a cold look appeared on her face:
"Hua Tang, see them off."
Even Xiao Wuge sensed that the newcomer was hostile, and his face tightened.
Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang stood up as instructed, placing their hands on the hilts of their swords.
His aura was cold and stern as he stared directly at them.
Seeing this, Liu Wen's smile remained unchanged. Just as he was about to say a few more words, Liu Zhaoxue stepped in front of him and said:
"Please forgive me, Sister Wan'er. My brother meant no offense. We will be leaving now."
"Third sister, you..."
Before Liu Wen could finish speaking, Liu Zhaoxue turned around and pulled him outside.
"I haven't finished speaking yet."
"Oh? Third Sister... no, Miss Wan'er, I'll pay you a visit in a few days."
Chen Yi, who had been silent all along, watched their retreating figures, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
Using the Qi Observation Technique, one could see the aura emanating from them.
Liu Wen's true energy aura was heavy and complex.
Liu Zhaoxue's aura was slightly weaker than Liu Wen's, so she should be at the sixth rank.
Therefore, Liu Wen's cultivation level should be at the fifth rank, which is weaker than Liu Lang's.
After reading it, Chen Yi calmly withdrew his gaze.
A moment of silence.
The previously somber atmosphere in the restaurant was relieved, and the surrounding guests began to whisper among themselves.
They were mostly talking about the Xiao family of the Marquis of Dingyuan, the Liu family of Jingzhou, and so on.
Hearing these sounds, Xiao Wan'er was about to get up and leave.
But then Chen Yi raised his voice and asked, "Waiter, when will the food be ready? I'm hungry."
"Please wait a moment, sir, it will be ready shortly."
Um?
Xiao Wan'er stared blankly at Chen Yi, but when he looked over, she subconsciously lowered her head.
The words she had just heard from Shen Huatang had changed her mood.
The others also looked at Chen Yi with varying expressions, seemingly puzzled.
Chen Yi glanced around and said with a smile, "People are made of iron, and food is steel; you'll get hungry if you skip a meal."
"Since we've come all this way, we should at least try the delicious food that my elder sister mentioned before we go back."
As he spoke, he reached out and patted Xiao Wan'er's hand, asking:
"What do you think, big sister?"
Xiao Wan'er paused, her gaze fixed on the hand that had just left hers. A surge of heat coursed through her body, and she forgot all her previous displeasure. Only one thought remained in her mind:
He, he... touched my hand...
Seeing that she didn't speak, Xiao Wuge agreed, "Brother-in-law is right."
"Sis, we can't let some nobody spoil our mood, right?"
Xiao Wan'er was stunned for a while before she came to her senses, raised her head to reveal a slightly flushed face, and gently patted Xiao Wuge:
"What do you mean, 'any Tom, Dick, or Harry'? You can't be so rude."
Xiao Wuge's eyes darted around, and he chuckled, "My brother-in-law taught me."
He also said that people shouldn't let other people's mistakes affect their mood, as most of them are rather foolish.
Chen Yi chuckled, clearly not expecting that Xiao Wuge would remember something he had casually said before.
“I don’t admit to saying that.”
Xiao Wan'er's face flushed even more, and she gave him a reproachful look:
“You usually teach him some good things too.”
Chen Yi spread his hands, "Well, I don't really have that much knowledge."
"I don't believe it..."
At this moment, whether you believe or not is not important.
At least Xiao Wan'er smiled, which meant she had temporarily forgotten her previous unpleasantness.
Xiao Die, Xie Tingyun, and Shen Huatang breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this, knowing they could finally enjoy a spicy lunch.
Chen Yi, however, didn't really think that much about it. He made a few rare jokes to lighten the mood among them.
"Brother-in-law, save me some meat slices."
"mine……"
The other side.
Back in the carriage, Liu Wen heard laughter and chatter from inside the restaurant, and his face darkened.
He glared at Liu Zhaoxue and asked, "Shouldn't you explain?"
Looking out the window, Liu Zhaoxue said coldly, "Second Brother, if you continue like this, you'll only be asking for trouble."
"Just them?"
"Those two maids are Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang from the Tianshan Sect. Can you defeat them?"
"And Xiao Wan'er, you've displeased her, yet you still want to propose marriage?"
Upon hearing Liu Zhaoxue's words, Liu Wen was taken aback, his anger vanished, and he nodded with a smile:
"Third sister is right, I almost forgot about something important."
"Don't blame me, don't blame me."
Liu Zhaoxue nodded noncommittally, but still didn't look at him, her gaze fixed on the alley, lost in thought.
Liu Wen, however, seemed oblivious and continued speaking to himself:
"That man just now must be Xiao Jinghong's husband, the son-in-law of the Xiao family. Heh, he does look rather frail."
"I've recently heard rumors in Shu Prefecture that he can teach students to excel in calligraphy. I don't believe it. He's just a son-in-law..."
At this moment, Liu Zhaoxue interrupted in a low voice:
"Second brother, the son-in-law of the Xiao family you mentioned was a concubine's son of the Chen family in Jiangnan Prefecture before he came to Shuzhou."
"Have you forgotten what your father taught you?"
"He made you surpass Chen Qingzhou in talent and Cui Xianyang in martial arts."
Liu Wen was slightly taken aback. Recalling the past, he immediately looked displeased and said:
"I almost forgot, I have this grudge against him. If I have the chance this time, I'll have a competition with him."
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhaoxue secretly shook her head and spoke in a cold voice:
"Let's go, to Uncle's house..."
(End of this chapter)
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