Even before he reached the city gate, Yan Shenming could hear the commotion inside the city.
That sound signified liveliness and prosperity, something Yan Shenming, who had always endured silence in the mountain village, had never experienced.
The carriage slowly passed through the city gate. Yan Shenming lifted the curtain and stared blankly at the bustling scene on the street. People came and went, and various stalls and shops lined the streets, dazzling the eye.
Yan Shenming was momentarily dazzled, and after realizing what was happening, his ears turned red, and he lowered the curtain.
Li Xunhuan caught the lowered curtain and laughed, "The capital is indeed prosperous. We can stroll around the city later."
Although Yan Shenming had spent more than ten days with Li Xunhuan, he was a man of few words by nature, and coupled with his anxiety about being in an unfamiliar place, he simply nodded without saying a word.
His silence didn't mean he didn't look forward to life in the capital, but the thought of his older brother made him feel awkward.
Yan Shenming had a disagreement with his elder brother before they parted ways. Although he knew his brother well enough that his brother certainly didn't take the matter to heart, Yan Shenming still felt apologetic.
Li Xunhuan looked up and sized up his new friend across from him, not quite understanding why the other person seemed so worried.
He should have been overjoyed to see his elder brother, but his new friend kept his lips tightly pursed and looked serious.
Li Xunhuan, who had a loving relationship with his elder brother and never went through a rebellious phase, probably couldn't understand the stiff relationship between his younger brother and elder brother who were going through a rebellious phase.
Yan Shenming's encounter with Li Xunhuan was an accident. Yan Liang entrusted only one person to pick up Yan Shenming and take him to the capital, mainly thinking that since he was just picking up a person with no valuables, he wouldn't be unlucky enough to run into robbers and get robbed. However, the escort agency uncle went smoothly without any obstacles, but when the two returned, they encountered a landslide on the mountain road and had to take a detour. On the new road, they were coincidentally stopped by robbers.
They were isolated and helpless, and more importantly, they had no valuables on them. Just when it seemed they were about to die under the robbers' knives, Li Xunhuan, who happened to be passing by, bravely appeared and saved them from their predicament.
After handing the robbers over to the authorities, Li Xunhuan exchanged information with the two men. As fate would have it, they had the same destination, and according to the leader of the escort agency, Li Xunhuan's elder brother and Yan Shenming's elder brother were good friends.
Even Li Xunhuan couldn't help but marvel at the incredible coincidence in the world. After his remark, he invited the two of them to travel together.
With more people, there's always someone to look out for you. Besides, Li Xunhuan is new to the martial arts world and has already made a name for himself. The people who escorted Yan Shenming to the capital had also vaguely heard of Li Xunhuan, this rising star in the martial arts world. After consulting with Yan Shenming, they set off together.
Li Xunhuan was older than Yan Shenming, but they were not far apart in age, and the two got along fairly well.
The uncle from the escort agency drove the carriage to the Li residence with practiced ease, and Yan Shenming and Li Xunhuan sat inside. The carriage following behind was filled with various items that expressed the joy of Li Xunhuan, the top scholar in the imperial examination.
Li Xunhuan drew back the curtains, revealing the entire street scene and making the noisy voices of the people even clearer.
Even though Yan Shenming suppressed his excitement, his eyes were still sparkling, and his brows and eyes were full of eagerness. Li Xunle couldn't help but laugh when he saw him.
"—Now, let's talk about Yan Tanhua and Yu Ze, the most beautiful courtesan of Hongxiu Pavilion. They broke off their relationship and he lived happily ever after with Hua Niang. It can be said that he was affectionate but indifferent, and he completely betrayed Yu Ze's feelings!"
Passing by the restaurant, a storyteller, drawing on real-life social events, was recounting the love-hate relationship between this year's newly appointed third-ranked scholar and two young women. In just a few days, a completely new, melodramatic version had emerged. It was as if there was no limit to how melodramatic or vulgar it could become; it could only get more outrageous and vulgar.
The storyteller had practiced diligently for many years, and the first thing he practiced was his voice. His voice was so loud that even Yan Shenming, who had never practiced martial arts, could hear it clearly.
The two boys' expressions froze on their faces.
Yan Shenming: Yan Tanhua... isn't he his elder brother?
Li Xunhuan hadn't expected that the first thing he heard upon arriving in the capital was the romantic tale of his friend's elder brother and the two young ladies. His feelings were quite complicated, and his first thought was that this Yan Tanhua truly lived up to his name.
Yan Shenming's feelings were even more complicated than Li Xunle's, and he was speechless for a moment, unsure of what to say.
The carriage drove past the restaurant, and Yan Shenming only heard a few words, but those few words greatly shocked him.
The two boys arrived at the Li residence in silence.
The carriage stopped in front of the Li residence. Li Xunhuan jumped off the carriage, knocked lightly on the gate, and waited for a moment before a servant came to open the door. Li Xunhuan smiled at the familiar servant.
The servants happily welcomed the two of them inside, and then had the coachman who had accompanied Li Xunhuan drive the carriage into the backyard. At the same time, a servant gave the remaining silver to the uncle of the escort agency. It was given to him in advance by Yan Liang in case Yan Shenming arrived in the capital while he was away.
Yan Shenming was still thinking about his elder brother's "flower girl" when he noticed the silver the servant had given out, and he began to worry about their family's treasury.
Although he knew that sending someone from the capital to pick him up would be very expensive... the amount of money had far exceeded Yan Shenming's expectations.
The escort agency uncle bid farewell to the two boys, then returned to the agency's headquarters with the silver in his pocket.
Li Xunhuan had never been to a residence in the capital before. The servants made beds for the two of them, and he pulled Yan Shenming along with them.
Yan Shenming followed closely behind, taking in the scene within the courtyard. It wasn't exactly opulent, but rather quiet and simple, and walking through it seemed to calm his heart as well.
Yan Liang and Li Xunle are still working at the Hanlin Academy and won't be back until the afternoon.
Yan Shenming was a little disappointed when he heard the news, but after following Li Xunhuan around the mansion for a while, he completely forgot about that disappointment and started having fun.
He was, after all, just a young kid, always full of curiosity and enthusiasm for things he had never seen before.
Wang Lianhua went for a walk outside, and when he came back, he saw two boys squatting by the pond feeding the fish.
Yan Shenming and Yan Liang have very similar faces, as if they were made from the same mold, only with a touch of childishness; Li Xunhuan's family are all good-looking, with the three of them having the same features on their faces, and more importantly, they all have the refined and elegant temperament that only scholars possess.
Wang Lianhua glanced at it from afar and then smiled.
There's something to do now.
Yan Shenming stared at the koi swimming in the pond, their colors vibrant, appearing and disappearing in an instant. Li Xunhuan tossed in a handful of fish food, and a group of koi gathered together, almost blindingly so.
Yan Shenming grabbed a handful of fish food, intending to toss it tentatively, when he heard someone beside him laugh and say, "They were already fed this morning, why don't we feed them again tonight?"
Yan Shenming looked to his side and saw a smiling girl in an apricot-colored dress.
"hello."
The girl greeted him.
This young lady was the same one Yan Shenming had overheard at the restaurant entrance, the one who had a past relationship with his elder brother. Yan Shenming hadn't expected to see her here, and Li Xunhuan was also quite surprised.
"Yan Liang and I are deeply in love and will soon be getting married."
The girl looked shy, but she still spoke these words very boldly.
Yan Shenming hesitated for a long time before stiffly saying, "Eldest sister-in-law?"
He still found it incredibly unbelievable, so much so that he blurted out the words without thinking.
The girl looked at him in surprise and then burst out laughing: "You're calling him too soon. He and I aren't even married yet... If you want to call him, you can call him anytime."
Yan Shenming's ears turned bright red, while the girl's smile deepened. She gently patted his head and said, "Your older brother will be very happy when he comes back today."
Yes, I'd be so happy I wouldn't be able to speak.
Wang Lianhua completely fooled the two young men, making them believe that the beautiful girl in front of them was Yan Liang's beloved.
Li Xunhuan had no suspicions. Firstly, because Wang Lianhua's disguise skills were so superb that few in the martial arts world could see through them. Secondly, he didn't think anyone would be so idle as to dress up as a woman to tease them. Moreover, this young lady could come and go freely in the Li residence, so his elder brother must have allowed it.
However, there are indeed people in this world who are so idle that they dress up as women to play pranks on others.
Wang Lianhua was a prime example of this.
In the afternoon, Li Xunle returned home alone. Hearing the news at the door that the two boys had arrived together, he was overjoyed and quickly walked into the yard, only to be met with a scene that almost blinded him.
The equipment for grilling fish was laid out in the yard, and the three of them sat around the rack.
"Sister Flower!"
Li Xunhuan called out to the flower girl—his father's good friend—with a smile on his face.
"Sister-in-law, what should we do about this?"
The boy bore a resemblance to Yan Liang and was clearly Yan Liang's younger brother.
The girl in the apricot-colored dress was all smiles and looked incredibly friendly.
Hearing the two boys address the flower girl, Li Xunle stared at the scene and, unusually, felt an urge to turn back and leave the courtyard.
However, it was too late.
Li Xunhuan had already spotted him and came forward to greet him: "Brother!"
Yan Shenming looked at Li Xunle with a hint of shyness in his expression; while Miss Hua looked at Li Xunle with a half-smile.
Having received the signal that "my identity cannot be revealed," Li Xunle smiled wryly and was pulled forward by his younger brother.
"Isn't Yan Liang coming back?"
Wang Lianhua glanced at Yan Shenming, who was looking very expectant, and asked the question on his behalf.
"Brother Yan said he was going to buy some snacks, so he told me to come back first." Li Xunle smiled at Yan Shenming. "He said he was thinking you would be coming in the next few days, so he went to buy them."
Yan Shenming and Li Xunle's eyes met, and they smiled somewhat awkwardly, but they couldn't help being happy inside.
Wang Lianhua observed this without uttering a word.
Yan Liang must have found an excuse to investigate the case. Yesterday, he also found an excuse to leave Li Xunle behind and wander around outside alone looking for clues. Although buying snacks for his younger brother was one reason, investigating the case was also an important factor.
Wang Lianhua was right. At that very moment, Yan Liang, who was strolling down the street with snacks in hand, encountered a clue that had come to him.
Author's Note: I'm late OTZ
Q: What to do if senior actors have too much screen time?
A: Cooperate with the performance and strive for excellence.
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 19:03:22 on February 25, 2020 and 23:39:22 on February 26, 2020!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Poetry and Wine in Youth (1);
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Momo Meow (5 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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