Chapter 10

In the afternoon, the sun was fierce, and Yun City was stuffy and hot, even the blowing wind was hot.

Zi Yi brought out a jar of wine from the wine cellar, opened it, and then poured the wine into a wine pot.

His face was slightly red from the heat, and crystal-clear sweat slid down his jade-white forehead.

Xu Lu Cha held a folding fan, fanning himself. Seeing Zi Yi busily working with a head full of sweat, he became somewhat impatient: “Zi Yi, what exactly are you doing? At this hour, Zhang Meng will have finished her patrol and will be returning to the government office. Why are you still dawdling?” Zi Yi’s face reddened, and he hesitated: “Young master, I heard that drinking wine can boost courage…” Xu Lu Cha: “…”

Zi Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, picked up the wine pot, and took a few gulps of wine, then a few more.

He put down the wine pot, swayed slightly, and said: “Young master, Zi Yi is ready.” Xu Lu Cha: “Then let’s go.”

Zi Yi hurriedly followed behind him.

After a while, Xu Lu Cha heard Zi Yi muttering something behind him. He listened carefully.

“The weather today is so nice… Constable Zhang, actually Zi Yi has always respected you very much… It would be nice if we could become friends, could we often come out and have heart-to-heart talks in the future?…” Xu Lu Cha slightly closed his eyes, turned back and glared at Zi Yi: “What are you doing again?” Zi Yi quickly stopped his muttering and replied: “Young master, Zi Yi was rehearsing. Zi Yi has compiled some of the things the young master used to say to women, and thinks they are very useful…” Xu Lu Cha wished he could throw the folding fan at his face.

“Don’t worry, young master. This time Zi Yi will definitely try his best to delay Constable Zhang and create time for the young master and the lady to be alone.” Xu Lu Cha: “…Don’t embarrass me.”

At the pavilion.

Zhang Meng looked at Zi Yi with confusion.

He lowered his head, his handsome face slightly red, his long hair tied up high, revealing his snow-white neck. Crystal-clear sweat flowed down from his forehead and cheeks.

Zhang Meng looked up at the fierce sun in the sky, so strong it almost blinded her eyes. So…

“Zi Yi, do you really plan to stand in the sun and bathe in the sunlight, rather than come in for some shade?” She had just finished inspecting the streets with Zhong Huo and was about to return to the government office when she encountered Xu Lu Cha and him.

He said he had something very important to tell her, so he brought her to a pavilion outside the city.

However, he had been standing outside the pavilion for a long time, neither entering to seek shade nor telling her anything important.

“Zi Yi, if there’s nothing else, I need to return to the government office.” She still had to go back to organize the tax collection records and tend to the flowers and plants at the office.

Zi Yi hurriedly looked up and spoke with some anxiety: “Constable Zhang, Zi Yi wants to tell you ‘the weather is very nice today’.” After saying this, his face and ears turned red.

Zhang Meng: “…Oh, it is quite nice.”

“Also… Zi Yi has always respected Constable Zhang very much…”

Zhang Meng: “…Oh.”

“Zi Yi would like to often come out and have heart-to-heart talks with Constable Zhang…”

Zhang Meng paused, then smiled and said: “Sure.”

Zi Yi glanced at her, somewhat at a loss, and quickly turned to the side, avoiding her gaze.

After a while, he opened his mouth: “Does Constable Zhang think Zi Yi is very strange?” Zhang Meng saw that he had been standing in the sun for so long and was sweating profusely, looking quite pitiful, so she pulled him into the pavilion.

Zi Yi’s whole body stiffened, and he subtly struggled against Zhang Meng’s hand.

Zhang Meng naturally let go of his hand and said: “You have indeed been a bit strange these past two days. You don’t need to be so nervous when facing me, I won’t eat you.” Zi Yi lowered his head: “Zi Yi is not nervous.”

Zhang Meng took out a sachet from her sleeve and handed it to him: “Here, return it to you.” Zi Yi was stunned and didn’t take it.

Zhang Meng grabbed his hand and put the sachet in it: “Give it to the person you truly like.” She smiled and said, “Zi Yi, you don’t actually like me, do you?” Zi Yi’s lips moved, but he didn’t speak.

Zhang Meng said: “When facing someone you like, even if you’re shy and nervous, you definitely wouldn’t treat the person you like as a fierce beast to be avoided at all costs.” Zi Yi: “Zi Yi is not avoiding Constable Zhang.”

Zhang Meng nodded: “Then why are you standing so far away from me?”

Zi Yi looked at the distance between himself and her, realizing that he had unconsciously retreated outside the pavilion again.

Zhang Meng: “Zi Yi, I think we should just be friends, like before. Eating together, playing magic tricks together, isn’t that fun?” Zi Yi stared at her blankly for a long time, then nodded.

“Zheng Shu, I’m back.”

Zheng Shu glanced at Zhang Meng indifferently and pointed to a corner of the warehouse: “The grain over there hasn’t been counted yet, go take a look.” After saying this, she handed the account book to Zhang Meng.

Zhang Meng smiled and nodded. She took the account book and walked to that corner.

Zheng Shu is so cold! How does Jin Yue, who is so talkative, cooperate with her? Won’t she suffocate?

Zhang Meng had been working with Zheng Shu for several days, and Zheng Shu only spoke to her about work-related matters. For the rest of the time, Zheng Shu seemed to treat Zhang Meng like a cabbage.

Sometimes Zhang Meng felt that Zheng Shu was like a ghost. She walked silently, ate silently, and for most of the day, she wouldn’t speak. Except for work-related matters, she ignored anyone who tried to talk to her.

Zhang Meng was counting the grain when the warehouse door suddenly opened.

Against the light, Zhang Meng saw Zhong Huo’s gloomy face.

“Zhang Meng! You’ve lost your wages for this month!”

Zhang Meng’s hand holding the ink brush trembled: “My lady… why?”

“I asked you to be my guard, but you went off to flirt with a man instead. What if I had been assassinated?! Do you have any sense of responsibility?!” After saying this, Zhong Huo angrily swept her sleeves and left!

Zhang Meng: “…”

She had almost escorted Zhong Huo back to the government office door before going out with Zi Yi!

The lady can’t be so unreasonable.

Zheng Shu glanced at Zhang Meng expressionlessly, then turned back to continue transcribing the account book.

“Third Young Master, please spare me! I won’t dare do it again!” The handsome young servant, full of fear, knelt on the ground, kowtowing continuously.

Xu Lu Cha’s jade-like hand gently lifted the young servant’s chin: “Xiao Chou, how can I spare you? You were trying to steal my woman.” The young servant trembled all over: “No, it’s not like that, it was Miss Qian who said she was fond of me…” Xu Lu Cha suddenly slapped his face, and the young servant’s fair and delicate face immediately turned red, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

“Fond of you?” Xu Lu Cha laughed, “Xiao Chou, tell me, are you more beautiful, or am I?” Xu Lu Cha’s palm struck hard, with a loud “pa” sound, and the young servant was slapped to the ground.

“Third Young Master…” The young servant trembled, tears streaming down his face.

Xu Lu Cha stepped on his face with his foot: “Xiao Chou, it seems this face of yours should be ruined. This way, you won’t need to worry about causing any more romantic troubles.” “Third Young Master… please don’t…”

Zi Yi turned his head away, unable to bear watching the cruel scene.

The young servant’s miserable screams rang out, and after a while, the screaming stopped. Xu Lu Cha kicked away the young servant who had already fainted, and used a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his hands.

“Zi Yi, you seem to disapprove of my actions?”

Zi Yi hurriedly shook his head: “No, young master.”

Xu Lu Cha snorted and laughed: “You’ve followed me for nine years, I still understand you. But, Zi Yi, you must understand, if you don’t want to be bullied, you must use any means necessary. Kindness will only harm you.” Zi Yi: “It’s just that Xiao Chou… didn’t do anything wrong.”

“He didn’t do anything wrong, it’s just unfortunate that the Qian woman took a liking to him. Now, I still need to rely on that Qian woman to intimidate that old bastard, I absolutely cannot let Xiao Chou ruin my plans.” Zi Yi lowered his head: “Young master…”

Xu Lu Cha turned and sat on a stone bench, picked up the teapot, and poured himself a cup of tea.

“So, how’s your progress with Zhang Meng?”

Zi Yi said: “It’s alright.”

Xu Lu Cha raised his eyes to look at him: “Not bad, better than I imagined.” Zi Yi asked: “Then the young master and the lady…”

Xu Lu Cha’s face darkened, and he slowly put down the teacup: “I think she has someone she likes.” Zhong Huo was different from Zhang Meng. Faced with his intentional efforts to please her, Zhong Huo was perfunctory, while Zhang Meng simply didn’t realize it.

Zhang Meng was emotionally slow, while Zhong Huo must have someone she liked.

“Then what should the young master do!” Zi Yi said anxiously.

Xu Lu Cha raised the teapot and slowly poured tea into the cup.

“Zi Yi, you try your best to get along well with Zhang Meng, while I can’t waste any more time on Zhong Huo.” He lightly sipped the tea, his beautiful eyes darkening.

That old bastard Chen Yue wants to torment him to death, but he won’t let him have his way.

His wife-master can only be chosen by him.

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