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墨書 Inktalez
Each family has its own schemes, and it's hard to tell who is outsmarting whom.
Early the next morning, before the Jade Pavilion had even opened for business, the door was knocked on with a loud "bang, bang." The old woman in charge of the door grumbled impatiently, "Who is it? Mourning so early in the morning?" As she spoke, she opened the door.
"Old hag, are you tired of living?" As soon as the door swung open, a group of fierce-looking thugs rushed in. The leader, a middle-aged man with a menacing expression, aimed to strike the ordinary old woman with a palm strike but she managed to dodge in panic.
"W-What do you want?" she stammered, retreating in fear as if she had just escaped death. "Help! There are robbers! They’re going to kill someone..." Her desperate cries rang out sharply in the morning air, drawing curious onlookers who began to peek over but none dared to step forward.
The group of thugs was taken aback by her reaction. They had only intended to intimidate her by taking advantage of their numbers, never expecting such an exaggerated response. Not only was she shouting for help, but she was also claiming murder...
"Shut up," the leader said, puzzled as to why his ambush had caused her to evade him. Seeing her panic-stricken and acting like a madwoman made him think it must have been a coincidence. He shouted angrily, "Hand over Zhu Qingluan, or don’t blame me for being rude!"
The commotion downstairs woke those upstairs. Qing Luan emerged from her room wearing an outer garment. Upon seeing the thugs below, she squinted her eyes slightly, concealing her sharpness within her gaze before descending the stairs with a look of feigned terror.
"W-What do you want?" This Huang really was foolish; Qing Luan couldn't help but scoff internally at how he considered such brutish men his opponents. Had he made himself dull as well?
"What are you doing?" Just as the atmosphere grew tense and ambiguous, a loud voice rang out at the entrance. When everyone turned to look, they saw a man dressed in white robes, exuding an air of nobility and grace that resembled warm jade—strikingly impressive. "Underneath the feet of the Emperor in this grand capital, who are you to be so bold?" His tone was filled with righteous indignation.
Qing Luan stared at the man who seemed like a celestial being descending from above, momentarily stunned—not because she was captivated by his charm but rather because things were not unfolding according to her script; it was quite annoying—someone meddling!
"Young... Young Master," the old woman who had been screaming earlier rushed forward in fright upon seeing someone arrive. "Robbers! Young Master, there are robbers! They’re going to kill someone... kill someone..."
Qing Luan looked at the exaggerated old woman and nearly burst into laughter—her performance was truly something else.
"Don't worry, Grandma. I'll handle this. There's no need to be afraid," the man in white said gently, noticing her panic. "Who are you people?"
The intruder, seeing someone meddling in their affairs, immediately became arrogant. "Kid, mind your own business! I'm here to take my family’s Fourth Miss home. This is a family matter, and it’s none of your concern!" He scoffed, believing that no one could challenge him, especially not someone lesser than Prime Minister Huang.
Regardless of the intruder's excuses, the man in white did not back down. He scanned the shop with a cold gaze and sneered, "You barged into someone else's establishment like this—you're practically committing robbery! If it weren't for the people from Jade Pavilion stopping you, you'd be in serious trouble!"
"You...," the intruder was taken aback by his audacity and narrowed his eyes threateningly. "My Fourth Miss is the granddaughter of Prime Minister Huang. You'd better watch your words!"
"Hah..." Sister Yun, who had been watching the commotion with interest, finally chimed in with a smile. "Wasn't Prime Minister Huang's granddaughter married off as a concubine to an old man from the Zhou family just a few days ago? How can there be another one now? Even if my Maid is the Fourth Miss from Chen Residence, her grandfather's surname is Zhu—he's a merchant, right?"
Clearly, there was something fishy going on. For money, some people would dare to claim any relative and treat everyone else like fools.
"Hmph! How can a lowly merchant compare to Prime Minister Huang? My lady has taken pity on her and couldn't bear to see her alone and bullied out here. That's why she sent us to bring Fourth Miss back!" The speaker's eyes were filled with disdain; he was from the Prime Minister's Residence and naturally favored his own master.
"Oh? Brother, what do you mean by 'alone and bullied'?" Sister Yun asked with a seductive smile that sparked intrigue but lacked warmth in her eyes. Her cold gaze made her beauty even more striking in its contradiction.
"Uh..." The leader faltered at her question, his expression shifting as he struggled to find a way out of this predicament.
"Go back and tell Aunt Huang from Chen Residence," Sister Yun said sharply, targeting where it hurt. "Originally, I could let it slide since I don't mind giving away my daily eighteen thousand taels. But since she claims I bullied her Fourth Miss, I must have a good chat with her about this..."
Qing Luan felt like an onlooker despite being the main character; so many people were stepping in that she hardly had a chance to speak. Yet she observed the suddenly appearing man in white closely, a shy smile creeping onto her face as she met his concerned black eyes... It was quite intriguing!
"Miss, are you alright?" the man in white asked gently as he stepped forward.
Shaking her head, Qing Luan faithfully played her role, biting her lip nervously as she said, "I... I'm fine, it's just that they..."
"Do you know them?" The man in white turned to glance at the fierce-looking individuals and spoke softly.
Shaking her head, Qing Luan feigned innocence. "I don't know..."
"Don't know?" The answer took the man in white by surprise. "How could you not know? Aren't you Fourth Miss Chen? You should know best!" What was going on here? Everyone else was bustling with excitement, yet this person seemed completely oblivious. What kind of situation was this!?
"I..." She stole a shy glance at the anxious man. Qing Luan thought to herself: I just don't want to remember, okay? Young Master, why are you so concerned about other people's business? Aren't you tired? "I heard from my nanny that I was rescued after losing my memory, so I don't know who I am..." Implicitly, she meant that she couldn't recall anything, and they could do whatever they wanted.
This was something she had come up with on the spot. If Huang were to use forceful means to press her, it would be better for her to admit it herself. However, if she admitted it, then the matter of the village's destruction would come to light. If they decided to silence her then, it would be disastrous. So she thought of a way to let them know her identity while also making them lower their guard—this was a twofold strategy.
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Originally, there were supposed to be six updates today, but seeing two more gold medals led to an additional update—a total of seven updates today...
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