Chapter 10

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

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

His face was slightly flushed from the heat, and glistening beads of sweat slid down his jade-like forehead.

Xu Lu Cha held a folding fan, fanning himself. Seeing Zi Yi busy and covered in sweat, he found it a bit unbearable: “Zi Yi, what on earth are you doing? At this hour, Zhang Meng is about to finish her patrol and return to the government office, what are you still dawdling for?” Zi Yi’s face reddened and he hesitated: “Young Master, I heard drinking alcohol can boost courage…” Xu Lu Cha: “…”

Zi Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, picked up the wine pot, took a few gulps of wine, and 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 quickly followed behind him.

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

“The weather is so nice today… Constable Zhang, actually Zi Yi has always greatly respected you… It would be great if we could become friends, could we often come out to chat in the future?…” Xu Lu Cha closed his eyes slightly and turned around to glare at Zi Yi: “What are you doing again?” Zi Yi quickly stopped his muttering and replied: “Young Master, Zi Yi is reciting. Zi Yi organized some of the things Young Master used to say to women and felt they were very useful…” Xu Lu Cha wanted to throw his fan at his face.

“Young Master, don’t worry, this time Zi Yi will definitely try hard to delay Constable Zhang and create alone time for Young Master and the lord.” Xu Lu Cha: “…Don’t embarrass me.”

Pavilion.

Zhang Meng looked at Zi Yi in confusion.

He lowered his head, his handsome face slightly red. His long hair was tied up high, exposing his snow-white neck. Glistening sweat flowed down from his forehead and cheeks.

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

“Zi Yi, are you really going to stand under the sun to bathe in the sunlight instead of coming in for some shade?” She had just finished patrolling the streets with Zhong Huo and was about to return to the government office when she ran into Xu Lu Cha and him.

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

But he had been standing outside the pavilion for a long time, not coming in for shade and not telling her anything important.

“Zi Yi, if there’s nothing, I’m going to head back to the government office.” She still had to go back to organize the tax ledgers and tidy up the plants and flowers at the office.

Zi Yi quickly raised his head and spoke a bit anxiously: “Constable Zhang, Zi Yi wants to tell you ‘the weather is very nice today’.” After saying that, his face and ears all turned red.

Zhang Meng: “…Oh, it is quite nice.”

“Also… Zi Yi has always greatly respected Constable Zhang…”

Zhang Meng: “…Oh.”

“Zi Yi wants to often come out and chat with Constable Zhang…”

Zhang Meng paused and smiled: “Sure, we can.”

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

After a while, he spoke: “Will Constable Zhang find Zi Yi very strange?” Seeing him standing under the sun, already sweating profusely, Zhang Meng felt pity for him and pulled him into the pavilion.

Zi Yi’s body was stiff and he struggled against Zhang Meng’s hand without leaving a trace.

Zhang Meng naturally released 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: “Returning this to you.” Zi Yi was stunned and didn’t take it.

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

Zhang Meng said: “When facing someone you like, even if you feel shy and nervous, you definitely wouldn’t treat the person you like as a ferocious beast that you’re afraid of and trying to avoid at all costs.” Zi Yi: “Zi Yi is not avoiding Constable Zhang.”

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

Zi Yi glanced at the distance between himself and her, realizing he had unknowingly backed out of the pavilion again.

Zhang Meng: “Zi Yi, I think it’s best we stay as friends like before. Eating together, playing magic tricks together, it’s quite fun, isn’t it?” Zi Yi stared at her blankly for a long time before nodding.

“Zheng Shu, I’m back.”

Zheng Shu glanced at Zhang Meng indifferently and pointed to the corner of the warehouse: “The grain over there hasn’t been fully inventoried, go check it.” With that, she handed the ledger to Zhang Meng.

Zhang Meng smiled and nodded. Taking the ledger, she walked over to the corner.

Zheng Shu was so cold! How did someone as talkative as Jin Yue work with her? Wouldn’t she suffocate?

Zhang Meng had been working with Zheng Shu for several days. Other than discussing work matters, Zheng Shu treated Zhang Meng like a giant cabbage the rest of the time.

Sometimes Zhang Meng felt Zheng Shu was like a ghost. Walking silently, eating silently, not speaking for the majority of the day. Other than work matters, she ignored anyone who tried to chat with her.

Zhang Meng was in the middle of taking inventory of the grain when the warehouse door suddenly opened.

Backlit, Zhang Meng saw Zhong Huo’s gloomy face.

“Zhang Meng! Your wages for this month are gone!”

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

“I had you be my guard, but you went off to woo men instead. What if I was assassinated, then what?! Do you have no sense of responsibility at all?!” Finishing her words, Zhong Huo angrily swung her sleeves and left!

Zhang Meng: “…”

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

The lord couldn’t be so unreasonable.

Zheng Shu glanced at Zhang Meng expressionlessly and turned back to continue copying the ledgers.

“Third Young Master, please spare me! I won’t dare do it again!” The delicate-looking servant was on his knees, kowtowing non-stop with a face full of fear.

Xu Lu Cha’s jade-like hand gently lifted the servant’s chin: “Xiao Chou, how can I spare you when you tried to steal my woman?” The servant trembled all over: “No, no, that’s not how it is. It was Miss Qian who said she admired me…” Xu Lu Cha suddenly slapped his face. The servant’s fair and delicate face instantly turned red, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth.

“Admired you?” Xu Lu Cha laughed, “Xiao Chou, tell me, who is more beautiful, you or me?” Xu Lu Cha pressed down hard with his palm. With a “slap”, the servant was struck to the ground.

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

Xu Lu Cha stepped on his face: “Xiao Chou, looks like this face of yours should be ruined. That way you won’t stir up any more romantic troubles.” “Third Young Master… don’t…”

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

The servant’s miserable screams rang out. After a good while, the screaming stopped. Xu Lu Cha kicked aside the servant who had already fainted and wiped the blood from his hands with a handkerchief.

“Zi Yi, you don’t seem to approve of my actions?”

Zi Yi quickly shook his head: “No, Young Master.”

Xu Lu Cha snorted: “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 have to resort to any means necessary. Mercy will only harm you.” Zi Yi: “It’s just that Xiao Chou… didn’t do anything wrong.”

“He indeed didn’t do anything wrong, it’s just too bad that Qian woman took a liking to him. Right now, I still need to rely on that Qian woman to keep that old fogey in check. I absolutely cannot let Xiao Chou ruin things for me.” Zi Yi lowered his head: “Young Master…”

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

“So, how are things progressing with Zhang Meng?”

Zi Yi said: “Not bad.”

Xu Lu Cha glanced at him: “Not bad, better than I expected.” Zi Yi asked: “Then Young Master and the lord…”

Xu Lu Cha’s face darkened and he slowly put down his teacup: “I think she has someone she fancies.” Unlike Zhang Meng, when faced with his deliberate attempts to please her, Zhong Huo responded perfunctorily while Zhang Meng was completely unaware of them.

Zhang Meng was emotionally dense, while Zhong Huo must have someone she was fond of.

“Then what should Young Master do!” Zi Yi asked anxiously.

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

“Zi Yi, you try your best to get along well with Zhang Meng, while I can no longer waste time on Zhong Huo.” He gently sipped the tea, his beautiful eyes a dark shade.

That old fogey Chen Yue wanted to torment him to death, but he wouldn’t let him have his way.

His wife-master could only be chosen by him.

☆、