"It's not that I took the wrong medicine, but it's close.
After all, it's nothing glorious, and as an outsider, I shouldn't say too much about the specifics.
In short, to put it simply, he not only fell for Shangguan Hong, that turtle grandson, but also suffered a particularly severe setback."
Upon hearing this, Murong Bai's lips curled into a schadenfreude arc, "Then that's truly something to be happy about."
"What, are you over it? Finally willing to talk to us?"
Murong Bai rolled his eyes ungracefully, "I wasn't angry in the first place, so what's this talk about talking?
After all, if I were truly angry, I would have thrown a pouch of poison powder long ago, and you wouldn't still be jumping around like this?"
"Then why did you pretend not to know us?"
"Hmph, you're not silver, why should I know you?"
"I say, Bai Er, what have you been through in the years since you left the capital? How did you become so obsessed with money?
However, this greedy appearance of yours, full of eyes for silver, is just like Lord Lin."
As if thinking of the money he had lost before, Murong Bai pouted with displeasure,
"When it comes to loving money as much as one's life, if Lord Lin doesn't come second, no one can claim first. I wouldn't dare compare myself to him."
It was rare for the two to chat so peacefully. Hua Jinrong watched the distant battle and said casually,
"By the way, I've found some clues about your father's case, and it seems to be related to Prime Minister Shangguan. Are you interested in hearing about it?"
"No."
Hearing the concise two words, Hua Jinrong was slightly stunned, "I thought you would be very interested in this~"
"Although I do want to know about my father's case, I don't want to be a chess piece on someone else's board.
You hid from me for so many years, yet you pop out at this moment.
Isn't it also a way to make me one of the countless 'coincidences'?"
"Bai Er, that's where you're wrong.
Because—
Even if I don't appear before you, aren't you already deeply involved?"
Listening to that infuriatingly smug tone, and meeting those knowing fox eyes with a hint of a smile, Murong Bai, full of anger, said,
"In my opinion, Yan Xiuping's title as the number one strategist should be given to you!
At least Yan Xiuping has weaknesses and knows what can and cannot be done.
But you are unrestrained and have no taboos. It's not an exaggeration to say you stop at nothing.
No!
Just in case, I'll just use a pouch of poison powder to silence you."
Upon hearing this, Hua Jinrong immediately put on a dejected, hurt expression and complained,
"Bai Er, if we're not brothers, we're at least friends who have shared hardships and enjoyed fortunes together. How can you bear to lay a hand on me?"
"Get lost with your 'friend'!
If you mean it, I can show you right now whether I can or cannot lay a hand on you!"
"Don't, don't, don't!
We gentlemen use our words, not our fists!"
As Hua Jinrong fled, the commotion on the other side also came to an abrupt halt with the appearance of Leng Ningyue, the person involved.
"Little Yueyue~"
"Madam Lin!"
Ignoring Ye Shengxiao and Lin Moyuan who greeted her, Leng Ningyue walked directly to Lin Qingge, who was still cracking melon seeds, and frowned slightly.
Lin Qingge, who didn't expect her to find her, hurriedly put down her crossed legs, threw away the melon seed shells, and sat up straight.
Seeing this, Leng Ningyue's frown eased.
"Go back to the manor for dinner."
"Alright!"
Lin Qingge trotted along behind Leng Ningyue.
Ling Han, accustomed to freeloading meals at the yamen, followed without hesitation.
Yan Tinghao looked left and right. While he was hesitating whether to invite, or rather, whether he had the right to invite his elder cousin to the government office for a meal, Lin Moyuan and the gregarious Ye Shengxiao had already walked far away.
Yan Tinghao: ...
"Constable Yan, why are you still standing here? Aren't you going back for dinner?"
"Why do you care about him? He's not a three-year-old child. If he's hungry, he'll naturally find something to eat."
Following this, Hua Jinrong, fanning himself with a folding fan, and the sharp-tongued Murong Bai also walked away one after another.
Yan Tinghao: ???
Everyone returned to the Fengtian Prefecture government office.
Unexpectedly, Yan Xiuping and his wife were also there.
When Yan Tinghao, who entered last, arrived at the side hall for the meal, he saw his mother holding Xu Siyun's hand with a loving expression, asking with concern,
"After so many years without seeing each other, Siyun has grown into a young lady. You've become so beautiful!"
"Madam Yan, you flatter me."
"It's too distant to call me Madam Yan. Siyun, you should call me 'Aunt' like Moyuan and the others.
Your father and Xiuping were not only classmates and close friends, but also colleagues for many years.
When your father married your mother, I even attended your mother's dowry ceremony!
It's a pity that after more than a decade apart, everything has changed.
Alas—
Good people never live long, only the wicked live forever!"
By the end, there was a faint hint of gritted teeth in her voice.
"Aunt, as the saying goes, 'Life and death are destined, wealth and honor are in heaven.' We should look at things with a more open mind."
"Tsk tsk tsk, as expected of a daughter from a scholarly family, your words are so elegant. Aunt loves to hear them.
By the way, Siyun, how old are you this year? Are you promised yet? If not, how about my Hao'er?
It's not me bragging, but my Hao'er, although he's not very sharp, is definitely a devoted husband. If you say left, he wouldn't dare go right. If you say beat the dog, he wouldn't dare chase the chicken!
In short, he's definitely a good candidate for a husband!"
"Mother—!"
Yan Tinghao, who felt a bad premonition from his mother's 'weasel wishing the chicken a happy new year' smile as soon as he entered the doorway, heard the last sentence as soon as he got closer, and immediately wished he could drill into a crack in the ground.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? The man and woman are unmarried, and it's according to parental orders and the matchmaker's words. As your mother, if I don't arrange it for you, who will?"
"Mother, your son wants to focus on his career and currently has no plans to get married."
"Hao'er, even if you focus on your career, you can't not get married! Do you want to be a constable your whole life?"
Hearing his mother's questioning, Yan Tinghao nodded without thinking,
"Yes, your son wants to work by Lord Lin's side.
If possible, your son wants to follow Lord Lin's side for his entire life, to plead for the common people and bring justice to the wicked!"
???!!!
Lin Qingge, who was bewildered as the 'hot-blooded 2B youth' next to him, wanted to say 'It's really not necessary.'
Fortunately, the beautiful woman was very reasonable and didn't blame Lin Qingge. Instead, she poured all her dissatisfaction onto her husband, Yan Xiuping, "You damned wretch! Why did you let Hao'er be a constable? Now, Hao'er is even more unwilling to get married!"
After this small interlude, everyone took their seats.
Since there were no outsiders, there weren't so many formalities.
Except for Ling Han and Ye Shengxiao, who was held by Ling Han, as well as Lu Mingxuan, Er Niu, and others who were set up at another table in the kitchen's backyard, everyone else sat around the large table in the side hall.
Since this meal was also meant to see Xu Changling off, the beautiful woman, between toasts, got drunk again...