"What are you doing? Coming into my room in broad daylight, trying to molest me!" I rubbed my forehead, looking at Chen Yun, who was also rubbing her forehead as she sat on the ground.
Chen Yun was not to be outdone. She stood up, holding her forehead, and pointed at the clock on the wall. "Could you please open your eyes and see what time it is? It's hardly broad daylight. If Sister Zhang hadn't asked me to call you out for dinner, I wouldn't bother with you! I tried to be kind, and you took it for granted. You deserve to starve!" After saying that, she rubbed her forehead and muttered words like "idiot" and "moron" as she left the room.
Glancing at the time, I cursed. No way! So much time had passed. I only felt like I had been in the Fifth Prince's mansion for a short while. How could it be almost seven o'clock now, and the sky outside had already darkened? Sudan Novel Network
"Sister Zhang, why did she have to call me? She's just getting in the way."
Unable to figure out why I spent so much time in the Fifth Prince's mansion, I stopped thinking about it. Not wanting to waste more brain cells, I put on my shoes and walked out.
Seeing me come out, Chen Yun snorted and turned her face away, acting like a child. It made me frown. Perhaps before, when I wore the human-skin mask and pretended to be a cold, aloof queen – unapproachable – my true nature has returned now that the mask is gone?
Before I could speak, Bai Ling'er spoke up first, "I told you he's a blockhead and an idiot, but you didn't believe me. Now you do, right? Just ignore him and let him fend for himself."
I was about to ask Bai Ling'er which spirit pet she was, and which side she was on. But looking at her, dressed in pink, like a flower fairy, I knew which side she was on. She had already "betrayed" me and joined Chen Yun's faction.
"What are you still standing there for? Hurry up and sit down to eat. If I hadn't called you, you wouldn't know when you'd fall asleep," Sister Zhang called out. Brother Zhang gave me a look of helplessness.
"Oh!"
Dinner ended with me glaring at you and you giving me a glare.
During dinner, I didn't mention the Fifth Princess's matter, only briefly mentioning that there were no problems on that end.
Zhang Dabiao nodded meaningfully. He understood that I didn't want to talk about the Fifth Princess in front of Chen Yun. After all, even Sister Zhang didn't know anything about the Fifth Princess's affairs up to this point. How could I tell Chen Yun, who had just arrived?
"What are you talking about? So mysterious and secretive. Just say it, and we can all discuss it." Chen Yun, whose ears were almost pricked up like a rabbit's, suddenly interjected.
"Can't you shut your mouth even when you're eating? You're so nosy," I retorted directly.
"You... Hmph... A good woman doesn't fight with a bad man... I'll eat you poor, I'll live off you poor... I..." Listening to Chen Yun's soft mumbling, I felt ten thousand wild horses galloping across the grassland. Looking at Bai Ling'er and Huang San, who were also eating at the table, I thought to myself that it was all their fault for making me bear this trouble.
Huang San gave me an awkward smile, while Bai Ling'er ignored me. Seizing the moment of my daze, she took a plate of chicken legs from my side and brought it to her and Chen Yun, repeatedly telling Chen Yun to eat more, saying that Sister Zhang's cooking was delicious.
Her praise made Sister Zhang smile, her eyes curving into crescents. She kept urging them to eat more, asking them to tell her what they liked to eat so she could make it.
"You're so old, and you're still arguing with a child. You really are something," Zhang Dabiao nudged me, urging me to eat quickly.
"Mm!"
Dinner was agonizing for me. Several times, I almost inhaled my food. Finally, after I managed to finish, Chen Yun urged me to quickly move my things out of my room because she wanted to move in. By the time I finished, it was almost nine o'clock.
I lay down on the recliner, feeling so comfortable that I didn't want to move.
"You're tired from doing so little work. You need to strengthen your body," Zhang Dabiao, with a cigarette in his mouth, leisurely shuffled over in his slippers.
"I'm not tired physically, but mentally. They say three women are like three ducks, but why do I feel like these two are equivalent to a duck farm?" I glanced at my old room, from which came laughter mixed with the sound of snacking. I didn't know what possessed Bai Ling'er to suddenly like watching cartoons and eating potato chips?
Will I have to raise lolis from now on?
"Heh heh... Such profound questions, I can't answer them, brother. You'll have to experience it yourself! When you experience the joy, you'll understand the ultimate meaning of life."
Joy? Ultimate meaning? Who would believe such words?
...
Initially, the rumors I spread did not yield the desired results. This was because the news appeared out of thin air, without any evidence. People were not fools, so how could they believe such sudden gossip? Moreover, only a few people knew about the existence of the heaven-defying treasure, the Tiger Kui Seal. Those who knew this information were likely to be powerful figures in the feng shui world or dominant figures in a region.
However, with the addition of Huang San's gossip, the tide of opinion suddenly shifted. The previous doubts vanished, and people began to inquire about the source of the information. Eventually, all fingers pointed to our village.
In an instant, our village became a place of alarm and panic. All sorts of strange characters, demons, and monsters arrived in various guises, turning our usually quiet village into a bustling marketplace.
Even my home was not spared. Several groups of people came wanting to stay, but I refused them all. One employer even generously offered a high price of 1,000 yuan a day to rent the quadrangle courtyard, but I ignored her and told her to get lost.
What a joke! If I let you stay, wouldn't my plan be ruined?
Seeing Zhang Dabiao return from scouting for information, I stood up and asked, "How is it? Have any powerful figures come to inquire about the news?"
Zhang Dabiao shook his head and said, "Not yet. Those who have come are all from the fringe or lone wolves. It seems they haven't attracted the attention of those important people."
"These old foxes are truly patient."
I had planned to wait for these old foxes to arrive before releasing more explosive news, creating a scenario where someone snatched the Tiger Kui Seal from me. It seemed this plan had to be expedited.
"It can't be helped. It's my fault for releasing the news too carelessly. I forgot that these old guys have eyes that see everything. Without giving them something tangible, they probably won't believe it," Zhang Dabiao said with some shame. It was his idea, but it hadn't turned out as well as expected, so he felt a bit embarrassed.
"What's there to be ashamed of? It's just adding more material. Why don't we just give them the item?" I winked at Zhang Dabiao.
"Give it to them? Is that feasible? Wouldn't that be like putting ourselves on the fire first?" Zhang Dabiao refused.
"If we don't do this, the news that the Tiger Kui Seal is on me will be known sooner or later. It's better to take this opportunity and let someone snatch it away. Then I'll be at ease."
Zhang Dabiao stroked his unshaven chin, pondered for a long time, and finally agreed.
"It's best to have Huang San's disciples cooperate in the theft, that way the effect will be even better."
I gave him an OK gesture. I figured Huang San should have learned enough disguise techniques by now.