Lu Hua looked up, gazing at the bright starlight in Yan Shuo's eyes, and couldn't help but nod, saying, "Mhm."
"Great!" Yan Shuo clenched his fist and exclaimed excitedly.
Lu Hua gave him a shy glance and turned to leave. However, as she flung open the door, a large mass of people lost their support and tumbled in with cries of "Ouch!"
"You—" Lu Hua was astonished.
Everyone lay sprawled on the ground in various poses, giggling foolishly.
To cover his embarrassment from eavesdropping, Third Uncle picked up one of his lost prosthetic legs, held it in his arms, and struck a pose like a golden rooster standing on one leg. He gruffly said to Yan Shuo, "You brat, don't get cocky too soon. If you want to be my nephew-in-law, you have to get past me first, hmph!"
With that, Third Uncle hopped away and fled through the door. Alas, it was all Old Ding's fault. Seeing a bunch of young men and women eavesdropping, he insisted on dragging Third Uncle along, saying they needed to get a good look at this fellow named Yan and make sure Xiao Hua wasn't being deceived by him.
Seeing that he was a cripple, the young men and women kindly gave him the prime spot for eavesdropping. That's why when Lu Hua opened the door, he was the first to awkwardly tumble in.
Uncle Ding also got up from the ground, brushed the dust off his clothes, and looked up with evasive eyes, saying, "I came to call... call them to work." He then slipped away rather ungracefully.
The remaining Yang Ming, Tong Tie, Aunt Ding, You Yan, Ga Mei, A Qiu, and Yan Huan, with their slightly thicker skin, all looked at Yan Shuo, then at Lu Hua, and then, with the satisfied expressions of those who had gorged on gossip, they turned and strolled away openly.
Thinking of her conversation with Yan Shuo just moments ago, Lu Hua lowered her head in embarrassment, twisted her body, and ran out.
Yan Shuo stood there with a foolish grin. Thinking that he would be visiting this residence often from now on, he decided to get acquainted with the people there.
Seeing Yang Ming and the others sparring nearby, he immediately rolled up his sleeves and joined them.
Bai Sheng walked out and saw that the young man was already arm-in-arm with Yang Ming and Tong Tie, chatting and laughing. A word involuntarily popped into her mind – extrovert!
Overall, Bai Sheng was quite pleased with Yan Shuo. Hua Hua was reserved and shy, and an outgoing boy would be a good match.
Seeing Bai Sheng approaching, Yan Shuo called out enthusiastically, "Greetings, sister-in-law! Sister-in-law, can I stay for dinner? I heard Lu Tie say that sister-in-law's cooking is exceptionally delicious."
Lu Tie froze. He had indeed told Yan Shuo that the food at home was good, but he hadn't said anything about letting him eat it. Madam, if there's one more freeloader at home, it's really not his fault; he's innocent!
Yang Ming also secretly admired Young Master Yan's audacity. He had just confessed to Lu Hua and was already calling her "Madam" and "Sister-in-law" so naturally and affectionately. The thickness of his skin was truly remarkable.
Bai Sheng laughed heartily, "Of course, Young Master Yan. Feel free to visit often. When Xiao Yun and Xiao Yu come back from school tonight, it'll be a good chance for you all to get acquainted."
Upon hearing that her brother was staying for dinner, Yan Huan immediately brought a stool and sat in the courtyard reading a storybook, acting as familiar as if she were in her own home.
These siblings were truly adorable, and Bai Sheng quite liked them.
The Wei family next door.
In an underground secret chamber, a disheveled middle-aged man was tied to a cross-shaped beam, looking at the people before him in terror, repeatedly asking, "Who exactly are you? Do you know who I am? Release me quickly if you know what's good for you!"
In front of him was a table, behind which Lu Ye, wearing a mask, sat with his arms crossed. Qing Yu and Wei Han stood to one side.
"Jiang Pengju, do you remember the treason case of the Baili family twenty-one years ago?" Lu Ye asked him coldly.
Jiang Pengju was greatly alarmed. He suddenly looked up, his terrified gaze fixed on Lu Ye through his messy hair, and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"
He remembered that the nine generations of the Baili family had been exterminated then, and there couldn't possibly be any survivors. And this person's voice seemed familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
Lu Ye looked at him coldly, "Who I am is not important. I only ask if you remember the treason case of the Baili family twenty-one years ago!"
Jiang Pengju's face was obscured by several strands of messy hair, which also concealed a fleeting look of guilt in his eyes. "I remember. General Baili was accused of treason and executed by the Emperor along with his nine generations."
"Jiang Pengju, it is said that you played a pivotal role in that case. Can you tell us how you framed General Baili?"
Jiang Pengju was utterly shocked. "The case of General Baili had conclusive evidence; no one framed him!"
"Is that so?" Lu Ye snorted coldly and ordered Wei Han, "Shave his head!"
Wei Han responded with a "Yes," and stepped forward with a sharp dagger.
"You... what are you doing? My body and hair are gifts from my parents. How can you shave my hair!" Jiang Pengju panicked, wriggling his body in futile struggle.
His ears had already been cut off, and without hair, how would he cover them?
Lu Ye chuckled sinisterly, "Shaving your head is just the first step. There are long years waiting for you. See those torture devices? If you don't confess how you framed General Baili back then, I, your sect leader, guarantee you will get to experience the different flavors of each torture instrument."
Jiang Pengju turned his head and saw on several nearby tables various torture instruments of different sizes, each polished to a gleaming shine, reflecting a cold, faint light.
Oh heavens, who were these people? Where had they brought him? Why did they want to clarify the Baili family's case?
For the first time in his life, Jiang Pengju felt terror and helplessness.
Wei Han shaved Jiang Pengju's head. His bald head, without earlobes, looked very much like a pickled egg.
Jiang Pengju actually started to cry, "My hair, my hair, my hair!"
Wei Han kicked at the few meager strands of hair on the ground and sneered, "You're already bald and you're talking about hair, ha!"
Qing Yu couldn't help but touch his nose and chuckle softly.
Lu Ye looked at Jiang Pengju's gleaming head, now free of any obstruction, and found him much more pleasing to the eye.
He stood up, walked closer to Jiang Pengju, grabbed his collar, and his eyes were as cold as blades, "Jiang Pengju, if you want me, your sect leader, to let you go, you'd better recall how you framed General Baili twenty-one years ago. Otherwise, the rest of your life will be spent in extreme agony."
Jiang Pengju looked at Lu Ye's fierce, beast-like gaze and couldn't help but tremble, "I... I know who you are now! You're from the Ye Sheng Sect, and you're the one who cut off my ears!"
"Pre-cisely," Lu Ye said, word by word.
Jiang Pengju deflated like a pricked pig bladder, instantly wilting.
Lu Ye released his collar and said to Qing Yu, "Make sure to keep a close eye on him!"
"Yes, Sect Leader!" Qing Yu said respectfully.
Lu Ye walked out of the secret chamber.