It had been about half an hour since the ruckus outside started. Maybe because no one responded to them, they finally left.
Cheng Xiran finally got some peace.
"I haven't been to the newspaper office much these two days. Has the prince and Young Master Xue also been away often?"
The shopkeeper still nodded in a state of shock.
Where on earth had these two gone... Suddenly, she thought that her father had also been out of sight for the past two days. She guessed that there must be some follow - up to the matter of the southern disaster relief that Helian Duo had mentioned when he came to their house last time.
Since they were busy with their own affairs, she couldn't lag behind. She spent some money to hire some people to specifically investigate and observe the details of those who had been causing trouble at the newspaper office entrance these days and in the following days. She was determined to find out the mastermind behind all this.
Although she had specially set aside a column in *Anecdotes of the Capital* to clarify her relationship with Xue Lianyu, the number of people coming to the newspaper office to make trouble didn't decrease much.
Two more days passed. She gradually got used to living without Helian Duo, Xue Lianyu, and even the little girl Chu Liyin. It was on the afternoon of this day that there was finally a lead in the matter she had sent people to investigate.
"A new newspaper office opened next to a rice shop on West Street yesterday. Their main newspaper is called *Notes from the Capital*, and it has been selling very well these two days. Moreover, I noticed that some of the people who caused trouble at our newspaper office these days would finally head towards West Street. I guess they sent people here on purpose to suppress us."
Cheng Xiran leaned against the window, looking down at the bustling crowd below through a corner. But her vision seemed to be covered with a thin mist, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see clearly. She subconsciously rubbed her eyes and then noticed Helian Duo standing prominently in the crowd.
He was walking slowly towards this direction.
Many girls on the road cast admiring glances at him, but he ignored them all. He was really cold - hearted towards outsiders. Maybe because she hadn't seen him for a few days, his aloof appearance made her look at him for a long time.
Until he suddenly looked up. His gaze touched the softest part of her heart. Frightened, she quickly closed the window and even pinched her hand in the process.
"Okay, I see. You continue to observe their movements and see what they will do next."
Cheng Xiran blew on her hand. After everyone had left, she quietly opened the window again, but Helian Duo was no longer there.
But suddenly, the scent of sandalwood filled the air.
Before she could react, Helian Duo was already standing behind her. "Were you waiting for me?"
His voice was still as magnetic as ever.
Cheng Xiran just shook her head. "Of course not. I was just lost in thought."
"Thinking about that guy Xue Lianyu?" Helian Duo seemed determined to get to the bottom of it.
Feeling his imposing and intimidating aura, Cheng Xiran got a bit timid. She walked around him and sat on the bench, randomly picking up a book on the table and pretending to read. "Why would I think about Young Master Xue? He's nothing to me."
"Your life seems to have been quite eventful during the days when we were away... Even the fact that you were deeply attached to Xue Lianyu and visited Huayan Pavilion late at night just to meet him was unknown to both him and me."
Although there was no sign of emotion in Helian Duo's eyes, his hand hanging by his side clenched into a fist when he said this. This subtle movement betrayed his true feelings.
Cheng Xiran thought he was angry because she didn't make him the male protagonist in the story in the newspaper and let Xue Lianyu steal all the limelight. So she had no choice but to explain to him what had happened that night.
After Helian Duo heard her explanation, his stern expression finally softened a bit.