After leaving this remark, Helian Duo got up first. Chi Liyin grabbed several dates from the plate before following suit.
As for Cheng Xiran, she had already dashed downstairs. At the fastest speed, she left the Drunken Immortal Tower without saying goodbye to the others. Pulling Mu Li along, she rushed all the way towards the Cheng Mansion.
Mu Li advised her along the way, "Miss, it's not suitable to run fast right after a meal."
However, her words vanished like the passing wind.
Back at the Cheng Mansion, although out of breath from running, Cheng Xiran finally felt at ease. Leaning against the doorpost outside, she sat down on the long steps in front of the mansion. While gasping for breath, she sighed, "Are all the people in the capital crazy?"
Mu Li had a strong physique, so she didn't look the least bit out of sorts, as if nothing had happened.
She pursed her lips and smiled, "Maybe it's because Miss is the only one who can get close to the prince."
Should she be happy? Or should she be happy? Or should she still be happy?
Even she herself couldn't understand the direction of this situation now.
After returning to the mansion, she went straight to her own courtyard, then to her bedroom, and then to her bed. She ignored everyone and didn't answer any questions, which worried Zhuque a great deal. Fortunately, Mu Li was sensible and just told them the reason to ease their concerns.
"Does this mean that there's really something going on between our miss and the prince?"
When Yun'er asked this question, Cheng Xiran directly covered her head with the quilt.
Although Helian Duo didn't ask her to see him off, she woke up on time the next morning as if on autopilot.
After washing and dressing neatly, she even asked Zhuque to pick out a pink dress for her.
After a hasty breakfast, she went to the prince's mansion alone. She didn't let Mu Li follow because she didn't want others to know that she was going to see Helian Duo, even though the three girls could easily guess.
She thought her tactic of deceiving herself and trying to fool others was extremely clever.
Quietly arriving at the prince's mansion, she could see his exclusive carriage parked outside from afar. It seemed that he hadn't left yet.
Even though she would meet him in two days, Cheng Xiran still felt a sense of reluctance that only she could understand.
Seeing someone coming out from inside, she quickly hid in a corner of the wall to secretly observe. It was Helian Duo and Zuo Yan who came out.
She stared blankly for a while, then averted her eyes and stopped peeping. Leaning against the wall and daydreaming for a while, she was about to go back home when suddenly a figure flashed in front of her. It was Helian Duo.
"What are you hiding here and peeping at?"
His tone was neither cold nor warm, but there was a faint smile on his face.
Cheng Xiran rolled her eyes, folded her arms across her chest, and pretended to be calm. She said righteously, "How do you know I'm peeping? I just happened to pass by. I was thinking about something just now."
Helian Duo imitated her tone and retorted, "If I can't catch someone like you, then our prince's mansion would have already become the territory of those spies."
It seemed that she couldn't hide it anymore.
"I just wanted to check if there were any spies around for you. In fact, there aren't any. You can leave with peace of mind."
She didn't dare to raise her eyes to meet Helian Duo's burning gaze.
"See you in Chuzhou."
Helian Duo said these words firmly, and Cheng Xiran even noticed a flash of tenderness on his face.
She just thought these three words were extremely wonderful in her heart.
Cheng Xiran watched him leave all the way. Only then did she realize that her feelings were too obvious.
With Helian Duo's intelligence, he must have noticed.
"Helian Duo, if you weren't so noble, I would have had the courage to win you over long ago!"
She shouted at the air, then left awkwardly.
After telling her grandmother about Helian Duo's plan, her grandmother agreed and decided to set off early the next morning.
On this day, Cheng Xiran was basically in a daze and had no appetite. Yun'er even thought she was possessed by evil spirits and kept saying that she would go and find a Taoist priest to stick some talismans on her to drive away the evil.
She stayed up all night until early the next morning.
The servants were moving the luggage. Cheng Xiran wasn't sleepy at all. Instead, she was full of energy. She told them several things in succession and specially left Mu Li behind. "Everyone has seen A Li's martial arts. I'm very relieved to have A Li staying in the mansion with you."
Father Cheng led all the relatives in the mansion out to see them off.
There were people coming and going on the long street outside, and there were quite a few curious looks cast in their direction. Father Cheng was good at putting on a show. Seeing that the old lady was still coughing occasionally, he put the cloak he had prepared on her. "Mother, the journey back to your hometown will be bumpy. You must take good care of your health. If you can't bear it, find an inn to rest on the way. Don't push yourself."
The second half of his words were meant for Cheng Xiran.
"Got it. Go back!"
The old lady turned around and got into the carriage. Cheng Xiran followed closely behind.
"Those two annoying people are finally gone." Cheng Zhiyue muttered beside them.
The old lady wasn't feeling well, so Cheng Xiran specifically told the coachman not to drive too fast. They walked, stopped, and rested along the way. It actually took about a day and a half to reach the old mansion in Chuzhou.
Since they had informed someone in advance, everything in the mansion had been cleaned up.
"Good day, old lady. Good day, miss!"
The butler led everyone out to salute them.
"First, help grandmother to the backyard to rest. Then, decoct the medicine according to this prescription. Also, go and cook some congee. Grandmother didn't eat anything this morning. Her body must be weak."
After Cheng Xiran made all the arrangements properly, she took a short rest.
"Miss, about an hour ago, a young master He who claimed to be an old friend of the miss came."
Young master He? There was no one with the surname He among the people she knew.
Just as she was wondering, she heard the servant outside come in to announce, "Miss, that young master He is here again."
"Please invite him in."
Cheng Xiran propped her head up with one hand. Maybe it was because the matter had finally settled down, so as soon as she sat down, the drowsiness came over her. Then she yawned several times.
This young master He was actually Helian Duo. Only his clothes had changed a little. He no longer wore the most high - quality fabrics as usual, and the style wasn't so elaborate. Now he dressed just like an ordinary young master.
But his good - looking appearance remained. Only the hostility in his eyes was deliberately concealed, making him look a bit more amiable.
As soon as Cheng Xiran saw him, she didn't feel tired or sleepy anymore. The corners of her mouth, which had been drooping, slowly turned up.
"Steward Li, serve tea."
After Steward Li left, Cheng Xiran then talked to him, "When did you become young master He?"
"Of course, I can't use my real name outside. From now on, remember well. My name is He Shu. I'm a small official under the Regent. I've been ordered by him to come to Fenzhou to investigate a case. Do you understand?"
Cheng Xiran blinked her pair of smart almond eyes and nodded. Then she pointed at him and then at herself. "Since you have a new name, I must also give myself a new one... I'll be called Chen Xiao."
He Shu and Chen Xiao. These names seemed to match well.
Steward Li served the tea and said, "Miss, the old lady has taken the medicine and gone to rest."
Cheng Xiran nodded and motioned for him to leave.
"According to the informants, no one followed your carriage along the way. You haven't been suspected yet."
Helian Duo picked up the teacup and took a sip.
With him around, it seemed that everything was guaranteed.
Before Cheng Xiran could reply, Helian Duo continued on his own, "In addition, there are quite a few treasures in your Cheng Mansion's old mansion."
Helian Duo seemed to be in a good mood, or he wouldn't have talked so much nonsense here.
The drowsiness came over her again like a tide. Cheng Xiran couldn't hold on any longer. Propping her chin with one hand, she looked sleepy, which made Helian Duo couldn't help laughing. "Either you go to rest. Anyway, we can set off tomorrow."
But Cheng Xiran suddenly got a jolt for no reason. "Ah, no. We can set off tonight!"
Helian Duo gave her a skeptical look.
Cheng Xiran felt that she was just asking for trouble. If she continued like this, she might even confess her love to him, even though she might be rejected.
She didn't remember how long Helian Duo had stayed. Anyway, when she woke up, she was on the bed.
When she asked the maids, they all said they didn't know.
For now, she was really hungry. Since there was still some time before dinner, she took some pastries to fill her stomach. Then she listened to the butler report on the basic situation of the ancestral mansion.
The Cheng family really did have some family properties here. Not to mention the dozens of acres of land rented out for farming, the old lady also had five or six good - location shops under her control, which she had always entrusted to her trusted servants to manage.
Everyone was richer than herself...
Cheng Xiran flipped through the ledger and felt a bit uncomfortable. It wasn't that she envied her grandmother. She also knew that this was what her grandmother deserved. She just felt a bit sad, sad that she didn't have so much money, so she always had to be cautious in everything she did.
After a simple meal, she went to her grandmother's courtyard. It was only then that she found out that Helian Duo hadn't left yet.
The two of them were sitting in the courtyard, drinking tea and chatting.
Dusk was approaching. A thin layer of sunset glow was gently falling, adding a bit of softness to them.
Cheng Xiran was a bit reluctant to break this peaceful atmosphere, but she was interrupted by the maid beside her.
"Old lady, the miss is here."
The old lady and Helian Duo both turned their eyes to look at her in unison. Cheng Xiran felt a bit embarrassed instead.
"Grandmother, when did you wake up?"
Cheng Xiran sat down obediently beside her.
The old lady looked at her lovingly. Since she had had enough rest, the tiredness on her face had faded a lot.
"I've been awake for a while. This young master Shu has also accompanied me to chat for a while."
Young master Shu... This address was really affectionate.
When had the relationship between them become so good?
"All of you leave."
The old lady gave an order, and all the maids left one by one.
Only Nanny Jin stayed to serve.
"After getting away from the hustle and bustle, I find that I feel much more at ease. I even want to stay here for the rest of my life and never go anywhere else."