The young servant quickly spoke up, "Then what should we do, senior brother? Should we go find her now?"
Jin Renfeng's gaze darkened. After a moment of thought, he said calmly, "There's no hurry. Huaizhu will surely return to the mansion sooner or later. We'll pay her a visit then."
The young servant quickly responded with a nod and refilled Jin Renfeng's wine cup.
Jin Renfeng then lay back on the wicker chair and closed his eyes.
Meanwhile, on Dongfang Huaizhu's side, she was quietly lying on a boat drifting on the lake, gazing at the bright moon in the sky.
"Sister, what's wrong with you? You've been so gloomy lately," Dongfang Qinlan knelt on the boat and leaned towards the head where Dongfang Huaizhu was lying.
Dongfang Huaizhu opened her eyes. "Do you know what the most difficult problem in the world is?"
Dongfang Qinlan shook her head blankly. "I don't know."
Dongfang Huaizhu was silent for a moment before slowly uttering two words, "Love."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Dongfang Qinlan couldn't help laughing. "Sister, I knew you must be troubled by love."
Dongfang Huaizhu also smiled. "You're just a child. What do you know?" As she said this, she affectionately ruffled Dongfang Qinlan's hair.
Dongfang Qinlan was full of mischief. "I not only understand love, but I also know you're troubled by Brother Wangquan Baiye."
Hearing this, Dongfang Huaizhu's face became solemn. She sat up, looked seriously at the little girl in front of her, and asked, "Then tell me, why am I troubled because of him?"
"I don't know about that. Love is such an unpredictable thing," Dongfang Qinlan deliberately evaded the question and turned her head to one side as she spoke.
Hearing this, Dongfang Huaizhu heaved a sigh of relief. She thought Dongfang Qinlan had seen through everything. Although she hadn't guessed it all, she couldn't help but admire Dongfang Qinlan's observation skills, which were truly outstanding among children of the same age.
"Actually, Brother Wangquan Baiye is a really nice person," Dongfang Qinlan said quickly when she saw her sister remained silent.
"Why do you say so?" Dongfang Huaizhu asked with a smile.
"Look, Brother Wangquan Baiye is the eldest son of the Wangquan family. He'll inherit the family business in the future and take charge of the entire Wangquan Clan. And you, sister, are the eldest daughter of the Dongfang Clan. The Dongfang Clan will surely be yours one day. You two are a perfect match," Dongfang Qinlan said with a smile.
Dongfang Huaizhu just smiled. Looking at the innocent Dongfang Qinlan, she said, "Anyway, never fall in love easily."
Wangquan Baiye watched Dongfang Huaizhu's hasty back as she left. His heart was filled with mixed feelings, and he felt a deep sense of melancholy.
"Brother, what are you thinking about? She's already gone far," Li Zizai couldn't bear to see him so dejected and said half - jokingly.
Wangquan Baiye finally snapped out of his thoughts. He turned to look at Li Zizai, adjusted his mood, and said, "Do you think I went too far?"
On the face of the dignified leader of the Masked Group, who was usually serious and emotionless, there now appeared a look of bewilderment.
"Sigh," Li Zizai let out a soft sigh. He thought his leader was excellent in every aspect, but his emotional intelligence was really hard to compliment.
"I think Miss Huaizhu does have feelings for you," Li Zizai tried to console Wangquan Baiye like an elder brother.
Wangquan Baiye looked even more confused. "If she has feelings for me, why did she leave in such a hurry?"
"I think Miss Dongfang was trying to avoid me. How can you say she has feelings for me?" Wangquan Baiye's emotional intelligence was always off - the - mark.
"Miss Dongfang is avoiding you precisely because she has feelings for you," Li Quzhuo looked frustrated.
Wangquan Baiye poured himself a cup of strong liquor and gulped it down.
Silence... There was a dead silence...
Wangquan Baiye didn't say a word. He seemed to be deep in thought or just simply in a daze. Everyone was waiting for him to figure things out.
After a while, Wangquan Zui couldn't bear the silent atmosphere any longer and spoke up, "Brother! Since you like Sister Huaizhu, don't be afraid!"
Her clear voice pulled Wangquan Baiye back from his thoughts. He looked at his younger sister. Her small face was full of anxiety, and her eyes seemed to be speaking in the moonlight.
"Yes, the leader of the Masked Group should not be so timid when facing the woman he loves," Li Zizai also seemed a bit anxious.
"Brother! Hurry up and chase after her!" Li Quzhuo also urged him.
"But if Miss Dongfang wants to avoid me, I should give her some space," Wangquan Baiye, who was usually decisive, was so entangled when it came to feelings.
"No, if you go now, you might be able to resolve Miss Huaizhu's knot in her heart. Avoidance will only make you two drift further apart," Li Quzhuo said. After he finished speaking, the three of them nodded in agreement.
Wangquan Baiye gritted his teeth, took long strides, and chased in the direction where Dongfang Huaizhu had just left.
The three of them finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Wangquan Baiye carefully followed the sound of the water and finally came to a small river. The gurgling water was giving off a chill, dispelling the summer heat.
Although it was dark, with the help of the moonlight, he saw the girl he loved. She was sitting on a big rock, her eyebrows knitted, and her pink lips pouted unconsciously. She seemed to have some worries on her mind. Her delicate side face seemed to be glowing. She wasn't fishing but just letting Dongfang Qinlan splash around in the water trying to spear fish.
Wangquan Baiye secretly blamed himself for his impulsiveness. He cleared his throat and walked towards them. "Are you troubled by something?"
After a moment, Dongfang Huaizhu came to her senses. She quickly stood up from the rock, suppressing the surprise on her face and hiding it in her heart. She told herself to stay calm.
"Why did you come here, sir? We'll go back soon after we finish fishing," the girl's face was still flushed as she tried to act calm.
"I was just worried. I thought you might not know how to fish, so I came to help you," Wangquan Baiye stepped closer.
Dongfang Huaizhu nodded, forcing herself not to think about the moment when he kissed her, and didn't say a word.
For a moment, the two of them were silent, and the atmosphere was frozen.
"Wow! Is Brother Wangquan Baiye here to help us fish?" Dongfang Qinlan ran out of the river.
Wangquan Baiye smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.
Dongfang Qinlan noticed something was amiss when she saw that neither of them was talking. Looking at her sister's embarrassed look, she understood everything.
"Sister, go with him into the woods to find a branch for spearing fish. I'll practice spearing fish by myself," she said and ran into the river to spear fish without giving them a chance to object.
The two of them had no choice but to walk into the woods to look for a suitable branch. Wangquan Baiye was secretly happy but showed no sign of it on his face. He seemed to be back to being the calm and wise leader of the Masked Group.
"Do you think this tree is okay?" Wangquan Baiye walked to a tree with dense branches.
Dongfang Huaizhu looked up and saw only the lush leaves and the thick trunk. She nodded. "It's up to you, sir."