After seeing Song Yan walk out, Shen Huaian, who couldn't keep things to himself, quickly stepped beside him. The events of last night still seemed like a dream to him.
"It feels like last night was just a dream. Song Yan, what exactly happened that day?" Shen Huaian frowned slightly as he said this reluctantly.
Song Yan rubbed his temples. He knew that the moment he came out, the other would surely pull him to talk about this. So he just briefly told him the plan finalized with Jing Hong last night.
...
"What?! You mean Jing Hong is the master of the Intelligence Pavilion and the one who tried to kill us was a substitute? What on earth happened during the time I was unconscious? It's so hard to understand!"
As Shen Huaian listened to Song Yan's words, he became even more confused. His head had been a bit groggy since he just woke up, and now, after hearing these words, he felt even dizzier.
"Why are you up so early, Teacher Ye?" Song Yan turned around and saw Ye Zhiqiu pushing the door out. He took a few steps forward and asked.
Seeing the dark circles under the other's eyes, Song Yan felt guilty. Ye Zhiqiu had taken care of him all night without much rest. He originally planned to leave quietly after letting Ye Zhiqiu have a good rest, but unexpectedly, he was out so early.
"I don't need much sleep." Ye Zhiqiu pinched his temples and said calmly.
"I remember that you have classes today, Teacher Ye. It's quite far from here to the private school. How about I rent a carriage to take you there?" Shen Huaian temporarily pulled himself out of the chaotic things just now and stepped in between them.
Ye Zhiqiu was a bit embarrassed upon hearing this. He didn't want to trouble others, but indeed, as Shen Huaian said, if he walked there by himself, he might not arrive until it was dark.
"Teacher Ye, don't be embarrassed. I heard from Song Yan that if it weren't for you last night, we wouldn't have been able to get out." Shen Huaian said with a smile. Ye Zhiqiu thought briefly and felt it was okay, so he nodded.
After getting the answer, Shen Huaian directly walked downstairs to prepare the carriage. Now only Ye Zhiqiu and Song Yan were left in the corridor.
"Thank you... for last night." Song Yan saw that the atmosphere was a bit quiet, so he took the lead to break the silence.
Ye Zhiqiu rubbed his wrists. After hearing this, he just paused for a moment and then said, "It's okay. There was no other way in that situation."
"Um..." Song Yan didn't know how to respond to this. He just let out a grunt, and then the atmosphere fell back into silence.
On the other side, Shen Huaian happily walked downstairs and saw Jing Hong blocking his way.
"Did you sleep well last night, Young Master Shen?" Jing Hong reached out and removed a broken leaf that had somehow gotten on Shen Huaian's collar. Her voice was low, as if filled with infinite tenderness.
This time, Shen Huaian wasn't as easily captivated by her beauty as before. After last night's incident, he had become more vigilant.
This beauty in front of him was like a venomous snake and scorpion, full of dangerous ideas. Getting too involved with her would surely be bad for him.
So he took a step back and said indifferently, "Not bad."
It was obvious to anyone that Shen Huaian was deliberately keeping his distance, but Jing Hong found it interesting. If Shen Huaian took a step back, she would take a step forward.
"Young Master Shen used to tell everyone how beautiful I was. Why are you deliberately keeping your distance from me today? I'm so sad." As she said this, she took out a handkerchief and pretended to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Shen Huaian was flustered upon seeing this. Making a beauty cry had never been his style. He was at a loss for a moment.
"I... I didn't mean that..."
Jing Hong laughed seeing his stuttering look. She took out the handkerchief in her hand and waved it in front of Shen Huaian. There was no trace of tears on it.
It was obvious at a glance that she was just kidding him. Shen Huaian felt that his flustered look must have been very funny to Jing Hong.
He waved his robe and walked past Jing Hong downstairs. Although he didn't show it on his face, Jing Hong still knew that he must be angry.
When Shen Huaian was going downstairs, Jing Hong reached out and grabbed his arm. She winked at him charmingly and said, "Don't be angry, Young Master Shen. I stopped you not to tease you."
"Then why? How did you know that I praised you to everyone?" Shen Huaian blurted out these words almost without thinking, with a strong sense of pettiness in his tone.
Jing Hong had met many people, but for some reason, among all the people she had met, Shen Huaian was the only one who made her think he was extremely cute.
This child - like way of questioning made Jing Hong can't help but curl the corners of her mouth.
"Didn't Chief Song tell you? I'm the master of the Intelligence Pavilion. There's nothing in Yuling that I don't know. And the reason I stopped you..."
Jing Hong deliberately paused at this point. She waved at Shen Huaian, looking mysterious.
Although Shen Huaian thought in his heart that he shouldn't get too involved with Jing Hong, in the end, he was still tempted by her beauty and leaned his face over according to her gesture.
...
"Why should I listen to you?" After hearing Jing Hong's words, Shen Huaian took a few steps back and frowned at her.
Jing Hong didn't mind. She just leaned against the wooden railing, winked at him, and said confidently, "You'll agree."
After saying this, she didn't wait for Shen Huaian's answer and just turned around and left on her own, leaving Shen Huaian standing there frowning as he watched her back getting farther and farther away.
He, Shen Huaian, was a merchant who was very successful in the business world and could see through any scam at a glance. But such a shrewd person had been repeatedly led by the nose by Jing Hong.
This was simply embarrassing for him!
Although he thought so, he still obediently went outside to prepare the carriage. When he got to the door, he found that a carriage was already parked in front of the Qin Tower.
"Are you Young Master Shen? The master has already arranged everything. When shall we set off?" The coachman saw Shen Huaian's figure and walked towards him from afar and said.
Looking at everything that was already prepared, Shen Huaian looked up and saw the person leaning against the window. She was dressed in red like fire, with a smile in her eyes.
Just one glance, and Shen Huaian deliberately shifted his gaze. He turned back to the coachman and said, "Wait for a while. I'll go and call the others down, and then we can set off."
"Sure thing." The coachman replied readily and then walked to the carriage and waited quietly.
Just as Shen Huaian was about to turn back to find Song Yan and the others, when he turned around, he saw Song Yan already standing behind him.
"By coincidence, the carriage is already ready. We can set off now." When Shen Huaian saw Song Yan, he felt a bit guilty. He didn't know if Song Yan had seen his conversation with Jing Hong.
But after he said this, he found that the atmosphere between the two of them was a bit strange. Song Yan looked unhappy, and Ye Zhiqiu didn't look any better.
Had they... quarreled?
Although Shen Huaian was very confused in his heart, he didn't feel it was appropriate to say anything in this situation, so he could only hold back all his questions.
"I'll go back to the department by myself. You take Teacher Ye to the private school." Song Yan didn't even lift his head. He just walked past Shen Huaian in the opposite direction, leaving only this sentence.
Ye Zhiqiu was never a talkative person. He directly lifted the curtain of the carriage and got in. He said to the coachman, "Go to the private school in the south of the city."
"Young Master Shen, do you want to go with us?" The coachman was a bit at a loss and threw the question to Shen Huaian.
Now even Shen Huaian didn't know what had happened between them. They were fine before he left. How could they have such a big fight in just a short while?
He glanced at the coachman and then at the direction where Song Yan left. Finally, he decided to follow his brother. So he waved to the coachman and said, "I won't go. You take Teacher Ye there first."
After saying this, he quickly followed Song Yan's steps. Song Yan walked so fast that Shen Huaian had to trot all the way to catch up with him.
"Hey, Chief Song, you don't look like someone who is injured at all. You're walking as fast as flying. Tell me, what exactly happened between you and Teacher Ye?"