Su Mingyu squinted her eyes. "Then I'll have to trouble you."
After thanking the maid, Su Mingyu closed the door. After making sure no one was eavesdropping, she frowned and said, "This prefect doesn't seem to be a good person."
Gu Ruobai nodded. "If Concubine Chen is really his biological daughter, the place she lives in is too shabby."
Su Mingyu looked around and lowered her eyes. "Judging from the people in this mansion, they seem reluctant to mention Concubine Chen."
Not to mention anything else. Concubine Chen had brought so many benefits to Yan Liping. She not only helped him get promoted and make a fortune but also brought him so much glory. However, Yan Liping didn't seem to be very proud of her.
If a girl of Concubine Chen's status had come from an ordinary family, the family would have publicized it to everyone.
But this prefect was so greedy, yet he was so secretive about Concubine Chen's affairs, as if he didn't want to emphasize her existence in front of everyone.
That night, when Yan Liping returned to the mansion, he held a welcoming banquet for Su Mingyu and Gu Ruobai.
"Miss Si Nan runs a clothing store in the capital, right? What's its name?"
Yan Liping asked while drinking.
Su Mingyu didn't hesitate. "It's called Si Nan Pavilion."
"Ah, I know it." Yan Guan immediately nodded. "The clothes in that store are so nice. The concubines in the mansion all like the clothes from Si Nan Pavilion. Every time I go out, they ask me to bring some back for them."
Su Mingyu didn't expect her store to be so well - known that it was even known in this town.
Su Mingyu politely toasted Yan Guan. "Thank you, Young Master Yan, for favoring our store."
"Then how much land does Miss Si Nan need?" Yan Liping asked with a smile, looking at Su Mingyu.
Su Mingyu thought for a while. "It should be able to accommodate about a hundred people, so a large piece of land is needed."
Then, Su Mingyu looked at Yan Liping and squinted her eyes. "The area we need is large. I wonder if Prefect Yan can give us a lower price."
Seeing the way Su Mingyu spoke, Yan Liping knew she was an experienced person.
"Of course." Yan Liping waved his hand. "These are all negotiable. But there's one thing. Don't blame me for not warning you."
Seeing Yan Liping looking so mysterious, Su Mingyu became interested. "What is it? Prefect Yan can just say it."
"I'm going to be promoted." Yan Liping grinned. "If you can finalize the land deal before I leave, I can give you the lowest price. But if I'm transferred and someone else takes over, the price might change."
Hearing this, Su Mingyu's eyes lit up. "Prefect Yan is going to be promoted? So the rumors in the town are true? Prefect Yan has a daughter who is very favored in the palace, so he's going to be an official in the capital."
"Miss Si Nan is really from the capital. Your information is so accurate." Yan Liping squinted his eyes. "To be honest with you, it's true."
"If I remember correctly, it's Concubine Chen, right?" Su Mingyu squinted at him.
Yan Liping was stunned for a moment, then gave a perfunctory laugh. "Miss Si Nan has a really good memory."
"Prefect Yan is really blessed!" Su Mingyu quickly stepped forward to pour a glass of wine for Yan Liping. "I wonder what Concubine Chen looks like. I wonder if Prefect Yan has any old portraits of Concubine Chen for me to have a look at?"
After hearing Su Mingyu's words, Yan Liping's face obviously became much uglier.
He was stunned for a while, and only said after a long time, "No. It's not appropriate to keep a girl's portrait casually."
Su Mingyu nodded. "That's true."
As she said this, Su Mingyu glanced back at Gu Ruobai. There was doubt in both of their eyes.
Finally, they returned to their room from the welcoming banquet. Su Mingyu let out a long sigh. "This Yan Liping really doesn't want to mention Concubine Chen. I don't think we can get much information from him."
Gu Ruobai poured a cup of hot tea for Su Mingyu. "You drank quite a lot tonight. Don't drink like this next time."
Su Mingyu took the tea and took a sip. "I can hold my liquor. That's me."
Gu Ruobai tapped her on the head. "You're so boastful."
Su Mingyu casually placed his slightly cool hand on her head. "Has Mu Yi contacted you?"
"Yes." Gu Ruobai gently pinched Su Mingyu's eyebrows. "This kind of thing should have been done by me. I made you drink so much."
Su Mingyu closed her eyes. "Even if you went, that old fox Yan Liping might not have said much."
As they were talking, there was a noise at the door. Before Su Mingyu could react, Gu Ruobai snorted. "Come in."
The candlelight flickered, and Mu Yi appeared in front of them like a ghost.
"Greetings to my master and Miss Su."
Su Mingyu raised her eyes. "Mu Yi, have you found out anything?"
Mu Yi was stunned for a moment when he saw Su Mingyu leaning on Gu Ruobai's shoulder. After a long while, he said, "Reply to Miss Su. I've asked around. The residents here only know that there's a young lady in Yan Liping's mansion, but no one has ever seen what she looks like."
Su Mingyu nodded. "And then?"
"One thing is very strange. There's not a single servant in Yan Liping's family who has worked for more than twenty years."
Gu Ruobai frowned. "You mean something happened to the Yan family twenty years ago, and Yan Liping replaced all his servants?"
Mu Yi replied, "Because it was a long time ago, I've investigated for many days, but I still haven't found out what exactly happened."
Su Mingyu lowered her eyes. "We understand. You can go down first and continue to investigate the matter twenty years ago. We'll keep in touch at any time."
After seeing Mu Yi off, Su Mingyu frowned again.
It seemed that the Yan Mansion was not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Su Mingyu rubbed her eyebrows. Just as she lay down on the bed, she suddenly sat up straight.
"Yan Liping only prepared one room for us. Where are you going to sleep tonight?"
She only thought of this question when it was time to go to bed. Gu Ruobai couldn't help squinting at Su Mingyu's expression. "You've already told Yan Liping that we're a couple. Wouldn't it be strange if he prepared two rooms?"
Su Mingyu blinked. "Then... where will you sleep?"
Gu Ruobai came to the bedside and looked down at Su Mingyu. A playful look flashed in his dark eyes. "Where do you think I should sleep?"
Su Mingyu's mind was racing. Was she being flirted with by Gu Ruobai?
Looking into Gu Ruobai's deep eyes, Su Mingyu had an idea. She reached out and hooked Gu Ruobai's neck, then curled her lips at him and whispered in a kitten - like voice, "Then sleep in the bed."