Chapter 426 - 202: The Person in the Well
Chapter 426: Chapter 202: The Person in the Well
The estate was indeed massive. After passing a spirit screen and weaving through a series of interconnected doorways, they wound past rockeries and pavilions, terraces and waterside gazebos, before finally arriving at a courtyard.
"You two will rest here tonight. The master will host a banquet for you later. We hope you esteemed heroes will grace us with your presence."
He didn’t enter, instead ordering the maids and servants who were tidying up inside to come out, so as not to disturb the honored guests.
Then he added, speaking to Fang Shuwen,
"If you require anything, please don’t hesitate to summon a servant."
Fang Shuwen nodded.
"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle Zhong."
"Not at all, not at all."
Chen Zhong excused himself and took his leave.
Fang Shuwen and the others entered the courtyard.
The courtyard was quite spacious, with a main house at the far end and a wing to the right.
To the left was a small garden with flowers and trees, and beneath a tree stood a water well. Raindrops fell on the treetops and the mouth of the well, making a SPLASHING sound.
Fang Shuwen gave the yard a quick scan before dismissing it from his mind. After shutting the courtyard gate, he settled Fang Dabao in the wing to the right, then led Miao Feichan into the main house.
This was something of a habit for Fang Shuwen. The people he protected were usually in some kind of trouble, so when staying at an inn, he would get two adjacent rooms if possible. That way, if anything happened, he could be there in an instant.
If not, they would share a single room.
Here in this courtyard, the main house was several paces from the wing. It was only natural to have Miao Feichan stay with him; it made protecting her much easier.
Fang Shuwen’s greatest asset was the Guard System.
That was why he treated every mission with the utmost seriousness and care.
His future achievements depended on it.
As for Miao Feichan, she had no issue with this kind of close protection.
After all, Fang Shuwen didn’t sleep at night, always using meditation in place of rest.
At the slightest disturbance, he would be instantly alert.
There was none of the usual awkwardness of "you take the bed, I’ll take the chair" or sleeping on the same bed.
After entering the room, the two said nothing. Instead, they each sat cross-legged and circulated their internal energy to dry their clothes.
They had just finished drying their clothes when they heard a maid calling from the door. She announced that hot water had been prepared for them to bathe and change.
’As a simple, unrefined man, Fang Shuwen didn’t particularly care.’
He glanced at Miao Feichan and saw that while she was tempted, she didn’t say anything, merely looked at him. He nodded and had the maids bring the water in.
More than one maid arrived; they carried several buckets of hot water. They entered in a line and poured the water into a bathing tub behind a folding screen.
Once they had adjusted the water to a suitable temperature, the maids excused themselves and departed.
Miao Feichan glanced at Fang Shuwen, who then stood up.
"You can bathe here. I’ll wait outside."
"Don’t bother. You can stay."
Miao Feichan waved her hand, gesturing for him to sit back down.
"It’s still raining out there. Besides, the screen is in the way, so it’s not like you can see anything.
"Or... were you planning to go out just so you could sneak a peek?"
Fang Shuwen shot her a look.
"Don’t pick up Yu Yaoguang’s bad habits. I’m a hot-blooded young man, you know. If you keep teasing me like this, I wonder who will be the one at a disadvantage in the end."
Miao Feichan had only meant it as a casual tease.
She never expected that not only would Fang Shuwen be unfazed, he would turn the tables and make her blush crimson.
After shooting him a reproachful glare, she finally rose and walked behind the screen.
’Still, she couldn’t help but ponder his words. Does Yu Yaoguang like to tease him, too?’
She undid her silk robes, removing them piece by piece and draping them over the screen.
She looked at the screen and couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile.
’This screen could deter a gentleman, but not a scoundrel.’
’Fang Shuwen considers himself a true gentleman, so of course he wouldn’t do anything... But in truth, if he really wanted to, who could stop him, even if he left and came back?’
’The door couldn’t stop him, let alone this screen.’
He sat down at the table, picked up the teapot, and poured himself a cup of tea.
The tea had been freshly brewed just before their arrival.
Its aroma was rich, and the temperature was perfect.
He inspected it for a moment, and once he was sure it was safe, he began to sip it slowly.
In his mind, he replayed the events of their arrival, from reaching the village to knocking on the gate to ask for lodging.
Just then, he heard Miao Feichan speak.
"Do you think there’s something wrong with them?"
"Yes."
Fang Shuwen said quietly.
"But I’m not sure if I’m just being overly suspicious."
"Want to talk about it?"
"It’s nothing concrete. I just feel like their reactions were a bit over the top."
"Hmm..."
Miao Feichan considered this for a moment.
"So, what’s your plan?"
"Let’s wait and see for now."
Fang Shuwen stretched and said,
"It’s best not to jump to conclusions about things we’re not sure of. We’re attending the banquet later anyway. We can observe Landlord Chen then and decide.
"What’s real can’t be faked, and what’s fake can’t be made real."
"I thought you’d grab someone for questioning, or just attack them outright."
"...It’s not that I’m worried about anything else. I’m just afraid that if I act rashly before I figure out who they really are, I might harm an innocent."
Fang Shuwen sighed.
"A person’s life is at stake. This is no child’s play."
"I’d love for those people in the Northern Domain to hear you say that. I imagine their expressions would be priceless."
Miao Feichan, soaking in the tub, sounded perfectly content, her voice tinged with a lazy drawl.
Fang Shuwen deliberately ignored the splashing from the tub and the faint silhouette on the screen, turning his head away.
"You’d better hurry up. We don’t want to be late."
"I know, I know. Just for another quarter of an hour..."
’The corner of Fang Shuwen’s mouth twitched. She’s really making herself at home, isn’t she?’