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墨書 Inktalez
The midday sun shone brightly into the alley of Baihua Street, its scorching rays seeming to melt everything in sight.
At the end of the alley, a familiar figure knelt in a small courtyard. She was the same woman who had once adorned herself with heavy makeup at Qi Xiang tower. Now, without any cosmetics, her face was bare and serene, dressed in a simple pale yellow dress. Her long hair was casually styled in a double bun, tied with ribbons of the same color, exuding a tranquil beauty that came from shedding all extravagance.
She knelt quietly, her eyes revealing a hint of loneliness and helplessness.
In the diagonal direction of the courtyard stood a house where Feng Qingyuan lay flat on the roof, squinting slightly as he vigilantly observed the movements below. He occasionally raised his hand to wipe away beads of sweat from his forehead, uncertain whether it was due to tension or the heat.
The man who had been standing inside finally stepped out with his hands clasped behind his back. A vague expression played on his face, difficult to decipher.
At that moment, a small sedan chair draped in green fabric slowly approached the previously empty alley.
"Che Xi, you have truly disappointed me!" The man shook his head and sighed softly, disappointment flashing in his eyes as he opened the door and stepped into the chair.
The expressions of the bearers were somewhat strange; they carried the chair with blank faces but moved hurriedly, as if concealing something.
Though they had four distinctly different middle-aged faces, each bore an empty gaze and a wooden demeanor.
Upon seeing the man enter the chair, they moved like puppets, mechanically lifting it and stiffly turning to head toward the mouth of the alley.
Meanwhile, Che Xi remained kneeling in the courtyard, seemingly indifferent to rising. She continued to sit there in a daze on the bluestone slabs, her slender figure casting a lonely shadow under the sun.
Feng Qingyuan watched as the sedan chair gradually receded from view. After much internal conflict, he finally gritted his teeth and leaped down from the roof like a swift leopard, landing softly and steadily in the courtyard.
He frowned slightly, a hint of helplessness in his tone as he said, "Everyone else has left; what’s the point of you kneeling here?"
Hearing the voice, Che Xi turned in shock to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion. "How do you know I’m here? Are you following me…?"
"You overestimate my lightness skill. It’s manageable for ordinary people, but if it’s him, I really have no confidence!"
Feng Qingyuan raised the corners of his mouth in a self-deprecating smile, a trace of bitter amusement on his face. "After lounging on the rooftop for so long, aren’t you going to invite me in for a cup of tea?"
"As long as you’re not afraid I might poison it!" Che Xi's lips curved slightly as she managed a faint smile and slowly got up from the ground.
Having knelt for too long, her knees and calves felt numb. As she straightened up, her legs wobbled beneath her, and her body swayed uncontrollably.
Noticing this, Feng Qingyuan quickly reached out to steady her.
Che Xi seemed surprised that he, usually so serious and stern, would show such concern for her. She tilted her head slightly, gazing at him with a hint of curiosity and deeper meaning in her eyes.
Feng Qingyuan felt uneasy under her probing gaze. He cleared his throat and, once he confirmed she was steady on her feet, quickly withdrew his hand. They entered the house one after the other.
Che Xi walked to the table, poured him a cup of tea with an expression that seemed casual. She asked nonchalantly, "Aren't you going to tell me how Ru Lin found this place?"
"If I said that from the day you left the county office, every move you made has been under our watch, would you believe me?" Feng Qingyuan gently blew on the tea before taking a small sip once the steam had subsided.
"No wonder my adoptive father likes you so much!" Che Xi covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled softly. "You’re even smarter than he imagined."
Feng Qingyuan was taken aback by the words, “Adoptive father?”
“Yes, the one you refer to as Lord The Shape-Shifting Silver Wolf!” Che Xi said as she slowly rose to her feet, gracefully walking to the window and gently pushing it open. “Since Constable Feng has seen him, yet chose to wait until he left before making an appearance, it seems you have something you wish to discuss with me privately?”
“I came to ask Ms. Che Xi where Lord Lin is now,” Feng Qingyuan replied, his expression serious as he fixed his gaze on Che Xi.
“Lord Lin?” Che Xi smiled slightly, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “Didn’t you just see him leave? If you want to find him, with your speed, you could still catch up!”
“I’m asking about the real Lord Lin!”
Feng Qingyuan frowned slightly in impatience, a trace of urgency evident in his eyes. “The one currently in the county office isn’t the real one! Ever since Qi Shian showed concern for Jing Xia’s grocery shopping, I’ve had my doubts. Although he can disguise himself to look like the lord and mimic his voice, his personal preferences will reveal many flaws!”
“Even if your suspicions are true, why do you think I would help you?”
As she spoke, Che Xi suddenly flashed a captivating smile and gracefully hooked her arm around Feng Qingyuan’s. “What makes you think I would help someone who took me in once, gave me hope, only to abandon me immediately and leave me in this state?”
At that moment, she pronounced his name slowly and deliberately, “Brother Feng.”
Upon hearing this, Feng Qingyuan felt as if he had been struck by a heavy blow. It dawned on him why he had always felt an uncanny familiarity whenever he saw Che Xi. “You… you are that Hong Dou?”
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