Chapter 207 - 153: Seeing the Guest Off
"Oh, my aunt has left. In that case, I’ll see you out."
Wen Lan brushed a lock of hair from her forehead, revealing her pure, beautiful face.
By now, Widow Yu had already left to go look after her daughter.
Only Wen Lan and Fang Yue remained.
Wen Lan didn’t leave right away. Instead, she looked at Fang Yue, intending to personally see him off.
Of course, it was also because she had a few things on her mind. She wanted to warn Fang Yue, to make this "country bumpkin" understand his place.
Fang Yue didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked at the young woman before him.
In those days, without technological enhancements, beauty was natural and unadorned—like a lotus rising from clear water. Wen Lan had fair skin, and because she practiced Martial Arts, her figure was shapely, firm, and alluring.
Among all the women Fang Yue had ever seen, she was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful.
"Alright."
Fang Yue nodded. He could also sense that this woman seemed to have something to say to him.
"Let’s go."
With that, Wen Lan turned and led the way.
Fang Yue followed behind her.
The two walked one after another toward the city gate.
It had to be said that with Fang Yue and Wen Lan walking together, they looked like a picturesque couple.
The man was handsome and sharp; the woman was delicate and captivating.
Both were exceptionally good-looking, naturally drawing many gazes as they walked down the street.
Fang Yue was dressed in blue and Wen Lan in pink. She looked so charming and cute that they really did look like a couple.
They walked the whole way in silence, neither one speaking first.
Fang Yue didn’t know what this girl wanted to say, so he naturally didn’t break the silence either.
Just as they were nearing the city gate, Wen Lan finally spoke. "You and my aunt are not a good match. Your cultivation is too low, and your family background is too poor. If you try to force a relationship, it will never work out."
After saying this, Wen Lan stopped walking.
She knew these words would be enough to crush Fang Yue.
Her tone might have been calm, but it was laced with contempt. In her eyes, it was the truth. A mere Martial Scholar with no prospects—how could he possibly be worthy of her aunt?
However, what she hadn’t expected was that after hearing her words, Fang Yue had no reaction at all. He remained calm and composed, completely unaffected.
"Mm, go on," Fang Yue said calmly.
Wen Lan was stunned. She hadn’t expected Fang Yue to be so calm.
But in the next moment, a small smile touched her lips. It was good that he could be so pragmatic; it meant her special trip hadn’t been a complete waste.
After all, she had just lied to her aunt and was sure to get an earful when she got back. She had paid a great price and made a huge sacrifice for this!
"As long as you understand. Alright, you should be on your way. If there’s no reason, don’t come to Shanyang Prefecture City anymore. It’s a big city, and it’s not easy to make a living here!"
Wen Lan gave a pleasant little smile, then turned with a sway of her hips and walked off into the distance.
Her retreating figure was the picture of graceful, enchanting allure.
Fang Yue stood there, watching the young woman’s back, and shook his head.
’Heh. To think I’d get lectured.’
Fang Yue smiled to himself, then turned and walked toward Xiahe County Town, facing the morning sun.
「」
"Hmph. Look at the two of them, acting all friendly."
"Damn it, damn it all!"
Not far from the city gate, the Xue Family’s young master, Xue Bing, watched Fang Yue’s receding figure and couldn’t help but grind his teeth.
He had been out for a stroll in the city today when he unexpectedly spotted Wen Lan. He was just about to go up and greet her.
But before he could, he saw her start talking to a man.
And he even recognized the man—it was none other than Fang Yue, with whom he had a grudge.
He had previously sent men to intercept and kill that bastard, spending several thousand taels of silver in the process, only for it to end in failure. The assassins all died, and his silver went down the drain.
Now, seeing Wen Lan laughing and talking with Fang Yue, the old grudge and new hatred combined were more than he could bear. Rage instantly flared within him, making him wish he could go up and tear the man to shreds.
"You little bastard! How dare you covet my woman? You must have a death wish!"
Xue Bing’s eyes were venomous, his face twisted in a ferocious scowl.
"Young Master, should we arrange for someone to take care of him on the road?" his steward asked in a low voice.
"Hmph. Idiot," Xue Bing snorted. "He passed the Prefecture Examination and is an officially appointed Military Officer of the imperial court. The risk of killing him on the road is too great."
"Then what should we do? Surely we can’t just watch him leave like this?" the steward asked, unwilling to let it go.
Hearing this, Xue Bing’s eyes narrowed, a devious glint flashing within them.
"Don’t worry. I remember his official appointment is in Wenxi County, and his hometown is Xiahe County. As it happens, people from both those places have recently come to me for favors. It’s about time they did some work for me."
Xue Bing gave a cold smile and strode away.
The Wang Family, a powerful local clan in Wenxi County, and the Wei Family from Xiahe County. Both families held considerable power in their respective areas.
Coincidentally, representatives from both families had come to him for help, hoping he would pull some strings to aid in the promotion of their younger generations.
In that case, he would certainly have to use these two families to get things done. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a waste of a good opportunity?
「」
Xiahe County Town, the Fang Family residence.
Snowflakes drifted down at the entrance to the main courtyard. Ms. Chen sat leaning against the gateway, her gaze fixed on the end of the street.
"Mother, hurry inside and eat. The food’s getting cold," Fang Cheng said, arriving at the courtyard gate while rubbing his hands together and breathing puffs of air into the cold.
Fang Cheng was wearing a brand-new padded cotton jacket. With the new year approaching, his wife had just finished sewing it for him.
For the past two years, he had been helping to manage the tea plantation.
Fang Cheng, who had once been a simple and honest farmer, was now looking more and more like a wealthy gentleman from the city.