Chapter 106 – Flower Thief (Part Six)
“What are you going to Mr. Wei Yuan’s residence for?” Feng Jin asked, puzzled.
Jiang Pengji countered with a question, “Hui Yu, do you know about Cangzhou Meng County?”
Compared to Liu Lanting’s rather isolated learning environment, Feng Jin’s education was more open.
“Cangzhou Meng County? I have some knowledge, but what does that have to do with what you mentioned earlier?”
Feng Jin was practically bursting with questions.
“Have you heard any scandals about the women from noble families in Cangzhou Meng County, like how some of them were insulted but the culprits were never found?” Jiang Pengji dropped a bombshell, turning Feng Jin’s face into a palette of colors.
“Nonsense! A gentleman wouldn’t be interested in such gossip!” He scolded lightly, looking quite embarrassed. “Moreover, if this gets out, do you want to be criticized and attacked? Noble ladies are pure and elegant; even if something happens, it wouldn’t spread so easily!”
He had wanted to say it couldn’t happen, but remembering the near misses of a noble girl from Hejian, he had to bite his tongue.
“What you say makes sense…”
Jiang Pengji paused for a moment before quickly returning to normal.
If something like that were to happen, given today’s societal atmosphere, the likelihood of concealment was far greater than that of revelation.
“Do you know something? Is it related to that man from earlier?” Feng Jin hurriedly took a couple of steps, standing alongside Jiang Pengji. The thought of her wanting to go to Wei Yuan’s residence sent shivers down his spine, “Are you still keeping secrets at a time like this?”
Feng Jin’s curiosity was palpable, and the audience in the livestream was buzzing, excitedly declaring that this young man had potential for asking all the right questions.
Some seasoned viewers, who had been following the stream for a long time, knew about Jiang Pengji’s analytical abilities, convinced she had discovered some clues. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for her to suddenly target a stranger, but since she wouldn’t explain, everyone was left scratching their heads in confusion.
【Fat Sea】: The man forcefully given a “takeout” by the streamer, the bamboo scroll with unknown content, the gossip about noble girls in Cangzhou Meng County being humiliated, and the streamer’s mentor, Wei Yuan… connecting these clues gives off a chilling feeling.
【Patrick Star】: Now that you mention it, I seem to have thought of something too… Could it be that the streamer’s mentor has a duplicitous nature?
【Coward】: Pfft, what kind of analysis is that! Let’s not get too carried away, shall we? The chance of Wei Yuan being the victim is even higher than your wild guess. Wasn’t it said he took a long sick leave? This might be related!
In the livestream, a guessing game unfolded, with wild speculations based on the clues the streamer had revealed.
As for which guesses were plausible and which were ridiculous, Jiang Pengji didn’t give any answers.
Wei Yuan was known for being serious and stubborn. He was strict with his students and never lowered his standards based on age.
Liu Lanting didn’t like going to the clan school, nor did he enjoy staying home to study, a lot of which came from his experiences with Wei Yuan.
From Liu Lanting’s memories, that girl held great respect for their mentor, but his strict demeanor made him hard to approach, often leading to punishments like writing out lines, causing the naturally sensitive Liu Lanting to become increasingly shy and reserved, keeping everything bottled up inside.
Wei Yuan had taken three days off from the Liu Residence under the pretense of being ill, only to claim that his condition worsened and needed to extend his leave.
With Ta Xue’s reminder, she had sent a few simple gifts to Wei Yuan’s residence, but never once did she personally show up.
“It’s rare to visit the teacher’s residence, yet we’re taking the back route…”
Wei Yuan’s residence was quite some distance from Langlang Lane, and it took Jiang Pengji and her companion a long time to arrive. By then, it was nearly midnight.
The sky was completely dark, the surroundings silent, with only the occasional sound of barking dogs.
“If you want to visit, you could come during the day…” Feng Jin saw Jiang Pengji getting ready to roll up her wide sleeves and climb over the wall. His expression twisted, but he didn’t dare speak too loudly, only managing to suppress his voice, “If we get caught…”
Mr. Wei Yuan’s strictness was well-known. If a student attempted to climb over his wall in the dead of night, it would be fine if it were the front yard, but if they accidentally landed in the backyard, it would be like stepping in sticky mud—definitely not a pleasant fate.
Liu Lanting wasn’t afraid of anything; he still wanted to maintain his reputation.
“Bad friends ruin lives!”
Jiang Pengji paused at the corner of the wall and smiled at him, “What are you afraid of? Here, I’ll give you a boost—go on ahead!”
Feng Jin: “…”
The two stared at each other for a moment, and Feng Jin took a deep breath.
“I don’t believe you have such good intentions. What kind of trap are you trying to set for me?”
Feng Jin gritted his teeth, now sounding like a boy of about ten rather than the mature noble son he usually portrayed.
Jiang Pengji smiled, “You’ll know once you go over!”
Feng Jin looked her up and down suspiciously, feeling increasingly uneasy.
“Why don’t you go over first?”
He sensed some trickery afoot.
Jiang Pengji teased, “You go first; I’ll follow right after. If I go first, can you follow me?”
There’s no need for a weakling to pretend to be a heroic figure in front of her.
Feng Jin: “…”
Having such an unreliable partner was exhausting.
Reasonably speaking, with Feng Jin’s upbringing, he shouldn’t be following Jiang Pengji into trouble like this.
But he was just a boy of about ten, maintaining a serious image before others while needing a moment to breathe behind closed doors.
Not to mention, he really admired Jiang Pengji and desperately wanted to know what trick she had up her sleeve, pulling him along into her scheme seemingly by fate.
Gritting his teeth, Feng Jin nodded, confusedly agreeing, leaving behind a piece of history that even history books couldn’t erase.
Wei Yuan’s family was quite ordinary, and his residence was simple, with the courtyard wall not too high.
As Jiang Pengji settled her stance, she crossed her arms and motioned for Feng Jin to step on her.
Compared to her decisive nature, Feng Jin seemed a bit hesitant. Despite his friend’s carefree approach, he often forgot about her true gender. But no matter how forgetful, he couldn’t ignore the difference between them.
“Why are you so eager?”
Feng Jin mumbled, cautiously gripping the uneven wall, his wooden clogs already off, now on his socked feet, he stepped onto Jiang Pengji’s crossed arms, thinking they would tangle up in a catastrophic fall, but surprisingly, he felt steady underfoot.
He swore he’d never been so reckless and rude in his life, using all his strength to precariously cling to the wall.
“Alright, I’m up. Now it’s your turn, right?”
Peeking over the wall, Feng Jin looked down, feeling a bit dizzy from the height.
“Pfft—”
Below the wall, Jiang Pengji burst into laughter, her sound echoing notably in the quiet night. Feng Jin felt a lurch in his heart.
“Huai Yu, why don’t you take a look over the wall? Is there a crowd waiting for us?”
Feng Jin: “…”
A dreadful premonition flashed through his mind as he hesitantly turned his head and stretched his neck over the wall.
Inside and outside the wall, they exchanged glances.
“Liu Xi!”
Fuming with rage.
If his comrade was going down, then he’d go down too!
The livestream exploded with laughter, flooding the chat with a wave of “hahaha.”
