CHAPTER 131: CHAPTER 126 OVERBEARING PRESENCE REVEALED

After sleeping throughout their journey, Bao Shu woke up immediately upon arriving at Feng Shui Alley. Sure enough, she stubbornly refused to return with Lu Yuan, clutching tightly onto Meng Qianqian’s collar with an alarmed look, glaring at Lu Yuan like he was a villainous child trafficker.

Lu Yuan: "Just throw her away already."

Meng Qianqian said, "Grand Commander, let Bao Shu stay with me this afternoon, and I’ll send her back tonight."

Lu Yuan responded coldly, "She is my daughter; she cannot leave me."

As soon as Lu Yuan finished speaking, Bao Shu decisively waved goodbye to him without a hint of attachment!

Lu Yuan’s face darkened.

Meng Qianqian curved her lips slightly and, holding Bao Shu, bid farewell to Lu Yuan before stepping off the carriage.

Qing Shuang had another assignment and did not accompany them to Feng Shui Alley.

Sitting atop the carriage, Yu Zichuan said, "I’ll go protect Miss Bao Shu."

You just want to join in on the drama, don’t you?

Lu Yuan replied coldly, "Return to the Governor Mansion!"

Yu Zichuan’s face fell with resentment.

Inside the house, Tan’er had just finished eating when she heard Bao Shu’s voice.

Excitedly, she darted to the courtyard gate and flung it open, calling out, "Treasure—Piggy—Piggy—"

Bao Shu’s tiny frame shuddered, and she hastily covered her little pocket!

Tan’er lifted Bao Shu into her arms and hugged her tightly, "Treasure Piggy, I missed you so much! Share a piece of candy with me."

Tan’er’s expressions changed so quickly that Bao Shu couldn’t keep up emotionally.

Tan’er snatched one piece of candy from Bao Shu, eating while saying, "Sister, this morning, a weird old lady came over, so noisy that I couldn’t sleep. I chased her away!"

Meng Qianqian asked, "What did she say?"

Tan’er thought seriously, "Something about entering the palace... something about Sister needing to learn etiquette... so annoying!"

Entering the palace... learning etiquette... It seemed Consort Li had sent her. Consort Li was still fixated on her plans. However, since the Empress had not yet completed her wedding ceremony, taking concubines had to wait until after the investiture ceremony.

By then, she herself would have already married Lu Yuan, foiling Consort Li’s scheme.

Tan’er added, "Oh right, someone else came by this morning too."

Meng Qianqian laughed, "So lively today!"

Tan’er nodded repeatedly, "It was from Mrs. Xing’s family. I definitely didn’t fight him! I was very polite!"

Mrs. Xing was the wife of Minister Xing. The last time she took Tan’er to the lake, Mrs. Wang had introduced her to a few noble ladies, including Mrs. Xing.

Mrs. Xing was hosting a small banquet at her residence, inviting familiar ladies for a relaxed gathering, deliberately emphasizing that there was no need to adhere strictly to formality.

Mrs. Wang introduced Mrs. Xing, Mrs. Lin, and Mrs. Zhou to her previously, and now with Mrs. Xing’s invitation, it was an opportunity to meet more women from elite circles in the Capital City.

Networking often expands little by little in this way.

Meng Qianqian closed the invitation card.

Knock, knock, knock.

A knock on the door sounded from outside, followed by Yu Li’s voice saying, "Cousin, may I come in?"

Meng Qianqian replied, "The door’s open. Come on in."

After spending some time together, her cousin’s character hadn’t shown any faults.

Yu Li pushed the door open, glancing apologetically at Meng Qianqian, "Cousin."

Meng Qianqian smiled lightly and said, "Cousin, there’s no need for this. However we interacted before, we’ll continue to interact in the same way moving forward."

Yu Li gazed at her intently, confirming that she wasn’t angry with him because of his aunt’s actions. He sighed in relief, but also felt a bit ashamed. His cousin was magnanimous, yet he had wrongly assumed otherwise—it truly made him embarrassed.

"I... will find another place to stay soon."

"Cousin, are you unwilling to stay here because you think my home is haunted?"

"No, absolutely not!"

Yu Li didn’t believe in such things, and besides, people who had been through tragedy didn’t deserve to be looked at with undue prejudice. He just worried his cousin might not want to see him.

Meng Qianqian said, "Since that’s the case, stay here comfortably. However, regarding my marriage, I hope Cousin won’t tell anyone for now."

If word reached Consort Li’s ears, who knows what havoc she’d stir up.

Yu Li quickly swore, "Don’t worry, Cousin! I haven’t even told Aunt!"

Meng Qianqian smiled.

Yu Li froze, his face flushing shyly, "Cousin, please... don’t tease me."

Meng Qianqian laughed, "Alright, I won’t tease Cousin anymore. Cousin must have another reason for visiting, though?"

Forcing down his shyness, Yu Li said, "Aunt said she’ll take me to a banquet at the Minister of the Ministry of Justice’s house in two days. Cousin, would you like to come along?"

He still hoped to create an opportunity for his cousin and aunt to reconcile.

"Yes."

Meng Qianqian agreed.

She already intended to attend Mrs. Xing’s banquet anyway, so if Yu Li were going, she’d go with him.

"Miss Bao Shu! Miss Bao Shu!"

From the courtyard, Ban Xia’s urgent cries echoed.

Meng Qianqian quickly went out and asked, "Ban Xia, what’s wrong?"

Ban Xia was near tears, "I was playing with Miss Bao Shu in the courtyard just now. She usually hides in boxes for me to find, but this time I can’t find her anywhere!"

Bao Shu loved playing hide-and-seek, so Meng Qianqian had purposely arranged several "hiding spots" in the courtyard.

"What happened?"

Tan’er came running over; she had been chopping wood in the backyard.

Ban Xia sobbed, "Miss Bao Shu... she’s gone missing..."

At the far end of the alley, in a secluded courtyard, a burly, mountain-like man with a beard was hacking away at a huge log with his colossal axe.

As he struck the seventh blow, he suddenly sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching.

He let out a heavy snort, his entire being emanating a menacing aura, akin to a demon from purgatory: "Get out. No one is welcome here."

The presence crept closer and closer.

"You dare defy me? Seems like you want to die—"

The burly man turned around, brandishing his axe and releasing an intimidating roar.

Bao Shu felt a gust of wind blow past her, knocking off her little tiger hat!

She remained seated on the ground, stunned into silence.

The burly man froze as well.

He stared at the small child on the ground, and the small child stared back at him.

Then, the little child puckered her lips and began to cry out loud—

The burly man’s mighty frame trembled violently, causing him to drop his axe in a flustered attempt to catch it again.

"No, no, no crying allowed!"

"Whaa–Whaa–Whaaa–"

"Cry again, and I’ll chop you up!"

"Whaa–Whaa–Whaaaa!"

...

Meng Qianqian’s eyes sharpened, "I think I hear Bao Shu crying!"

Tan’er also held her breath to listen carefully, "I hear it too! It sounds like... it’s coming from the very end! If I remember correctly... isn’t that where the big axe man lives?"

Ban Xia stammered, "Big axe man?"

Tan’er exclaimed fearfully, "A really scary, terrifying man! Sister, listen, the crying has stopped! Bao Piggy... Bao Piggy, oh my poor Bao Piggy—"

Tan’er began wailing dramatically.

Meng Qianqian darted to the courtyard gate, ready to dash out!

Suddenly, an oppressive aura surged forward as the courtyard door was slammed open!

Meng Qianqian grabbed Tan’er, pulling her back quickly.

BANG!

The courtyard door slammed fiercely against the wall.

A hulking man with a beard appeared at the entrance, fierce and intimidating.

His face was blood-red; the giant axe in his left hand was dripping with bright red liquid, while his right hand dangled a child by one arm.

"Bao Shu!"

Meng Qianqian rushed forward.

The burly man shoved Bao Shu into Meng Qianqian’s arms, saying, "Keep an eye on your child. If there’s a next time, I’ll chop you all to pieces!"

After issuing his threat, the burly man, adorned with lipstick smudges from Bao Shu, two oversized patches of rouge, and several crooked little braids on his head, swaggered back to his own courtyard with unyielding pride.