Chapter 631: Chapter 630 Wufu is about to be taken away

Wen Congrui had never expected that, no matter the topic he broached, the lady before him could always keep up, and her views often seemed innovative. Yet the logic behind them provoked deeper contemplation.

What made him feel most at ease was that, regardless of the topic, everything was relaxed.

There was no shyness, no embarrassment, and no so-called strict separation of the sexes, making their conversation very comfortable.

Wen Congrui’s smile was abundant, his eyes still carrying a hint of mirth even when leaving Wufu’s home.

“Lord, you seem very happy today,” Nan Shan commented frankly.

Wen Congrui was taken aback, saying, “Have I ever been unhappy?”

“The lord’s thoughts are usually heavier, but not today. Today, there is only relaxation, and your smiles are more frequent,” Nan Shan said.

Wen Congrui’s smile slightly faded as he said, “It turns out, among the myriad women in this world, everyone is different, and there truly is that one person with whom one finds agreement.”

Nan Shan glanced at him but dared not guess his thoughts.

Wen Congrui took a sip of tea and instructed, “There’s a friend named Ah Jiu around Wufu. Go check out that person’s background.”

Nan Shan hesitated slightly, “What does the lord mean?”

“I have a bad feeling, although I hope I’m overthinking it,” Wen Congrui said calmly.

“I will obey,” Nan Shan acknowledged.

…

Ah Jiu was practicing calligraphy when Xiao Li burst in with a loud exclamation.

“Lord, it’s terrible!”

Yuan Ye sternly rebuked, “How insolent, Xiao Li! Who are you cursing?”

Ah Jiu didn’t even lift his head, just applied a bit more force to his wrist.

“Ow, I’m not cursing the lord. It’s our Miss Wufu—she’s about to be taken away!” Xiao Li said anxiously.

Ah Jiu’s hand shook, causing the stroke of a character to go askew, ruining the entire piece of calligraphy. He frowned, threw the goat hair brush into the carved jade brush washer, and the ink spread in the water in light and dark ripples, smoky and misty, like ink paintings within the water.

Yuan Ye glared at Xiao Li, handed Ah Jiu a warm handkerchief to wipe his hands, and then collected the spoiled calligraphy.

Xiao Li, sheepishly, said, “I’m not making this up— I saw it with my own eyes.”

Ah Jiu took a sip from his tea, which was cold and a bit astringent. He wrinkled his brow, put the cup down, and looked toward Xiao Li, “What happened?”

What was taken away?

“Lord, guess what I saw when I went to deliver cherries to the lady?” Xiao Li said.

Ah Jiu’s expression darkened.

“Why are you speaking in hesitations? Spit it out,” Yuan Ye said with a fleeting glance, chastising him again.

Xiao Li grimaced and said, “When I got to the lady’s house, I thought I’d bow to her and say a few good words about you. But as Jadeite took me to the garden, she was meeting with guests, and it was Wen Lao Si they were meeting with. They were standing so close, smiling and looking at each other—such loud laughter, you can’t imagine how delightful they appeared!”

As he spoke, he watched for any change in Ah Jiu’s expression, “That’s why I’m saying the lady might be taken away.”

Ah Jiu said nothing, but his eyes carried unspoken coldness.

Yuan Ye then said, “Nonsense. Lord Wen simply exchanged a few words with the lady, and you’ve turned him into a bandit!”

“What do you know?” Xiao Li disagreed, snorting through his nose, “That Wen Lao Si is a Low-ranking Official, right? What business does a government official of his standing have at the home of a widow and her daughter? Their acquaintanceship is limited to the lady taking care of some minor business for the shop, so does it merit his painstaking efforts to ingratiate himself? Whom he’s actually pursuing is as clear as Sima Zhao’s intentions, obvious to everyone.”

Yuan Ye was momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing Yuan Ye silenced, Xiao Li said with satisfaction, “In my opinion, Wen Lao Si is trying to compete with our lord for the lady!”