CHAPTER 415: CHAPTER 236: THE ORIGIN_2

Shu Wan got out of the car, and Xiao Lin greeted her with a smile, "Shu Wan, Sister!"

Shu Wan could tell that Xiao Lin had always liked her and Xiao Lin wasn’t crafty at all, so Shu Wan didn’t dislike him.

She nodded at Xiao Lin and then handed him a box, "It’s been a while. This is for you."

Xiao Lin received the gift with surprise, "Thank you, Sister Shu Wan, you’re really nice!"

After saying this, Xiao Lin instinctively turned his head to share the joy with Xiao Yan, "Brother, look what Sister Shu Wan gave me."

After finishing, Xiao Lin looked at Shu Wan’s empty hands and then at Xiao Yan, and explained somewhat awkwardly, "Brother, you’re an adult now, it’s not appropriate for you to receive gifts anymore."

Xiao Yan’s face visibly darkened.

Yet Xiao Lin was clueless and directly sidled up to Shu Wan, "Sister Shu Wan, let’s find a quiet place to talk about that event, shall we? Where do you want to go? Let my brother be our driver today."

"A teahouse will do."

"Sure thing." Xiao Lin looked toward Xiao Yan, "Bro, lead the way."

Lead the way? Xiao Yan really felt like knocking some sense into his foolish brother.

Although Shu Wan said she wasn’t fussy, Xiao Yan had already prepared a very elegant tea room.

The tea room was built against an artificial rockery, and the balcony outside was lush with greenery, where the flowers in the garden still bloomed brilliantly despite it being winter.

Imperial City didn’t have snowfall today, but the tea room side had people making artificial snow.

At this moment, white snow fluttered down, red plum blossoms stood proudly, accompanied by the misty fragrance of tea and the long traces of plum scent, imbued with a profound meaning.

Xiao Yan prepared a cup of tea for Shu Wan, "I don’t know if you like this place."

"It’s quite nice." Shu Wan nodded, "Thank you for the trouble."

"I’ll go fetch you some desserts." Xiao Yan said as he walked out, "Talk business with Xiao Lin."

Xiao Lin had hoped Xiao Yan would spend more time with Shu Wan here, but Xiao Yan walked off.

Xiao Lin was disappointed for a moment, but then stuck to Shu Wan’s side like a lively little dog.

"Sister Shu, that opera you sang during the last school anniversary was really nice. What was it called again?"

"Peony Pavilion."

"Oh, right. I don’t really understand it." Xiao Lin embarrassedly scratched the back of his head, "But it sounded great. There’s this university student exchange conference coming up, right? We were thinking of having you join, and the most popular school gets the chance to go on an international exchange."

Shu Wan had been quite busy recently and didn’t have much time to attend the conference, "I might not have enough time."

"Sister Shu, please agree to it for me, I came here on a mission." Xiao Lin begged Shu Wan, "Really, we need you to participate. This year, Japan is deliberately holding in bad intentions, and it would be really embarrassing if we lose to them."

At the mention of Japan, Shu Wan’s expression changed subtly.

From her high school history books, Shu Wan knew about that barbaric Japan, which once cowered before the Central Plains Dynasty, yet later nearly caused the downfall of China.

Therefore, Shu Wan disliked Japan intensely, and since it was a competition against Japan, she thought that perhaps she could make some time after all.

"Okay," Shu Wan nodded, "contact me when it’s time."

"Yay! Sister Shu, you’re the best!"

Although Xiao Lin was a grade above Shu Wan, in front of her, Xiao Lin willingly assumed the role of a younger brother.

Catching Shu Wan wasn’t easy, so Xiao Lin bombarded her with all sorts of questions.

When Xiao Yan returned to the entrance, Xiao Lin was talking to Shu Wan about the new orange cat in Qian Gate Alley.

"Sister Shu, that cat is super chubby, really cute. Next time, I’ll feed it again and take a picture for you."

Xiao Yan knew Xiao Lin was chatty, who also liked to pester him, but Xiao Yan was busy with work and had little time to accompany him.

Now, seeing Xiao Lin talking to Shu Wan, Xiao Yan’s gaze darkened slightly.

What a pity.

If only Shu Wan could divorce Fu Siyu and be with him, Xiao Lin would definitely be very happy.

"Brother," Xiao Lin suddenly saw Xiao Yan and waved at him eagerly, "Come here quickly."

"You go and play first; I have something to discuss with Shu Wan."

"Ah?" Xiao Lin didn’t really want to leave, but seeing the serious expression on Xiao Yan’s face, he could only nod, "Alright, just remember to call me when you’re done talking."

Then, Xiao Lin left reluctantly, holding a gift in his arms.

Xiao Yan sat down opposite Shu Wan, his peach-blossom eyes seemingly fluttering with a myriad of charms, focusing intently and seriously when he looked at you, dangerous yet enchanting, his gaze so beguiling that not even this elegant tea room could contain it.

However, Shu Wan was not beguiled, her demeanor cool and composed, "Do you have information about the tenant at Number 23 Fenghua Street?"

The store named "Trace" she had visited was one she had instructed someone to investigate afterward, yet she was unable to find any information.

But the investigation did reveal that every shop on that street was owned by the Xiao Family; which was why Shu Wan agreed to Xiao Lin’s request and also asked Xiao Yan to help her find out who had rented that particular store.

Xiao Yan didn’t immediately answer Shu Wan’s question. He leaned back and adjusted his sleeves, his eyes glistening, "Lady Shu, why do you not have the slightest interest in me?"

Xiao Yan was very confident in his appearance; usually, even when he did nothing, there would be hordes of women wanting to throw themselves at him. But with Shu Wan, he felt as if he had been displaying his wares from miles away, and yet, she didn’t react at all.

"Because I’ve never liked people who treat me as a tool to be used."

Shu Wan’s words momentarily stunned Xiao Yan, but he soon laughed, "Lady Shu, you’re making it sound more serious than it is."

"What are the conditions to obtain the information of the tenant? To exchange."

Xiao Yan’s smile spread, "Okay, since you want an exchange, let’s have it. I’ll give you the tenant’s information, and you spend more time managing Xiao Lin."

Shu Wan had thought of many possible conditions, never expecting Xiao Yan would say such a thing.

Her gaze shifted slightly, and through the window, she looked at Xiao Lin building a snowman outside.

Few people in a large clan are purely sunny. If there are any, there must be someone behind them shielding them from all the darkness.

Everyone has many sides, and Xiao Yan, calculative with others, treated his younger brother very well.

"Alright," Shu Wan agreed.

"Here you go."

Xiao Yan handed over a document to Shu Wan. She opened it and her gaze immediately froze for a moment.

Because the tenant’s surname was very unusual: "Zui."

This was a very ancient lineage, closed in on itself and almost never interacting with the outside world, but Shu Wan had some knowledge of them.

In her previous life, Qi Yuan had gathered a number of talented individuals around him. Among them, a famous Divination Master was surnamed "Zui."