Chapter 323: The Right Man (1/2)

Meanwhile, in the servants' dormitory, Nan Xun was with a few other servants he'd gotten to know the past few days. The men talked about which of the young mistresses was the most beautiful. Most of them were young men, but they got as obscene as the most lecherous sc.u.ms. If any women were present, they'd have died from mortification.

A young man with mouse like features nudged Nan Xun with his elbow, his smile salacious. “Brother, I hear that the lady you're serving now is the prettiest, but I haven't confirmed the rumors myself. Tell us, is she as beautiful as she's said to be?”

Nan Xun frowned. He didn't like listening to others fantasizing about Jun Huang. Someone as graceful as her shouldn't be tarnished by such carnal and vulgar remarks.

An older servant spoke up before Nan Xun could make his anger known. He grinned, showing his yellowed teeth, and said, “Oh, another toad salivating after a swan! You never even have a chance to get close to any young mistresses. Very few are allowed the privilege of seeing the G.o.ddess like ladies of the manor!”

His bellowing laughter rang in the room.

Nan Xun took a deep breath to suppress his anger and put on a stilted smile. “You keep going. I'm going to get some fresh air.”

He turned to leave. The men continued to make improper comments. Nan Xun wouldn't be able to stop himself from beating them all up if he stayed. He walked away and went to have a look at the back building.

He put aside the infuriating conversation and snuck away with the night as his cover. He looked at his servant uniform. After a brief pause, he made a detour to the kitchen to get some wine and made his way to the entrance to the back building.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” The guard watching the door stopped him, his brows furrowed in alert.

Nan Xun presented him with the wine. “The housekeeper asked me to deliver you and the others this as rewards for your hard work.”

The guard's eyes lit up in excitement as he took the wine from Nan Xun. Clearly it'd been a while since the last time he had a drink.

Nan Xun doubled over and let out a fake pained cry. “Ow, my stomach hurts. Is there a toilet around?”

The guard's attention was on the fine wine. He pointed at the back. “Just turn east once you get inside. Don't take too long.”

He joined the other guards and started drinking.

Nan Xun made an a.s.senting noise and rushed inside. He'd found out beforehand that the only toilet in the area was in the building. That was why the guard let him through.

He turned east and disappeared into the shadow. He quickly surveyed the interior. The building was empty and eerily quiet.

He didn't stay long in case something went wrong. He rushed out and greeted the guard watching the door before making his way back to the dorm.

The yellowed-teeth man glanced at him, scratching his head. “Where did you go?”

“Nature's call,” he said. Noting that the old man seemed to have come out from the toilet, he added, “But the toilet was occupied, so I went to another one.”

The old man nodded and walked inside with Nan Xun. They had a brief chat before going to bed.

At midnight, Nan Xun woke up in the dark. The thunderous snores made it impossible to sleep. Nan Xun put on his clothes and snuck outside.

The night was silent save for the faint chirps of insects. Every once in a while there would be patrols. Nan Xun quickly made his way to Jun Huang's residence. As per their agreement in the morning, Jun Huang had left her window open.

When he entered her room, she was wide awake with Yin Yun standing by her side. They seemed to be waiting for him. He got to the point and explained what he'd found.

For a moment, no one talked. Finally, Jun Huang broke the silence. “We must have alerted them last time. How troublesome.”

Nan Xun frowned. “The one pulling the strings?”

Jun Huang nodded, her expression grave. Nan Xun shared her feelings. They'd finally located Jun Hao, but the back building had now been emptied. It was clearly a trap for them.