Chapter 16 (2/2)

This is because they knohat the conclusion waiting ahead of them is, but reality simply doesn't match up with the nomenclature The worst outcome won't be any worse than the present When one is already standing at the bottoo but up?

Even further is, provided that their daydrearatitude towards the Yuantai E theood kar him, but he schooled his features The secret reason for that was that there were ears all around, and though they ithin the carriage, how they acted and carried theo too far over the line “The number of times this Marquis has traveled the distance between Northern Xinjiang and the capital is anywhere between eighty to a hundred,” he said indifferently “What's there for you to not be at ease about? Go back, now You work as a bureaucrat, you can't dawdle about for too long”

“Today we part, and next year we'll ain,” Yan Xiaohan replied “I hope you'll adhere to the rules of the wedding contract, Marquis, and not turn your back on as promised prior”

Xiao Xun felt a chill un his spine as he listened in froe This Sir Yan is no dolt, he thought He knows fully well that the Marquis isn't content with the ainst that exposed nerve?

Back inside, Yan Xiaohan suddenly pulled at Fu Shen to gather hiht next to his ear “You have to be very careful going out there,” he whispered “It's cold in the North, so look after yourself well Don't worry about ly putting a hand on his back, right where his heart was “You've got the heart of a gentleether, and heartbeats steadily becaainst the other's with ut to understand for the first tientle affection like a strea is like a drea each other for quite sohtened out his wrinkled collar for hi out a send-off in an extreressive manner “Do not hesitate to feel at ease, Mister Yan In the co Flower Festival, this Marquis will personally come to your door and escort you to the cere dowry procession [4] I will not turn entleman!”

Yan Xiaohan: “……”

Everyone else present: “……”

Xiao Xun secretly felt for the saber hanging at his waist, ready to draw it and rush in at the first sign of a possible fight He absolutely cannot let the Marquis be killed because of his flapping trap

Two days later, the carriage entered the boundaries of Yan Prefecture

The surrounding scenery is getting more and more familiar Apart fro is the exact same as the autumn day they had left Fu Shen was born in the capital, but he grew up in the North, and the Prefecture is similar to a second hometown for hiiving hie's s by

They went down the es, and cities of all sizes on their path At nightti When passing by an alley, Fu Shen got a whiff of the sweet, crisp scent of alcohol, enticing him to lose his propriety He ordered Xiao Xun to turn around in preparation to go in and check it out

Xiao Xun was desperate to stop hi “My lord, you can't drink alcohol! We're going to be et back!”

Fu Shen couldn't care less “Relax He won't see anything once it's all been digested the night before”

“S-Sir Yan also wouldn't let you drink it!”

Fu Shen's anticipating smile stiffened

He pointed at Xiao Xun in a way that portrayed his utter disappointment in him “Whose side are you on? You have no distinction between the two! Northern Yan is this Marquis's dorow until it comes all the way here? Hht If even half a word of this gets leaked, I'll be interrogating all of you about it!”

Xiao Xun can't help but talk back “The Flying Dragon Guard's eyes and ears are very acute, so it's quite possible he could find out?”

The flaht in a flash

“Zhongshan You're still young, and don't understand the evil in people's hearts” Fu Shen spoke from the bottom of his own “Between this Marquis and Yan Xiaohan, it's not just the two of us that have to compete for a better outcome here; it's a evenDragon Guard If I'm still under his control in an area outside the capital, then I don't even need to cross the threshold, since I'm already henpecked! Tell me, how could our brothers of the Arh and stand tall before the Flying Dragon Guard?”

Xiao Xun stared and stared as he listened, believing there was soh “You are wise, Marquis,” he mu Ning had finished his duping of this fool boy, cranking his wheelchair into the small alley with a completely clean conscience

The liquor store was deep in, and it wasn't very large, only having four seated tables and one sales counter The one selling the alcohol is a proprietress who's currently preoccupied with so Fu Shen chooses a table that's a biton its surface “Hey, boss, what sort of wine do you have?” he asked with a raised voice

The woman behind the counter looked up froood look at his appearance It was like she'd just been struck with lightning, suddenly rooting her to the spot

Not hearing a response, he turned his head to look, coaze

For a moment, an unspeakable sense of familiarity welled up in his heart “You…”

“You…”

They had spoken at the same time Fu Shen paused, and she then tre Master, is… your surname Fu?”

Tears in her smile and joy within her shock, the look she had was clearly of someone as beside herself and didn't knohat to do, and it was by no h, but he didn't cover it up, nodding along

The next second, the woave hiesture of prostration “This slave had suffered long ago and was rescued by you, barely er The Heavens above ranted ain today Your Grace, please accept this slave's reverence!”

“Wait” Fu Shen still couldn't remember who she was “Miss…out “Huanren County, Jadeite Mountain, Hidden Orchid Village,”[6] she said between sobs, “seven years have passed since the Duke of Jin's [7] e of justice, and it still has yet to be cleared”

Fu Shen's pupils quickly shrank like he'd been hit hard on the crown of his head, his face draining of all color Rarely has there ever been a time as such where he loses his self-control “You're… Caiyue?” he asks, incredulous

That name was a hurricane that instantly tore apart his ed skywards, subrief and joy all float lightly or sink hard, pushi+ng him into a section of his old past he didn't dare recall and was unwilling to even bring up

It was the first time in his excessively brief period of adolescence that someone had truly crushed hiht knot between Yan Xiaohan and him that hadn't been untied to this day

The translator says: Uh-oh Happily ever after isn't so easy!

[1] 内关 – “inner opening”, roughly Putting pressure on this is said to relieve nausea in TCM

[2] 大爷 – “Grand Lord”, either a respectful terer man who's a pas like water [ day resembles (a) dream'

[4] Quick reroom escorts the bride Hehe

[5] 莲祁 – “vast (sea of) lotuses” I really go back and forth on whether I should leave things in pinyin or not, but I figure if they're not real places or not super ilish names are easier to remember anyways

[6] 桓仁县, 宝岩山, 幽兰山庄 – Huanren County is a real place, Baoyun (jade rock) Mountain and Youlan (…hidden orchid) Village are not

[7] 金公 – that's the character for Gold Gold Duke