144 They were in public (2/2)

It seemed obvious that it was all some sort of elaborate distraction, created by the real butterfly masked man…who was apparently the Guanghai Elder?

Liu Sumeng still felt sceptical.

Not so much in the way that he trusted Liu Langce above all else, but the way the Guanghai Elder spoke to them that night did not match the lazy, scandalous personality he remembered from his youth.

Was that person who donned Liu Langce's face even Liu Langce? The thought haunted Liu Sumeng.

”You're thinking about a lot of things aren't you?” Yuan Xuelan's voice was the first to break the silence. He reached out and clasped Liu Sumeng's hand in his own. Winter wasn't as cold down in the south but the temperature had dropped considerably from the thick heat of summer. ”Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?”

Now that they were far from onlookers and the stifling atmosphere of a busy and nosy populace, Liu Sumeng could act a little more shamelessly. He leaned into Yuan Xuelan resting his head on the younger's shoulder.

”The manor makes me tired.” He admitted.

They continued down the trail until they were well into the marshes; moisture welled up in the air. Yuan Xuelan pointed him down a smaller trail, saying that there might be something interesting down that direction.

Liu Sumeng followed without question.He told Xuelan about his anxieties and how Chen Anyue refused to give up on the wedding despite her polarizing words.

”That…doesn't sound right.” Yuan Xuelan bristled and frowned when Liu Sumeng told him that Nan Chang expressed that the Chen Princess could not be trusted. ”My Shijie is not like that. If she said she'd drink with you as Brother and Sister then there's no way she would lie about it.”

”...” Liu Sumeng had thought so as well, but now his mind felt muddled. ”Have you thought her behavior weird lately?”

”Weird?” Yuan Xuelan frowned. He spent most of his days chasing around Liu Sumeng and it made him feel a little guilty. He also couldn't quite admit to avoiding her since he had stolen the kiss from Sumeng right in front of her eyes. ”I just think she's been overworking herself…probably. She's been sick before the siege so I was kind of happy when the late sect leader made her stay back in the manor at first.”

Liu Sumeng sighed at the mention of Chen Gaoyong. It was in poor taste to complain about the recently departed but he couldn't help but feel that Chen Gaoyong caused a lot more problems than he solved during the siege. All in all, there was nothing solid to do yet and he would have to rely on Nan Chang for better observations and more information.

So instead he asked about the Immortal of Luck.

Chen Leike in Liu Sumeng's previous life was a strange fellow that he had little association with.

After Chen Anyue's death, it seemed that his lifelong superior luck evaporated in a single instant. He died not long after her, from something as silly as falling down stairs; getting tangled in a woman's scarf and breaking his neck in the fall.

It seemed absurd. But for a man that lived his entire life with absurd fortune, many had thought it was only fair that he suffered such a ridiculous death.

Liu Sumeng had completely disregarded it in his past, even if Leike was his brother-in-law.

Yuan Xuelan scowled at the name.

”To tell you the truth, I really hate that guy. He treats Shijie like she's a child or a doll or something. I hate that Second Brother Chen too,” he added, referring to Chen Jiang, ”He's the most crass and openly hateful. But I guess that's why I hate the oldest brother the most. He pretends to be amiable and then hides behind his ridiculous fortune. I think Nan-jie probably already told you this, but you should never openly oppose that Chen Leike. Always expect things to go in his favor.”

”What do you think he's after?” Liu Sumeng squeezed in closer with Yuan Xuelan as they came upon a network of narrow wooden bridges that sat atop the marshes.

Yuan Xuelan had let go of his hand and wound his arm around the small of Sumeng's back instead. This made the Ivory Sword Saint cuddle even closer to him and mirror him in turn, also putting his arm around Xuelan's back.

Yuan Xuelan really wished that they could have been talking about something other than the hateful Chen Leike in a time like this, but he wasn't going to complain too much and instead just took whatever little bit of intimacy that Liu Sumeng allowed him.

”I don't know. I can't imagine much. Chen Dage only really cares about messing around and having fun. He's pretty disrespectful towards women so I don't know why Nan-jie tolerates him.”

That was because he had power and the power to keep her safe, he thought absently to himself. But now that Chen Leike had taken his father's old position, wouldn't he have to marry soon? Though Chen Gaoyong was no longer there to spoil his children, so what then? Would Chen Leike just gather a harem for himself and call it a day? Yuan Xuelan scowled at the thought.

They found a small shack along the path. An old fisherman lived there with his wife and invited them inside for lunch. Yuan Xuelan was about to decline but Liu Sumeng smiled lightly and said, ”We would be happy to join you.”