Lu Yan looked at the two with disdain before adding on without invitation, “I’ll just go with you and the Lord Heir then.”
Heir Pei did not respond. He first glanced at Qi Qingyao to determine if she would reject before saying, “It wouldn’t hurt, I guess.”
No one would refuse the master of the Shenluo Chambers of Commerce’s invitation to travel together.
After all, he was the richest person in Northern Liang!
Even he would not dare refuse something like this.
After they were done with the hotpot, Qi Qingyao observed the color of the sky and decided it was time to return to the inn.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Jiang Yeqian had already walked to the gate and was standing there waiting. Heir Pei, who had gained a ruddy complexion after their meal, personally sent off his guests to the gate. Spotting the man wearing the ox-head mask, Heir Pei said nothing, only observing him quietly for a few seconds.
Lu Yan swept a glance over at Qi Qingyao who was intentionally ignoring him and said, “My lady, why don’t we return to the inn together?”
Qi Qingyao pointed toward Jiang Yeqian, who was bringing the carriage over, and said unperturbed, “No need, we have a carriage.”
With those words, she immediately brought her children toward the carriage. The children waved their goodbyes to Heir Pei excitedly, who also smiled as he waved back at them.
Si Jin gestured at Lu Yan’s cat, indicating to the animal that he would be taking his leave first.
The white cat lifted its claws and waved at him.
Lu Yan, who saw this, “…”
His cat was imitating a human’s posture and was waving goodbye to the young man?
What the f*ck!
Every time he took his leave in the past, this absolute disgrace of a cat had never even waved him goodbye even once. Now, however, it was actually waving goodbye to some person it had just met!
Lu Yan’s emotions instantly became very convoluted.
After boarding the carriage, Dong Jing could not help but say, “Young Master, you seem to have been treating Lady Qi quite warmly today.”
The young master had stayed back on his own accord to have a meal, even taking the initiative to invite Qi Qingyao to return to the inn together. He had even volunteered to go to Qingzhou City together the next day. These…these actions were far beyond Dong Jing’s comprehension.
Lu Yan slowly said, “Is that so?”
He ran his delicate fingers, fair as clouds, somewhat perfunctorily through the white cat that was seated in his arms. The white cat laid fawningly in his arms, flapping its furry tail lazily.
Dong Jing replied, “Yes.”
Lu Yan replied absent-mindedly, “I just want to use this opportunity to search for clues about the Master Architect Li Qinglian.”
“Indeed, fostering good relationships is necessary for that.”
While Dong Jing said this, in his mind he was thinking about the other times there were people with whom they needed to have a good relationship. Yet, with the young master’s temperament as if he were wholly superior to everyone else, he had at most only sent some gifts their way. Never had he ever taken the initiative to have meals together with them! How unusual!
Hold on.
A thought entered his mind.
Dong Jing considered something, could the young master’s actions today be an attempt to garner the interests of Qi Qingyao?
How was that possible though? The lady was a single woman with three children.
Considering his master’s tastes, he would never take a fancy to this sort of person.
If so…
Could it be that fostering this good relationship was really just a means to an end?
…
After Heir Pei sent off the two carriages, he noted that the walking route toward the plum garden was quite a distance; Li Qing had sent a palanquin over to bring their master back to his room. When Pei Fengtang eventually alighted the palanquin and entered his room, Li Qing noticed that there was a faint smile at the corners of the Lord Heir’s eyes. His usual surliness and irritability had practically dissipated. Li Qing grabbed this opportunity to speak up.
“Master, you seem to be in a rather good mood.”
“Yes.” Pei Fengtang did not deny it either. Instead, he gave a slight nod.
Li Qing thought, ‘Looks like the Lord Heir’s mood has improved with this hot pot meal. Should we prepare another hot pot the next time we have spare time?’
After Pei Fengtang sat down, he took a sip of tea and said, “She said she wanted to go to Qingzhou together tomorrow. So, please prepare the carriage tonight.”