A master of metaphysics is farming.

Chapter 135 Jiahuifang

Feng Fujing walked over with his daughter Feng Jiaojiao. Du Wenxiu looked surprised as the two approached and exchanged familiar greetings with Xiang He.

"Please take a seat, young lady! We agreed that you would register your name upon arrival."

"No need, I just brought a friend over for dinner."

Feng Fujing was about to ask the waiter to move to another seat when Xiang He raised her hand to stop him, "Really, there's no need. Boss, you must have something to do today, right? You can go ahead and do your work. We'll be fine here."

"Oh dear! It would be impolite to say too much. Please enjoy your meal, young lady. If you need anything, just tell them. Don't be so polite with me!"

As he spoke, he pulled Feng Jiaojiao over, "Jiaojiao, you stay with the young lady, I'll go attend to my business first." He looked at Xiang He, "You don't mind, do you, young lady?"

"It's okay, sit down."

Feng Jiaojiao was unwilling, but she didn't want to bother her father, so she could only sit down.

Seeing her so reserved, Xiang He poured He a cup of tea. "Don't be nervous. Your father also wants you to get closer to outsiders."

"Yes……"

An extroverted boss has an introverted daughter; it seems they've been overprotected.

Xiang He watched Feng Fujing leave, while Du Wenxiu stood there in a daze. Xiang He smiled and asked, "Would you like to come along, Miss?"

Hearing this, Du Wenxiu snapped out of her daze and put on a gentle smile. "No need, I have an appointment on the second floor. Farewell."

After she walked away, Jiang Xinyue curled her lip and said, "Are all the young ladies in the capital so arrogant? Her haughty manner is disgusting."

Xiang Huiying quickly covered her mouth, glanced at Feng Jiaojiao, and then lowered her head, saying, "Keep your voice down..."

"What are you afraid of? They can't catch me and beat me up."

He Sui'an lowered her eyes and chuckled, "I won't beat you up, but it would be troublesome if you were resented later."

Xiang He chimed in, "Yes, if you really want to do business in Beijing in the future, you'll inevitably run into each other. You should talk to each other behind closed doors."

"Okay~" Jiang Xinyue turned her head to look at Feng Jiaojiao, "Miss Feng, are you shy?"

"Um……"

With Jiang Xinyue's words in mind, she and Xiang Huiying kept talking to Feng Jiaojiao, and they couldn't stop talking even after the dishes were served.

The reserved and shy Feng Jiaojiao would occasionally chime in with a few words.

This was Feng Fujing's intention: to put her among people she was somewhat familiar with, rather than leaving her alone.

"Didn't you hear me?"

Xiang He twitched his ears and straightened his body, leaning back slightly.

"There really was someone howling that night, and it was incredibly loud!"

"It's raining, what could I possibly hear..."

"Then tell me which family is shouting? It's raining and no one's sleeping. How could someone die?"

The middle-aged man's voice rang out again, "We live in Jiahuifang. Remember the noise we heard that night...? Who lives in Yonghui Lane behind my house?"

"Isn't that where the Junior Supervisor lives? I haven't heard anything about him lately..."

Xiang He frowned and exchanged a glance with He Suian; both of them looked serious.

This is completely different from being a shut-in; the howling in the rain must mean something happened.

The murmurs gradually subsided, and after a few curses, they stopped talking about it. Xiang He only caught the gist of it.

After they finished eating, Xiang He wanted to pay, but the innkeeper refused to accept the money. It wouldn't be good to argue inside the building, so he thanked him and left.

"The food at Qionghua Pavilion is really good! It's worth the price!"

The group headed towards the market. Xiang He patted her stomach and said, "You guys go ahead and browse. Sui An and I have some things to do. We'll come back here to find you two in about half an hour."

Jiang Xinyue took Xiang Huiying's hand and said, "You two go ahead. You don't need to come back looking for us. We can ask others for directions."

"Row."

The five parted ways, and Xiang He, He Sui, and Xing Ji headed towards Jia Hui Fang with clear objectives.

What do you think it could be?

Xiang He shook his head, "I don't know. We don't know if we can find anything in broad daylight. Let's go and take a look first."

Besides the abandoned house, something else happened somewhere else on this rainy night, which is really strange.

The three of them walked at a leisurely pace, passing through streets and alleys before finally arriving at Yonghui Lane. There weren't many pedestrians there, and a carriage was parked in front of a large mansion.

The three hid around the corner and noticed He Sui'an staring at the carriage. Xiang He peeked at him and asked, "Who owns that carriage?"

"It's a carriage from Longguang Temple in the palace."

"What?!" Xiang He stared in astonishment at the carriage. "Are you sure?"

"See that flag hanging on the car? It depicts a dragon soaring through the clouds, but the flag is white, and the words 'Longguang Temple' are written on the north side."

The flag fluttered in the wind, and when it was turned upside down, the words "Longguang Temple" were indeed visible.

Xiang He narrowed her eyes and murmured, "Who is it that's here to pick up..."

As soon as the murmurs ended, the gate opened from the inside, and a servant bowed and stepped out. Then a middle-aged man came out, followed by a woman supported by a maid.

The woman wore a light veil, revealing only her eyes and forehead. Her body seemed very limp, and she could only move with the support of her maid.

The middle-aged man nervously lifted the carriage door, and the woman nodded, said something, and then got into the carriage.

Just as she turned around and sat down, Xiang He looked at her forehead and his eyes darkened.

The three watched the carriage drive away in silence until the gate of the house was closed, at which point Xiang He loosened his grip on the large umbrella slightly.

Seeing her serious expression, He Sui'an's eyes also darkened. "What's wrong?"

"Pale forehead, weak eyes, not pretty..." She turned her head and stared at the gate of the house. "I can't see clearly. I need to see her face directly."

"There will always be a chance. Zhu Nan will keep a close eye on this area these next few days. Now go back."

"Ah."

As the three walked back, He Suian lightly waved his folding fan, saying, "I bought the houses near the courtyard wall in Zhaoxiang a long time ago."

Suddenly hearing this, Xiang He raised an eyebrow and said, "Then I guessed right. I knew buying a house wouldn't be done so quickly."

He casually waved the large umbrella behind his back, "Are you secretly running a business? Otherwise, how could you be so rich? Buying that area wouldn't have been cheap, would it?"

"I have a cargo ship business with a friend."

Upon hearing this, Xiang He raised an eyebrow and said, "No wonder you're not short of money."

In those times, those who could make a living by transporting grain on the canals were already risking their lives to earn money, and these ship merchants earned even more.

"Xing Ji was going out every night before, just to work for you?"

He Sui'an lowered his eyes and smiled lightly, "I have to stay in the examination hall for nine days, so naturally Xing Ji will need to go out and do his work."

"Your friend has come to Beijing?"

The long street was noisy, but the three of them found some peace and quiet.

He Suian looked up slightly at the distance and said, "He's here. In a couple of days when he's less busy, I'll have him come to visit us at home again."

Hearing his soft, gentle voice, Xiang He chuckled, "Why does it sound like you're meeting the parents?"

"Parents?"

Xiang He's lips twitched slightly, "Meeting my father-in-law~"

Amused by her words, He Sui'an raised her folding fan and lightly tapped the back of her head, saying, "Nonsense."

The blow to the back of his head wasn't heavy. Xiang He pretended to be hit hard, clutching his head and letting out a soft cry. The large umbrella then struck his lower back. "How dare you lay a hand on me! You'll pay with your life!"

Amidst laughter, Xiang He took a few steps back towards He Suian. He Suian looked at her with a smile, then suddenly reached out and pulled her over, saying, "Be careful."

Her wrist was grabbed, and she felt like she bumped into someone behind her. She stumbled forward two steps to his side, and when she turned around, Shen Zhuoci was smiling with his hands outstretched.

"That's exactly what I was looking for you all."