After Rebirth, She Becomes the Revenge Queen
Chapter 149 - 148 It’s him!

Chapter 149: Chapter 148 It’s him!

The darkness surrounding Pei Zhan was terrifying, yet the oil lamp illuminated his eyes, like twin stars on a snowy night, cold to the point of chill yet intensely bright.

"Yes, lamp oil." Cheng Chili swallowed, "That night, aunt was preparing for the prayers for the Liang family’s elder brothers the next day, and the Buddhist hall was lit with lamps all over. The murderer splashed lamp oil inside and set a great fire. Because the lamp oil was ready at hand, it was considered an accident caused by a knocked-over lampstand."

Pei Zhan kept staring straight ahead from beginning to end, and no one knew if he listened or what he was thinking.

After a long while, the sound of something heavy being crushed came from the ground; it turned out he was stepping on the shards from earlier, grinding them into the ground with the tip of his foot.

"So, it was someone familiar."

Pei Zhan’s gaze moved to Cheng Chili’s face: "If it wasn’t someone familiar, then when the murderer poured the lamp oil, she would have had enough time to leave or even subdue the person.

"She was never someone who could be caught off guard easily, was she?"

Cheng Chili nodded unconsciously.

Pei Zhan looked back into the night: "After she returned, besides meeting you, who else did she see?"

Cheng Chili was stunned, then decisively shook his head: "No one! Aunt was very cautious and only let a few of us know she was still alive."

A trace of pain suddenly emerged in Pei Zhan’s eyes, his face turned pale, his body began to tremble slightly, and then his eyes burst into a fierce rage, with his right hand clenched into a steel fist on the table.

"I understand."

He absentmindedly picked up a wine jug in front of him, which was shaking uncontrollably, the remaining wine inside sloshing loudly.

Cheng Chili was stunned by the words, then seemed to wake from a dream, suddenly widening his eyes, stepping back half a step: "It’s him!"

The young man’s voice was torn by the conclusion he had reached, leaving him at a loss for words to express his feelings!

Indeed, he and Liang Zhi were not the only ones close to aunt; there was also Xu Yin, whom she once trusted wholeheartedly!

She came back, how could she not go to Xu Yin?

After all, he was the fiancé she was once engaged to!

Even if Xu Yin was married, during all these years, he had openly maintained ties with the Liang family and frequently paid public respects. Aunt is back, she’s not dead, logically, she should at least let him know! She’s straightforward in her actions. If she knew Xu Yin still had her in mind after marriage, she would certainly have surfaced to stop it.

But she didn’t!

She even repeatedly instructed us not to reveal any information; she never mentioned Xu Yin or asked about him!

She was wary of Xu Yin!

Just now, Pei Zhan made it very clear that only someone familiar would make her lower her guard, and Xu Yin fit that condition!

Her trust in him was undeniable, only he could have done all that!

"Fifth Brother..."

Cheng Chili reached for the sword at his waist: "Killing a corrupt court official would only cost a life, wouldn’t it? It shouldn’t implicate our family, right?"

Pei Zhan put down the wine jug, after a while said: "No."

Cheng Chili clenched his teeth tightly, suddenly turned around!

"But he is the son-in-law of Prince Rong’s Mansion. Prince Rong and his sons would find a way to implicate your Cheng family otherwise."

Cheng Chili abruptly stopped, letting out a trapped roar towards the deep street!

Then he suddenly turned again, dashed back with a swift step!

"Fifth Brother, you will help aunt, won’t you? For the sake of our elder and second brothers, you won’t stand by, right?!"

The answer he hadn’t obtained after thinking for a long time, Pei Zhan had already understood everything after asking him a few questions... He indeed was more qualified!

Pei Zhan raised his hand to press his chest, said: "You should go back."

"Fifth Brother!"

"Do not tell anyone you’ve seen me."

Cheng Chili pursed his lips looking at him for a while, finally dropped his head under his gaze, stomped his foot, and leapt away!

The street returned to silence, and light under the shop’s thatched shelter flickered.

Pei Zhan took his hand off his chest, picked up the wine jug, and tipped his head back to gulp down the wine.

He wiped the wine flowing at the corner of his mouth calmly, stood up, climbed onto the horse’s back, patted the horse’s neck saying: "Go, to Baihe Temple."

...

On the first of April.

The court was on recess.

Xu Yin sat barefoot cross-legged on the cushioned seat beneath the window, propping his cheek with one hand, eyes slightly closed, boredly playing with a black wood hairpin.

Sunlight poured through the open window, casting a shimmering glow upon his flowing long hair.

After a while, from beyond the wall came the sounds of children playing, he furrowed his brow, displeasure rising on his face: "Isn’t it noisy?"

The maidservant standing quietly outside the curtain instantly took a breath, stepped lightly outside, murmured to someone under the eaves: "Take young master Lian further away, will you?"

Lian Rong happened to come in, saw this, and asked: "What’s the matter?"

The maidservant replied: "Master is in a bad mood."

Lian Rong poked his head inside, then waved his hand, and walked softly inside.

Xu Yin hadn’t opened his eyes, nor did he bother to hide the trace of impatience on his face. "What is it?"

Lian Rong said: "It’s nothing major, just that the Director of Rites from the Ministry, Fu Jun, who once came to meet with the master, was originally promoted to Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites. But suddenly he was reassigned to Duanzhou as Magistrate."

Xu Yin showed no reaction.

Not until Lian Rong withdrew his gaze, thinking Xu Yin uninterested and was about to report another matter, did Xu Yin slowly open his eyes, put down the hand supporting his cheek, and looked at him: "What’s going on?"

"I found that early on, when Fu Jun was promoted to Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, it was Pei Zhan doing a favor. But sending him to Duanzhou, that was also Pei Zhan’s doing. However, a Cheng family was involved, more precisely, Cheng family’s second son, Cheng Chili."

Xu Yin pondered: "What connection does the Fu family have with those two?

Lian Rong said: "The reason Pei Zhan supported Fu Jun was because the Fu family sent a rare ginseng for Mrs. Cheng’s illness, which just so happened to be introduced by Pei Zhan.

"Transferring him suddenly is said to have offended Pei Zhan since after Fu Jun knew he was reassigned, he harassed his former wife, and was subsequently demoted to Prefectural Magistrate of Fujian!"

"Where did he get the qualification to catch Pei Zhan’s attention?" Xu Yin’s voice showed disdain, "Did you find out the inside story?"

"Couldn’t find anything. But," Lian Rong paused, looking at him again, "Fu Jun has a legitimate daughter who has recently been in frequent contact with Pei Zhan. It was this Miss Fu who presented the ginseng then.

"Also, because of this connection, a few days ago the Cheng family specifically invited the Ning family—Fu Jun’s former wife and children—to visit, with Pei Zhan and the Liang family in attendance as accompanying guests."

"Such courtesy?"

Xu Yin halted his playing, "Could this Miss Fu perhaps have some outstanding qualities?"

"Rumors say this Miss Fu has been frail and sickly, rarely leaving her home. However, lately, it’s said her health has improved, and she frequently moves about outside."

"That’s strange." Xu Yin got off the seat, walked barefoot to the curtain below, "Pei Zhan is not that easy to persuade, and yet he went specifically to be an attendant for a merchant family?"

(During weekends, usually there are more things going on, so updates tend to be later. Unless I find time to stockpile Chapters... look forward! Today we’ll also have two updates, so if you have votes, do send some my way~)