Miss Truth
Chapter 323 - 203: The Gentleman Who Accidentally Entered the Plum Grove_2

Chapter 323: Chapter 203: The Gentleman Who Accidentally Entered the Plum Grove_2

The ladies of Chang’an were not usually secluded in the depths of their homes, yet Ran Yan found it strange, what could possibly make them disregard their pride and dignity?

"I need to go out and see!" Ran Yun was so anxious that she scratched her head, she had no interest in husbandry duties at present, with fascinating things happening, she couldn’t miss out.

Without caring for the gazes of others, she grabbed Ran Yan and Han Xun and ran downstairs, and the young masters on the ground floor had already gone out to watch.

A crowd had already gathered in the distance, by the time Ran Yan and her companions arrived, they could only see fallen guards scattered on the ground and a noble lady in apricot-red attire holding a whip, confronting a man in a dark robe.

Ran Yan’s heart skipped a beat, she looked towards the man holding a plain white oiled-paper umbrella, clad in a dark round-necked robe, and couldn’t help but be surprised—Su Fu?

"All we wanted was to have a word with you, how could you, sir, harm people!" a lady in a water-green jacket and skirt accused loudly from among the crowd.

Su Fu did not move, but the deadly aura spread rapidly through the snowy ground like ripples in water, yet in a moment, it vanished. Su Fu took out a light cyan porcelain bottle from his sleeve and tossed it to the whip-holding lady, "Here is the antidote. If you all insist on detaining me, I wouldn’t mind injuring a few more."

He turned, nodding slightly, "Assistant Minister Xiao."

The crowd was slightly startled, and followed his gaze to find that at the entrance of the plum grove, a group of people had gathered, with the leading figure being tall and robust, dressed in a round-necked crimson official uniform, a black cloth hat, covered with a black marten fur cloak, commanding an exceptional presence from afar.

"What a coincidence! Here I am investigating a case, and I happen upon Pharmacist Su..." Xiao Song said with a faint smile, as if he was merely exchanging pleasantries.

However, Ran Yan knew he was suspecting Su Fu.

Su Fu’s hand, which was holding the handle of the umbrella, tightened slightly. His slender, pale, and well-defined hand resting on the dark umbrella handle looked particularly elegant, "Take care."

After a moment, Su Fu’s indifferent voice came from beneath the umbrella, then he turned and left.

Xiao Song did not pursue the matter further, his gaze lightly swept over the crowd, not even pausing on the whip-holding lady, and he respectfully nodded and bowed before leading the people away.

"Who is the gentleman in the crimson official uniform?" someone quietly asked.

Han Xun glanced at the woman, noting her ordinary attire and inferring that her status was not very high, he disdainfully said, "You don’t even recognize the ’Trouble of Chang’an’?"

The woman’s face flushed with embarrassment, she glared hatefully at Han Xun before turning her head away, ignoring him.

"Is that Lady Cheng?" Ran Yan softly asked Ran Yun.

Ran Yun nodded, thinking, Lady Cheng must have taken a fancy to that gentleman in dark attire.

Although the young men present were also outstanding, compared to Su Fu and Xiao Song’s mature charm, they appeared rather inadequate.

Most women are easily attracted to men with stories, an unwritten rule transcending through ancient and modern times.

Perhaps those Noble Ladies had already seen more outstanding gentlemen, which left them disinterested in these, and so the gathering dispersed early.

Up in the attic, Cheng Qing’er peered through the lattice window at the endless sea of snow where the sky touched the earth, and upon hearing footsteps behind her, spoke in an unfriendly tone, "Don’t bother me!"

"You shouldn’t take out your anger on me just because that cold-faced gentleman hurt your heart!" a voice tinged with nonchalance replied.

"Cousin?" Cheng Qing’er turned around, her features slightly heroic, with upward-slanting eyes, a straight nose, thin rosy lips, and hair as dark as a cicada’s wing.

The person who had come upstairs leaned against the railing, his robe flowing elegantly, opening and closing the folding fan in his hand. His slender fingers played intermittently with the white jade fan pendant, "That man is Su Fu, a newly appointed Imperial Physician at the Imperial Medical Bureau, styled Ziqi."

As he spoke, he propped the handle of his fan against his chin, lamenting, "It’s a pity that he’s even more robust than I am, otherwise... it wouldn’t be your turn."

The man’s frivolous smile, his eyes long and narrow, like Cheng Qing’er’s, also ended in a slight upward tilt. Every frown and smile, every movement he made had an indescribable air of charisma.

Cheng Qing’er, obviously disliking his attitude, gave him a contemptuous glance and snorted, "You, of all people? You saw his skills just now. Even though he only used sedatives, no one saw his moves. I’m sure, even my brother might not be his match."

The man remained unfazed and chuckled lightly, "Since when have I, Pei Jing, ever resorted to brute force with others?"

Cheng Qing’er curled her lips. What was wrong with liking gentlemen who resorted to physical force?

The snow continued to fall outside, and the carriages of the Ran household and Han Xun headed back to the city together. In the carriage, Ran Yun pouted, looking displeased, "We came excited but return disappointed!"

A lantern was lit inside the carriage, and Ran Yan took out several collections of poetry from a small table and began to read by the light.

"Ran Yun, Seventeen!" Han Xun’s voice pierced into the carriage from next door.

Ran Yun lifted the curtain and asked, "What is it?"

"I’ve met up with a few ladies, and after discussing with them, we’ve decided to have a snowball fight over there. Do you want to join?" Han Xun said, full of enthusiasm.

Ran Yun replied cheerfully, "Great! How many people?"

"Twelve, plus you and Seventeen, that makes fourteen. Each of them has brought at least one maid, so there’s quite a number! The area is near the roadside, and there are many other ladies following behind; perhaps they would also like to join in a while?" Han Xun said.

Ran Yun agreed readily, dropping the curtain and pulling Ran Yan along, "Let’s go, Sister Seventeen. We can’t just come out for nothing! I specifically dressed comfortably today just for the snowball fight. If we don’t play to our heart’s content, I won’t feel at peace!"

Ran Yan put down the poetry collection, massaged her temples, and nodded, "Okay."

For her, reading poetry was less appealing than a snowball fight. While she could understand those poems, she often found it hard to immerse herself in their artistic conception and found them dull.

Ran Yun instructed the coachman to pull over beside the other ladies’ carriages. She scrambled down the carriage swiftly, with Sanbao hurriedly following behind with a cloak. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)