Taming The Hidden Bigshot By Kissing Him
Chapter 460: There is a Pair of Wild Mandarin Ducks

Chapter 460: Chapter 460: There is a Pair of Wild Mandarin Ducks

Mr. Guan looked at Qiao Xi as if he had discovered a treasure.

His breathing became unsteady.

"I understand what he meant by three years now. The old immortal was playing word games with me. He was deliberately vague, fearing I would let something slip."

The old man’s eyes shone brightly as he stared at Qiao Xi.

Qiao Xi took a half step back and asked hesitantly, "Did Grandpa Cheng leave any message for me?"

"He said to have you look through the Plum Blossom Nine Needles more, and that would fulfill the promise to my Guan Family. You are to treat my grandson within three years, while I provide you protection in the Imperial Capital. Cheng Han would never lie to me! Therefore, there must be a mystery within that Plum Blossom Nine Needles book! If I don’t confront you in person, I would never uncover this secret!"

"Not knowing the Spiritual Pivot Nine Needles now doesn’t mean you won’t in the future!"

Grandpa Cheng was deeply concerned.

Qiao Xi felt a jolt in her heart.

Look through the Plum Blossom Nine Needles more?

She had looked through it enough!

How could there still be a mystery inside?

Mr. Guan’s ancestors were from the Gua’erjia Clan of the Plain Yellow Banner in the Qing Dynasty, his family had countless treasures and had seen the world.

He knew some people would hide peerless treasures within secret compartments; perhaps the Plum Blossom Nine Needles book had the same possibility.

"Miss Qiao, both the Plum Blossom Nine Needles and the Spiritual Pivot Nine Needles consist of nine needles. Why isn’t it called the Plum Blossom Eight Needles, like how the Lu Family calls it the Thirteen Ghost Points? There’s definitely something about this number nine!"

Qiao Xi could no longer maintain her composure, with ripples in her eyes.

"Miss Qiao, go back and inspect it thoroughly. My Guan Family also knows expert cultural relic restorers, contact me with any issues."

Mr. Guan felt his once-dormant heart stir with passion, thinking the Guan Family was beyond salvation.

The law of the jungle meant they would only be consumed by the Lu and Xiang Families, but now it seemed there was a glimmer of hope.

His Guan Family might be saved!

And the medical skills monopolized by the Lu Family could face a significant blow!

He felt a sense of relief in his heart, more relaxed and joyful than he had been in over ten years.

Exhilarated!

Qiao Xi’s fingers trembled slightly, "Alright, I’ll go back and figure it out now. I’ll definitely inform you of any abnormalities, and if Grandpa Cheng contacts you again, please tell me immediately."

"Deal! Keep this business card safe."

Mr. Guan stuffed a private business card into her hand, "Be cautious. If it’s real, it must be kept secret. Regardless of its authenticity, if only for the sake of your master’s face. Within three years, I’ll surely protect you!"

Qiao Xi nodded solemnly.

She was aware of the seriousness of the situation, but she felt there were many secrets around Grandpa Cheng. Were these secrets related to his disappearance?

"Let’s go make an appearance at the birthday celebration. Afterwards, I’ll have the butler escort you out."

"Okay."

The elderly and the young reached an understanding, regaining their composure on the surface, yet the stir in their hearts lingered long after.

Qiao Xi walked ahead, circled around the screen, and opened the door to the study, only to find Young Master Sun and Old Chen pressed against the door, eavesdropping.

"Ouch."

Young Master Sun stumbled and fell on his backside.

Old Chen had better reflexes and managed to stay steady.

The two looked at her awkwardly and said, "You’re finally out! The soundproofing here is really not bad. I thought these old buildings wouldn’t be that great. Hahaha..."

They laughed awkwardly, trying to break the tense atmosphere.

Qiao Xi helped Young Master Sun up, somewhat resignedly, "It’s probably not the soundproofing, but the size of the Guan Family’s study that’s so large. So you wouldn’t have been able to hear much anyway, let’s go to the banquet hall."

"Mm-hmm."

Sun Weimeng and Old Chen looked at the serious and majestic old man beside Qiao Xi, thinking this must be Mr. Guan, indeed with the presence of someone in power.

Very stern indeed!

If they knew how jovial and emotional Mr. Guan could be in front of Qiao Xi, they would be utterly surprised.

"Butler, all the guests have arrived, haven’t they? It’s time for me to make an appearance."

"Yes." The butler replied respectfully, "Young Madam Huo, please as well."

"Thank you."

A group of people descended from the second-floor escalator, and Qiao Xi was asked to follow by Mr. Guan’s side. She understood this was to support her, wanting the guests below to know she had backing in the Imperial Capital, thus she didn’t refuse this kindness.

As expected!

When Mr. Guan appeared with Qiao Xi, the chatter in the banquet hall quieted for a moment.

Qiao Xi could feel many unusual gazes falling on her, some curious, some surprised, and others envious and jealous.

Mr. Guan walked to the center of the banquet hall, his voice booming like a bell, "Thank you all for attending my birthday celebration. People say it’s rare to reach seventy, but I, Guan Qingguo, refuse to feel old."

"You old? Your body is healthier than that of the young ones!"

"You’ll live to a hundred years!"

"Mr. Guan, may your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea, and your life as enduring as the unfading pines of the Southern Mountains!"

Mr. Guan raised his hand to quiet the noise and pulled Qiao Xi to his side to introduce her, "This is a young friend of mine, we hit it off well. She’s straightforward and new to the Imperial Capital. If she offends anyone here, please, for my sake, don’t give a youngster a hard time. It would be even better if you all could make things easy for her in the future."

This was clearly a show of support for Qiao Xi!

This was someone the Guan Family was protecting; others shouldn’t offend her lightly!

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

Qiao Xi’s lips curved upwards, her eyes brimming with laughter. Young Master Sun following behind her was stunned, wondering how a trip to the study had found her such a powerful patron!

The Guan Family ranked third among the noble families of the Imperial Capital!

Currently, they even seemed more powerful than the Xiang Family!

Truly worthy of being Huo Xingzhou’s wife, impressive!

Qiao Xi’s eyes flickered, scanning the surroundings until she saw Lu Yan standing near the exit. Their gazes met from afar, tinged with mockery and resentment. Unwilling to show weakness, Qiao Xi returned the look with a smile.

Soon, Lu Yan shifted his gaze, searching for something in the banquet hall.

After a while, the young man with unremarkable features who had been talking with Lu Yan left.

And Lu Yan seemed distracted, with bodyguards coming and going around him as if reporting something to him.

Qiao Xi kept her wits about her.

She recognized that plain-looking man—it was Xiang Ze!

The brother of Xiang Huai!

She also had a score to settle with him!

Qiao Xi, harboring her thoughts, followed Mr. Guan with a glass of wine, toasting around the room until she familiarized herself with some faces before suggesting her departure.

Mr. Guan understood her urgency, as he felt the same.

So, he said, "I will have the butler escort you out."

Qiao Xi politely declined, "We know the way, it’ll be a good opportunity to have a look around the Royal Residence."

"That’s fine, too. Take care on the way."

"Yes! Goodbye for now, Grandpa Guan."

Qiao Xi said her farewells and left the noisy banquet hall with Young Master Sun and Old Chen.

Outside, the evening breeze carried a hint of chill, and the artificial lake at night seemed even more profound.

They planned to leave from the less populated side to avoid being seen by the guests, which might raise suspicions.

After all, it would be strange for her to leave before the birthday banquet had officially begun.

As the three of them walked along the moonlit corridor, they rounded a moon-shaped archway and saw a small building planted with bamboo, resembling the place where young ladies of noble families once lived.

Qiao Xi remembered the butler saying this was where the young lady of the house resided.

Bathed in moonlight, the area was even quieter than the banquet hall. But in this silent atmosphere, strange, faint sounds could be heard.

Young Master Sun pricked up his ears to listen for a bit, a suggestive smile appearing on his face.

He lowered his voice and teased, "There seems to be a pair of ’mandarin ducks’ over there."