Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Fu Huaiqing, or Xu Wenche...

His voice was clear and neither too loud nor too soft, and Fu Huaiqing could hear it just right.

He paused while tapping his knuckles on the table, raised his eyelids and glanced at her faintly.

The moment the cold eyes pierced her, Biezhi's whole body froze, her eyes reflecting the look of everyone who wanted to say something but stopped. She covered her lips and coughed lightly, muttering, "I didn't say anything wrong."

No woman would like a fierce man!

Fu Huaiqing didn't hear her mumbling this time, but judging from her expression, she didn't look like someone who would say anything nice.

Since they met as children, this was the first time Qin Wan saw Fu Huaiqing speechless and choked up. She couldn't help laughing, and felt that her little sister was really a wonderful person and very cute.

"What a coincidence, I also think he is very fierce." Qin Wan whispered in agreement.

Biezhi was silent again.

She looked around, unable to understand Qin Wan's intentions.

Could it be that this was just a trick between the young lovers? And she was just a part of their little trick?

Qin Wan looked at Fu Huaiqing's expression, and her playful mood gradually became stronger. She asked again: "In your opinion, who is more handsome, the prince, or the man downstairs?"

Bie Zhi was silent.

This meant that she was not going to answer anything.

She couldn't meddle in the affairs of the young lovers.

Prince Su would let Qin Wan go, but not her.

What's more, his eyes now were like those of a wild beast, and if she opened her mouth again, he would pounce on her in an instant and bite her neck fiercely, so ferociously!

At this time, the maid who went to inquire knocked on the door and came in.

When the man's eyes moved away, Bie Zhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at the maid who was panting slightly and asked excitedly: "Did you find out?"

"I found out." The maid stepped forward, "It's Xu Wenche, the son of the wealthy Xu family in Jingzhou."

"The Xu family in Jingzhou?" Qin Wan frowned slightly.

Seeing her doubtful expression, Bie Zhi's almond-shaped eyes darted around, and she inquired, "Is there something wrong with the Xu family?"

"Not really." Qin Wan's eyes swept over the indifferent and silent Fu Huaiqing. After a moment's reflection, she said tentatively, "Jingzhou is located on the border, and the Xu family's business is quite risky." Seeing that Fu Huaiqing showed no sign of stopping her, she continued, "If you get involved with the Xu family, it's fine, but if something goes wrong, I'm afraid it will be bad for you."

Bie Zhi naturally understood what Qin Wan said.

However, she certainly wouldn't back down. She said, "Sister, I just want to get to know him. I just want to be friends. I have no intention of marrying him."

Qin Wan was speechless, thinking Bie Zhi was interested in Xu Wenche.

She studied Biezhi's expression for a moment. The girl's eyes sparkled, and her sincerity gradually dispelled her suspicions. "If it's just a friendship, it's not impossible."

Biezhi hadn't expected Qin Wan to think so much, and her eyes curved. "I just think the Xu family's son is handsome. There are so many good-looking men in the world, I can't have them all."

Qin Wan couldn't help but laugh.

The girl's tone was tinged with regret, and her expression was slightly disappointed, as if, if she could, she would really want to have them all.

The corners of the mouths of the people following in the wing room couldn't help but rise. Jiang Yue's mouth was halfway raised when he suddenly thought of his master. His eyes flickered to the prince's increasingly difficult expression, and he silently lowered his mouth.

Fu Huaiqing looked at the excited girl with a complicated expression. Even when she was pretending to be Ji Ran, he had never seen her look so charming. It was as if she really liked Xu Wen Che, even more than Ji Ran.

His eyes darkened a little.

His deep eyes looked at her again, and Biezhi's raised eyes quietly lowered. She felt that the surroundings were getting colder and colder. If she stayed any longer, she would be frozen into ice.

She pursed her lips slightly and said, "Sister, can I walk by myself?"

"Where to?" Qin Wan was puzzled.

Biezhi smiled shyly and glanced at the figure still lingering on the street.

Qin Wan couldn't help but nodded when she saw this: "Go."

She nodded, and Biezhi stood up, bowed to Fu Huaiqing, and left without looking back. As if she was afraid that someone behind her would catch up, her steps were very fast.

Hua Chao, who had followed, jogged along until she reached the street.

Breathlessly, Hua Chao looked at the girl, who stood still. "Where are we going?"

"Looking for Xu Wen Che." Bie Zhi glanced around quickly. The man who had been standing on the street just now had vanished in the blink of an eye. She frowned slightly. "Have you seen him?"

Hua Chao stood on tiptoe and searched around, but couldn't find him. "Wasn't he just here?"

"Let's look again," Bie Zhi said.

She had to wait for an opportunity to establish a relationship with Xu Wen Che. Waiting for him to come looking for the Qin girl would take forever.

Yongle Avenue was crowded with people. Bie Zhi searched for nearly half an hour, but couldn't find the man.

She began to wonder if Xu Wen Che was born in the Year of the Rabbit. How could he run so swiftly? This was the first time she had lost him.

It was noon, the sun at its hottest. After searching for half an hour, Bie Zhi stood sweating in front of the street corner tavern. She looked around, but still couldn't see him.

Hua Chao followed her and searched the entire Yongle Avenue, from south to north. Seeing her slightly dazed look, he said, "Miss, do you want to take a break?"

Biezhi nodded.

Seeing that more and more people were coming to Yongle Avenue, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It would be pointless to search any further.

She glanced around casually and saw the restaurant at the end of the street. The plaque on the door clearly read "Qingshi Zhai". Biezhi raised her chin slightly: "Let's go there."

Biezhi had never been to Qingshi Zhai, but she had heard of it.

Qingshi Zhai is located in the southeast corner of the capital. It is one of the three major restaurants in the capital, along with Wanghe Tower and Pingyun Pavilion. However, unlike the other two, Qingshi Zhai is frequented by children from noble families. It is said that if the children from noble families in the capital have a small gathering, most of them come here.

When she passed by just now, she deliberately looked inside, but Xu Wenche was not inside.

However, there are many children from noble families inside, and someone might have seen him.

Biezhi was about to step onto the steps of the Qingshizhai when the waiter inside suddenly stepped forward. His gaze quickly passed over the girl ascending the stairs and he asked, "Young lady, would you like to go to the private room, or sit downstairs?"

"Anywhere is fine," Biezhi replied.

The waiter shouted into the room, "One seat!"

His voice suddenly attracted the attention of the others in the building. Curious people paused their idle chatter and glanced sideways, their expressions varying as they watched the girl step through the Qingshizhai threshold.

"Who's that?" The man sitting closest to the door surveyed the girl's attire, his blazing gaze lingering on the corners of her slightly upturned eyes. "How come I haven't seen her before?"

"If you haven't seen her before, then of course you haven't," the man's colleague, who had come with him, said subtly.

Biezhi ignored the whispers and followed the waiter inside.

There were only a few seats left in the building, so the servant led her to an empty one. He took out a scroll and handed it to the table, pushing it towards her. "Young lady, take a look at what you need."

Biezhi casually pointed to the name at the top of the scroll. "This one."

The servant leaned over and saw where her fingertips had landed. His smile grew more sincere. "Young lady, wait a moment. I'll bring it up to you."

Biezhi closed the scroll and handed it back.

She scanned the crowd below the building, but still couldn't find Xu Wenche, so she gave up.

"You don't have to be so reserved when you go out alone with me," Biezhi beckoned Hua Chao to sit down. She wasn't used to being served. "Just be smart on a daily basis."

"Young lady, that's inappropriate," Hua Chao said, her eyes scanning the crowd that occasionally glanced over. "A guest in Qingshizhai might step on another noble family member. If their gossip gets rampant, it won't be good for you, nor for the Qin family."

Biezhi's heart rippled at this.

She tilted her head slightly, taking a serious look at the woman who lowered her eyes and whispered for the first time. The maid sent by the Qin family was much more astute than she had expected.

What Hua Chao said was something she hadn't considered.

Their eyes met for a moment, and Biezhi nodded, accepting her suggestion.

At that moment, a woman's exclamation echoed from somewhere, and the guests in the scattered seats of the building turned their gazes, including Biezhi.

Biezhi, uninterested in the entanglement of men and women, casually averted her gaze when she caught sight of two figures entangled in a corner of the building. It wasn't until the faint tinge of a woman's voice rang in her ears that she turned her head again.

Seeing the woman's tearful eyes, she frowned slightly.

Before she could even call Hua Chao to investigate, she caught a glimpse of the pink-dressed woman across from her, impatiently standing up. Before she could move forward, her friend grabbed her wrist.

The woman in green glanced at the corner of the building and shook her head at her indignant classmates. "You know what the second son of the Li family is like, don't get yourself into trouble."

"Are you just going to let him do this to me in public?" the pink-dressed woman asked sullenly, her eyes fixed on the two figures in the corner. "If he dares to touch others today, he might do the same to you and me tomorrow."

The green-dressed woman's eyes froze at this.

But she didn't let go. Instead, she exerted a little force, forcing the pink-dressed woman back to her seat. "Even so, you can't show up." She glanced around, seeing that everyone seemed to be ignoring her presence. She then said to the maid behind her, "There are Chengtian Prefecture yamen officers on duty at the calligraphy gathering. Go and bring them over."

The maid nodded and hurried out of the Qingshizhai.

Biezhi, who had heard the conversation, glanced at the slightly trembling woman, her brow furrowing slightly. She glanced at the servants milling around the building. They showed no intention of stepping forward to stop her, instead allowing the young master they were talking about to act recklessly.

After a moment, Biezhi took a deep breath.

She hadn't intended to cause trouble; it had simply found itself.

Suddenly, a shrill sound echoed from within the building, and the whispering crowd looked up to see a petite girl dragging a chair, step by step, towards the second son of the Li family.

In an instant, everyone in the room stared wide-eyed at the young woman who had appeared out of nowhere.

Even the second son of the Li family, who was holding the woman's slender waist, paused, looking impatiently at the young woman who had interrupted his pleasure.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Biezhi dragged a chair to the young master's table, set it, and took a leisurely seat.

The second son of the Li family frowned at her.

The building was silent, everyone's attention riveted. But a moment later, the young woman's sweet voice rang out, calling the accompanying maid by name: "Hua Chao."

Hua Chao, who had followed silently, had no idea what she was up to. She raised her eyelids

slightly to glance at the young master, whose expression was growing increasingly impatient, and replied, "Young lady." Biezhi's lips curled into a smile, but her clear, bright eyes were devoid of any trace of smile. Her tone rang with regret and resignation: "Sometimes I really envy certain men."

Everyone in the building looked at each other, confused by her words.

Hua Chao was also confused. "Young lady, what do you mean?"

"Aren't you envious?" Bie Zhi asked, pouting and frowning.

Hua Chao: "What do you envy?"

"I envy them for being so ordinary yet so confident." Bie Zhi's eyes were icy, and she glanced at the man, who, after a moment's pause, suddenly realized what was happening and flew into a rage. Her face rippled with his anger. She chuckled softly, her gaze fixed on him. "You look like a pig, yet you claim to be as handsome as Pan An. But if you were to throw them on the street, not even a passing butcher would give them a second glance." Instantly

, the young master of the Li family's expression darkened.

He suddenly released his grip on the woman's waist and stormed towards Bie Zhi. Seeing this, the woman, whom he had been holding for so long, quickly took a few steps back, staring at him in fear, finally unable to suppress a soft cry.

The young master of the Li family scowled at the calm young woman, trying for a moment to remember whose daughter she was, and how she could be so arrogant.

Yet, her face was remarkably delicate and charming.

After gazing at the girl for a moment, the young master's impatience gradually faded. Pushing aside the man blocking his way, he laughed heartily. "If you want my attention, young lady, just come over and say a few words. Why make such a fuss and simply make a fool of yourself?"

As he spoke, his hands were not clean, and he reached directly for the girl's face. Unexpectedly, before he could touch her soft cheeks, someone suddenly pulled his hand away from him.

The man, who had been flattering the young master for so long, suddenly remembered where he had seen the girl before him. Fearing trouble, he quickly intervened, whispering, "She's the youngest daughter the Qin family just found."

The young master was startled. "Which Qin family?"

"The Minister of Personnel, Qin Peibai," the man said.

The man's voice was quite loud, and those seated slightly closer to them could hear it. The most frequently discussed topic among the aristocratic families in Beijing recently was the Qin family's search for their daughter. However, this was their first time meeting the person involved. For a moment, they all glanced at him with a bit more attention, and they understood why the girl had dared to step forward to stop them.

With the Qin family's backing, things were naturally different.

Seeing a flicker of panic in the stunned expression of the Li family's young master, Biezhi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He hadn't expected the Qin family's status to be so useful.

The sudden sneer on the girl's face caught the young master's eye. He glanced at the crowd in the building, all watching as if they were all waiting to see him make a fool of himself. He straightened his back a little and said loudly, "I thought she was from somewhere else, but she's just a country girl the Qin family brought back from outside. She's taking advantage of the Qin family to do evil things outside, and she has no sense

of shame." His expression darkened slightly, with a hint of exasperation. "She's really just a country girl, not worthy of being on stage."

In an instant, the Qingshizhai fell silent again.

Everyone's eyes fell on the girl, who lowered her head and smiled faintly, but she saw her slowly raise her eyes and say, "If everyone on stage is like you, then it's better not to be on stage, so as not to dirty my shoes."

Biezhi finished speaking, her eyes sweeping across the crowd. Then, she stood up slowly, no longer interested in staying in this seemingly glamorous, yet in fact smoky, place. She ignored the man pointing at her with a trembling finger and left without a backward glance.

Only after she left did everyone come to their senses, staring at each other in silence.

The tightly closed windows of the private room slowly opened a few inches, and the man's handsome, smiling face occasionally peeked through the cracks. He gazed thoughtfully at the quietly departing figure, lowering his eyes and smiling.

Yuan An, the servant brewing tea, glanced at his master. He had also heard the commotion downstairs when he said, "Master, that girl is the Qin family's recently found daughter, Qin Biezhi."

"I heard that," Xu Wenche said, his fingertips resting against the brightly colored glass teacup, chuckling softly. "More interesting than I imagined."

Yuan An handed the freshly poured tea forward, following the master's gaze. "The Qin girl?"

Xu Wenche raised an eyebrow, noncommittal.

His lips, as sweet as honey, were a delightful mellow.

He tilted his head back to drink the tea, then stood up. "Let's go meet this second daughter of the Qin family."

Unexpectedly, Xu Wenche was in Biezhi's elegant room in the Qingshizhai. He set foot on Yongle Avenue again. It was past noon, and the sun hadn't even slackened.

She looked at the bustling streets and said, "Forget it, I won't look anymore." Instead of searching for

a needle in a haystack with Hua Chao, it would be better to return to the Qin Mansion first and then find an opportunity to secretly leave the house and investigate one by one. Perhaps that would be faster.

The Qin family's carriage stopped at the northernmost end of Yongle Avenue, and they had to go back.

Who knew that just after turning a corner and stepping onto the less crowded street, several dark shadows suddenly jumped out. Biezhi's eyes tightened, and the next moment she saw the young master of the Li family walking out slowly with his hands behind his back. The worry that had been in her throat slowly came to fruition.

"Go and call for help." Biezhi said to Hua Chao.

Hua Chao raised her head when she heard it, and was stunned when she saw her eyes with a slight smile. Without waiting for her to say anything, she ran away without looking back.

After she left, Biezhi could do her work.

Looking at the fat face with a smiling expression, she sighed. She really didn't want to dirty her hands, but unfortunately, the person had already come to her door, so naturally she couldn't let him go easily.

Biezhi swiftly swooped past the oncoming servant and grabbed the increasingly panicked man by the neck, slamming him against the wall. Her grip tightened, and she caught a glimpse of another oncoming servant. Her gaze shifted, and she lifted her leg, shifting slightly, and delivered a clean kick to the stomach.

Her other hand wasn't idle either. Without any skill, she clenched her fist and delivered several blows to the Li family's son.

Biezhi's strength was already exceptional. With one blow, the flesh of the Li family's face flew off, and from his slightly open mouth, a stream of white gravel splattered, only to be seen on the ground.

A bloody tooth.

The shadow guard who had been following them glanced at the bruised man and whispered something to a subordinate nearby, who immediately took orders and left.

The shadow guard rushed to the palace's back gate and handed his badge to the guards who arrived, who immediately let him pass.

He hurried to the study at a rapid pace. Cheng Jin, who was guarding outside the door, saw him, frowned slightly, and walked towards him: "Is there any unusual movement over there?"

"Biezhi beat someone up." said the shadow guard.

Cheng Jin: "..."

For some reason, he didn't seem surprised.

"Who was beaten up?"

said the shadow guard: "The second son of Li Shanjue, the Minister of War."

Hearing this, Cheng Jin's expression finally showed some surprise. He nodded, walked to the study and knocked on the door

. The conversation in the study fell silent.

Cheng Jin pushed the door open and walked in. His eyes swept over Su Ci who was beside the chessboard. He quickly walked to the prince who was reviewing the memorials, bent down and said: "Your Highness, Biezhi beat up the second son of Li Shanjue, the Lord Li."

Fu Huaiqing's brushstrokes in writing the red comments did not change, flowing smoothly and freely.

He said expressionlessly: "He was beaten, so what."