Chapter 425 Leaving As Soon As Possible
“Is anything the matter?”
Lin Mengya turned around and suddenly she saw Long Tianyu standing at the door.
Instinctively he nodded his head and came toward her. However, it was only when he was right before her that Long Tianyu realized that he could not open his mouth to speak.
How should he put it such that Lin Mengya would believe that he was actually drunk last night?
As for what happened at Huichun House, he had totally no impression of.
Long Tianyu’s palm was beginning to sweat. He had not experienced such kind of anxiety even when he first went onto the battlefield to fight his enemies when he was fifteen.
“Actually, yesterday…”
After pondering for a second, Long Tianyu decided to brace himself and speak up.
However, when he was just about to speak, someone from outside the room interrupted him.
“Yuan Brothers, Master Guo has asked for the two of you to go downstairs to discuss some matters.”
A composed Wen Shen came into sight.
After they exchanged looks, Lin Mengya and Long Tianyu nodded simultaneously and replied saying, “We get it. We’ll be down in a minute. Thanks, Brother Wen.”
Now was not the time to be dispirited.
Although Lin Mengya knew that she was in a disadvantaged position in this battle, to allow herself to be seized without putting up a fight given that her opponents were directing their attack at her, this was not her usual style of reaction.
Despite having many questions on her mind, Lin Mengya kept them down. Given that she had already progressed to this stage, it would be too late to turn back.
Since the situation had come to this, she had to face it head-on!
Downstairs, a very lively and innocent Dongfang Xiu had already eased herself into the company.
At this moment, a smiling Dongfang Xiu was even pounding and massaging Master Guo’s back and shoulders. They looked to get along really well and enjoying each other’s company.
The people surrounding her were teasing and joking with her, but she was not at all angry. In the midst of the laughter, it was apparent that the group of businessmen had a good impression of her.
On this point, Lin Mengya had to agree with the others.
Xiu was like the sun that warmed and lit up everyone around her.
“You’re here, Brother Yuan!”
On seeing Lin Mengya, the quick-witted Xiu would definitely not expose the fact that Lin Mengya was a lady dressed up as a man in front of all these people.
Fortunately, Lin Mengya was wearing a veil when she danced. Otherwise, she would not be able to continue taking on the identity of a man.
Xiu skipped all the way to Lin Mengya and threw herself into Lin Mengya’s arms. Smiling at Lin Mengya sweetly, Xiu began reporting the current situation to her.
“Master Guo has agreed to bring me along with you all. Even Brother Zhao Fei, who looks scary when he smiles, had gone to inform the group of Lieyun businessmen that I will be following you, Brother Yuan, for the next few days.”
Xiu batted her eyelids at Lin Mengya after she finished speaking.
Xiu’s adorable manners had somewhat lifted Lin Mengya’s melancholic mood.
“That’s great. Let me introduce you to my elder brother Yuan Mei, and this is Brother Wen Shi. When we get onto the horse carriage later, I will introduce you to my misses and my cousin.”
Xiu nodded vigorously. Although all the people in this group of businessmen liked her, this big sister who had dressed up as a big brother was by far her favorite.
Although Xiu and Lin Mengya seemed to act intimately with each other, no one in the company looked at them as if they fancied each other in a romantic way.
They simply thought that the two of them had a good rapport and enjoyed each other’s company very much.
Master Guo did not make any comments. He could tell that the two got along well just by chatting with Xiu.
Although the little Dongfang girl was witty and smart, she was after all still a kid who was unaware of the affairs of the world. Nothing would happen even if she mixed around with Yuan Brothers.
Furthermore, in the entire company, Yuan Lin’s wife appeared to be closest to Xiu in terms of age.
In this way, he would be accountable to the Dongfang family if Xiu was taken care of by them.
This would turn into a blessing for the Yuan Brothers and a favor the Dongfang family would be grateful for.
“Young Master Yuan, are you leaving?”
As they approached the gates, Hongyu called out to Lin Mengya with a somewhat fearful voice.
She had washed away the makeup on her face and changed into a set of clothes likened to what common women would wear. However, she was unable to get rid of the enchanting look she had worn for many years.
Perhaps men would interpret her mannerism as being flirtatious.
To Lin Mengya, however, all she felt towards Hongyu was helplessness.
Turning over a new leaf was not easy. Perhaps she and her sister had to find an unfamiliar place to start the next stage of their lives anew.
“Erm, from now on, take good care of yourselves,” Lin Mengya said tenderly as she nodded at Hongyu.
Lin Mengya no longer bore any grudge against Hongyu and Moqin.
She may not be Holy Mother Mary, but everyone had her own reasons. From the perspective of Hongyu and Moqin, Lin Mengya no longer owed them anything.
Not bearing grudges against them was considered being exceptional tolerant towards them.
“Alright, take care too. Farewell, I will leave with my sister.”
Hongyu smiled, but it was not the kind of pretentious flirtatious smile she made in Huichun House. It was a pure and sincere smile she gave to a girl whose real name she did not even know.
Perhaps this farewell was for forever.
Although the gold, silver and expensive clothes she had saved up were not sufficient to provide for a wealthy life for her sister, it would be enough to find her sister a good husband as well as set up a small business to provide for the family.
Lin Mengya smiled back as she got Xiu ready to get up the horse carriage.
“No! I don’t want to go with this woman! She is a bad woman! Mister, please let me follow you!”
Her hysterical cries attracted the attention of the entire group of businessmen.
Lin Mengya, who was already standing on the horse carriage, looked back and saw that the figure hiding behind Hongyu all along had thrown herself at Long Tianyu’s feet.
Her slender and delicate hand was tugging at the hem of Long Tianyu’s clothes.
Sumei’s small face, streaked with tears, really tugged at the heartstrings of people.
A frown appeared on Lin Mengya’s face. Did Sumei not know how to behave?
“Little Sister, stop trying to obstruct Young Master Yuan. Let’s go, I really am your blood sister!”
Hongyu’s face was looking a little pale. She had clearly explained to Sumei that she was indeed the child whom her parents had lost over a decade ago.
However, Sumei kept casting repulsive looks at Hongyu and spoke harshly to her.
Hongyu thought that over time, Sumei would accept her.
Little did she expect things to turn out this way.
“Let go of me,” Sumei blurted out of her thin lips.
Long Tianyu did not like girls, other than Lin Mengya, to draw close to him.
He stood there, unmoved. In fact, the expression on his handsome face was icy cold.
He hated girls who harassed and pestered him. He was especially irritated by those who threw themselves at his feet, weeping non-stop.
“Mister, I really am a pure and innocent girl from a good family. Please save me, will you?”
Sumei continued imploring desperately as she held on tightly to the hem of Long Tianyu’s clothes with her delicate hands.
That woman was a prostitute and mother had said that prostitutes were bad women.
Therefore, she would by no means follow a prostitute.
“Sumei! Let go of the Elder Master Yuan! Let’s not delay them any longer. Let go of your hand, come on!”
Hongyu, sharp and observant, had long sensed the intense coldness in Yuan Mei’s eyes.
That was the look of the eyes of someone devoid of any feeling of mercy.
If not for the lady who had temporarily called herself Yuan Lin, perhaps Yuan Mei would have kicked Sumei away mercilessly.
“No! Let go of me, shameless woman! Master Yuan, I’m a pure and innocent girl. Please bring me along with you, will you? I am willing to be your slave to pay you back for your kindness!”
Lin Mengya watched the events unfolded like a drama like a bystander. Although Hongyu had been living a degraded life, she was sensible and wise. For the sake of saving her little sister, she remained strong and was willing to make any sacrifice.
However, Sumei had hurt Hongyu deeply. Perhaps this was the kind of unfair treatment towards girls under the feudalistic influence.
“Let go.”
Long Tianyu’s patience was wearing thin from Sumei’s incessant pestering.
Even in the Capital City, no other girls would have the audacity to behave so rudely towards him.
Surrounding him, there were already some among the group of businessmen who started whispering.
If he were to kick Sumei away, these people might well say worse things.
Moreover, he had never been violent towards women.
Caught in the situation, Long Tianyu was unable to extricate himself from Sumei’s hold.
“I’m sorry, Master Yuan. My little sister doesn’t know how to behave herself. Please don’t be angry.”
Hongyu’s face was drained of its colors as she knelt before Yuan Mei, imploring him.
Her palms had become cold. If not for her relationship with Yuan Lin, perhaps Sumei would be a dead person lying there by now.
As the bystanders surrounding them multiplied, Lin Mengya did not wish to be surrounded and watched as if they were animals in the zoo.
“Come over here for a while, Yuan Lin.”
It was Master Guo. He had been watching from the side but now he approached Long Tianyu, but no one could tell from the dull look in his eyes what he was thinking.
Lin Mengya alighted from the horse carriage, came to stand beside Master Guo and Master Guo whispered to her, “From my perspective, I would rather you just let this pair of sisters coming along with you.”
Lin Mengya did not expect Master Guo to ask for their favor on behalf of Hongyu and her sister.
She was about to say something when Master Guo stopped her and gave her a look which indicated for her to calm down.
“We’ve attracted too much attention. If we don’t set out now, our business will be delayed. Are you going to let the entire group of businessmen suffer loss over this trivial matter?”
All of a sudden, there was a penetrating and incisive look in Master Guo’s eyes.
As he kept his eyes on Lin Mengya, she felt that there was no way she could say no to him.
Lin Mengya scanned the surrounding and being sharp and sensitive, she spotted some questioning eyes among the bystanders.
How could she forget that White Dragon and Black Tiger’s men were still within this town?
The owner of Huichun House might have let them go, this did not mean that White Dragon and Black Tiger’s men would not lay their hands on them again.
“I understand, Master Guo. Please give me a minute, then we can set off straight away.”
Lin Mengya replied Master Guo, sounding apologetic. Regardless of how reluctant she was, at least for today, she had to bring Hongyu and her sister along.
Lin Mengya inhaled gently, then she walked towards Long Tianyu with a straight face.