Chapter 196 Handsome Man

Chapter 196: Handsome Man

In the Jingsi Residence.

In the eastern chamber.

Yan Sanhe turned over.

"Can't sleep?"

Li Buyan, with his arm as a pillow, looked at the canopy, "Is it because of Du Yiyun, or Third Master Xie?"

"Neither."

Yan Sanhe: "I'm thinking about how to investigate my matter."

With her words, Li Buyan lost his drowsiness too.

After three months of constant interaction, both Xie Zhifei and Pei Mingting were smart, especially the former, who seemed like a frivolous playboy but was actually quite cunning inside.

Without a good explanation, it would bring trouble to Yan Sanhe.

"If it really doesn't work out, we can attribute your matter to me," she said.

"Improper."

Yan Sanhe sighed, "Third Master will see through you with just a few questions."

That's right!

What kind of mind does he have, and what kind of mind do I have?

Li Buyan: "What if we tell the truth?"

Yan Sanhe shook her head, "There's too much to explain, even more improper."

"That's quite a headache then!"

Li Buyan sighed, about to continue speaking when he suddenly looked alertly towards the window, then lightly jumped off the bed, leaping to the window and pushing it open forcefully.

Xie Zhifei had just jumped down from the wall and stood steadily.

Their eyes met, and he shamelessly flashed a flirtatious smile.

"Um, I need to talk to your master about something."

"I say, Third Master!"

Li Buyan laughed in exasperation, "Do you really have to climb walls in the middle of the night? You shouldn't use your looks to bully others!"

Use your looks to bully others?

Xie Zhifei thought to himself, what kind of outrageous phrase is this?

Yan Sanhe walked out from behind Li Buyan, her eyes cold, "What is it? Speak!"

Xie Zhifei stared at her for a moment, "It's cool outside now, do you want to take a walk in the garden with me?"

Yan Sanhe's face remained stern, "I'm afraid Du Yiyun and your mother will chase after me with an eight-hundred-meter-long knife."

"No, I swear to Buddha."

The corner of Xie Zhifei's mouth twitched slightly.

"Also, regarding today's incident, I apologize on behalf of my mother. Don't take it personally; if you must, take it out on me. I'll let you deal with me however you want."

Yan Sanhe wanted to roll her eyes at him.

Deal with you?

You, a scoundrel, deserve it?

Seeing her expressionless face, Xie Zhifei took a step forward, speaking in a very provocative manner.

"Yan Sanhe, do you want to know my attitude towards Du Yiyun? Come with me if you do!"

Yan Sanhe gritted her teeth, "I'm not interested in your attitude. If you're here about the Zheng family case, then..."

"Yan Sanhe, do you want to know why I have a short life?"

He smiled mischievously, "Come with me if you want to know!"

Yan Sanhe gritted her teeth again.

Still no?

Xie Zhifei took another step forward, looking at her face with apparent affection, "Yan Sanhe, do you know why I'm so eager to investigate the Zheng family case?"

Yes!

This was the first thought that popped into Yan Sanhe's mind;

Handsome man trick!

This was the second thought that popped into Yan Sanhe's mind;

I can't resist anymore.

This was the third thought that popped into Yan Sanhe's mind.

Third Master seemed to see her resistance and coaxed her softly, "The night breeze is just right. Since you can't sleep anyway, why don't we take a walk, hmm?"

Yan Sanhe suddenly turned to look at Li Buyan: How does he know I can't sleep?

Li Buyan didn't look at Yan Sanhe but instead gave Third Master a thumbs up.

Third Master's charm game is on point!

...

The back garden of Xie Mansion had pavilions and terraces, flowers and grass. It wasn't extravagant or ostentatious; its charm lay in its elegance.

Yan Sanhe was someone who always had things on her mind, so she never paid much attention to the scenery. But walking beside this man, if she didn't look at the scenery, she would have to look at him.

Forget it!

It's better to look at the scenery.

"I treat Du Yiyun like a brother treats a sister."

Xie Zhifei pulled her out without any preamble and got straight to the point.

"I know about her feelings for me, but because of the relationship between our families, I can't outright reject her. This also has something to do with my personality."

After a few months of interaction, Yan Sanhe understood his character well.

He always smiled warmly when meeting people;

He always left room for maneuver in his words and actions;

He preferred harmony over harsh words.

"Yeah, as you said, sweet-talking but sharp-hearted."

Yan Sanhe clicked her tongue twice, "Third Master knows himself very well."

He smiled with his eyes curved, "You've seen through me."

Yan Sanhe: "..."

"Yan Sanhe."

The smile slowly faded from Xie Zhifei's face, and in the blink of an eye, he seemed like a different person.

"While in Xie Mansion, there are some things you can't do just because you want to. To maintain the bigger picture, sacrifices must be made."

"Did it work?"

"No, it didn't."

Xie Zhifei continued, "So on the way back, I told Du Yiyun that Third Master has wronged her, and the Xie family has wronged her."

Yan Sanhe's breath caught, looking at him in disbelief.

Xie Zhifei's pitiful gaze was unhidden, "When Father beats me, you'll have to intervene!"

Yan Sanhe looked at him, thinking that calling him Xie Linglong still fell short.

Xie Linglong only described his thoroughness, not his ability to change expressions so quickly.

Could one person have so many faces?

Hmph!

He's the one who excels in singing, reciting, acting, and martial arts, virtuous and talented.

At this moment, Xie Zhifei retracted his pitiful gaze and returned to his usual unserious demeanor.

"Do you have any more questions about Du Yiyun?"

"I've never been curious, and you don't need to explain."

"That won't do!"

Xie Zhifei smiled, "I have to explain everything clearly so you can tolerate me and work together. Otherwise, I'd really become the scoundrel you describe."

Pei Mingting, you big mouth!

Yan Sanhe cursed inwardly.

Wait a minute?

"Who said I'm going to work with you?"

"That leads us to the next topic!"

Xie Zhifei plucked a leaf and sniffed it under his nose, "Do you remember the history I told you about the war between Great Hua and Qi Country?"

"Mmm, Third Master narrated it beautifully."

"Do you remember how I refused to believe that the Zheng family case wasn't done by Wu Guanyue and his son?"

"Mmm, Third Master reacted strongly."

"Do you remember how I was gloomy all the way back from Nanning Prefecture?"

"Mmm, according to Buyan, Third Master even ignored Pei Mingting, needing an outlet."

Something flashed in Yan Sanhe's mind, and she turned to look at him, "Could it be..."

“Absolutely!”

Xie Zhifei nodded, “I have some connection with the Zheng family.”

This revelation truly surprised Yan Sanhe.

“Our families live so close to each other, and our elders are both involved in the government, though one in civil service and the other in military. Nonetheless, there were occasions where we would meet.”

After a moment of silence, he continued, “The youngest son of General Zheng has twins, a brother named Zheng Huaizu and a sister named Zheng Hua-you.

Huaizu is three years younger than me. We met a few times when we were children. If he were still alive, he would be closer to me than Mingting.”

So that’s how it is!

Yan Sanhe silently lowered her eyes.

“I had already let this matter go, thinking it was his fate, but who knew…”

Xie Zhifei's voice suddenly became hoarse.

“On my way back to the capital, every time I closed my eyes, I would dream of Huaizu covered in blood. He was only eight years old. Yan Sanhe…”

Yan Sanhe looked up at him, her voice losing its coldness, “Go on.”

“I must do something for him to find peace, don’t you think?”