Chapter 35: Enemies Always Cross Paths

Chapter 35: Enemies Always Cross Paths

Everyone was puzzled.

The young master asked, "Are you a servant from the Criminal Bureau?"

Everyone knew what the Criminal Bureau was, but what kind of woman would be there? Only servants or cooks, perhaps.

Did the Criminal Bureau have such great conditions that even a servant or cook could dress so elegantly?

Jiang Yunxin took the girl's hand. "Dare you come with me?"

At this moment, the dynamics on the scene had shifted.

Initially, the young master was the one taking the initiative, while the girl was passive.

Now, with Jiang Yunxin's invitation, the young master had become the passive party.

To go or not to go? The Criminal Bureau wasn't a place one could enter casually.

"Not going? Wouldn't that show weakness?"

The young noble's expression shifted, and he suddenly chuckled. "Of course we'll go, but the dishes have just been served. We can't let them go to waste. You two..."

He glanced at his two subordinates. "Hurry up and invite these two ladies to sit down. Servant, bring more dishes."

The two henchmen approached from both sides. Jiang Yunxin managed to keep her composure, but the other girl was genuinely frightened and hid behind her.

Jiang Yunxin felt deeply displeased. For such an incident to occur in broad daylight, it was lawlessness at its finest.

She fished a silver coin from her bosom.

Everyone was puzzled by her intentions.

Jiang Yunxin said, "Who's willing to run an errand for me and alert the Criminal Justice Bureau? This is your compensation."

The coin seemed to weigh around four or five taels, and immediately, many onlookers were tempted, even the girl cowering behind Jiang Yunxin.

Money was falling from the sky.

Just as someone was about to make a move, the young master suddenly sneered, "I dare you to try."

Oh, so this man is quite the formidable character, isn't he?

He's actually issuing threats?

As Jiang Yunxin prepared to use the dishes on the table to slap him and give him a taste of his own medicine, the door to a private room beside them suddenly opened.

A person emerged from within.

"I hear someone's been bullying the personnel from the Execution Bureau?"

Jiang Yunxin's eyes lit up with delight upon seeing who it was.

How fortuitous, like a pillow being offered when one is sleepy or a steamed bun when hungry – this was even more coincidental than finding a chocolate. The one who had come out of the private room was none other than Fang Mingyan.

Fate, it was all fate. She and Fang Mingyan were dining at the same restaurant.

Without hesitation, Jiang Yunxin picked up a plate of food and splashed its contents onto the man sitting across from her.

Man: "..."

Crowd: "..."

Fang Mingyan: "..."

Jiang Yunxin said, "It's him, Sir Fang. He was openly harassing an innocent woman in broad daylight. Oh, and he also dared to defy the Criminal Justice Bureau, threatening to kill anyone who reported him."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt that something was off.

The young noble suddenly said, "When did I say I would kill whoever reports me?"

"Oh, then what did you mean when you said 'I dare you to report me'?" Jiang Yunxin looked at him. "Were you perhaps planning to compensate those who do report you?"

The young noble was left speechless.

Surprisingly, the young noble knew how to prioritize. Instead of arguing with Jiang Yunxin, he walked up to Fang Mingyan and bowed respectfully.

"Sir Fang," he addressed.

They actually know each other.

However, Fang Mingyan clearly didn't have much fondness for this person, only nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

"Mr. Ma," she greeted coldly.

The name 'Mr. Ma' rang in Jiang Yunxin's mind like a bell. There might be many people with the surname Ma in the capital, but there was only one that she knew of.

Before she could ponder too deeply, Fang Mingyan spoke up, "Allow me to introduce, this is Ma Xiuneng, Mr. Ma."

Jiang Yunxin's eyes widened in an instant.

Holy cow, it really was him!

It seemed like enemies would indeed cross paths. This man, the one who had come knocking on their door to propose, notorious for his five vices, and even rejected by Fang Mingyan herself – he was none other than Ma Xiuneng.

Noticing Jiang Yunxin's expression, Ma Xiuneng said, "This young lady looks familiar, but I can't quite place where we've met. Since you're indeed from Lord Fang's residence, I must have mistaken you earlier. May I ask for your name, Miss?"

Jiang Yunxin was very reluctant to answer.

But Lord Fang declared, "This is Miss Jiang Yunxin."

"Miss Jiang Yunxin?" Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuneng's mind raced, and he suddenly recalled, "I remember now. Indeed, you're not a stranger. I've seen your portrait. You're the eldest miss of the Jiang family. My family has proposed marriage to yours before."

Jiang Yunxin's eyes nearly rolled back into her head.

But they were rejected, didn't you know? To still bring it up, aren't you ashamed?

However, Ma Xiuneng wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed. Instead, he exclaimed, "What a coincidence, truly a coincidence."

Perhaps due to the influence of Ma Xiuneng's family in the capital, although Lord Fang Mingyan had no interest in him, he was unwilling to completely offend him.

A hypocritical nobleman.

Jiang Yunxin glanced at Lord Fang Mingyan, who returned her gaze with a faint smile. In that glance, countless unspoken words lingered.

It might have been an illusion, but Jiang Yunxin sensed a hint of schadenfreude from his gaze.

Hearing Ma Xiuneng claim it was a coincidence, she promptly retorted, "If this counts as fate, then Mister Ma must have an abundance of such encounters in the capital."

Ma Xiuneng chuckled in response, "Indeed, there were quite a few, but they were all fleeting moments, like illusions in a mirror or shadows in water, mere pretenses. They don't count."

He even calmly brushed off the oil and food stains on his clothes, appearing very magnanimous, not at all bothered by the situation.

To be fair, Ma Xiuneng was indeed handsome, but Jiang Yunxin felt so disgusted that she could feel goosebumps rising. She turned to Fang Mingyan for help.

"Your Excellency, please save me. I'll go back to work overtime, alright? No need for extra pay."

Ma Xiuneng continued, "To be honest, I was indifferent about this marriage before. But I didn't expect Miss Jiang to be such an intriguing person..."

Jiang Yunxin's face darkened; it was as if she had run into a ghost.

This Ma Xiuneng seemed to have a masochistic streak.

She had been careless, not investigating his character before making a move. Now, instead of weakening him, her attempt had only served to energize him further.

"I used to think I was quite interesting too," Jiang Yunxin replied with a stern expression. "But ever since I became a forensic examiner, constantly dissecting corpses, no one finds me amusing anymore. Even at the Criminal Justice Bureau, people tend to avoid me at night, saying they see bloody shadows lingering around me, which makes them uneasy."

In an instant, the onlookers collectively took a step back.

Horrible!

Ma Xiuneng was taken aback.

Jiang Yunxin enjoyed his naivety, and her mood improved. She smiled gently and said, "Next time Young Master Ma gets into trouble and visits the Criminal Bureau, I'll slice one open for you right then."

Despite being a charmer who knew how to talk his way with women, Ma Xiuneng was at a loss for words in that moment.

Jiang Yunxin had effectively killed the conversation.

Only Fang Mingyan found the situation both amusing and awkward.

But today, Ma Xiuneng's offenses were limited to mere verbal jabs. There was no reason to arrest him. It was best to take their forensic expert away quickly before he frightened anyone further. Who knew if his presence might further damage the already fragile reputation of the Criminal Bureau.