Chapter 345: Kindred Spirits

Chapter 345: Kindred Spirits

Upon hearing Xin You's tone, Duan Yunlang didn't dare to argue: "I took a fall, and I was worried my classmates would make fun of me, so I told everyone I was sick."

"Fell?" Xin You looked into Duan Yunlang's eyes, "Did you trip on your own?"

If that were the case, Meng Fei probably wouldn't have specifically mentioned it to her.

"Um," Duan Yunlang's eyes darted around, wanting to look away.

Xin You frowned: "In my impression, Second Brother isn't the type to sacrifice himself to protect a bad person."

"Of course, I'm not—" Duan Yunlang met the girl's calm gaze and suddenly felt foolish for hiding the truth.

He was silent for a while, then scratched his head: "I'll tell you, Ayou, but take it with a grain of salt."

"Okay."

"I suspect Zhang Xu was behind it," Duan Yunlang recounted the day Zhang Xu stopped him to ask about Xin You, "A few days ago during the holiday, I was returning from the street and took a shortcut through an alley when someone threw a sack over me and beat me. Although I didn't see who did it, I think it couldn't be anyone else but that Zhang Xu guy."

"So, Second Brother has no proof."

Duan Yunlang was somewhat embarrassed: "Ah, mainly relying on intuition."

Xin You smiled: "Without any proof, it's indeed not good to spread it around."

"Right, just have to take it on the chin." Xin You's reaction put Duan Yunlang at ease.

He was really afraid that Ayou would go looking for Zhang Xu.

Even if there was evidence, he wouldn't do much about it.

Thinking of himself like this, Duan Yunlang felt somewhat defeated.

"Then, Second Brother, get some rest and take care. I'll send over some ointment for your injuries later."

After bidding farewell to Duan Yunlang, Xin You walked out of the room.

"Finished talking?" Duan Shaoqing approached.

"Mr. Duan, apologies for the wait, I need to go back now."

Duan Shaoqing didn't know what to say for a moment, silently accompanying Xin You as they walked out, all the way to the corner gate, his lips moved: "I never imagined Qingqing would come to harm, she's my own flesh and blood—"

Xin You calmly interrupted Duan Shaoqing's words: "What about after I arrived?"

The real Kou Qingqing was like a meek and harmless lamb, and the elderly lady and Duan Shaoqing were content to let her live in peace. But as a grandmother and uncle, should she be thankful for that?

The facts also proved that when a niece had fangs and claws, her uncle could indeed have murderous intentions.

Duan Shaoqing's eyes flashed with surprise and fear.

Did this girl sense that he had murderous intentions?

Under the gaze of those calm and transparent glass-like eyes, all dirty thoughts seemed to be exposed, Duan Shaoqing awkwardly defended himself: "Actions speak louder than thoughts."

"Indeed, actions speak louder than thoughts."

Even if Duan Shaoqing wished her dead a thousand times over, she was quietly gearing up for a fierce counterattack. But since the other party hesitated to make a move, she had no choice but to let him go.

The girl smiled meaningfully: "So, Lord Duan, you can still talk to me?"

Duan Shaoqing shuddered involuntarily.

Xin You strode past Duan Shaoqing without a second glance and boarded the carriage.

As the sun set, smoke rose from the houses lining the road, and the scent of food drifted on the breeze.

When Xin You entered Qingsong Bookstore, Liu Zhou immediately glanced at the guests in the hall and whispered, "Boss, there are still a lot of customers."

What should we do now that the boss is here?

Guessing what the young clerk was worried about, Xin You chuckled, "It's fine. Your boss doesn’t mind being seen."

"Miss Kou!" Shen Ning exclaimed as he hurried in.

At his shout, all the guests in the hall turned to look.

From the depths of the bookshelves, He Qingxiao quietly set down the travelogue.

Liu Zhou’s face fell. He thought to himself, 'The manager was right—the former young boss really knows how to stir things up.'

Shen Ning ignored everyone else, his eyes brimming with curiosity as he stared at Xin You: "Did I get it wrong? Should I call you—"

"Just call me Miss Xin, that’s fine."

"Miss Xin, are you still running the bookstore?"

Wasn’t it said that she’s a noblewoman? Why would she still be running a business?

Hu Boss shot him a sideways glance.

Don’t let that troublemaker lead the boss astray!

"Well, 'Journey to the West' isn’t complete yet."

Hearing this, everyone nodded.

After all, Miss Xin is the one who’s been writing Mr. Songling’s stories. If she stopped managing the bookstore, wouldn’t they never see the end of 'Journey to the West'?

A favorite story without an ending? That’s unbearable!

Shen Ning nodded anxiously, "You’re right—Qingsong Bookstore can’t survive without Miss Xin. Once 'Journey to the West' is done, will Miss Xin write more stories?"

"Yes," Xin You said, finding the young man rather charming. "I came to tell the manager that I’ve been working on a new book. It’ll be a free gift for everyone when the sixth volume of 'Journey to the West' comes out."

Shen Ning’s eyes lit up. "What’s it about?"

"Some ideas inspired by my late mother."

Untold tales of the founding empress? A queen mother’s life in the common world? The mysterious vanishing of Empress Xin?

Shen Ning’s curiosity was piqued. "I’ll definitely read it!"

"The number of complimentary copies is limited."

"I’m willing to pay."

Who doesn’t love a good piece of gossip?

"You're being too formal, Mr. Shen. Once the book is printed, I'll definitely save a copy for you."

Shen Ning was deeply moved.

He and Miss Xin had a solid friendship, cemented by a ten thousand tael kickback!

"Miss Xin, are you free?"

"Mr. Shen, do you need something?"

Shen Ning waved his folding fan: "If Miss Xin is free, I'd like to invite you to Fengwei Restaurant for a meal."

Not wanting to be misunderstood, he gestured to Hu Boss: "Hu Boss, you all come along."

"Mr. Shen, I appreciate your kindness, but today I need to discuss some matters with Hu Boss."

"Then another time. It's crab season now, and Fengwei's crab roe buns are the best."

Gulp—the sound of swallowing echoed through the hall, coming from various directions.

He Qingxiao couldn't help but frown when he heard Shen Ning invite Xin You to a meal, and his frown deepened when he heard it was at Fengwei Restaurant.

When Shen Ning mentioned the crab roe buns at Fengwei, He Qingxiao seemed to radiate dark energy.

It wasn't jealousy, but he just couldn't understand how a young man who idled all day could so casually invite someone to eat Fengwei's crab roe buns.

Sharing He Qingxiao's sentiment was Inspector He, who had just entered the bookstore and overheard the conversation.

Inspector He was actually quite busy, and his rare free time was spent at Qingsong Bookstore. Of course, he couldn't afford to buy books, so he would make an appearance in front of Miss Zhu and then head straight for the bookshelves.

At that moment, the two cash-strapped young men met deep among the bookshelves, and seeing each other, they both felt a bit more at ease.

After saying what she wanted in public, Xin You said to Hu Boss: "Hu Boss, let's go to the back to discuss. We can also check on the printing workshop's recent status."

Once they left the hall, Hu Boss whispered: "Boss, Lord He is reading by the bookshelves."

"Wait until the hall is empty, then invite Lord He to the back parlor," Xin You instructed softly.

After Xin You left, the people in the hall, with nothing new to see, gradually dispersed, leaving only He Qingxiao and Inspector He.