Joy of Life: The Mei Family's Son Grows Up

Chapter 408: Someone Still Likes You (Two in One)

As the Jinyiwei leader shouted, the gate of the old house suddenly opened, and a large number of Jinyiwei who had been lying in ambush in the yard rushed out and surrounded the carriage. As there were too many people and the space was not spacious, many people couldn't even squeeze out.

Looking down from the carriage, there were crowds of heads everywhere. Fan Xian grinned calmly at the little leader.

"Wow~ I'm so famous, everyone knows me."

In this situation, no one was in the mood to chat and joke with him. The Jinyiweis looked nervous or solemn, and no one responded.

Mei Cheng'an stuck his head out and looked outside, patted Fan Xian's shoulder lightly, then turned around and walked out of the carriage.

"Okay, stop being so showy, we'll talk this afternoon."

As he finished speaking, he jumped off the carriage.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't crowd around so tightly. Move back, move back, and spread out a little to make some room. Oh, that's right, don't be nervous or excited. Swords have no eyes, and the dagger on Miss Shen's neck is even more so. If anything happens to her, you won't be able to explain to your governor."

After getting off the carriage, Mei Cheng'an chatted with the nervous Jinyiwei outside with a smile, and persuaded them to retreat to the side with the simplest reason. He lifted the curtain to the roof, took a horse and put it on the side to make it easier for Fan Xian to get off the carriage with Miss Shen.

"Come on, make way, make way, oi, I mean the guy in front, yes, I mean you, put away your knife and retreat quickly, okay? The tip of your knife is about to poke Miss Shen, you want her to die, right?"

"Hey~ That's right. And you guys, if you want her to live, just be quiet and don't move."

Surrounded by the Jinyiwei, the three of them walked into the gate of the old house step by step and moved slowly towards the main house.

Fan Xian held Miss Shen hostage and walked in front to clear the way, while Mei Cheng'an walked behind him with his back to avoid being stabbed from behind by someone.

They had hostages in their hands that made the Jinyiwei cautious, and they had trusted people protecting them behind them. Therefore, even though they were surrounded, the two men did not walk very cautiously. Instead, they walked with a leisurely manner, which was in sharp contrast to the solemn faces of the Jinyiwei around them.

The old house where Yan Bingyun was imprisoned was not big, and the gate was not far from the main house, so after entering the yard, Fan Xian's casual voice easily passed through the crowd and entered the house, and Yan Bingyun, who was shackled and imprisoned on a low chair, heard it clearly.

Yan Bingyun suddenly opened his eyes, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes at first, because he felt that the voice was very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before. Soon he remembered it, after all, his memory retrieval ability was far beyond that of ordinary people. However, the moment he remembered it, his eyes suddenly widened and he stood up.

The shackles and chains made a crisp friction sound when they collided, and the wounds all over his body caused severe pain. However, Yan Bingyun seemed not to feel it, and did not even frown. He just tilted his head to look in the direction of the yard, with a look of surprise and uncertainty on his face.

Fan Xian? Yes, it was his voice, the one who killed his subordinates over a disagreement, causing him to be forced to go to Northern Qi to take responsibility, the one he felt was unworthy of the official badge and had tried to force it in vain, the illegitimate son of Si Nanbo...

he…

Aren't you going to Kyoto?

How come you are here???
……

Guard station.

With a loud "bang", a heavy palm slammed on the table, causing the wine cup on the table to fly into the air, then fall to the ground, with the wine spilling everywhere.

He stood up quickly, frowned and shouted angrily.

"What hostages? With such a powerful enemy in front of us, why are you still afraid to act rashly? Why don't you just do it?"

The deputy half-bent his body and lowered his head, occasionally stealing glances at Shenzhong, wanting to say something but stopping himself, with a very frightened expression.

Taoist He stood a little further back and watched the scene quietly. His face was calm, but he was amazed at the efficiency of the two men. The conversation he had at the mission office yesterday about the follow-up arrangements also emerged in his mind.

[When the time comes, just ask to go with him. Even if Shen Zhong has doubts about you, your recommendation will dispel them.]

[If that's the case, I won't be able to help you in front of everyone, so it's best not to put your hopes on me.]

[It's okay, just go ahead and bring up your idea. With his personality, he may not let you go with him because... that's not important. Even if he lets you go, it doesn't matter. We have other ways to get out of this situation. We won't make it difficult for you, don't worry.]

[…Okay, I understand.]

Shen Zhong's anger interrupted He Daoren's recollections. He suppressed his thoughts and watched quietly as Shen Zhong continued to rage at his deputy.

"What kind of carriage could allow the spies from the garrison to pass so easily? This is simply..."

The heavy voice suddenly stopped, his eyes moved back and forth for a moment, and he finally reacted vaguely. He suddenly stared at his deputy, with a cold light in his eyes.

The deputy naturally noticed it. He had dared to peek before, but now he buried his head deep in his chest, too scared to even raise his head.

Shen Zhong walked down the platform and stood in front of his deputy. He stared at him with scorching eyes without saying a word, veins bulging on his forehead, and it was obvious that he was on the verge of a rage.

The deputy shuddered and looked up cautiously.

"Qi, Your Excellency, the person Fan, the one Fan Xian is holding hostage is... indeed your sister. Our people are really..."

Before he could finish his words, the furious Shen Zhong no longer wanted to listen and slapped back the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

Then he strode out of the hall angrily, obviously in a hurry to get to the crime scene.

Taoist He chose the right moment to ask.

"Would you like me to help you?"

He walked on without stopping and without turning his head.

"No need, sir, please look after the garrison for me, I will handle this matter myself."

It's not that he doubted what Master He said today, but he instinctively felt that it was not appropriate to take him there before he completely trusted him. In other words, he didn't have enough trust in Master He yet.

As he finished saying this, Shen Zhong hurriedly walked out of the guardhouse hall. The deputy who was almost knocked to the ground by the slap had now stabilized his body. He kept shouting "Sir" as he passed by He Dao Ren and hurriedly chased after him.

Taoist He stood where he was, looking at the two men's backs from afar and curled the corners of his mouth calmly.

……

In the old house, hearing the footsteps getting closer, Yan Bingyun's expression gradually regained its calm, he sat down again, and slowly closed his eyes.

Did he figure it out? Of course not. He had been trapped in the cage for too long and had lost too much information, so he couldn't form a coherent train of thought. Moreover, he couldn't think carefully at the moment. He just decided to stay alert and wait and see, taking one step at a time.

Just as he closed his eyes, the door creaked open from the outside, and Fan Xian entered the room holding Miss Shen hostage. After taking a few steps forward, he turned around and faced the Jinyiwei who were staring at him outside the door.

"Don't come in, wait outside, otherwise..."

As he spoke, he narrowed his eyes and put the blade of the dagger against Miss Shen's neck again. Miss Shen tilted her face up, looking very helpless.

The leading Jinyiwei leader was shocked when he saw this, and immediately raised his hand to signal, and the Jinyiwei behind him stopped one after another.

Mei Cheng'an smiled at them, closed the door and bolted it.

As soon as the two sides' sight was separated by the door, Fan Xian immediately breathed a sigh of relief and let go of Miss Shen. It must be said that even with the presence of fellow villagers, being surrounded by so many Jinyiwei holding sharp blades was still quite tense and exciting.

Handing the dagger back to Miss Shen, Fan Xian praised with a smile.

"Ms. Shen performed well just now. She is quite talented."

Miss Shen took the dagger and hid it in her sleeve. She did not respond to him, turned to look to the side and behind, then hurriedly walked over there.

"The person is over here, follow me."

Fan Xian shrugged, exchanged a glance with his fellow villager, and followed with a smile. Mei Cheng'an put his hands behind his back and was not in a hurry to go either, but looked around the room leisurely.

The house was not small. He was currently in the main hall of the house, which was not connected to the side halls on the left and right. There were partitions between them. As far as he could see, there was not a single table or chair. They must have been emptied by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Mei Cheng'an shook his head and slowly walked towards the right hall where Yan Bingyun was imprisoned.

There was a space of moderate size by the wall of the right hall, with a single low chair placed in the middle. There was nothing else around. Yan Bingyun was sitting on the low chair with his eyes closed to rest.

"Yan Bingyun."

He came up to him and called him, but seeing no response, Fan Xian stretched out his hand and fanned his face up and down.

"Hey~ I'm Fan Xian. You once stopped me on the way from Danzhou to Beijing. Do you remember?"

Yan Bingyun slowly opened his eyes without looking at him.

"remember."

Fan Xian nodded.

"Thanks to your intelligence, Qing won a great victory in this battle, and Northern Qi has already asked for peace. I am now the chief envoy of the diplomatic corps, and I am here to take you home."

Hearing this, Yan Bingyun's calm eyes moved and moved slightly upward to look at him. After staring at him for a moment, he suddenly curled his lips and sneered.

"You defected to Northern Qi?"

"?"x3
Fan Xian's CPU was almost blown away when he said this. Miss Shen was also stunned. Mei Cheng'an, who was about to walk to the right hall with his hands behind his back, stopped and smiled.

Fan Xian, who had digested for a long time before vaguely understanding Yan Bingyun's thoughts, looked at him speechlessly, raised his eyebrows, and moved his lips slightly.

"You think... I'm lying to you?"

Yan Bingyun retracted his gaze and spoke calmly.

"How long have you been in Kyoto? You're already the chief envoy?"

"I…"

For a moment, Fan Xian really didn't know how to explain to him the reason for his lightning-fast promotion. It wasn't because he was embarrassed, but mainly because it was a long story and it was difficult to explain it to him in one sentence.

Moreover, the strong distrust in Yan Bingyun's tone made him not want to explain to him, and his face became more speechless.

"He really is the official envoy of Nanqing, and he is here to save you."

Miss Shen couldn't help but testify for Fan Xian.

Yan Bingyun glanced at her, and somewhat restrained his disdain in his words, but that was all.

"Since you are an envoy, why did they kidnap you and bring you in just now?"

Miss Shen opened her mouth and glanced at Fan Xian. There were some things that she couldn't say from her perspective.

Fan Xian suppressed his thoughts and said speechlessly.

"It's not that Shen Zhong is unwilling to let him go."

Yan Bingyun glanced at him and then said something.

"So you came in on your own."

The words were spoken in a declarative tone, but the sarcasm was fully exerted.

"..."

Fan Xian slapped his forehead and had the urge to turn around and leave.

Who among my family members understands this? I am really impressed.

Miss Shen said at this time.

"Not only him, but also...eh? Where is that person?"

As she spoke, she stood up and looked around.

Yan Bingyun was stunned when he heard this. Are there others?
Fan Xian was also stunned when he heard this, he put down his hands and turned to look behind him. The place where they were located was connected to the right hall and was connected to the main hall. However, because there was a partition on the south side of the right hall, he could not see the whole main hall, but only a part of it.

After taking a quick look and not seeing any fellow villager, Fan Xian exclaimed.

"Lao Mei? What's up?"

Old plum?

Yan Bingyun glanced at him, frowning slightly. Mei...hiss~ Could it be Mei Cheng'an? He's here too? Did Fan Xian lie to him?

Mei Cheng'an had indeed deliberately not shown up. He was extremely amused by Yan Bingyun's excessive caution and Fan Xian's speechlessness. He wanted to see them being awkward for a while longer, but now that he had been named, it would be unreasonable for him not to show up.

Sighing, Mei Cheng'an showed up reluctantly. After glancing at Fan Xian, he waved to Yan Bingyun and greeted him with a smile.

"Long time no see, Xiaoyan-san."

Yan Bingyun saw that his pupils dilated slightly. It was really him. It seemed that what Fan Xian said was true.

The reason why he believed what Fan Xian said as soon as he saw Mei Chengan was because he didn't believe that Fan Xian could become the chief envoy of the delegation in such a short time, but it would be reasonable if it was Mei Chengan.

After all, when he left Beijing, Mei Cheng'an had already worked in the Honglu Temple for many years, so he definitely had enough qualifications.

Moreover, he was very clear, and it was also very important that Mei Cheng'an was highly valued by Emperor Qing, otherwise he would not have been promoted so quickly, and he was specially allowed to serve as the Director of the Supervisory Council. Unless Mei Cheng'an had lost his mind, it was impossible for him to give up his bright future and defect to Northern Qi.

"I have never been your classmate."

After a pause, he nodded slightly and added.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Speaking of which, the last time they met was at the beginning of the year. More than half a year had passed in a flash, and when they met again they were in a foreign country, with completely different identities and situations, which still made him feel emotional.

"?"

Fan Xian folded his arms, looked at Yan Bingyun, and hissed.

"You're just exchanging pleasantries now? Are you treating him differently? Why don't you suspect that he defected to Northern Qi?"

Yan Bingyun looked at him without saying anything, his expression calm and without any sign of embarrassment.

Mei Cheng'an walked around the only remaining square table in the right hall, patted Fan Xian's shoulder with a smile, and put his arm on it.

"Because I'm more handsome than you!"

"..."

Fan Xian rolled his eyes and lowered his shoulders to refuse his support.

"shameless!"

Mei Cheng'an smiled and didn't care. He put his arms behind his back again and looked at Yan Bingyun with a smile.

Being interrupted by him, Fan Xian did not ask Yan Bingyun why he treated him and his fellow villagers differently. It was enough for him to believe it. It would not be too late to ask the rest when he returned.

Yan Bingyun glanced at Fan Xian and asked Mei Chengan.

"How did you find this place? Shen Zhong is not a simple person. He shouldn't let you find me easily."

This time he was not questioning, he was just simply curious.

Mei Cheng'an opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Fan Xian suddenly raised his eyebrows and said "Hey".

"What you said is not that we are stupider than him."

Mei Cheng'an looked at him with a smile, shook his head and spoke.

"What a coincidence, we went to the place where you were arrested and chatted with the neighbors for a while..."

As he said this, he glanced at Miss Shen and said with a smile.

"I accidentally learned about Miss Shen's existence, and then followed him to find this place."

It's not that he didn't want to tell the truth, it was mainly because Miss Shen was also present. He and Shen Zhong were siblings, and some things were not convenient to say in front of her, so Mei Cheng'an chose him to frame him. It was what happened in the play, so it was naturally reasonable. So Yan Bingyun didn't question anything when he heard it, but was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked at Miss Shen. Coincidentally, Miss Shen also looked at him after hearing what Mei Cheng'an said. When the two looked at each other, Miss Shen's pretty face blushed, Yan Bingyun's face was embarrassed, and they hurriedly avoided their gazes.

Seeing this scene, Fan Xian curled the corners of his mouth and chuckled. He poked the fellow villager next to him with his arm and signaled him to look quickly with his eyes.

What's so good about the sour smell of love? It's boring.

Mei Chengan rolled his eyes at him and pointed at the shackles on Yan Bingyun. "He's still handcuffed. Do you have anything to do?"

"..."

Fan Xian's smile faded and he glanced at the shackles in confusion.

"How do you know I can pick a lock?"

Because you're the only one driving the show!
Of course, this is definitely not the right way to say it.

Mei Cheng'an looked surprised.

"I don't know, can you pick a lock?"

Fan Xian became even more puzzled when he heard this.

"Aren't you hinting at me to unlock the door?"

"No, you'd misunderstand."

"Isn't it?"

"Really? So you can pick the lock? Why don't you open it for them right away? Why do you have time to worry about these things?"

"..."

Fan Xian was speechless after thinking about it. He could only reach out and touch his head. He actually felt out a piece of wire. He bent the wire head and squatted down.

Mei Chengan asked curiously.

"When did you learn this technique?"

Fan Xian kept moving his hands and curled his lips.

"After having a key made at a locksmith's, I found it interesting so I went home and studied it. It's quite simple. Do you want to learn it?"

Mei Chengan shrugged.

"No, I don't have the habit of breaking into houses and picking locks, thank you."

"?"

Swearing, right?
Fan Xian paused what he was doing, uttered a "hey" and was about to turn around to say something, but Mei Cheng'an grabbed his shoulder.

"Let's get down to business first!"

Fan Xian tried twice, but found that his shoulder could not move, so he gave up and continued to unlock the door.

"You mean I can scold you after I finish my work, right?"

"No, because if I get upset I'll beat you up!"

"..."

When Miss Shen heard this, she couldn't help but burst out laughing. When she saw Fan Xian glancing at her, she quickly covered her mouth and started to laugh secretly.

Yan Bingyun glanced at Fan Xian. Although there was no obvious smile on his icy face, he seemed to be much softer.

Fan Xian rolled his eyes wildly.

"Okay, you are awesome, but you can't be awesome forever. Things may change over time. Let's wait and see."

Mei Chengan laughed.

"Are you trying to use the one-year age difference to wear me out?"

As he spoke, Fan Xian had already opened all the shackles on Yan Bingyun's hands and feet. He was not in a hurry to help him remove them. Fan Xian casually threw the wire in his hand to the side, stood up, turned around, sneered, and gave Mei Chengan two middle fingers.

"hehe!"

Mei Cheng'an glanced at him, sneered and said nothing.

Feeling that his counterattack was successful, Fan Xian squatted down contentedly again to help Yan Bingyun remove the shackles.

Yan Bingyun let him do what he wanted and looked at Mei Chengan.

"What is your position in the mission?"

Mei Chengan shrugged and said casually.

"Deputy envoy."

Hearing this, Yan Bingyun subconsciously glanced at Fan Xian and moved his mouth, obviously wanting to say something but stopping himself.

When Fan Xian noticed it, he stopped what he was doing and glanced at him.

"Why, you think I'm not worthy of being the chief envoy, right?"

Yan Bingyun exhaled and nodded.

"Yes."

"..."

Good guy, you don’t even want to act anymore, right?

Fan Xian took a deep breath and continued with his actions.

"I finally understand why you received such a severe punishment. Mr. Xiaoyan, your personality is not very likable."

His dissatisfaction was reflected in action. The movement of raising his wrist to remove the shackles was inevitably a bit rough. Yan Bingyun did not react, but Miss Shen could not bear to see it and felt distressed. She looked at Fan Xian and spoke softly.

"Be careful, he's still injured."

Fan Xian was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and quickly slowed down his movements and glanced at Yan Bingyun.

"I'm sorry, I forgot you were still injured, and..."

As he said this, he gently threw the shackles he had taken off under the chair, stood up, took a step back and looked at Yan Bingyun.

"I take back what I said just now. There are still people who like you."

Yan Bingyun's expression changed when he heard this, and he glanced at Miss Shen who was carefully helping him adjust his cuffs, fearing that she would hurt him.

Miss Shen noticed his gaze and looked straight at him. This time she was somehow much braver and did not avoid his gaze.

Instead, it was Yan Bingyun who couldn't help but look away first, half lowered his head, his pupils somewhat dilated, and opened his mouth to speak coldly.

"I've told you very clearly that I was close to you before only to use your identity to get military intelligence. I have never liked you."

Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian were both stunned when they heard this and looked at each other in confusion.

How could he say such a heartless thing? How true was it?

I don’t know. Let me hear it first.

Miss Shen smiled at him when she heard that, lowered her head and continued to help him straighten his sleeves, speaking softly as she did so.

"Don't talk so much for now. You are still weak."

Fan Xian raised his eyebrows, thinking that the girl was so gentle, but Yan Bingyun still said such harsh words, he really deserved to die.

Mei Chengan glanced at him and said: Are you okay? The couple is playing the game of "you are deaf and I am deaf", why are you singing and dancing here?
Yan Bingyun was still delivering cold output.

"I've been lying to you all along!"

Miss Shen paused, looked up at him, and said with a sad smile.

"I know. I want to hate you, too. But seeing you hurt like this... I still can't bear it."

Fan Xian: Wow~
Mei Chengan: Saudi grandma.

Yan Bingyun lowered his eyes so that outsiders could not see his expression clearly, but his voice remained cold without the slightest fluctuation.

"Stupid woman!"

"You must be thirsty. I'll get you a glass of water."

After saying this, Miss Shen slowly stood up, picked up the dagger, put it in her sleeve, and walked towards the left hall.

Yan Bingyun raised his head slightly and looked at her back. A hint of tenderness and guilt flashed across his face, and then quickly returned to being cold again.

Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian on the side watched Miss Shen walk away. Fan Xian withdrew his gaze to Yan Bingyun and could not help but speak in a low voice.

"The girl is not stupid, it is obvious that she is deeply in love with him."

Yan Bingyun remained calm upon hearing this, his eyes showing no fluctuations.

Fan Xian gave a thumbs up speechlessly.

"You are a cruel person!"

Mei Chengan smiled and said.

"You don't understand, right? Behind the absolute indifference lies absolute affection. You are still too young."

Fan Xian was stunned for a moment when he heard this. He really didn't quite understand it. However, Yan Bingyun's eyes moved, and a complex emotion flashed by.

After a moment he looked up at the two of them.

"Let's get back to the point. Did you think about how to get out before you came in? Shen Zhong... won't let me escape easily."

What nonsense! Otherwise, you are only concerned with the beginning and not the end.

Fan Xian shrugged while complaining in his heart.

"of course."

Mei Chengan smiled and said softly.

"I have a subordinate named Wang Qinian."

"Wang Qinian?"

Yan Bingyun felt that the name was very familiar and thought about it.

"The clerk in the first place?"

Mei Chengan nodded.

"He has now joined my sect. Do you know him?"

Yan Bingyun shook his head.

"Only what I heard, and then what?"

Fan Xian took over the conversation and spoke casually.

"We had asked him to get help before he came."

"reinforcement?"

Yan Bingyun frowned, there was an idea that he felt was ridiculous even to think about, but after hesitating for a moment he still asked.

"Shen Zhong's status in Northern Qi is similar to that of the dean. The only one who can suppress him is the current empress dowager. He may not even obey the orders of the Northern Qi emperor. So your reinforcements... are they the Northern Qi empress dowager?"

……

Shen Zhong, along with his deputy and several Jinyiwei, rode non-stop all the way and finally arrived at the old house. Countless Jinyiwei in the yard bowed to him in unison, and the little leader called out to himself.

"grown ups!"

Shen Zhong looked calmly at the house behind everyone.

"inside?"

"Yes! They are all around."

Shen Zhong retracted his gaze to look at him, blinking in confusion.

"Why don't you go in?"

The little leader whispered.

"Fan Xian threatened the young lady's life and wouldn't let us go in."

Shen Zhong's eyes fixed for a moment, but soon regained their composure, and he looked at the house again with an inexplicable expression. The Jinyiwei who were blocking his way stood on both sides, making way for a passage leading directly to the house.

……

inside the house.

Fan Xian ended Yan Bingyun's question with one sentence.

"It's not the Queen Mother, so don't ask who it is. It's too troublesome to explain it to you right now. You will know it later."

Seeing Miss Shen coming over with a teapot and teacups, Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian helped Yan Bingyun sit at the tea table.

Perhaps the wound was too painful, Yan Bingyun couldn't help but frown. Fan Xian lifted his collar and looked inside. What he saw was a very deep bloodstain and countless bloodstains underneath.

Let go of your collar, Fan Xian said.

"How are you, can you still hold on? If not, let Lao Mei give you two injections to relieve the pain. He has a special skill."

Mei Cheng'an thought it was no problem and with a flip of his wrist a silver needle appeared.

Yan Bingyun glanced at the silver needle and, for some reason, shook his head to refuse.

"No need, I'm fine!"

Mei Cheng'an shrugged and put away the silver needle.

Fan Xian curled his lips.

"Just be tough."

Miss Shen poured the water and brought the cup to Yan Bingyun.

"There's no hot water here. You'll have to make do with it for now."

Yan Bingyun glanced at her, but did not refuse. He reached out to take the drink and started drinking. Miss Shen used her sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Fan Xian, who was standing aside, looked at Yan Bingyun with contempt, while Mei Chengan smiled and glanced outside the door casually.

Now that you are here, why not come in?

……

(End of this chapter)