Chapter 347: Chapter 347: Seeing Zhao Wenrong Again
Lu, the time-space management master with a strong body, once again returned to ancient times.
Lin Wan maintained a normal work schedule, Liu Qingyan took Du Yueyao on house calls every day, while Shen Ying continued her relentless cultivation at Peach Blossom Plain.
Lu Zheng seemingly returned to a laid-back, idle state.
He occasionally visited White Cloud Temple, sat at the City God Temple, and dropped by Five Beauties Manor.
...
On this particular day, Renxin Hall was truly quiet, and Lu Zheng, feeling bored, tried to drag Liu Qingyan out for a stroll.
Liu Qingyan was somewhat tempted but felt a bit embarrassed in front of Du Yueyao, so she brought Du Yueyao along.
Lu Zheng had no objections. It was broad daylight, and he wasn’t planning on doing anything mischievous since he could perform the Summoning Technique at night.
"It’s been a long time since we last visited Yu Ling Garden; let’s go watch an opera today!" Liu Qingyan’s eyes were bright with excitement.
"Sure!" Du Yueyao clapped her hands in delight, her eyes sparkling as well.
Over time, Du Yueyao had become friendly with them, knowing that Lu Zheng and Liu Qingyan were both easygoing individuals.
Liu Qingyan had a gentle playfulness, and Lu Zheng had a steady yet irreverent demeanor, which allowed Du Yueyao to reveal a bit of her adventurous side beneath her demure exterior.
Lu Zheng was not at all surprised. In ancient Hua Country stories, most young educated women possessed such personality traits.
The ancients did not deceive me!
After having lunch, the group headed to Yu Ling Garden, with one of Du Yueyao’s guards following at a short distance.
...
Being in Tonglin County without relatives, Du Yueyao inevitably had attendants with her.
Du Yuru assigned Du Yueyao a maid, a servant, and two guards.
The maid and servant mainly stayed at home, while the two guards rotated shifts, tasked with accompanying Du Yueyao, usually standing guard not far outside Renxin Hall.
According to Du Yuru, these guards could also help Renxin Hall resolve minor issues, but they never saw any ruffians causing trouble during their days of guarding.
Thinking it over, it made sense since Lu Zheng held such a status; those who usually caused trouble were likely warned by Chief Liu from the County Government Office long ago.
...
Even though Du Yueyao was going out with Lu Zheng, and logically she shouldn’t be in danger with him around, the guard followed them anyway because of his duty.
Du Yueyao noticed this and told him, "We’re going to Yu Ling Garden to listen to an opera. With Brother Lu here, I won’t be in any danger, so you can rest."
"Yes!"
The guard had already been instructed on this, so he just cupped his hands in salute and then turned to Lu Zheng, "Will you be going straight home later, or heading back to Renxin Hall?"
Lu Zheng looked at the sky, estimating that the performance would end around mid-3 PM, and returning to Renxin Hall seemed pointless.
"Straight home, to the Liu Family for dinner."
"Yes!"
The guard knew what to do, so he bid farewell and left.
"Let’s go!" Du Yueyao clapped her hands and smiled.
The group then arrived at Yu Ling Garden, booked a private room, and sat down to enjoy the performance.
"Red Silk’s Story."
"’Red Silk’s Story’ again?" Lu Zheng couldn’t help but ask.
"It’s a classic performance at Yu Ling Garden," Liu Qingyan said, "always enjoyable, no matter how many times you watch it."
"Mhm, mhm!" Du Yueyao nodded repeatedly, agreeing with Liu Qingyan.
Lu Zheng, "..."
Alright, the opera indeed included both acting and singing, providing repetitive enjoyment. Hua Country had operas, and there were similar forms in foreign countries.
Lu Zheng pondered whether he should buy a rechargeable projector to show them modern special-effects movies.
Create a miracle?
Hmm... well, it might attract the Anomaly Suppression Bureau and the Evil God, resulting in an unfortunate end!
Yu Ling Garden served tea and snacks, while Lu Zheng took out some peanuts, melon seeds, and fruit juice, lounging leisurely with the two women to enjoy the show again.
As the opera came to an end, Lu Zheng shook his head, thinking that even the descendants of the Great Wild Boar had been defeated by him. As he scanned the hall, he didn’t notice any conspicuous figures.
After the performance, Lu Zheng, with Liu Qingyan and Du Yueyao, prepared to exit through a small back door of the garden’s private area. Halfway out, they encountered a well-dressed young master accompanied by a servant.
Zhao Wenrong!
He had also been in the private room at Yu Ling Garden to listen to the opera and was about to leave.
Seeing the trio, Zhao Wenrong’s eyes flashed, a hint of awkwardness crossing his face. Nonetheless, he straightened his clothing, stepped forward, and cupped his hands, "Greetings, Young Master Lu. I apologize for any unintended offense last time, and I hope you’ll forgive me!"
Although more polite than last time, he still exuded a mix of unease and distance.
Lu Zheng gave Zhao Wenrong a quick once-over, his eyes flashing, then smiled and cupped his hands, "Honestly, you didn’t do much, and Shopkeeper Zhou has apologized already, so let’s leave it at that. Bringing it up repeatedly would make it seem like I’m the one who can’t let it go."
Zhao Wenrong’s face relaxed, squeezing out a smile, realizing Lu Zheng hadn’t taken them seriously and genuinely wasn’t concerned about the previous matter. Moreover, judging by the message Zhou Mingsheng had delivered, they didn’t wish to engage with him.
Having run into them by chance, Zhao Wenrong gave a courteous yet distant greeting and then stepped back, gesturing for Lu Zheng and the others to leave first.
Lu Zheng didn’t stand on ceremony, nodded, and led Liu Qingyan and Du Yueyao out of Yu Ling Garden. Glancing back, he saw Zhao Wenrong and his servant heading in another direction.
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin, his gaze shifting several times, lost in thought.
"Who is that person? He seems somewhat afraid of Brother Lu," Du Yueyao curiously inquired.
"A dragon from overseas who came from Yizhou Prefecture. He previously wanted to buy my shop," Lu Zheng replied with a chuckle.
Liu Qingyan then recounted the previous incident to Du Yueyao.
"Apparently, he learned something about Lu Lang’s background and promptly gave up, listing the shop next to Sweet Shop for sale again with the brokerage."
Hearing this, Du Yueyao snorted and commented, "A spoiled young master."
Liu Qingyan nodded, smiling at Lu Zheng, seemingly seeking confirmation, "But that’s not a crime deserving the death penalty, right?"
"Huh?" Du Yueyao looked puzzled, glancing between Liu Qingyan and Lu Zheng, "How did it escalate to a capital offense?"
She didn’t believe Lu Zheng would take someone’s life over such a trivial matter, especially since over a month had passed. Had it not been for this chance encounter, Lu Zheng might have forgotten about him.
Lu Zheng nodded and calmly said, "There’s Ghost Qi on him."
"Ah!" Du Yueyao exclaimed.
Noticing people looking around her, Du Yueyao quickly hunched her shoulders and lowered her voice, "He saw a ghost!?"
Her expression mingled fear with excitement, akin to a modern girl touring a haunted house.
Of course, the primary reason she wasn’t too scared was Lu Zheng’s presence.
Lu Zheng rubbed his chin, his tone teasing, "Indeed, it seems he’s been romantically involved with the female ghost for quite some time."
Du Yueyao: