Fuzhu's Ballad

15

CHAPTER 15 Intellectual disability

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Lan Dan hadn’t laid eyes on Shentu Rui in a number of days. She wondered if his absence was due to his busy schedule or if he was still nursing his anger over her behavior from a few days prior.

As the days passed, the weather began to turn, and the harsh winter gave way to a gentle warmth that crept in with the sunshine. The once snow-clad terrain had now shed its white cloak, revealing damp soil that looked fit to nourish a lush growth of greenery.

Lan Dan enjoyed basking in the sun’s warmth, and it was a daily routine for her to unlatch the two wooden doors leading to her small courtyard, allowing the sunbeams to penetrate the room and the chilly spring breeze to follow suit.

As Shentu Rui strolled in, his eyes darted towards the open sliding doors and clicked his tongue disapprovingly, promptly shutting them despite Lan Dan’s preference. When he pivoted around to face her, Lan Dan had already managed to steady her nerves and chose to pretend that the previous awkwardness had never occurred.

Shentu Rui wasn’t prepared to lock eyes with her so soon after turning around. Lan Dan’s expression was a composed one, with no discernible hint of anger or joy. This made him feel somewhat pressured for a moment.

“It’s still quite chilly outside,” he began, grasping for something to say. He felt uneasy and resentful, wondering why he was the one feeling uncomfortable. “Is your resting bitch face still not better?” he maliciously questioned her lack of expression.

“Hmm, no.” She answered casually.

He sat, brooding in silence, until a maid interrupted his thoughts with news of an unexpected visitor.

Already in a bad mood, he became even more unhappy after hearing about the visitor. He spoke sternly, “Did I not make it clear that I did not wish to receive anyone?” But as soon as the words escaped his lips, he regretted them and felt embarrassed in front of Lan Dan. He tried to mask his embarrassment with a deep frown, hoping to regain some semblance of composure.

The maid wasn’t scared, but she seemed nervous as she spoke. She blinked twice while hesitating before saying, “It’s… her.”

Shentu Rui thought for a while, then sneered at the corner of his mouth. “Her? Her Excellency?”

The maid’s surprise was evident, and she seemed momentarily taken aback by his lack of discretion in front of Lan Dan. However, she quickly composed herself and listened intently to his instructions.

Shentu Rui got up and left the room, with the maid following him. Shortly after, she returned to the room and checked the sliding door before warning Lan Dan in a serious tone, “Don’t make a sound.”

Lan Dan nodded cautiously in response. The maid left the room with satisfaction, carefully closing the door behind her.

Lan Dan sat still, unable to figure out why Lan Huang would come to Shentu Rui’s private residence. Did they have some business deal? She unconsciously bit her lip, realizing that Shentu Rui’s praise of Lan Huang might not be as simple as she had thought.

“Alright, let’s talk here.”

Shentu Rui’s indifferent voice came from outside the wall of her room. The structure of Lan Dan’s room was unique. On one side, a sliding door led directly to a small garden, while on the other, a veranda had been blocked off along the wall. During her walks, Lan Dan had often pondered the unusual design, wondering why the veranda had been cut off in such a peculiar manner. It seemed impractical that she had to go all the way around the house to enter her own room.