Chapter 29: This Young Master Really Doesn't Deserve This

It had been a bold guess on his part, but one that Chen Haoran considered well-reasoned. The gap between the Qi realm and the Liquid Meridian realm was too large to cross even for Lan Fen, so there were only so many ways she could hurt the Lan family. What better way than exposing a weakness? Lan Yao revealing her Earth-rank cultivation had been the final piece he needed to make sense of the suspicions he’d been holding ever since the Golden Lily auction.

“Is there a reason for you to tell me this?” Lan Fen said. She stretched out her fingers and clawed at the sheets. Thankfully she didn’t put any real force into it. “What do you gain?”

“I promised to help you destroy the Lan family. I’d like to be more involved in doing that.”

“Why? Your material support has been plenty.”

It was, but it wasn’t enough. “I want to become more valuable to you.”

“What?” Lan Fen looked at him with wide eyes.

“Recent events have reminded me just how alone I am.” Lan Fen was the only person he could count on his side because of him and not some previous relationship with the Young Master. “I’d like to become proper partners with you.” Chen Haoran held out his hand. “If you’ll let me.”

She stared at his outstretched hand and made no move to take it. “Assuming I agree. What more could you actually do?”

A test. It was a fair question as well. There wasn’t anything he could do that Lan Fen couldn’t do better, but that didn’t mean she could do everything.

“You won’t reveal your recovery until you reach the Ninth-Layer.” Chen Haoran said it as a fact. “Any actions you’ll be taking against the Lan family will be in secret. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to be done out in the public sphere.” He motioned to himself. “I’ll be your public face. The one who can say and act against the Lan family openly in ways your servants can’t. My confrontation with Lan Yao already planted the seeds of rumors and since I’m the City Lord’s hostage he won’t just sit by and watch the Lan family take action against me.”

Eagle-like eyes roved up and down his body as if they meant to flay his skin and peer inside his red skeleton for any dishonesty. He did not know what she saw but Lan Fen was blank-faced when she finally looked at his hand again. He stubbornly resisted the temptation to wilt back, he couldn’t fail here. Slowly, hesitatingly, Lan Fen reached out and grasped his hand. Relief coursed through him as they firmly shook hands, or rather, as he firmly shook her hand. Lan Fen’s grip was surprisingly weak and she looked more bewildered than anything.

Releasing her grip, Lan Fen glanced at her palm before looking back at him. “There must be something you expect in return. I will hear it.”

“If you could save my life in the future that would be appreciated.”

Her eyes sharpened. “Are you that threatened by the assassin?”

He sighed. “Him, the City lord, who knows which one will fall on my head first. Although I do have some thoughts about appeasing the Chen family that I can try now that you’re out of isolation training.”

Lan Fen mimicked his sigh, though hers was more annoyed than exhausted. “Why does it feel like each time I enter seclusion something dangerous occurs.”

“Something dangerous occurs to me, you mean. I’m not looking forward to your third round of isolation training.”

She laughed. “I will endeavor to make it quick for your sake.” Lan Fen rose from the bed and started roughing up her robes so that they would look carelessly put on. “Will you introduce me to this assassin?”

“I’ll warn you now, he’s very annoying. You’re probably going to be his newest project for the next few weeks. It’s up to you if you want to reveal your cultivation.”

“Not right away. It would be better to let him pretend he found out on his own.”

He couldn’t help snickering. The thought of Song Yuelin getting played like that was just too good. “I love it. That being said we’ll need some more evidence if we want to fool Song Yuelin into thinking something actually happened here.” Chen Haoran bared his neck. “You think you can scratch me?”

They had reconvened in his office. Lan Fen had neatly changed into a pale green dress and looked every bit the respectable noble lady. Chen Haoran meanwhile slouched in his chair and tried very hard not to touch his neck. Peeking out over his collar and trailing down his back were five angry red lines. He wasn’t sure who was more surprised: Lan Fen at how tough his skin had gotten, Or himself when she still managed to scratch him anyway. He didn’t think she could actually do it. Song Yuelin was, of course, nowhere to be seen, but Chen Haoran didn’t need Lan Fen’s sense to know he was watching.

Chen Haoran gestured to the empty space on his left. “Lan Fen, I’d like to introduce you to Song Yuelin.” He waited. “He’s a bastard,” he added as an afterthought.

Being the petty bastard that he was, Song Yuelin appeared to the right instead. “Greetings Lady Fen, it is an honor to finally meet you.” He clasped his hands and bowed. “I am Manager Song Yuelin.” He waited. “I am a bastard,” he added as an afterthought.

Lan Fen for her part only raised an eyebrow. Gracefully she rose and returned the bow. “The honor is mine, Manager Song. Thank you for taking care of Master Chen while this wife was indisposed.”

“It was a difficult task but fortunately I was able to not embarrass myself,” Song Yuelin boasted. He observed Lan Fen for a brief moment. A shining smile bloomed on his face. “I must say though Lady Fen, the rumors did not do your beauty justice. No wonder our Young Master Chen has fallen so madly in love.”

Chen Haoran rubbed his eyes. Did Lan Fen’s eyebrow just twitch?

“This Lan Fen beseeches Manager Song to not give credit to such exaggerated rumors,” Lan Fen neutrally replied.

“I must beg for your apology then my Lady because this Song Yuelin has filled his head with nothing but exaggerated rumors.” Song Yuelin wistfully sighed. “Looking at the wild and passionate love between you has revealed to me the truth.”

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Lan Fen’s face was carefully blank. “Much appreciated Manager Song.”

Chen Haoran didn’t like where this was going.

“They were so outrageous my lady. Can you believe they claimed you wore a white veil to your wedding ceremony?”

“How barbaric.”

“There were even some dastardly mouths within these very walls that accused you of never sharing Young Master Chen’s bed.”

“Clearly false.”

Song Yuelin wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. “I must say, I really am quite envious seeing a romance so full of youth,” he said, sniffling loudly. “I’m sure the rest of the Chen family will be as well. Young Master Chen has been so useless for such a long time.”

“Very useless,” Lan Fen agreed. Her face was practically carved from stone. Chen Haoran would only have to hand her a torch and a tablet to make a proper statue out of her.

“So,” Song Yuelin said, calming down. “When are we expecting a child?”

The statue cracked. “You really are quite annoying,” Lan Fen ground out between clenched teeth.

Song Yuelin laughed

Chen Haoran dropped his head onto his desk and sighed. Did Song Yuelin have some kind of fucking superpower when it came to irritating others? “Was all that necessary?”

“My apologies Young Master Chen, Lady Fen. An old dog is quite fond of his tricks.”

Chen Haoran thought an old dog was lucky he was too strong to be neutered. “Regardless I didn’t call you here just to fool around, there’s business to attend to.” Once he made sure he had both their attention he continued. “I have decided the time is ripe to strike at the Lan family.”

Song Yuelin raised his hand. “Young Master Chen I thought you said we weren’t here to fool around?”

“I’m being serious. Thanks to my confrontation with Lan Yao we have a prime springboard to spread damaging rumors about the Lan family.”

Song Yuelin raised his hand again. “Except Lan Yao nipped that in the bud while you were picking noodles out of your hair.”

“I figured that was how it went,” Lan Fen said.

Chen Haoran carefully ignored how the back of his neck flushed with heat. “The spark is still there, all it needs is for us to fan it.”

“Who is this us?” Song Yuelin looked around. “You do recall that I’m staying out of your feud with the Lan family, correct?”

“Just make sure the City Lord doesn’t lose himself to paranoia and flatten me,” Chen Haoran snapped. “You can do that much at least, right?”

Song Yuelin smiled carefreely. “If that is Young Master Chen’s command this servant can only obey.”

Chen Haoran snorted at the obvious lie.

Song Yuelin blinked his eyes innocently. “That still leaves the question as to how you intend to turn the rumors of your thrashing by Lan Yao into an advantage. Gossip tends to favor respectable people like her.”

Chen Haoran swore he would ruin that man one day.

“Since that is the case,” Lan Fen interjected. “The solution is rather obvious.”

“Do tell, Lady Fen.”

Lan Fen smiled. “We must make Chen Haoran a respectable person as well.”

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