The setting sun shone down on Jing Hanchuan, making him look holy and noble. He rubbed his fishing rod with his fingers, reached out to grab the strawberries at the side, and put them into his mouth one by one.
His movements were unhurried and elegant.
“Where?”
He had thought that Xu Yuanfei was going to disappear completely, but he didn’t expect her to still appear.
“The clubhouse.” The man coughed twice. “But I just helped you reject Eldest Young Master Fu’s invitation. I said that you have something to do and won’t be going.”
“The clubhouse? The same one?”
“Yes, she should have been invited by the young madam of the Fu family.”
Jing Hanchuan chewed on the strawberries thoughtfully.
***
Inside the clubhouse…
When Xu Yuanfei arrived at the clubhouse, because the evening gathering had yet to start, everyone was gathered at the archery range. Duan Linbai was competing with a friend of Fu Sinian in archery, and the surrounding people were cheering and betting.
“Young Madam Fu.” Xu Yuanfei had been invited at the last minute, so she could only buy some gifts casually.
“Miss Xu, welcome.” Yu Manxi was very happy to see her. “It seems you haven’t been going to the store much recently. I’ve been there a few times, and the store assistant said that you went on a trip.”
“Yes. Congratulations on moving to a new home.”
“You didn’t have to bring gifts. I’ll treat you to a meal at home another day. There are too many people today, so it’s not convenient to go to the house.” Yu Manxi smiled. “Come to the house for dinner another day. I’ll cook personally.”
Yu Manxi knew that the robbers at the time had really planned to kill people. Thinking about it, she was still afraid, so she was naturally even more grateful for Xu Yuanfei’s help.
Xu Yuanfei had originally been unwilling to come out, afraid that she would meet Jing Hanchuan. When Yu Manxi invited her, she asked indirectly who would go. She said that there were too many people, and she wasn’t familiar with them, so she didn’t want to go.
She mentioned many people, but she didn’t mention Jing Hanchuan.
“… Other than some people you’ve met, there are also some of Sinian’s friends.”
“Sixth Master Jing isn’t going?” Xu Yuanfei asked.
“Sixth Master has something to do and can’t come. Do you want to see him?” Yu Manxi knew their identities and inevitably wanted to tease her.
At this moment, she was almost certain that Xu Yuanfei knew a lot about Jing Hanchuan, but on the contrary…
Jing Hanchuan should have no idea that he had gotten to know someone from Lingnan.
“No, I was just asking casually.” Xu Yuanfei didn’t dare to say that she had blocked Jing Hanchuan on her Moments, hadn’t replied to his messages, and had disappeared for a long time.
If he caught her, he would definitely ask her why. She couldn’t think of a good explanation for now.
“He’s not coming. Are you coming?” Yu Manxi asked.
“Okay, I’ll go!” Xu Yuanfei immediately agreed. After returning from her vacation, she had been staying at home. It was rare for her to be invited, so she bought some gifts and went straight to the clubhouse.
After sitting down, she looked around. “Wanwan didn’t come?”
“She has class in the afternoon and will arrive at around six,” Yu Manxi explained.
Xu Yuanfei wasn’t stupid. She had gathered with this group of people before and had long seen that Song Fengwan had a deep relationship with Third Master Fu. It wasn’t as simple as it looked. They were probably a couple.
But this had nothing to do with her. She just pretended not to know.
***
She chatted with Yu Manxi for a while. Duan Linbai had already finished competing and won without any surprise.
Fu Sinian had learned archery before, and this group of people had practiced with him for a period of time, so they had basic skills.
“Miss Xu, welcome. But Hanchuan isn’t coming today!”
In an instant, everyone’s eyes focused on Xu Yuanfei. Her face flushed red. “Whether Sixth Master comes or not has nothing to do with me.”
“I was overthinking. He likes to eat your desserts a lot. I thought you two had a good relationship.” Duan Linbai smiled and smoothed things over to prevent Xu Yuanfei from feeling awkward.
“Our relationship is normal. It’s just a store owner-customer relationship,” Xu Yuanfei explained awkwardly.
Everyone suddenly understood. After all, this group of people knew that Sixth Master Jing liked sweets as much as his life.
“Anyway, not everyone is here yet. Miss Xu, do you want to try this?” Duan Linbai pointed at the bow in his hand.
“I’ve never practiced this before.” Xu Yuanfei had started learning martial arts since she was young, so she was naturally curious about these things.
Her master had only taught her practical self-defense. Bows and arrows were popular in ancient times, and shooting was popular now. She had played with guns before, but she had never touched a bow.
“You can try. It’s just for fun. Don’t be afraid of losing face. These men missed their targets the first time they shot. If you can’t shoot well, no one will laugh at you.” Duan Linbai smiled.
“If you want to try, I’ll get someone to get you a female bow for beginners.” Fu Sinian was sitting at the side without saying a word. Only then did he get up.
Xu Yuanfei took the bow and imitated what she saw on TV. She pulled the bowstring slightly. She didn’t expect it to be so strenuous just to pull the bowstring. It was really strenuous to maintain an extended posture for a long time.