Chapter 346

Chapter 346: Helping Out

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The servant stood behind him with an oil-paper umbrella, blocking the falling petals for him.

Shen Junzhi raised his right hand and stretched out his slender fingers, revealing the silver earring lying in his palm.

It was Yu Niaoniao’s earring.

In order to deal with the kidnappers, she had thrown away this earring. After Shen Junzhi picked it up, he had kept it until now.

Shen Junzhi looked down at the silver earring in his palm. His gaze seemed to penetrate the earring and see someone else.

The servant could not help but ask.

“Young Master, how long are we going to wait here?”

Shen Junzhi said, “Wait until Niaoniao comes out.”

He had left so much information. Niaoniao must know that he had just been here. She would probably come out to look for him.

As a child, he used to tease her with this trick. Every time, she would chase after him.

The servant did not understand. “So what if you see her? She’s already married.”

Shen Junzhi retracted his fingers and clenched the silver earring bit by bit.

“I’ll tell her everything when she comes after me.”

The servant’s expression immediately changed. “Young Master, you must not!” Shen Junzhi ignored the servant’s dissuasion.

Since he was young, he had always followed other people’s plans and had never made a decision for himself.

Today, he wanted to fight for himself.

In front of the eternal lamp, Yu Niaoniao gradually calmed down.

She admitted that she had been a little impulsive.

Shen Junzhi was indeed hiding many secrets, but what did that have to do with her?

She was already grown up. She would no longer chase after Brother Junzhi for no reason like when she was young.

Yu Niaoniao opened the food box, took out the food inside, and placed them on the incense table.

Xiao Juan picked up six incense sticks, lit them, and gave three to Niaoniao.

They knelt on the futon and kowtowed to the memorial tablet.

In the past, there were many people who came to the peach blossom tree to pray for blessings. Today, because it was the Qingming Festival, everyone had gone to pay respects to their ancestors. The number of people who came to ask for marriage could be counted on one hand. The peach blossom tree was cold and empty.

Other than Shen Junzhi and the servant, there was only one monk in charge of cleaning.

When the monk swept away all the petals on the ground, Shen Junzhi still did not see the person in his heart.

The manservant’s initial uneasiness faded to sympathy.

He advised him quietly, “Young Master, forget it.”

The monk poured the last pinch of powdered petals into the wicker basket.

The manservant natted the water dronlets on his bodv and said to Shen Tnnzhi.

“There’s always something in life. Don’t force it. Young Master, forget it.” Shen Junzhi looked up at the peach tree above.

Other than peach blossoms, there were also many pieces of red silk cloth hanging on the branches.

Those silk cloths were hung by those who had come to pray for blessings. It was said that this could let the Immortal Matchmaker hear their prayers and fulfill their wishes.

Shen Junzhi asked, “Is this marriage tree really effective?”

The monk said slowly, “In the mortal world, love and hatred are unclear even to Buddha. How can it be decided by a tree? In the end, it still depends on fate.”

Shen Junzhi recalled what had happened since he met Niaoniao. In conclusion, there were only four words:

They were not fated.

The monk carried the wicker basket full of peach petals and strolled away with a broom and a dustpan.

Shen Junzhi put the silver earring into his sleeve.

It was a simple action, but it seemed to seal all his pining and anticipation.

“She’s not coming. Let’s go.”

Yu Niaoniao nagged at her mother and stepfather’s memorial tablets. “I have a formal job now. I have a monthly salary and paid leave. I even have food and accommodation!”

“I know a lot of people in the Justice Department. There’s the tall and fat chef, Pan Dafu, and Little Lo. He likes to joke and laugh, but he’s very reliable at critical moments. Meng Xizhou and Yan Nanguan are especially good to me.”

“There’s something else you definitely don’t know. Dang Gui has regained her memory! She has already remembered who she is. So her real name is Tang Guixi, the daughter of the great general.”

“Although Dang Gui isn’t with me now, I don’t feel lonely at all, because I still have His Highness! He’s with me every day. Every morning, I just have to open my eyes and I can see him. In the future, we’ll grow old together and be a happy couple when we’re old.”

“Father, Mother, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m happy every day now!”

When she said the last sentence, Yu Niaoniao could not help but soften her tone and smile exceptionally brightly.

Xiao Juan often saw her smile.

In the past, he’d thought she’d grown up in an environment filled with joy and happiness. Like a small sun, she was always so warm and dazzling.

He thought that someone like her should have never come into contact with the dark side. But in fact, she had seen her loved ones die tragically.

It would have been fine if she had never had happiness from the beginning. It was most painful and despairing for someone to have experienced happiness which was later destroyed, like what happened to Yu Niaoniao. Yet she never showed these negative emotions.

What she displayed was always the happy and positive side.

Yu Niaoniao picked up the wine pot and poured two glasses.

“This is peach blossom wine I brewed myself. In the past, Mother would use peach blossoms to brew wine every spring. Now that Mother is no longer around, I can only do it myself. My culinary skills might not be as good as

Mother’s, but you can’t despise me.”

Xiao Juan picked up his wine glass and slowly poured the wine on the ground.

The sweet fragrance of wine slowly spread.

He poured three times before stopping.

Yu Niaoniao put down the wine pot. “Alright, you can’t be greedy for good wine. That’s all for today. We’ll visit you another day.”

As usual, Xiao Juan donated a generous sum of money and walked out with Niaoniao.

When they passed near the marriage tree, it was already empty.

The two of them did not look at the tree again. After going down the mountain, they took a carriage home.

They arrived home at noon, just in time for lunch.

After eating and drinking his fill, Xiao Juan went to the Justice Department. He still had to continue investigating Imperial Concubine Yue’s case.

Yu Niaoniao stayed in the Langjun Imperial Palace.

She planned to finish The Record of the Phoenix Cry Nation as soon as possible.

She was really looking forward to Wei Liao’s reaction when he saw the little mute being tortured. It would be super interesting, hahaha!

Once a person had motivation, they would be especially energetic when they did work.

Just as she was drawing furiously, Yu Kangtai suddenly came looking for her.

Yu Niaoniao had no choice but to put down her paintbrush and go to the reception hall to receive Yu Kangtai.

“Why is Father here?”

Yu Kangtai asked, “Why didn’t you go back today when I asked Sheng’er to inform you of the ancestral worship yesterday?”

Yu Niaoniao answered truthfully, “I have to pay my respects to my mother and stepfather.”

Yu Kangtai said angrily, “Have you forgotten your surname? Your surname is Yu, and you’re from the Yu family! You didn’t pay tribute to the legitimate ancestors of the Yu family during the Qingming Festival and actually went to pay tribute to an outsider! You’re supporting an outsider! Is your elbow pointing outward?”

Yu Niaoniao said, “The elbow is pointing outward. If it turns inward, wouldn’t it be deformed?”

Yu Kangtai was furious.. “You!”