Chapter 27

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As the carriage slowly approached, Zheng Jing and Xu Shenzhong, who were about to leave, stopped and turned to look at Zhou Zhong. They found that Zhou Zhong was also puzzled, not knowing who the owner of the carriage was.

As the carriage drew closer, it became clear that the driver was a very burly man with a square face, a fierce look, and a bald head that shone like a mirror. He looked like a monk but had no burn marks, and instead, there was a nasty scar from his forehead to his right cheek, making him look extremely fierce. Although he was sitting in the carriage, Zhou Zhong estimated that the man was likely over two meters tall, tall enough to play in the NBA in the future, and his build was no less impressive than that of black people.

Suddenly seeing such a fierce man, Zheng Jing and Xu Shenzhong both felt a jolt in their hearts. As ordinary scholars, they rarely encountered such fierce people, and they also sensed an uncomfortable aura from him, even feeling an impulse to run away.

Zhou Zhong was also taken aback when he saw the man, then narrowed his eyes and sized him up. From this bald, burly man, he sensed a very familiar dangerous aura. In his previous life, he often dealt with all kinds of people, and those who gave him this dangerous feeling were all people with blood on their hands. This indicated that the man was definitely not a good person and had at least a few lives on his hands. This made Zhou Zhong even more curious about who was in the carriage, what kind of person could command such a fierce man to drive for them?

The carriage soon stopped in front of the Zhou family's gate. The bald, burly man jumped down and stood respectfully to one side. Then a delicate little maid opened the carriage door, placed a step for the bald man, and got down to serve. At this moment, Zhou Zhong felt that the little maid looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her.

Finally, the curtain of the carriage was lifted, and a stunningly beautiful girl in a bright red fox fur coat got out. When Zhou Zhong saw this girl, he was taken aback because she was Xie Lingyun, whom he had met at Fengyou Teahouse. At that time, she was with the second young master of the Song family and had mocked him a few times.

When Zheng Jing saw Xie Lingyun, he showed a look of surprise. As a well-known scholar in Songjiang, he naturally knew this famous Miss Xie. However, he didn't expect Xie Lingyun to come to find Zhou Zhong. Xu Shenzhong, who was next to Zheng Jing, showed a puzzled look, as if he was thinking about something.

When Xie Lingyun saw Zhou Zhong at the gate, she first gave him a refined smile, then looked at Zheng Jing and Xu Shenzhong. When her gaze met Xu Shenzhong's, she was taken aback, then her face lit up with a joyful smile. "Cousin Shenzhong, why are you here?"

"You... you are Cousin Lingyun!" Xu Shenzhong finally recognized the girl and called out with a look of surprise.

"Of course, Cousin, weren't you studying in Suzhou? When did you come to Songjiang, and why didn't you come to see me and Mother?" Seeing her cousin, Xie Lingyun couldn't maintain her usual calm demeanor and showed a rare girlish side.

Xu Shenzhong's mother and Xie Lingyun's mother were sisters, making them cousins. Xu Shenzhong was ten years older than her, and she had no siblings, so when she was young, Xie Lingyun loved to play with Xu Shenzhong. In her heart, she always regarded Xu Shenzhong as a real brother. Unfortunately, they had been separated for many years because he had to return to Suzhou to study. Now, meeting him here was a pleasant surprise.

"I just arrived in Songjiang a few days ago and haven't had the chance to see you and Aunt. I heard about Wenda and his 'Journey to the West' from my father. You know my personality, so I came to visit him immediately. I didn't expect to meet you here." Xu Shenzhong was also very happy. After five or six years, the little girl who used to follow him around, with a runny nose and calling him "brother," had grown into a beautiful young lady, which surprised him.

Xie Lingyun naturally understood her cousin's personality. He had always loved books, especially strange and legendary stories, much like his teacher, Mr. Zhishan. Therefore, she didn't blame him for not visiting her immediately but instead asked about his mother, her aunt, and how she had been over the years.

After they had finished catching up, Xu Shenzhong pulled Zheng Jing and Zhou Zhong over to introduce them, but to his surprise, Zhou Zhong smiled and said, "So Miss Lingyun and Brother Shenzhong are cousins. The world is indeed small!"

Hearing Zhou Zhong's words, Zheng Jing smiled inwardly. He had heard about the conflict between Zhou Zhong and the Song family at the teahouse. It was said that this Miss Xie was with the second young master of the Song family, and now she was personally coming to find Zhou Zhong, which was quite intriguing. Xu Shenzhong, however, asked in surprise, "What, Wenda, you know Cousin Lingyun?"

Before Zhou Zhong could answer, Xie Lingyun, after her excitement, returned to her usual calm demeanor and said with a meaningful smile, "I met Zhou Gongzi at the teahouse a while ago. I was deeply impressed by his extraordinary talent and his ability to do what others cannot. I even wanted to invite him for tea, but unfortunately, someone else paid the bill, which was quite disappointing."

When Xie Lingyun said "ability to do what others cannot," she emphasized it and looked deeply at Zhou Zhong. Indeed, most people wouldn't be so shameless as to use such a trick to trick others.

Zheng Jing understood the inside story and almost laughed out loud, while Zhou Zhong gave Xie Lingyun an awkward glare. Xu Shenzhong, who had just arrived in Songjiang and hadn't heard about the previous incident, believed Xie Lingyun and said with a smile, "I see, Wenda is indeed talented. Just this 'Journey to the West' is not something an ordinary person can write. It's a great fortune for you to meet Wenda, Cousin."

Xu Shenzhong looked meaningfully at Zhou Zhong and Xie Lingyun. They were of similar age, unmarried, and both talented and beautiful. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became. If he could arrange for his cousin to marry the talented Zhou Zhong, it would be a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Zhou Zhong was already engaged, and their relationship was not particularly friendly.

Feeling the deep meaning in her cousin's gaze, Xie Lingyun blushed but didn't rush to explain. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "I'm not as leisurely as you, Cousin. I came to visit Zhou Gongzi today because I have something important to discuss with him. I wonder if he has the time?"

When she said the last sentence, Xie Lingyun smiled at Zhou Zhong, her eyes filled with a questioning look. Zhou Zhong didn't have a good impression of the shrewd Miss Xie and wanted to refuse outright. However, with Xu Shenzhong present, he couldn't refuse out of respect for his friend.

Thinking about this, Zhou Zhong forced a smile and said, "It is a great honor for our Zhou family to have Miss Xie visit."

Xu Shenzhong and Zheng Jing were considerate people. Seeing that Xie Lingyun had something to discuss with Zhou Zhong and that it was getting late, Xu Shenzhong made an appointment with Xie Lingyun to visit her house later, and then they both bowed to Zhou Zhong and left.

As Zheng Jing and Xu Shenzhong's carriage slowly drove away, Zhou Zhong's smile faded. He turned to look at Xie Lingyun and said in a calm tone, "Miss Xie, what brings you here today?"

Seeing Zhou Zhong's quick change in expression, Xie Lingyun looked at him with interest and then gave him a charming smile. "It's so cold outside. Are you really so heartless to make me discuss matters with you in this cold wind?"

Zhou Zhong felt a bit helpless. No matter how unwelcome he was, he couldn't neglect etiquette. Therefore, he turned to invite Xie Lingyun inside. The bald, burly man and the little maid, Suizhu, parked the carriage and followed them into the house.

Previously, to pay off his debts, Zhou Zhong had sold all the valuable items in the Zhou family, including rockeries, antiques, and furniture. He also sold decorative items in the courtyard, such as expensive flowers and trees in the front yard and stone carvings on the roof.

When Xie Lingyun entered the Zhou family's courtyard, she saw a scene of desolation. Large and small pits lined the sides of the road, the corners of the roof were empty, and there were no servants in sight. The approaching dusk and the slanting sunlight added a touch of melancholy to the Zhou family.

Xie Lingyun had visited the Zhou family several times with her father in the past. Seeing the once-prosperous Zhou family in such a state, she felt a sense of melancholy and looked at Zhou Zhong with sympathy.

In recent days, the Zhou family had many visitors, but the front hall was empty, with no chairs to sit on. Fortunately, the income from Xu Zhong's storytelling had increased, and he earned a few taels of silver each day. Therefore, Zhou Zhong had cleaned up a warm room next to the hall and bought a few tables, chairs, and a stove for receiving guests. He had just entertained Zheng Jing and Xu Shenzhong there.

When Zhou Zhong led Xie Lingyun into the warm room, Xu Zhong had already cleaned up the table and was wiping it. When he saw Xie Lingyun behind Zhou Zhong, he was surprised. He couldn't imagine why his young master would be with Miss Xie, with whom they had a conflict.

After they sat down, Zhou Zhong looked at Xie Lingyun and said, "Alright, Miss Xie, what important matter do you have to discuss now?"

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