Chapter 62: Did They Punish You?

It was nearly dusk when Li Rui and Zhang Xiaolan returned on horseback. The reason they were late was that they had first delivered their game to Nan’s house before coming back.

“La la la la…”

After dinner, Zhang Xiaolan was in excellent spirits. She hummed a tune in her room, carefully admiring the azalea that Li Rui had given her. Like all women, Zhang Xiaolan loved beautiful flowers, and though this one wasn’t particularly rare, she cherished the sentiment behind it.

“Miss, you’re in such a good mood. The nourishment of love really makes a difference.”

Xiao Lian helped her make the bed and drove away mosquitoes. Seeing Zhang Xiaolan so cheerful and singing, she guessed that the two must have spent another sweet, blissful day together.

“Xiao Lian, you little rascal, how do you know everything? Are you thinking of finding someone you care about, or perhaps getting married?”

Unlike the shy and reserved women of ancient times, Zhang Xiaolan was seasoned—having been through her share of “storms” (really just a couple of romances)—and didn’t hide her happiness. Though Xiao Lian teased her, she was unbothered.

“Not at all! But speaking of this, Miss, you should reward me.”

Xiao Lian was now used to Zhang Xiaolan’s banter and shamelessly asked for a reward.

“Oh? Tell me, what exactly do you deserve a reward for?”

Zhang Xiaolan was already calculating. Xiao Lian seemed to know quite a bit about her and Li Rui’s affairs. Was it because she eavesdropped, or was there another reason? Zhang Xiaolan was curious to find out.

“Last night, when you were missing your family and hometown, it was I who encouraged Master Li to come care for you and confess his feelings. Wouldn’t you say I’m the matchmaker?”

Xiao Lian spoke with mock pride, as if she were the god of marriage, boasting about her insight. She saw herself as instrumental—without her, Li Rui wouldn’t have seized such a perfect opportunity and succeeded in confessing his feelings in one go.

“Oh, so that’s how it is. I was wondering how Brother Li, such an emotional novice, managed to open up. So you were the one who guided him. I really should thank you for bringing about such a wonderful union.”

Now Zhang Xiaolan finally understood the reason behind Li Rui’s sudden confession—it was all thanks to clever Xiao Lian’s prompting behind the scenes. No wonder Li Rui, normally so shy, appeared just at the right moment to comfort her and then confessed so smoothly.

“That’s right! I wanted so much for you two to become a couple.”

Xiao Lian was quite pleased with herself, yet she was still just a girl. She clasped her hands together by her cheeks, fantasizing, and seeing them happy together made her feel joyful as well.

“Then I must thank you! Hmph hmph hmph~”

Zhang Xiaolan stood up and slowly approached her, teasingly reaching out to tickle her without restraint. Unable to withstand the tickling, Xiao Lian burst into laughter, begging for mercy. The two rolled onto the freshly made bed amid laughter and chaos, leaving the room in disarray.

“Miss, not only do you not thank your matchmaker, you tickle me instead. Haha!”

A loud thud drew their attention to the door. They hadn’t closed it, so they saw immediately: Ling Xiao stood there, disheveled and wretched. Zhang Xiaolan’s expression tightened; she hurried over and pulled him inside.

“Ling Xiao, what happened? Did they punish you?”

Seeing Ling Xiao’s torn clothes and messy hair, Zhang Xiaolan sensed something had happened. Her first instinct was that he had been punished by members of the organization and had only just managed to escape.