Chapter 4: 004 邪魅入骨

Seeing the dark shadow stop before a door, Shangguan Erya silently slipped in through a side window.

The room was empty, and the interior furnishings were vastly different from before, exuding an air of elegant refinement. However, as this place was in a relatively remote part of the Duke's manor, there were not even servants moving about in the surrounding area.

Hiding behind a screen, Shangguan Erya thought for a moment. After marrying into the Duke of Fu's manor in her previous life, the first thing she had done was familiarize herself with the manor's environment, yet why did she not remember such a place in her memory?

Half a stick of incense later, the door opened. Shangguan Erya adjusted her breathing and peered through the gap in the screen, seeing two people walk in one after the other. She had followed the man in black who stood behind. As for the man in front... his face was obscured by a kumquat tree, making him impossible to see clearly.

The man in black gave a low call of "Master," but was immediately silenced by the man's slightly raised hand. Shangguan Erya's heart tightened; she wondered if she had been discovered.

A commotion erupted outside the door. The man in black barked coldly, "What is all this noise?"

"Reporting to Master, the servants in the manor say that Second Young Master Ning's jade pendant has been lost. They are searching everywhere for the thief and wish... wish to enter the room to search," the person outside replied.

"Presumptuous! This is not a place for the Duke's servants to run amok. Do they intend to disturb even the honored guest of the Heir?"

An honored guest of the Duke of Fu's Heir? In Shangguan Erya's memory, she was not well-acquainted with Ning Chenjun, let alone knowing what kind of person this man was.

After speaking, the man in black glanced at the man in the room. Seeing that he remained silent, he turned and stepped out. After a moment, the noise outside ceased, and he returned, saying, "Master, Ning Lei isn't looking for a thief at all; he is trying to capture the Eldest Miss of Prince Gong's Manor."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man, who had been silent for a long while, finally let out a lazy "Mm." His voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement. "He truly takes himself too seriously."

The man in black nodded in agreement. "However, your subordinate believes Ning Lei certainly won't catch her. That Eldest Miss of Prince Gong's Manor is no ordinary lady."

"Oh?" The man's tone rose at the end, as if he had become interested. "How is she not ordinary?"

The man in black replied, "When I was returning just now, I saw the little maid from Prince Gong's Manor intentionally getting her Eldest Miss drunk. I felt something was suspicious and followed them, only to discover that Eldest Miss Shangguan was merely pretending to be drunk. Furthermore, she was clever enough to discover the conspiracy of Prince Gong's Consort to scheme against her."

Shangguan Erya thought to herself, *So that's how it is.* In truth, she had also been hiding on the ceiling beams, and only after calming her mind did she realize someone else was present. While she was pondering, she suddenly sensed an unusual gaze shooting toward her from across the room. Her heart skipped a beat, but when she looked up again, the man was still standing sideways, and the man in black was still bowing his head to reply.

The man in black continued, "Eldest Miss Shangguan even struck the bed with a single punch, shattering it into pieces. Her internal strength is quite formidable!"

The man asked with a smile, "Then do you think her martial arts are superior to yours?"

At this question, Shangguan Erya's lips curled up unconsciously. It seemed he knew she was in the room.

The man in black had not expected such a question and was visibly stunned. He said cautiously, "One would have to compete to know."

"Oh?" It was unclear whether the man responded with a cold sneer or a weary yawn. He reclined lazily on a long couch to sleep. "I am tired as well. You may leave. No one is permitted to enter without my command."

Though she had yet to see the man's face, Shangguan Erya could already sketch a profile of a man with a bone-deep, wicked charm just from his voice.

What kind of person could exude such effortless laziness?

Shangguan Erya's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. Her intuition would not be wrong; this man was definitely a monster not to be underestimated.

Not long after the man in black left, the sound of the man's light, even breathing filled the room. Instead of leaving, Shangguan Erya nimbly stepped out from behind the screen and approached the bed. She saw the man lying on his side in an elegant posture, his face turned toward the wall, thus hiding his true features.

The man wore well-tailored ink-colored fine clothing embroidered with elegant bamboo leaves. His waist was cinched with a jade belt devoid of ornaments, and the hem of his robe lay neatly against the couch. His dark hair was loosely tied up with a jade hairpin, and beneath his pristine appearance flowed a hidden, cynical attitude.

Suddenly, a wicked voice drifted over: "What? Are you staring so intently that you've become entranced?"