Chapter 14: In Your Dreams

On the stage, the storyteller had reached the part where the border garrison first used fire attacks, then lured the Northern Desert people with treasures.

On either side of the tea table, Wen Wan and Gao Ling exchanged glances, then lowered their guard, pretending to be relaxed as they exchanged pleasantries and sipped tea.

Shen Yu watched their posturing, his expression one of utter disdain.

Gao Ling was the first to speak, asking Shen Yu, “Didn’t you say you were going to take me to meet someone important? Now that you’ve finished greeting Miss Wan, shouldn’t we go attend to business?”

Shen Yu sat motionless, raising a hand to point at Wen Wan.

Gao Ling didn’t understand. “What does that mean?”

Wen Wan piled on a smile, her eyes crinkling into crescents, and chimed in, “I guess… the very, very important person he’s taking you to meet… is me.”

Shen Yu gave her a deep, sidelong glance.

As expected, clever as always.

Gao Ling’s mouth twitched as he looked at Shen Yu. “It’s really her?”

Shen Yu nodded.

Only then did Gao Ling clear his throat and begin to seriously size up Wen Wan.

Gone was the delicate, affected posture she had put on earlier. Looking at the young woman before him, though she was not old, her eyes were filled with calculation and shrewdness.

Moreover, a woman who had the guts and the ability to make Shen Yu hit a wall was, in herself, worth a second look.

Wen Wan grabbed a handful of melon seeds and said in a relaxed tone, “Are we preparing to go look for the ancient tomb? I have no issues with the timing; I can coordinate with your operations at any time.”

After being proven right time and again, Shen Yu was now able to accept her uncanny foresight with great ease.

Gao Ling, however, though mentally prepared, still couldn't help but be shocked.

He looked at Shen Yu again. “Don’t tell me she guessed that right too? You brought me here for the sake of the ancient tomb?”

Shen Yu gave a grunt of affirmation.

Gao Ling turned back and gave Wen Wan a thumbs-up. “Impressive. So you’re the Feng Shui master he was talking about. I really couldn’t tell—you’re so young, yet you have such high attainments in this field.”

Wen Wan waved her hand. “Just a little knowledge, not worth mentioning.”

Excessive modesty is pride.

Whenever Shen Yu heard the phrase “a little knowledge” now, he felt a throbbing pain in his temples.

“Alright, let’s keep this brief. Starting tomorrow, we will begin searching for the ancient tomb. To avoid attracting attention, we will travel with Gao Ling’s merchant caravan. This time, we’ll start from the border city and head north, searching all the way to the other border city, Zhuzhou, before turning back.”

“While traveling with the caravan, my identity will be Gao Ling’s younger brother, Gao Yu, and your identity will be our younger sister, Gao Xiaowan…”

Before Shen Yu could finish, he saw Wen Wan raise her hand.

“I object!”

Shen Yu’s lips twitched. “What are you objecting to?”

Gao Ling, on the other hand, looked astonished. “I’d like to hear the details.”

Wen Wan crunched on a melon seed. “I object to traveling under the guise of a single woman. A beauty like me, who possesses both looks and wisdom, will attract unnecessary romantic attention, which in turn increases the risk of our cover being blown.”

“When traveling, the more low-key and inconspicuous one is, the better, right?”

She spoke with such logic that, surprisingly, her argument actually made some sense.

Shen Yu remained silent, but Gao Ling nodded repeatedly.

“I think Miss Xiaowan is right. How about this? I’ll make a small sacrifice and let Miss Xiaowan be my confidante…”

Wen Wan: “No need for you to sacrifice yourself!”

Shen Yu: “Absolutely not!”

The two spoke in unison, then looked at each other in surprise.

“You two are quite in sync…” Gao Ling cleared his throat. “Then what do you suggest?”

Wen Wan pointed at Shen Yu, putting on an exaggerated, lewd expression. “I want to be his…”

Shen Yu and Gao Ling stared at her in unison.

Gao Ling’s eyes lit up, his expression of wanting to watch the drama barely contained.

Shen Yu’s eyes appeared calm and waveless, but the fingers holding his teacup trembled slightly.

Wen Wan chuckled, drawing a circle in the air in front of Shen Yu.

“I want to be his stepmother!”

Gao Ling: “…”

Shen Yu: “…”

To be his stepmother meant being his father’s confidante—neither a single woman nor a young girl, but a respected elder. It killed two birds with one stone.

She thought it was perfect.

Suddenly, Shen Yu slammed his teacup onto the table and said only three words.

“In your dreams!”

*

When Shen Zhou returned after buying pastries, only Wen Wan remained at the tea table.

“Where did Brother A-Chai and the others go?” Shen Zhou asked.

Wen Wan remembered the man who had just stormed off in a fit of pique and couldn't help but curl her lips.

“They had something to attend to and left.”

Shen Zhou put the pastries on the table, looking disappointed. “I even bought an extra portion of the pastries Brother A-Chai likes. I didn’t expect him to have left already. Strange, Brother A-Chai never leaves without saying goodbye. Could something have happened?”

“Don’t worry, he’s fine.” He was just flushed red with anger because of her.

Wen Wan picked up the package of pastries on the table. “You said these are the pastries he likes?”

Shen Zhou nodded.

Seeing this, Wen Wan picked up a flower-shaped pastry and took a bite, immediately frowning. “So sweet.”

It really lived up to the saying: one cannot judge a book by its cover.

Clearly, he was a rough, rugged man on the outside—never mind that he blushed when teased, but he also loved sweets?

This kind of contrast was truly captivating.

“Sigh.” Wen Wan couldn't help but sigh.

Shen Zhou was also eating a pastry. Hearing her sigh, she asked curiously, “Sister Xiaowan, what’s wrong?”

Wen Wan shook her head. “Sigh, I’m just lamenting. If your Brother A-Chai were a passionate and gentle man, how wonderful that would be.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhou’s expression became even more confused.

“Sister Xiaowan, my Brother A-Chai is already very gentle.”

Wen Wan: “…?”

Shen Zhou: “He really is. Every time Xiao Si and Xiao Wu act spoiled, Brother A-Chai is incredibly gentle. He buys them candied haws and plays hide-and-seek with them.”

“Hide-and-seek?” A green, greedy light began to ignite in Wen Wan’s eyes.

She found it very hard to imagine a big man like A-Chai playing hide-and-seek and acting cute.

Shen Zhou, completely unaware that she had spilled all of Shen Yu’s secrets, continued obliviously

“Sister Xiaowan, Brother A-Chai just looks fierce, but he’s actually the best person.”

“He’s a softie, not a tough guy. Next time he gets fierce with you, just cry. He has absolutely no way to deal with a girl who’s crying.”

Hearing this, Wen Wan couldn't help but let out a lewd laugh.

Likes girls acting spoiled?

Afraid of girls shedding tears?

Now that she had a handle on his weaknesses, she began to look forward to the days ahead searching for the ancient tomb.

*

It was half an hour later when the storyteller finished the story of the border garrison defeating the enemy against the odds.

The sky was growing dark, and Wen Wan was preparing to take Shen Zhou home.

Just as she stood up, she inadvertently glanced out the window.

A carriage passed in front of the teahouse. The wind blew the carriage curtain aside, revealing the side profile of a woman.

It was the General’s wife, Madam Zhao, who had been separated from Wen Wan at the post station.

Madam Zhao seemed to sense something and looked up toward the second floor.