Chapter 1842

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "The esteemed disciple of the Wuxian Sect leader, Mr. Rong Shi Rong."

Xiong Tianba heard the name of the Wuxian Sect leader, and instantly anger rose from his heart. The Wuxian Sect has repeatedly been their enemy, so he naturally wouldn't give Rong Shi a good look, coldly laughing: "Turns out he's a wicked spawn of the Five Poisons Sect; just slap him to death—why, Third Uncle, keep him around wasting food?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed and said: "I promised to help save someone, you brat, you must not be rude."

Liang Yinghao laughed and said: "My lord, please entrust this person to me."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; Liang Yinghao handles things thoroughly, anything entrusted to him gets settled properly and smoothly.

Xia Zhangming said: "My lord, I've brought you several family letters."

Hu Xiaotian took a stack of letters from his hand; with many wives, naturally many people miss him—Long Xi Yue, Wei Sa, Tang Qingxuan, Yan Nujiao all wrote letters. Hu Xiaotian opened them one by one, feeling warm inside, and only then did he look at Long Xi Yue's letter. This well-behaved princess, besides caring for him, even specially mentioned Qiqi in her heart, urging him to turn swords and spears into jade and silk with Qiqi, even suggesting he and Qiqi renew their old friendship. After reading these family letters, Hu Xiaotian felt as if bathed in spring breeze; the sense of ease in his heart was simply indescribable.

While he was reading the letters, a group of people waited aside; after he finished, Liang Yinghao also settled Rong Shi properly and returned to the crowd.

Hu Xiaotian apologetically laughed and said: "Look at me—I've actually made you stand here for so long, we haven't seen each other in ages; today we must definitely have a big drink."

Xiong Tianba was the first to respond: "That's only natural; we must drink until we're drunk."

Everyone laughed at once.

At that moment, Liang Da Zhuang walked in from outside, and Hu Xiaotian said: "Da Zhuang, you've come just in time—go prepare food and drink to welcome the generals and wash away their dust."

Liang Da Zhuang said: "Young master, just now someone came to Huitaste Tower saying that Manager Xiang Shancong invited the Prince to a banquet there before noon."

Hu Xiaotian slightly startled, the news from Manager Xiang Shancong was indeed well-informed; he had just rescued Rong Shi, and that side already got the news. He nodded and said: "Good, let's all go to Huitaste Tower to eat."

Manager Xiang Shancong had already set up a banquet at Huitaste Tower, and besides their table, he refused all other guests; now Huitaste Tower is obviously far more imposing than the former Shuiwater Pavilion, not even glancing at the business here. Actually, most things in the world are like this: if you try hard to plant flowers they won't bloom; if you casually insert willows they grow into shade; forcing things too much often leads to the opposite of what you wish.

Hu Xiaotian couldn't help but think of his relationship with Huo Xiaoru; over these years, the number of times they've met can be counted on one's fingers, and the more he tried to get close to her, the farther she fled, so he actually understood her less and less.

Manager Xiang Shancong didn't appear from the start, perhaps fearing to disturb Hu Xiaotian and company's drinking mood; setting aside the purpose of this banquet, the food and drink at Huitaste Tower are still praiseworthy, Zong Tang and the others praised the dishes endlessly, plus reuniting with Hu Xiaotian after a long separation, they naturally wanted to drink freely; for a while, cups and goblets clinked, quite enjoyable.

When the wine was half-drunk, Manager Xiang Shancong then came over to propose a toast.

After Hu Xiaotian introduced him, Manager Xiang Shancong had each person toast two cups. Hu Xiaotian let the others continue drinking, he rose and went outside with Manager Xiang Shancong, who laughed: "Thank you, Prince."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Manager Xiang Shancong, your information is truly well-informed; I even thought you had sent someone to follow me."

Manager Xiang Shancong chuckled: "Not at all, not at all!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Rong Shi is currently at my residence; I have people treating him with good food and drink, Mr. Xiang Shancong, you can take him away whenever you wish."

Manager Xiang Shancong nodded repeatedly, then lowered his voice: "My young lady is in the small pavilion at the back; I wonder if the Prince would be willing to move his carriage to meet her?"

Hu Xiaotian glanced at Manager Xiang Shancong, his heart involuntarily leaping with joy; it seemed Manager Xiang Shancong was also a person who keeps his promises. Although he had long wanted to see Huo Xiaoru over the years, now that the moment of meeting truly arrived, his heart gave rise to an indescribable hesitation. He clearly realized that he wanted to see Huo Xiaoru, yet feared that the present Huo Xiaoru was no longer the same as before. This uneasy feeling began when Manager Xiang Shancong proposed that he personally intervene to rescue Rong Shi. Formerly immersed in song and dance, unwilling to involve himself in worldly affairs, Huo Xiaoru actually asked him to rescue the disciple of Madame Meizhuang of the Wuxian Sect; their long-awaited reunion started from a condition, and deep inside Hu Xiaotian felt a hint of helplessness. His helplessness lay in the fact that Huo Xiaoru was the first woman to stir his heart upon coming into this world; his feelings for her were so beautiful, devoid of any selfish thoughts, yet now this feeling was no longer pure.

Entering the small pavilion behind Huitaste Tower, he saw a girl in a lake-green long dress waiting at the door; Hu Xiaotian felt her facial features were very familiar, and upon reflection realized this girl was Huo Xiaoru's maid Wan'er; after not seeing her for years, the little girl had suddenly become a lovely young lady.

Although Wan'er had changed much, Hu Xiaotian's appearance hadn't changed much either; she beamed and said: "Hello, Sir Hu!" Then she corrected herself: "Now I should address you as Prince."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Wan'er has grown into a young lady, and I'm getting old too."

Wan'er giggled: "Prince, you're not old; you still look exactly as I first saw you."

Hu Xiaotian turned and glanced south at Huitaste Tower: "Wasn't this where we first met?"

Wan'er nodded: "Back then this place was still the Shuiwater Pavilion." She whispered: "Prince, go up; don't let my lady wait anxiously."

Actually, Hu Xiaotian intentionally spoke this way; he knew that inside the building Huo Xiaoru must have heard every word clearly, and he laughed: "Miss Huo has grown accustomed to waiting."

Inside, a pair of tender, jade-like hands were brewing tea; upon hearing this, the hands trembled slightly, spilling some hot tea.

And at that moment, Hu Xiaotian had already lifted the bead curtain and walked in.

Huo Xiaoru wore white clothes and white socks, kneeling on a bamboo mat; before her, on an ebony stone tea sea, lay exquisite tea ware. Their gazes met across the space; one might have thought such a long-awaited reunion would spark some special fire in their eyes, yet their meeting was silent and tranquil, their eyes calm and waveless—unless both possessed strong self-control, or their passion had sunk into silence due to prolonged separation.

A faint smile touched Huo Xiaoru's lips; as plain as chrysanthemum, her smile was equally plain: "You've come."

Hu Xiaotian nodded: "You've come."

"Sit!" Huo Xiaoru's long black lashes drooped as she attentively brewed tea.

Hu Xiaotian's gaze fell upon her pair of flawless, beautiful hands, admiring the rhythm of her slender fingers dancing before his eyes.

Huo Xiaoru handed the teacup to Hu Xiaotian.

Hu Xiaotian laughed.

Huo Xiaoru asked: "What are you laughing at?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I originally thought Manager Xiang Shancong was deceiving me." After a pause he added: "I also hope he was deceiving me."

Huo Xiaoru understood his meaning and softly said: "If I had no other recourse, I wouldn't have sought your help."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Your affairs are my affairs; there's no need to beg."

Huo Xiaoru said: "Every time we meet, I always end up asking for your help, as if I'm destined to owe you for life."

Hu Xiaotian smiled: "What's wrong with owing me a lifetime? I don't mind!"

Huo Xiaoru lifted the teacup, shared a drink with him, and softly said: "I do mind!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "It seems you still don't regard me as one of your own."

Huo Xiaoru said: "If I regarded you as an outsider, how could I dare ask you for help?" She refilled Hu Xiaotian's tea, her clear autumn-water eyes sweeping over his face: "Isn't it strange why I would go to rescue Rong Shi?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Not strange; I believe you certainly have your own reasons, so I didn't intend to ask."

Huo Xiaoru said: "You should know my background." When they parted in Yongdu back then, Huo Xiaoru had not confessed her origins to Hu Xiaotian; but later, when Hu Xiaotian personally resolved the Ju Bao Zhai matter, he already learned of her connection with the Prince of Yan, so this is no longer a secret.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Actually, the fact that he showed mercy to you back then should have occurred to me."

Huo Xiaoru said: "You and he are sworn brothers; I ought to have called you uncle."

Hu Xiaotian coughed embarrassedly: "My sworn brotherhood with him was just for show, it doesn't count; I never regarded him as elder brother, nor did he regard me as brother."

Huo Xiaoru couldn't help but smile wryly: "World affairs are unpredictable; when I assassinated him back then, I never imagined he was actually my father."

Hu Xiaotian secretly thought: Huo Xiaoru regards Xue Shengjing as her father's killer; telling her this and urging her to slay her own biological father is truly wicked. What did Xue Shengjing do to deserve such vicious retribution? But on second thought, Xue Shengjing was never a good person—two-faced, treacherous, breaking promises, who knows how many misdeeds he's committed in the past, so enemies are naturally not few. Huo Xiaoru openly admitted Xue Shengjing is her father, clearly having accepted him in her heart; Hu Xiaotian keenly sensed this situation was extraordinary.

In Hu Xiaotian's impression, Huo Xiaoru is clear-headed and rational; although she comes from the entertainment quarters, she is not a person greedy for wealth and power; her acceptance of Xue Shengjing as father is certainly not for that reason. The old crafty Xue Shengjing, I don't know what methods he used to move her. Now Xue Shengjing has gone from being the Prince of Yan of Da Yong to a traitor despised by all, even charged with colluding with foreign powers; perhaps it is precisely his predicament that awakened Huo Xiaoru's sympathy.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Was it him who had you come to me to ask for a rescue?"

Huo Xiaoru nodded.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Where is he now?" After asking, he immediately added: "You don't need to answer."

Huo Xiaoru sighed and said: "His current condition is not good; otherwise, how could he have let me show my face?"

Newly created Octopus Group: 516764203, Zhangyu presiding, welcome to join. (To be continued~^~)