Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Xu Sheng frowned unconsciously: "I've seen many women, but you're the most uncouth. No wonder Doctor Luo didn't fancy you. Fortunately, I'm magnanimous and won't hold it against you."

Having held her anger for so many days, Nianyao finally had a outlet. She spat and said, "Who cares about your fuss? Go back to where you came from and don't get in my way."

Xu Sheng said, "So angry? Were you dumped by your lover? Let me tell you, out with the old, in with the new? With a new love like me, why bother remembering that trashy old flame..."

Nianyao grabbed her longsword and swung it at Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng dodged to the side, and Nan Fei silently stretched out his leg, about to trip him to the ground. Xu Sheng twisted his waist like a snake, taking a step away in an extremely contorted posture.

Nianyao Sword slightly unsheathed: "Say that again, and I'll cut out your tongue..."

Xu Sheng dusted off his sleeves, still as dashing as ever: "If Nan Fei can't beat me, you should be even less likely to be able to?"

"I can't beat you?"

"I can't beat Nanfei?"

Nanfei and Nianyao spoke at the same time.

Xu Sheng said, "Yes, if you don't believe me, try fighting Nan Fei."

Nanfei and Nianyao exchanged a glance and said at the same time, "Okay."

Nianyao said, "Let's give it a try."

Nanfei realized what was happening: "Chief Xue, he's trying to sow discord, don't fall for it."

Nianyao said, "Then why don't you fight him? Didn't he say you couldn't beat him?"

Xu Sheng laughed and said, "Nanfei, she's trying to sow discord, don't fall for it."

Qin Jiu had been incredibly busy for the first half of the month, and was just about to leave when Nian Yao stopped him: "Uncle Jiu, does he think what he said is true?"

Xu Sheng smiled, showing no sign of guilt.

Nanfei said, "Ninth Brother, don't believe him, he's a liar."

Xu Sheng said, "Nanfei, even framing someone requires evidence; words alone are not enough. Do you think her longevity lock on my waist tag is fake?"

Nanfei opened his mouth and then closed it again.

Xu Sheng said smugly, "Ninth Brother, what do you think?"

Qin Jiu suddenly turned to Liu Lin: "Brother Liu, what do you think?"

Liu Lin's gaze fell on the tea room: "Nanfei, yesterday Young Master Xu said that he and Young Master Luo were twin brothers, and you didn't believe him..."

Nanfei said firmly, "Impossible. Sometimes even parents can't tell twin brothers apart. How do they look alike?"

Xu Sheng said, "How do you know it's not true? Call Luo An out and ask him face to face?"

Nanfei looked up and said, "Young Master."

Several people turned around and saw Luo An walk to the edge of the tea room.

Nanfei strode over: "Young Master, he said you are his brother... Young Master, you just need to shake your head..."

Xu Sheng said, "Of course he won't admit it. My mother has been dead for so many years, and he has never set foot in Nanyue except in Wudong County, let alone paid his respects. Even if you asked him to admit that the former emperor of Nanyue was his mother, he would shake his head, let alone me."

Luo An looked at him.

Xu Sheng said, "He's jealous of me. He feels that Mother took me away but abandoned him, so of course he won't acknowledge me. But it doesn't matter, I'll acknowledge him. After all, an elder brother is like..."

Before the word "father" could be uttered, Luo An's hand moved slightly. Xu Sheng was already prepared. Without moving his feet, he bent his body like a snake and turned around to see four black chess pieces deeply embedded in the tree trunk.

Nianyao stared at the chess piece in disbelief. Luo An had been on Chongming Island for several years and hadn't shown his skills yet. He looked thin, but appearances can be deceiving.

Xu Sheng placed his palm on the tree trunk, and the chess piece fell into his hand.

Xu Sheng said, "I heard you like playing Go, so I specially gave you the Yunzi stones that I myself couldn't bear to use, and you just waste them like this."

Nianyao seemed to suddenly come to her senses, pointing at Luo An and saying, "What he said is all true? Then you...you are also a prince..."

Xu Sheng said, "Of course all my mother's children are princes."

"Wait, let me think." Nianyao raised her hand to stop Xu Sheng: "You were the late emperor's eldest son, so why aren't you the crown prince? The late emperor is dead, shouldn't you be the emperor?"

Xu Sheng said, "Little wife, don't you read history books or storybooks? His father was from Dongyang. How could Nanyue let a person from Dongyang be the ruler?"

Nianyao instinctively asked, "His father? Isn't his father your father?"

Xu Sheng reacted quickly: "If he doesn't acknowledge my mother, then I won't acknowledge his father either. What are we standing here for? Aren't we tired?"

Xu Sheng walked into the tea room, sat in Luo An's usual spot, picked up a cup and poured himself some tea: "I'm so thirsty."

Nanfei followed: "Is that the young master's seat?"

Xu Sheng stuffed all the melon seeds from the silver plate into his mouth: "Delicious!"

Nanfei was furious: "Those are my sunflower seeds."

Xu Sheng sized him up: "Nanfei, look at your figure and appearance. If you dressed up as a woman, even the most beautiful courtesan at Fengchun Pavilion wouldn't be able to compare. Miss Zhang doesn't like you, Nanhua doesn't like you, and neither does the young wife. Could it be that Luo An has taken a fancy to you? He peels the melon seeds while you eat the kernels. This kind of treatment is something even his father probably never enjoyed."

All eyes were fixed on Nan Fei.

A scapegoat fell from the sky. Nan Fei, unable to bear it any longer, lunged at him.

The tea room was not as spacious as Xianzhou Courtyard. Xu Sheng stepped over the table and arrived outside the tea room. Before he could even stand still, flowers greeted him.

Xu Sheng took the flowers from her hand, shook them, and looked at Luo An standing by the flower bed: "You're still a bit lacking in picking leaves and scattering flowers."

The vibrant crape myrtle exuded an alluring fragrance, and Xu Sheng couldn't help but take a deep breath: "It smells so good! As expected of a fairy island, even the crape myrtle smells so good..."

Xu Sheng walked up to Nian Yao and handed her the flowers: "Fresh flowers for a beautiful woman, my little wife, what are you standing there like an idiot for? Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm telling you..."

Quack... Quack... Caw... Caw...

Nianyao said, "What did you say?"

Xu Sheng suddenly stopped talking. He touched his throat, staring in horror at the flowers in his hand, and said to Luo An, "You, you poisoned me! I gave you a Go set and you poisoned me..."

Quack... Quack... Caw... Caw...

Nanfei exclaimed, "Young Master Xu, why are you cawing like a crow? Are you perhaps seriously ill? Come, come, let me take a look."

Nan Fei reached out and pressed his wrist on Xu Sheng's pulse point, and a sharp pain shot straight to Xu Sheng's head. He clenched his teeth tightly and felt cold sweat instantly pour down his forehead.

Nan Fei tilted his head and carefully took Xu's pulse for a long time. Suddenly, his expression changed drastically: "Uncle Liu, something terrible has happened. Young Master Xu has damaged his vocal cords from talking too much. He may become mute in the future."

Liu Lin was still worried and looked at Luo An, saying, "Young Master, this..."

Nanfei said, "This illness can be mild or severe. If Young Master Xu cultivates his character and speaks properly in the future, he may recover in seven days. But if he continues as he is today, then it's hard to say. Alas... alas... alas... Young Master Xu has come to such an end at such a young age; it's truly a case of heaven being jealous of talent and beauty leading to an untimely death..."

Xu Sheng's pulse was blocked, rendering him unable to move, and his face had turned somewhat pale.

Nianyao suppressed a laugh: "Nanfei, let him go. If you keep detaining him any longer, he might die."

As soon as Nanfei was released, Xu Sheng immediately leaned against the Lingbi stone engraved with the name of Xianzhou Academy and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Nan Fei picked up the flower from the ground, tucked it into his lapel, patted it gently twice, and said in an unusually gentle voice, "Even when dressed as a man, Young Master Xu is more beautiful than the flower."