My Years in the Jianghu with the Prince: A Time of Unethical Conduct

Shen Yulin waited anxiously all night, and only after dawn did Chu Ling and Xie Yan finally return from the Cheng family.

He had originally intended to stay last night, but when Xie Yan shook her head at him, he had no choice but to leave the Cheng family home with the others.

When the two finally returned, his eyes lit up and he rushed to greet them.

"Are you two okay?"

"It's nothing." Xie Yan shook her head and said, "The prince has revealed his identity, so we are temporarily free from suspicion."

"That's good."

Shen Yulin breathed a sigh of relief, but his face darkened again when he thought of the people who had recently died tragically.

"Did you two really find any clues, just as Senior Cheng said?"

Xie Yan chuckled and said, "I do have some clues. But I still have some questions for Brother Shen."

Before anyone could ask further questions, he stepped forward, patted Shen Yulin on the shoulder, and whispered a question in his ear.

"Him?" Shen Yulin was taken aback upon hearing this, his expression showing a hint of confusion. He then frowned and pondered for a moment before hesitantly shaking his head.

"I don't think I've ever seen this before, could it be?"

Hearing this, Xie Yan smiled but said nothing, let go of his hand and went to her room. "You've all stayed up all night, you should all rest. We'll see what happens on the day of the birthday banquet."

"A birthday banquet? Why wait until that day?"

Shen Yulin was full of doubts, but seeing that Xie Yan had already walked away, he turned around and looked at Chu Ling.

But Chu Ling raised an eyebrow and smiled at him, saying, "Naturally, it's to prevent him from having a good sixtieth birthday celebration."

“But,” Shen Yulin said with a troubled expression, “after so many tragedies, will the Cheng family really continue to hold this birthday banquet?”

"Of course we will hold it, and we will hold it even more grandly."

If he didn't hold it, wouldn't that show that Cheng Nanchun was afraid? Therefore, for the sake of his own face, he would not only not cancel it, but would even hold it more grandly than in previous years.

After saying that, Chu Ling chuckled and turned to go back to his room.

Shen Yulin, completely bewildered, stood there, lost in thought as he watched the sun gradually rise on the horizon.

Time flies.

During this time, the mastermind behind the scenes seemed to be waiting for the birthday banquet to arrive, and made no further moves.

Chu Ling and Xie Yan indeed made no further moves. They spent their days resting indoors and leisurely strolling around the manor.

Although the Cheng family was still filled with anxiety, they still began preparing for the birthday banquet under Cheng Nanchun's forced instruction.

Three days passed in this way, and soon it was the day of Cheng Nanchun's birthday banquet.

As soon as dawn broke, the entire Cheng family began to bustle about.

Servants bustled about, hanging red silk ribbons and pasting longevity characters, decorating the entire Cheng family home with a festive atmosphere.

Beneath this festive atmosphere, however, lie countless turbulent undercurrents.

Chu Ling and Xie Yan finally ended their leisurely days and got up early in the morning to wait for the Cheng family to arrive.

Sure enough, just as dawn broke, Cheng Nanchun came to find them in person and invited them to the back hall of the Cheng family.

Although his complexion has improved a lot after these few days of rest, the dark circles under his eyes and his haggard appearance are still undeniable.

After leading Chu Ling and Xie Yan to the back hall and serving them tea, Cheng Nanchun stood to the side, hesitating several times as if he wanted to speak but didn't know how to start.

Chu Ling sat calmly in the main seat, gently skimming the foam from his teacup, showing no intention of paying him any attention.

Just as Cheng Nanchun was about to speak, his face flushed red with suppressed anger, Xie Yan cut him off again.

"Today is Old Master Cheng's birthday. Why don't you go to the front and greet the guests? Don't keep them waiting."

"This..." Cheng Nanchun choked up upon hearing this, his expression changing repeatedly as he looked at the two people in front of him.

Chu Ling and Xie Yan, however, remained calm and composed, showing no intention of saying anything.

After struggling for a while, Cheng Nanchun finally gritted his teeth, turned around, and went out to greet the guests.

After he left, Chu Ling chuckled, put his teacup aside, and said, "Today's performance is sure to be quite spectacular."

The two chatted idly in the back hall until the sound of gongs and drums filled the air and most of the guests had arrived. Only then did they finally get up and head outside.

"Let's go, it's about time we went up ahead and joined in the fun."

The front courtyard of the Cheng family was already packed with guests, a lively scene indeed.

Most of them were familiar faces from the Cheng family, while only a small number of people who were unaware of what had happened still approached Cheng Nanchun with cheerful expressions and chatted with him.

As soon as Chu Ling and Xie Yan stepped into the front yard, they began to subtly scan the crowd.

After looking around, they finally found their target.

At this moment, Shen Yulin was looking at Cheng Nanchun with a worried expression, who was clearly forcing a smile.

Seeing him like this, Song Yunzheng chuckled and shook her head, comforting him, "Brother Shen, there's no need to worry so much. Old Master Cheng has been famous for a long time; what storms hasn't he weathered? Besides, you have the help of your two friends. I believe the real culprit will be brought to justice soon."

"I hope so," Shen Yulin sighed, his brows still furrowed.

"Yes for sure."

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder. Shen Yulin was so flustered that he almost swung his sword back when he recognized Xie Yan's voice.

When he turned around again, Xie Yan and Chu Ling were already seated beside him.

"You've finally arrived." Shen Yulin breathed a sigh of relief, but Xie Yan grabbed him and pressed him down.

"What's the rush? Today is Elder Cheng's birthday banquet, so you should sit back and enjoy the show."

After saying that, Xie Yan exchanged a meaningful glance with Song Yunzheng and said, "Today's performance is a rare treat. If you miss it, you may not have the chance to see it again."

When the sun was at its highest, the banquet officially began.

Cheng Nanchun sat upright in the main seat, exchanging toasts with the guests who came to offer their birthday wishes, and frequently glanced in the direction of Xie Yan and Chu Ling.

Although he forced a smile, anyone with eyes could see that the smile was genuinely strained.

Just as everyone was looking at each other in confusion, Cheng Ruonan, who was sitting to the side, suddenly stood up and walked straight to the center of the hall.

Perhaps because of the tragic death of her loved ones, her complexion was not very good, but she still mustered her spirits and said loudly, "Today is Father's birthday banquet, and I have specially prepared a gift for you."

She clapped her hands, and several servants carried up an object covered with a red cloth.

Pulling back the red cloth revealed a jade sculpture that was more than half a person's height.

It was sculpted in the likeness of Cheng Nanchun, and it was so lifelike that even the wrinkles on his face were clearly visible.

"This jade carving was specially commissioned by my daughter from a skilled craftsman, who hopes that my father will enjoy a long and healthy life."

"well."

Only when he saw the jade carving did Cheng Nanchun's expression soften. "My son is thoughtful. Come, let's drink together!"

After saying that, the father and daughter picked up their wine glasses together and drank them down in one gulp.

But to everyone's surprise, Cheng Ruonan's expression suddenly changed after she finished drinking the wine in her glass.

The next second, in full view of everyone, she suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

The blood sprayed onto the jade carving, instantly staining half of its face red, and then slowly flowing down along the lines, a shocking sight.

The unexpected turn of events startled everyone present, causing them to stand up.

Cheng Nanchun's first reaction was not to help his daughter up, but to be so startled that he took a few steps back and dropped the wine glass in his hand.

In the still-silent silence, Xie Yan slowly took a sip of tea and turned her head away.

"Isn't it beautiful? Brother Song."

Song Yunzheng slowly raised her head, looked him straight in the eye, and coldly curled the corners of her lips.