What to do if you receive the wrong package?

When Feng Ting appeared at Shen Mujin's doorstep again, Shen Mujin was weeding the vegetable garden with her dog, Da Huang. Upon seeing Feng Ting, she immediately greeted him happily, "Welcome, Feng Ting!"

Feng Ting nodded politely and rolled up his sleeves with practiced ease: "Hello, Miss Shen, do you need my help?"

"Hehe, then I'll trouble you." Shen Mujin said without any hesitation. After all, Feng Ting had helped her and Xuan Yi quite a bit, so one or two more times wouldn't make a difference.

Shen Mujin stood up, patted the dust off her clothes, and pointed to the back mountain. "Xuanyi went to the back mountain to catch fish. If you have something urgent, you can go find him first."

Feng Ting suppressed his surprise, lifted the hem of his clothes and tucked them into his waistband, selected a small shovel from the tools, and casually asked while weeding, "Why did you suddenly decide to go fishing, Master?"

“He used to take Da Huang with him to catch fish often, but Da Huang always did the work. This is what we bet yesterday. If Da Huang didn’t go, would he, the dignified Palace Master of Weiyang Palace, be able to catch even one fish?” Shen Mujin walked to the shade, picked up the cooled tea and drank it all in one gulp.

Looking up at the sun and estimating the time, he raised his head smugly, "It's almost time. If Xuan Yi hasn't returned by noon, then Xuan Yi has lost."

“Miss Shen, seeing how happy you are, your bet with the master must be something special, right?” Feng Ting was also drawn in by Shen Mujin’s words and slowly stopped what he was doing.

"The bet is, of course, something valuable. Xuan Yi said that if I win, he will give me a set of jade jewelry that is quite expensive. It is said that this set of jewelry came from the palace."

After listening to Shen Mujin's words, Feng Ting sighed silently in his heart. The master truly doesn't know the value of money when he's not in charge of the household; he gave away a set of valuable jewelry from Weiyang Palace just because of a bet—what a spendthrift!

"What if our lord wins?"

“Xuan Yi brought the fish back, so I’ll do as he says and make him a whole fish feast that he likes.”

"... "

Indeed, one should not blindly trust the Lord.

"It's perfect that you're here. Why don't you stay for lunch? I just braised some beef and side dishes yesterday, have a taste."

Many hands make light work. With Feng Ting's help, the small vegetable garden was quickly tidied up. Shen Mujin thoughtfully handed over a bowl of water and a cup of refreshing plum juice.

"Try my newly made plum juice, it's made with wild green plums from the forest."

"Thank you, Miss Shen." Feng Ting took the cup, took a small sip, and found it indeed refreshingly cool and tangy. After swallowing a mouthful, there was a slightly sweet aftertaste, making one want to take another sip.

"Take your time drinking, and wait for Xuan Yi. I'll go prepare lunch first." Shen Mujin called back Da Huang, who was chasing butterflies nearby, picked up the fresh vegetables she had just picked, and turned to go into the kitchen.

While washing the vegetables, I felt a surge of joy. Beautiful, valuable jewelry, here I come!

Unfortunately, fate did not hear Shen Mujin's prayers. At the last moment, Xuan Yi returned with the bucket.

Feng Ting looked at his approaching lord with a hint of shock in his eyes. His former lord, regardless of the time, even in the midst of carnage and chaos, always wore a well-fitting, exquisite white silk robe. He looked ethereal, like a celestial being under the moon.

But now, Xuan Yi was dressed in a gray linen shirt, his trousers half-tied up from his previous trip to the river, making them uneven in length. He carried a wooden bucket in one hand and a sharpened wooden stick over a meter long on his shoulder in the other. Inside the bucket were four or five lively, fairly large fish. Upon seeing Feng Ting, he greeted him, "You're here, Feng Ting."

Feng Ting: Why does this way of greeting seem so familiar?

"Great job, Xuan Yi!" Shen Mujin saw Xuan Yi return and immediately ran out of the kitchen to surround him. She stared at the wooden bucket, counted the contents, and exclaimed in admiration.

Unfortunately, the jewelry is gone.

"Here you go, keep your word. Don't forget my whole fish feast." Xuan Yi handed the wooden bucket directly to Shen Mujin, then paused and turned to hand it to Feng Ting, "The bucket is too heavy, help her carry it into the kitchen."

"Haha, no problem. You two just wait for dinner." Shen Mujin patted her chest as if to assure her, then went back to the kitchen to prepare to show off her cooking skills.

Xuan Yi shook off the water splashed on his clothes and looked at Feng Ting, who had returned after delivering the bucket. "Let's talk inside."

Feng Ting followed Xuan Yi back into the house. After seeing Xuan Yi sit down, he took the initiative to say, "My lord, we have found out the origin of those men in black."

“Huo Wenyuan’s men.” Xuan Yi sneered, stating the answer first.

"Your Majesty is wise. The black-clad men who have been plotting against Your Majesty these past few times are all his doing."

"Heh, he does have some tricks up his sleeve. I'm curious where he found all these helpers?"

"It's said that Canghai Gang helped him contact the assassins."

Huo Wenyuan and Xuan Yi had known each other since childhood, and Huo Wenyuan's father was Xuan Yi's mentor. Xuan Yi always treated him with great respect. Although Huo Wenyuan's martial arts skills were only considered above average, Xuan Yi constantly sought ways to improve his abilities and even put him in charge of all affairs within the Weiyang Palace, making him practically "second only to the emperor." However, some people are insatiable. Huo Wenyuan accidentally obtained a secret manual that allowed him to quickly master unparalleled skills, but the methods were extremely cruel. He not only had to absorb the internal energy of others but also drink their blood and constantly balance yin and yang.

Because Xuan Yi was often away from the palace on missions, Huo Wenyuan made several attempts to harm the disciples of Weiyang Palace. He even set his sights on Fu Xue, one of the Four Envoys. However, Fu Xue was highly skilled in martial arts, and Huo Wenyuan not only failed to gain any advantage but also completely exposed himself.

Upon learning of this, Xuan Yi immediately led the four envoys to capture him and imprison him, awaiting further punishment.

But who would have thought that while Xuan Yi was away on a mission, Old Master Huo secretly released Huo Wenyuan? He was tormented by this and felt ashamed, so he committed suicide after Huo Wenyuan escaped.

Alas, the hearts of parents are always full of love and worry.

After escaping, Huo Wenyuan unexpectedly learned of his father's death. He became obsessed and blamed Xuan Yi for all the mistakes, wanting to kill Xuan Yi to avenge his father.

"Oh? I didn't expect him to still have connections with the Canghai Gang. Isn't he the one who dislikes those strong but simple-minded brutes the most?" Xuan Yi was also a little curious.

"I only found out after making many inquiries that Huo Wenyuan went to the Xuan Yue Sect after escaping from Weiyang Palace, but was rejected by the sect leader because of his ugly appearance. Huo Wenyuan was furious and killed two disciples of the Xuan Yue Sect. He was then hunted down by the Xuan Yue Sect and was later rescued by the Canghai Gang, which is why he joined the Canghai Gang."

"The Canghai Gang rescued people from the Xuan Yue Sect? They haven't been out of the mountains for a while. It seems we'll have to look at the Canghai Gang differently from now on. Is there anything else you want to say?" Xuan Yi rubbed his stomach, as if he could already smell the aroma of the food.

"The Night Squad's secret guards discovered that Huo Wenyuan has been to Wenzhou these past few days and has even rented a courtyard, seemingly intending to stay for a while. It wasn't easy for Huo Wenyuan to leave the Canghai Gang, and I think this time..."

Xuan Yi raised his hand to interrupt Feng Ting, and gestured for Feng Ting to open the door. Feng Ting was a little puzzled. With his skill, he would definitely be able to sense if there was someone outside the door, but he did not sense anything at all. However, he still obediently did as he was told.

When the door was opened, there was indeed no one outside, only a large yellow dog sitting on the ground, sticking its tongue out at the two people inside. Seeing the door open, it immediately sat up, barked twice, and then turned and walked towards the kitchen.

Feng Ting turned to look at Xuan Yi, seemingly waiting for him to explain.

"The food is ready, let's go eat first. And don't mention my departure yet." Xuan Yi knew perfectly well what Feng Ting had left unsaid. Even if he loved life down the mountain, as the master of Weiyang Palace, he had to let it go.

But how should he tell Shen Mujin? Xuan Yi had a headache.

Shen Mujin watched the two of them walk into the small dining room one after the other and said with a smile, "You've come at just the right time. Hurry up and wash your hands so we can start eating."

With the last dish of tofu and fish soup served, Xuan Yi's long-awaited whole fish feast reappeared. After everyone was seated, he decisively picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

Seeing that Feng Ting was a little reserved, Shen Mujin immediately picked up a few pieces of food and put them in his bowl. "There aren't so many rules at my table. Eat quickly, or Xuan Yi will eat it all in no time."

Xuan Yi frowned slightly as he watched Shen Mujin's actions, and then held out his bowl to her, waiting for her to pick up some food.

Shen Mujin didn't react at first, but seeing Feng Ting's even more uneasy expression, she immediately put a lot of food into Xuan Yi's bowl and also served him an extra bowl of fish soup.

"Is this alright, Grand Palace Master Xuan?" Shen Mujin thought to herself: Do the disciples of Weiyang Palace know how naive you are?

Feng Ting: I don't know, this is the first time I've seen it too, I'm very shocked.

After a satisfying meal, Feng Ting once again transformed into a dishwasher, living up to everyone's expectations. Shen Mujin looked at Feng Ting apologetically and suggested, "You've had to do chores again, you must be tired. How about I help you wash them?"

“It’s not hard work. He just had a meal off you.” Xuan Yi answered for Feng Ting.

Looking at the person sitting motionless in the chair, Shen Mujin said helplessly, "If you order your subordinates around so casually, be careful that Feng Ting doesn't quit one day."

"Heh, he won't, because the cost of betrayal is much higher than that."

Shen Mujin got goosebumps from Xuan Yi's laughter. She rubbed her arms back and forth, silently complaining, "A lunatic and a pervert."

"I'm going back to my room to sleep for a while. Call me if you need anything." Shen Mujin yawned and waved before leading Da Huang back to his room.

When she woke up, it was already getting dark. Shen Mujin smoothed her hair, rubbed her head which was still a little groggy from sleep, and pushed open the door to go out.

Xuan Yi, who was enjoying the breeze in the courtyard, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Shen Mujin finally come out. He had thought that Shen Mujin was still suffering from snake venom and was feeling unwell again.

"get up?"

"Get up, get up. What are you doing sitting here? Where's Feng Ting?" Shen Mujin turned her neck and stretched her arms, trying to be more awake.

"I told him to go back first. As for me sitting here, you'll have to ask your dog, Dahuang."

"Dahuang?" Shen Mujin was puzzled. What did this have to do with Dahuang?

“You slept for too long. When Da Huang saw that you weren’t getting up, he probably thought something was wrong, so he ran straight to me, grabbed the hem of my clothes, and dragged me into your room.” After saying that, Xuan Yi deliberately stretched out the hem of his clothes, and a ring of teeth marks was clearly imprinted on the gray cloth.

"I'm sorry, how about I go and look around again later to see if there are any of my father's clothes left for you to change into?" Shen Mujin said somewhat embarrassedly, she hadn't expected to sleep for so long.

"No need." Xuan Yi paused, turned around, looked at Shen Mujin, and continued, "I'm leaving."

"Ah, oh, you're coming out of seclusion." Shen Mujin stopped what she was doing, unable to hide the disappointment in her heart.

After that, she was alone again.

"When are you leaving?" Shen Mujin asked casually, feigning composure.

"tomorrow morning."

"You should have said so sooner. Luckily, the meal was quite sumptuous today, so consider it a farewell feast for you. Be careful in the future, and take good care of those injuries on your body. Don't always think it's nothing, or you'll suffer when you get old." Shen Mujin rambled on and on, but in the end, she realized she had talked too much, so she had to stop. Afraid of the awkward silence that would follow, she could only make up an excuse and go back inside.

As Xuan Yi watched Shen Mujin's retreating figure as she went back into the house, he realized for the first time that parting was a troublesome thing.

The next morning, Shen Mujin got up early to prepare breakfast for Xuan Yi. In modern times, it is customary to have dumplings for parting and noodles for returning home. Now that Xuan Yi was leaving, Shen Mujin thought she would get up a little earlier and make two dumplings for him for breakfast.

In addition, after discussing this matter yesterday evening, Shen Mujin was in a state of mixed emotions and forgot about making dinner. As a result, Da Huang and Xuan Yi went hungry all night.

After quickly washing up, Shen Mujin picked a fresh, green vegetable from the garden, its leaves still glistening with dew. She then retrieved the pork she had bought a few days ago from the small cold storage, intending to make a simple steamed dumpling with pork and greens.

The dumplings were almost ready, but Xuan Yi still hadn't come out of the house. Shen Mujin, unable to free her hands, said to Da Huang, "Da Huang, go see if Xuan Yi is up yet?"

Big Yellow lay on the ground, not moving.

"Hey, what's wrong with you today? Hurry up, I'll let you try some dumplings when you get back."

Big Yellow remained unresponsive as it lay on the ground. Seeing Big Yellow's unusual behavior, even the ever-effective temptation of dumplings failed to work, leading Shen Mujin to speculate.

"He...he's already gone?" Shen Mujin put down the heat-insulating cloth in her hand. She walked to the door of Xuan Yi's house, took a deep breath, and pushed the door open with all her might.

The house was empty, clean and tidy, as if no one had ever lived there.

Shen Mujin walked around the room, and finally stood at the door with her hands on her hips and sighed, "That guy is really something, he left without even saying goodbye. If I had known he would leave last night, I would have gone back to this room to sleep on the big bed. Sleeping on the small soft couch these past two days has been so uncomfortable."

Also, they promised they wouldn't suddenly disappear, but...

Hmph, big liar.

Back in the kitchen, looking at the plump, white dumplings bobbing in the pot, Shen Mujin suddenly felt that it was better that Xuan Yi wasn't there. She and Da Huang ate them all soon; Xuan Yi didn't deserve to eat such delicious dumplings.