Chapter 124 - 116: Gratitude

Chapter 124: Chapter 116: Gratitude

’Her inner gratitude might be useless to Meng Nan, but she was grateful to him all the same.’

’There were some things he didn’t have to do, yet he did them anyway.’

The Bai Family’s affair was over, and the show was finished. The villagers began to disperse. Some went home to cook, others went to work in the fields. Soon, they had all cleared out, and the noisy, chaotic surroundings quieted down.

Meng Nan walked out of the Bai Family’s courtyard, leading the Jin guard and two constables.

Zhao Lan pulled Bai Zhi forward to express their thanks. "Thank you, Your Excellency, for your keen insight in righting the wrong done to my daughter and me."

Meng Nan waved his hand. "No need for thanks. As an official, it is my duty to handle such matters. It was what I ought to do, so there’s no need to be so formal." His gaze fell upon Bai Zhi. The pair of eyes visible beyond her black cloth veil were exceptionally bright.

"Miss Bai, do you still remember your promise?"

Bai Zhi smiled faintly. "Of course, I haven’t forgotten." She looked up at the sun, which was nearing its zenith. Seeing it was almost noon, she said straightforwardly, "It’s getting late. Why don’t you gentlemen stay for a meal?"

The two constables were clearly displeased. ’What good food could there be in a run-down village like this? If we head back now, the restaurants in town will be bustling.’

Meng Nan turned to the two constables. "You two can head back first. The Jin guard and I will stay. As it happens, I have a few more things to ask Miss Bai."

The two constables couldn’t have been happier. They hurriedly took their leave, afraid that if they were a moment too slow, they’d be forced to stay for a meal. They had no desire to eat the bland, coarse food of this wretched village.

Meng Nan’s gaze fell on Hu Feng. Hu Feng had his back to them, his eyes fixed on the distance, profound and remote.

"So that’s Hu Feng?" Meng Nan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hu Changlin quickly replied, "Yes, that’s him."

Meng Nan studied Hu Feng’s back. It was tall and straight. Though he wore a patched, coarse-cloth short shirt, it couldn’t conceal the noble air that emanated from him.

’How could an ordinary mountain villager possess such a noble bearing that even he couldn’t help but take a second look?’

When he focused his gaze again, Hu Feng was already walking away. His steps were steady and his footfalls silent—he had to be a trained martial artist.

Looking at his back now, he could no longer perceive that noble air. His silhouette looked the same as any other ordinary villager’s, only a bit more upright.

’Did his eyes just play a trick on him?’

"Hu Feng doesn’t seem to talk much, does he?" Meng Nan said to Hu Changlin.

Hu Changlin hurried to reply, "To answer Your Excellency, Hu Feng has a reserved personality. Even at home, he doesn’t speak much. I hope Your Excellency will forgive him."

Meng Nan grunted in acknowledgment, then turned back to Bai Zhi. "Weren’t you going to treat me to lunch? Let’s go!"

’Hmph—he certainly wasn’t being modest.’

The group returned to the Hu Family’s home. Hu Feng had already gone back to his room and shut the door tightly, apparently with no intention of coming out.

Bai Zhi said to Meng Nan, "Your Excellency, please rest for a bit while I go make lunch. After we eat, I’ll write you a prescription. I guarantee your face will be fully healed in three days."

The Jin guard was instantly overjoyed. "Is that true?"

Bai Zhi smiled. "How would I dare deceive His Excellency about something like this? Besides, the poison affecting you isn’t particularly rare. The doctors in the city have the antidote for it, but they are too cautious with their prescriptions. They’re afraid of being held responsible, so they don’t dare to use a strong enough dose. That’s why the poison has never been fully cured."

Hearing her explain it all so logically, the Jin guard’s anxious heart was finally put at ease. ’She’s just a young girl,’ he reasoned, ’she wouldn’t dare make such bold claims without reason.’