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Chapter 159: Chapter 159 Her Neighbor is Mu Yan
Zhan Lan wiped the wine from the corner of her lips and looked at the man watching her by the candlelight not far away.
"Mu Yan!"
Zhan Lan knew that Mu Yan’s residence was near Wangjiang Building, and she had been to his home before.
But Mu Yan doesn’t live in her alley!
Mu Yan, gazing at Zhan Lan wrapped in a white fur coat against the backdrop of flurrying snowflakes, suppressed a smile at the corner of his mouth and said, "Miss Zhan, do you admire the Seal Keeper so much that you moved right across from my house?"
Zhan Lan skeptically looked at the residence opposite to her, realizing that even separated by an alley they could be neighbors. How big must Mu Yan’s place be!
She set down the wine jug and said earnestly, "Lord Mu, I wouldn’t dare covet you, it was purely a coincidence."
Mu Yan nodded with amusement, "Hmm, that’s good then."
After finishing his words, he closed the window. Zhan Lan lost the mood for admiring the snow and was about to head inside the house.
But then she heard a creaking noise, and Mu Yan opened the window again and said, "If you want to drink, I have fine wine here!"
Zhan Lan paused her steps, instantly intoxicated by the aroma of Lidu Wine. She turned her head to look at Mu Yan under the candlelight, luring her to drink, and smilingly waved her hand and said, "No need, thank you!"
After that, she strode into the house and shut the door.
Mu Yan watched her retreating figure, a smile curling on his lips, and he closed the window.
Vermilion Bird stood outside the door, watching the snow fall as he observed the conversation between his master and Miss Zhan, squinting his eyes. He had wondered what was going on, as his master had not returned all last night.
He had also ordered a bunch of servants to clean the neighboring residence spotless.
Turns out, it was to make room for Miss Zhan.
Moreover, the master had moved out of his previously occupied loft, specifically choosing a place where he and Zhan Lan could see each other just by pushing open their windows.
Miss Zhan would never have imagined that all the land within a ten-mile radius belonged to his master.
Back in the house, Zhan Lan, although she loved to drink, felt an ambiguous affection growing in her heart every time she thought of Mu Yan’s kiss.
Indeed, Mu Yan was the kind of breathtakingly handsome man that even other men couldn’t help but give a second glance, let alone women.
And ever since that night, she tried to minimize her private interactions with Mu Yan.
Zhan Lan silently repeated to herself three times, pinching her thigh, and muttered, "Lust is a blade above the head..."
She sat down, took out her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, and rewrote the Dazang Sutra again. She almost didn’t need to copy it anymore; she could almost recite it by heart.
Her strange connection with Mu Yan had now made them neighbors, and it looked like they would have to see each other every day.
After moving to her new residence, Zhan Lan had slept soundly through the night.
The General Mansion’s backyard faced the street, yet it was a tranquil spot, perfect for sleeping. She lay in the large bed, rolled to the edge, and got out of the bed.
Liu Xi and Xiao Tao were already waiting for her to freshen up.
Zhan Lan stretched comfortably and, seeing Liu Xi and Xiao Tao’s beaming faces, asked, "Did you sleep well?"
Xiao Tao was bubbling with excitement, "Miss, living here, I feel like I’m living the life of a young lady, just like in a dream."
Zhan Lan playfully pinched her round nose and said, "That’s the spirit!"
Liu Xi smiled as she watched her miss and handed a clean towel to Zhan Lan to wipe her hands.
Without eating breakfast, Zhan Lan went straight to the courtyard to practice.
She took up her grandfather’s war spear, Iron Blood, which was heavier than her own spear, Wuming, requiring more formidable arm strength to wield.
Her left shoulder blade was still not fully healed from the injury, and she had no choice but to refrain from using her left arm for now.
Zhan Lan wielded her spear with her right hand, while Xiao Tao and Liu Xi attended to her sides, marveling constantly.
Xiao Tao had never seen Zhan Lan train at the General Mansion’s backyard; her eyes were wide open, taking in the whoosh of weapons cutting through the air.
When the spear brushed across the thin layer of snow on the ground, it lifted a white mist of snowflakes.
Xiao Tao’s mouth could fit an egg with how wide it was open. Was her miss this formidable?
After a while, Zhan Lan finally put down her spear, and Liu Xi hurriedly handed over the pre-prepared hand warmer.
Xiao Tao’s eyes gleamed with excitement as she draped a fur overcoat around Zhan Lan, "Miss, you are just too amazing!"
Zhan Lan’s lips curved slightly, resting a hand on Xiao Tao’s shoulder, "Do you want to learn?"
Xiao Tao’s head swayed from side to side like a rattle-drum, "No, thank you, Miss!"
Just the sight of the two sandbags tied to Zhan Lan’s legs made her feel immobile; she couldn’t learn this.
...
Mu Yan watched from inside Qinglan Building’s courtyard, noticing every move Zhan Lan made with her spear.
She’d grasped the essence of the Nine Nether Spear Technique quite well, enough to at least ensure her own protection in the future.
However, Mu Yan thought of the spear in Zhan Lan’s hands that didn’t fit her size and furrowed her brows; that spear wasn’t suitable for her.
If she could find a proper spear, she’d certainly be twice as effective.
"Master, can we depart now?" Vermilion Bird asked from outside the door.
Mu Yan closed the slightly ajar window, walked to the door, and glanced at Vermilion Bird, "Let’s go!"
As the two descended and were about to step out, a man with graying hair waited at the entrance of Qinglan Building. Seeing Mu Yan, he respectfully said, "Master, this is the winter clothing Miss Qingcheng has sewn for you, she asked me to deliver it."
Mu Yan glanced sideways to see a tray in his hand, with neatly folded dark blue winter clothing on it.
Mu Yan paused, "Now that winter is here, Qingcheng is frail. Housekeeper Cao, keep the charcoal fire well-burning, don’t let her catch a cold."
"Yes, Master. Would you like me to take your winter clothing upstairs?" Housekeeper Cao asked.
Mu Yan looked at Vermilion Bird, who immediately took it.
Housekeeper Cao left with a full smile on his face.
Mu Yan remarked while looking at the winter clothing, "Oddly enough, I don’t feel cold at all this winter, I probably won’t be wearing it. Put the clothes inside and follow me immediately."
He couldn’t bear to let down Qingcheng’s painstaking effort, so he kept it, but whether he’d wear it was another matter.
Vermilion Bird listened to his master’s words, the corners of his lips twitching, thinking to himself: Master, oh Master, with the sustenance we arrange for you from the small kitchen every day, how could you not feel warm?
A man in his twenties, full of vigor. It’s right for you to feel warm!
Otherwise, at this rate, when will you and the future Madam have a little master?
Vermilion Bird watched Mu Yan’s retreating figure, then swiftly returned upstairs to stash away the winter clothing.
Opening the closet, an idea struck Vermilion Bird; he stuffed the winter clothes into the least noticeable and most inconspicuous spot.
If one day the Madam were to come over and see this winter clothing, wouldn’t she get jealous!
It was best placed out of sight, somewhere hard to find.
Vermilion Bird put away the clothes and leaped down from the second floor, quickly following Mu Yan’s steps.
And he wondered why the Master today had invited someone for a meal.
This wasn’t at all like his usual style!
