Misty Rain of the Old Times

After arriving home, Chen Xuan stared blankly at the sunset, lost in thought. He realized he had completely become the prey, slowly walking into He Hongyi's gentle trap, and who knew when he would fall for her.

So, could this be considered a honey trap?

Low-level seduction schemes use beauty to lure people, while truly high-level seduction schemes target weaknesses, making you fall into their trap without you even realizing it. Of course, He Hongyi doesn't have any malicious intent; on the contrary, she wholeheartedly devotes herself to him, which makes it very difficult to resist.

While he was lost in thought, the doorbell at the gate outside the woods rang. The little girl had hung a bell there; it was a discarded item from when Chen Xuan made the Nine-Tone Soul-Suppressing Bell, which she had put to good use. It could be rung as a notification when someone came, but it had only rung a few times.

Hearing the sound, Dujuan glanced at Chen Xuan, unsure what her master was thinking, and walked towards the door, saying, "Master, I'll go see; perhaps we have guests."

Chen Xuan nodded. Who would come looking for him now? It couldn't be He Hongyi, whom he hadn't seen for long.

Forget it, why worry so much? Even if I end up in He Hongyi's arms, I'll accept it. She's so beautiful, skilled in martial arts, and completely devoted to me. It's a pure bargain. Even if she gave me another hundred thousand taels of silver, I'd accept it with tears in my eyes.

Tsk, it's not even dark yet, why are you having such sweet dreams?

Then it wasn't a guest who rang the doorbell, but the deliveryman. Several truckloads of goods were brought into the yard by Dujuan.

The seafood I bought on my way to Wanku Mountain last time has finally arrived. It took several days to deliver. Chen Xuan even paid a lot of money for express delivery back then. It was a bit slow, but his reputation is good. I checked and nothing was missing.

It was all dried goods, some of which were quite valuable, such as sea cucumbers, abalone, and pearls. Several truckloads of goods arrived, and the air was filled with the smell of fish, attracting Zhou Xiaomiao and the others to come and see what was going on.

The goods were handed over to the escort agency, who were puzzled. They had rushed over to deliver the goods, but the person who sent them arrived first.
Looking at the piles of seafood, Chen Xuan pondered for a moment and said, "There's so much stuff, our family can't eat that much, and it gets tiring if we eat too much. So, Sister Juan, could you please send a truckload to the Gao family, to make sure everything is complete? Even if Madam Gao and the others aren't here, we should still show our appreciation. Then send about a hundred catties each to Deng Lingfeng and the others. I'll give you their address later. Also, send some to Magistrate Shu Yao's place, and ask him to help finalize He Hongyi's wine sales. We'll keep one truckload for ourselves, and send the rest to Erdan's place. After all, it's our own shop; consider it an improvement to our menu."

In just a few words, he had arranged a bunch of seafood. He was too lazy to do it himself, so he simply let Dujuan do it. There was no need for him to do it himself. They were meant to do these kinds of chores. Otherwise, why would he need to order around maids? Although Chen Xuan did not treat them as servants.

“Yes, sir, I’ll go right away,” Du Juan nodded in agreement. She was also a decisive person, having been an assassin before, and she couldn’t delay her employer’s requests, which had become a habit.

Then Chen Xuan said to Su Roujia, "Roujia, let's use these things to make dinner later, so that Xiaomiao and the others can have a taste."

“Leave it to me, sir. Although I haven’t done much before, I learned at the Gao family. The Gao family’s head chef knows everything. He was even sent by Miss Gao from the Prince’s Mansion,” the little maid said eagerly.

Everyone was busy, with Xiao Miao and the others helping to move things, while Chen Xuan was idle.

Looking towards the guest room, Chen Xuan remembered that when he was in a daze earlier, Xiao Miao was secretly packing her luggage. She probably planned to go back tomorrow, but she hadn't said goodbye yet.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Xuan went to Du Juan's side, who was busy at work, and whispered a few words in her ear as her heart rate increased slightly.

Du Juan originally thought that her master had become interested in women and wanted to make a move on her because of He Hongyi, but it turned out that she was just buying something while delivering the gift, and all her hopes were dashed.

My master is only nineteen years old and hasn't lost his virginity yet, so he's not very interested in women right now. Once he experiences pleasure from women, he probably won't be so indifferent anymore, right?

She readily agreed, sorted the seafood, and set off with her own horse pulling the cart. It would take several trips, and she estimated that it would be late at night by the time she finished. Actually, she didn't need to deliver everyone in one day, but she wasn't one to procrastinate.

Just as Chen Xuan had guessed, during dinner, Zhou Xiaomiao hesitated for a long time before reluctantly saying goodbye. She lowered her head and said, "Brother Chen, I plan to go back with my brother first thing tomorrow morning. I've been away from home for so long, I have to go back eventually. I'll try my best to attend your wedding, even if it takes a little more time on the road. Brother Chen's wedding is the most important event in my life, and I will try my best not to miss it."

Chen Xuan wasn't surprised, as this was something he had expected. He nodded and said, "Alright, even if I try to persuade you to stay, Xiao Miao, you probably won't have a good time. So, I'll send you back tomorrow. Like I said, if you miss me, just write a letter, and I'll come pick you up to come visit. Don't make the same long journey by yourself as this time. How could I forgive myself if something happened to you? As for the wedding, it will be held in the capital. I'll come to Mo City to pick you up beforehand to take you to the capital."

She shook her head and declined, saying, "No need, Brother Chen, it's too much trouble for you. My brother and I can go back."

Even though Chen Xuan said he could send them back in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she hadn't experienced it firsthand and didn't take it seriously. Her experience was limited, and she couldn't understand such a thing. Even birds would have to fly for several days and nights to get that far.

"It's settled then. Xiao Miao, don't think you'll bother me by sneaking away. You can't hide it from me. On the contrary, it will make me think you're being too distant and don't really consider me your older brother," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

Since that's been said, she had no choice but to open her mouth and nod, saying, "Yes, I'll listen to Brother Chen."

Deep down, she didn't want Chen Xuan to treat her like a younger sister, but rather like an ordinary girl. As she grew older, the girl's simple gratitude for Chen Xuan's care since childhood had become somewhat distorted.

She thought that if she were good enough, she would probably pursue Brother Chen relentlessly like Guo Qingxue and He Hongyi. Unfortunately, she was born lowly, so what right did she have? She gave up that unrealistic idea. Part of the reason she didn't want to get married was because of this. Being alone was good enough. She could raise her younger brother, earn money to marry a considerate sister-in-law, and continue the family line. That would be enough for her in this life.

“That’s right, eat up. Abalone and sea cucumber are good stuff. Although they’re not fresh, they’re still good. We don’t eat them often, and they won’t taste good when they’re cold,” Chen Xuan urged, unaware of the little girl’s little thoughts.

Du Juan hadn't finished her work and was back yet, but she left her a portion, which was keeping warm in the pot.

Currently, Chen Xuan is not from a wealthy family, so there aren't many rules and regulations, and he treats the people around him like family. However, the situation will definitely be different after he marries the little princess. He will definitely have to bring a large dowry, and if things continue like this, it will be chaotic.

Of course, Chen Xuan would not concern himself with such household matters at that time, leaving them to his wife to handle. After all, women are supposed to be in charge of the household. Moreover, in the capital, there are rules and regulations that govern everything, but after marriage, Chen Xuan plans to live here more often. He can go to the capital only occasionally. There are fewer people, and it is more comfortable to live here. In the capital, people greet you everywhere you go, which makes you feel uncomfortable.

He has the mindset of an ordinary person and can't enjoy being surrounded by people. The saying "a wild boar can't eat fine chaff" perfectly describes him.

After dinner, the group chatted in the courtyard for a while. As night deepened, Zhou Xiaomiao and the others went to rest, as they were going back the next day. Xiaomiao tossed and turned, unable to sleep, feeling sad at the thought of finally seeing Brother Chen and having to part ways again.

Since her grandfather's death, Xiao Miao only had Fu Gui as her closest relative. Although she had other relatives, she rarely visited them, and their relationship was lukewarm. She didn't have any major attachments to them. She had considered moving here to make a living so she could see Brother Chen more often. He was a good carpenter, so life wouldn't be difficult. But what reason could she give for moving? After all, moving was no small matter, and her parents' and grandfather's graves were still in the north. She couldn't just leave them behind; they needed to be visited and tended to during festivals.

The little girl's heart was a bit troubled; she didn't know when she had started to have worries. When she was little, she looked forward to growing up, but as she grew up, it wasn't as wonderful as she had imagined.

The truth is, the girl's living conditions have gradually improved. Although she is not rich or noble, she is not worried about food and clothing, so she has time to worry. If she were like when she was a child, she would not even have enough to eat, let alone have the energy to think about these trivial matters.

It was late at night when Du Juan finally finished her work and returned, reporting, "Master, I've delivered everything you asked me to. Magistrate Shu was very easy to talk to and agreed without any difficulty. I'll send the wine sales document to Miss He tomorrow, and I've also bought everything you asked me to buy."

As she spoke, she put down a rather large box.

"Okay, thank you for your trouble, Sister Juan. Go eat first, it's keeping warm in the kitchen," Chen Xuan nodded and then went to check the things she had bought in the box.

Dujuan said, "Sir, please don't say that. It's what I should do. By the way, everyone who received your gift was very happy and said they would come to visit you again."

Relationships become closer with more interaction; even the best relationships can become distant if you don't keep in touch for a long time. Chen Xuan nodded to indicate that he understood.

At this moment, he was more concerned about the things Du Juan had bought back, which were gifts for Zhou Xiaomiao and the others. They had come all this way and brought thoughtful gifts, so he couldn't let them go back empty-handed.

The box was almost full. Considering Xiao Miao's actual situation, it didn't contain anything particularly valuable: some fabric, a few sets of clothes for the siblings, all made of ordinary materials. The finer things wouldn't suit them. There were also some local specialties and books. The siblings had never been to school, and it was hoped that they could learn more characters in the future and ask Master Fang for advice. In addition, there were cosmetics and such. Xiao Miao doesn't usually wear makeup, so it was unclear whether she would know how to use them. Girls should be pretty; they don't have to wear them, but they should at least have some. Then there were some pieces of jewelry, none of them particularly valuable. Again, they don't have to wear them, but they should have some. At worst, they could be stored away at the bottom of the box.

Chen Xuan had simply asked Du Juan to buy the items according to his own ideas. Perhaps he hadn't considered everything thoroughly, but it shouldn't have brought disaster upon Xiao Miao and the others. After checking, he found that there was still some space in the box, so Chen Xuan planned to fill it with some dried goods and seafood. Xiao Miao and the others lived in the north and rarely had access to seafood, and even if they did, it wasn't something they were willing to spend money on.

After a long night, Chen Xuan washed up and went to bed. He was a very energetic young man, and that night he actually had a pink dream. Dreams are something he can't control.

The things that happened in his dream were simply too disgusting to describe. He dreamed of many girls, sometimes a little princess, sometimes Du Juan, sometimes Zheng Wanqian, and also Su Roujia, He Hongyi, and Guo Qingxue all appeared in his dream. He even dreamed of Gao Jingyu, who was undressing with a look of amusement on her face. Finally, he even dreamed of a female giant, who was Luo Ke, the one who fought with Du Juan. This dream woke Chen Xuan up in fright.

When he woke up, he sat on the bed, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. What was all this nonsense? Thinking about women wasn't like this. He even dreamed about messing around with Gao Jingyu. Luckily it was just a dream, otherwise Gao would have chopped him into mincemeat if he knew. There was even a female giant. My god, this was too scary. It was completely illogical. The models were totally incompatible.

Then he discovered that his crotch was sticky, and he couldn't help but curse under his breath. He was on the verge of tears, thinking, "Oh well, I'll have to secretly wash my pants again."

Normally, even his personal clothes are washed by the maids and Dujuan, but it's something he's too embarrassed to talk about, so he has to do it himself, otherwise he'd be too ashamed to show his face.

"Being single is so sad. But I'm not exactly single, I have plenty of women, so how did things turn out like this? What went wrong? Well, it's because I can't let go, who can I blame?"

Thinking about it made him even more depressed, so he could only sneak off to wash his pants. He also took off the sheets and duvet cover to wash them, as they were stained with some residue. These kinds of things had to be done secretly, and it was a piece of cake for him. He finished in no time and dried them directly to eliminate all the stains.

By the time he finished his work, it was already dawn. Just as he was about to take the dried sheets and duvet covers back to his room, he bumped into Du Juan, who was getting up and leaving the house.

"Good morning, sir. Just leave it to us. There's no reason for you to do such trivial laundry," Du Juan greeted, and went over to take the things from Chen Xuan's hands.

Feeling inexplicably guilty, Chen Xuan instinctively dodged the attack, waving his hand dismissively and saying, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Sister Juan, I'm going back to my room."

As she spoke, she pushed open the door and went in. Upon seeing this, Dujuan was taken aback. The master seemed a little off. He wasn't usually like this.

The next moment, her eyes widened slightly and her cheeks flushed. She recalled that Chen Xuan seemed to be holding a pair of underwear in his hand earlier, and she had even helped wash them. Although there were some things she hadn't experienced, she understood them. How could she not realize what had happened? Her master had gone 'overboard'!

No wonder the old man seemed a bit off; it turns out he's having trouble speaking about it.

We can do this anytime, sir, if he needs it. Uh, what are you thinking? It's best to pretend you didn't find out, otherwise, if the master gets angry, that would be terrible.

It was already daylight, and Chen Xuan naturally didn't plan to continue sleeping. After washing up, he went downstairs to stretch his muscles as usual. However, he always felt that Du Juan was secretly observing him. But when he carefully observed her, she seemed no different from usual. Could it be that he was overthinking it? Or had Sister Juan discovered something? He had clearly hidden it very well. Hmm, he must be overthinking it.

After breakfast, Chen Xuan's laziness kicked in again. The sun was shining brightly, so he went to the pavilion to take a nap and think about the formation. He treated it as a way to hypnotize himself, since just thinking about it made him sleepy.

He was relieved, but Zhou Xiaomiao was caught in a dilemma. She had agreed to leave today, and Brother Chen had said he would see her off. She couldn't just leave like this, but the sun was getting higher and higher. When would she be able to leave? Brother Chen was sleeping soundly, and she didn't want to disturb him. What should she do with this guest?
The little maid noticed this and comforted her, "Little Miao, don't worry. Master said he'll take you home. Just wait, it'll be quick."

"Hmm," Xiao Miao nodded. What could she do?
She decided to just wait. In her opinion, the journey was long and arduous, so a day or two wouldn't make a difference.

After comforting Zhou Xiaomiao, and since there was nothing else to do for the time being, and it wasn't good to disturb the master's sleep, the little maid looked around and whispered to Du Juan, "Sister Juan, could you give me some pointers on martial arts? There are some parts that I don't seem to be getting right, Sister Juan?"

"Huh? Oh, okay, let's go to the backyard so as not to disturb the master." Du Juan was a bit slow to react, lost in thought. She couldn't help but think about Chen Xuan secretly washing his underwear that morning, and she couldn't understand why she couldn't stop thinking about it.

It's highly likely because her entire life revolves around this man, the master. If she needs anything, she can just go to him; what's there to be embarrassed about? Let alone someone of the master's status and power, even some young masters from wealthy families wouldn't need to restrain themselves…

The sun was high in the sky, but Chen Xuan, who had just woken up, felt even sleepier. He stretched halfway, patted his forehead, and finally remembered his business. His gaze swept around and he saw Zhou Xiaomiao sitting idly by the small pond. He said, "Xiaomiao, have you been waiting long? I'll take you back after lunch."

"Okay, Brother Chen, I'll do whatever you say," Xiao Miao said obediently. She really didn't want to trouble Chen Xuan, but she was afraid he would get angry if she refused. She thought that after Brother Chen sent her out of Yang County, she would make sure he came back, even if it was just a token gesture. She couldn't really make Brother Chen travel all the way back to take her back; that would take up so much time.

After a short rest following lunch, Chen Xuan retrieved the box containing gifts for Xiaomiao and said to Du Juan and the others, "Sister Juan, I'll take Xiaomiao and the others home first. I'll be right back. Please make yourselves at home."

Serving as maids for Chen Xuan was truly a leisurely life. In other wealthy families, wouldn't they treat their servants like cattle and horses?
Then Chen Xuan said to the Xiao Miao siblings, "Are you all ready? If you are, we'll set off soon. But I have to remind you, close your eyes, otherwise you might suffer. We'll be there when I tell you to open your eyes."

"Okay, Brother Chen, we're all ready." Xiao Miao and the others obediently closed their eyes, wondering how they could walk with their eyes closed. In any case, they still didn't quite believe that Chen Xuan could send them back in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. Oh well, they'd better cooperate with Brother Chen for now.

Then Chen Xuan didn't waste any time. After they closed their eyes, he took them and soared into the sky, disappearing into the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.

Before long, he led the Xiao Miao siblings across mountains and rivers to Mo City, appearing directly at her doorstep. Once they were on solid ground, he reminded them, "Alright, Xiao Miao and Fu Gui, you can open your eyes now. We're here! See? I told you it would be quick!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaomiao instinctively opened her eyes. Looking at the familiar surroundings, she stared in disbelief and exclaimed, "We're back already? Brother Chen, am I dreaming? How is this possible?!"

"Home, I'm back, come quick!" Zhou Fugui, who was usually so quiet, couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes wide open, looking both silly and pitiful.

With a smile, Chen Xuan said, "Would Brother Chen lie to you? What, aren't you going to invite me in for a seat?"

"Brother Chen, I'm just too surprised. Come in and sit down, I'll open the door right away," Xiao Miao, still a bit dazed, quickly said.

Meanwhile, after Chen Xuan took Xiao Miao and the others back home, Su Roujia couldn't help but ask Du Juan, "Sister Juan, I kept seeing you lost in thought today. Is something on your mind?"

"No, I was just thinking that it's still a bit chilly in the mornings and evenings of spring, and I was considering whether to warm the bed for the master, but I'm worried that he might reject it," Du Juan said with an awkward smile. She dared not reveal the master's little secret, not even to Su Roujia, who was her own person.

Hearing this, the little girl didn't suspect anything and pouted, saying, "What's there to worry about? It's what we should do anyway. If you want to go, just go. Don't be fooled by the master's repeated refusals; you have to listen to the other side of the story. He's actually quite willing, he just won't let us stay overnight to serve him in bed. We'll be kicked out."

"Is that so? Roujia, I feel like you're encouraging me. What if we anger the master?" Dujuan asked her suspiciously.

The little maid chuckled, "Although that day will come sooner or later, Master dislikes me because I'm too young and doesn't want me to serve him. But Sister Juan, you're different. Master shouldn't refuse you. Be bold and give it a try. What if you succeed? At most, he'll just kick you out. Master won't really be angry."

She didn't believe the little girl's nonsense and squinted, saying, "Could it be that you, Roujia, are lusting after the master and sent me to test him, so that if I succeed, you'll have a chance too?"

"Sister Juan saw through me! No, no, that's not it!" The little girl, her little scheme exposed, quickly changed her story, but it was too late.

Du Juan reached out and tickled her armpit, teasingly saying, "Oh, Roujia, you're all grown up now, and you're already eyeing the master! I'll tell him later and he'll spank you!"

"Ouch, stop tickling, it tickles! I'm sorry, Sister Juan, please forgive me! I'm fighting back! Watch me grab your big bear! I've noticed Grandpa's been secretly watching all the time. Wow, it's so big! Wow, it feels so good!"

"You dared to grab me here? I'll grab yours too! It's just the right size, and looks like it can still grow."

The two women played and frolicked like ordinary people, occasionally revealing glimpses of their private parts, but unfortunately no one could see. It was rare that Chen Xuan wasn't around, and when they were alone together, they were quite bold and unrestrained… (End of Chapter)