Chapter 35: The Seventh-Rank Official in Front of the Prime Minister's Residence

  Yang Fan returned home, and as soon as he pushed open the door, he caught a whiff of the delicious smell of food, and his heart rose with a sense of happiness. He called out loudly towards the kitchen: "Anu, I'm back!"

  It was strange that the kitchen was quiet, not a sound could be heard. Yang Fan walked over curiously and peeked inside, but there was no one there. When he turned his head back around, he couldn't help but jump in fright - Tian Ainiu was standing right behind him like a ghost.

  Yang Fan exclaimed: "How can you be like a ghost, scaring people can scare them to death."

  Tian Ai Nu stared at him and said: "Something's happened!"

  "What's going on?" Yang Fan asked in surprise.

  Tian Ai Nu suddenly flashed to the door, stuck to the door seam and looked out, then suddenly floated in front of him, whispering: "I found that something is not quite right."

  "Oh?"

  "I found that everyone who passes by your house will be very curious and take a peek inside."

  "Oh?"

  "I also found out that those people were whispering to each other, pointing fingers."

  "Huh?"

  Tian Ai Nu's face turned solemn as she asked, "Tell me, could it be that news of my presence in your household has already been leaked?"

  Yang Fan's heart was uneasy and he hastily said: "You're thinking too much, the people in this alley all live their own lives, who would bother to interfere with others' business?"

  Tian Ai Nu shook her head and said, "No, you're a single man who never cooked at home before. Suddenly starting to cook for yourself will raise suspicions in the eyes of those with ill intentions..."

  Yang Fan coughed twice and said, "You don't have to worry, I've said it before, no one in this alley will interfere with other people's business. Besides, with your appearance, even if someone saw you, would they believe you're a female thief?"

  Tian Ai Nu still looked worried and stared at him: "Really nothing happened?"

  Yang Fan said solemnly: "Absolutely nothing is wrong, I guarantee it with my personal integrity!"

  Tian Ai Nu sighed and said: "You say that, I'm even more worried."

  Yang Fan said gloomily: "Is my character so bad?"

  Tian Ai Nu gave him a white eye and asked back: "Do you have any personality?"

  Yang Fan stared at her and asked: "Is dinner ready?"

  Tian Ai Nu looked at him strangely and said: "You can still eat?"

  Yang Fan said, "Why can't you eat? Nothing will happen, think about it, if the news of your presence here really leaks out, won't I also be implicated? Since I'm not afraid, what are you worried about?"

  Tian Ai Nu tilted her head and thought carefully, then said with a smile: "Not bad, this reason really makes me feel much more at ease. Well... let's eat!"

  Yesterday they had a big feast to celebrate the new home, so today it's not possible to have such a luxurious meal. However, even ordinary dishes cooked by Tian'ai's skilled hands are still delicious and fragrant. Yang Fan saw the sumptuous spread on the table and couldn't help but salivate, eagerly picking up his chopsticks and saying: "Come come come, let's eat!"

  Tian Ai Nu smiled slightly and said, "Don't be in a hurry, I still have one more big dish that hasn't been served yet."

  Yang Fan stopped his chopsticks and said in surprise: "There's still another big dish?"

  Tian Ai Nu reached under the low table and pulled out a package, gently pushing it in front of Yang Fan.

  Yang Fan looked at Tian Ai Nu with suspicion, put down his chopsticks, and opened the package. Under the lamp light, a burst of pearls and treasures suddenly appeared, shining brightly. Two pieces of emerald jade, a string of bright pearls, and several gold and silver bars. Yang Fan was surprised for a moment, slowly raised his head, and looked at Tian Ai Nu.

  Tian Ai Nu said: "Today, I went out for a trip and brought some things back."

  Yang Fan slowly covered up the package and pushed it back under the bed, calmly asking: "What does this mean?"

  "Thank you!"

  Tian Ai Nu said: "I've said it before, a life-saving favor must be repaid heavily. This is the thank you gift I give to you."

  Yang Fan's eyes flashed slightly, and he asked: "Are you leaving?"

  Tian Ai Nu nodded slightly and Yang Fan said: "The other day I told you to leave, but you didn't want to go. Why do you suddenly want to leave today?"

  Tian Ai Nu's mouth curved slightly as she said, "I've told you before, women can change their minds at any time. What reason do they need?"

  Yang Fan let out a breath and said, "Although the inspection in this alley is not strict, it's different in the capital. The city gates are still very strict about checking people leaving the city, and with your shoulder injury, it's easy to reveal your identity. It's better to wait until your injuries heal..."

  Tian Ai Nu cut him off and said: "To recover from injuries, it's not something that can be accomplished in just one or two days. As long as I can move around freely and leave the city, for me, it's absolutely no problem."

  Yang Fan was silent for a moment, then smiled and said: "Alright. Since we will be parting ways tomorrow, how can we not have wine at the banquet?"

  Tian Ai Nu said: "Alright, although I'm injured, drinking wine is no problem, I'll go get some."

  Yang Fan stretched out his hand and pressed it down, saying: "You sit for a while, I'll go get some wine."

  Yang Fan leaned forward, about to get up, when a hurried footsteps echoed from the courtyard. Today's strange happenings in the neighborhood had already made Tian Ai Nu vigilant, and as soon as she heard the footsteps, her eyes immediately became alert.

  Yang Fan was looking at her hand holding chopsticks.

  Her slender fingers, when the footsteps sounded, the thumb, index finger and middle finger of the chopsticks bloomed like an orchid, had changed from holding to reverse holding. The right hand's index finger lightly pressed forward, the thumb pressed on top, and the ring finger hooked around the end of the chopstick, the tip of the chopstick slanted towards Yang Fan's right chest heart, becoming a standard sword-holding posture.

  She certainly didn't want to deal with Yang Fan, she slightly tilted her head, her left ear was listening intently to the footsteps that were getting closer and closer. Yang Fan believed that when she suddenly counterattacked, the bamboo chopsticks in her hand would be as swift as lightning, straight into the throat of the person entering the door. She wasn't just quick at killing fish, but also quicker at killing people.

  Yang Fan immediately asked: "Who?"

  The person outside the door didn't rush in this time. He said a sentence first: "Xiao Fan, it's me, Ma Qiao!"

  The voice fell, and the door was pulled open, Ma Qiao stepped in.

  As soon as I entered, it was still a low table, still a man and woman sitting opposite each other, still eating under the lamp, just like last night.

  Ma Qiao hummed twice and said: "You're having dinner, brother and sister, sorry to disturb you."

  The chopsticks in Tian Ai Nu's hand fell onto the table with a "clatter", and she stuttered: "Bro...brother and sister?"

  Yang Fan quickly stood up and rushed over to block Ma Qiao's line of sight, asking: "How did you get here?"

  Ma Qiao walked around Yang Fan's body, took a look at the dishes on the table, and repeatedly praised: "Ah, brother-in-law is really skilled, these dishes are so fragrant."

  Tian Ai Nu stared at Yang Fan, and Yang Fan hastily said: "Ma Liu, don't spout nonsense, we haven't... you know what."

  Yang Fan said while turning his head, raising an eyebrow and winking at Tian Ai Nu: "Ai Nu, you leave first, Ma Liu is here, I have something to discuss with him."

  Tian Aini slowly stood up, glanced at Yang Fan with a suspicious look, and walked towards the back door. Yang Fan pulled Ma Qiao down to sit, asking: "How did you come?"

  Ma Qiao saw Tian Ai Nu leave, and the forced smile on his face instantly disappeared. He sighed and said, "It's all because of Xiao Ning's affair."

  Yang Fan's expression changed and he said: "Is there news from Su Fangzheng's side? Is it that the one with the surname Liu still refuses to agree?"

  Ma Qiao said: "Su Fangzheng has gone to Yongtai Fang, and met Mo Fangzheng there. After listening to Su Fangzheng's explanation of his intention, Mo Fangzheng scratched his head in distress, saying that this matter is not easy to handle."

  Yang Fan said: "How could that be? That surname Liu has mixed up to this point, in the village there should not be much ability."

  Ma Qiao said: "That's right, the one with the surname Liu doesn't have much ability. However, although he doesn't have much ability, his wife, Mrs. Yao, is quite influential."

  Yang Fan's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "What identity does that woman with the surname Yao have?"

  Ma Qiao said: "That Mrs. Yao is also not a person of great status, she's just a widow who runs a business, but Mrs. Yao's mother... isn't an ordinary person."

  "What an extraordinary person the mother of a merchant's wife must be!"

  Ma Qiao sighed and said: "Madam Yao's mother used to be a wet nurse for someone."

  "Who?"

  "Princess Taiping!"

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