A Maid's Survival Story in a Noble Family Mansion? Rich Landlords Are More Appealing.

Seeing that Chen Wanxing had clarified the misunderstanding and nodded slightly again to indicate that he was about to leave, Wang Yanning's mind raced.

The instant she turned around, he spoke again, almost instinctively, his voice faster and more urgent than usual: "Please wait, young lady!"

Chen Wanxing turned around and gave him an inquiring look.

Wang Yanning felt his ears burning slightly, but the words were already out, and he had to make an excuse. He quickly racked his brains for a reason, his gaze falling on the lanterns hanging in the corridor as if grasping at a straw, and hurriedly said:

"It was my rudeness; I mistook you for someone else. Please forgive me, young lady. However..." He tried to make his tone sound natural.

"Although the young lady did not guess the riddle for the first prize, she has already passed the first two rounds, which shows her quick wit. According to the rules set by the host, in addition to the main lantern for the first prize, the host will also give a gift to any guest who guesses the riddle in front of the building today and wins a ribbon."

Such discerning guests will be recorded, so that they can be invited or given small gifts in the future to express gratitude and reciprocation if there are new riddle-solving gatherings or occasional small gifts in the building.

This reason was hardly good; it was even more far-fetched than the previous one and was very easy to expose. But he didn't have the energy to think of any other reasons now.

Ruyang City may not be very big, but in the vast sea of ​​people, if they miss each other today, who knows if they will have a second chance to meet?

Chen Wanxing had not yet responded, but a slightly familiar sound of laughter and conversation broke the silence of the corner as it approached.

Lin Wei, Lin Lang, and Zhou Wenbo were walking from the direction of Lanyue Pavilion, seemingly preparing to go downstairs. However, Chen Wanxing and Zhou Wenbo were standing behind a screen, which blocked their view, so they did not notice the two people on their side.

Lin Wei's clear voice, tinged with a hint of pride, rang out: "...Right, brother, Wenbo? The waiter at Jufulou said it himself. That most beautiful revolving lantern will be sent to our mansion as soon as it's taken down, as it's a lucky draw prize."

Zhou Wenbo's surprised voice, tinged with a smile, rang out: "Oh, there's such a good thing? I've never heard of Jufulou having this rule in previous years. At most, they would just waive the banquet fee."

"Weiwei, you've got quite the connections! Could it be that the person who created the riddle really appreciates your talent?"

Lin Lang's more composed voice joined in: "Perhaps it's a new rule established this year, meant to bring joy and remembrance."

The conversation between the three could be clearly heard behind the screen.

Wang Yanning: "..."

Chen Wanxing: "..."

The air around us seemed to freeze for a moment, and the noise downstairs and the laughter not far away became blurred background noise.

Wang Yanning felt a sudden "boom" on her face, and her forced composure crumbled instantly.

Zhou Wenbo's words were like a resounding slap, shattering his hastily cobbled-together excuse.

He could even feel his cheeks and behind his ears burning uncontrollably, so embarrassed that he almost wanted to disappear on the spot.

Chen Wanxing listened quietly to those words, and everything became perfectly clear.

Was there no such rule in previous years? It only appeared this year, and only for guests of "Lan Yue Ge"? And he called her Miss Lin as soon as they met, so he must have mistaken her for the person who won the lottery.

Besides, even after she explained, he tried to ask her for her name and address using a similar excuse...

Chen Wanxing raised her head, her gaze slowly shifting back to Wang Yanning's face.

She was more than a head shorter than him, yet at that moment she strangely possessed a condescending, scrutinizing air. Her gaze wasn't sharp, but it was so clear it seemed to reflect all the thoughts he tried to hide.

Her gaze first fell on his eyes, which always exuded a gentle, scholarly air but were now slightly evasive due to embarrassment. Then it slowly moved down, passing over his straight nose, lingering for a moment on his tightly pursed lips, which had lost their usual composed curve, and finally settling on the faint red that ran from his cheeks to behind his ears, still clearly visible in the dim light.

The blush added a touch of vivid, disheveled human warmth to his originally handsome and refined features.

She quietly and calmly observed him, taking in his unusual helplessness, his efforts to remain composed, and the embarrassment of having his lie exposed so directly.

Time seemed to stretch and magnify in her calm gaze, revealing every subtle change in her expression.

Under this silent scrutiny, Wang Yanning felt that her already burning ears were even hotter, and she unconsciously softened her breathing.

When had he ever been examined so intently, with such a calm yet penetrating gaze, so thoroughly, from top to bottom? The feeling was unfamiliar and subtle, leaving him somewhat paralyzed.

He opened his mouth, as if wanting to explain something, but found that any words would be superfluous at this moment.

He stood there in the dim light, with a hazy landscape screen behind him. His embarrassed appearance was completely different from his gentle and eloquent demeanor just moments before. There was an unexpected awkwardness and authenticity to it.

Chen Wanxing looked at him quietly, a barely perceptible understanding and a faint smile flashing deep in her eyes.

Then, she raised an eyebrow, and the corners of her lips curved upwards very slightly, with an all-knowing look and a hint of almost perceptible, indulgent playfulness.

She took a very light half-step forward. The space between them was already cramped due to the corner screen, and this step shortened the distance between them even more, so close that they could almost feel the slight airflow between their breaths.

In this quiet, dimly lit corner, separated by a screen, she looked up, her clear eyes meeting his still flustered gaze.

Before he could make up any more excuses, she looked up, her clear eyes meeting his still embarrassed gaze.

The lamplight under the eaves cast delicate shadows on her eyelashes. She smiled slightly and spoke directly, each word clear and distinct, like pearls falling on a porcelain plate, striking Wang Yanning's heart.

"Chen Wanxing".

"The 'evening' in 'the sky threatens snow as evening falls, the 'stars' hang low over the vast plain."

"Currently residing in Xiahe Village, Ping'an Town."

"Young master, is this what you want to know?"

After she finished speaking, she did not back away, but maintained that slightly close posture, and even blinked her eyes gently.

That look seemed to calmly state, "I know what you want to ask, and this is the answer."

"..."

Wang Yanning was completely stunned. All his words, excuses, and embarrassment seemed to have vanished at this moment.

All he could hear was the name and address she gave in her clear voice, and all he could see was her serene face so close to his eyes and her clear, understanding eyes.

The heat on her cheeks hadn't subsided, but her heartbeat seemed to have broken free of its restraints, pounding heavily and rapidly in her chest, one beat after another.

This small corner, half-hidden by a screen, seemed to be its own little world. The light was hazy, the air slightly stagnant, with only the silent, unspoken, subtle atmosphere flowing between the two of them.

She frankly gave him the answer he wanted to find in a roundabout way, and tacitly approved of his somewhat clumsy exploration, without saying anything more.

The indescribable, complex atmosphere between them, a mixture of awkwardness, understanding, a touch of embarrassment, and a quietly growing, subtly ambiguous tension, permeated the quiet corner of the corridor as the Lantern Festival night drew to a close and the lights began to dim.