
Early in the morning Xie Ran exited the inn room and went to the restaurant on the ground floor where Mei Liena was already waiting. When he reached Mei Liena's table, he pecked for a moment to see another figure sitting quietly looking with an alluring handsome smile.
When the man gave a one-eye blink, Xie Ran blinked, regained his senses from the daydream and laughed awkwardly. While sitting down, he picked up a snack from the table and ate it to cover up the awkwardness of Zhong Guofeng's sudden presence.
Xie Ran poked his head towards Mei Liena by his side then whispered, "Why is he here?"
Mei Liena looked at him innocently. "I think you know."
Xie Ran was silent for a while and sighed while continuing to eat. "The Tang family is gone, do you still have business?"
"Just want to see how you are. Two days ago, you just finished the fight. So I'm here to see, how is your mood after finishing the first schedule before returning to the Xie Clan."
Mei Liena was surprised at Zhong Guofeng's statement then looked at Xie Ran. "You're going back to the Xie Clan?"
Xie Ran returned Mei Liena's gaze then looked at Zhong Guofeng again. "You didn't intend to come, did you? Are you so free?"
Zhong Guofeng smiled wryly. "It just so happens that we're in line. I also want to return to the Capital. Perhaps there, you will also meet your friends at the palace."
Hearing the word 'friends' made Xie Ran's eyes shine brightly. He has not seen his friends for a long time and misses them very much.
As the offer caught Xie Ran's attention, without any hesitation Xie Ran nodded. He feels very lucky now. Rather than going on foot or riding in a merchant carriage, it was better to hitchhike and eat in the Emperor's carriage. He doesn't need to get out of the money.
While Mei Liena next to Xie Ran was speechless at how witty Xie Ran was when he heard that. He certainly knew the reason Xie Ran agreed based on his shameless nature. But he simply kept silent, letting certain emperors feel happy first because his proposal was accepted by the idol.
Mei Liena could only smile resignedly. He could only put a candle in his heart for a certain emperor.
...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...
The journey takes less than a month. Xie Ran and Mei Liena were just 'hanging out' in the palace horse carriage while enjoying the scenery and eating good food.
Since Zhong Guofeng was quite in a hurry to return to the Palace, the trip was done without rest. They slept and ate in the horse-drawn carriage, all day for a month.
Until finally the awaited day arrives, the horse carriage arrives at the gate of the capital bustling with visitors and traders who leave the city. They did not need to do any checks, and went straight through without queuing.
Xie Ran flicked the curtains, looking at the atmosphere of his old hometown he lived in. All still looked the same as when he left the city to go to the academy. Finally, he came back.
The city of Zichen was as busy as it was a few years ago. Not much has changed, other than a few stores moving or turning into other stores. Xie Ran remembered, he had been traveling around here with his father and mother before the incident happened.
It's been a long time ... Xie Ran barely forgot about it if he didn't see it straight away.
"Ranran, are you really going back to the Xie Clan?" Mei Liena on the opposite seat asked nervously. He certainly knew what kind of relationship Xie Ran had with the Xie Clan based on all the rumors and life experiences of Xie Ran himself. He also knew what kind of grudge Xie Ran harbored during his revenge mission in the Tang Family.
Xie Ran sighed then turned to look at Mei Liena. "After all, I once thought of it as a home. You take it easy, I know what I'm doing."
Mei Liena smiled faintly. "I'm coming with you."
Xie Ran nodded in agreement just like that making Mei Liena happy. Without feeling it, they were already in front of the Palace and ordered down from the horse carriage.
The two of them descended, looking at the magnificent view from the famous beautiful main palace. The palace with the highest tower pierced the sky. The iron gate stood firmly in front of them, guarded by several guards in armor. This place was different from Prince Mingfeng's Palace both by location and atmosphere.
The view of the mountains and valleys was exposed so beautifully from a height. The main palace is on the highest peak which is the center of the city. Xie Ran had been here once, but at that time he did not pay much attention because he focused on the invitation of the academy.
Mei Liena was the first. He was stunned from the beginning to be speechless until Xie Ran finally pulled him to enter following the palace guards.
Xie Ran did not have the reaction that Mei Liena had. He had been here and was not too surprised, inside the palace looked the same as it was remembered so he became calmer.
"Your Majesty there is urgent business in the court of the palace, you can stay here for a while until His Majesty returns." The bodyguard told me right in front of the open door before he left.
There were both of them left in a place this big, right in front of a huge white door that was wide open. They looked at each other, then went inside. This room was reserved exclusively for them while Zhong Guofeng was absent, so they did not need to hesitate.
Just when the two girls set foot in the room, the calm and quiet atmosphere outside instantly changed. Xie Ran could sense that there were a few people inside, the aura that was released should not be possessed by servants or bodyguards. Maybe another guest.
They chose to ignore, and continued to walk into the room quietly without saying much. Until finally arrived at the main room of the room he entered, there were several tall figures standing looking at the two of them with stunned faces.
Xie Ran and Mei Liena were also speechless, looking at some familiar handsome men and one of them was a beautiful girl. A total of five people, and those five people were the figures that had been missed all along after the unexpected farewell in the Glass Pagoda.
"Roman!" The beautiful girl among the handsome men exclaimed cheerfully, just as grabbing Xie Ran ignored everyone by his side to show how missed he was to his friend who had once been lost without any news.
Xie Ran flinched, he nearly fell down as the girl described into the arms as if Xie Ran was the most dreamt of doll. Xie Ran was completely flabbergasted.
"Rongrong, is that how to greet guests?" Xie Ran felt unable to breathe entangled in the arms of Zhong Xiaorong who strangled his neck to death. This Princess is truly beyond expectations!
Zhong Xiaorong took off a hug and put on an innocent grin face. He actually pulled both cheeks of Xie Ran with anxiety. "Ranran, where have you been? Suddenly disappearing without any news, we were very worried about you. Look, you're getting thinner. Do you have trouble living to reduce your appetite? It's not like your style!"
"Rongrong, he lives very well should. How can it be said to be getting thinner? Isn't her cheek getting fuller?" Liu Chang exclaimed as he pulled one of Xie Ran's cheeks.
Zhong Xiaorong instantly brushed aside Liu Chang's mischievous hands. "Hey, can't you tell which one lives well and which one doesn't? Look at his waist, getting smaller! Oh yes, you must be suffering out there and not have much food. Given your portion of food, I'm afraid you're never full. How can you say you're fat?"
"Rongrong, are you mocking him?" Yan Yao was flabbergasted. How brave the little princess was to say that Xie Ran was living a hard life. He clearly saw with his own eyes that Xie Ran was mostly money so would never have any trouble in terms of matter let alone food.
"I'm not mocking, I'm worried!" Zhong Xiaorong was unwilling to lose and looked at Yan Yao with hostility. Their problems haven't been solved until now.
The three of them continued to argue, talking about Xie Ran was like talking about political matters without anyone wanting to lose. While Xie Ran only sighed while rubbing both of his cheeks that had been pulled. Then glanced at Mei Liena who was frowning. While Pei Xi and Zhou Kui were calmer than the others.
Pei Xi and Zhou Kui simultaneously approached Xie Ran, smiling at him giving a welcome. Zhou Kui knew there was no need for him to react as frenziedly as those children because it would only be considered strange by Xie Ran, who was not a child, while Pei Xi naturally did not know how to express how happy to see Xie Ran after such a long time.
In essence, they were both more normal.
"I don't think you're living a hard life based on what Rongrong said, do you?" Pei Xi knew clearly how Xie Ran was. Especially when Xie Ran's departure at that time, he thought that someone behind him would not abandon Xie Ran just like that.
"Sister Xi, Xie Ran has been living very well lately. While in Dongzhou City, she received special care of the Tang Family and had fun messing with them." Mei Liena chuckled considering how Xie Ran's spirit stirred the place into a batter of blood and meat.
"Tang Family?" Zhou Kui was surprised then looked at Xie Ran. "You really messed with them?"
Xie Ran nodded slowly without hesitation. "Just do a little. Who would have thought it would cause such a huge commotion, there was no need to think about it."
"What not to think? Ranran, did you destroy them, still say a little act? You know, I don't know what's in that little brain of yours, I don't even understand what you were planning at the time, all of a sudden I got a letter that I should send a nerve tranquilizer potion to Tang Yueha and suddenly everything was done. You just looked at the list of medicines and decided to increase the effect of the misty flower, the next day there was already a tragedy that made the Head of the Tang Family have a headache. You're still saying it's just 'a little act' and don't expect it!"
All the sentences were heard by all of them until the room became quiet. Mei Liena's voice was too loud and sang in detail until each word was clearly heard leaving them flabbergasted.
Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Xie Ran coughed to melt the situation then looked at Mei Liena with a smile, a smile that made Mei Liena goosebumps.
"Liena, your storytelling skills are getting better."
Mei Liena laughed awkwardly feeling her heart choked. There was fear, but more helpless before Xie Ran as well as guilt had leaked everything. Clearly he had just understood that Xie Ran was intending to bury everything as if nothing had happened.
"Miran ...."
"Only a small family at the border, it's not a big deal at all." Xie Ran chose to ignore all that and looked at all his friends who were still stunned. "Why? You guys clean your house, why can't I clean my own house?"
"The Tang family is the largest family after the five major clans in the empire." Zhou Kui wanted to tell you that Xie Ran was extremely outstanding and that was no small matter at all.
But Xie Ran was laughing. "Only humans drop each other, what can be called a family?" Although he did not know the meaning of family, he still knew how the family should be. He did not see that in the Tang Family.
"True, despite having the same bloodline, it cannot be considered family if it were to take each other down and kill." Zhong Xiaorong understood his point and immediately supported. He himself did not have a good relationship with the other imperial members, they were all destined to take each other down and not know the family.
"Ranran, you messed it up from the inside, aren't you afraid of being discovered? Moreover, Liena had just said about Tang Yueha, you guys working together?" Yan Yao was still not in a deep thought. Isn't Xie Ran and Tang Yueha's relationship not good?
Xie Ran was actually reluctant to explain, but seeing those who were curious because of Mei Liena's leak, he could only resign. "At first I thought it would be difficult, but it turns out that their relationship is not as good as an outsider would say. There was a lot of intrigue in it, I just took advantage of every situation and made them pay for all the mistakes they made. In general, I'm just speeding up what's supposed to happen to them."
Xie Ran was not at all proud of his achievement because it was all ordinary. He has done it many times, so there is no worry or pleasure and pride when completing it.
All Xie Ran did was reply to what they should have received. As Cheng Hua used Tang Yueying to poison him, he only needed to make Cheng Hua poison his own daughter. Then made Cheng Hua see Tang Jin's affair. Letting Tang Jin see the real face of the beautiful woman who had been accompanying him as an affair and was killed sadistically.
Xie Ran also only used Mo Shenxi as a murder weapon due to his strength, as well as revealing his true face to be crazed to the point of being hit by a counterattack and dying. It was all karma, and Xie Ran was just an intermediary. He's not proud at all.
But hearing Xie Ran's explanation, made them all feel that Xie Ran's brain was really dangerous. For Xie Ran it was a small matter, but for them it was no small matter anymore! This already had something to do with the demons and the Xie Clan!
"Then ... Clan Xie?" Liu Chang started to think Xie Ran's arrival here was none other than for the Xie Clan. If it is true ....
"I'm going home, however it is my home. I have to clean up a lot of shit there." Xie Ran replied casually as if to say that he would only clean his house normally.
However they knew, the true meaning of Xie Ran's remark was not something like cleaning the floor or the furniture. It was the same as washing something with blood as water!
"Ranran, you've suffered a lot." Zhong Xiaorong suddenly felt extremely pity and patted Xie Ran on the shoulder as if calming him down. Liu Chang and Yan Yao followed.
Xie Ran frowned.
Did he say the wrong thing?
Suddenly Mei Liena also followed along with a sad face. "Ranran, you take it easy, I'll help clean the house. It'll be exhausting, let me help. In the past, you must have been very tired."
"I've lost my sister before, I won't lose my other sister. Ranran, I'll avenge you." Zhou Kui said seriously after thinking about how Xie Ran suffered in the past. He felt very sad for her and angry at those people!
Xie Ran grew silent ....
Are none of his friends normal?
He was fine and did not suffer at all!
Then his gaze was directed at Pei Xi who was still silently watching him. So far Pei Xi had not said anything, seemingly still digesting in silence. Or he was the most normal here among the others.
Xie Ran's face showed a depressed expression of the five strange human responses that were beset with grief over something unnecessary. Although Xie Ran was grateful to have a friend who cared about him, it was just that he was not used to it ....
Seeing how depressed Xie Ran was, Pei Xi instantly understood and pulled the three men who were crowding just like that away from the depressed Xie Ran.
"If you're anxious, don't keep being pathetic. People who don't know will think that Ranran intimidated you."
The five of them were instantly stunned by Pei Xi's words. In just an instant, they returned to normal as if the sad face had nothing to do with him.
Xie Ran was very grateful to Pei Xi right now. He was lucky to have someone who was still normal among the abnormal humans surrounding him.
For a moment, something flashed through Xie Ran's mind after being aware of the atmosphere. He remembered that he and Mei Liena were in Emperor Zhong Palace to wait for Zhong Guofeng, how were the five humans here?
"You ... Why are you here?" Finally Xie Ran asked. In his opinion, Zhong Guofeng would not let anyone inhabit his place much less for those youths. Even he doubted that Zhong Guofeng would let Zhong Xiaorong stay given that their relationship was not that close.
When Xie Ran asked that, their gaze directed at Zhong Xiaorong simultaneously making the girl silent a thousand words. Zhong Xiaorong looked at the handsome youths who were staring at him, he widened his eyes sharply making their gazes detach.
Zhong Xiaorong explained clumsily, "Actually, we sneaked."
Xie Ran flabbergasted. With their skills, he would not be surprised that they could sneak in. But, this is the Emperor Palace!
It was said that Zhong Guofeng was the strongest young man in Zhongbu Continent, he was a genius who could even accept Qu Xuanzi's strength back then. But is there actually a brat who dares to sneak into that tyrannical house while its owner is not around? What do they want to do?
Seeing Xie Ran full of questions and seemingly about to accuse him of no-no, Zhong Xiaorong quickly spoke, "Don't misunderstand. We have come to see His Majesty to inquire about your whereabouts. I knew His Majesty would be back today, so I invited them to sneak in and urged him to tell you where you are. With his strength, finding you is only a matter of time. But who would have thought, that person has brought you and Liena here."
"The Emperor said before that you are in the Capital, so we just follow suit." Mei Liena told the reason she and Xie Ran had come with Zhong Guofeng.
"So that's it." Zhong Xiaorong heaved a sigh of relief. He thought the Emperor had kidnapped his friend and he was just about to go berserk and sue him. Although the Emperor looked like he was kidnapping two girls with his nonsense, he admitted that the nonsense had come true.
In reality, Zhong Guofeng did not know that they were all in the Capital City because when he left, they were still in a state of separation.
But just by this reason, Zhong Xiaorong caught something. Zhong Guofeng did not intend to kidnap the two of them, but instead just wanted to bring Xie Ran along!
Based on the nature of Xie Ran ....
Suddenly, Zhong Xiaorong lit a candle in his heart for the poor eldest brother.
It is not the only one, the other is the same. Who told you to like a rock like Miss Clan Xie?
Only Xie Ran was unaware of his companions lamenting Zhong Guofeng's fate in the future. Even if he knows, he doesn't care either. There was no relationship with him and it wasn't his fault, why should he care?
Now all Xie Ran had to think about was, how could he provoke Huai Mao to act on him, to pull him back to the Xie Clan.
He was already in Zhichen City, only a few kilometers away to head for the Xie Clan. Just one more step, he would grab everything and remove the thorn in his heart. He just has to wait a little bit more .. just a little bit ....