r18novel Chapter 24: Xu Xinghan and Vina, Huo Yuhao and the White Tiger Duke – The Show Is About to Begin
Chapter 24: Xu Xinghan and Vina, Huo Yuhao and the White Tiger Duke – The Show Is About to Begin
The mealtime passed quickly.
Xu Xinghan belatedly realized that Xu Jiawei had never intended to come back for dinner.
This emperor tricked him into going to the Star Palace, put him in front of Vina, and then left without a word.
He looked down at the fish in the bowl, which had gone cold, and his lips twitched. He silently made a mental note of Xu Jiawei's actions.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the dishes were cleared away and tea was served.
Xu Xinghan wiped his hands and his gaze fell on Vina across from him.
She ate very gracefully, leaving almost nothing in her bowl and plate, even the fish bones were neatly arranged on the edge of the plate.
He thought about it and realized that his emotional intelligence wasn't so low that he could just leave after finishing his meal, especially since his fiancée was sitting across from him.
Although this engagement came suddenly, since we've accepted it, we have to show some respect for it.
It's always better to cultivate a relationship before marriage than to be speechless on your wedding night.
"Does the princess have any plans for this afternoon?" Xu Xinghan asked casually, picking up his teacup.
Vina shook her head, her light brown eyes reflecting a look of anticipation.
"Well..." Xu Xinghan put down his teacup, his silver hair slipping down his shoulder, "Shall I take you for a walk?"
"I've visited most of the places in Xingluo City these past few days. The only place I haven't been to is probably the auction house. There's one tonight, so I'll take the princess to check it out."
Vina's smile deepened, and she nodded slightly.
This time she didn't say anything polite, just a simple nod, but there was a glimmer of light in her light brown eyes that she hadn't seen before.
……
Starlight Auction House.
As the highest-level auction house in the Star Luo Empire, the underground structure of the Starlight Auction House is three times larger than its above-ground portion.
The above-ground buildings are no more than three stories high, with carved beams and painted rafters, and are resplendent in gold and jade, but those in the know understand that the real treasures are underground.
The underground area has five floors, with the higher the floor, the more luxurious it becomes. The fifth floor is never open to the public, and it is said that each item stored there is enough to buy a small town.
When Xu Xinghan led Vina through the special passage, the guards at the door bowed lower than the threshold after seeing the token.
They didn't go to the front hall, but went straight through three gates to the backstage area located on the third basement level.
The backstage door was open.
Xu Xinghan froze as soon as he stepped inside.
There were two people standing inside.
A man dressed in light gold casual clothes, with the star emblem of the Xingluo Royal Family embroidered on the hem of his robe, was studying a star map hanging on the wall with his back to the door.
Xu Jiawei turned around when he heard footsteps, holding a cup of tea in his hand.
Another figure squatted in front of the display shelf in the corner, picking and choosing among a row of storage soul tools, muttering to himself, "This one doesn't look good," "This color is too tacky."
Her long, dark brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, and the hem of her light gold dress was lifted up and tied at her waist, revealing dark trousers and leather boots underneath.
Who else could it be but Xu Jiujiu?
The brother and sister both looked up at the same time upon hearing the sound, and both looked towards the doorway.
Upon seeing Xu Xinghan, the two of them appeared relatively normal.
When they saw Vina following behind Xu Xinghan, their expressions were surprisingly identical.
With her lips curving upwards and her eyes crinkling, a chilling, maternal smile appeared on her face.
Xu Xinghan felt extremely uncomfortable being stared at.
He paused, instinctively wanting to back away, but with Vina standing behind him, there was nowhere to retreat.
Xu Jiujiu spoke first, her voice filled with barely suppressed joy:
"Oh, second brother, so... you've brought your wife to the auction?"
The word "sister-in-law" was pronounced with extra emphasis.
Xu Xinghan's eyelid twitched.
Vina's face flushed slightly, her light brown eyes drooped, and her long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyelids.
She took half a step behind Xu Xinghan, the hem of her skirt lightly brushing against the corner of his clothes.
Xu Xinghan sensed someone approaching from behind, and a faint fragrance wafted into his nostrils.
He took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on Xu Jiujiu's face, and raised his right hand expressionlessly.
Xu Jiujiu reacted extremely quickly, like a startled rabbit, darting behind Xu Jiawei in a flash, revealing only half of her face and one eye.
"Second brother, you're going to hit someone! Eldest brother, look at him!"
Xu Jiawei, holding a teacup, turned to the side, perfectly blocking half of Xu Jiujiu's body.
He looked at Xu Xinghan, his smile so deep it could trap a mosquito, yet his tone was unusually serious:
"Ahem, Xinghan, mind your image, Princess Vina is still here."
Xu Xinghan's hand froze in mid-air.
He looked at Xu Jiawei's face, which seemed to say "I did it on purpose," and at Xu Jiujiu's half-smiling face peeking out from behind Xu Jiawei's shoulder.
Looking back at Vina, who was standing silently with her head down and ears red, I suddenly realized that I should have consulted the Chinese almanac before leaving home today.
He withdrew his hand, his silver hair falling to his shoulders, and uttered two words expressionlessly.
"childish."
Xu Jiujiu popped out from behind Xu Jiawei, her ponytail swinging in the air in an arc, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter:
"Second brother, you're blushing."
Xu Xinghan did not respond.
But the tips of his ears were indeed a little redder than before.
Vina stepped out from behind him, her light brown eyes lifting as she glanced between Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujiu before finally settling on Xu Xinghan's profile.
When she saw the slightly reddened ear, the corners of her mouth curved up a little wider.
Xu Jiawei put down his teacup, clapped his hands, and his tone regained its imperial composure:
"Alright, enough fooling around. Since we're all here, let's take a look at tonight's auction items. There are a few that are really good."
His gaze swept across Xu Xinghan's face, then landed on Vina, and he nodded slightly.
"Vina, if my brother has ever failed to treat me properly, please tell me. I will discipline him for you."
Vina slightly bent her knees, her voice soft but not timid:
"Your Majesty is too kind. Prince Xinghan is perfectly fine."
Xu Jiawei and Xu Jiujiu exchanged a glance.
The brother and sister both wore expressions that said "this is interesting."
Xu Xinghan pretended not to see it, turned around and walked backstage, his silver hair swaying gently behind him.
Vina followed, her steps neither hurried nor slow, maintaining just the right distance.
……
White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
The back mountain.
Dai Hao stood in front of a tombstone.
The stone tablet is not large, made of bluish-gray stone, with a smooth and flat surface, without any superfluous decoration.
A line of words is engraved on the surface of the monument—
"The Tomb of My Beloved Wife Huo Yun'er".
These words were written by Dai Hao himself.
He stood in front of the monument for a long time, so long that the setting sun turned from dark red to dark purple, and the sound of the pine trees rolling down from the mountaintop in waves.
……
A dark figure appeared silently from the direction of the mountain path, its footsteps so light they were almost inaudible.
The man was dressed in the uniform of the Duke's mansion's secret guards, a black, close-fitting outfit, with a silver-white token hanging at his waist, engraved with a white tiger emblem.
He stopped three steps behind Dai Hao, knelt on one knee, took out a letter from his pocket, and held it above his head with both hands.
"Your Grace, a letter has been sent by Prince Xuanxing."
Dai Hao did not turn around immediately.
His gaze remained fixed on the tombstone, on the three characters "Huo Yun'er," as if he were saying a silent farewell.
A moment later, he turned around, took the letter. The envelope was an ordinary white envelope, sealed with the Star Luo Royal Family's Starry Sealing Wax Seal.
Tear open the seal and pull out the letter.
The letter was written on ordinary white Xuan paper, without a heading or signature, just a few lines of text.
Dai Hao's gaze fell on the first line, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
The letter trembled slightly between his fingers, fingers accustomed to wielding knives and killing people, yet now seemed unable to support the weight of a single sheet of paper.
……