Chapter 40 A Sense of Familiarity
1732 Words
The next day, just after lunch.
Zhuang Shujun came back in a hurry.
Mu Qianmei saw travel-stained Zhuang Shujun when she walked out of the head office of Beggar g**g.
He still dressed in white, handsome and elegant. His appearance has not changed much, but he seemed more mature and leader-like.
Zhuang Shujun was in a trance to see Mu Qianmei walking out of the door.
Beautiful!
She was so beautiful!
However, "beautiful" was not enough to describe her.
When people saw her, they would remind of the white plum blossoms blooming in spring, the frosted chrysanthemums in autumn, the pine tree growing in a secluded valley, the rosy clouds reflected on a clear pond.
She was as gorgeous as a fairy.
Zhuang Shujun did not recognize Mu Qianmei at the first sight.
"Brother Zhuang, you are back! Haha... We're just about to go out!"
Mu Qianmei found Zhuang Shujun's absent-mindedness and quickly greeted him.
"Are you Little Butterfly? You really changed. Look how beautiful you are! I didn't even recognize you just now! Where are you going?"
Zhuang Shujun smiled and covered up his embarrassment with a natural tone.
"Yes, it's me. Am I changed? I didn't feel it, but you didn't change much. You're as handsome as you were three years ago. I've just discovered that you look a lot like someone I know!"
Mu Qianmei suddenly got surprised.
Zhuang Shujun heard and thought of something.
"You know someone that looks like me? Who and where is he?"
Zhuang Shujun probed.
"You look so excited, Brother Zhuang. Haha... This is not like you!"
Mu Qianmei didn't answer but teased him.
"Oh... Haha... I'm very curious about it. Where are you going?"
He skipped that topic.
"We are going to Lingyin College to have a look. I wonder if Vice-Principal Zhuang is free to accompany us now?"
Mu Qianmei asked half in jest.
"Yes, of course. Haha... I come back to see you on purpose when I heard you were back. You do change a lot that I've never known a girl as beautiful as you. I can hardly find the resemblance in your face to the little girl."
Zhuang Shujun praised sincerely.
"Thank you for your compliment, Brother Zhuang. Have you found yourself a wife in these years?"
"No. I've been busy with Beggar g**g and had no time to consider marriage. By the way, your carriage has been kept well. You can go by it."
Zhuang Shujun skipped the topic again.
Mu Qianmei discovered that he didn't want to say more about it and answered,
"Now I am used to riding horses instead of going by carriages. Haha... Riding horses is fast and free."
Hardly had she finished speaking when Liu Tingfeng went downstairs from the second floor, saying,
"Senior apprentice-sister, I'm dressed. Let's go!"
He said and walked to the door, looked up, and was confused to see Zhuang Shujun standing in the opposite of Mu Qianmei.
"He looks familiar. Do I know him?"
Liu Tingfeng thought.
While Zhuang Shujun was also confused to see Liu Tingfeng.
"Is he...?"
Zhuang Shujun was the first to react. He put on a smile and said in a casual tone,
"Little girl was telling me that there is someone who looks like me. Was she talking about you?"
"Ah, yes, it's him! Don't you think you look familiar? Haha... I think your faces are not alike, but your expressions are."
Mu Qianmei smiled and asked.
"Yes, I do think so. What should I call you?"
Zhuang Shujun looked at Liu Tingfeng and asked mildly.
Liu Tingfeng was in a trance until he was wakened by Zhuang Shujun's question. He answered mechanically,
"My name is Liu Tingfeng. How should I address you?"
"Your family name is Liu? How old are you?"
Zhuang Shujun couldn't help asking eagerly.
"I'm sixteen, a year younger than senior apprentice-sister. How old are you, brother?"
Liu Tingfeng answered and asked by the light of nature. He didn't consider it impolite.
"Sixteen? I'm six years older than you. I'm twenty-two."
Zhuang Shujun was distracted.
Sixteen? Fourteen years had passed.
Old memories were too bitter to recall.
How could it be so coincident?
The events of fourteen years ago were still vivid in his mind. He did not want to recall them, but he often dreamed about them.
Over and over and over again.
He always dreamed about the horrible scene of that time.
The Zhuang family was a large and distinguished family in the Yunyu Kingdom. Their "Safety Escort Establishment", after unremitting efforts of the three generations of the Zhuangs, had become the largest escort establishment on Yugu Continent of Zhuang Shujun's father's generation.
"Safety Escort Establishment will ensure you a safe journey!"
These words were heard throughout Yugu Continent.
Zhuang Wenjie, Zhuang Shujun's father was a martial art master as well as a sharp businessman. He had a wide range of friends with whose help he brought the Safety Escort Establishment to a new level.
Branches of the Safety Escort Establishment had opened in all the big cities on Yugu Continent.
However, an escort order totally destroyed Safety Escort Establishment.
At that time, Zhuang Shujun was able to understand some of the business of the grown-ups. He still remembered the gist of what had happened.
That escort order was placed by the official, more specifically, the imperial household of Yunyu Kingdom.
The client was Yunyu Kingdom's upper secretary Yun Zipeng.
The order was to escort a batch of official silver ingots to Dongqin Kingdom.
Zhuang Shujun's father didn't want to take this order at first because he had smelt intrigue and danger thanks to his rich experience.
The new regime was taking the ax to them after the upheaval of the coup.
The rapid development of the Safety Escort Establishment was inseparably intertwined with the strong support of Yun Zhonghe, the former emperor who had been imprisoned.
Their relationship was relatively close as a result of long-term cooperation, but they did not expect it to cause a fatal disaster.
The Zhuang family would perish no matter they take this order or not.
If they refused this order, they would be punished for refusing imperial edict; If they accepted it, they would never get this job done.
They had no choice but to accept this order and bent their efforts to it.
Therefore, Zhuang Wenjie mobilized all the power of the Safety Escort Establishment to go for it.
He joined the escort team, hoping to successfully deliver the silver ingots to the destination.
That way, there might be a chance.
Zhuang Wenjie intended to send Zhuang Shujun and Zhuang Shuchen away, but he found there were no places for them to hide and quitted.
At last, the escort team was slaughtered and the silver was lost. Zhuang Shujun's father died in that accident.
On the same night, the Zhuang family was exterminated.
Zhuang Shujun's stepmother took his little brother, who was only two years old, to visit her parental home and escaped the tragedy.
Zhuang Shujun was hidden in a secret room by the chief steward and survived.
However, he heard the whole process of the s*******r in the seamed secret room.
It was extremely painful to listen to his relatives' screams and to hear them die one after another, but he could do nothing.
Later, he knew that his stepmother's family had also perished, but the bodies of his stepmother and little brother weren't found. Presumably, they had left there when the family was destroyed.
So he was looking forward to finding his brother and stepmother.
Although Zhuang Shujun survived the s*******r, he lost his family and had to live on the street, becoming a beggar.
Fortunately, he accidentally encountered Old Man Tianji, gained his favor, and was accepted as his last pupil.
After he finished his apprenticeship, he earned himself a place in circles of martial artists and became a famous martial artist.
But he never forgot his hatred.
He had grown up. His master repeatedly told him not to seek revenge because as long as he followed his heart, his enemies would get retributive punishment in the end.
Zhuang Shujun believed in his master, for his master was called Old Man Tianji. Tianji meant the mystery of nature.
So, he had been letting nature take its course, waiting for the day of vengeance.
Zhuang Shujun shook his head to interrupt his train of thought.
Although he had a supposition, he didn't speak out.
He sobered himself by a slight shake of his head and said,
"Aren't you going to Lingyin College? Come on, let's go together. By the way, are g**g master and military master there? Maybe I should let them know."
"They are not there. They were out running affairs this morning. Have you had lunch, Brother Zhuang? If you hadn't, we'll wait for you to have lunch."
Mu Qianmei asked.
"I've had lunch. Let's go now."
Zhuang Shujun said and asked his men to lead his horse here, which had just been tied by him.
Red Shadow and Liu Tingfeng's white horse were also led here.
They sat on their horse, heading towards Luoya City steadily.
When they passed through Luoya City, they caused quite a stir.
Many beautiful ladies were walking on the streets of Luoya City. However, they were overshadowed by Mu Qianmei.
The two men together with her were also strikingly handsome. The three of them became unique and beautiful scenery in Luoya City.
Mu Qianmei was the most charming one who immediately became the center of attention as she appeared.
Why did the fairy come down to earth?
There was also a handsome man that everyone was very familiar with.
Zhuang Shujun.
He was the most famous handsome man in Luoya City, the man of many maiden's dreams.
He was still calm and gentle, smiling.
Some brave girls said hello to him loudly.
"Zhuang Shujun!"
Women who liked him were mostly innocent maidens.
Zhuang Shujun's face became gentler and his smile was brighter.
It seems that no matter what age people were, they would always have an idol.
Zhuang Shujun waved to the people in an elegant manner and looked at the people around. His mild eyes slowly swept their faces as if he had carefully looked at them all.
And the people who were looked at also rose a kind of illusion that they got his special attention.
- Writer
