"Pan Shulin?" Wang Jin vaguely remembered one person from the banquet.
That person didn't seem very friendly towards the original owner, or towards himself...
Wang Jin looked at him curiously and urged: "But what?"
"That person, he..." Shi Yu was just about to speak, but his words were cut off by a voice from outside as a ger announced a visitor.
"Young Master, Pan Shulin, Young Master Pan, requests an audience."
Shi Yu smiled: "Speak of the devil and he shall appear. I think it's better for Little Yao'er to interact with him yourself. You'll find out then. Whether you want to cooperate or not is another matter."
Hearing Shi Yu say this made Wang Jin even more curious. He raised his voice: "Let him in."
As soon as he finished speaking, a ger dressed in red clothes walked in, followed by a ger servant.
That ger servant was carrying a food box. It looked like he had come to deliver food.
However, the ger's face was dark and stormy, he looked less like someone delivering a gift and more like someone coming to pick a fight.
Wang Jin remained calm and invited him to sit.
Pan Shulin lifted his gaze to observe Wang Jin. The ger was dressed in a plain white robe, his hair simply secured with a white jade hairpin. Though his attire was modest, it accentuated his pure and unadorned beauty, creating a strikingly elegant impression.
The more captivating Wang Jin appeared, the more profound Pan Shulin's inner turmoil became. This discomfort felt like countless ants gnawing at his heart, devouring his once whole and vibrant organ until it was left tattered and broken...
He wished he could scratch the flawless face of the person in front of him, scratch it until it was as full of holes as his gnawed heart.
But in the end, he took a deep breath, put on a hypocritical smile, and stepped forward: "Young Master Shi is here too."
Shi Yu's eyebrows rose slightly, as if he didn't want to have too much interaction with Pan Shulin. He immediately acknowledged the greeting and seemed unable to sit still: "Little Yao'er, you chat. I'll be going now."
Yuan Heng saw this, a light flashing in his eyes. He stood up and said, "Little ger, I'll see Young Master Shi out."
"Okay," Wang Jin replied naturally.
Pan Shulin watched this, stepped forward and sat opposite Wang Jin. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the two leaving side by side, and said: "That ancient beastman and Young Master Shi seem to get along quite well, he's even seeing him off personally?"
Wang Jin frowned upon hearing this, detecting the implied meaning behind the words. He pressed his lips together and replied, "Brother Heng often escorted gers home in the Danmu Tribe. Since Shi Yu is my good friend, it's perfectly natural for him to see a guest out."
Hearing this, Pan Shulin's eyes flashed and he said: "It seems I was overthinking."
Having said that, he had his servant set out the food box and said: "I had some free time and made some pastries. I brought them for you to try, Young Master."
Pan Shulin's words were soft and his smile appeared friendly, yet they carried an inexplicable chill that felt deeply unsettling.
Wang Jin frowned, perplexed. Uncle Shan had mentioned Pan Shulin briefly, noting that while they'd had little direct interaction, Pan Shulin had always looked down on the original owner. During the night banquet, he had deliberately failed to prepare a seat for Yuan Heng. Wang Jin's impression of him was already poor, but it had been limited to that...
Why did it seem like he himself was prejudiced against him, feeling uncomfortable just at the sight of him?
Given their previous confrontation at the banquet, it was clear Pan Shulin bore him no goodwill. So why this sudden, seemingly friendly gesture of delivering pastries?
Wang Jin forcibly suppressed the sense of incongruity in his heart and said: "Thank you. But why did Young Master Pan think to bring me pastries today?"
"..." Pan Shulin lowered his gaze, a shadow of resentment flashing in his eyes.
How could he possibly bring this person pastries...
It was the one he cherished most, the purest part of his heart, who had personally sought him out, pressed the food box into his hands, and asked him to deliver it.
He knew perfectly well that Cheng Bai's sudden warmth and attentiveness were only because he needed a favor. Yet, he still clung greedily to that fleeting closeness and, as if bewitched, agreed.
Thinking of this, Pan Shulin raised an intimate smile and said: "Naturally, I came to apologize. Last time at the night banquet, due to my negligence, I made things difficult for you, Young Master."
His expression remained gloomy, yet he wore a smile of false familiarity that sent a chill down Wang Jin's spine.
Wang Jin said: "That matter is settled. My brother has already addressed it. There's no need for further apology. I appreciate the kindness, but I must decline the pastries. Brother Heng has already prepared some for me, and I'm quite full."
Having said that, Wang Jin stood up, picked up the unfinished pastries, and said: "It's a bit chilly outside, I'll go inside now. Please make yourself at home."
Staying with this person was like staying with a poisonous snake, as if he could attack unexpectedly, making one feel uneasy.
Was this the reason Shi Yu found it hard to say out loud?
It really was a difficult feeling to describe... It was like being watched by something hidden in the dark night, something that could attack from all directions at any time...
Cooperating with such a person... that was absolutely out of the question.
Wang Jin set aside his plan to sell fireworks. He sent someone to deliver the remaining fireworks to Shi Yu. Shi Yu hadn't attended the night banquet that night, he probably would enjoy seeing these things.
The moment Wang Jin was out of sight, Pan Shulin's smile vanished, his features contorting with fury.
"Young Master, how dare he dismiss us so rudely? He shows us no respect at all!" his servant muttered indignantly.
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