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{Chapter: 189 Mysterious Figure!}
Lin Yuan reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
His brow furrowed slightly when he saw that the incoming call was from an unfamiliar number. There was no name displayed—just a long string of digits.
Normally, he wouldn't have answered.
Lin Yuan instinctively moved his thumb to hit the decline button, already assuming it was either a scam call or some random telemarketer.
But just as he was about to reject it, something caught his eye.
Yanjing?
The number was registered from Yanjing.
His hand paused.
'Someone from Yanjing?' Lin Yuan mused to himself, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
After a moment's hesitation, he tapped the screen to accept the call.
"Hello?" he said with a calm, neutral tone.
There was a short pause on the other end, followed by a familiar, slightly husky voice.
"Hello? Is this Xiao Yuan? It's me—Cui Yunrong, old man Cui!"
Lin Yuan blinked, surprised.
He hadn't expected to hear that voice today.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Ah, Old Cui! I almost thought this was a scam call," he chuckled.
He quickly recalled that Cui Yunrong had called him before, but he must have forgotten to save the number in his contacts. That explained why it showed up as unknown this time.
On the other side of the line, Cui Yunrong gave a half-laugh, half-grumble. "What did you say? You thought I was a scammer? You little brat… You really don't respect your elders anymore, huh?"
Lin Yuan let out a small laugh, then smoothly changed the subject, "So what's the matter, Old Cui? What made you think of calling me all of a sudden?"
Cui Yunrong's tone softened. "Nothing serious. I just wanted to let you know I'll be heading back to Yanjing in a few days. Before I go, I thought it might be good to see you again. It's not often I get the chance."
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, intrigued but skeptical.
Cui Yunrong continued, "I remembered you mentioned attending the Mei family's banquet tonight. Turns out I received an invitation too. Honestly, I wasn't planning to go at first, but then I figured—ah, why not. It'd be nice to see your face before I return home. I'm too fond of you, kid."
His voice was warm, almost affectionate.
"I just wanted to see you one last time before heading back. Are you still at the banquet?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm still here," Lin Yuan replied.
Although he responded casually, a small flicker of doubt crept into his mind.
Why would Old Cui, someone of his status, go out of his way just to see me off? Lin Yuan thought. Sure, we get along well, but it's not like we're family.
Based on his understanding of Cui Yunrong's personality, this call probably had another purpose behind it.
And sure enough, after a slight pause, Cui Yunrong cleared his throat and added in a more sheepish tone, "Ah, right. There's one more small thing. It's nothing major—just incidental."
He coughed once, awkwardly.
"Well… I lost that chess manual you copied for me before. You know, the one with all the annotated strategies and variations? Without it, I'm afraid those old foxes in Yanjing are going to crush me at the board. If that happens, I'll lose face for sure!"
"So I figured… maybe you could do me a small favor and make another copy? That's really the only reason I wanted to see you—uh, I mean, it's just one of the reasons! I still genuinely wanted to see you too, of course!"
Lin Yuan couldn't help but laugh.
He finally understood.
So that was the real reason behind this warm, sentimental phone call.
All that talk about being too fond of him and wanting to meet before leaving? Just a way to soften the blow.
In truth, Cui Yunrong had simply misplaced his chess guide and didn't want to get humiliated in front of his old chess buddies back in Yanjing.
Lin Yuan knew the man well enough to see right through him.
Old Cui had suffered enough losses in chess before, and without that manual, he probably didn't even have the confidence to sit at the board.
"Alright, alright. Stop beating around the bush," Lin Yuan said with a grin. "Come over here, I'll prepare a new copy for you. It's not a big deal."
He could almost hear the relief in Cui Yunrong's voice. "Ah, you're a good kid! Thanks, Xiao Yuan. I'll be there soon."
Then he added teasingly, "Oh—and that girl Susu will be tagging along too. She's been dying to see you lately. Keep going on and on about you. Can't stop her!"
Before Lin Yuan could respond, the call ended with a soft click.
He stared at the phone for a second before slipping it back into his pocket.
With a quiet chuckle, he turned and started walking through the banquet hall in search of Yu Shanshan.
Earlier that day, he remembered, she had purchased an expensive, high-end pair of gloves. Apparently, she was planning to give them to a certain member of her "harem," though she hadn't decided who the lucky recipient would be yet.
---
After dealing with Yu Shanshan, Lin Yuan didn't waste any time. He swiftly "borrowed" the gloves from her hands—without any intention of returning them—and made his way toward Yan Ruyue.
As soon as Yan Ruyue spotted Lin Yuan approaching, her cheeks flushed a vivid pink.
The memory of their earlier encounter—the moment when Lin Yuan had stolen her first kiss—was still fresh and vivid in her mind. It left her heart racing uncontrollably.
Lin Yuan, for his part, remained utterly shameless. He showed no sign of guilt or embarrassment over having taken her first kiss. If anything, if Yan Ruyue hadn't run off immediately after the kiss, he might have gone even further—maybe even challenging her to a playful battle of tongues.
Still, there was a small issue gnawing at Lin Yuan.
He was reluctant to part with the gloves that Qiu Wanxi had lovingly given him earlier. It wasn't that he didn't care about Yan Ruyue—he did—but the gloves from Qiu Wanxi had sentimental value. It was only because of the urgent situation that he had momentarily considered giving them away.
Now, holding the gloves he had "commandeered" from Yu Shanshan, Lin Yuan quickly approached Yan Ruyue with a smile.
After exchanging a few casual words, he carefully steered the conversation toward the gloves.
In a gentle, persuasive tone, he explained, "These gloves I picked up for you are much more practical. The ones you have are a little big for your hands, aren't they? They'll only get in the way when you wear them. Look—these are a smaller size, better fitted for you."
His words were smooth and confident.
Yan Ruyue, still dazed from the lingering memory of her first kiss, wasn't exactly in the clearest state of mind to argue. With her emotions stirred and her defenses weakened, she nodded shyly and agreed to the exchange without much hesitation.
Thus, Lin Yuan successfully retrieved the pair of gloves gifted to him by Qiu Wanxi, keeping the emotional significance intact.
Meanwhile, the new gloves he provided to Yan Ruyue actually suited her better anyway—more snug, more practical, and frankly, more stylish.
As the two chatted a little more—Lin Yuan keeping the mood light and teasing—an unexpected noise interrupted them.
A sudden commotion drifted up from the first floor below.
It wasn't the loud crash of something breaking or a sudden fight—no, it was more like an excited buzz, the sound of many voices whispering, exclaiming, and craning their necks to catch a glimpse of something, or rather, someone.
Lin Yuan's ears perked up.
It was clear that a distinguished guest had arrived.
But this was curious—most of the major figures had already arrived earlier, especially for the critical discussions among the various family groups. The important talks had already wrapped up.
Who, then, could still be arriving so late—and with such fanfare?
Lin Yuan thought for a moment.
He guessed it must be Cui Yunrong.
Old Cui's background was quite formidable, after all.
Being a true nobleman from Yanjing—the heart and capital of Kyushu—gave him a level of prestige that few could match. Even though Jiangbei was prosperous in terms of commerce and capitalism, in terms of politics and military strength, Yanjing stood leagues above it.
Simply put, a nobleman from Yanjing held weight and influence on the government that most people in Jiangbei could only dream of.
Moreover, Cui Yunrong was not just any nobleman. He was a famous and highly respected figure even here in Jiangbei, and his seniority—reflected in both age and experience—commanded natural respect.
Lin Yuan reasoned that if Cui Yunrong had arrived, he would be immediately swarmed by people eager to greet him, chat with him, and curry favor.
Yet, something felt strange.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lin Yuan noticed Ye Feng and Gu Qingshan exchanging smiles. Even Wang Sheng, who usually kept a reserved expression, seemed oddly cheerful.
That puzzled Lin Yuan.
He clearly remembered severing Ye Feng's opportunity to forge a connection with Cui Yunrong.
If Old Cui was truly the one who just arrived, Ye Feng and the others should have been fuming, not celebrating.
Their happy expressions hinted that the cause of the commotion downstairs was someone else entirely.
If it's not Cui Yunrong... then who is it? Lin Yuan wondered.
As he pondered, the elevator on the far side of the hall dinged softly, signaling that someone was coming up.
Everyone instinctively turned their heads toward it.
From within the glass-paneled elevator, a solitary figure slowly became visible.
As he stepped out, a ripple of excitement spread through the crowd.
The man was tall and imposing, with a commanding presence. His posture was perfectly straight, his steps steady and purposeful.
But it wasn't just his demeanor that drew attention.
The man wore a crisp military uniform in a distinctive shade of deep green. His jacket was immaculately pressed, the gleaming buttons arranged with meticulous precision.
The epaulets on his shoulders caught the light—green backplates adorned with pine branch motifs, crossed by two thin red stripes. Nestled proudly among them were two small silver stars.
The insignia clearly marked him as a Lieutenant Colonel of Kyushu.
In these relatively peaceful times, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel at such a young age was a remarkable feat, symbolizing both extraordinary skill and an impressive service record or the power behind him was strong and rich to put him thete.
Lin Yuan's gaze sharpened as realization dawned.
So that's why Ye Feng and the others chose to stick around, he thought.
It wasn't Cui Yunrong who had arrived.
It was someone even more exciting—someone whose military background and promising future might prove to be an even greater prize for ambitious people like Ye Feng.
*****
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