Chapter 6: I Have Found My Heart's Desire

  Just as Fang Baiyu was about to hit Hualang with the fan, Wen Meng suddenly intervened and blocked her way. Fang Baiyu stopped abruptly, and Hualang also emerged from his hiding place.

  Hualang came out and bowed his hands to Wen Meng and Fang Baiyu, saying: "Master Fang, Miss Wen!"

  Fang Baiyu looked at Wen Meng, her eyes filled with disbelief, anger and humiliation, saying: "Who is he? Is he your crush?"

  Originally, Fang Baiyu thought that Hualang was just an unintentional person hiding here and had nothing to do with them. But when he saw Wen Meng blocking him, and Hualang mentioned their two names, he suddenly thought of Wen Meng's crush.

  Before, Wen Meng was very dependent on him. Every time he went to the Wen Mansion, Wen Meng would cling to him and play with him. But recently, since she found out that she had a marriage proposal, she suddenly became distant from him. If Wen Meng wasn't intentionally avoiding him, why would she be like this?

  Hualang stood behind Wen Meng, for a moment he didn't know what to do either. If only he was really the one Wen Meng had in mind, but he also knew that this was absolutely impossible, after all they had just met once.

  Just then, Wen Meng suddenly said: "That's right, he is Huā Láng, and he is my soulmate!"

  Hua Lang was shocked, and Fang Baiyu was also shocked. After the shock, Fang Baiyu suddenly glared at Hua Lang and said: "You like him? Looking at his attire, he's just a scholar, and still a poor one at that! Our martial arts family has never liked scholars before!"

  "Who says that a martial arts family's child can't like a bookworm? Hualang was willing to be killed by three evil men for me, just for this sentiment. I can like him." Wen Meng said, turning around and giving Hualang a glance.

  Although the eyes were somewhat obscure, Hua Lang still understood that Wen Meng did not want to marry Fang Baiyu, so he used himself as a shield. After understanding, Hua Lang hurriedly smiled and said: "I also like Wen Meng, we two are in love with each other, please don't make it difficult for us, Mr. Fang."

  At this time, Fang Baiyu's face turned purple with rage, his eyes full of hatred as he glared at Hua Lang and gritted out: "Fine, fine!"

  Fang Baiyu finished speaking those two good words and immediately turned around and left, while the folding fan in his hand was held by him with a creaking sound.

  After Fang Baiyu left, Hua Lang hurriedly asked: "Wen Gongzhu, won't Fang Baiyu cause me trouble? You have to protect me since I helped you!"

  Wen Meng's eyes flashed with anger as he said, "I saved you, and you refused Fang Baiyu for me, which is enough to repay me. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other, so I'll take my leave."

  Wen Meng finished speaking and was about to leave, but Hua Lang saw this and hastily said: "Miss Wen, isn't this abandoning someone after crossing the river? No matter what, I've helped you out. You should at least go tell Fang Baiyu not to come looking for me with trouble!"

  At this time, Wen Meng suddenly stopped and looked at Hua Lang with a faint smile: "Just now was to scare you, you can rest assured that Fang Baiyu is still a decent person and won't do anything to you."

  "But... but when he left, his eyes were terrifying. A man can do anything for the woman he likes." Huā Láng hastily retorted.

  Fang Baiyu's eyes were indeed a bit frightening, it was an expression that Wen Meng had never seen before. After hearing Hua Lang's words, Wen Meng also hesitated.

  "After a long time, Wen Meng said again: 'Don't worry, I will explain it to him clearly and won't let him bother you.'"

  Hualang nodded repeatedly after hearing this, but he didn't think so in his heart. Hualang's EQ was not low, and he felt that if Wenmeng went to explain to Fang Baiyu, it would only intensify Fang Baiyu's hatred towards himself.

  Even so, Hua Lang didn't bring it up. He just wanted Fang Baiyu to hate him because as long as Fang Baiyu came looking for trouble, he could find an opportunity to get close to Wen Meng. At that time, asking Wen Meng to protect himself was entirely possible.

  Wen Meng saw Hua Lang nodding in agreement, so he didn't say much and left the alley to head home. After today's events, Hua Lang was no longer eager to do business and make money. He thought it would be better to get married first, as the old saying goes: "Establish a family before establishing a career."

  On the way back, the sky was already late, and the evening wind brought a cool breeze, which was very comfortable. As Hua Lang walked, he suddenly felt that he was in great danger now. From his many years of experience in investigating cases, Zhou Ping would not let him go easily, and he must have thought of another way to take back those six hundred taels of silver, even if it meant taking his life.

  Since ancient times, ordinary people have never fought against officials. As a commoner, how can you win over County Magistrate Zhou?

  When he returned home, the sky was already full of stars. Just as Hua Lang had just arrived at his house, he found that his originally very dilapidated house had become even more dilapidated, and faint sounds of sobbing could be heard coming from inside the house.

  Hualang rushed into the house, only to see that it was in a state of disarray. His father, Hua Xingyi, lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Huawen'er held her father in her arms and wept, looking utterly miserable.

  "What's going on?" Hua Lang had lost his composure, and with a hint of madness, he rushed forward, grabbing Hua Xingyi's hand, his eyes moist.

  Hua Wannier saw that her big brother had returned, and cried as she said: "Today you left for too long without returning, the medicine at home was finished, so I went to buy some, but when I came back, I found Father had been beaten into this state. Father has been waiting for your return."

  Hualang looked at Huaxingyi, and tears couldn't help but flow out. Huaxingyi looked at his own son and said: "I... leave a breath... wait for you to come back, just... want to tell you, ancestors have teachings, if... if can't take the imperial examination, this... this life will never enter the court as an official, did you hear... hear clearly?"

  Hualang naturally heard clearly, but he was a little puzzled. Why can being an official only be achieved by taking the imperial examination?

  "Nowadays the imperial court... values literature over martial arts, many generals... are being ostracized by the imperial court, most of them... do not have a good ending. As your father, I don't want you to follow in our ancestors' footsteps, so I've been letting you study and become a scholar. Alas, although you've been studying diligently, you've yet to achieve anything. From now on... just be a butcher, don't get involved in officialdom anymore."

  After Hua Xingyi finished speaking, he died. Hualang looked at Hua Xingyi's body with a heart full of sadness and anger. He hated the murderer who killed his father, and he also somewhat understood that this matter was related to Zhou Siping.

  He wants revenge, he wants the man who killed his father to pay a terrible price, but in order to make the killer pay the price, being a butcher is absolutely not enough, he must have money and power.

  But his father forbade him from entering officialdom.