Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Chapter 61


The wedding was truly something to anticipate; the entire Song residence was decorated beautifully, with music and drums being played, it was a wonderful day.


Lin Xu and the rest had arrived with the carriage that Yan Mei had sent to pick them up. Upon arriving, Lin Xu immediately went to the main kitchen to check on the braised meat she had delivered.


Meanwhile, Mo Ying, together with Fuhan and the kids, made their way in as well. Just as they stepped into the main hall where the wedding would take place, they were immediately stopped by the words of someone familiar.


"And who might we have here?" a tall man dressed in a black robe asked. Mo Ying turned, and just as he had guessed, standing before him was Song Lan, the first son of the Song family, the man he had been sent to expose for all his evil deeds.


Faking a smile, Mo Ying answered, "You may not know me, but I am the husband of your soon-to-be wife’s friend."


"Is that so?" Song Lan had an evil smirk. "If I remember correctly, I didn’t introduce myself to you, so how did you know I’m the groom?"


He was right, and Mo Ying immediately regretted his words. Though Song Lan couldn’t recognize him since he had lived mostly in the North for most of his life, Mo Ying could easily recognize Song Lan. After all, Song Lan was the only son of the Song family whose fondness for the color black was well known, even on his wedding day, he didn’t make an exception.


Before Mo Ying could respond, Chief Yan arrived with his wife. "Ah, I see you have both met... Young Master Song, this is Mo Ying, the young man I told you about. He and his wife assisted the entire village during the heavy storm some days ago."


Chief Yan praised Mo Ying proudly as Song Lan smiled. "Is that so? Interesting... and you said his surname is Mo? I’ve never heard of any Mo family living in this village."


"That’s because I’m not from this village. I’m from the neighboring one. Since I’m married, I have to stay here," Mo Ying said, also smiling as they both locked eyes. It was as if they were communicating silently with one another.


Their gazes held for a few seconds.


Song Lan’s smirk widened slightly. "I see. Then welcome, Mister Mo. Enjoy the wedding... and do take care not to wander where you shouldn’t." His tone was light, but the warning beneath it was clear.


Mo Ying chuckled faintly. "Of course, Young Master Song. I wouldn’t dare disrupt such a grand event."


Song Lan nodded, giving him one last look before turning away to greet other guests.


As soon as he was gone, Fuhan whispered under his breath, "That man... do you think he noticed anything?"


Mo Ying’s expression darkened slightly, he had met Song Lan once, they were kids back then, he remembered him but Song Lan can’t remember him so easily from how he had changed over the years. "He’s just being suspicious, once the wedding session starts we get that ledger and get the heck out of here."


Fuhan nodded quietly.


Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Lin Xu was checking the braised meat when Madame Yan came rushing in. "Lin Xu! You should at least come out for a bit. Everyone’s asking where you are, the bride wants to see you before the ceremony."


Lin Xu quickly wiped her hands. "Alright, I’ll be there in a moment."


She stepped out, adjusting her sleeves, and soon found herself in the side hall where Yan Mei sat dressed in red, surrounded by servants fixing her hair and ornaments.


"Lin Xu!" Yan Mei smiled when she saw her. "You came."


"Of course," Lin Xu said softly. "You look beautiful."


Yan Mei blushed slightly. "Do I? I still can’t believe it’s really happening."


Lin Xu forced a small smile, though she felt uneasy. For some reason, she couldn’t shake off a strange tension in the air.


Outside, drums began to roll, the groom’s procession had started.


Madame Yan hurried in, "It’s time!"


Yan Mei stood, her veil being lowered gently over her head. Lin Xu held her hands for a moment. "No matter what happens, smile, alright? Today is your day."


Yan Mei nodded. "Thank you, Lin Xu."


It was still funny to her how a few months ago she was the one getting married, now it was Yan Mei.


As they walked toward the main hall, Lin Xu caught sight of Mo Ying standing by the side with the kids. He looked calm, but she could tell from his eyes something was wrong.


And then, just as the groom entered the hall, Mo Ying’s gaze hardened completely.


The wedding session was about to start when a man in a green robe stepped forward and started his announcement.


The man in green began to welcome everyone warmly, his voice echoing across the decorated hall. "Welcome, dear guests and family members, to this grand union between the Song and Yan families! Today, we celebrate love, honor, and the bond of two great households..."


Applause filled the air as guests smiled and clapped. The musicians played soft tunes in the background, and the servants moved about, serving tea and wine.


But in one quiet corner of the hall, two men exchanged a silent glance.


Mo Ying leaned closer to Fuhan and whispered, "It’s time."


Fuhan nodded once, his face calm but alert. The two stood slowly, pretending to be stretching, then quietly slipped toward the side passage that led deeper into the Song residence.


No one noticed them leave.


Except Lin Xu.


She had been standing not far from them, helping Yiling fix her sash, when she suddenly realized Mo Ying was gone. Her eyes darted around, searching for him among the guests, but he was nowhere to be found.


A faint worry rose in her chest. "Where did he go?" she muttered.


Excusing herself quietly, she hurried out through a side door, lifting the hem of her robe so she wouldn’t trip.


Meanwhile, Mo Ying and Fuhan moved through the long corridor, keeping to the shadows. They walked silently, passing two guards by timing their patrol perfectly. Every step was careful and quick.


At last, they reached the main study, the one place where important documents and ledgers were kept.


"There it is," Fuhan whispered.


Two guards stood by the door. Mo Ying smiled faintly. "Let me handle this."


Before Fuhan could reply, Mo Ying moved like lightning. He stepped forward, struck one guard’s neck with the side of his hand, and swept the other’s legs with one swift kick. The second guard tried to call out, but Fuhan was already behind him, knocking him out cold.


Within seconds, the two guards were on the ground, unconscious.


"Still got it," Mo Ying muttered with a small grin.


"Less talking, more searching," Fuhan said as they entered the study.


The room smelled faintly of ink and old paper. Stacks of documents filled the shelves. They split up, checking drawers, shelves, and hidden compartments. After several tense minutes, Fuhan finally said, "Got it!"


He pulled out a thick brown ledger with the Song family’s seal on it.


Mo Ying grinned. "Good. Now, let’s get out of here-"


But before he could finish, he froze. From outside, the sound of footsteps approached.


Fuhan’s face tensed. "Guards."


At that same moment, outside the study, Lin Xu had just turned the corner. Her eyes widened as she saw two guards lying on the floor and Mo Ying and Fuhan slipping into the study.


Her heart nearly stopped.


"What are they doing?" she whispered.


Then she heard voices, other guards walking toward the same place. If they saw the unconscious men, everything would be over.


Without thinking twice, Lin Xu stepped out from behind a pillar and forced a nervous laugh. "Ah! There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere!"


The approaching guards stopped, surprised. "Madam, what are you doing here? This area is off-limits during the ceremony."


"Oh, I know, I know," Lin Xu said quickly, waving her hands. "But the servants said one of the food baskets was brought here by mistake! You know, the special meat for the guests. If it goes bad, the Song family will be furious!"


The guards exchanged glances. "Food baskets? Here?"


"Yes! I saw one of the maids running this way," Lin Xu lied smoothly, pretending to look around. "Oh heavens, if it spoils, Madam Song will have my head!"


Her panicked tone and expression made the guards pause in confusion. "Let’s check quickly," one said, moving toward another hallway.


Lin Xu stepped in front of them again. "Wait-no, not that way! I think it’s-uh-over there!" She pointed in the opposite direction, trying her best to keep their attention away from the study.


Inside the room, Mo Ying and Fuhan heard her voice faintly through the wall.


Mo Ying’s eyes widened slightly. "That woman..."


"She’s distracting them," Fuhan realized. "We have to move, now."


They quickly closed the drawers, wrapped the ledger in cloth, and headed toward the back window. Mo Ying pushed it open just as footsteps echoed closer.


"Go," he ordered.


Fuhan climbed out first, followed by Mo Ying, just as the sound of metal boots came down the corridor.


Lin Xu was still trying to delay the guards when one suddenly noticed something odd, the two guards who had been stationed by the study door were lying on the ground.


"Hey! What happened here?" one of them shouted.


Lin Xu’s heart jumped. "Ah! I-I just got here!" she stammered.


The guards rushed past her, throwing the study door open.


But the room was empty.


Their eyes immediately fell on the shelf. The space where the family ledger was kept was bare.


"The ledger! It’s gone!" one guard yelled.


At that very moment, chaos erupted. The guards ran out, shouting orders. Someone sounded the alarm bell.


The loud clang echoed across the courtyard, startling the guests in the wedding hall.


Song Lan, who had been standing beside the bride, turned sharply. "What’s going on?!"


Before anyone could answer, one of his men ran in, breathless. "Young Master! The main study was broken into! The family ledger, it’s missing!"


The entire hall went silent.


Master Song, the head of the Song family, stood up immediately. "What did you say?!"


The servant knelt down in fear. "It’s gone, Master! The guards were knocked out!"


A deadly silence followed before Master Song roared, "Seal the gates! No one leaves this residence until the thief is found!"


The musicians stopped playing. The laughter vanished. Guests looked around in confusion as the guards rushed to every exit, swords drawn.


The wedding ceremony hadn’t even begun properly, yet the joy and festivity were replaced with fear and suspicion.


And somewhere among the crowd, Lin Xu stood frozen, her heart pounding wildly.


’Mo Ying... what have you done?’ she thought, trembling.