Chapter 100.2: The General's Daughter Who Eloped with the Lowly Stage Actor (8)

Just a door away, at the end of the second-class carriage awaited the first-class compartment.

The bandits positioned Gu MingYue and Qian YunSheng in front of the door. The man who appeared to be the small leader secured his handgun at his waist, then raised his hand and knocked on the door twice. With a respectful demeanour, he stood at attention and kept his head bowed, before announcing, "Boss, we've brought them here."

After a brief moment of anticipation, a voice from inside responded finally with a simple - "Enter." The voice sounded young and somewhat inexperienced, causing Gu MingYue to subtly furrow her eyebrows.

Having received permission, the bandit leader carefully stepped forward to open the door. His previous arrogance from the third-class carriage was now replaced with caution and a respectful attitude as he peered inside.

Her gaze fell upon a young man with a strikingly boyish appearance. He stood tall and poised, his right hand resting slightly above his thigh, ever ready to draw the handgun from his waist at the slightest hint of trouble.

A sense of relief washed over Gu MingYue as she recognized him as the source of the voice from earlier.

In fact, she had almost mistaken it for someone else...

Within the first-class compartment, a profound silence hung in the air, allowing even the softest of breaths to echo. Only the gentle patter of raindrops on the roof accompanied the stillness. The reason behind the crowding in the second-class carriage became clear; all the first-class passengers had been compelled to retreat to a less luxurious space.

The door to the grandest compartment at the end of the train was wide open, spilling a warm, inviting glow into the aisle and illuminating the rich red carpet below. As she approached, the enchanting melody of a symphony floated out from within, the graceful notes growing ever more distinct as she drew nearer to the lavish compartment.

In the centre of the compartment, a man stood facing the panoramic window at the rear of the train. Clad in a sleek black silk robe adorned with a subtle bat-pattern design, he exuded an air of elegance and grace, akin to a slender bamboo swaying gracefully. A grey wool knit scarf adorned his neck, adding a touch of sophistication to his appearance. The man seemed completely engrossed in the music, as his hands swayed and moved in perfect harmony with the rhythm, almost as if he were conducting an orchestra on a grand stage.

Despite the menacing bandits behind him, the man appeared unperturbed by their presence. It was as if he existed in a world of his own, lost in the enchanting melody that enveloped him. His gestures were precise and commanding, as if he were orchestrating the symphony of sounds around him.

The onlookers dared not interrupt his reverie. As the music came to an end, the man calmly composed himself before gracefully turning around. The compartment fell into hushed awe, a collective appreciation for the beauty and mastery they had just witnessed.

Gu MingYue's pupils contracted, and Qian YunSheng's eyes widened in astonishment.

The man sitting at the tea table, leisurely blowing on the lid of his teacup, bore a familiar countenance that resonated with both of them. His short black hair, sleek and shiny, was smoothly combed back without a single strand out of place. The sharp lines of his face spoke of experience and maturity, exuding a refined air that came with age but without being overly intimidating. His well-groomed eyebrows framed clear, penetrating eyes and a straight, distinguished nose. His lips, neither too thin nor too thick, curved slightly downward, giving him a naturally authoritative presence, displaying a sense of seriousness and poise.

After taking a few sips of warm tea to soothe his throat, the man placed the teacup back on the table and settled onto a genuine leather sofa. He pointed his fingers at Gu MingYue, prompting his subordinates to quickly loosen her restraints. Meanwhile, Qian YunSheng remained securely tied and was seated next to Gu MingYue on the other side of the sofa.

"Miss Xue, Mr Qian, I've heard about you for a long time. It's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Tang YingZhi." The man introduced himself with an air of familiarity.

Qian YunSheng's face turned pale in an instant, and Gu MingYue found the name strangely familiar but couldn't quite place where she had heard it before, her expression showing deep contemplation.

A man with the surname Tang... the middle character is Ying... YingZhi... Tang YingZhi... Could it be... THE Tang YingZhi?!!!

Tang YingZhi, the eldest son of the Tang family, who singlehandedly held half of the family's military power.

"It seems Miss Xue finally remembered your future brother-in-law." Tang YingZhi said calmly, his gaze carrying an imposing pressure that unabashedly focused on Gu MingYue.

As he contemplated an appropriate punishment for this audacious future sister-in-law who dared eloped, Tang YingZhi nonchalantly tapped his index finger on the edge of the table while a subtle upward curve graced his lips.

As her restraints were loosened earlier, Gu MingYue's hat and scarf were also removed. She cast her gaze downward, evading his seemingly penetrating eyes that seemingly stripped her to the core. Silently, she focused on her tightly-clasped clothing, her hands slightly trembling. Concealed beneath her thick and long eyelashes, a glimmer of anxiety hid within her eyes as she softly bit her lip, striving to mask her inner turmoil and unease.

However, every single subtle movement and emotion did not escape the man's sharp observation.

Unrestrained and shamelessly, he let his gaze sweep over Gu MingYue from head to toe, rising from his seat to approach the intimidated and frightened beauty, all while meeting Qian YunSheng's furious stare. With an air of superiority, he used a single finger to tilt up her delicate, fair chin, showing keen interest in her petite and charming face, which was not even as big as his palm.

Tsk, the eloping little vixen is quite the unparalleled beauty.

Bending his upper body, Tang YingZhi brought his face close to Gu MingYue's earlobe, taking a deep inhale to savour the fragrant essence of this delicate woman.

"How delightful..."

Tolerating such frivolous behaviour no longer, Gu MingYue pushed Tang YingZhi away with exasperation, before huddling beside the bound Qian YunSheng. Her face portrayed a mixture of fear and distress as she hug her arms, as if trying to create a sense of pitiable security.

Her push lacked force, and Tang YingZhi only took a step back before steadying himself with an indifferent smile.

This man could be stern and imposing, but his smile had a touch of sophistication and allurement - a wicked charm that was hard to resist.

"I should thank Miss Xue for having such a good little brother. If he hadn't made such a commotion while looking for someone, I wouldn't have received the news so quickly." Tang YingZhi remarked, his smile holding a deeper meaning when mentioning Xue XingZe.

Everyone knew that the true heir of the Xue family could only be Xue HeZe, their legitimate daughter, while Xue XingZe was just an adopted son with no blood relation. If Xue HeZe had married into a scholarly or wealthy family, he could have easily inherited the Tang family's wealth and power. However, Xue HeZe's fate was to marry into the Tang family, who was a formidable military powerhouse, and as part of her dowry, she had to bring half of the Xue family's military influence. How could Xue XingZe possibly let this happen?

So, instead of discreetly handling the matter in order to hide the shameful scandal, Xue XingZe had caused such a commotion that it became widely known among various factions...

Upon considering the limited background information combined with Tang YingZhi's remarks, Gu MingYue managed to piece together the general story.

It appeared that as soon as Tang YingZhi received the news, he promptly used an excuse to bring his men and pursue them. They cleverly disguised themselves as a small group of bandits within ShanDong province and boarded the train with the intention of capturing the couple. This way, they could avoid the scandalous affair becoming public knowledge and maintain the Tang family's reputation. Simultaneously, they could secretly deal with the situation, and even if Xue HeZe's fate took a tragic turn, it wouldn't implicate the Tang family.

Tang YingZhi's approach was swift and merciless, displaying his strategic thinking and thorough preparation.

Judging from Tang YingZhi's, it seemed like he was fiercely protective of his younger brother. His swift actions also hinted strongly at some covert influence beyond the Tang family's overt power... No wonder he was able to capture the couple successfully.

Gu MingYue's intuition was spot on. This seemingly unremarkable eldest son of the Tang family that was glossed over in the original plot, was, in reality, a cunning and fiercely protective individual. He could be ruthlessly vicious without showing a trace of it, casually enjoying his meal and drink while cutting down those who offended him.

One could only imagine Tang YingZhi's fury upon learning about the disgraceful elopement of his future sister-in-law before the marriage, as it was a profound shame for any prominent family. The Tang family would never accept a woman who tarnished their reputation, which was also why Tang YingZhi believed that the matter couldn't be brushed aside.

He would not allow the Xue family to retrieve the runaway couple and bury the incident. Hence, using the pretext of negotiating arms deals with foreigners in LuShun, he swiftly pursued them with his trusted men before the Xue family could.

And now that they had apprehended the couple, it was time for retribution.

That's a hella scary elder brother 😰😰

Enjoy~

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