The table had been pulled aside, and the quilt neatly put away.

  When the guests of Kuiyuan Restaurant were about to arrive, it was already quite te. Yet, upstairs, there were still only the four of them.

  The four of them sat motionless, like wooden figures.

  Wooden figures that could drink.

  The wine in the pot disappeared like the receding tide. Each of them poured and drank on their own without bothering to invite the others.

  Then, as if they had agreed on it beforehand, Yan Qi, Wang Dong, and Guo Dalu suddenly burst into ughter at the same time.

  Even if they had been fools, they would have realized by now that they had fallen for yet another trick.

  That man in bck was neither an official nor an investigator sent by the governor to look into the affairs of Jin Shi and Gun Zi. He was just another pyer in this game of betrayal.

  Being deceived so thoroughly should have been infuriating.

  But they found it hirious.

  Yan Qi pointed at Guo Dalu and ughed. “Wang Laoda was absolutely right—when you should be smart, you turn stupid. Not just stupid, but ridiculously so.”

  Guo Dalu pointed right back at him and ughed. “And you? You′re not much smarter than me.”

  Lin Taiping had been watching them in silence. Only after their ughter subsided did he ask, “Are you done ughing?”

  Guo Dalu, still catching his breath, said, “Not yet. We just ran out of strength to keep ughing.”

  Lin Taiping asked, “You really find this funny?”

  Wang Dong suddenly rolled his eyes and said, “If we don′t ugh, what else can we do? Cry?”

  This was their philosophy in life.

  They knew how to ugh, dared to ugh, and understood the power of ughter.

  Laughter not only brought joy but also strengthened their resolve and courage in facing life.

  "The ones who ugh are blessed because life belongs to them."

  But Lin Taiping couldn′t bring himself to ugh.

  Guo Dalu said, "Why don′t you ugh like I do?"

  Lin Taiping replied, "If ughing could solve problems, I would be ughing even more than you."

  Guo Dalu said, "Even if ughing doesn′t solve problems, at least it won′t add to your troubles."

  He chuckled again and continued, "Besides, if you learn to face life with ughter, you′ll gradually realize that there′s no problem that truly can′t be solved."

  Lin Taiping said, "No matter how happily you ugh, you′re still being deceived."

  Guo Dalu said, "And if you don′t ugh, you′re still being deceived. Since you′ve already been tricked, why not ugh?"

  Lin Taiping fell silent.

  Guo Dalu asked, "What exactly is troubling you?"

  Yan Qi asked, "Why are you so concerned about this matter?"

  Lin Taiping remained quiet for a while before saying, "Because that man is really Nangong Chou."

  Yan Qi asked, "How do you know?"

  Lin Taiping said, "I just do."

  Guo Dalu asked, “What does Nangong Chou have to do with you?”

  Lin Taiping replied, “Nothing. And because there′s nothing, that′s exactly why I want to...”

  Guo Dalu said, “Want to what?”

  Lin Taiping answered, “Kill him.”

  Guo Dalu gnced at Yan Qi, then at Wang Dong. “Did you hear what he just said?”

  Wang Dong didn′t move.

  Yan Qi nodded.

  Guo Dalu said, “This kid says he wants to kill someone.”

  Wang Dong remained still.

  Yan Qi nodded again.

  Guo Dalu turned back to Lin Taiping.

  Lin Taiping′s face was expressionless.

  Guo Dalu asked, “You′ve already seen him?”

  Lin Taiping replied, “Yes.”

  Guo Dalu suddenly ughed. “Then why didn′t you kill him just now?”

  Lin Taiping′s face remained expressionless, as if a mask had been pced over it.

  A cold, iron-blue mask that looked almost terrifying.

  He said slowly, word by word, "I have already killed him."

  The wine pot was refilled again, as Wang Dong had instructed, "Whenever you see our wine pot empty, fill it up."

  The waiters at Kuiyuan restaurant were very attentive to Wang Dong.

  Everyone stared wide-eyed at the wine pot.

  Guo Dalu suddenly chuckled and said, "You don′t drink wine with your eyes."

  Yan Qi said, "My mouth is busy."

  Guo Dalu asked, "Busy with what?"

  Yan Qi replied, "Busy swallowing back the words I wanted to say."

  More guests were arriving; this was no longer a pce for conversation.

  Guo Dalu picked up his wine cup, then set it back down, saying, "It′s rare for Young Master Guo to treat guests!"

  Yan Qi said, "This time, you got off easy. Let′s go."

  Lin Taiping was the first to stand up.