All Chapters of Daily Dossier: Secrets of a Lazy Husband: Chapter 131
- Chapter 140
160 chapters
132
As the two greeted each other with the refined etiquette of scholars, a mysterious, chilling breeze swept through the hall, despite the heavy doors and windows being tightly sealed. The candle flames inside the silk-covered lamps along the walls flickered rhythmically, casting long, dancing shadows that seemed to stretch and contort across the room. Caelum looked at Victor, who was still locked in a fit of manic, unending laughter. As his own expression gradually settled into a mask of icy calm, Caelum asked in a quiet, steady voice, "I wonder, Brother Victor, if you could enlighten me—what was the true purpose of seeking me out tonight?"Although Caelum had already deduced the motive, he wanted to hear the arrogance and desperation in Victor’s own words. After the catastrophic failure of the family scheme at the residential villa and the swift execution of their inept managers, even the influential Leonardo from the Silverstream Province Administration had shown no desire to interve
133
Caelum’s unexpected late return last night had truly made the household of the Xiao family worried. By the time he had finished washing up and emerged in fresh clothing, Evangeline couldn't help but say a few more words.She began by explaining the situation: "When Bella and Diana returned last night, they waited and waited, but when they couldn't find a trace of you, they came to find me." Then, distancing herself from any blame, she added: "I thought you would be fine, but Arthur was quite worried, so he sent Diana and the girls out to look for you."Arthur: ???Evangeline ignored his silent questioning and continued to remind him: "Next time, remember to stick to the main road. You don't leave the estate often, and even when you do, there are guards from the house. Wandering through back alleys at night makes it easy to get lost." By the end, a hint of genuine lingering fear crept into her tone. "If something had happened to you, how could I face Olivia? After all, it was I who ask
134
By this time, the number of pedestrians on the streets was gradually increasing. They were mostly merchants struggling for a living, servants and wives responsible for household procurement, as well as yamen runners and officials who had to report for duty. Even in this pouring rain, they still had to go out.Consequently, when passing by South Town Street, passersby noticed the investigation officers outside the mansion facing the street. Driven by their innate curiosity, most would stop to ask the onlookers braving the rain around them."Brother, what happened inside? The air feels heavy.""A catastrophic case! They say the courtyard is piled with corpses, their necks snapped and bent toward their shoulder blades.""Look at the faces of the investigation officers; they look absolutely scorched and miserable.""Clues were scarce enough, and then this ghost of a rainstorm hit; the culprit's footprints have been trampled into nothing by the rain."The local dialect echoed back and fort
135
As the dim light of the afternoon filtered through the heavy, rain-laden clouds, Caelum stood motionless within the confines of his private residence, his mind wrestling with the implications of the preceding days. Upon realizing that Edward remained submerged in his deep, unnatural, and chemically induced slumber, Caelum felt a strange, jarring mixture of amusement and genuine astonishment. The 'Divine Drunkenness' concoction he had meticulously engineered was significantly more potent, far more insidious, and vastly more enduring than he had initially envisioned in his most daring projections. Although, during the countless sleepless nights he had spent refining that complex spiritual and chemical formula, he had indeed intended to bolster the medicinal effectiveness and evolve its influence to be far more profound, the prospect of rendering a mid-tier martial artist—a man whose physical constitution was hardened by years of rigorous training—into a state of vegetative, hollow coma
136
The rain outside hammered against the ornate wooden windows of the residential villa, each strike sounding like the rhythmic, ominous march of an approaching army. Inside, the atmosphere was suffocatingly tense; the heavy scent of premium incense struggled to mask the pervasive, damp chill creeping in from the garden. Caelum stood motionless in a shadowed corner of the chamber, his eyes tracking the scene with the detached, analytical focus of a master tactician. He watched Alaric, sprawled across the bed like a fallen king, oblivious to the fact that his current state was a masterfully crafted prison designed by Caelum’s own hand. This was not mere slumber; it was a complex chemical entrapment, a test of will and constitution against a toxin Caelum had refined during his long, solitary nights in the Hundred Herbs Pharmacy.While these multifaceted thoughts and strategic maneuvers churned within Caelum’s mind, he had no intention of stepping outside to engage in a petty, fruitless disp
137
The rain poured from the heavens as if the sky itself were weeping, washing the narrow, cobblestone alleys of the Silverstream region and transforming the dry earth into a slick, treacherous mud that clung to the boots of any passerby. In that heavy, damp moment, Evangeline stood at the entrance of the residential villa, her eyes scanning the gray, swirling horizon in patient anticipation of Caelum’s arrival. When she finally spotted him emerging through the dense, rain-filled mist, she felt not the usual gnawing anxiety that often plagued her, but a strange, unbidden sense of relief washing over her spirit. As he approached, she did not retreat into the shadows as was her habit; instead, she nodded slightly, her voice barely a whisper, carrying a warmth that had been absent for far too long: "I have truly been waiting for you."Caelum felt a genuine, deep stir of emotion in his chest. He sensed immediately that there was a heavy burden weighing upon her, one likely tied to the harrow
138
The relentless rain hammered against the grand, ornate windows of the residential villa, turning the world outside into a blurred, grey tapestry of sorrow and shadow. It was the middle of July, a time when the sun should have been blazing, yet an unnatural, biting chill permeated every corner of the Orchard Garden. Thick, charcoal-colored clouds clung to the horizon, effectively smothering any hope of sunlight. Within this atmospheric gloom, gusts of wind shrieked through the eaves of the villa like vengeful spirits, scattering the garden’s foliage into a chaotic dance. Bamboos swayed with a rhythmic, mournful creaking, while the delicate willow leaves were stripped away, joining the freshly bloomed petals that lay sodden and ruined upon the cold stone paths.Inside the sanctuary of his study, Caelum found no solace from the tempest. He stood by the hearth, the flickering amber flames reflecting in his obsidian eyes, casting long, dancing shadows against the bookshelves that lined the
139
The morning mist clung to the cobblestone streets of Silverstream like a shroud, dampening the spirits of the early risers. Caelum adjusted the collar of his coat, his obsidian eyes scanning the horizon where the dark, imposing silhouette of the Guiyun Academy stood sentinel over the city. Beside him, Solomon seemed burdened, his shoulders slumped under the weight of an invisible mantle. When Caelum learned that Solomon was also making the journey to visit Teacher Julian, he didn't hesitate. He folded his oil-paper umbrella, the rhythmic tap-tap of his footsteps echoing in the quiet lane, and climbed into the carriage that would take them both into the heart of the academy’s domain.Inside the carriage, the air felt thick with unspoken tensions. Solomon studied Caelum, his expression a complex map of curiosity and begrudging respect. "Brother Caelum," Solomon began, his voice barely rising above the rattle of the wooden wheels against the road. "Tell me, have you finally arrived at a
140
After Lee departed, Caelum found himself "compelled" to compose two additional calligraphy sets under the watchful, expectant gaze of Master Julian. One was in the Classical Serif style, the other in a Fluid Script. Every stroke seemed to radiate a faint, ethereal glow, illuminating the otherwise dim and clouded study room. It was a spectacle that left Master Julian utterly speechless with delight; he couldn't stop praising the work, his face a map of pure, unadulterated joy. However, his appreciation was short-lived. No sooner had he finished admiring the work than he hurriedly rolled up the scrolls, guarding them like a dragon protecting its hoard. He tucked them into a box, then deliberately hid it at the very bottom of his desk, tucked away in the shadows. When he caught Caelum’s perplexed look, Master Julian leaned in and whispered in a conspiratorial tone, "Do not mistake my actions, Caelum. The other masters in this acade
141
As Caelum walked away, Ge Laosan watched him disappear into the ornate entrance of The Spring Pavilion. He felt a fleeting sense of relief—a weight lifted from his shoulders—but the peace was short-lived. In its place, a seed of doubt began to sprout, growing rapidly in the fertile soil of his suspicious mind. The subtle, almost imperceptible hints Caelum had dropped earlier clearly suggested a desire to return to the estate with them. Why, then, had he suddenly shifted gears and chosen to stay? While this unexpected independence perfectly aligned with what he and Tony secretly desired, Ge Laosan couldn’t shake the nagging sensation that Caelum had been acting entirely out of character of late. There was an enigma surrounding the young man, a calculated mystery. Coupled with the distinct, sharp, and metallic scent of dried blood he had caught on Caelum’s robes the night before last—a smell that had lingered in the air like a warning—his unease deepened into a cold knot in his stomach.