The lanterns were lit.
The West Lake under the shroud of night offered a different kind of scenery.
On a rare fine day, starlight dotted the sky, and the moonlight, bright and clear, cast its reflection on the lake.
On a pleasure boat with classical charm, Chen Fan stood at the bow, gazing at the West Lake under the night sky.
Beside him was Su Yingxue.
"It's so beautiful!"
Su Yingxue exclaimed as she looked at the glazed night.
Of course, standing with the person she liked, a night cruise on the lake added a touch of romance and enchantment.
Although she was a native of Hang Jiang, she had never experienced a night tour of West Lake before.
The West Lake today was a nationally renowned tourist attraction, and a visit here was not cheap. Night cruises on pleasure boats were only accessible to the wealthy.
Chen Fan smiled and said, "It is indeed beautiful, the scenery is beautiful, and the person is even more beautiful!"
"Brother Chen?"
Su Yingxue's face flushed, and she chided him.
Chen Fan smiled. His mood was calm at the moment. With the company of a beautiful woman, he wished he could stand at the bow forever.
However, there were always those who spoiled the mood.
The door of the pleasure boat was pushed open, and Tang Qingying walked out.
She had a few drinks, her face was rosy, and she looked at the couple standing on the bow like a perfect match, a hint of envy appearing in her eyes.
She truly envied Su Yingxue.
The events of that night at Villa Number One had left a deep impression on her heart, as if carved with a knife, a memory she would likely never forget.
"Mr. Chen, Yingxue!"
Tang Qingying greeted them and asked, "Would you like some tea?"
On the deck at the bow, a square table was set up for tea and conversation.
"Yes, please!" Su Yingxue walked over and said, "But I don't know how to make tea, so I'll have to trouble you."
"It's alright, I'll teach you."
Tang Qingying smiled and said, "Making tea seems complicated, but it's actually simple. As long as your heart is calm, the tea will taste good... Hmm, who is playing the flute?"
In the serene night, a melodious flute tune drifted, rippling across the lake.
Chen Fan turned his head, his pupils constricting slightly.
On the lake shrouded in darkness, a small boat gently drifted over.
There were three people on the boat: one at the stern propelling it, one sitting in the middle, and one standing at the bow, playing the flute.
The flute music was leisurely, blending with the water and the moon, their robes fluttering as if they were about to ride the wind away.
The only imperfection was that the person playing the flute was wearing modern attire.
Even so, the elegant charm and artistic conception were fully realized.
Chen Fan's gaze first fell on the fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy propelling the boat, and then he looked at the flutist.
The flutist was a woman, whose age was hard to tell, but she was likely not young.
What truly caught Chen Fan's attention was the figure sitting in the middle of the boat, holding a pot of wine.
Gongsun Clan, Gongsun Zheng!
The sound of footsteps echoed on the pleasure boat. Li Xiangbei, Elder Tang, and Jiang Tiansheng, who had finished their meal and drinks, were drawn by the flute music and arrived.
They looked at the small boat and exclaimed in admiration.
"I never thought that in this era, there would still be people cruising on a small boat at night, playing the flute at the bow, like immortals!"
Li Xiangbei said.
"Indeed!" Elder Tang also sighed, "If it weren't for the lights on the pleasure boat, I would have thought we had traveled back to ancient times."
"We mortals can only envy such a scene, we can't replicate it," Jiang Tiansheng chuckled.
"It's not difficult," Li Xiangbei said, "Just find someone who can row a boat and take Chairman Jiang for a night tour of West Lake. But if you were to stand there blowing in the cold wind, you'd probably end up in the hospital!"
The few of them couldn't help but laugh as they spoke.
Their laughter was not loud, but the flutist on the distant boat seemed to have very sharp hearing. The flute music stopped abruptly, and he looked in their direction.
The small boat also drifted slowly towards the pleasure boat.
Gongsun Zheng glanced over, and as his eyes met Chen Fan's, he suddenly stood up.
The small boat then accelerated and moved closer.
"It seems they intend to communicate across boats?"
Li Xiangbei said leisurely, "It's quite an elegant affair!"
Soon, he changed his mind, because when the small boat was still twenty to thirty meters away, Gongsun Zheng suddenly leaped up.
Like a large bird spreading its wings, Gongsun Zheng soared into the air, completely defying the laws of physics as people understood them. He traced an arc and easily covered the distance of twenty to thirty meters, landing on the deck of the pleasure boat.
Everyone on deck gasped, their faces filled with disbelief.
If it were only a distance of five to six meters, it could be understood, but this distance of twenty to thirty meters, and from below to above, was it even possible for a human to do?
Chen Fan's expression remained unchanged. "Mr. Gongsun!"
"Your business should be almost settled, right?"
Gongsun Zheng said, "I happened to arrive in time, so there's no need to send an invitation. Let's set a time!"
He was still wearing a long robe, exuding an extraordinary aura in the clear moonlight.
Chen Fan nodded and said, "How about the evening of the day after tomorrow, around this time? Where shall we meet?"
"How about the Liuyun Dao Hall?"
Gongsun Zheng said, "If you don't like it, you can set the location yourself!"
"Then Liuyun Dao Hall it is."
Chen Fan couldn't be bothered to change the location.
Since it was a challenge, it didn't matter where it took place.
A master of ancient martial arts like Gongsun Zheng wouldn't resort to any underhanded tactics.
"Alright, remember to bring what you need."
Gongsun Zheng said no more, leaped up, as light as a wisp of smoke, and landed back on the small boat.
The woman at the bow, holding her long flute, was also looking at Chen Fan.
She appeared to be around forty years old, with a graceful figure and long, flowing hair. Standing at the bow, her eyes held a hint of scrutiny and curiosity.
There was also a subtle hint of hostility, but it wasn't very pronounced.
The small boat turned and slowly drifted away.
On the pleasure boat, Li Xiangbei and Elder Tang exchanged glances.
Jiang Tiansheng, however, was lost in thought, having guessed something.
"Brother Chen, what does it mean for him to set a time and place with you?"
Su Yingxue asked with concern.
She had met Gongsun Zheng once before and felt something unusual about him.
Chen Fan waved his hand and said, "It's nothing, just a sparring session!"
"Sparring? Is it fighting or a martial arts competition?"
Su Yingxue asked worriedly.
"A martial arts competition, it's alright, Ah Xue, you don't need to worry!"
Su Yingxue was not reassured by his words; instead, she became even more worried.
Gongsun Zheng's demeanor and aura were extraordinary. The ability to leap twenty to thirty meters was by no means ordinary. How could she be reassured?
"Mr. Chen, do you... have confidence?"
Li Xiangbei was filled with doubt, but when the words came to his lips, they turned into this question.
Chen Fan nodded and said, "I wouldn't say I have absolute confidence, but eighty to ninety percent is certainly possible!"
Gongsun Zheng's strength was not to be underestimated, but he also had the qualifications and confidence to say such a thing.
Li Xiangbei finally relaxed a little and said, "The night after tomorrow, at Liuyun Dao Hall? Then I definitely can't miss it!"
"Liuyun Dao Hall?"
Elder Tang said, "The master of Liuyun Dao Hall, if I recall correctly, is named Gongsun Yuan. He is very famous in the martial arts world of Hang Jiang and has trained many talented individuals. I wonder what his relationship is with that person just now?"
Chen Fan waved his hand, sat down, and said, "Let's have some tea. Qingying, it's getting late, let's have the pleasure boat dock and head back!"
Tang Qingying quickly agreed and went to make arrangements.
The atmosphere on the pleasure boat, however, had changed.
Half an hour later, the pleasure boat docked, and the group went ashore, preparing to get into their cars and leave.
Jiang Tiansheng was surrounded by many bodyguards.
But Chen Fan still glanced a few times into the distance, his brow slightly furrowed.
Not long after returning to his residence, he heard the click of his door lock.
A figure slipped in, it was the Magician.