Marching Forward With A Helping Hand
Cheng’an City, Cailian Alley, Falling Blossom House.
Laughter rang from the intricately Jiang Nan styled garden. The Falling Blossom House’s pimp, young male servants, and handmaidens were gathered, watching the two girls in the garden laughing and enjoying themselves on the swing. One girl pushed the other on the swing.
“Higher! Higher!” Liu Sui cried while laughing gleefully. The wind from being pushed on the swing fluttered her skirt. Although it was winter, there was no cold wind. A pair of butterfly and flower embroidered shoes covered her feet. When she swung to the highest point, one could see a snowy, white ankle revealed from under the skirt.
The servants and workers of the House watched as their pri stars turned away custors at this ti of the night, and instead played in the garden. It was irresponsible, and they were not happy about it.
After all, if the ladies do not spend their ti with the clients, where else can they get their money?
Fortunately, Liu Sui treats the workers with warmth, and she always made sure their salaries were sufficiently paid for. Or else, the pimp and handmaidens would’ve conspired to tarnish the girls’ image.
Little Bell pushed Liu Sui on the swing, but she pushed a little too hard, and Liu Sui’s body was almost parallel to the swing’s pole. She looked as if she would fly off the swing. Little Bell said, “I can’t push any harder, miss. If not you’ll fall off the swing!”
Liu Sui chuckled, her face filled with joy and glee. Contrary to her usual silence and poker face, it was like watching two distinctly different people. She laughed, “Even if I fly off, that’s alright! Better to live like a goddess for a night than to spend the rest of my life as a human!”
Little Bell watched her with a smile, and replied, “Miss, if people see you like this, they’ll laugh at you! Your reputation will be at stake!”
To anybody, they might think that she was referring to Liu Sui’s identity as an oiran, but between the both of them, they knew she was actually referring to Liu Sui’s identity as a cultivator.
As a cultivator of the Phoenix Hibiscus Court, who had seen beyond the human realm, witnessed the life and death of many important cultivators, how could she actually enjoy such a childish activity? Playing on swings!
If word gets out, other cultivators would be in stitches!
Liu Sui may not have noticed that Little Bell was no longer pushing the swing, but the swing was still swinging. She kicked her feet and brushed it against the grass like it was the surface of a pool. She smiled and looked ahead, as if she’s recalling sothing.
Little Bell saw Liu Sui’s serene expression and her smile, as if recalling a fond mory. This intrigued Little Bell, for she knew that Liu Sui loved only one person. Every ti she thinks of that soone, she would smile like that.
Little Bell secretly nudged Liu Sui with her elbow and whispered, “Hey, sister, sister?”
Liu Sui ca back to her senses, and smiled. “Mm?”
Little Bell furrowed her brows. “Are you… thinking about soone?”
“What are you talking about?”
Little Bell pointed at Liu Sui’s face and laughed, “Look at your face, your smile, and the corners of your eyes. They show that you’re thinking about soone. You think I’m stupid?”
Liu Sui smiled and turned her face away, as if she didn’t say anything.
Little Bell continued, “Every ti you’re on the swing, you have this serene expression, and I don’t know why? Co on, say it, who is it? Which major cultivator is the lucky guy? We can get the Court Master to propose on your behalf!”
Liu Sui chuckled, “We shouldn’t bother her. I’ll sort my own personal matters. No need for others to worry.”
“Hey hey hey, such cocky words. Do you underestimate the Court Master? Say it, just who is it? I’ve wanted to ask this for a long ti.”
A sly expression flashed across Liu Sui’s face. “Guess,”
“This again?” Little Bell rolled her eyes and asked, “Do I know him?”
Liu Sui chuckled. “Guess?”
Little Bell was annoyed. “Sister, if you’re gonna go on like this, I’m not gonna push you on the swing anymore. You can play on your own!”
Liu Sui imdiately coaxed Little Bell. “Don’t be like this, it’s no fun playing alone. You… have seen him before.”
Little Bell thought for a while, and suddenly an expression of horror flashed across her face. She whispered, “Sister… is it… Li Chengfeng?”
Liu Sui looked away at a distance and didn’t say a word. But her reddish cheeks had betrayed her.
Little Bell stamred, “Are you crazy? Why? You can’t be serious? He’s… not your type!”
Liu Sui turned to face Little Bell and smiled. “You don’t understand.”
“Then I don’t really understand! You’re an important cultivator, and you fell for a nobody, it doesn’t make sense. Don’t tell you really fell for him after he recited so poems for you? Sister, I’m telling you, you mustn’t fall for their words! All they have are just their mouths, nothing else!”
“You sound like you have experience.”
“One may have never eaten pork, but surely they’ve seen a pig before?”
As the both of them spoke, suddenly a figure leaped from a wall, rushing towards them. The pimp at the steps yelled out, “Get that thief!”
“Guards, thief!”
“Report it to the officials!”
Liu Sui and Little Bell are both skilled cultivators, so they weren’t worried. They saw who the intruder was, it was soone familiar: Zhao Xiaobao!
Xiaobao rushed towards Liu Sui and Little Bell. He knelt and kowtowed. “Lady Sui, please help !”
Liu Sui and Little Bell looked at one another. Little Bell turned to the workers on the steps and yelled, “Silence! Enough with the shouting!” She turned to Xiaobao and rolled her eyes. “Don’t you know we have doors here? Why leap over walls and make yourself look suspicious? What’s up with you?”
Xiaobao’s face was etched with worry and panic. He said, “Ladies, now’s not the ti for squabbles. The Li family’s matriarch and mbers are held captive, I beg for Lady Sui’s kindness, to lend a helping hand!”
Liu Sui was taken aback. She frowned and asked, “Who is the captor?”
Xiaobao hesitated and mumbled, “I didn’t see clearly.”
Little Bell chuckled, “You didn’t see clearly, or are you holding back?”
Xiaobao drooped his head and hesitated.
“If you’re not gonna say who, how are we gonna help?”
Xiaobao pursed his lips, then whispered, “It’s the Zhan family’s servant…”
Little Bell was incensed. “Zhan family? This is so trouble you’re involving us in, to go against the Zhan family. You…”
Before she could finish, Liu Sui rose from the swing and said, “Little Bell, fetch my instrunt. We’ll et the Zhan family’s warrior.”
Little Bell’s jaw dropped. “Sister… are you crazy?”
Liu Sui glanced at her and said, “Are you going to fetch it? If not, I’ll do it myself.”
Little Bell’s face grew red, either from anger or confusion. She hesitated, and then glared at Xiaobao, and then rushed into the House. A pimp who didn’t manage to duck in ti suffered a kick by Little Bell, who then spat, “Move aside, don’t you have eyes?”
A mont later, Little Bell rushed out with guqin in one hand. She glared at Xiaobao and yelled, “What are you doing, just gawking there? Show us the way!”
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