Luo Shiyin hated herself!
She felt utterly shaless.
You clearly swore to be loyal to the Young Lord!
And now Lu Chengwen has reduced you to this state—why can't you go through with it!?
Why!?
Because he made you feel good?
You're just a filthy woman! The more he treats you that way, the happier you are, aren't you?
You're even looking forward to it, aren't you?
If there's another Yu Nu Dan, you'd take it again, wouldn't you!?
Shaless!
Luo Shiyin cried her heart out, feeling filthy to the very core. She despised herself more than anything.
She released one hand and lightly touched Lu Chengwen's cheek. Tears stread uncontrollably down her face.
This is...my man.
The man who has claid again and again but whom I cannot follow to the death.
Her voice trembled. "From now on...you must take care of yourself... The Young Lord is formidable. I know you are too, but..."
Luo Shiyin leaned closer to Lu Chengwen's ear and whispered softly, "Lu Chengwen... I think I..."
She bit her lip for what seed an eternity before murmuring, "I think I've fallen for you..."
Closing her eyes, she turned the blade around, aiming the tip at her own heart, and thrust it downward with all her strength.
The blade didn't pierce her chest.
Her wrist had been caught by an old woman's hand.
"Falling in love doesn't an you have to die."
Pan ifeng snatched the dagger away. "Co with ."
"Why do you keep toying with ? Do you think I'm trash!?"
Luo Shiyin had lost her mind. "Kill ! I'm not afraid of you!"
"I know. If you're ready to die, there's nothing I can threaten you with."
Luo Shiyin roared, "I am that kind of woman! The kind who gets conquered and then becos loyal! If you hate so much, just kill ! Kill now! Just kill —!"
She finally collapsed to her knees, sobbing helplessly. "Please...just kill ..."
Pan ifeng extended a finger and touched Luo Shiyin's forehead. Luo Shiyin's body tilted and she fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Lu Chengwen felt refreshed and full of energy.
Standing at the door, he began shadowboxing, throwing punches with exaggerated sound effects.
In the kitchen, Luo Shiyin had prepared breakfast. She snuck up to the doorway, peeked around the corner, and watched Lu Chengwen practicing his punches.
The boxing wasn't bad, but Lu Chengwen was clearly a novice—he looked like a fool.
He kicked out his foot, only to accidentally hit a rock. Holding his foot, he hopped in pain for a long ti.
Luo Shiyin couldn't help but giggle before quickly covering her mouth and ducking back behind the doorfra.
Lu Chengwen muttered angrily, "Stupid rock! Damn it, that hurt like hell!"
Sitting on a rock by the door, he pulled off his shoe to rub his aching toes.
[So, it seems Mistress Pan deliberately left us here to grind our skills and waste ti.]
[She probably wants to observe the three of us—our abilities, personalities, and how we handle things.]
[In the end, she chose to leave here to absorb the energy of the teorite crystals.]
[But it doesn't make sense! Aren't these reclusive masters supposed to favor prodigies with extraordinary talent?]
[I'm such an idiot compared to Long Aotian and Zhao Ritian. I'm nothing. Giving these teorite crystals is a waste of good resources. Sigh.]
[But Mistress Pan has been really good to . She crippled Zhao Ritian first because she was afraid I couldn't handle him. Then she drove away the Senior Brother, probably to prevent him from coming back to kill .]
[Letting absorb the energy here is likely to protect from being robbed by them. That makes sense. If they did try to rob , the only thing I could do is hand it over and beg for my life.]
[But why did she leave Luo Shiyin here? What's the deal with that? This could go bad fast. That girl hates my guts. If I'm not careful, she might chop up and leave my corpse outside so wolf den.]
[I don't get it.]
Luo Shiyin pouted angrily.
Idiot! If I really wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already!
She peeked around the corner again, biting her lip and nervously scratching at the doorfra, watching Lu Chengwen's back as if in a trance.
He's pretty sturdy.
But then she recalled...how crazy he had been. He didn't care if she could handle it or not. Even when she said she couldn't go on, he still...
Hmph! I went soft yesterday. Next ti, I'll definitely kill you!
A while later, Lu Chengwen went into the forest and returned with so ga—several wild animals and two fat fish.
He ca back barefoot, his pants rolled up, with mud caked between his toes.
"Mistress! Mistress!"
When he saw Luo Shiyin, he froze awkwardly, not daring to look her in the eye.
Lowering his head, he held out the fish and the ga for her to take.
Luo Shiyin didn't dare look at him either. Bowing her head, she accepted the food without a word.
Lu Chengwen walked into the house. "Mistress! These are for you!"
Mistress Pan looked up and smiled.
In Lu Chengwen's hand was a small bouquet of wildflowers.
"I don't like flowers."
"Oh, co on, they brighten up the place!"
He found a jar, placed the flowers inside, poured in so water, and set it on the windowsill.
The simple straw hut seed to take on a romantic air all of a sudden.
Though Pan ifeng claid she didn't like flowers, her lips curled into an involuntary smile, and her gaze softened as she looked at them.
Lu Chengwen went outside to chop firewood, working diligently.
Luo Shiyin was puzzled.
How does he know how to do everything? Isn't he the spoiled child of a wealthy family?
He's supposed to be the kind of person who gets everything handed to him.
Drawing water, chopping wood, starting a fire, cooking als...where did he learn all this?
And the way he works... It's obvious he grew up in the countryside, in the mountains. His skills and familiarity with these chores prove it.
How is he so good at it all?
Chopping firewood until there was a large pile, Luo Shiyin stood at the door and called softly, "Um... it's ti to eat."
"Huh?"
"I said, it's ti to eat."
"Oh, you all go ahead. I'll finish up this little bit first."
Luo Shiyin stomped her foot. "Fine, eat or don't eat! Suit yourself!"
She knew perfectly well that Lu Chengwen was avoiding her.
The situation between them was undeniably awkward.
What kind of relationship did they even have?
Were they friends? The mont they saw each other, bam bam bam!
Enemies? The mont they saw each other, bam bam bam!
Couple? They only seed to, well, bam bam bam when they t!
Technically, they were from two opposing camps, always targeting and working against each other. Yet sohow... they still managed to find a rhythm together.
Inside, Pan ifeng called, "Chengwen, co eat."
"Yes, Master."
When Master spoke, there was no dodging it. Lu Chengwen had to steel himself and step inside.
To ease the awkward atmosphere, he started sharing funny stories from his ti doing business in Snow City.
Like how so boss signed a contract and then got caught hiring escorts. Or how a business partner got drunk and accidentally signed the wrong docunt. Or how he tricked a competitor into losing money.
Pan ifeng, normally one for silence—especially during als—found herself entertained despite her usual preferences.
His stories made her laugh. They were fun. They were delightful.
Lu Chengwen even tried to persuade her to return to Snow City with him. The old lady still believed she was in so remote southern region of Huaxia and had no clue she was already in a foreign country!
Pan ifeng declined. She knew Lu Chengwen's real intention: to reunite her with Hun Tiangang. But she wasn't ready for that. Not yet.
She wasn't prepared to face him.
Instead, Pan ifeng turned to Luo Shiyin. "Shiyin, did you morize the techniques I taught you yesterday?"
Luo Shiyin was mortified, lowering her head and nodding furiously.
"Yes, I... I morized them."
"Good. Rember, these aren't just seductive tricks. They're real, practical skills that will benefit both you and Chengwen."
Lu Chengwen jumped in imdiately to clarify, "Master, you've got it all wrong. We're not—"
"I wasn't talking to you." Pan ifeng continued, "Take it to heart, learn it well, so the next ti you two are... coupling..."
Lu Chengwen spat out a mouthful of rice, spraying it everywhere.
He scrambled to clean up and protested, "Master! That's... that's just too crude!"
"Oh? What part?"
"That... that word..."
Pan ifeng rolled her eyes. "Next ti you two mate, then..."
"Master, please!" Lu Chengwen was practically begging. "Isn't there a more appropriate term you could use?"
"So picky!" Pan ifeng snorted. "Fine. What do you want to say?"
"Just... when we're together..."
"Next ti you're together..."
"Master!"
"What now?"
"There won't be a next ti!" Lu Chengwen declared, as much for Pan ifeng's ears as for Luo Shiyin's.
"There won't be a next ti. The first three tis were misunderstandings, nothing we could help. Shiyin likes my senior brother, not . She hates ."
"She hates you? You clever little brat, usually so sharp. But when it cos to the important things, you're as clueless as your master."
Lu Chengwen felt utterly helpless:
[Dear heavens! This old lady is dead set on the idea that Luo Shiyin likes ! I could die here and now.]
[To her, I'm nothing! Less than nothing! She doesn't even think of n as people. There's only one man in the world she likes, and that's Long Aotian!]
[And yet sohow, I ended up bullying her, feeding her that damned Desire Elixir. Of course, she'd want to chop into pieces now!]
Luo Shiyin kept her head down, silent, not even tasting the food in her mouth.
Lu Chengwen tried to placate Pan ifeng. "Master, our matters... just leave them to us to handle, okay? Haha, we'll... figure it out."
Pan ifeng glanced at Lu Chengwen and couldn't help but laugh.
This boy, he had no clue what won thought.
For all his self-proclaid cleverness, he was completely useless when it ca to matters of the heart.
Ah, but wasn't that just the essence of youth?
Youth was wonderful.
So confusing, so uncertain, so full of mistakes and misunderstandings.
So missed opportunities. So ridiculous antics. So accidental heartbreaks that left scars no lifeti could heal.
"Fine. Your affairs are none of my business. Finish eating, clean up the courtyard, and then be on your way."
"Uh..." Lu Chengwen hesitated. "Master, how about this—let Shiyin leave first. I'll stay and chop more firewood, maybe make so charcoal this afternoon, and prepare those two rabbits for drying. That way, you'll have sothing to barbecue when you're bored later..."
Both Pan ifeng and Luo Shiyin imdiately understood: Lu Chengwen was determined not to travel with Luo Shiyin.
Luo Shiyin's expression turned blank. "I'm full. You enjoy your al, Master."
She picked up her bowl and chopsticks and walked out.
Pan ifeng sighed. "Boy, don't you realize she likes you?"
Luo Shiyin, just outside the door, froze in place, eavesdropping.
Lu Chengwen felt like crying:
[How could she possibly like ? She probably wants to cut into pieces right now!]
[She's only behaving because she's afraid of you!]
[No, this can't go on. I absolutely can't let myself die at Luo Shiyin's hands!]
[I need to think of a plan!]
At the door, Luo Shiyin stomped her foot. "Lu Chengwen, I swear I'll kill you soday!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)