CHAPTER 75

Get on the Bed

The person knocking seemed impatient, pounding on the door with a "bang, bang" that gave the illusion it might shatter any second.

"Who is it?" Liu Fuqing set down his chopsticks, offered Su Yan an apologetic smile, and hurried to the courtyard to open the door. What's going on today? Can't even have a peaceful meal!

Taking the tea handed to her by Liu Xiaoya, Su Yan nodded slightly in thanks. She toyed with the coarse ceramic cup but didn't rush to drink, her consciousness firmly fixed on the courtyard gate. Her starry-night-like eyes gazed vacantly without focus, causing Liu Xiaoya, who had been watching her, to blush suddenly, her face turning as red as if it might drip bl0od, from Tong Tong's perspective, it looked as though Su Yan was staring unblinkingly at little sister Liu Xiaoya's round face.

'How dare you! Right in front of your wife, you dare to flirt with another woman, well, a girl, with your eyes dancing and expressions flying... Su Yan, how can you do this to me! How can you do this to the child in my belly!'

'Besides, how can you bear to lay a hand on such a young girl! Under the laws of the China, m0lesting a young girl can get you five years in prison, you know! You beast!'

Fully immersed in her role and assuming the identity of the wife, Tong Tong gritted her teeth, her eyes slashing and dismembering the "unfaithful husband" with a thousand cuts. Her mind snapped, and without a second thought, she reached out, pinched the slender, willow-like waist, and twisted it with all her might, left, then right, as Su Yan clenched her teeth and looked at her expressionlessly. She lowered her voice and hissed, "Look at me!"

'Don't you dare look at anyone else! Your pregnant wife is right here! You can only look at me!'

"Hmm?" Although Su Yan was puzzled, she didn't ask questions. She followed Tong Tong's command and looked down at her intently, her gaze drifting slowly from her jawline to her lips, sending a shiver down Tong Tong's spine wherever it traveled. When that water-like, soft gaze met Tong Tong's eyes, it seemed to freeze, making it impossible for either of them to look away.

"Oh! If it isn't the Village Chief! What wind blew you here?" Liu Fuqing opened the door, his heart sinking: 'What is he doing here?'

The man outside wore a silver-gray mink cloak over a sapphire-blue silk robe. Around his neck hung a gold necklace as thick as a little finger, and on his thumb was a high-quality Hetian jade thumb ring. His face was gaunt and tinged with a sickly pallor, even covered in jewels, he couldn't hide the inherent decay, appearing as hollow as a shell drained by wine and lust.

He was Liang Shoucai, the village chief of Niutou Village.

"What, not welcome?" Liang Shoucai stroked the two pretentiously elegant mustaches on his upper lip, his triangular eyes fixed unblinkingly on Liu Fuqing like a venomous snake eyeing its prey. "Or... do you have something to hide?"

Liu Fuqing stood sideways, blocking the doorway to prevent his prying gaze from penetrating inside, and offered a string of flattering smiles. "How could you say that! I'm deeply honored by your visit, Village Chief! Deeply honored..."

'What rotten luck! How did I manage to provoke this living demon again!'

While Liu Fuqing smiled flatteringly on the outside, he had already cursed the man to high heaven in his mind.

Not just the locals of Niutou Village, but everyone within ten li around knew Liang Shoucai's name, not for any good reputation, but for his notorious infamy.

That was a ruthless character who would skin a man alive and pluck feathers from a goose, always scheming to squeeze every last drop of oil from powerless commoners like them, with no room for negotiation. After all, he had an immortal master backing him up, and offending him was out of the question.

Just a few days ago, they had offered up their last remaining sheep as tribute, and now he was here again to extort them? Was there no way for people to survive?

"Old Liu..." Liang Shoucai observed his expression, his eyes shifting craftily as he spoke with a smile, "I heard... you have outsiders staying at your place, is that right?"

'And two rather good-looking young people at that, with an air of nobility far surpassing that of ordinary young masters and misses from wealthy families!'

"Ah, yes, a young couple came by. Nothing special... just that the girl is pregnant and couldn't travel far, so they asked to stay the night." Liu Fuqing gritted his teeth, still blocking the doorway with no intention of letting him in. "It's late, best to rest early, don't you think?"

'That young man was so strikingly handsome, if this old lecher laid eyes on him, who knew what might happen? They were only staying for one night anyway, better to brush him off for now.'

For the sake of that silver ingot, even if it meant offending him once, he couldn't let him have his way!

Seeing Liu Fuqing, usually so timid, stubbornly refusing to let him in for a look, Liang Shoucai's eyes darkened, but he smiled and said, "Since that's the case, make sure you don't neglect them. We wouldn't want people saying our Niutou Village treats guests poorly. That wouldn't be good..." With a light snort, Liang Shoucai glanced into the courtyard again, as if he could see through the thin wooden door to what lay inside.

'Hmph, just wait! If you won't let me in, does that mean I can't find out?'

Turning around, he clasped his hands behind his back and strolled leisurely away.

Watching his retreating figure, Liu Fuqing felt uneasy but suppressed his doubts.

Half an hour later, after finishing their evening meal, Su Yan and Tong Tong were led to a small side room on the right.

Pink gauze curtains, a delicate vanity, neat and charming, clearly a young girl's boudoir.

"This is my little girl's embroidery room. It's cleaned every day, so please don't mind it! Everything is freshly arranged, so rest easy!" Madam Qian said cheerfully as she briskly made the bed. "The water in the copper basin is clean. Please wash up and rest early!"

From a distance, she hadn't noticed, but now, up close, this young man was truly exquisite, with a faint, elegant scent of sandalwood about him that made one feel slightly intoxicated.

"Thank you for your trouble." Su Yan gave a slight nod to Madam Qian, already handing over a gleaming silver ingot.

"Ohoho, young master, you're too kind! Ohoho... I won't disturb you two any longer!" Madam Qian beamed with delight, tucking the silver into her sleeve, and stole a few more lingering glances at Su Yan's porcelain-like profile before finally leaving.

"Hmph!" Before she was even out of earshot, Tong Tong plopped heavily onto the edge of the bed, kicked off her shoes, propped her chin in her hands, and glared at Su Yan with blazing eyes, her displeasure obvious.

'When did the cold, expressionless iceberg mode automatically switch to the refined gentleman mode, you jerk!'

'Not content with charming a little girl, you even have to captivate an older auntie! Su Yan, you're just too much...'

Ignoring her unreasonable willfulness, Su Yan merely furrowed her brow before turning to the basin stand. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her arm, fair and smooth as congealed lard.

Her hands, accustomed to wielding a longsword, deftly wrung out the towel, squeezing it dry, then leisurely made her way toward the bed.

The room was dimly lit, with only a small, warm-yellow oil lamp flickering on and off, casting a hazy silhouette against the window frame. It lent an unusually tender and lingering atmosphere to the scene.

Su Yan's eyelashes drooped slightly, looking like a pair of cautious, agile butterflies resting there, as if the slightest disturbance would startle them into a tremor, naturally evoking a deep, lingering tenderness.

Tong Tong stared blankly at the shadow beneath those feather-like lashes. By the time she snapped out of it, she found the damp cloth was already within arm's reach.

Tong Tong's pupils contracted in fright. She immediately rolled inward twice onto the bed, adopting a defensive posture, her face naturally taking on a pitiful expression. "Have mercy, Senior Brother!"

'D@mn it, Su Yan, you're so petty! All I did was snort at you! Do you have to be so brutal, trying to smother me to death with a towel? That's one of the legendary tortures, you know!'

Su Yan's movements halted. The astonishment in her eyes faded, replaced instantly by a flash of deep sorrow after Tong Tong finished speaking.

Her hand holding the towel remained in place, while the other clenched into a tight fist. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her clear voice tinged with a chill. "Come here."

Seeing his cold expression, Tong Tong didn't move. Unconsciously gripping the thin quilt, her knuckles turned white. Her gaze drifted aimlessly, refusing to meet his.

The corners of Su Yan's lips slowly curved into a mocking smile, yet it overflowed with boundless bitterness: 'She's afraid of me!'

As it turned out, Tong Tong wasn't as unbothered as she appeared on the surface.

Upon learning of Su Yan's identity as a demonic cultivator, she had been deeply alarmed but had hidden that fear well, only to inadvertently reveal it now. She probably hadn't even realized this secret dread herself.

A soft sigh, sharp as a blade, easily tore through that layer of careful pretense and pierced deeply into her tender heart, exposing the sudden surge of her wretchedness, blooming like a crimson flower.

Her throat choked up, leaving her unable to speak.

But then Su Yan's sigh ceased, and she spoke again, her voice gentle yet cool as ever, though now carrying something more. "Come here."

This time, Tong Tong didn't hesitate. Obediently, she rolled back twice, returning to the edge of the bed and leaning against Su Yan's side. Her pure, bewildered gaze, tinged with apology, extinguished any remaining anger in her.

She lowered her head and took her hand. One cold, one warm, both trembled slightly at the contact, yet each pretended nothing was amiss. Only their racing heartbeats betrayed them, perfectly synchronized.

The still-warm towel gently wiped her palms, the backs of her hands, and even the spaces between her fingers, with a meticulousness that was hard to believe from someone who had never served another like this before.

Her unsettled heart finally settled back into place, yet it returned filled with warmth and gratitude, making her cheeks flush with heat and an inevitable sense of shame.

'I've really messed up this time... Turns out I misunderstood him! Ah, Senior Brother, really, it's just wiping my hands, why make it look so solemn and serious? You acted as if it were some sacred ritual, no wonder I jumped to conclusions!'

Yet, when Su Yan showed his gentle side, it truly felt as if one's heart would melt along with it...

After wiping both hands clean, Su Yan glanced at her. Seeing her head lowered as if lost in thought, her cheeks growing increasingly flushed, a flicker of doubt arose in her mind. She casually tossed the towel back into the basin and gently pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, focusing intently for a moment, it didn't feel feverish, so she set her worries aside.

The cool, jade-like touch on her forehead cleared Tong Tong's mind, yet it only deepened her embarrassment, even tinting the corners of her eyes with a faint blush.

Turning her head away from Su Yan's hand, Tong Tong rolled back into the bed, pulling the quilt over her head. Her muffled voice came from beneath the covers, "I-I-I'm going to sleep now!" After a moment, she added, "Goodnight."

After a brief silence, Su Yan flicked her sleeve, extinguishing the oil lamp, hiding the slight curve of her lips in the darkness.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, Tong Tong still didn't hear the sound of the bed sinking beside her. Biting her lip, she carefully lifted a corner of the quilt... only to be met with pitch darkness, unable to see a thing.

With a frustrated sigh, she threw off the quilt. Sure enough, there was no candlelight, only the faint moonlight filtering in, allowing her to vaguely make out the tall figure standing by the bed.

More silent than the night, more lonely than the moonlight.

Her heart felt as if struck by a blunt object, aching dully, and even her eyes grew slightly sore.

Clutching the quilt tightly, Tong Tong blurted out, "What are you doing? Get into bed already!"

'Standing by the bed like a pillar! Waking up to see a ghostly figure by the bedside would absolutely scare me to death, okay?'

'Why are you being so coy at a time like this? Even I, a young maiden, don't mind, so what are you worried about?'

Just chatting under the covers won't get anyone pregnant...

A soft chuckle was heard, causing Tong Tong's carefully mustered courage to falter, dissipating like smoke, leaving her unable to muster the courage to speak again, suddenly realizing how overly straightforward and suggestive her words had been, her face flushed crimson, and she nearly bit her tongue in regret.

'Getting into bed... she hadn't meant it in that way, okay...'

Not hearing Su Yan's reply, Tong Tong felt extremely anxious, unconsciously holding her breath, only hearing the thunderous beating of her own heart in the silence.

"Okay." After what felt like an eternity, just as she felt she was about to suffocate, she finally heard that faintly amused reply, along with the sudden, overwhelming fragrance of elegant sandalwood.

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