Ouyang Jin had never been treated so rudely before, and said, "This is the Tang Clan, what right do you have to drive me away? Even Brother Tang has never driven me away! You are not worthy of Brother Tang at all. In terms of family background and appearance, how can you compare to me? Yet Brother Tang treats me coldly every day because of you..." The more she spoke, the more she felt that she had suffered a great injustice, and her voice was already trembling with sobs.
Mo Xi was immediately overwhelmed by the situation. In her past life, a woman had knelt before her, crying and begging her to release the man. Although the woman had been so sincere, Mo Xi felt that the grievances should be settled by the perpetrator, and adhering to the principle of openness and honesty to avoid misunderstandings, she ignored the third party and only wanted to get to the bottom of things. However, he repeatedly avoided her and even implemented a comprehensive high-tech communication blackout against her. Mo Xi then realized that he didn't want to face the situation and had the new person contact the old one to handle the transfer of ownership themselves. So, she decisively and without compensation transferred the man to someone else, only asking for peace and quiet. But her decisive action only made the man more relentless, and he came to her door tearfully accusing her of being cold-blooded and heartless. Just as she was feeling completely bewildered, the woman came to her door again, accusing her of breaking her promise and clinging to the man. It was truly a chaotic mess.
Considering her past experiences, and given that this situation was different, she did not have any ownership rights over Tang Huan in the sense of a boyfriend or girlfriend. Therefore, Mo Xi had no choice but to resort to the same old trick and run away.
Just as she turned to slip away through the window, a soft hissing sound came from behind her—the sound of a fuse being lit. In a flash, without even turning around, Mo Xi knew what was behind her: the Thunderbolt Hall's most powerful killing move, the Thunderbolt Fire Bomb! She thought to herself, "Tang Huan, Tang Huan, how come all your suitors are so formidable? Although one is reserved and the other fiery, their styles are quite different, but their destructive power is equally strong. Sea Eagle, Sea Eagle, your master is now receiving the same treatment as you—a Thunderbolt Bomb!" Even with this thought, she had already darted forward. But the sound didn't chase after her, and there was no sound of a bomb being thrown behind her. Mo Xi couldn't help but turn her head to look, only to see Ouyang Jin holding a thunderbolt fireball aloft in her slender hand, revealing a section of her left arm that looked like a snow lotus root. She struck a pose like Dong Cunrui, her face full of tears, and said in a sorrowful voice, "Promise me that you will never bother Brother Tang again, or I will die in front of you!"
Mo Xi froze instantly, a chill running down her spine: Had this girl lost her mind? Even if she were to offer herself as a hostage, she should consider whether her life was worth anything in other people's eyes, and whether she could hold her own.
Although she had never dealt with such an emergency before, Mo Xi's usual reaction was always the same: let her die. But this time, she couldn't. Tang Huan was clearly wary of the Ouyang sisters. If Ouyang Jin were to suffer any mishap at the Tang Clan, it would inevitably affect the cooperation between the Tang Clan and the Thunderbolt Hall. She couldn't just eat and stay for free and then undermine the attending physician.
Seeing the fuse of the Thunderfire Bomb burning shorter and shorter, about to explode in an instant, Mo Xi sighed inwardly and quickly leaped back, kicking the Thunderfire Bomb away with a side kick of his right leg.
Unexpectedly, the moment Mo Xi approached, Ouyang Jin's right hand, hidden in his sleeve, suddenly attacked, stabbing fiercely at her.
Mo Xi did not back away, but instead stretched out her left hand to quickly meet the dagger, while her right leg remained in a horizontal kicking stance.
But then, in an instant, something else happened. The blade of the dagger suddenly protruded outwards, becoming about half an inch longer than before. The blade barely grazed the web of Mo Xi's left hand, and a few drops of blood immediately splattered out.
Mo Xi secretly realized she had underestimated her opponent. If she wasn't mistaken, her opponent's series of movements were executed flawlessly, suggesting they had rehearsed it countless times. The initial thrust from Ouyang Jin's back was deliberately slowed and its true force concealed, designed to lure her into a second misjudgment in her haste.
So, the Thunderfire Bomb probably isn't real either.
Sure enough, the Thunderfire Bomb was kicked beyond the blast radius and landed on the ground, but it didn't detonate; it was a dud!
Ouyang Jin suddenly stopped crying and looked at her with a smile.
Author's Note: I didn't fall asleep until 4 AM yesterday, and woke up feeling dizzy and lightheaded at 8 AM. But after a cup of coffee, I found myself really drawn to this chapter. Hehe. The various jealous and rivalry scenes in my writing take an unusual turn. Hope you all enjoy it! ^^
"Ten years have passed, and we are separated by life and death." — Su Shi, "Jiang Cheng Zi"
Active and passive
( ) Mo Xi immediately understood and said calmly, "Is the dagger poisoned?" The other party was so scheming that they would never just ask her to bleed a few drops and let it go.
Ouyang Jin blinked innocently and laughed, "I don't know anything. The dagger was given to me by Sister Hui. She also taught me the method." After a pause, she added, "Don't even think about telling Brother Tang. There's no need to make a fuss over such a small wound. If you know what's good for you, I might take pity on you and ask Sister Hui if the dagger has been modified." With that, she turned and left without looking back.
Mo Xi smiled slightly as he watched her retreating figure, thinking to himself: She's quite an interesting girl.
The next day, Mo Xi was still practicing martial arts with Tang Huan by the Lingbo Pond.
Suddenly, she felt refreshed, as if every pore had opened instantly, releasing all the impurities from her body. She consciously tried to slow her breathing until she finally held her breath. After about five minutes, she tried some simple movements without any discomfort. She smiled slightly at Tang Huan, pointed to the Lingbo Pool, and then jumped in with a splash.
Fortunately, the water in Lingbo Pond was very clear, and her every move could be seen from the shore. Seeing Mo Xi chasing fish and waves in the pond, Tang Huan couldn't help but smile.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Mo Xi leaped out of the water, her smile, still wet with water droplets, brighter than the fine snow under the sunlight.
Although Tang Huan loved her smile, he still disapproved, saying, "You're being too carefree. The pool water is quite cold today; what if you catch a chill?" He paused, then added softly, as if talking to himself, "However, if you get sick, you can stay a little longer."
Mo Xi smiled and said, "It's alright. We'll have to go into the water to find the maze eventually. Wouldn't that take even longer?" She raised her left hand to brush her wet hair to one side. Tang Huan suddenly stepped forward, grabbed her left hand, and examined it closely. Sure enough, he saw a hideous scar running from the base of her thumb to her palm. He exclaimed anxiously, "How did you get hurt again? Your right hand isn't healed yet."
Mo Xi didn't hide anything from him and recounted the events of yesterday in a few words. Although she didn't know the specifics of the agreement between the Tang Clan and the Thunderbolt Hall, it's always better to know your enemy and yourself when doing business. Those two sisters were no pushovers, so she told Tang Huan to consider it for himself.
Tang Huan listened for a long time without saying a word. He slowly took her right hand in his own, and after a moment he said softly, "It's all my fault. I wanted you to treat my injuries, but the old wounds hadn't healed before I got new ones."
Mo Xi shook her head, saying nonchalantly, "This little injury is nothing to worry about."
Tang Huan was still shaken and couldn't help but pull her closer to him, saying softly, "That dagger was most likely poisoned. Luckily you had the Jade Pearl on you, otherwise, if something had happened to you, what would I have done..." At this point, he felt the scar on his heart, and for a moment he was unable to speak.
Mo Xi didn't want him to blame himself, so she said, "The draft in the hall is too strong, and it's a bit cold. Let's go back."
Tang Huan held her hand as they walked, his right thumb unconsciously stroking the scar on her palm, wishing he could erase it completely.
Mo Xi felt an itch as he rubbed her palms. She tried to pull her hand back several times, but he held it even tighter each time, so she had to give up.
The two walked hand in hand, in silence.
Tang Huan only released her when they arrived at Qinghui Pavilion, and then instructed the maid to go and find Lüyun.
After the little girl left, Tang Huan turned around and whispered to Mo Xi, "You always take such care of yourself. This wound is still fresh, and it was soaked in water just now, so it's very easy for it to fester. If I hadn't seen it, you wouldn't have treated it, would you?" He paused, then continued, "You have a good foundation in martial arts, but you can't always wear wet clothes. When the hot water comes, have Lvyun help you. You can't soak this hand in water for the next few days, understand? I'll apply the medicine for you after you've changed into clean clothes."
Seeing Mo Xi nod obediently, Tang Huan finally smiled.
Soon after, Lüyun arrived. Upon seeing the scar on Mo Xi's hand and hearing the details of what had happened, she immediately blamed herself, saying, "It's all Lüyun's fault. I didn't keep watch for you yesterday, which is why you got injured." After a pause, she said bitterly, "How could that Miss Ouyang be so vicious at such a young age? I originally thought she was just a bit unruly, which is why I didn't take any precautions."
Seeing that she looked like she was about to cry, Mo Xi thought to herself: Why are they all like this? It's as if her hand isn't just cut, but broken. She could only comfort her, "It was my own carelessness. Besides, trouble is bound to come sooner or later."
Green Cloud became increasingly careful when serving Mo Xi during her bath, refusing to let her lift a finger, leaving Mo Xi with no choice but to accept it helplessly.
Hearing the sound of water coming from the inner room, Tang Huan felt her face slowly getting hot, so she had no choice but to go outside. After thinking for a moment, she simply went to the study.
Tang De was already waiting at the door. When he saw him arrive, he followed him inside.
"Well, has Ouyang Qing given a reply?"
"The other side is sticking to their gunpowder formula and won't budge, saying that no matter how generous our conditions are, they won't give it to outsiders, but..." At this point, Tang De glanced quickly at Tang Huan, but hesitated and didn't continue.
"Please feel free to speak."
"Old Master Ouyang said that if the Fourth Young Master becomes his son-in-law, that would be a different story."
Tang Huan did not reply, but turned her back to look at the snow outside the window, remaining motionless for a long time.
When he came to his senses, Tang De was nowhere to be seen, and the cup of boiling tea on the desk had long since gone cold.
He took out the embroidered orchid pouch from his bosom, slowly squeezed it, and pressed it against his heart.
When Tang Huan returned to the inner room, Mo Xi had already tidied herself up, and sitting with her hair down, she looked exceptionally young. Tang Huan couldn't help but smile slightly upon seeing her.
When Mo Xi saw Tang Huan take out the bottle she had used to apply medicine to him last time, she pulled his left hand over to examine it closely. Seeing that the wound had healed completely, leaving only a faint pink mark of new skin, she smiled and said, "This medicine is quite effective."