“Serve me,” the young master said without hesitation, “serve me to my satisfaction.”
"Serve me?" Qiu Lingling thought for a moment, "Okay, how long do you want me to serve you?"
Seeing her agree so readily, looking relieved, and even asking about the time without blushing, the young master was quite surprised. To agree to such a condition for money without showing the slightest anger, it seemed that her behavior should be more provocative, or perhaps feigned shyness. This was the first time he had encountered someone so serious; she was indeed a special little cat.
The young master said with great interest, "Or a year, or, just a few days will be enough."
Qiu Lingling immediately shook her head: "No, I can't come out often."
The young master said, "It's alright, I don't need you to come often."
"If I serve you, you won't tell anyone?"
"That depends on how well you serve them."
If she served him for a few days, she wouldn't have to pay so much money. Qiu Lingling thought this deal was a good one, but she also had a vague feeling that it was wrong to be held by this man. His hands were wandering over her body, causing her to tremble instinctively. She felt very uncomfortable, and her face was flushed and her heart was racing. Right, Jin had said that she couldn't let men touch her anymore. So she hurriedly nodded: "Okay, let me go first, and I'll serve you right away."
"You?" The young master raised an eyebrow and released her as expected.
Qiu Lingling stood up, straightened her clothes, and asked seriously, "What do you want me to do now?"
Seeing her tie her loosened sash back on, the young master frowned, utterly astonished that she would say such a thing.
"What do you want me to do?" Qiu Lingling stood obediently to the side, her big eyes filled with concerned inquiry. She had never served anyone else, but she knew how to serve her master.
The young master stared at her silently for a while, then suddenly asked, "How old are you?"
Seeing his gentle demeanor, Qiu Lingling was no longer so afraid and blinked as she answered, "I'm sixteen."
Sixteen years old is not young anymore. The young master's eyes gleamed as he scrutinized the small face with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity, not missing a single change in expression. Suddenly, he noticed that the large, slightly childish eyes were looking at him, and he couldn't help but sigh. He had thought that was special, but it turned out to be ignorance, or perhaps, that the child was still a bit too young.
"Shall I massage your shoulders?" she tentatively suggested.
"No, thank you," the young master smiled, "you may leave now."
"Don't you want me to pay compensation?"
"don't want."
Qiu Lingling was initially happy, then hesitated: "Then..."
“Your leader won’t know,” the young master interrupted her, laughing. “Let’s go.”
"You're so kind!" Qiu Lingling exclaimed happily. "I'll make it up to you later. If I don't go back soon, my master will scold me. I'm leaving now!"
Watching the lithe figure disappear through the window, the young master slowly leaned back in his chair. All that effort he'd put in, only to be met with a clueless little girl. This was the first time in his life he'd made a losing deal, and such an absurd one at that. Glancing at the jade fragments on the ground, he sighed, unsure what expression to wear. He'd only wanted to find a little kitten to play with, but now he'd given away his priceless treasure. And now he'd inevitably have to deal with the questioning from his parents. Another difficult situation indeed.
That's great, I think I'm great too.
.
By the Huanyun Pool, the little girl sat on a large blue stone, raising her hand to shield her forehead, squinting at the sunset. Her face was flushed red by the afterglow. Jin Huanlai, however, stood far away under the shade of a tree, his handsome face serene amidst the floating mist.
A moment later, Qiu Lingling turned to the side and beckoned to him: "Come and sit down."
Jin is still motionless; the sunset is too beautiful, I'm afraid.
Qiu Lingling stood up, tilted her head and stared at him for a while, then went over and hugged him: "Is something bothering you?"
Jin didn't push her away, and sighed, "It's so nice to sunbathe, what are you doing here?"
Qiu Lingling pouted: "If you won't come over, I have no choice but to come over."
Jin remained silent.
The sunset paints the green hills and clear waters with vibrant colors, and I'm held tightly in your arms, not wanting to push you away. Even if this embrace is just a product of your youthful ignorance, I can't refuse it because only you are here with me at this moment. I dare not move, for I'm afraid that you will see your own ignorance and let go.
"I have a good friend."
Me?
"It's not you."
"You've made a lot of friends again?" She looked up, her face full of displeasure.
Two years have passed, and the jealousy hasn't lessened at all. Jin felt a little amused, her mood improving considerably. She looked down intently into those big eyes: "Listen, I used to have a friend, but I've now discovered that he deliberately approached me. Don't you think that's bad news?"
Qiu Lingling looked at him and said, "I deliberately got close to you too."
“It’s different, you’re different,” Jin Huanlai finally smiled, raising his hand to hug her. “He approached me only because he had promised someone something in order to get revenge, and he wanted my help.”
Qiu Lingling understood, and after thinking for a moment, asked, "Did he tell you?"
Jin shook his head: "No, or... it's not the right time to talk about it yet."
"Will he harm you?"
"No way."
Qiu Lingling was relieved: "Then you should help him."
Jin frowned: "He's using me, and you still want me to help him?"
“He’s your good friend. Even if he didn’t take advantage of you, you would still help him,” Qiu Lingling said seriously. “Didn’t you help me before?”
Jin sneered, "But I don't like being treated like a fool, and I especially don't like being schemed against by my friends."
Qiu Lingling said, "Then don't help. You're talking about Brother Xiaohu, right? He definitely won't blame you."
"Hmph, I'm angry."
.
That night, in the backyard of the Jiang family, the lights in the room were dim.
"How is Tianshui City?"
“Not bad, quite unexpected,” Jin Huanlai said casually, still with his roguish air. “I never thought he would be in Tianshui City, and my mask would end up on his face.”
Jiang Xiaohu sighed: "It's not your mask, it's mine, it's what you lost to me."
“It’s fine if you put it that way, it makes me feel better,” Jin Huanlai said, glancing at him sideways. “He built Tianshui City, but only you can use the Tianshui Sword Technique. Who is the true lord of Tianshui City?”
Jiang Xiaohu laughed: "Anyone can be the Lord of Tianshui City, and you can be too, because the Lord of Tianshui City is just one of those three masks."
Jin replied, "He's helping you."
Jiang Xiaohu nodded.
What is your relationship with him?
"It's nothing. I made a deal with him. He helped me build Tianshui City and track down my enemies."
Jin Huanlai's eyes flashed: "He also has conditions."
Jiang Xiaohu smiled and said, "Don't worry, I won't help him catch you to detoxify."
“That’s good,” Jin said calmly. “He is our Thousand Hands Sect’s enemy. He has cut off thirty-three of our sect’s hands. I originally planned to poison him to make him mute, but he’s too quiet and practically a mute. I also wanted to kill him, but he wouldn’t ask who I was. It seems ungentlemanly to attack someone who is unsuspecting.”
“You really are a gentleman thief,” Jiang Xiaohu said, suppressing a laugh and patting his shoulder. “Thank you. I know you’re doing this because of me. Actually, apart from his bad temper, he’s not that bad. You’ll understand in time.”
Jin came to see him again: "Whether I understand or not is not important."
Jiang Xiaohu seemed unconcerned and changed the subject: "You didn't reveal your identity to him?"
"Not only did I tell him who I was, I also made him furious."
"Then?"
"I ran away."
Jiang Xiaohu laughed: "Then you'd better watch your life next time you go."
Jin crossed his arms and asked, "You still want me to go?"
“Of course, it’s already quite an achievement that ‘Half Moon Dew’ has managed to hold on until now. He doesn’t have much time to manage things these days,” Jiang Xiaohu sighed. “Such a large city as Tianshui can’t be left unattended, so I have no choice but to trouble you.”
“Yeah, besides an idiot like me, who else would help you for no reason?” Jin Huanlai sat on the windowsill nonchalantly, glancing sideways. “Let’s make this clear first, what if he really kills me?”
Jiang Xiaohu paused for a moment, then shook his head: "'Half Moon Dew' hasn't been cured yet, so he wouldn't dare kill you. Besides, you went to help me, and he's helping me too. He should at least give me some face. He would never kill you on my turf, and you'd better not mess with him."
"What if he doesn't give me face and kills me first?"
"I will avenge you."
Jin turned away, saying, "What's the point of revenge if I'm dead?"
“Living is a waste of food, and I’ll do the same for you,” Jiang Xiaohu said loyally. “I’ll take care of everything, from eating and sleeping to spending money, gambling, finding girls, and the Thousand Hands Cult. You can rest in peace now.”
Jin was speechless and muttered, "This kid's shamelessness is beyond saving."
Jiang Xiaohu suppressed a laugh: "Ah, and your wife too, that's fine too..."
Before he could finish speaking, the hidden weapons came flying at him.
Jiang Xiaohu dodged awkwardly, angrily saying, "You fucking can't take a joke..."
The wind kept blowing, the room was small, Jiang Xiaohu jumped around and cursed incessantly, but Jin ignored her and kept throwing hidden weapons in different ways. The more he threw, the more relieved he felt. He never thought that Jin Yue's methods would feel so good. My happiness is built on your pain. What a pleasant thing it is.
The ill-fated kitten, the pitiful young master
"Trading merchants from Dali?"
"Indeed, among that batch of goods, there was only one thousand-year-old agarwood pagoda. The other precious jade and agate items were fine, but this one was different..."
Upon hearing the word "jade," Qiu Lingling, who was yawning nearby, suddenly became interested: "Jade?"
Knowing that she was the sect leader's junior sister, Protector Yue Yiping quickly replied with a smile: "Actually, there is a piece of jade in this batch of goods that is quite rare, but it is far inferior to the sandalwood pagoda."
Jin Huanlai wasn't interested in jade. The Thousand Hands Sect followed the rules, always choosing the most valuable item each time they made a move. After a moment's thought, he nonchalantly tapped the table with his finger: "A thousand-year-old agarwood pagoda, interesting. How many people are there?"
"One hundred and sixty-two people, including fourteen top experts and fifty-three first-rate experts. Even the 'Seven Kill Swordsman' Gong Shicheng has been invited by them at great expense. They will stay in the city for about three to five days, probably to take the opportunity to sell a batch of goods." After all, this is the richest area in Jiangnan, with many wealthy families and merchants, and the transaction success rate is the highest. Those merchants will definitely not miss the opportunity to sell and make money.
Jin nodded: "There are quite a few people. Call all the altar masters of the main altar, as well as the four of you, to the council hall."
Yue Yiping agreed and went.
Qiu Lingling was in a daze for a while. When she saw him get up to leave, she quickly came over and pulled him back: "I want that piece of jade. Can you take me there?"
“We only want the sandalwood pagoda,” Jin said impatiently. “I have plenty of jade here; if you want it, go get it yourself.”
"Those are no good." He pursed his lips.
"Why do you need something so nice?" Jin asked impatiently, trying to pry her hand away. He was surprised to find her little hand was icy cold. The little girl hadn't seemed to be in good spirits for the past two days, always yawning and looking sleepy. Could something have happened?