Qiu Su strolled back to the village, avoiding He Zhuo's courtyard and going straight to her own small building. Huang Tao greeted her with a smile from afar, "Young Miss is back! Oh, where's the Mountain Lord?"
Qiu Su touched her nose. "I've gone to catch rabbits. I'll be back later."
"Oh, then let's leave the meat bones here for now." Huang Tao's eyes darted around. "Miss, hurry up and eat, then wash up and go to bed early. Hehe~~"
Qiu Su narrowed her eyes. If Huang Tao rolled her eyes and said "wash it clean," followed by a rather creepy "hehe" at the end, there would definitely be a naked man in her room.
"Hey, Miss, don't squint. You've been out all day and you're all sweaty, so you should wash up to avoid attracting mosquitoes."
Qiu Su looked up at the roof. Such high mountains, such cool weather—attracting mosquitoes is truly a skill in itself.
"Did Uncle Zhou arrive just now?"
"Coming!" Huang Tao answered, then pouted and said, "I came to check, but left when I saw the young lady wasn't there. Hehe, let's eat, wash up and eat, then go to sleep."
Qiu Su glanced upstairs, sighed, and asked, "Does Huang Tao like this one?"
“That’s right.” Huang Tao said proudly. “He’s really handsome, like a scholar, but even more attractive than a scholar.” After saying that, her face turned into a chubby bun, and she hurriedly added after a long pause, “I didn’t let Uncle Zhou in. He came in by himself. Besides, Miss, didn’t you want Young Master He Zhuo to know that you don’t have feelings for him? This is such a good opportunity.”
Speaking of He Zhuo, he was truly one of the most prominent figures in Qingfeng Village. He was incredibly clever, not just ordinary clever, but even more cunning than the monkey living in the hazelnut tree at the east end of the village. He was also exceptionally handsome; he inherited the sage-like demeanor of Strategist He and the elegant grace of Aunt He. With a single glance from his beautiful eyes, he was a dazzling star in Qingfeng Village, a rare male star who wasn't unattractive at all. The name Qingfeng Village couldn't stop the young women from admiring and adoring this star; in fact, every month, someone would venture into Qingfeng Village just to catch a glimpse of Xiao Long, one of the legendary Three Dragons of Qingfeng Village. Qiu Su, of course, ensured that all those women were safely and intact escorted down the mountain. And you know what? With this back and forth, Qingfeng Village quickly joined the ranks of Pingcheng's harmonious development, and its relationship with the government gradually improved.
He Zhuo is good in every way, except that he gets carried away with spring fever. First, he cornered Qiu Su and confessed his feelings, but after being rejected by her, he was not discouraged at all. Instead, he became even more determined and started down the same path of passionate confession and youthful pain that Hei Biao had taken back then.
It's not that she's picky; it's just that she can't develop feelings for people she knows too well. You know, she even knows exactly what he has: a mole on his left buttock and a black spot on the tip of his penis… Ugh, it's more than just terrifying! I don't even want to think about it.
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Qingfeng Theater:
Mountain Lord: It's not that I willingly lower my noble head, it's just that Blue-Eyed is too cunning. First, he lured me out in the middle of the night, then without a word, he bared his teeth and pinned me down. How can that be? Black Whirlwind is stronger than me, but doesn't he obediently squat there, stealing glances at me, waiting for my pity? A domestic dog and a wild wolf are indeed not comparable.
I was thinking of giving in first, then launching a surprise attack the next night, but... well, you know what I mean!
He showed absolutely no mercy, yet he didn't even bite my neck; his claws slapped me so hard I was covered in internal injuries—internal injuries, you understand? They were all under the skin! Master, haven't you seen how the Mountain Lord has been losing his appetite, his eyes are dull and lifeless, and his tongue is drooping like a dead dog for the past two weeks? We, of course, must submit to the strong. Cough cough, although… if I don't agree, my life will be in danger. Licking claws… you know what I mean!
The moment you saw me, my lord, I was overwhelmed with shame. My pride, my crown, my noble head... oh dear...
One wrong step leads to another! The ancients were right!
Blue Eyes: (Grinning) Dare to bark once and see what happens! Just because someone keeps you around doesn't mean you're a dog, you stupid wolf!
Author's Note: I'm struggling to come up with a name, so I'm soliciting suggestions. If you have a good name, please submit it!
2
2. A naked man was found in bed...
It was unusual that He Zhuo didn't run this way; Qiu Su knew without being told that he must have been stopped by Zhou Tong. This was for the best; it saved her from the guilt of seeing this man, a year younger than her, standing before her with a pouty face during meals, feeling like she was treating a handsome man like a piece of mustard greens—a terribly cruel treatment of a beautiful girl from Pingcheng. After finishing her meal, Qiu Su looked at the dark stairwell and, for some reason, thought of the blue-eyed man's throat from earlier. Huang Tao, grinning lewdly to the side, saw Qiu Su glance over, grinned again, yawned, and pointed to a small room beside her, saying, "Miss, go to sleep early. I'm sleepy too."
Qiu Su hesitated before speaking, "How about..."
"No, Ruan Hu is asleep, Di Gua is on guard, Uncle Zhou is busy, and Strategist He is studying military strategy. I'm free, but I'm so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open. I don't have anyone capable to help me either. If you really want to release him, Miss, you can ask Young Master He Zhuo for help." After saying that, Huang Tao tiptoed back to her small room like a thief.
Why does Huang Tao act so strangely every time there are more people upstairs? Qiu Su only realized this after climbing halfway up the stairs. There was a four-character phrase composed of two numbers and a reduplicated word that was quite fitting—"Sanba Xixi!"
However, Huang Tao's words also make sense. Regardless of whether this person will become a bandit leader or not, it's time to tell He Zhuo and the others directly that it's impossible. It's not good to waste their time, especially since they're childhood friends. But then again, if someone is truly outstanding, who would be content to stay in a mountain village as a bandit leader? Sigh, what a dilemma!
It was a bit dark upstairs, but thankfully the moonlight was good that night. The windows were wide open, so I wouldn't fall while groping my way up in the dark. The windows weren't closed, and a mountain breeze blew in, making it feel eerie and chilly.
Eerie? Qiu Su frowned, walked to the window, and looked out. Qingyuan Mountain was indeed eerie in the night, with strangely shaped, dark shadows of trees, coupled with the whistling mountain wind...
"Sigh!" Qiu Su sighed heavily, gazing longingly at the towering forest.
"Sigh!" After a long while, Qiu Su sighed heavily again, and said with heartache, "Mountain Lord, if you don't come back soon, you won't be allowed to sleep in this bed!"
She won't let me sleep with her when I get back. She's not alone anymore; she might be pregnant with that blue-eyed, unborn baby. How can someone with a family and a home climb into a young woman's bed? Not even with someone of the same sex!
He turned to close the window and lit a candle. He looked up, and...hey? Where is he? Ah, the person in bed...he...he...he's gone!
This thought was a clattering in Qiu Su's mind when she saw the naked man on the bed, covered only by a thin veil. Zhou Tong was truly despicable, always stripping people naked before letting them in. Qiu Su shuddered at the memory of that scholar who insisted on hanging himself in this room to preserve his chastity. That time, she practically had to kneel down, using a combination of coaxing, deception, intimidation, and scolding to finally get the scholar to leave the mountain with fifty taels of silver.
Fifty taels! Just thinking about it hurts! It's said that a visit to a brothel costs only ten taels, a pretty girl only twenty taels, and a full service only forty taels. Fifty taels could buy a young master for four or five nights. But that scholar got a free bath, a free bed, a free meal, and even took five ingots of silver with him when he left Qingfeng Village.
The room was simply decorated but not shabby, with a predominantly purplish-white color scheme. The bed curtains were made of fine, glossy silk, still a light purple, while the light gauze covering the person on the bed was blue. Lying there quietly, the person appeared profound, aloof, and slightly melancholic.
Standing here at a distance, he is indeed beautiful. Well, if those two dark spots and the patch of black could be concealed, it would be even better. Qiu Su's hand moved as she pleased; the thought had barely formed in her mind when a blanket was draped from the nearby screen onto the naked man. At the same time, a chilling gaze swept over her, sending goosebumps up her back.
"Oh, is that so?" Qiu Su spontaneously moved a stool and sat on the edge of the bed, but when she saw the man's appearance, she was stunned for a moment.
Just as Huang Tao said, this man was truly handsome, like a scholar, yet more substantial than a scholar. This substantiality referred to his physique, his face, and also his gaze. It was sharp and clean. Ordinary scholars lacked that sharpness, and wealthy second-generation rich kids lacked that cleanliness. His eyelashes were long, yet they didn't appear effeminate. His lips were tightly pressed into a line, as if he were suppressing pain. But those eyes… cough, they reminded her of that aggressively blue-eyed man.
Qiu Su coughed lightly, cupping her fist to her lips. She glanced around the room, concealing her unease, before fixing her gaze on his face and saying, "It's like this..."
How do you explain this?
"Oh, wait a minute, let me look for the antidote." Qiu Su got up and rummaged through the box at the other end for a long time, then sighed and said, "Damn, it's been stolen. But it's okay, I'll be able to move again after a good night's sleep. Never mind, I'll drink a strong cup of tea first, the effect will be about the same."
Qiu Su muttered to herself, ignoring the cold gaze, she brewed tea, then paused for a moment before placing it by the bedside. She then lifted the naked man's head and offered it to him, casually touching the back of his skull. Not bad, quite an unusual bone structure.
The naked man seemed embarrassed, or perhaps angry; his gaze was both resentful and hostile. When Qiu Su lifted him up, his gaze suddenly changed, becoming slightly misty, and his eyes were tinged with red.
Wait! Is this another teenage angst-ridden guy? Qiu Su thought of He Zhuo, who was always teary-eyed, and her lips twitched violently. Before she could even relax her twitching lips, there was a huge jolt in her arms, and the naked man sneezed. His eyes were no longer red, and the tears had gone away. Only Qiu Su's face was covered with droplets of water.