Peaceful Jianghu - Chapter 115
Xiao Dao crossed his arms and shook his head. It turned out that he and Hao Jinfeng had been single parents for so long without really understanding why their parents were so unreliable!
Just as she was sulking, Xue Beifan gently nudged her from behind.
The knife turned back.
Xue Beifan gently beckoned to her, indicating that they should speak privately.
Xiao Dao followed him to the next room.
"We're about to head back to Beihai Sect. Would you like to come home with your parents?"
Xiao Dao was slightly taken aback and asked Xue Beifan in surprise, "You mean, I don't need to go to the Beihai Sect with you?"
Xue Beifan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head, "Now that the dragon bones have been found, I can handle the rest myself."
Xiao Dao frowned. "You're going to deal with your older brother by yourself?"
“You don’t understand my elder brother’s character,” Xue Beifan sighed. “He must have had a reason for dragging you into this. Finding the five dragon bones safely and returning you unharmed is already a stroke of luck. Now that your parents are finally reunited, you and Hao Jinfeng should go home together.”
Xiao Dao stared at him. "You really don't need my help anymore?"
Xue Beifan shook his head without hesitation. However, Xiao Dao could tell from his eyes that he was hiding something. Was he playing hard to get, or did he genuinely want her to go home and reunite with her family to avoid danger?
"So, what happens after you're done?" Xiao Dao asked. "What are your plans? Actually, all you need to do is give the dragon bone to your older brother, okay?"
Xue Beifan looked at her for a moment, then nodded gently, "Mm."
"It's that simple?"
"Okay." Xue Beifan patted her head. "Go back now. I'll come find you after I've finished my business."
Xiao Dao pouted, "What do you want from me?"
"I'm going to propose to you!" Xue Beifan covered his mouth, still as nonchalant as ever. "You stole my first kiss, so you have to take responsibility."
Xiao Dao raised his foot and kicked him.
Xue Beifan rubbed his leg and looked at Xiaodao, "Then, take care. I'll try my best to keep an eye on Xiaoyue's situation..."
"Otherwise, I'll go," Xiao Dao suddenly said.
Xue Beifan was surprised, "You're going?"
Xiao Dao crossed his arms and nodded, "Yeah! I still want to go to the Beihai Sect. I promised to teach Xue Beihai a lesson for you."
Xue Beifan remained silent for a long time before looking at her. "So, you're going to the Beihai Sect for me, not for Xiaoyue?"
Xiao Dao smiled and gently patted Xue Beifan's chest, "Take a guess."
"Xiao Dao." Xue Beifan grabbed Yan Xiao Dao, who was about to turn and leave.
Xiao Dao turned around and saw Xue Beifan's unusually serious expression. "Don't worry, I won't let you be in danger!"
Xiao Dao slightly curled the corners of his mouth. Sure enough, there was still something very important and dangerous that required his help.
Xiao Dao looked him in the eye and said, "You said it."
Xue Beifan nodded, watching Xiao Dao happily go next door to continue watching the good show of his parents' happy reunion.
Xue Beifan sat down at the table and remained silent.
"If you tell Xiaodao to go back like this, what if she actually goes back?" Chonghua went to Xue Beifan's side and looked at him. "Or are you really willing to let Xiaodao stay away from the danger she's about to face, even if it means ruining everything?"
Xue Beifan held an empty wine glass.
After a long silence, he put down his wine glass. "Whether it's feigned affection or genuine feeling, it no longer matters."
"What do you mean?" Chonghua didn't quite understand.
“There are some things that only I know best.” Xue Beifan stood up. “I didn’t expect her to understand. Today really gave me a fright.”
Chonghua smiled without saying a word, then turned and walked out. "Sigh, since that's the case, you should cherish it. Don't end up like me, seeing it but not being able to touch it, having no chance at all, and only being able to grieve in vain."
57
I can't put it down!
Strangely enough, when Yan Ruyu and Xiao Dao were alone, she did praise Xue Beifan a couple of times. But when they were with others, she wouldn't give Xue Beifan a good look, picking and nitpicking. One minute she'd complain that Xue Beifan was a bit rude, the next she'd complain that his name wasn't very pleasant to hear—in short, she had a lot of faults and complaints.
Xue Beifan was in a state of constant torment, hoping that after traveling for two more days, the couple would bid farewell to everyone and return to their hometown in Jiangnan.
Compared to Yan Ruyu, Hao Jiulong was even more formidable. Initially, seeing that they were all young men, he assumed they were Hao Jinfeng's brothers and was very polite. However, upon hearing that Xue Beifan was interested in Xiaodao, his face hardened, and he followed Xue Beifan around closely. If Xue Beifan even lightly touched Xiaodao with a finger, he would bare his teeth and snarl as if he wanted to devour him.
When Xue Beifan saw the two elders, he could only smile apologetically, neither retaliating nor scolding them. He thought to himself, "Good heavens, they're even scarier than my own stepmother!"
After enduring until the third day, everyone went their separate ways.
Before leaving, Yan Ruyu gave Xiaodao some things and gave her a few instructions. Hao Jiulong patted Xue Beifan on the shoulder, "Take good care of Xiaodao. If she suffers any injustice, I'll break your legs!"
Xue Beifan nodded nervously, then inexplicably felt pain in his legs.
Yan Ruyu and her group headed south, while Xue Beifan and the others headed north, beginning another days of travel.
Along the way, they didn't suffer from wind and rain, nor did anything major go wrong; however, the relationships between the group were somewhat delicate.
Shen Xinghai treated Xiaoyue exceptionally well, and Xiaoyue sometimes couldn't shake the habit of serving him. Chonghua remained silent throughout, occasionally having a drink, reading as usual, and diligently teaching Xiaoyue accounting. Since Shen Xinghai's arrival, the time they spent together had decreased, making Chonghua cherish it all the more. Strangely enough, Xiaoyue seemed to have developed a habit of being more lively with Chonghua than with Shen Xinghai.
Xiao Dao was having a headache. Xue Beifan was buzzing around her ear like a bee, never stopping. Wang Bibo left the group early in the morning, saying she had to go back to Bibo Manor to handle some matters. In reality, she was taking a shortcut to Beihai Sect to take care of some things.