Zhan Chun - Chapter 29
Heavy footsteps sounded behind her, and Yichun was so startled that her hair stood on end. She managed to turn around and saw that the giant was indeed chasing after her with an axe. He was tall and clumsy, but he ran very fast. Yichun felt like a little chick who would soon be snatched away and eaten by an eagle.
She darted about in the cherry blossom grove, and thanks to her small and light body, the giant could not do anything about it and could only chase after her closely.
Yi Chun finally understood why the other three had disappeared in an instant. If they had been caught by this strong man, even ten more wouldn't have been enough to deal with them; they would have all been knocked unconscious and dragged away.
Seeing a particularly tall cherry blossom tree in front of her, she darted up like a cat, hugged the highest branch, hid her body among the cherry blossoms, and dared not move.
The heavy footsteps slowly approached. She held her breath, her eyes widened, and her whole body tensed and ached.
Suddenly, the chirping of birds and the warbling of orioles came from under the tree; it must have been ordinary tourists resting and enjoying the scenery.
Yichun poked her head out slightly, intending to warn them to run for their lives first, because being pushed or chopped by that giant would be no laughing matter.
Under the tree, there was a reclining chair covered with a soft brocade cushion. Half-lying and half-sleeping on the cushion was a young man in a light purple robe, with a complexion as beautiful as jade and a kind expression. It was none other than Shu Jun, whom they had not seen for a long time.
A group of girls surrounded the recliner, chatting and laughing with him.
"Young Master Shu speaks with great wit. By the way, you haven't told us where you live yet."
A round-faced girl asked him with a slightly shy expression.
Shu Jun closed his eyes and said in a calm voice, "After asking where I live, are you planning to ask if I'm married? After asking if I'm married, you'll probably ask how old I am. After asking my age, you'll ask about my parents and elders, and finally, are you planning to ask how much money my family has? Aren't you all annoying?"
It was obvious that he was impatient, and very impatient at that. Unfortunately, his face was so gentle and kind that even though he was clearly annoyed, others saw it as shyness and tolerance. So everyone thought he was joking and started chattering and laughing again.
"Young Master Shu is waiting for someone here. It's been so long and that person hasn't arrived yet. Could it be some haughty young lady?"
The innocent and enthusiastic girls, oblivious to the change in expression, continued to ask questions.
Shu Jun coldly said, "What's it to you? You guys are so annoying, get out of here!"
Everyone assumed he was just shy, and laughed even harder.
"She must be a beauty of unparalleled grace, otherwise how could she dare to keep someone like you waiting for so long?"
Some people's tone was slightly sour, a mixture of envy and jealousy.
These gossipy old women, they're never going to stop. Shu Jun opened his eyes, intending to unleash his fury and drive them away. It's always the same; whenever he's alone outside, these women all flock to him. No matter how harsh his words are, it's no use. It's incredibly annoying.
Suddenly, a half-naked giant emerged from the cherry blossom grove, carrying a massive axe thicker than a normal person's thigh. He stopped opposite them, glaring menacingly.
The girls immediately fell silent and shrank back in fear.
"Did you see a girl dressed as a man pass by?" the giant asked in a rough, cold voice.
Shu Jun propped his head up with his hand and said lazily, "Recently, it's fashionable for women to wear men's clothing. There are men dressed up everywhere on the streets. Which one are you asking about?"
He was about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a bamboo hat, carrying a sword, and was thin.
"You can find tons of people like that on the street every day. You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Go find them yourself." Shu Jun's reply was incredibly irritating.
“Young Master Shu…” A girl was moved by his boldness, and her cheeks flushed.
"Shut up, all of you, and get out of here." He rubbed his temples, swearing as he spoke.
The girls were all moved and stood in front of him, saying, "Young master was worried about us, afraid that this man would hurt us, and didn't hesitate to turn his back on us and drive him away. If we can't appreciate his kindness, wouldn't we be letting him down? You rude man, leave at once! Are you going to act violently in the garden in public?"
Shu Jun simply sat up and sighed, "If you won't leave, I'll leave myself."
He left without a word, waving his sleeves without taking a single cloud with him.
"Where do you think you're going?!" The giant was angered by his rude words and reached out to grab him.
The girls rushed forward, some embracing his arms, others pulling at his pants, determined not to let him get near the poor, frail man. The giant was at a loss for what to do; he couldn't very well kill someone in public. He simply grabbed the women like chickens and tossed them aside gently. Chaos erupted, with the cries and screams of the girls filling the air.
Shu Jun plugged his ears and muttered, "Serves you right for being such a fangirl."
Yichun could no longer contain herself. She leaped down from the tree and shouted, "Let them go! I'm here!"
Shu Jun recognized the voice immediately. Turning around, she recognized Ge Yichun. She took off her bamboo hat and threw it away. Then, a flash of cold light appeared, and her sword was drawn.
"I'll spar with you."
She's utterly arrogant. Can't she see that even ten more of her wouldn't be a match for this monster man?
"Forget it, mind your own business," Shu Jun told himself, turning to walk away. But somehow, he instinctively walked towards her, whispering, "Are you blind? Are you going to rush in and get yourself killed?"
Yichun glared at him angrily: "You're shameless! You actually made girls die for you!"
Although he was scolded, he was not angry. His eyes darted around and a plan suddenly came to him.
Just as Yichun was about to rush over and fight the giant, she suddenly felt a tightness in her body; someone had grabbed her from behind.
Shu Jun put his arm around her waist, rested his chin on her shoulder, and said with a smile, "Oh! You've finally come. I've been waiting for you for so long. Come on, let's find a quiet place to have a good talk."
"What did you say..." Yi Chun's mouth was suddenly covered by him. Shu Jun half-carried and half-pulled her back, whispering in her ear, "You brat, let's take him to a secluded place first. Don't you want to keep those gossipy old women out of the way?"
Yi Chun's eyes lit up immediately. Shu Jun let go of her hand, frowned, and said, "You're covered in sweat and stench. Aren't you going to change your clothes?"
She was furious: "It's disgusting when a man smells so good!"
As they were talking, the giant had already shaken off the girls and was chasing after them with his axe.
Shu Jun grabbed her hand: "Run!"
Yichun couldn't help but run with him through the cherry blossom forest. All she could see was his pale purple robe swaying in the breeze, and occasionally a cherry blossom would fall, like a red rain, like a moving painting.
Seeing that this handsome and gentle young man was waiting for an unremarkable girl, the girls couldn't help but shed bitter tears.