Hibiscus as a Painting

Chapter 57

Zi Jin followed behind west Le with a troubled expression. Xi Le had already been displeased when Jin Yu stopped her from disembarking, and now she was being turned away again. Given Xi Le's many good habits, this was clearly the calm before the storm.

Upon entering the second floor, the waiter attentively led west Le and Zi Jin to the "Luan Feng He Ming" room.

The waiter stood outside the door and said, "Young Master Lou, the people you are waiting for have arrived. Would you like to invite them in?"

"Come in." A clear, melodious male voice came from inside the room.

Inside, a rare purple jade screen comes into view, with a lifelike relief of phoenixes singing in harmony carved on the jade, exquisitely beautiful. Passing through the screen, one sees a man in a purple brocade robe, his brows slightly furrowed and his eyes closed, holding a white jade cup, seemingly reclining drunkenly on a carved ancient wooden couch.

Upon hearing someone enter, the stunningly handsome man slowly asked, "How's the investigation going?"

When west Le saw the stunningly handsome man, she was slightly taken aback, and then the corners of her mouth turned up, revealing a smile that was absolutely breathtaking.

Zi Jin followed Yu Xile nervously, looking around at the restaurant, which was even more luxurious than the palace, hoping to find a safe place to hide. Unfortunately, it was all just pretty things, good for looking at but not for hiding.

When no one answered his question for a long time, the handsome man frowned and opened his eyes. What he saw was west Le's stunningly beautiful face, which seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

"Who are you?!" The stunningly handsome man's voice was clear and cold.

Zi Jin withdrew her head, which had been looking around, and stood at attention, hiding behind west Le as if it were none of her business.

west Le laughed and said, "Huaiyin City is truly a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. It is only by chance that I... this lady could meet such a wonderful beauty."

Upon hearing the name "exquisite beauty," Zi Jin, who was initially ostrich-like, immediately craned her neck to look at the man. He possessed an absolutely stunning face, with eyebrows like crescent moons, almond-shaped eyes that shone like stars, and tightly pursed lips forming a perfect curve. His face, as beautiful as jade, appeared alluring and seductive, yet subtly conveyed a sense of aloofness and coldness, making him unapproachable.

The handsome man rose gracefully, his eyes filled with anger: "May I ask what brings you here, young lady?"

With a smile on her lips, west Le found a seat next to her and sat down casually. Her eyes were unusually charming as she looked at the man: "This young lady has come to see who is so arrogant in Huaiyin City that they have booked the entire 'Golden Jade Pavilion'."

The handsome man's impatience was evident, and a flash of murderous intent crossed his eyes: "If you don't leave, don't blame me for being difficult." His voice was even colder.

Although Zi Jin was reluctant to leave such a stunning beauty, she was determined not to cause trouble while fleeing for her life. She turned to leave, but west Le grabbed her hand and gave her a fierce glare.

Zi Jin could only obediently continue standing behind west Le, her eyes darting around, but she dared not look at that man who was bringing disaster to the country and the people.

west Le leisurely picked up the teacup on the table, which had already cooled down, and sniffed it: "The premium Pu'er tea is too strong and does not suit my taste. Here you go!" Before she finished speaking, the teacup in her hand had already flown away.

The handsome man caught the teacup and said coldly, "Since you've come all this way to cause trouble, don't blame me for being impolite. Men, see her out!" Before he finished speaking, four people flew in through the window and began fighting with west Le.

Zi Jin looked at the shards scattered on the floor with heartache. Just a fifth of an incense stick's time ago, these were priceless gold bowls and jade plates, but now they were nothing but ruins. Zi Jin suppressed her heartache and quickly crawled under the table. Only her two eyes peeked out from behind the openwork tablecloth as she analyzed the situation, displaying a clear intention to flee when the enemy was strong.

The man remained reclining on the old wooden couch, leisurely pouring himself a drink. Facing four opponents alone, west Le was gradually losing ground, but fortunately, the four men only intended to drive him out of the building and did not intend to kill him.

Seeing this situation, Zi Jin racked her brains trying to figure out how to sneak out the door with west Le under everyone's noses, instead of being thrown out.

west Le was gradually losing ground to the four of them. Seeing that Zi Jin was already losing her temper, she quickly slipped to the door and angrily shouted, "You mute! If something happened to me, how could you have left this place?!"

Zi Jin shrank back and saw that Xi Le's back was soaked with blood. She knew she had really messed up this time; her wound, which had only just begun to heal, had reopened. Zi Jin pondered for a tenth of an incense stick's time, then finally reached into her robes, groped around for a moment, gritted her teeth, and turned back: "Stop!"

The four men froze, staring at Zi Jin. Zi Jin trembled, shaking the small bottle in her hand. "Four grown men bullying a weak woman, what kind of heroes are they?! If you've got the guts… if you've got the guts…" Zi Jin glanced again at Xi Le, who was leaning against the table, panting slightly. Blood had seeped onto the floor. "If you've got the guts, fight me! Anyone who hits her again! I'll… I'll… I'll get angry!"

A hint of a smile flashed in west Le's eyes, and he seemed less dizzy.

Upon hearing Zi Jin's words, the handsome man who had been leisurely drinking glanced at the slightly trembling Zi Jin, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, and quickly gave one of the four a wink.

As one of the four approached... getting closer and closer, Zi Jin's heart pounded with nervousness. She wanted to shout: "It's none of my business!"

But then she thought about it again. west Le had been seriously injured and still recovering from her injuries, and had been channeling her inner energy into him for dozens of days. If it weren't for her, west Le would never have failed to handle even four small fry. If it weren't for her, she might not be standing here today.

Seeing the person walking towards her step by step, Zi Jin struggled and thought, and finally, when one of the four was three steps away from her, she made up her mind to sacrifice herself rather than let her friend die. She threw the small bottle in her hand on the ground and swallowed the antidote in the smoke.

"Master! Be careful, it's poisonous!" one of the four shouted.

Before he could finish speaking, the four of them collapsed to the ground with a thud. A glint flashed in the eyes of the handsome man as he lay limply on the couch.

After the smoke cleared, Zi Jin immediately supported Xi Le's swaying body, fed her the antidote, carefully avoiding her wounds, and dared not look at the remaining five people because of guilt, since it was all west Le's fault.

west Le took a slight breath, reached out and pressed the acupoint on her shoulder. The bleeding gradually stopped. After she stood still, she smiled slightly at Zi Jin.

Zi Jin smiled foolishly, flattered, and reached out to pull west Le back: "That's enough, let's go back... Your injuries still need to be treated."

west Le gently raised her hand, and Zi Jin pouted and helplessly let go.

With a smile playing on her lips and her beautiful eyes sparkling, Xi Le strolled over to the man's side, extending her slender, delicate hand to caress his stunning face: "Naming Tower, which encompasses heaven and earth, sun and moon, and all human affairs. Its master, Young Master Jinyang, is a man of unparalleled talent and beauty, with a face as handsome as jade and a face as beautiful as Xun Xiang. He is a truly remarkable man in Huaiyin City. Ah... and now he has fallen into my hands."

west Le bent down and picked up a piece of jade, playing with it as she lightly traced it across Young Master Jin Yang's stunning face: "Today, I will ruin your face and see what you will have to compete with Xun Xiang in the future." Before she finished speaking, the jade piece in her hand had already pierced half of his cheek.

Before he could react, drops of crimson blood slid down Young Master Jinyang's face. In that split second, Young Master Jinyang's face, which had been flushed from drunkenness, was now ashen white, as if what had been destroyed was not his flawless face, but his only chance of survival.

Zi Jin was shocked and grabbed west Le's hand, which was about to commit violence, and gently shook her head: Don't make a deep grudge against someone because of a moment of fun.

The servant on the fourth floor angrily said, "Don't you dare hurt my master, or I, Lou Shuo, will haunt you even as a ghost!" His weak tone made it clear that his words had no threat whatsoever.

A strange smile played on west Le's lips as she glanced at Young Master Jin Yang, pondered for a moment, then tossed aside the jade fragment in her hand and reached out to Zi Jin, saying, "Medicine!"

Startled by west Le's sudden word, Zi Jin trembled and looked at Xi Le with a blank and innocent expression.

west Le gritted her teeth and said fiercely, "Stop pretending, give me the medicine!"

When Zi Jin was met with Xi Le's sharp gaze, she stammered like a wilted eggplant, "When I... disembarked... I was in such a hurry that I only brought some things for self-defense. The rest... are in my bundle."

west Le and Zi Jin stared at each other for a long time before they stopped, only when they were sure that Zi Jin was not lying.

west Le's gaze was drawn to a magnificent little building diagonally opposite the window. He said slowly, "Little mute, since you've pleaded for him, I didn't want to make things difficult for him anymore. But since he dares to compare himself to Xun Xiang, how can I let him off so easily? What do you suggest we do?"

Zi Jin glanced guiltily at the deep, bone-revealing scratch the size of a little finger on Young Master Jinyang's jade-like face: "Just for the sake of people saying that he is as handsome as Xun Xiang, you have already ruined his perfect appearance. How can you be so wicked?"

Lou Shuo glared at west Le and said hatefully, "Witch! If I don't die, I won't let you live!"