Yi Mei was slightly taken aback. Su Xiaoying said, "Revenge is about success, not suicide. If I can't beat him, you certainly can't either, right? If I fight him first, and then you go in, then you'll have a very high chance of getting revenge."
Su Xiaoying laughed and said, "After I die, there's no need for all that trouble. Just dig a hole and bury me."
Yi Mei's lips moved slightly, as if she were about to speak, when suddenly a flash of sword light stung her vision. The Twilight Rain Sword was already in his hand. Su Xiaoying turned around, her eyes suddenly revealing a sharp glint.
Fu Wuyou slowly drew his longsword, smiling faintly, "You want revenge? How laughable." In that instant, the gentle sword energy of the beautiful sword spread out in all directions. Within the intense sword intent, a murderous aura surged forth.
Just then, Su Xiaoying leaped forward and struck with all his might. The tip of the Twilight Rain Sword trembled wildly, emitting a buzzing sound, and a halo of light spun around, dazzling the eyes. His figure was also like a ghost, suddenly stopping abruptly on the ground. The Twilight Rain Sword was planted in an almost unimaginable position, but his body quickly moved back five steps. Fu Wuyou's sword barely grazed Su Xiaoying's cheek, severing a few strands of his hair.
Su Xiaoying had calculated this attack countless times in his mind, preparing for the next move, the various possible variations. However, after the Twilight Rain Sword was thrust into the ground, with a "whoosh," it seemed to pierce through something, and in the blink of an eye, even though he tried to retreat, he couldn't retract the sword!
A truly unexpected turn of events occurred! Su Xiaoying's force immediately went astray. He reacted extremely quickly, immediately withdrawing his sword and performing a somersault, but it was ultimately too late. He stumbled several steps under Fu Wuyou's sword, fell to the ground, and landed face-first in the mud.
Su Xiaoying was terrified and thought to herself, "Oh no!" She then closed her eyes and awaited her death.
Silence fell. Su Xiaoying waited on the ground for a long time, but the long sword still hadn't pierced her body. She couldn't help but feel strange. She got up and looked at herself, her eyes wide open, almost bursting with rage!
Fu Wuyou lay on his back on the ground, with the Twilight Rain Sword stuck in his body. The hilt of the sword was still trembling, and a large area was stained red with blood.
Su Xiaoying was even more terrified than before, and stood there stunned for a moment.
Yi Mei reacted, walked over to him, and bent down to look. Fu Wuyou was not yet dead. He chuckled and forced a smile, saying, "The...antidote pill...treats the symptoms...not the root cause..." He had only said this one sentence when his legs kicked and he stopped breathing.
The gentle and elegant sword intent seemed to still linger around us.
Su Xiaoying was stunned for a long time before asking, "What...what does he mean?"
Yi Mei frowned.
Su Xiaoying rushed to his side, reached out and pulled, only to realize that the Twilight Rain Sword was stuck in his ribs. No wonder she couldn't pull it out for a moment. Su Xiaoying nudged Fu Wuyou's corpse with her foot, then stared blankly for a long time before suddenly yelling, "Damn it! I was scared to death just now!"
Yi Mei sighed softly, then suddenly said, "Xiao Ying, look."
Following her gesture, Su Xiaoying saw that the pear tree, taller than ordinary pear trees, suddenly burst into bloom with snow-white flowers. Clumps and clusters of blossoms, incredibly fresh and exceptionally beautiful. Elegant clouds of flowers, the branches trembling slightly.
Su Xiaoying was instantly stunned. The image of the sword intent of the Master of Wuyou Pavilion's beautiful sword flashed through his mind again. That gentle, heart-stirring sword intent. It was like the setting sun slowly rising in spring, willow branches swaying in the mist; like the ethereal sounds of nature, like pear blossoms and plum blossoms in snow, like a spring breeze and candlelight, like a lone swallow drinking wine… simply breathtakingly beautiful!
Yi Mei sighed, "The sword's intent has urged the pear blossoms on the tree to bloom."
Su Xiaoying pondered for a moment and said, "The antidote pill only treats the symptoms, not the root cause, and cannot completely eliminate the poison of the Misunderstanding Flower Diagram. His sword aura is becoming more and more profound with each practice, and it is simply overwhelming. However, the power of his sword moves cannot keep up with the sword aura."
Yi Mei said, "However, when he fought you last night, he didn't seem to be as bad as he is this time."
Su Xiaoying shook her head and sighed, "I'm afraid he himself can't control his sword moves. When luck comes, he's strong, and when luck goes out, he's weak. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hired you to kill Liu Tianyi."
Yi Mei said, "I've always been very lucky."
Su Xiaoying responded with an "Mmm".
Yi Mei said, "Even though I was born with the wrong freckles, I'm still able to recover. My luck is just too good! Xiao Ying, I'm just too lucky!" As she spoke, she suddenly burst into tears.
Su Xiaoying sighed, patted her head, and said, "Not at all, really, not at all..."
Yi Mei buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably, her tears soaking Su Xiaoying's clothes. Su Xiaoying stroked her hair, his eyes fixed on Fu Wuyou's corpse.
Yi Mei suddenly raised her head, wiped her eyes fiercely with her sleeve, and said aggressively, "Su Xiaoying! What did you just say! You actually said my swordsmanship is inferior to yours! Huh?"
Su Xiaoying said, "Injustice! You misheard!"
Yi Mei shouted, "How could I have misheard! Draw your sword now, let's have a duel!"
Su Xiaoying said, "I've already admitted defeat. Ouch, why are you pinching me? I've already lost... Look, I've already scraped my face..."
Yi Mei said, "Hurry up and compete with me!"
Su Xiaoying said, "How about we compete in another kind of kung fu?"
Yi Mei shouted, "What do you want to compete in? Just tell me!"
Su Xiaoying said in a serious tone, "Internal strength. Let's see who can hold their breath the longest."
How do we compare them?
Before Yi Mei could finish speaking, Su Xiaoying pressed her head down and the two kissed.
Unexpected changes
Su Xiaoying worked part-time at Guo Shaotang's clinic. Guo Shaotang felt a little embarrassed and said to her, "If you need money, sir, you can borrow some from me first. Although it's a small business, I've saved up some money over the years."
Su Xiaoying sighed and said, "I don't lack money, but you should know that women are not easy to mess with, and pregnant women are even more difficult to mess with. She will come up with all sorts of strange ideas all day long. If I were to be with her, I would be tormented to death by her."
Guo Shaotang couldn't help but laugh and said, "I never thought that you, young master, would be so helpless when it comes to women."
Su Xiaoying said, "If you can do something with a woman, it doesn't mean you truly like her."
"There's something I'm not sure if I should say," Guo Shaotang finally couldn't help but sigh, "Miss Dong is neither a beauty that could topple cities nor a lady of refined manners. I wonder why you, sir, are so fond of her?"
Su Xiaoying thought for a moment and said, "Well... there's no particular reason for this..."
Guo Shaotang asked, "If you work here, won't your wife become a shrew when you go back? Wouldn't it be worse if you started arguing?"
Su Xiaoying said, "When men go out to earn money, women are happy in their hearts. This is a universal sentiment, and it applies everywhere. However—" Su Xiaoying asked, "Is it alright if I go home to check on things along the way?"
Guo Shaotang was taken aback, then said, "It's alright."
Su Xiaoying said, "Don't worry, the things you've entrusted to me won't delay you. I can't let you pay for nothing, can I?"
And so life settled down. Summer turned to autumn, and then winter came. One day, Su Xiaoying suddenly remembered her long-cherished wish for Peach Blossom Manor and discussed with Yimei whether they should just buy the house.
"Then I can plant a peach tree next to it and name this house 'Peach Blossom Manor'."
Yi Mei placed her hand on Su Xiaoying's forehead and asked, "Are you alright?"
“No problem. I smell medicine in the clinic every day, how could I have a problem?” Su Xiaoying said.
Yi Mei said, "Then hurry up and get to work. What are you thinking about?"
Su Xiaoying said, "I'm serious. Think about it, when our child is born, he'll be so young, we won't be able to run around freely. I think this place is nice, why don't we stay here? What do you think? You don't have to be an assassin anymore, you can buy an acre of land and help me farm it someday."
“This…” Yi Mei said, “It’s such a waste… You killed the Lord of Wuyou Pavilion in one move. If word got out, you would be the number one swordsman in the world! That’s worth more than the number one assassin swordsman. It’s a golden brand. When I go out in the future, people will see that I’m the wife of the number one swordsman in the world, and they’ll be…”
Su Xiaoying gently patted Yi Mei's head and said softly, "Don't overthink things. It's bad for your health and for the baby in your belly."
Yi Mei then lowered her head, picked up the work at hand, and asked, "How do you think this garment is sewn? It can be worn by both men and women."
Su Xiaoying looked at it for a while, then said seriously, "Alright, go to the shop in town and buy a few sets. Don't work too hard."
"Is it okay...?"
Su Xiaoying said, "The sewing is not bad, but I think it's unwearable for either men or women—no one can wear it."
Yi Mei immediately became angry and shouted, "How dare you talk like that! Are you trying to start a fight with me again?"
Su Xiaoying laughed and said, "No, I just wanted to tell you to give up on that idea. Didn't you say yourself that you're not an ordinary woman? Then why do you do things that ordinary women do? Assassin Yi Mei, why would she need to know how to make clothes?"
Yi Mei said, "Why do I feel like you're mocking me?"
Su Xiaoying chuckled and said, "You misheard."
Yi Mei's belly was already quite large. She turned around somewhat slowly, facing Su Xiaoying, and said loudly and forcefully, "Aren't you going to cook? What are you grinning about!"
Su Xiaoying quickly slipped out, saying, "Okay, okay, I forgot for a moment." He had been busy in the kitchen for most of the day, carefully cooking a pot of crucian carp and tofu soup, and stir-frying two side dishes before finally bringing them into the house with satisfaction.
Yi Mei quickly finished her work and set out the dishes for him. Although they weren't delicacies, they were a good mix of meat and vegetables, making it quite a feast. Yi Mei looked at the food on the table, then suddenly lowered her head and fell silent.
Su Xiaoying laughed and said, "Eat up, why are you suddenly looking so gloomy?"
Yi Mei grabbed Su Xiaoying's greasy hand and snuggled into his arms. Su Xiaoying said, "Eat, eat. What are you doing? You're so pregnant and you're still crawling around."
Yi Mei whispered, "Am I not very much like a woman?"
Su Xiaoying was taken aback, then laughed and said, "Nonsense, how can someone who doesn't act like a woman give birth?"
Yi Mei said, "I have a bad temper, I always like to argue with you, and I even ask you to cook. You don't mean you don't like me anymore, do you?"
Su Xiaoying said, "I just like it when you argue with me, and I like cooking for you."
Yi Mei said, "You've been so good to me, I've used up all my good fortune..."
Su Xiaoying frowned and said, "Why are you still thinking about this? Don't overthink it. You have so much good fortune that you can't even contain it all."
Yi Mei sighed softly and lowered her head in silence.
The previous winter was exceptionally cold with heavy snowfall, but this year it was a mild winter, with only a light drizzle in December. After the Spring Festival, the weather suddenly warmed up. It was as if there was no transition period at all; in the blink of an eye, the grass was growing and the birds were singing, and spring had arrived again.
Yi Mei was in good health and her pregnancy went smoothly without any minor ailments like headaches or fevers. Guo Shaotang examined her pulse many times and said, "There shouldn't be any problems." However, Su Xiaoying was uneasy. Yi Mei's words, "I've used up all my good fortune," often kept popping into his mind. Every time he thought of those words, he felt very uncomfortable.
In early March, there were still a few days before she was due to give birth. However, as soon as Su Xiaoying arrived at the clinic that day, her neighbor hurriedly called her back, saying, "Sister-in-law Su is about to give birth!"
The midwife had been hired long ago, and they also asked their neighbor, Aunt Guo, for help. When Su Xiaoying rushed home, the house was perfectly calm.
Su Xiaoying lifted the curtain to go in, but was stopped by Aunt Guo, who said sternly, "It's alright! Your wife is very virtuous! It's not clean inside, and if you men stumble upon it, you'll suffer a bloody disaster!"
Su Xiaoying was stunned. His ominous feeling grew stronger, and he paced anxiously outside. Yi Mei didn't cry out in pain, but suddenly, she screamed shrilly. The scream was so sharp that it sent chills down Su Xiaoying's spine, as if countless hands were scratching at him. He finally couldn't hold back any longer and cursed, "To hell with this bloodshed!" He shoved Aunt Guo aside and rushed inside.
Yi Mei's delivery went very smoothly. When Su Xiaoying entered the room, she even had the strength to turn her head and look at him twice before the baby was handed to the midwife.
"Wah—" The only sound in the room was the baby's powerful cry.
The baby was a girl, tiny as a kitten. Yi Mei looked her over, not recognizing her or Su Xiaoying, and felt a little discouraged. She said to Su Xiaoying, "Why is this child like this? It's like I haven't eaten enough..."
"What are you complaining about in front of the children?" Su Xiaoying said, displeased.
Yi Mei said, "She's so young and can't understand, why are you so nervous?"
Su Xiaoying said, "How do you know she doesn't understand? What if she memorizes it perfectly, and you wouldn't even know?"
Yi Mei couldn't help but laugh and said, "I've never heard of such a thing before. You're really overthinking things! The important thing is to think of a name for her."
Su Xiaoying said earnestly, "I've already thought of a nickname for her: Huahua."
Yi Mei frowned, suddenly becoming suspicious, and said, "Su Xiaoying, you don't actually like her, do you? You dislike her because she's a girl! You also dislike that she doesn't look like you! Tell me honestly, is that true? Hmm? Is that true?"
“You’re the one who looks down on her…” Su Xiaoying suddenly realized and said, “I never thought that way.”
"Then why did you name her Huahua? That's the same name as Aunt Guo's dog. Our child isn't that worthless."
Su Xiaoying chuckled and said, "This is just a nickname, it'll be easy to pronounce. Besides, I've inquired, and everyone calls her that, so she'll be easy to raise, and maybe she'll even have a long and blessed life. Or how about we name her Wangcai?"
"Where did you hear that from..." Yi Mei couldn't help but laugh again.
Su Xiaoying said, "That's what the older folks say, that's why so many people call him 'Wang the Dog' and 'Li the Cat'." As he spoke, he became serious again and said, "Why are you disgusted that she's a girl?"
Yi Mei honestly replied, "I think boys are better."