Función clerical

Capítulo 35

Su Chenche stared intently at Shen Zhili's lips, as if he hadn't heard her at all: "Zhili, can I lick them? Licking them will help them heal faster."

His amber eyes blinked, looking at her expectantly.

Shen Zhili: "...Get out!!!"

Chapter Thirty

In the end, we stayed at the inn.

—Because it was dark and there was nowhere else to go, there was only one "black shop" within a ten-mile radius...

The innkeeper bowed and scraped as he ushered them into the best room.

Yes, there's only one room left...

The moonlight was bright.

Shen Zhili spread out the quilt, hesitated for a moment, then turned to Su Chenche, who was sitting on the opposite couch with his arms wrapped around the quilt: "Young Master Su..."

Su Chenche smiled and said, “Zhili, just call me Chenche. Of course, I also have no objection if you prefer to call me by the single character ‘Che’.”

Shen Zhili: "..."

Wrapping himself tighter in the blanket, Su Chenche said in a serious tone, "Zhili, although it's spring, the weather is still a bit chilly. Do you need a warm bed?"

Shen Zhili rubbed her forehead: "...No need."

Before Su Chenche could speak, Shen Zhili beckoned to him and said, "Come sit here, let's have a good chat."

Su Chenche happily ran over and sat down.

Shen Zhili sat down as well, tapping her fingers on the table: "What are you thinking about? Haven't you regained your memories? Why are you still clinging to my side and refusing to leave?"

Su Chenche answered without any hesitation: "Because I like you."

Shen Zhili was stunned for a moment, then smiled bitterly, "Su Chenche, even if I want to believe you, I really can't accept this so-called love at first sight and deep affection... What exactly do you want from me? Please explain yourself clearly, okay? You really don't need to pretend anymore. You've saved me so many times, and I'll try my best to agree to anything I can do for you..."

Before she could finish speaking, her hand was grabbed.

Su Chenche gazed at her quietly, his eyes deep as he said, "I didn't mean to hide it from you in Mingyue Palace."

Shen Zhili paused, withdrew her hand, and said awkwardly, "...How did we get onto this topic?"

Su Chenche continued, "One of my father's kidneys and the token of control are in Ji Mingyue's hands. I want to get them back no matter what, but I can only pretend to be nice to her. I don't want to tell you because I don't want you to worry and I'm afraid of getting you involved... Although he wasn't a good father, he raised me for many years after all. If I don't do it, I'm afraid I'll feel guilty."

His voice was deep and his tone was faint in the night, making people involuntarily recall what he had said to Ji Mingyue that day.

—His wife died, and he stayed in Jiangnan, living a life of debauchery and having countless lovers, but each relationship lasted no more than a month. You've been with him for three years, and you still can't see anything...? He's an absolute coward, a pathetic wretch who doesn't even dare to love...

Shen Zhili was suddenly speechless for a moment.

This is Su Chenche's private matter, and as an outsider, she has no right to interfere.

Shen Zhili's lips moved slightly, and she said, "You don't need to explain to me."

Su Chenche lowered his eyes: "But you were very angry that day."

Shen Zhili wanted to say that my anger was my own business, but then felt it might be too hurtful. After much deliberation, she gently coaxed, "So what about now? Don't you have any plans? You are still Young Master Twelve Nights after all. You shouldn't be spending your time with a woman like this. You should..."

Su Chenche: "I don't want to deal with it anymore."

Shen Zhili was confused: "Huh?"

The bright moonlight dappled through the window frame, casting sparse shadows onto the ground.

There was no sound outside the window.

Su Chenche's face looked somewhat forlorn: "My mother was murdered not long after I was born. Because he was afraid that seeing me would remind him of my mother, my father rarely saw me after I was old enough to remember. I spent my childhood with my aunt and uncle, and sometimes I wouldn't see them for a year or two... I became the Twelve Nights Prince because my mother's old subordinates wanted me to avenge her and seize power for me, but that was really exhausting..."

Shen Zhili was at a loss for words for a long time.

Su Chenche's appearance didn't seem like he was lying, and her heart softened. She could understand the bitterness of losing parents, but... in the end, she only said, "Don't say that. You did very well. Even I, who have lived in Huichun Valley for a long time, have heard of the name of Young Master Twelve Nights. In the entire martial arts world, apart from the leaders of the major sects, you are the most famous..."

"So what if it's good, so what if it's bad? Who cares anyway?"

Su Chenche gave a bitter laugh, covered Shen Zhili's hand with his own, touched it, and said in a soft, melancholy tone, "Zhili, do you really want to get rid of me? Wouldn't it be better if I stayed with you?"

In his raised amber eyes, there was a hint of almost humble pleading.

A truly touching expression.

It's not that it's bad, it's just...

Cool fingers touched her forehead. Shen Zhili looked up in surprise and saw Su Chenche gazing at her with deep affection in his eyes, as thick as an impenetrable fog.

Before Shen Zhili could react, his fingers had already traced down her cheek to her chin, gently supporting it, while his other hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her close to him.

Then that handsome and clear face drew closer and closer...

...Wait a minute, something seems off!

At the critical moment, Shen Zhili clenched her fists and pressed them firmly against Su Chenche's forehead, preventing him from kissing her.

Then, he decisively broke free.

The atmosphere was so good, it was just a little bit short...

Su Chenche silently turned his head, pouting and complaining, "Zhi Li, why did you push me away?"

At this point, Shen Zhili was certain... this bastard was faking it again...

She was even feeling soft-hearted just now, it's unbelievable...

Shen Zhili: "...If I believe even one more word you say, I'm an idiot, an idiot, an idiot, an idiot!"

Su Chenche blinked and said sincerely, "Zhi Li, it's not good to curse yourself like that."

Who cursed themselves?!

She's serious!!!

Shen Zhili threw off the covers and crawled inside, pulling her hands up to cover her face. She muttered to Su Chenche, "Bastard, go to sleep."

Su Chenche said gently, "Zhi Li, goodnight."

******************************************************************************

Three days later.

Shen Zhili made the tragic discovery that not only had she failed to shake off Su Chenche, but he had become even more clingy.

No matter what method she used or where she ran, Su Chenche always managed to appear before her in a peculiar way...

Shen Zhili was exasperated. She hadn't traveled far from home for many years and was looking forward to a good time sightseeing. However, with Su Chenche by her side, even though he was as attentive as Dieyi, serving her tea and water, Shen Zhili still felt an awkwardness.

Especially when I go out with him...

A young girl by the roadside exclaimed, "Oh my, look! That young man looks so handsome!"

A young female friend said, "Yeah, yeah, especially when he smiles, it makes my heart beat so fast! Look, look! He turned his head and smiled at me, right? It's at me, isn't it..."

A girl: "No, it's definitely for me!"

A female friend said, "No... he was looking at that woman."

A young girl: "Tch, that girl isn't even as pretty as you or me. Sigh, the world is going to the dogs..."

Shen Zhili glanced at Su Chenche silently.

Su Chenche ran happily to Shen Zhili's side, took the things from Shen Zhili's hands, and asked solicitously, "Zhili, is there anything else you want to buy?"

Shen Zhili glanced at him, then at the girl over there who thought she was speaking softly but everyone could hear her.

...It's probably better to dump him!

Suddenly a commotion broke out.

"Sir, sir, these are the men who stole my silver and injured my men!"

Shen Zhili looked over and saw a well-dressed man with a round, spherical figure pointing with his fat finger at three men wearing hooded black robes, followed by dozens of soldiers.

The leading officer sneered, "Stop them!"

As she spoke, she walked up to one of the men, pulled down his hood, and was about to speak when she was startled and took a step back.

From Shen Zhili's angle, she could just see his face.

In the first instant, two words flashed through Shen Zhili's mind: woman disguised as a man, dead person.

But upon closer inspection, they all rejected the idea.

The other person had a very beautiful face. Although it was a bit strange to use this word to describe a man, the androgynous face was indeed like that. The chin was sharp, the lips were beautiful, and the eyes were bright and clear. If Shen Zhili hadn't been a doctor who was well-versed in bone structure, he might not have been able to tell the other person's gender. Of course, this was not frightening. What was really strange was that the face was bloodless, sickly pale to the point of being cold and ashen.

The officers and soldiers probably thought that no evil spirits would dare to cause trouble in broad daylight, so they mustered up their courage and said, "Who are you? Do you have any household registration? How dare you steal Young Master Wang's silver!"

The man spoke, his voice strangely cold: "We didn't steal anything."

Young Master Wang immediately shouted, "Nonsense! You stole it, but you dare not admit it! Officer, quickly search her body, the stolen goods must still be on her!"

More and more people have gathered around.

The man simply said, "Okay, go ahead and search."

A slender finger emerged from the black robe and pointed at the young master.

Young Master Wang licked his lips, his small eyes, squeezed by his fat, narrowed, revealing a lewd glint: "Alright, alright, I'll search you right now."

Without hesitation, his hand reached out to the man's chest and waist.

Before long, Young Master Wang let out a scream, clutching his bleeding hand and staggering backward. Black blood dripped from his fingers, and a snake shadow swiftly darted out.

"Ah, a snake!"

"So many snakes! The snakes are poisonous!"

The onlookers immediately screamed in alarm, and the street erupted into chaos.

Shen Zhili immediately rushed over to check on Young Master Wang, who was lying on the ground, pale-faced and groaning.

Although he falsely accused someone because of his lust, his crime did not warrant the death penalty.

Upon looking at it, Shen Zhili was immediately stunned. The bite mark on Wang Gongzi's hand was exactly the same as the mark on Hua Jiuye's arm.

She looked up abruptly, but the crowd was surging, and she could only catch a glimpse of the three figures quickly disappearing in the chaotic crowd. Just as they were about to vanish, the leader suddenly turned around and glanced in Shen Zhili's direction.

Shen Zhili felt a chill run down her spine, and when she looked again, the figure had completely disappeared.

These guys... they're from Southern Xinjiang! Could they be after Hua Jiuye...? Could Hua Jiuye be referring to those dogs she encountered from Southern Xinjiang...?