I don't believe it. "I clearly saw a green light; it was the eyes of a wolf."
He said, "Those are fireflies."
I stood up. "You knew there were no wolves, yet you still lied to me?"
Lou Xiyue's tone was playful. He leaned back, supporting himself with his hand on the ground, staring intently at me. "Yes, I was lying to you. Because I wanted to hug you."
I think that Lou Xiyue, who was already unrestrained, met Zixia, who was even more unrestrained than him, and the result was that his unrestrainedness went on endlessly.
He stood up, flicked my forehead with his finger, and chuckled, "There really are wolves." Then, he walked over to Zixia to ask him for directions to Mount Li.
After last night, the relationship between Zixia and Lou Xiyue improved a lot.
After leaving the grasslands, we arrived at Wenlai County. Zixia's caravan needed to stay at the Wenlai market for several days to sell tea.
Knowing that Lou Sanjian was poisoned and that it was not advisable to linger, I bid farewell to Zixia.
Zixia gave me an exquisite dagger, its silver sheath inlaid with gemstones.
He grabbed my waist, pulled me close, and kissed me on the eye.
Caught off guard, I broke free from him and angrily pointed at him, "Zixia, what you're doing in our Li Kingdom is considered harassing a girl, and you'll get a beating in the yamen."
He didn't care at all and laughed, "Qi Xiang, your eyes are the most beautiful. I'm captivated by you. Wait for me at Mount Li, I'll come there to find you."
His clear eyes locked onto me. "I will go to His Majesty to request a marriage decree. I will bring you with treasures and riches to welcome you, my girl. You will become my woman, Zixia's woman."
I held back for a long time, and finally managed not to slap him.
I said solemnly to Zixia, "I am about to return to Li Kingdom to marry my beloved. He is rich, talented, and handsome; he is my husband. I belong to him in life and in death. Anyone who dares to separate us will be made to wish they were dead!"
After saying the above, Lou Xiyue, Ji Jiu, and I turned to leave.
Zixia's voice came from behind, "Qixiang, I know you're lying to me. We'll meet again someday."
Lou Xiyue chuckled softly.
I glared at him. "What are you laughing at?"
He said, "There aren't many girls as devoted and moving as you anymore."
I held my head high and said, "Steadfast and resourceful, that's exactly what your master is all about."
He looked at me and said slowly, "Could you repeat those words to Xia Jingnan without missing a single one?"
I paused, lowered my head, and said, "Some things don't necessarily need to be said. It's enough to keep them in your heart and think about them silently."
Lou Xiyue said calmly, "So—you dare to say it but not to do it."
I was silent for a moment, then shook my head. "Yes, I'm all talk and no action. What can you do about it?"
Lou Xiyue said, "..."
The market in Wenlai was bustling with activity, as people set up stalls along the streets and hawked their wares. The local customs were truly unique; the girls here often wore brightly colored tops with wide sleeves and narrow shoulders, lantern-shaped gauze trousers, and went barefoot with copper bells tied to their ankles, jingling as they went. They also showed off their waists and wore a dazzling array of accessories and tassels.
Many girls covered half of their faces with veils, revealing only their beautiful amber eyes, and adorned their foreheads with a pendant or a touch of vermilion.
I asked Lou Xiyue, "I think those who don't wear veils are uglier than those who do. Zixia said I'm actually very pretty, so I should wear a veil too."
Lou Xiyue said, "It seems that those who wear veils are unmarried girls, while those who don't are women."
I was surprised, "You can tell their marital status just by looking at them?"
He laughed and said, "I judged it by the thickness of the waist."
Then, Lou Xiyue glanced at me and said, "Xiao Xiang, if you're not going to wear their clothes, you shouldn't wear a veil."
I asked him, "Why?"
He said expressionlessly, "They wear veils because they expose their waists, so their feminine features are still quite obvious. If you dress like a village woman and wear a veil, people will think that robbers are coming."
I looked up and said, "I want to show my waist, I want to show my waist too."
Lou Xiyue glanced at me indifferently and instructed Ji Jiu, "Ignore her, let's go by ourselves."
I peeked through the stall, and out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a pure white garment. Turning my head, I saw a man in the distance, dressed in a white shirt, his hair loosely tied back with a ribbon.
I was surprised; from behind, this person looked exactly like my master.
I called out loudly, "Master!"
The man's steps were steady but quick; he clearly hadn't heard my call.
I quickly caught up with him, only to see him turn a corner and then disappear into the crowd, vanishing without a trace.
Someone put their arm around my shoulder and asked, "Why were you running so fast just now?"
I was filled with doubt. "I think I saw my master."
Text [22] Wolf Venom Killing (Part 1)
I stared blankly at the corner where my master's figure had disappeared, a deep sadness washing over me.
I lowered my head and murmured, "In this vast sea of people, we brushed past each other, leaving only our backs to evoke longing. I wonder if we are destined to be together or not."
Lou Xiyue rested her chin on her hand, looked into the distance, and said coolly, "No chance."
I sighed with emotion, “The Buddha said: Five hundred glances in a past life are needed to brush past each other in this life. Whom we meet and whom we fall in love with in this life is all due to the karmic connections accumulated in past lives. The Bodhi leaf plucked before the ancient Buddha and the dim lamp has already written the destiny of this life. People come and go, and if we cannot grow old together, it is because we did not have time to glance back in the past life. To meet is to have fate, how wonderful…”