clergé

Chapitre 36

Seeing that he seemed unaware of her arrival, Pang Wan stood quietly to the side, silently observing him.

Just as Jin Buyao said, He Qinglu was indeed very beautiful; it was the kind of beauty that captivated at first sight and remained unforgettable upon second glance. As the ancients said, she was as dignified as the wind beneath the pines, lofty and gently flowing, as radiant as the morning glow, bright and beautiful.

"Have you seen enough?" He Qinglu didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, maintaining her original pose as she asked.

"Not enough, not enough! Young master is so handsome, I can never get enough of looking at him!" Pang Wan grinned and ran towards him happily and obsequiously—since she had already given up on the idea of having a romance with this handsome man, it would be good if she could get the better of him verbally.

He Qinglu maintained his usual haughty attitude, letting out a light snort to show his contempt.

"What brings you here, young master?" She stood behind him, tiptoed, and looked at the desk, where she saw many colorful bottles and jars scattered around the ice block.

"Have you finished practicing your soul-capturing technique today?" He Qinglu noticed a warm, fragrant scent approaching and subtly moved aside.

Even if she were slow-witted, Pang Wan knew that the young master in front of her avoided her like the plague, so she could only reluctantly withdraw her curious gaze: "I have already finished all the basic courses."

He Qinglu nodded and then asked, "Is the gold hairpin good to you?"

Pang Wan was surprised that he would care about her, but she still answered truthfully: "Granny Jin taught me everything she knew. Her character is just as good as her appearance."

He Qinglu seemed to remember something and smiled, "She really is someone who can say whatever she wants to anyone."

Upon seeing his evaluation of Jin Buyao, Pang Wan's face quickly fell: "Young master! Don't act recklessly just because someone likes you!" No matter how beautiful or alluring Jin Buyao is, she still has a heart of flesh and blood!

"She likes me?" He Qinglu was slightly taken aback, then turned to look at Pang Wan.

Seeing her indignant expression, he smiled calmly: "She likes someone else."

Pang Wan's eyes widened rapidly, and a question was about to slip out.

"We'll talk about this little matter later."

But He Qinglu didn't give her a chance to delve into the gossip, interrupting her on her own.

"Since I found Jin Buyao, does her kindness to you mean that I'm kind to you too?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

Pang Wan guessed that the noble young man was probably reminding her to be grateful, so she obediently nodded.

Sure enough, He Qinglu's next words were—"Then how could you repay kindness with enmity?"

Faced with the accusation that came out of nowhere, Pang Wan was completely baffled and could only touch his nose and say awkwardly, "Did I do something wrong?"

He Qinglu sneered and casually picked up the red needle from the ice box.

“You once told me you didn’t know why the Flame Needle wouldn’t melt into your hand. But I clearly noticed that this red needle had a special medicine on it, applied only to the tip, leaving a linear mark.” He looked at her, his eyes darkening with a deep, intense blackness. “In other words, you applied the medicine to your hand before using the hidden weapon, didn’t you?”

Pang Wan was shocked. She never expected that this seemingly arrogant and unruly man would know how to separate fingerprints from a fine needle!

"The secret to preventing the red needles from dissolving lies in this special medicine, which dissolves upon contact with blood, so there's no way to prove it after death." He Qinglu said with a serious expression, extending her slender right hand towards her—"Give me the bag you used to collect your needles."

Pang Wan subconsciously took a step back.

He's right, she didn't tell the truth.

Before each use of the needle, she would touch a specific corner of the needle pouch. Applying the medicine first, then using the needle—this was a secret given to her by her uncle, the cult leader.

He Qinglu looked at her defensive posture with her back slightly hunched, her eyes as black as lacquer, and smiled again.

“You may be foolish, but you should know that resisting me will certainly not end well,” he advised softly.

Pang Wan shook her head.

“I didn’t lie to you.” She stood up straight, her chin taut, her cheeks as red as a sunset reflected in a clear pond. “Although medicine is applied before using this needle, I don’t know what the medicine is made of, or why it would interfere with the needle and prevent it from dissolving—I just did what my master told me to do.”

He Qinglu narrowed her long, narrow eyes and gave her a deep look, as if assessing the truthfulness of her words.

"You refuse to tell me the secret of the needle pouch because you want to stay in my household?" He seemed to realize something, his long eyebrows furrowing together. "Are you afraid that once I know the secret lies in the needle pouch, I will lose interest in you and kick you out of the household?"

Pang Wan was taken aback, but ultimately did not answer. She just bit her lower lip tightly, almost drawing blood.

"You really want the face of a peerless beauty that much?" He Qinglu looked at her in surprise. "Is being admired and longed for by the world that important to you?"

Pang Wan lowered her eyelashes, and the tassels at her temples swayed forlornly.

"...Don't worry, since I promised to exchange my face for the secret of your hidden weapon, I won't go back on my word." He Qinglu rubbed his temples wearily, no longer looking directly at Pang Wan. "The He family has always been a man of his word. As long as you don't owe me five thousand taels of silver on credit, I promise you, this deal is guaranteed by the family's reputation."

Pang Wan quickly looked up, her gaze fixed intently on him.

—For a proud young nobleman, nothing is more important than the family's honor, so she chose to believe him.

“Actually, I touch this spot before each acupuncture treatment.”

She took off her needle case and placed it on the desk, pointing to a joint that had been worn slightly white.

Hearing this, He Qinglu opened his eyes, his handsome face regaining its bright and lively expression: "Are you sure this is the only place?"

Pang Wan nodded, then quickly covered the needle bag with her hand: "Promise me, you must not break this bag. You can't cut it, you can't trim it, and you can't burn it!" She looked at him pleadingly, "If you break it, my master will kill me!" He wouldn't kill her, but he would definitely be dragged away, beaten, and given a poison bath.

Seeing her nervous look, He Qinglu deliberately put on a stern face: "That's hard to say."

"No way!" Pang Wan immediately pulled back the needle bag, clutching it tightly to her chest as if it were her lifeblood. "I absolutely cannot let you study it!"

Seeing her persistence, He Qinglu sighed and said reluctantly, "If you are really worried, how about you watch me every time I study the needle case?" He really didn't want to say the word "monitor".

Pang Wan tilted her head and thought about it for a moment. She felt that the conditions were really reasonable, so she agreed with a smile.

On a warm early summer afternoon, in a study by the lotus pond, a man and a woman were strangely huddled together.

"You can't scratch! You've already fouled!" This was the girl's anxious voice.