Un cœur pur dans un pot de jade

Chapitre 55

I glared, but then I thought of the pitiful savage on the bed, so I could only nod helplessly and go to fetch water.

It was quite a night. Luckily, the savage collapsed outside my room. Otherwise, with Red Treasure Duck around, I definitely wouldn't have been able to reach the savage's bedside.

When I returned triumphantly carrying a basin of water, I heard two people talking quietly inside the house.

Let me make this clear first, I wasn't eavesdropping. I just overheard Xu Yi saying, "...Impossible. Even if you come up with a different idea every day, you can't make her leave on her own without hurting her..."

The words sounded eerie. I stood still, and then heard the savage reply weakly, "...it's about to succeed...she won't make things difficult for me...I can see that she's wavering..."

"Yet you forced yourself to vomit blood..." Xu Yi sneered, "Do you know that your old injury has not yet healed and you cannot be injured again..."

“It’s alright…” the savage replied.

With a loud "clang"—smash—I slammed the basin in my hand, then, ignoring the scalding water all over me, I dashed into the inner room—"Make the act better!!" I yelled at the two men inside, "If you really want me to leave, just tell me directly, you don't need to pretend and wait for me to eavesdrop on your conversation—and you, Mr. Shao, are you out of ideas? You can't be this clever—wanting me to leave without hurting me, is that even possible?!—Ugh!" I felt a lump in my throat, covered my mouth with my hand, felt dizzy and lightheaded, and immediately knelt on the ground.

"What's wrong?!" Xu Yi suddenly stood up.

“…Sun Qingshan…” As a result, the savage rolled off the bed.

The heavy thud of human flesh hitting the ground sent shivers down my spine. Xu Yi turned to help him up, but the savage pushed him away. He struggled to his feet, staggering forward, but his body went limp again when he reached me…

"You're driving me crazy!!" At the crucial moment, I grabbed him and bent backward, my whole body almost breaking under his weight.

"Xu Yi, come help—!" I shouted.

"Here you are." The divine doctor calmly came to my side and used two fingers to lift the savage's drooping head. "He's unconscious," the divine doctor said.

"Nonsense!" I frowned.

So Xu Yi helped me straighten the savage, without even looking at me, and suddenly said, "His acting is not as good as yours."

“You just talk too much nonsense…” I raised my eyebrows.

...

I waited a long time this time, and I was almost asleep by the bedside when I felt something cool and rubbing against my head. I reluctantly opened my eyes, half asleep and half awake.

We acted all night; he was tired, and so was I.

I sat up straight again, squinting my eyes. "How about it?" I asked. "What other tricks do you have to break up with me painlessly? Hurry up, I'm waiting for you."

The savage shook his head. Compared to me, he seemed remarkably clear-headed. His brows furrowed slightly as he answered, "No more..."

"Of course it is!!" I don't believe it.

He shook his head again, "...I can't beat you...If you want to stay, then stay, it's up to you..."

"Can't beat me?! So this tactic is called retreating to advance?" I chuckled sinisterly, "...That's rather novel."

Suddenly, my hand was gripped tightly, startling me so much that I froze. I glared at him, "What are you trying to do now?! Your hands are so cold, are you trying to scare me to death?!"

The savage's expression darkened, and he slowly withdrew his hand. "...I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" I asked.

He closed his eyes and hesitated before answering, "...all..."

"All of what?"

Annoyed by my persistent questioning, yet not daring not to answer, he said, "...You're right," "I have no right to decide whether you stay or leave...but if one day you want to leave, you don't need to worry about me..."

"I'm worried about you, my foot!!" I roared, feeling like the veins on my forehead were about to pop out—"Forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with you. Shao Yeren, just remember this: I, Sun Qingshan, am a spacetime rift. I can decide whether to stay or leave as I please. I don't need anyone to worry about me!"

After saying that, he arrogantly raised his head. For the first time, he realized that superpowers could give people such confidence. The savage opened his eyes, gave a fake and hypocritical smile, and stopped talking.

"I think you're just torturing yourself like this..." I said the truth, turning to look out the window. It was almost dawn, and the birds were already chirping and chirping as they left their nests. He had tormented himself all night, doing nothing good for himself.

"How many of your words are truly sincere?" I asked. "Are you used to lying? From the time I met you, even before we left Savage Valley... ask yourself, how many lies have you told?!"

He nodded, indicating that he agreed with everything.

"You—why are you always looking for trouble!" I was speechless. "Don't say I'm provoking you, but before making any decisions, did you ever think about me, what I want, whether I'm happy, or whether I'm willing to make sacrifices for you? You didn't ask me any of those questions—you willful and selfish bitch!!"

The savage remained silent.

"Speak up!" I pounded the bed in anger. "Don't think you can stay mute forever just because you were once. I'm going to stick with you today, I refuse to believe it—"

"What did you say...?" he suddenly asked, and I was taken aback. "What did you say..." I was annoyed.

“Sun Qingshan…” The savage turned his head, his gaze clear and cold, as if it were the prelude to calmly telling the truth… I remained silent, waiting for him to come up with something else!

"You think this game is fun?" He smiled slightly. "From the first day I left Savage Valley, from the first night I dreamt of the tragic scene in my old home—my parents died, and I stained my hands with blood to achieve my goal... Do you really think I can be indifferent and detached, and let go of everything?"

"...When I was by your side, I forced myself by every means to stop thinking about the past and the hatred. So every night I dreamed that my mother was disemboweled, her face covered in blood, pointing at me for being weak and incompetent—and those enemies who died by my sword laughed at my incompetence and cowardice, saying that I could easily disregard even the deep-seated hatred...I even wished that I could forget everything..."

“Sun Qingshan, you have never seen what I have seen, nor experienced what I have gone through. You say you understand and support me, but what makes you say you understand and support me? ... Shi Youfeng's family, do you know how I bound them together and burned them alive? The Hall Master of Chen Gang Palace has been kind to me, do you know how I repaid him? In my eyes, people in this world are cunning and treacherous. If I don't use them, I will be used by others instead…”

"...Even if, as you say, I only have Qingyou as family in this life, and I was once in love with Shi Shenghuan, and four years ago I even thought of giving up everything for you and starting over... But now that the dust has settled, I've come full circle and ended up back on the same old path... As for the current situation, I can't blame anyone else; it's just my nature, and I got what I wanted..."

"But you are different from me... Sun Qingshan... There is only one Shao Yanhe in this world, and I have no reason to make you like me, to taste all the despair and hatred, until in the end, twisted and perverted... As for what I have experienced, I don't need you to understand or accept it. The world you see is clear and bright, so why do you have to accompany me to see all the wounds, hatred and resentment?"

"You know very well... I'm not blind to your thoughts, nor am I unaware of your intentions... I once tried anything to be with you forever, but back then I made a promise: I could stay with you for life, ignore past grudges and nightmares, and be with you wholeheartedly... But things are different now. Now that I've rekindled this hatred and made this choice, there's no turning back... You say I'm willful and selfish, disregarding your feelings, acting on my own, and forcing you to do things against your will... But how could I not know that you are resolute, willing to share my joys and sorrows, never trying to persuade me to give up, only seeking my peace and tranquility..."

"...I understand the principles, and I can distinguish right from wrong, but even if the path in front of me is terribly wrong, I will resolutely walk it, but I don't want you to be with me. I don't want you to live in fear, I don't want you to be in a predicament, and I don't want anything to happen to me in the future... You don't even have anyone to protect you... So you're unhappy, and you blame me for being stubborn and selfish, but I don't care about any of that. If one day I suffer and regret, at least I won't be a burden to you in an era that doesn't belong to you, or make you face things you shouldn't have to face..."

“Sun Qingshan, if I really perish in the fire at the Nangong family, no matter how much you cry or how sad you are for me, I won’t see it… Do you know what I fear most? It’s that one day, no matter how many tears you shed or how loudly you shout ‘wild man,’ I will be deaf and blind, unable to do anything for you, feeling nothing at all… leaving you all alone…”

He slowly raised his hand to wipe away the tears on my cheeks. "...Nonsense..." I choked out, snot dripping from my nose and sticking to his hand. "...Absurd...theory...!! Your fallacy—it's utterly a fallacy!!"

The savage nodded, his own eyes were red, and his voice was already hoarse.

"Will you die?" I asked. "Is revenge so dangerous? If it's dangerous, then don't go for it! You bastard, you're not the only one who's afraid of something, I am too. So whether you resent me or have nightmares from now on, I, Sun Qingshan, swear I will never let you go, even if it means my death. Just give up on that idea!"

The savage looked at me silently, and after a long while, his expression softened. "I know you won't..." He smiled rather helplessly. "Originally, it was because I wasn't ruthless enough... You're the kind of person who gets stronger with each setback, but I deliberately provoked you. If I had only put on that blood-spitting act for you, perhaps you would have already been moved—don't shake your head just yet." The savage took my hand in his. "I consider myself to know you fairly well. Since you were willing to stay for me, you're also willing to leave for me, just like before. If you see yourself pushing me to that point, can you honestly say you could be ruthless enough to push me again...?"

I remained silent, having nothing to say.

He laughed triumphantly, then suddenly sighed, "...No matter how resolute you are in your heart, when the time comes to actually do it..." He stopped talking, moved forward from his half-sitting position, and pulled me into his arms...

“…Sun Qingshan…I’ve practiced every single word of what you wanted me to say to you countless times, hoping to give you a surprise when we meet…”

"Huh?" I was taken aback, leaning against the savage's chest. "What did you say?"

“Never mind…” he said, “I should have told you first… but I learned little by little, and even learned to speak again… but…”

"What are you saying?!" This made me even more curious, so I grabbed his hair and tangled it up. Suddenly, I felt a warmth on my neck and heard him say, "...Sun Qingshan...I love you...love you...love you...love you so much..."

Chapter 70

Today is an important day, witnessing the birth of a new leader of the martial arts world.

At this moment, the large open space behind Liangfeng Manor was divided into three areas: VIP seats with shade and beautiful ladies fanning the way; secondary standing seats near the martial arts arena with a large flow of people; and the most important, the martial arts arena, which was built on a tall wooden frame.

The so-called arena was naturally set up with bright yellow flags on both sides and a red carpet laid out in the center. The sound of drums rose from all sides, and the people standing on it had serious and solemn expressions, carefully considering every move they made. In addition, the sun was too strong, and they were sweating profusely.

Wild Man and I were sitting in a small corner of the main seating area, facing south. In front of us were the fake owner, Sister Hongbao, the manor manager, the head of the guards, and so on. The seats were full, with no one absent, which completely blocked Wild Man and me from any attention.

I had a chair but didn't sit on it. In the sweltering heat, I clung affectionately to the savage's lap—probably because my rival in the front row kept turning around. I knew I was being deliberately weird.

The wild man didn't complain much. He was quiet and didn't feel hot at all. He peeled the grapes for me and then put them in my mouth. After I chewed them, he would hum twice and then automatically reach out his hand to wait for me to spit out the seeds, just like my mother who would spoil me endlessly when she was in a good mood.

Although I've been loved since I was a child, it doesn't mean I don't know how to cherish what I have. The next moment, I followed suit and peeled the grapes back for him. However, I held the crystal-clear peeled grapes in my palm and held them to his mouth to see how he would eat them.

If he dares to say he doesn't want to eat, I'll pinch his nose and force-feed him.

Fortunately, he only glanced at my palm before lowering his head. His lower lip touched my hand first, and then he buried half of his face in it... "Wild man..." I suddenly felt a soft, tingling sensation in my chest. The way he buried his head and licked my hand was so cute, like my pet wild man. I also thought about how he used to spoil me terribly, probably treating me like his pet Qingshan.

Before long, the two finished their lovemaking. The savage took a white cloth to wipe my hands and then used the back of his hand to wipe my mouth. Sister Hongbao in the front row turned around again. I glanced back and showed a smug smile that I didn't even know had the effect of.

Of course, the savage couldn't possibly be unaware of the rivalry between the two women, nor could he pretend to be deaf and dumb and remain uninvolved. However, his response was infuriatingly brief: "My relationship with her is not what you think."

"Do you know what people think of you?" I asked him this morning, the moment the bed curtains fell.

The savage nodded, "I know a little..."

"How can you guarantee," I squinted at the person, "that while that woman has inappropriate thoughts about you, she won't do anything inappropriate to you?! So—I need a physical examination!!"

The savage was taken aback. "...What?"

I took off my clothes. "Come on, let's see if you've been unfaithful to me for the past four years!"

I forced the savage into a corner, his expression pitiful and helpless, "...Sun Qingshan, you..."

"I've been waiting for so long!!" he roared as he pounced on her.

After it was all over, he lay on the savage's arm and screamed, "I'm dead!... I was too impulsive this time, I didn't take any safety precautions..." Then he turned to the savage and asked, "Was it good?"

The savage looked up at the ceiling of the bed, then suddenly laughed, raised his arm and hooked it around my naked back without saying a word.

"It's okay if you're upset..." I comforted him, "You can take it slow."

The savage said, "If I can never satisfy you, perhaps we..."

"Shut up!" I slapped his cheek. "These things don't always go smoothly from the start, especially with you... you savage. I know I can be lecherous and promiscuous at times, but believe me, since I've been with you, I've never thought about cheating on you... That time with Yan Chaohong, I didn't mean it. And this time with Xu Yi, I was deliberately trying to provoke you... You savage, I'm sorry, I'll never do anything to betray you again. We made an agreement, we can't break our promises, and it's valid forever..."

Chapter 71

At four o'clock in the afternoon, a handsome young man dressed in a blue and white Taoist robe and wearing a small Taoist hat jumped onto the stage.

Since he stepped onto the stage, his opponents have been constantly changing, and the crowd has gone from silence to bustling, and then back to solemnity... On the high stage, he alone stands tall and elegant, with a transcendent and otherworldly demeanor, leading the way in the competition.

And this flamboyance reached its peak when he was fighting someone, got so engrossed that he accidentally threw off his square hat, his long black hair flew everywhere, and finally kicked his opponent away...

"Wow..." I craned my neck, "Who's that person?"

The savage didn't answer me. I turned to look at him and found that he had a gloomy face and was staring intently at the arena diagonally in front of him.

But before I could ask a second time, the wild man finally answered my question completely and concisely: "Li Gaobai, a disciple of Fang Ning Daoist at Zhuling Temple on Mount Heng."

"You mean Fang Ning, the invincible martial artist who dominated the martial arts world for thirty years, and his disciple?" I asked, my voice trembling with surprise. "Savage, don't tell me..."

Before I could finish speaking, a deafening gong rang out from the side of the arena. I quickly turned my gaze and saw the master of ceremonies, dressed in a tall hat and black robe, standing on the platform, asking in a auction-like manner—"Is there anyone else who thinks they are more skilled and wants to come up and challenge me? If not, then it's Li Gaobai's first time, Li Gaobai's second time, Li Gaobai's third time—"

With a whoosh, someone in the front row of our seats stepped forward.

Upon closer inspection, I realized it was the fake owner, Gan Mo.

Everyone looked this way, and the fake master slowly stepped onto the arena under the expectant gaze of the crowd.

"If no one comes forward to challenge, then Brother Li is undoubtedly the leader of the alliance." The fake manor lord announced from his high position as soon as he stepped onto the stage.

Oh my god, so he didn't go to fight in the arena, but to organize an awards ceremony—"Wild Man." I shook the Wild Man back and forth. "That Li Gaobai can't really be that powerful, can he? He doesn't look that old. Is there really no one who can beat him? Where are all the martial arts masters? What about the world's number one ranking? Are they really going to make Gaobai the leader?"

The savage glanced at me sideways, fully expecting me to watch the developments like a TV drama, with a whole host of questions, and I simply treated him as a spoiler.

“It’s not that his martial arts are extraordinary,” the savage replied, “but rather that the position of leader should rightfully belong to the younger generation, and established masters would not meddle in it for no reason.”

"Oh... so all I saw from beginning to end were the top disciples of the XX sect and the senior disciples of the XX gang, but no masters, senior uncles, or senior aunts, is that the reason?" I asked.