In the blink of an eye, the giant bat had vanished.
Qiu Lingling stood blankly on the steps for a long time, then suddenly remembered something and quickly chased after him.
A witty remark to a shrewd merchant
The beautiful woman before him was no different from the women he had known before; she might even be one of them. Jin didn't bother to think about it. He seemed to be in low spirits tonight, leaning against the headboard with his clothes half-open, looking somewhat restless.
He never thought of getting her because he didn't want to lose her again, but now he has a chance to get her, which is extremely tempting and makes him struggle and suffer. The girl is like a clear pool of water, reflecting his image and making him feel ashamed. He almost wants to admit his selfishness. He doesn't want to let go, but he doesn't dare to keep her. He is afraid that he just likes her companionship.
Her soft hand slowly moved downwards, her wet, soft tongue licking across the skin of her chest, and a fire suddenly ignited within her.
With a perfectly timed moan, he took a slight breath, then suddenly flipped over and pinned her beneath him, raising his hand to turn off the light.
With a loud bang, the door was kicked open.
The two people on the bed were stunned, their good time interrupted for no reason. Jin was about to get angry, but when he turned around and saw who it was, he was so scared that he rolled off the bed: "Lingling!"
Her face turned pale, she bit her lip, and stared straight at him.
Jin's handsome face flushed red. He never expected her to find him here. He was overwhelmed with shame, like a husband caught cheating by his wife. He hurriedly straightened his clothes.
Seeing this, the woman had already guessed most of the truth and consciously shrank into a corner, not daring to make a sound.
After searching for a long time, he finally found the room. When he saw the half-naked woman on the bed, his big eyes quickly reddened. Qiu Lingling went up to him and kicked him, her voice trembling with tears: "You're really here!"
What right does this little girl have to tell me what to do? Now that I've made up my mind, what am I afraid of? Jin, after being kicked a few times, finally came to his senses, shoved her away, and roared, "I'm a man, I can go wherever I want! Didn't you come from a place like this too? Who are you to tell me what to do?" Pointing to the door, he yelled, "Go back!"
Qiu Lingling was stunned by the scolding.
Seeing large tears welling up in his eyes and streaming down his face, Jin swallowed back the word "get out." He remained silent, unable to utter another word.
The woman on the bed stared at the two of them in astonishment.
"You bastard!" Qiu Lingling shouted after him, then ran away crying.
.
For a moment, Jin Huanlai had the urge to chase after him. He took two steps forward, but stopped in the end. His heart ached slightly. Besides caring, he still liked her a little.
That's not important.
He was silent for a moment, then turned and sat back on the bed: "What are you daydreaming about? Come up and serve me, you spoil the fun!"
Things weren't as bad as expected, and the woman, with a seductive smile, clung to him again.
His desire was quickly rekindled. The beautiful woman lay before him, her cherry lips slightly parted, panting softly, her pretty face flushed, red and white like a fresh peach, as if inviting him to taste her.
Setting aside his concerns, Jin bent down, but at that moment, that beautiful face gradually blurred, and another face vaguely appeared before his eyes, those eyes...
It was like a bucket of cold water being poured over him; in an instant, he lost all interest.
Upon noticing the anomaly, the woman froze.
Jin Huanlai was also stiff all over, half embarrassed and half scared, with cold sweat pouring down his forehead—this had never happened before, could it be that he had been frightened out of his body by what had just happened!
Fortunately, the women here are all worldly-wise. With a light laugh, they gently raised their arms to embrace him.
Hearing that laughter, Jin felt an unprecedented sense of shame and frustration. He pursed his lips and remained silent, letting her try her best to tease him. However, that clear, flower-like face seemed to be etched into his mind. No matter how the beauty tried to please him, he could not shake it off. Those big, bright eyes were always watching him, and every move she made seemed to be under her gaze. He felt like he was being pricked by needles, unable to concentrate at all, and could no longer muster any interest. In the end, both of them were embarrassed.
Having been embarrassed in front of two women in a row, Jin Huanlai couldn't stay any longer. He hurriedly got up, dressed, and left.
.
The room was dark, with lanterns swaying under the eaves. In the dim light, her long hair cascaded down like a shimmering waterfall, her face obscured by the backlight. A black robe draped her small body, and she sat there quietly and alone.
Jin stood silently in the distance.
To not want her yet still crave her company—isn't that selfish? But who can guarantee that she doesn't also cherish his company and protection? Perhaps he is also something important to her, so she can't bear to have him taken away? She doesn't know that dependence and liking are different. In this life, as long as you are willing to look, there can be more than one person who can accompany and protect you, but there will never be too many people you like.
You may not understand now, but you will understand in the future.
I'd rather push it away now than regret it later.
The little girl finally stirred, wiping her eyes and shrinking back, showing no intention of going back to her room to rest. It was unclear whether she was daydreaming or waiting.
Jin wanted to go over and urge her to go to sleep as usual, but he didn't have the courage. He didn't know how to face her. He felt disgusted with himself. It wasn't the first time he had been disliked and despised, but this time was different. Even she hated him. He had pushed her away with his own hands. He didn't think she would stay with him as usual.
Finally, the person in the distance slowly stood up.
It's just a childish temper. Once she understands, everything will be fine. Jin felt relieved and smiled, but her chest felt tight, as if she was suffocating. Did this mean she would have to get used to a different kind of life from now on?
Sensing something approaching, he suddenly looked up.
The little girl didn't go into the room at all. Instead, she walked over here. Just like when we first met, her big eyes seemed to sparkle with light, making the person hiding in the darkness feel extremely ashamed and nowhere to hide.
As she drew closer, Jin Huanlai inexplicably began to panic. Just as he was about to run away, he heard a shout: "Jin Huanlai!"
The sound wasn't loud, but it froze him in place, unable to move an inch. Jin Huanlai was always very confident in his lightness skill and never expected to be discovered.
"If you don't come out, I'm leaving!" The voice grew louder.
Jin Huanlai remained silent for a long time before stepping out of the tree's shadow. "Alright, I don't want you to leave, and I can't let you leave. I'll worry if you leave Jin Garden. You're simply not suited for the outside world."
A pair of small hands hugged him tightly.
Then, he heard crying coming from his arms.
.
He thought she would throw a tantrum and curse him as a bastard, or kick him, or even possibly despise him. He never expected things to turn out this way. Seeing her crying so sadly, Jin Huanlai panicked. He didn't dare to push her anymore. He wanted to comfort her but couldn't say anything. He just stood there motionless.
Just like when they first met, the little girl was still as delicate as water, wiping her tears all over his chest.
"Don't marry them..." he mumbled.
Jin was stunned.
Receiving no reply, Qiu Lingling looked up, her face streaked with tears: "Don't marry her."
The little girl thought that something had happened because he was going to marry someone, but she didn't know that he didn't know that woman at all. Jin didn't know what expression to show, and he couldn't say a word. He just nodded.
Relieved, she added, "Don't go looking for her again."
Jin smiled wryly and nodded.
"Will you marry me?" she asked cautiously.
Jin remained silent for a while, then gently pushed her away, turned and walked towards the room. Opportunity can still be tempting, right? I need to think about it, because I don't know if this decision is right or wrong.
.
Her red dress was as vibrant as fire, yet her skin was as delicate and smooth as warm jade. Her fair neck was milky white, so alluring that almost every man who saw it wanted to bite it. Even the way she lifted the curtain was exquisitely elegant. The two servants stared in disbelief. Liu Bai followed her in, his head bowed the whole time. The beauty herself, however, seemed unperturbed by the rude stares. Instead, she chuckled softly, her voice gentle and alluring.
The young master sat in the chair with a smile, his peach blossom eyes filled with undisguised admiration.
With her beautiful eyes sparkling, she glanced at the fragrant tea on the table and gracefully curtsied: "I have long admired the name of Young Master Yi. It is my great honor to meet you today."
The young master did not return the greeting, but nodded: "I heard that you insist on seeing me, young lady. May I ask what brings you here?"
The beauty covered her mouth: "Important matters, of course there are..." but then stopped talking.
The young master turned his head to the side, and Liu Bai understood, leading his men away.
The beautiful woman introduced herself: "My father is Lan Chen."
The young man smiled and said, "So it's Miss Lan."
The beauty pursed her lips: "Young master, you may call me Xinluo."
The young master seemed oblivious to the deeper meaning in her words, and sized her up: "I've heard that Master Lan has been indifferent to matters of the martial world for a long time, and has taken a liking to your humble abode, young lady. What brings you here?"
“Of course I have something to say,” Lan Xinluo walked slowly to his side, chuckling, “I have long admired Young Master Yi’s demeanor and wanted to meet him, so I came here on my own.”
The young master remained silent.
"Is the young master angry at Xinluo for being rude?" A jade-like hand landed on his shoulder.
The young master shook his head: "I am worried that the young lady will be disappointed when she sees me now."
Lan Xinlu bit her lip: "You would care?"
The young man replied without hesitation: "Any man would surely want to leave a good impression on a young lady."
Her laughter was like soft satin, light, soft, not crisp, with a hint of ambiguity, enough to make men lose their minds. She leaned down, her fragrant breath flowing around his ear: "You've done it." As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to lose her balance, let out a soft cry, and fell into his arms.
The young master sighed and supported her waist: "So Miss Xinluo likes to sit here."
She wrapped her jade-like arms around his neck and said with a hint of reproach, "It's clearly because you like him, otherwise why would you be holding him so tightly?"
The young master raised an eyebrow: "It would be too impolite to refuse something that's offered to you."
Lan Xinluo grabbed the hand that was reaching into his lapel and glanced at him sideways: "With your status, Young Master Yi, would you really accept something given away for free?"
The young master smiled enigmatically: "Miss, have you forgotten? I'm a businessman. As long as the benefits are plentiful enough, you can sway me. I'd be even more eager for benefits offered for free." He paused, then grasped her delicate hand and shook his head: "But if someone wants to make a deal with me, it's best to agree on the terms first, and ideally, have a written agreement. Otherwise, I might renege on the deal at any time. Miss Xinluo, you wouldn't want me to take advantage of you for nothing, would you?"
"You'll renege on your debts too?"
"No merchant is honest."
Lan Xinluo chuckled and pressed her hand on the hooked nose: "What a cunning merchant. I've heard that all cunning merchants are wicked."
The young master released her hand and smiled, "I'm always kinder in front of a beauty. You should know your own limitations, otherwise it will be too late to back out once I become even more wicked."
Lan Xinluo did not hesitate and got up from his embrace, clapping her hands: "As expected of Yi Qinghan, alright, let's talk business."
The young master asked, "What are the benefits?"
“He’s a real shrewd businessman, always asking for benefits,” Lan Xinluo said, suppressing a laugh and putting on a worried expression. “Unfortunately, I’m here to borrow money.”
The young master sighed, "It seems there's no benefit to be gained."
"You won't agree?"
"How can I refuse a beautiful woman's request? I hope you won't lend too much."
"Then you're probably going to be disappointed, I actually borrowed quite a lot."
"How many?"
"Twenty million."
.
The young master was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Luckily you didn't actually give me any benefits just now, otherwise you would definitely regret it."