"Where is he?" Xuezhi asked with a smile. "I'm going to find him."
"Well... his old problem has flared up again, so it might be inconvenient for him."
"The same old problem?" Xuezhi was initially confused, but quickly realized, "He went to see another woman, didn't he?"
"No, no, you're overthinking it, girl."
"And what about Sister Hongxiu?"
Zhong Tao rolled his eyes: "Your sister Hongxiu has been acting strangely all night. Sigh, where do you want to go? I'll go with you."
Xuezhi thought for a moment and said, "I want to go and draw a fortune stick again."
41
Chong Xuezhi was frustrated and desperate. To avoid being cursed again, she first went to other fortune-telling boxes and drew lots of "good" and "very good" results before returning to the Matchmaker's box. But what drove her into a frenzy once more was that the Matchmaker's box still showed "bad."
Xuezhi played wildly for another hour, but finally couldn't take it anymore and returned to Xianshan Yingzhou ahead of schedule.
After walking for another half hour, Xuezhi finally lay down on the bed and fell asleep.
In her hazy state, she heard Qiu Hongxiu's loud voice echoing in the inn: "You little brat, you've got guts! You actually managed to hook up with Suzhou's number one iceberg! I admire you! That iceberg wouldn't even give me face! She called me her milk cow! If you've got the guts, play with her and then throw her away, and I'll call you big brother from now on..."
Xuezhi, who usually slept soundly, couldn't stand the noise and woke up with a start. She got out of bed, pushed open the door, and bumped into Shangguan Tou, who was just about to knock.
"Brother Tou?"
Shangguan Tou handed her a small paper packet: "Are you hungry? I bought you some late-night snacks."
"Thank you." Xuezhi took the package and looked outside again. "What happened to Sister Hongxiu?"
"She's had a bit too much to drink. Don't go over there, or you might get accidentally hurt."
"Sister Hongxiu's drinking manners are really..." At this point, Xuezhi's eyes suddenly curved into a smile, and she nudged Shangguan Tou with her elbow, "But I heard everything. The number one ice queen in Suzhou, not bad at all."
"Don't listen to her nonsense. I only chatted with that Spring Girl for a few minutes before Hongxiu started exaggerating."
"So that's how it is... I thought I was finally going to see Sister Zhaojun's dashing and skillful moves in love, but we only chatted for a few minutes."
"Those are just rumors spread by people in the martial arts world; it's not actually that exaggerated."
"Well, that's good too." Xuezhi's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter. "If things continue like this, Sister Zhaojun will be my sister all to myself, and no one will be competing with me for her."
Shangguan Tou's eyes flickered for a moment, then he suddenly tapped Xuezhi's head with his index finger knuckle: "You still dare to talk back? What did you say about me to others at the temple fair just now?"
Xuezhi covered her head: "I was just saying that..."
Shangguan Tou patted her shoulder and said, "Silly girl, get some rest. If you need anything, just knock on my door. I sleep late."
"good."
Shangguan Tou turned and left.
At this moment, Xuezhi suddenly stepped over the threshold and wrapped her arm around Shangguan Tou's: "Sister Zhaojun!"
Shangguan Tou turned around and looked at her in astonishment.
Xuezhi rubbed her cheek against Shangguan Tou's arm, laughing happily, "Besides my father, no one has ever treated me like Sister Zhaojun. I'm really touched. After I learn cooking skills from Sister Hongxiu, I will definitely cook for you every day so that you won't regret being so good to me."
Shangguan Tou couldn't help but laugh and said, "What will happen after Zhi'er gets married?"
“After I get married, I’ll have my husband cook for my sister too. I’m so strict with him, he won’t disobey me.”
"good."
"I will always listen to my sister!" After rubbing her head, Xuezhi hugged Shangguan Tou's arm tightly before letting go.
Shangguan Tou left with a beaming smile. Qiu Hongxiu, drunk, saw him and asked if something was wrong. Shangguan Tou smiled faintly and remained silent, while Qiu Hongxiu began to worry about the icy Chunrong again.
In fact, Xuezhi was also quite curious about the iceberg, but she didn't expect to see the beauty's true face the next day.
As the snow melted, a hint of late winter and early spring was faintly visible in Suzhou. The temple fair was still going on, with crowds thronging the city. Chunrong stood on the dock on the outer edge of Yingzhou Mountain, her hair pulled back to reveal her long, white neck, and her dark pupils shimmered like the light of a deep pool.
Chunrong was the daughter of a wealthy merchant in Suzhou, but she wasn't spoiled and had a remarkably strong personality. Most importantly, she was undeniably beautiful. All in all, she perfectly matched Shangguan Tou's aesthetic standards. It was said that no man had ever seen her smile, and rumors circulated that whoever she smiled at would be the one she would marry. Xuezhi initially didn't believe such a person existed, but the moment she saw Chunrong, her first reaction was: So cold.
When Chunrong and Qiu Hongxiu clashed, it was like ice meeting fire.
Qiu Hongxiu opened the door and slammed it against the door panel with a bang. Then she sneered, "Didn't Miss Chun say she would never set foot in my restaurant? Why are you so spineless today, offering yourself up here?"
“Sister Qiu, if it weren’t for Young Master Shangguan ‘inviting’ me here, I really wouldn’t have the time to stroll around in this kind of place. If you don’t like me, I’ll leave now, and you can explain the rest to Young Master Shangguan yourself.”
"Then you can go. I won't see you out."
Just as Qiu Hongxiu was about to close the door and unleash the dogs, Zhong Tao ran down and said first, "Hey, Miss Chunrong, wait a moment, Baldy said he's coming right away."
"Tell him that I have no intention of waiting for him and that I will never see him again."
Xuezhi walked over and said with a smile, "Miss Chun, don't be like that, he'll be here soon."
"Oh, whose little girl is this?" Chunrong glanced at Xuezhi. "I've long heard that Young Master Shangguan is a charming and dashing man. You wouldn't even spare a little girl, would you?"
"Hey, lady, don't talk nonsense."
"So what if you're talking nonsense? It's Shangguan Tou who's pursuing me. Little girl, there's nothing you can do if you can't stand it. If you're so capable, tell him to stop pursuing me."
"Didn't you say you didn't want to see him? Why aren't you leaving yet?" Qiu Hongxiu finally couldn't hold back and slammed the door shut. "I really can't stand Yi Pintou. How did he end up with someone like this this time?"
42
At the same time, Shangguan Tou appeared, actually dressed as a peacock. Before he could figure out what was going on, he came down, smiling as he adjusted his collar and flicked his sleeves: "This one is said to be very difficult to deal with. Wolf Fang, wish me luck."
Zhong Tao dared not speak ill of Hongxiu, so he could only look at Shangguan Tou with longing.
So, Shangguan revealed it.
As a result, Shangguan Tou was pushed back hard.
Sensing something was amiss, she glanced back at Hongxiu and guessed seven-tenths correctly. She went out again, returning only at dusk. Xuezhi practiced her sword in the backyard all day, finding the day incredibly long. However, when Shangguan Tou returned, nothing changed; the four of them ate and chatted together, then went about their own business. In the evenings, Xuezhi would still go to Shangguan Tou's place to chat, playfully whine and whine until she had her fill, before returning to her room to sleep.
The same thing happened the next day. However, when Xuezhi was talking to Shangguan Tou up close that evening, she smelled a different scent on him. She sniffed closer and around, and when she smelled it, Shangguan Tou immediately moved away. She asked in confusion, "Sister Zhaojun has really become a sister, she's actually using peony fragrance." Shangguan Tou wanted to explain, but chose to remain silent.
On the third day, Shangguan Tou did not return. Xuezhi's days became even longer.
On the fourth day, Shangguan Tou returned, bringing Chunrong with him, who was suffering from facial nerve necrosis. It was unclear whether Chunrong's words from the previous days had offended Xuezhi, but Xuezhi had no desire to even speak to her. During the meal, only Zhongtao tried to lighten the mood; both girls remained silent. However, Qiu Hongxiu wore a sour expression, while Xuezhi remained expressionless.
After dinner, Chunrong squeezed into Shangguan Tou's room and didn't come out. Xuezhi felt like a puppy whose peeing spot had been taken away, as her time to chat with Sister Zhaojun had been taken over. She drank and chatted with Qiu Hongxiu on the first floor.
Halfway through their conversation, several people from Lingjian Manor entered the restaurant and sat down at a table behind them.
"Can't Ninth Senior Brother walk yet?"
Ninth Senior Brother? Isn't that Xia Qingmei? Xuezhi's ears immediately perked up.
"No, I heard he was kicked a lot and injured his leg bone. He's been back in Jinling these past few days to recover. I don't know if he'll be able to go to Shaolin Temple next month."
"I had heard that Shangguan Tou was particularly violent before, but seeing his gentle and refined appearance, I thought it was just a rumor."
"I don't know why he suddenly attacked his senior brother... Could it be because of what happened back then?"
"What's up?"
"Before he was expelled from Spirit Sword Manor... come a little closer."
The two began to whisper to each other.
Qiu Hongxiu said, "What are those people saying? I think I heard the name Yi Pintou."
Without a word, Xuezhi put down the wine pot and used the excuse of relieving herself to go up to the third floor. She was drenched in sweat from running. She originally intended to break down the door and demand to know why Shangguan Tou had hurt people so casually, but she heard strange noises coming from Shangguan Tou's room. Knowing it was dishonorable, Xuezhi couldn't resist and gently poked a hole in the paper window.
It would have been better if she hadn't poked it, because once she did, she saw the poke inside.
The marks here shattered Xuezhi's beautiful dreams of being a girl for nearly seventeen years.
On the mahogany table by the window, where candlesticks used to sit and chat every day, two intertwined figures now stood. Shangguan Tou was on top of Chunrong, and from Xuezhi's angle, the part where their bodies were connected was completely exposed, and what was rapidly throbbing was a man's private part that she had never seen before. Shangguan Tou's expression was no different from usual, except that it was a little more dazed. But it was the first time Xuezhi had seen the ice queen smile. Only, the smile was so unbeautiful, so...obscene, accompanied by moans of unbearable agony, and her cheeks flushed.
A wave of nausea surged from her heart. Xuezhi tried to control her emotions and gently smoothed the small hole. But the hole, once punctured, could never be restored to its original state.
Xuezhi silently retreated to her room and sat at the table, lost in thought.
A long, long time passed before she saw Shangguan Tou seeing Chunrong off. Then, he returned to her door and gently knocked twice.
Xuezhi opened the door.
Shangguan Tou smiled at her as always, as gentle as her dearest brother. However, even though he was impeccably dressed and had a handsome face, she couldn't help but think of the part of him connected to Chunrong... so terrifying, so filthy.
"Zhi'er, aren't you asleep yet?"
Xuezhi stared at him without moving.
"What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?" Shangguan Tou reached out to touch her head, but she pulled away rather sensitively. Her palms were sweating, and even when she clenched them tightly, she couldn't stop them from trembling.
"Zhi'er?"
Xuezhi's eyes reddened, and her voice was hoarse: "I hate you."
Shangguan Tou looked at her in surprise. After a long while, he composed himself and said softly:
"What did you say?"
"Get out." Xuezhi's voice trembled. "I hate you."
Author's Note: It's been a long time since I wrote any H scenes, and I'm surprised that not many people are urging me to. My conscience finally kicked in, and I wrote a very loving one.
43 44 45
43
Xuezhi had heard of such things before, but seeing it with her own eyes was a different story.
After that night, Shangguan Tou was honorably included in Chong Xuezhi's list of most hated people, ranking third, only behind Lin Fengzi in first place and Lin Xuanfeng in second place.
Even so, Xuezhi deeply regretted her outspokenness. She had no right to interfere in or comment on Shangguan Tou's private affairs. The next morning, she resolved to apologize to him. She knocked on the door, and Shangguan Tou inside said, "Come in." As soon as Xuezhi pushed the door open, she saw him with his hair down, drinking tea, his shirt slightly open, and a faint dark circle under his eyes. Xuezhi stood motionless at the door, her mind automatically replaying what she had seen the previous night.
"Zhi'er?" Shangguan Tou quickly buttoned up his clothes, then hurriedly tied up his hair, took a peacock feather hairpin from the table, and quickly fixed his hair. "...Why did you get up so early?"
Xuezhi was also realizing for the first time how difficult it was to say "I'm sorry." But before she could speak, Shangguan Tou asked, "Have you had breakfast?"
"not yet."