Hua Wuduo downstairs frowned upon hearing this. She had previously thought that they were too afraid to go up, so they recommended her instead. She never expected that they had conspired in secret!
At this moment, Young Master Xun said, "Speaking of Hua Wuduo, I am really curious. Yi and Qi, needless to say, always act mysterious whenever we mention Hua Wuduo, refusing to reveal a single word. Young Master Xiu is even more unusual. As soon as he hears Hua Wuduo's name, he turns around and leaves, ignoring everyone. I wonder what he is thinking."
Hua Wuduo was slightly surprised and began to wonder. Did Xiu dislike her so much that he didn't even want to hear her name?
At this moment, Young Master Ziyang said, "Xiu seems to miss Hua Wuduo very much..." Young Master Ziyang's words caused a moment of silence on the second floor. Then Young Master Ziyang chimed in, "To be honest, I also miss Hua Wuduo. When she was around, whenever the Master had a problem, we would immediately push her out to her death, and she would do it willingly. Now that one of them is gone, we take turns being tortured by the Master, it's really suffering."
Upon hearing this, all the young masters sighed.
Gongzi Yi sighed, "Yes, nowadays no one helps me with the assignments the teacher leaves, which makes me always get punished. I really miss the days when she was here; ten taels of silver would have been enough."
Hua Wuduo frowned deeply. It turned out that the ten taels of silver that was considered an exorbitant price for a practice piece was far too cheap in Gongzi Yi's eyes!
Gongzi said, "Let's not talk about such discouraging things. We all went to great lengths to persuade Dean Qi and Master Deng to let us participate in the Phoenix Boat Race. Without Master Deng's 'toad eyes' and without the academy's eighteen precepts for monks, what reason do we have not to have a great time? Come on, let's drink!"
"Okay, drink!" Everyone raised their glasses and clinked them together.
As the saying goes, "Drink today, for tomorrow we may die," and in the blink of an eye, no one was arguing about who Duoduo liked anymore.
Hua Wuduo sighed and continued upstairs. She had only taken one step when someone tugged at her sleeve from behind. Frustrated, she thought, "Why is someone always pulling my sleeve today?" Turning around unhappily, she was shocked to see Song Zixing. A word involuntarily escaped her lips: "Turtle Star!?"
Upon hearing this, even Hua Wuduo himself was speechless, let alone Song Zixing.
It's really troublesome
Faced with Song Zixing's cold gaze, Hua Wuduo couldn't utter a word. The phrase "Turtle Star" betrayed him completely. Seeing his face darken instantly, though afraid, he steeled himself, remaining silent to wait for the right moment.
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing merely snorted.
He hadn't said or done anything, and showed no sign of anger, but it was precisely this demeanor that made Hua Wuduo feel cold and apprehensive. Hua Wuduo forced himself to remain calm and struggled to free his sleeve from Song Zixing's grasp, but to no avail. Then he heard Song Zixing say, "We meet again."
Hua Wuduo said, "It's better not to meet than to meet."
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing didn't mind, but said, "The night is nice tonight, why don't we go for a walk together?" After saying that, his hand went down and grabbed Hua Wuduo's hand.
Hua Wuduo was startled and suddenly tried to break free by channeling her inner strength. However, Song Zixing smiled and also used his inner strength to resist her. The two secretly clashed, and Hua Wuduo knew she was no match. She looked up to shout for help from the second floor, but then she heard Song Zixing say coldly, "Go ahead and shout. You'd better shout louder. I don't mind. I'm just curious to know who you really are." Hua Wuduo was shocked. Gongzi Yi and the others were unaware of her actions in Jiangnan, especially now that Gongzi Yu and the others were present. Faced with Song Zixing's smiling, seemingly polite threat, Hua Wuduo gave in.
Finally, she steeled herself and followed him out of the restaurant, not caring what Young Master Yi and his entourage would think when they discovered she was gone. She only hoped that her grinning face as she left would leave a lasting impression on the waiter… though it was more likely that the waiter would remember her holding hands with Turtle Star more vividly…
Dragging Song Zixing along, Hua Wuduo followed reluctantly, secretly wondering where he was going to take her.
The night was deep, and it was past 7 PM. A half-moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the streets.
Hua Wuduo said as she walked, "Let me go, I won't run away. Besides, I can't outrun you anyway." The feeling of his grip on her hand was particularly strange. Her palms were sweating uncontrollably. She wanted to break free but couldn't. Letting him hold her made her feel uneasy. She didn't like this feeling.
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing turned around and smiled at her, then said gently, "I like to take my pet for a walk after dinner."
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo glared at the back of his head and gritted his teeth, but ultimately had no other way to get rid of him. He couldn't beat him, and he couldn't escape him. He really didn't know how to get rid of him.
There were very few pedestrians on the road, and the two walked for a long time without encountering anyone else.
The two arrived at a broken bridge, surrounded by drooping willows, with a small pond below, its surface shimmering slightly in the night.
Hua Wuduo was half a step away from Song Zixing when the other free hand kept hammering, hitting, poking, pinching, and slapping Song Zixing's shadow on the ground, indulging in a thirst for revenge. Song Zixing seemed to notice and suddenly turned around. She immediately and quickly put that hand behind her back and started walking with a serious expression.
Song Zixing glanced at her, then turned his head away nonchalantly and said indifferently, "It feels so good to walk the pet after dinner."
Hua Wuduo's eyebrows furrowed immediately, and after a long while of resentment, she finally swallowed her anger and endured it!
As Song Zixing walked, he suddenly stopped. Hua Wuduo also stopped abruptly. He turned around abruptly, raised his hand that was clasped with hers, placed it between the two of them, and gently stroked the back of her hand. The touch made her feel uneasy, her teeth chattered, and her hands and feet turned cold. Yet she still dared not make any rash moves, and could only stare straight at Song Zixing, her whole body on guard.
Under the moonlight, a night breeze suddenly arose, lifting Song Zixing's long hair, which was tied back by his silver crown, making him look stunningly beautiful. He smiled slightly and said softly, "I love seeing you bare your claws, wanting to fight back but afraid to do so..." In the moonlight, the tenderness in his eyes and the doting affection in his gaze, the considerate care for the weak who couldn't resist, were clearly reflected in Hua Wuduo's eyes. That look of looking at a pet made Hua Wuduo finally tremble slightly after enduring the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. He seemed to notice, his smile deepening, and then he said, "Just like now."
Hua Wuduo endured it all, his lips twitching. Just as a smile was about to creep onto Song Zixing's face, he suddenly grabbed Song Zixing's arm, laughing but sounding more like crying, "I...I'm so excited! You finally like me! I fell in love with you at first sight, and I did so many things just to get your attention. Finally, you finally noticed me! Not only that, you even held my hand and said you like seeing me like this! I...I really..." Hua Wuduo seemed to be incoherent, then suddenly looked up at the sky and laughed loudly, "God, you've really been kind to me!" Just then, a loud cracking sound...a thunderous roar suddenly struck the clear night sky.
××××××××××××
The clap of thunder came so suddenly that Song Zixing was momentarily stunned, and Hua Wuduo was also startled. But she was always quick to react; the instant she sensed Song Zixing's momentary hesitation, she had already pulled her hand free. She turned and, with lightning speed, tried to fly away, but before she could take even half a step, her arm only half-raised, Song Zixing grabbed her by the back of her collar, rendering her immobile. Hua Wuduo tried to retaliate with a slap, but he again pinned her back, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Watching her struggle, give up, and finally droop her head in utter dejection, Song Zixing sighed, a mixture of amusement and helplessness in his voice, "You…you're really troublesome…"
On one side, Song Zixing and Hua Wuduo were on the verge of exchanging blows, but just a hundred paces away, behind the weeds, sat two lovers gazing at each other tenderly.
The moon shines brightly in the sky, insects chirp all around, a late summer night breeze blows, lovers lean on each other, whispering sweet nothings under the moon, their affection boundless.
Under the moonlight, the younger sister nestled against her older brother and said, "Look, that young man on the official road looks so noble."
Upon hearing this, the older brother followed the younger sister's gaze.
The moonlight was like water, flowing for miles.
On the official road, two people on horseback were looking in the direction of the broken bridge.
The man in the lead sat upright on his horse, his hair bound with a golden crown. He was tall and straight, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe with a light blue jade belt around his waist. A blooming white lotus was prominently embroidered on his chest and waist. Under the moonlight, the lotus looked almost real from afar, exuding an air of nobility. He was gazing intently into the distance, seemingly focused on something.
The lover said with a bitter taste in his mouth, "What's so great about him? No matter how good he is, how can he compare to my sincere heart for you?"
Upon hearing this, the younger sister poked her older brother's chest with her finger. The older brother's heart fluttered, and he grasped the younger sister's supple finger. The younger sister became even more shy and whispered, "I know that you are the best to me in this world."
The lover's heart warmed, and he held his lover's hand tightly, saying, "Of course, I swear, I will never betray you in this life."
Upon hearing this, the younger sister blushed like a red apple and nestled shyly in her older brother's arms. The older brother looked happy and content, his eyes sparkling.
While the two sides were filled with tender affection, tensions were high at the Broken Bridge.
He actually dared to call her "troublesome"! And his tone... was particularly helpless, as if everything she did was extremely childish and ridiculous in his eyes! Hua Wuduo felt awkward, and although her current posture made her feel extremely aggrieved, she still turned her head and glanced at Song Zixing to express her contempt for him.
Song Zixing naturally saw the contempt in her eyes. Instead of getting angry, he laughed and pulled back with both hands at the same time, trapping Hua Wuduo's neck between his chest and arms.
At this moment, their auras were so close that Hua Wuduo vaguely smelled a faint aroma of wine, the scent of Zhuyeqing. She glanced at Song Zixing, who was also looking at her. Their eyes met, and there was a smile in his eyes, as if a faint light was rippling within them, indescribably alluring.
Hua Wuduo glanced at him sideways, her eyes filled with disdain. Song Zixing smiled, leaned close to her ear, and Hua Wuduo could almost feel his every breath. He whispered, "There's something I've always wanted to know." Hua Wuduo raised an eyebrow, and then heard him whisper again, "Who exactly are you?"
Hua Wuduo snorted, glanced at her, and said sarcastically, "General Song, have you forgotten who I am so quickly?"
With a smile in his eyes, Song Zixing slowly traced his finger across her cheek. It was a very frivolous gesture, but he did it with an unexpected naturalness. His breath brushed against her ear, and Hua Wuduo suddenly had an urge to scream, but then she heard him say, "Your mask is really exquisite."
Hua Wuduo was utterly devastated. Feeling his fingers linger on her cheek, a chill ran down her spine. She gritted her teeth, her eyes darkening, forcing herself to remain silent, though inwardly she screamed, "What is he going to do?!" At that moment, she suddenly remembered Song Zixing's words: "I love seeing you bare your claws, wanting to resist me but too afraid to..." Could it be... that he wanted to frighten her, to instill fear, and thus provoke her resistance, to expose more weaknesses? So, even knowing she was wearing a mask, knowing she was powerless to resist, knowing he could easily uncover her true face, he deliberately refused to give her a quick end! He was only using words to provoke her. Was that really it? Or... was his true intention not merely to see her true face, but what he truly wanted to know... was her identity?!
Hua Wuduo became even more timid upon thinking about this, yet there was nothing she could do.
Song Zixing's fingers lingered on her face. At this moment, the breath and gaze from so close to her made her heart increasingly restless. She wanted to struggle, but her throat was tightly gripped by him, rendering her unable to move. Unable to bear it any longer, she couldn't help but look up to the sky and cry out in despair, "Oh God, someone save me!" Her words were filled with despair and a desperate plea for help, fully demonstrating her weakness and Song Zixing's strength.
Seeing this, Song Zixing chuckled, his laughter seeming to say: Despair, resist, I'll wait and see what else you can do.
To Hua Wuduo's utter surprise, this hopeless cry, purely out of venting, actually summoned a savior. When she saw the person who suddenly flew before her, like a god descending from heaven, sword in hand, pointing directly at Song Zixing, Hua Wuduo was almost moved to tears. Heaven had truly been kind to her!
The newcomer was none other than Young Master Xiu, who arrived in Jiangling a step later than the others.
Then another person flew in, it was Liu Shun, the young master's page. Liu Shun stood in front of the young master with his sword, head held high and chest out, and said: "Young master, leave this little matter to me."
Gongzi Xiu pushed Liu Shun aside, pointed his sword at Song Zixing, and said in a deep voice, "Let her go."
Hua Wuduo looked at Gongzi Xiu excitedly. Song Zixing seemed to notice this, glanced at Hua Wuduo, then looked at Gongzi Xiu in front of him, and actually stopped and let go of Hua Wuduo.
Once Hua Wuduo was free, she completely ignored Song Zixing. She ran to Gongzi Xiu's side and stood there with a smile. Seeing him suddenly was unexpected, yet she felt a great sense of familiarity. She jumped around Gongzi Xiu, not saying who she was, just looking at him and smiling, as if she was expecting something.
Young Master Xiu looked at her for a while, initially with some doubt, but gradually, a hint of warmth appeared in his eyes.
Liu Shun looked at Hua Wuduo strangely, thinking to himself that this woman had just escaped the clutches of evil and was shamelessly circling around his young master. He felt a little ashamed, but when he saw the look in his young master's eyes, he suddenly didn't quite understand.
At this moment, Hua Wuduo, who had been hopping and skipping, finally stopped, looked at Gongzi Xiu with joy and anticipation, and softly called out, "Xiu..."
A smile instantly appeared in Gongzi Xiu's eyes. He looked at Hua Wuduo and said with a faint smile, "It really is you."
Hua Wuduo's eyes narrowed even more, and he nodded repeatedly, seemingly forgetting that Song Zixing was behind him.
Song Zixing stood alone to the side, looking at the two people in front of him with deep eyes. He didn't say anything and turned to leave.
Liu Shun noticed that Song Zixing was about to leave, and blocked his way with his knife, saying, "Don't go! My young master hasn't let you leave yet, so you can't leave!"
Song Zixing raised an eyebrow, flicked his sleeve, and unleashed a burst of internal force towards Liu Shun. Upon seeing this, Gongzi Xiu's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly shouted, "Liu Shun, step back!" But it was too late. Liu Shun seemed not to have expected the person in front of him to be so skilled. In desperation, he tried to block with his short sword, but unexpectedly, he was not only blasted away by the person's internal force, but the short sword also flew out of his hand and shot straight towards a century-old tree in the distance.
At this moment, Gongzi Xiu's sword was already piercing Song Zixing's chest. Song Zixing retreated rapidly, flicked his sleeve, and engaged Gongzi Xiu in battle.
Hua Wuduo stepped forward and helped Liu Shun up. Liu Shun clutched his chest, seemingly unable to hold it in, and spat out a mouthful of blood. He appeared to be seriously injured, but his gaze remained fixed on Gongzi Xiu.
Song Zixing was indeed formidable. Although he had no weapon, he possessed profound inner strength and rich experience in combat. Even though Gongzi Xiu held a sword, he still could not gain the upper hand.
Hua Wuduo naturally sided with Gongzi Xiu, but seeing that the two were locked in a stalemate, she kept trying to distract Song Zixing. She picked up dozens of small stones from the ground, waited for the right moment, aimed at his vital points, and threw them at Song Zixing one by one like hidden weapons.
Poor Song Zixing not only had to deal with Gongzi Xiu's sharp sword, but also had to dodge her sneak attacks with small stones. Hua Wuduo was skilled in throwing hidden weapons, and with the help of Gongzi Xiu's sword moves, every small stone was thrown precisely at Song Zixing's most critical "places." While throwing the stones, she said, "Turtle Star, stretch out your front legs." To dodge the hidden weapons, Song Zixing raised her arm in the process.
"Turtle Star swings its hind leg," Song Zixing said, kicking his leg backward.
"Turtle Star does a big flip." Song Zixing was spinning in the air.
"Turtle Star Leaps Over Dragon Gate," and Song Zixing soars into the sky.
"Turtle Star wags its tail." Song Zixing had no choice but to shift his position slightly.
Hua Wuduo was causing trouble, and Song Zixing, while fighting, suddenly laughed and said, "You woman, you're really troublesome."
She also said that she was too troublesome. In a fit of anger, Hua Wuduo threw all the pebbles in her hand. Remember when she detoxified the people of Nanshu Academy, she could accurately insert ten needles into the acupoints of the movers? You can imagine how embarrassed Song Zixing was when he threw all these hidden weapons at the same time, in front of a sharp sword and a master.
Just then, someone shouted from afar, "Stop!" Hua Wuduo looked over and saw seven drunkards staggering toward them from a distance.
Gongzi Yu staggered ahead, muttering incoherently, "Stop! You four lecherous scoundrels, how dare you openly harass a respectable woman in front of us seven handsome young men on such a beautiful and romantic night!"
What's going on here? Four lecherous men? Does that include her? Then who is the respectable woman? Hua Wuduo frowned deeply, thinking to himself: If they call her a lecherous man, then these seven drunkards look more like lecherous men.
As the seven approached, supporting each other, Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi, who were slightly more sober, recognized Song Zixing and Gongzi Xiu. Seeing the hostility between the two, they quickly waved their hands and said, "It's a misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding."
Hua Wuduo frowned even more deeply.
At this moment, Song Zixing and Gongzi Xiu had stopped fighting.
Song Zixing saw that Gongzi Yi didn't say much. Gongzi Zheng, who was behind him, seemed to have been stimulated by something and started vomiting. He vomited loudly on the spot. Gongzi Xun and Gongzi Kuang, who were next to him, were also affected and started vomiting. Moreover, the vomiting became more and more violent. When the others saw this, they also started to dry heave. The situation was out of control. Under such circumstances, the matter that night could only be left unresolved.
It was quite late when she got back. Lying in bed, Hua Wuduo thought about the events of the evening and felt something was off, especially Song Zixing's attitude and manner towards her, which she found inexplicably strange. Then she thought about her appointment with Li She tomorrow, and the Phoenix Boat Race a few days later, and sighed, saying, "This is really troublesome." Suddenly, she remembered that Song Zixing had said "This is really troublesome" twice tonight, in a tone that seemed both helpless and indulgent…indulgent? This word naturally made Hua Wuduo think of "pets"…she felt secretly annoyed.
In the past, if someone dared to say she was troublesome, she would have made them feel even more troublesome. But now that she has met Song Zixing, she doesn't think that way. She just feels that from now on, she should stay as far away from Song Zixing as possible.
The Temptation of Food
She drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Song Zixing. Upon seeing him, she turned and ran without a word, but he grabbed her collar, and no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free. Turning her head, she saw Song Zixing looking down at her with a sinister grin, filling her with dread. Looking down, she was horrified to find herself shrunken! How had she shrunk? She became even more frightened, and the more frightened she became, the more she struggled. She flailed her arms wildly, like a child, her arms seemingly turning into wings. Just as she was about to cry, she heard someone outside the bed curtains say, "Miss, are you awake?"
Hua Wuduo suddenly opened her eyes, only to realize it was a dream. She removed her hand from her chest and breathed a sigh of relief, thank goodness it was just a dream… Seeing the figure of a maid outside the bed curtains, she closed her eyes again, annoyed that she had slept so soundly that she hadn't noticed when the maid had entered the room.