She thought he was going to push her away again like last time, but instead... he held her tighter and looked her deeper into his eyes. His calm voice was surprisingly captivating. He said, "Why Murong Xiao?"
She was slightly breathless from his kisses, tilting her head back in his arms, her half-closed eyes filled with heartbreaking sorrow, "Do you... want me to write about you?"
He frowned and stared at her.
"Do you want me to write your name in front of Xiao Juyuan?" she asked again softly. Her gaze hurt him more than her tears. Juyuan... He froze.
Sensing the change in his expression, she looked away from him and said coldly, "You can leave now."
Yuan'er leaned weakly against the slender laurel tree, her hand pressed tightly against her aching heart. He... was really gone!
Perhaps he was only temporarily bewitched by her beauty, or perhaps he was just frustrated by her writing Murong Xiao's name... When he thought of Xiao Juyuan and their engagement, he had no choice but to leave her!
I hate him! I really hate him!
“Come out!” she said.
Sure enough, a dashing figure in light blue emerged leisurely from behind the bushes. Actually, she didn't see him, nor did she notice him, but... she had a feeling he would be nearby, watching Pei Junwu's every move.
She was just giving it a try.
He didn't speak, and his smiling face betrayed a lack of the gentleness he usually tried to feign.
"How did you know I was here?" he asked.
She shook her head, unable to answer.
"You learn really fast." He said with a hint of sarcasm. "You really know how to provoke Pei Junwu's jealousy. You can apply what you've learned to other situations. You even thought of writing Murong Xiao's name. Soon, you won't need me to teach you anything anymore."
She frowned. She had neither the mind nor the energy to argue with him. Let him say whatever he wants.
Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms forcefully, and before she could react, he was already kissing her.
His kiss... was a form of possession, a form of plunder!
She trembled all over from his kisses, her heart pounding wildly, her mind blank, as if it would burst her chest. Only when her lips and tongue ached did she frantically resist him, futilely pounding his back.
When he released her, she could only lean on him for support, gasping for breath. She stared at him blankly, truly, completely bewildered.
His eyes had lost all emotion, leaving only a clear, cold light. He laughed, a wild and wicked laugh, "You didn't kiss him well just now! If I kissed him like this, I guarantee he'd explode on the spot and would never leave you."
The Flower Smile, Chapter 24: Wheel Race
Yi Chunjun stood with his hands behind his back by the window, casually looking at the scenery in the distance, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"Let's be frank and speak openly," he said casually.
Pei Junwu sat behind his desk with a sullen face, slammed the book shut, and did not answer.
Tuoba Yuanxun pursed his lips, looked at Senior Brother Pei and then at Senior Brother Yi, not daring to utter a sound, feeling that the atmosphere between the two of them had been very strange lately.
"The heroes of the world... all those who are meant to come have arrived. Their purpose is self-evident, and competition and contests are inevitable. The question is how to arrange things in a way that is most advantageous to us and allows us to reap the greatest benefits."
Tuoba Yuanxun sighed, "Trying to gain benefits? We'd be lucky if we weren't skinned alive. Even Nangong and Murong, I feel like they're all scheming against us."
Yi Chunjun chuckled, "You saw right through their ulterior motives. They're such failures."
"What's your idea?" Pei Junwu glanced at them and asked the main question directly, clearly not wanting them to veer off-topic again.
“Junwu…” Yi Chunjun called him affectionately again. Pei Junwu frowned. “You are famous in the martial arts world now, but you are probably still lacking in weight to say that you are firmly in first place, right?” He looked at him and smiled.
Pei Junwu narrowed his eyes and looked at him coldly.
Yi Chunjun looked back at him, relaxed and at ease, "Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying your kung fu is bad, it's just that you didn't have the right opportunity. Now the opportunity has come."
Pei Junwu remained silent, clearly pondering what he had said.
"What opportunity?" Tuoba Yuanxun asked, still completely baffled.
"An opportunity to become the number one martial arts master." Yi Chunjun smiled. "The number one martial arts master naturally possesses the most beautiful woman and the most treasured possessions in the martial world, which is perfectly reasonable and makes everyone convinced. The covetousness and risks will be greatly reduced. It's no wonder they took the initiative to gather and create such a grand spectacle. It's much more prestigious than us sending out invitations to invite them. It's truly a godsend!"
"What do you want to do?" Pei Junwu asked in a deep voice.
"Let them compete in a series of rounds, and the three winners will then have a final showdown with us. This way, we can save ourselves the trouble and get a great deal. All we need to do is take down these last three."
Pei Junwu smiled slightly, "A big bargain? I'm afraid we'd have to bet big to make them willingly fight each other."
“Of course, great risks bring great rewards! If someone can beat us, we can just make them name their terms.” He looked at Pei Junwu and smiled, “Whether they want treasure or beauties, it’s up to them.”
Pei Junwu remained silent, his eyes calm.
"How do you define winning?" he finally asked after a long pause.
"Best of three, we'll field you, me, and Kikuyuan. As long as we win, Kikuyuan's success or failure doesn't matter. If, unfortunately, someone can defeat you or me, that's fate. It just means you, Junwu, don't have the ability to possess so many."
Pei Junwu smiled and said, "Well said."
“If no one can win, Junwu, you have beautiful women and wealth, and your fame and status have greatly increased. You are truly the envy of others.” He glanced at him with a hint of mockery.
Pei Junwu's smile faded. "These... are not what I want most."
Yi Chunjun's eyes suddenly lit up, somewhat alarmingly, but his tone remained cheerful and relaxed, "What do you want most?"
Pei Junwu stared blankly at the inkstone on the table, and did not answer him.