The Bear Uncle’s house was located far away at the top of a mountain covered with flowers. His house was as magnificent as a god’s palace. The pond was translucent straight to the bottom, and you could see both large and small carps swimming around in the pond. There were beautiful women and… tanghulu.
But there was neither barbecue nor rice noodles.
Xin Mei bit into a candied fruit, which was so sour that it made her brows wrinkle.
The Bear Uncle sat across from her, waving a fan as he acted the part of a sophisticated man. Every now and then he gazed at her heavily, speaking in soft, low tones, “Little Mei, your eyes are as bright as the stars in the sky.”
Xin Mei swallowed the hawthorn and looked at his face. Since he flattered her like that, she felt obligated to return some nice-sounding words in his direction.
“You… eh, you’re also good-looking, it’s just that you’re a little fat. But you feel very friendly. When I look at you, I think of our family courtyard’s Da Hua.”
She was feeling a little homesick.
The Bear Uncle asked in surprise, “Who is Da Hua?”
“Da Hua is a handsome, confident, and mighty pig.”
With a “pa!” the fan in his hand fell onto the ground. The Bear Uncle jumped up with a bitter and pained expression.
He hated when people called him fat!
Looking at his own bear paw, he felt the desire to gouge his claws into that pretty cheek. Except… except she was looking at him so innocently with her snowy egg-like face and her dark watery eyes… feeling pity and tenderness towards the feminine creature was also a sinnnnn!
“Uncle Bear, tanghulu tastes good. But I prefer barbecue and rice noodles.”
Xin Mei finished two sticks of tanghulu and felt that she was even hungrier than before.
The Bear Uncle thought for a moment and suddenly smiled wickedly. With a cultivated flourish, he retrieved his fan. “Would Little Mei happen to have any interest in sharing a cup of vintage wine with me?”
Drinking wine? A rarely-seen expression of hesitation appeared on Xin Mei’s face, but in the end she nodded.
The Bear Uncle’s heart jumped wildly in excitement. It’s said that alcohol is a type of matchmaker. One could do whatever to a drunk woman and she would be captivated and in love no matter what.
He turned to give commands to the female demons. “Prepare some barbecue and rice noodles, and also bring a gourd of the decade-old vintage wine.”
~
With large jumps, Lu Qian Qiao flew like a bird across an unbroken sea of trees.
In the afternoon, Tang Guo Guo looked for him in Gui Hua Pavilion. He kept looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated at each turn. In the end, he only pointed to the courtyard outside — the Xin Mei who should have been tied to the tree was gone.
“Who did it?” Lu Qian Qiao asked.
Tang Guo Guo wouldn’t tell him who it was no matter what, and he only said, “Qian Qiao Da Ge, that miss has been taken by the Bear Demon in the west. You should really hurry and rescue her.”
The reputation of the Bear Demon in the west was infamously bad. The female demons that he captured might still struggle halfway between life and death, but if it was a human… it was likely that she wouldn’t survive.
Lu Qian Qiao’s brows wrinkled.
He actually felt deeply worried. He couldn’t constrain this emotion.
With one more jump, he settled down in front of the Bear Demon’s mansion.
What a resplendent palace. He sure knew how to live it up. With a kick, he broke down the magnificent double doors, momentarily raising a wind of dust. It was peaceful inside as the dust settled. Lu Qian Qiao pulled out a newly made wooden sword, readying himself for a massacre when he suddenly saw beautiful captured servants running away from within the palace, their faces bloodied and battered and their eyes full of tears.
At the sight of Lu Qian Qiao, they threw themselves at his legs, prostrating themselves before him like he was their almighty savior. “It’s the Great General of the Huang Ling! We’re going to be saved! Please… please… drive away that evil spirit!”
Lu Qian Qiao slightly backed away. “Where is the Bear Demon?”
The female demons cried even more despairingly. “Our Lord is in the inner palace! General, if you don’t quickly save him, he’s going to be beat to death by that evil spirit!”
Lu Qian Qiao was somewhat at a loss as he charged into the inner palace with his wooden sword at hand. Every space that entered his eye was in complete disorder… pieces of broken flower vases were scattered on the ground, the carp in the pond were dead with their white bellies floating above the water, the draperies and mosquito nets were torn into a hideous mess, and there were even more bloodied-faced and crying female demons.
He stood at the entrance to the inner palace when he suddenly felt a moment of hesitation, uncertain as to what kind of monster would be waiting behind the entrance. Lightly pushing the heavy palatial doors with a creak, illumination fell into the dark room. He instantly caught sight of Xin Mei, who was sitting quietly on a chair with her head lowered. Gripped in her hand was a large bronze wine holder.
The legendarily perverted Bear Demon was lying like a piece of dead meat at her feet, with one hand thrown on top of a chair and foam spewing from his mouth.
Xin Mei stepped a foot on his soft belly and suddenly smilingly poured herself a full cup of wine. She softly said, “Bear Uncle, let’s play another drinking game.”
She pinched his hand and forcefully flung it away, suddenly bursting into laughter, “You put out a five! I win again!”
After saying so, she slapped a hand over the Bear Demon’s face. His heavy body slantingly flew across the room, hitting a chair and rolling to Lu Qian Qiao’s feet.
Lu Qian Qiao was quiet.
Xin Mei gracefully glided over while holding her wine cup. When she was drunk, she was actually more ladylike than when she was sober. Her snowy-white face was flushed and her eyes were bright and somewhat at a loss. A perfectly well-bred and ladylike smile hung at her lips.
At the sight of Lu Qian Qiao, she stared distractedly for a long while. Suddenly, she tossed her wine holder aside, and respectfully curtsied in his direction. With a sweet and gentle voice, she said, “Good gentleman, face paralysis is a serious illness that should be treated in a timely fashion. I know a good doctor in the town of Lu Shui. His acupuncture is extremely good. Would you like for me to introduce you? You don’t need to thank me too much.”
Lu Qian Qiao was so angry he wanted to laugh. He stepped forward, intending to tie up her hands and drag her away. Who knew that when she was drunk, her strength was oddly and immeasurably amazing. She grabbed a bronze candlestick holder the size of a person and tossed it in his direction. She even kindly gave a warning, “Be careful now, I’m going to throw this.”
He could only back away.
Several bloody-faced female demons yanked at his sleeves with teary faces, “When she first arrived, it was still okay. But then our lord told us to prepare the vintage wine, saying that alcohol would set a better mood. Who knew that… who knew that when she became drunk she turned insane. She kept bothering our lord about playing some drinking game, and when she slapped him, our lord lost all his teeth… our poor lord! Is he going to die?
Lu Qian Qiao looked at the hideous mess in the inner palace, unable to help from sighing. He raised his hand and knocked on the door beside him, saying, “If you want to eat barbecue and rice noodles, then come over here.”
From beneath a table, Xin Mei popped her head out, looking like wild rabbit fully on her guard as she measured the level of sincerity behind his words.
Lu Qian Qiao acted as if he was about to leave, “If you don’t want to eat, then I’ll just go.”
The young lady inside the shadows immediately hopped out, and making use of the momentum, Lu Qian Qiao captured her wrists with one hand and lightly struck the side of her neck with his other. She softly fell into his chest.
The female demons all rushed into the inner palace, crying as they propped up the Bear Demon, loudly yelling his name. Unfortunately, he did not respond at all.
It was truly a tragedy on earth…
Lu Qian Qiao carried Xin Mei and left the Bear Demon’s palace without a word.
When the mountain’s winds blew, the smell of alcohol soared all around him. He frowned, disdainfully holding her at an arm’s length as he looked all around for a source of water, planning to throw her into some water to wake her up.
Xin Mei was like a drunken rabbit as she slid herself into his chest, fastening her hands around his neck tightly as she spoke in her sleep every now and then, “Dad… husband… I will buy…”
Lu Qian Qiao couldn’t help from lowering his head to look at her face which was completely flushed. With her lips formed into a sweet smile, she looked so much the part of a carefree young girl.
In front of them was a stream of clear water. He could drop her in to wash away the smell of alcohol and also to wake her up. But for some reason, he didn’t really want to do that. Her arm was gently hooked around his neck, her fingers soft as clouds. Feverish and heated cheeks rested against his neck, her exhales warm and ticklish on his skin.
He loathed to wake her up from such a peaceful slumber.
In the end, Lu Qian Qiao straightened her head as he readjusted her in arms, walking back to Huang Ling one step at a time.
~
“Do you know what you’ve done wrong?”
Si Lan sat on a chair, his face frosty and his words sombre as he interrogated the Xin Mei who was sitting halfway up in bed.
Her whole body was covered in a blanket, with only her head sticking out. She looked somewhat pale, and she was sneezing nonstop — every time she drank she would be like this afterwards.
Rubbing an aching and swollen head, she mumbled, “What did I do wrong?”
Si Lan wanted to tear down the bed, “You completely destroyed the Bear Demon! And they want us to pay for the medical fees! And after that, you even went as far as to bother the General to carry you back! You really have some nerve!”
Xin Mei couldn’t remember a single thing, and she only looked at him at a loss.
“Speak! Who let you go?”
Eh, this, huh… she thought for a moment and said, “I’m not telling.”
Ying Lian Jie Jie (sister) secretly let her go, she definitely was not going to rat her out! This is called loyalty!
Si Lan was so mad that he saw red.
The door suddenly opened, and Lu Qian Qiao entered as he addressed him. “Si Lan, go outside.”
Si Lan bitterly left in a huff. How could the Lord heavens be so blind and let this girl appear with the General in the Bonded-Soul Looking Glass?
Lu Qian Qiao walked over to the side of the bed and reached out a hand. Xin Mei instinctively wanted to dodge him, but in the next instant his warm palm softly touched her forehead, pausing there for a moment before slowly leaving.
“Your constitution doesn’t suit drinking alcohol. After drinking, you get into a fever.” He pulled a chair over to the side of the bed. “Remember to take the medicine later for fever reduction.”
Xin Mei stared blankly at him for a while. Then she recalled that Si Lan just said that she got drunk and that she was carried back, so she said quietly, “Um… th…thank you…”
He did not respond for a moment, and then he said, “As to who let you go…”
Not waiting for him to finish, she quickly cut him off, “I’m not telling.”
Lu Qian Qiao paused. “It doesn’t matter if you won’t. It won’t happen again. After you’re all healed, you’ll follow me and leave Huang Ling.”
In the end she was still being held captive, so no matter where they go it’d all be the same, wouldn’t it? Xin Mei sulked and didn’t respond.
Lu Qian Qiao unhurriedly pulled out the talisman in which Qiu Yue was stored. When it flashed before her eyes, Xin Mei’s heart shook.
“I won’t use the Demon Binding Rope on you anymore,” he said expressionlessly. “I’ll hold onto your spirit beast for now. The first time you escape, I’ll roast one leg. By the fourth time, it will have no wings and no legs. Think carefully before you act.”
He was way too… way too cruel! Xin Mei’s eyes popped out as she stared woodenly. Why did she just say thank you to this extremely hostile person?!
He seemed to smile before he left the room and lightly closed the doors behind him.
~
It is said that people with fevers benefit from the sun’s rays, so the next day, even though her fever was not yet gone, Xin Mei wrapped herself up in a quilt to sunbathe outside in the courtyard.
Lu Qian Qiao was still at the Gui Hua Pavilion, and he had not closed the window. His head was lowered as he wrote something. As he wrote, he spoke, and the people around him nodded, seeming very serious.
Looking at him like this, he did indeed seem to act the part of a general…
Xin Mei rubbed her eyes which ached slightly from her fever. She planned to squint at him for a little while longer when she suddenly felt a sneaky presence behind the tree. Curiously, she stuck out her neck and saw Ying Lian hiding behind the trunk. She was looking in the direction of the Gui Hua Pavilion, then tearing up while looking at the flowers, and then sighing against the wind.
“Ying Lian Jie Jie (sister)…” What was she doing?
Ying Lian jumped in alarm and turned back to discover Xin Mei. Her face darkened and then she turned around, preparing to leave.
Xin Mei waved at her, “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t tell anyone that it was you.”
She said this phrase aloud with loyalty as reliable as a cloud.
Ying Lian stumbled.
Xin Mei shuffled over to her, looking back at the direction in which she was looking at just now. She found that this gave a pretty good view of the inside of the Gui Hua Pavilion without alerting anyone to her presence. When looking at the window, she saw that the person standing in her direct view was Si Lan.
Xin Mei suddenly saw the light, “You have a crush on Si Lan?”
Ying Lian’s face turned red and then green. Afraid that if she threw a fit she would just humiliate herself, so she could only cover her ears, feeling at the end of her limit.
Xin Mei nodded understandingly, “I understand, I understand. As they say in plays, secret crushes are the most beautiful. Hiding behind a tree and looking on at him secretly every day is also a form of love.”
That’s called stalking… Ying Lian thought, holding back tears. Actually, when she thought back to how she had nursed this affection for Lu Qian Qiao all these years and to make sure he wouldn’t find out, she would hide outside to peep at him in secret… indeed, it was not much different from acting like a crazy stalker.
“These things will require the help of someone who can guide the red thread.” Xin Mei took her hand, completely sincere. “How about I help you? Since you kindly let me go, I feel that I must respond in kind.”
At the sight of Xin Mei’s face glittering with a divine and saintly light, Ying Lian paled.
There was probably nothing more humiliating in this world than having the love rival that you schemed against to come back and thank you and even offer to link your red thread with someone else. Ying Lian felt so disgusted that tears ran freely all down her cheeks.
“Ying Lian Jie Jie?” Xin Mei asked, not understanding.
Ying Lian turned back, as if wanting to say something. But just as she was about to speak, it came out as a “WAH!” sobbing sound. She stamped her foot and turned around and fled.
The Bear Uncle’s house was located far away at the top of a mountain covered with flowers. His house was as magnificent as a god’s palace. The pond was translucent straight to the bottom, and you could see both large and small carps swimming around in the pond. There were beautiful women and… tanghulu.
But there was neither barbecue nor rice noodles.
Xin Mei bit into a candied fruit, which was so sour that it made her brows wrinkle.
The Bear Uncle sat across from her, waving a fan as he acted the part of a sophisticated man. Every now and then he gazed at her heavily, speaking in soft, low tones, “Little Mei, your eyes are as bright as the stars in the sky.”
Xin Mei swallowed the hawthorn and looked at his face. Since he flattered her like that, she felt obligated to return some nice-sounding words in his direction.
“You… eh, you’re also good-looking, it’s just that you’re a little fat. But you feel very friendly. When I look at you, I think of our family courtyard’s Da Hua.”
She was feeling a little homesick.
The Bear Uncle asked in surprise, “Who is Da Hua?”
“Da Hua is a handsome, confident, and mighty pig.”
With a “pa!” the fan in his hand fell onto the ground. The Bear Uncle jumped up with a bitter and pained expression.
He hated when people called him fat!
Looking at his own bear paw, he felt the desire to gouge his claws into that pretty cheek. Except… except she was looking at him so innocently with her snowy egg-like face and her dark watery eyes… feeling pity and tenderness towards the feminine creature was also a sinnnnn!
“Uncle Bear, tanghulu tastes good. But I prefer barbecue and rice noodles.”
Xin Mei finished two sticks of tanghulu and felt that she was even hungrier than before.
The Bear Uncle thought for a moment and suddenly smiled wickedly. With a cultivated flourish, he retrieved his fan. “Would Little Mei happen to have any interest in sharing a cup of vintage wine with me?”
Drinking wine? A rarely-seen expression of hesitation appeared on Xin Mei’s face, but in the end she nodded.
The Bear Uncle’s heart jumped wildly in excitement. It’s said that alcohol is a type of matchmaker. One could do whatever to a drunk woman and she would be captivated and in love no matter what.
He turned to give commands to the female demons. “Prepare some barbecue and rice noodles, and also bring a gourd of the decade-old vintage wine.”
~
With large jumps, Lu Qian Qiao flew like a bird across an unbroken sea of trees.
In the afternoon, Tang Guo Guo looked for him in Gui Hua Pavilion. He kept looking like he wanted to say something but hesitated at each turn. In the end, he only pointed to the courtyard outside — the Xin Mei who should have been tied to the tree was gone.
“Who did it?” Lu Qian Qiao asked.
Tang Guo Guo wouldn’t tell him who it was no matter what, and he only said, “Qian Qiao Da Ge, that miss has been taken by the Bear Demon in the west. You should really hurry and rescue her.”
The reputation of the Bear Demon in the west was infamously bad. The female demons that he captured might still struggle halfway between life and death, but if it was a human… it was likely that she wouldn’t survive.
Lu Qian Qiao’s brows wrinkled.
He actually felt deeply worried. He couldn’t constrain this emotion.
With one more jump, he settled down in front of the Bear Demon’s mansion.
What a resplendent palace. He sure knew how to live it up. With a kick, he broke down the magnificent double doors, momentarily raising a wind of dust. It was peaceful inside as the dust settled. Lu Qian Qiao pulled out a newly made wooden sword, readying himself for a massacre when he suddenly saw beautiful captured servants running away from within the palace, their faces bloodied and battered and their eyes full of tears.
At the sight of Lu Qian Qiao, they threw themselves at his legs, prostrating themselves before him like he was their almighty savior. “It’s the Great General of the Huang Ling! We’re going to be saved! Please… please… drive away that evil spirit!”
Lu Qian Qiao slightly backed away. “Where is the Bear Demon?”
The female demons cried even more despairingly. “Our Lord is in the inner palace! General, if you don’t quickly save him, he’s going to be beat to death by that evil spirit!”
Lu Qian Qiao was somewhat at a loss as he charged into the inner palace with his wooden sword at hand. Every space that entered his eye was in complete disorder… pieces of broken flower vases were scattered on the ground, the carp in the pond were dead with their white bellies floating above the water, the draperies and mosquito nets were torn into a hideous mess, and there were even more bloodied-faced and crying female demons.
He stood at the entrance to the inner palace when he suddenly felt a moment of hesitation, uncertain as to what kind of monster would be waiting behind the entrance. Lightly pushing the heavy palatial doors with a creak, illumination fell into the dark room. He instantly caught sight of Xin Mei, who was sitting quietly on a chair with her head lowered. Gripped in her hand was a large bronze wine holder.
The legendarily perverted Bear Demon was lying like a piece of dead meat at her feet, with one hand thrown on top of a chair and foam spewing from his mouth.
Xin Mei stepped a foot on his soft belly and suddenly smilingly poured herself a full cup of wine. She softly said, “Bear Uncle, let’s play another drinking game.”
She pinched his hand and forcefully flung it away, suddenly bursting into laughter, “You put out a five! I win again!”
After saying so, she slapped a hand over the Bear Demon’s face. His heavy body slantingly flew across the room, hitting a chair and rolling to Lu Qian Qiao’s feet.
Lu Qian Qiao was quiet.
Xin Mei gracefully glided over while holding her wine cup. When she was drunk, she was actually more ladylike than when she was sober. Her snowy-white face was flushed and her eyes were bright and somewhat at a loss. A perfectly well-bred and ladylike smile hung at her lips.
At the sight of Lu Qian Qiao, she stared distractedly for a long while. Suddenly, she tossed her wine holder aside, and respectfully curtsied in his direction. With a sweet and gentle voice, she said, “Good gentleman, face paralysis is a serious illness that should be treated in a timely fashion. I know a good doctor in the town of Lu Shui. His acupuncture is extremely good. Would you like for me to introduce you? You don’t need to thank me too much.”
Lu Qian Qiao was so angry he wanted to laugh. He stepped forward, intending to tie up her hands and drag her away. Who knew that when she was drunk, her strength was oddly and immeasurably amazing. She grabbed a bronze candlestick holder the size of a person and tossed it in his direction. She even kindly gave a warning, “Be careful now, I’m going to throw this.”
He could only back away.
Several bloody-faced female demons yanked at his sleeves with teary faces, “When she first arrived, it was still okay. But then our lord told us to prepare the vintage wine, saying that alcohol would set a better mood. Who knew that… who knew that when she became drunk she turned insane. She kept bothering our lord about playing some drinking game, and when she slapped him, our lord lost all his teeth… our poor lord! Is he going to die?
Lu Qian Qiao looked at the hideous mess in the inner palace, unable to help from sighing. He raised his hand and knocked on the door beside him, saying, “If you want to eat barbecue and rice noodles, then come over here.”
From beneath a table, Xin Mei popped her head out, looking like wild rabbit fully on her guard as she measured the level of sincerity behind his words.
Lu Qian Qiao acted as if he was about to leave, “If you don’t want to eat, then I’ll just go.”
The young lady inside the shadows immediately hopped out, and making use of the momentum, Lu Qian Qiao captured her wrists with one hand and lightly struck the side of her neck with his other. She softly fell into his chest.
The female demons all rushed into the inner palace, crying as they propped up the Bear Demon, loudly yelling his name. Unfortunately, he did not respond at all.
It was truly a tragedy on earth…
Lu Qian Qiao carried Xin Mei and left the Bear Demon’s palace without a word.
When the mountain’s winds blew, the smell of alcohol soared all around him. He frowned, disdainfully holding her at an arm’s length as he looked all around for a source of water, planning to throw her into some water to wake her up.
Xin Mei was like a drunken rabbit as she slid herself into his chest, fastening her hands around his neck tightly as she spoke in her sleep every now and then, “Dad… husband… I will buy…”
Lu Qian Qiao couldn’t help from lowering his head to look at her face which was completely flushed. With her lips formed into a sweet smile, she looked so much the part of a carefree young girl.
In front of them was a stream of clear water. He could drop her in to wash away the smell of alcohol and also to wake her up. But for some reason, he didn’t really want to do that. Her arm was gently hooked around his neck, her fingers soft as clouds. Feverish and heated cheeks rested against his neck, her exhales warm and ticklish on his skin.
He loathed to wake her up from such a peaceful slumber.
In the end, Lu Qian Qiao straightened her head as he readjusted her in arms, walking back to Huang Ling one step at a time.
~
“Do you know what you’ve done wrong?”
Si Lan sat on a chair, his face frosty and his words sombre as he interrogated the Xin Mei who was sitting halfway up in bed.
Her whole body was covered in a blanket, with only her head sticking out. She looked somewhat pale, and she was sneezing nonstop — every time she drank she would be like this afterwards.
Rubbing an aching and swollen head, she mumbled, “What did I do wrong?”
Si Lan wanted to tear down the bed, “You completely destroyed the Bear Demon! And they want us to pay for the medical fees! And after that, you even went as far as to bother the General to carry you back! You really have some nerve!”
Xin Mei couldn’t remember a single thing, and she only looked at him at a loss.
“Speak! Who let you go?”
Eh, this, huh… she thought for a moment and said, “I’m not telling.”
Ying Lian Jie Jie (sister) secretly let her go, she definitely was not going to rat her out! This is called loyalty!
Si Lan was so mad that he saw red.
The door suddenly opened, and Lu Qian Qiao entered as he addressed him. “Si Lan, go outside.”
Si Lan bitterly left in a huff. How could the Lord heavens be so blind and let this girl appear with the General in the Bonded-Soul Looking Glass?
Lu Qian Qiao walked over to the side of the bed and reached out a hand. Xin Mei instinctively wanted to dodge him, but in the next instant his warm palm softly touched her forehead, pausing there for a moment before slowly leaving.
“Your constitution doesn’t suit drinking alcohol. After drinking, you get into a fever.” He pulled a chair over to the side of the bed. “Remember to take the medicine later for fever reduction.”
Xin Mei stared blankly at him for a while. Then she recalled that Si Lan just said that she got drunk and that she was carried back, so she said quietly, “Um… th…thank you…”
He did not respond for a moment, and then he said, “As to who let you go…”
Not waiting for him to finish, she quickly cut him off, “I’m not telling.”
Lu Qian Qiao paused. “It doesn’t matter if you won’t. It won’t happen again. After you’re all healed, you’ll follow me and leave Huang Ling.”
In the end she was still being held captive, so no matter where they go it’d all be the same, wouldn’t it? Xin Mei sulked and didn’t respond.
Lu Qian Qiao unhurriedly pulled out the talisman in which Qiu Yue was stored. When it flashed before her eyes, Xin Mei’s heart shook.
“I won’t use the Demon Binding Rope on you anymore,” he said expressionlessly. “I’ll hold onto your spirit beast for now. The first time you escape, I’ll roast one leg. By the fourth time, it will have no wings and no legs. Think carefully before you act.”
He was way too… way too cruel! Xin Mei’s eyes popped out as she stared woodenly. Why did she just say thank you to this extremely hostile person?!
He seemed to smile before he left the room and lightly closed the doors behind him.
~
It is said that people with fevers benefit from the sun’s rays, so the next day, even though her fever was not yet gone, Xin Mei wrapped herself up in a quilt to sunbathe outside in the courtyard.
Lu Qian Qiao was still at the Gui Hua Pavilion, and he had not closed the window. His head was lowered as he wrote something. As he wrote, he spoke, and the people around him nodded, seeming very serious.
Looking at him like this, he did indeed seem to act the part of a general…
Xin Mei rubbed her eyes which ached slightly from her fever. She planned to squint at him for a little while longer when she suddenly felt a sneaky presence behind the tree. Curiously, she stuck out her neck and saw Ying Lian hiding behind the trunk. She was looking in the direction of the Gui Hua Pavilion, then tearing up while looking at the flowers, and then sighing against the wind.
“Ying Lian Jie Jie (sister)…” What was she doing?
Ying Lian jumped in alarm and turned back to discover Xin Mei. Her face darkened and then she turned around, preparing to leave.
Xin Mei waved at her, “Don’t worry, I definitely won’t tell anyone that it was you.”
She said this phrase aloud with loyalty as reliable as a cloud.
Ying Lian stumbled.
Xin Mei shuffled over to her, looking back at the direction in which she was looking at just now. She found that this gave a pretty good view of the inside of the Gui Hua Pavilion without alerting anyone to her presence. When looking at the window, she saw that the person standing in her direct view was Si Lan.
Xin Mei suddenly saw the light, “You have a crush on Si Lan?”
Ying Lian’s face turned red and then green. Afraid that if she threw a fit she would just humiliate herself, so she could only cover her ears, feeling at the end of her limit.
Xin Mei nodded understandingly, “I understand, I understand. As they say in plays, secret crushes are the most beautiful. Hiding behind a tree and looking on at him secretly every day is also a form of love.”
That’s called stalking… Ying Lian thought, holding back tears. Actually, when she thought back to how she had nursed this affection for Lu Qian Qiao all these years and to make sure he wouldn’t find out, she would hide outside to peep at him in secret… indeed, it was not much different from acting like a crazy stalker.
“These things will require the help of someone who can guide the red thread.” Xin Mei took her hand, completely sincere. “How about I help you? Since you kindly let me go, I feel that I must respond in kind.”
At the sight of Xin Mei’s face glittering with a divine and saintly light, Ying Lian paled.
There was probably nothing more humiliating in this world than having the love rival that you schemed against to come back and thank you and even offer to link your red thread with someone else. Ying Lian felt so disgusted that tears ran freely all down her cheeks.
“Ying Lian Jie Jie?” Xin Mei asked, not understanding.
Ying Lian turned back, as if wanting to say something. But just as she was about to speak, it came out as a “WAH!” sobbing sound. She stamped her foot and turned around and fled.
