Ch 246 Final – First Half
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“Pfft…”
The response to Xia Yuqing came from Lu Rui. Having witnessed everything at Xu Mansion yesterday, she was clearly the angriest and most indignant among those who were standing up for Cui Er. When she heard that Su Wuduan had arrived, she couldn’t help but throw in a sarcastic remark.
Xia Yuqing couldn’t help but burst into laughter. She then spoke seriously, “Xiao Bai, stop fighting. The unfaithful man has arrived; quickly go and gather your brothers and sisters to help.”
Upon hearing Xia Yuqing’s call, Xiao Bai perked up and let go of the tight grip on Xiao Hei’s shoulder, taking a step back on his own.
Xiao Hei also knew when to stop and didn’t continue the endless bickering. He still held the spoils of today’s battle in his claws—some clumps of white fur from Xiao Bai’s head… leaving him bald in that spot.
Xiao Bai glared fiercely at Xiao Hei. This damned black fellow had scratched his head again. It must be jealous of how good-looking and favored he was, deliberately ruining his appearance! Humph, he had important matters to attend to today, so he wouldn’t bother with it for now. He would definitely settle the score later!
Xiao Bai raised the bald patch on his head and ran off to find his brothers and sisters to help.
When Xia Yuqing and the others arrived at the main hall, Su Wuduan was pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pot. When he heard the commotion, he quickly turned around.
As soon as he saw Cui Er standing behind Xia Yuqing, seemingly indifferent to his presence, Su Wuduan became excited and rushed towards her. “Darling, let me explain. Yesterday’s incident wasn’t what you think it was…”
Unfortunately, Su Wuduan hadn’t reached Cui Er’s side yet when a figure suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking his path and stopping him just in time before they collided.
Su Wuduan gasped in surprise, abruptly coming to a halt in place. If he had accidentally bumped into the person in front of him, he was certain that not only would he be beaten by his wife, but he would also have a group of people rushing to beat him to a pulp for harming a single strand of that person’s hair.
“Junior sister… Why did you suddenly run out? I almost ran into you just now!” Su Wuduan scrutinized Xia Yuqing from head to toe for a while before he finally confirmed that she wasn’t hurt by him. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. If he had accidentally damaged even a single hair on her, his wife wouldn’t have to act, as he would be beaten to death by an angry mob.
“Hehe, do you think after making such a mistake, we would let you get close to our virtuous and capable Cui Er?” Xia Yuqing looked at Su Wuduan with a playful smile, her eyes shimmering with clear calculations.
“…Junior sister, you can’t be so biased!”
Xia Yuqing listened to Su Wuduan’s tearful plea, raising an eyebrow. “Eldest Senior Brother, do you really want to explain to Cui Er?”
“Of course! Junior Sister, you have to believe that Eldest Senior Brother is innocent! Even if you don’t believe in my astonishing appearance, you should believe in my character!”
“Eldest Senior Brother, let me remind you that your character is currently in the negative in the eyes of all of us.”
“…”
Xia Yuqing glanced at Su Wuduan, who looked as if he had been struck by lightning, and looked up to the sky with a 45-degree angle with a bright and melancholic expression. “Giving you a chance is not impossible, but you have to follow the rules.”
“Rules?” Su Wuduan looked up at Xia Yuqing with a puzzled expression, feeling a rather ominous premonition, and sure enough…
“When Gorgeous Grand Tutor pursued Little Yuan, he also made some big mistakes. Before apologizing, he had to…”
“What?”
Xia Yuqing sneered and waved her hand. “Release the hounds!”
“!”
As Xia Yuqing gave the order, the wooden door of the side hall opened suddenly. Xiao Bai led a group of large dogs, rushing towards Su Wuduan in competition.
Su Wuduan’s pupils shrunk suddenly. Seeing the group of dogs rushing toward him with their jaws wide open, he no longer cared about anything else and tried to escape. However, he didn’t realize that all the doors and windows around him had been sealed tightly the moment Xia Yuqing and the others entered the hall. The only escape route left was the beam above that could support him for a while.
Su Wuduan was about to leap onto the beam, but Xia Yuqing’s cold voice sounded at the right time, “Eldest Senior Brother, just let Xiao Bai and the others catch up to you for a while, bite you a few times, and let off some steam. If you still want to take advantage and use tricks at this time, I promise you will never see Cui Er again in your life.”
Su Wuduan’s expression changed, he turned to look at Xia Yuqing with her amused look, pointed at her, and gritted his teeth. “You’re ruthless!”
Xia Yuqing made a grimace at Su Wuduan and coldly ordered, “Xiao Bai, go get him! If you bite him tonight, I’ll have Lu Rui make sweet and sour spare ribs for you.”
Lu Rui was currently eager for Su Wuduan to be bitten and incapacitated. Upon hearing Xia Yuqing’s words, she quickly agreed, “That’s right! As long as you can bite him, I’ll give you all an extra meal tonight!”
The prospect of an extra meal was undoubtedly huge. The dogs, who were already showing their ferocious side, were now even more excited. They stared at Su Wuduan with their green eyes, treating him as a sumptuous meal on the plate.
Su Wuduan felt a chill all over his body as he was stared at. When he was about to say something, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his backside. He turned his head in a daze and met Xiao Bai’s eyes, who had bitten into his butt, both pairs of eyes staring at each other.
“Ow, my butt! It hurts, it hurts! Let go, let go!” Su Wuduan regained his senses, his face turning pale from the pain. He jumped up and down on the spot, trying to shake off Xiao Bai.
Unfortunately, Xiao Bai seemed to have taken a liking to his delicious butt, and it refused to let go no matter what.
Su Wuduan struggled to free himself, but he didn’t dare to use force against Xia Yuqing’s beloved pet. If he dared to hurt it, Xia Yuqing would probably hurt him in return.
In a critical moment, an idea flashed through Su Wuduan’s mind, and he shouted, “Look, there’s a chicken leg!”
As expected, the gluttonous Xiao Bai’s ears perked up, and it was immediately distracted by Su Wuduan’s shouting, releasing its hold and looking up.
Seeing the opportunity, Su Wuduan seized Xiao Bai and forcefully threw it away.
“Awoo…” When Xiao Bai came back to its senses, it found itself mid-air and was terrified. It let out a miserable howl.
“Xiao Bai!” Everyone in the hall was shocked to see this, screaming in alarm. Before long, there was a soft thud as Xiao Bai pitifully landed on the ground.
Closing its eyes, Xiao Bai didn’t feel any pain for a while and even felt a bit soft. It curiously reached down to touch. Huh, why was there fur?
“Meow…” Are you done touching me?
“…” Huh, this voice sounds familiar… Xiao Bai suddenly opened its eyes in disbelief, looking at the Xiao Hei cat pinned underneath it. Moreover, its paw seemed to be touching something on the little cat’s… bottom…
“Awoo…” Startled, Xiao Bai leaped backward several steps.
Xiao Hei, with misty eyes, got up from the ground, giving Xiao Bai a disdainful look. It seemed like it was the one taken advantage of. Did this stupid dog think it was a harassed virtuous wife?
Xiao Hei snorted coldly, turned around elegantly, and left. It realized that it was foolish to have rushed forward to catch the stupid dog that was thrown at it earlier. Hmph!
Feeling annoyed, Xiao Bai turned around, wanting to jump into its owner’s arms for comfort. Unexpectedly, it overheard…
“Awoo awoo awoo… I told you that they are a perfect match. Don’t you believe it? Now you see, right? Wahaha… indeed, although human-human relationships may not have a future, animal-animal relationships have great prospects!”
“…” Owner, do you really have to be so kinky? Is this due to your male partner?
While Xiao Bai had a narrow escape, on the other side, although it lost the help of Xiao Bai, its siblings continued their relentless pursuit for the extra meal.
Not long after, Su Wuduan appeared again in front of Xia Yuqing and the others, covered in injuries. The luxurious clothes he wore had become sacrifices under the claws, tattered and haphazardly draped on him, leaving behind no trace of his usual gentleman appearance. Instead, he resembled a pitiful beggar on the streets.
Xia Yuqing watched as the dogs had enough fun, then raised her hand to signal Lu Rui to take the dogs away and reward them properly for their efforts.
“Little junior sister, can I talk to my wife now?” Su Wuduan asked, lying on the ground, panting.
Xia Yuqing turned to look at Cui Er and coughed lightly. “Cui Er, since Senior Brother has put in so much effort, why don’t you give him a chance to explain?”
Cui Er glanced at the pitiful Su Wuduan not far away, let out a soft sigh, and walked over to him.
Seeing Cui Er finally coming over, Su Wuduan was overjoyed and called out, “Wife…”
“Who’s your wife? If you dare to call me that again, I’ll cut off your tongue!” Cui Er coldly threatened, looking down on Su Wuduan with a chilling gaze.
Ignoring Cui Er’s threat, Su Wuduan acted as if he didn’t fear her at all. He chuckled and said, “Wife, don’t be like this. I can explain what happened yesterday. I really didn’t do anything with that woman. I was set up, and that woman who was with me is actually…”
“What relationship she has with you and what she does is none of my business. We are not husband and wife, so why should I care about how many birds you caught outside?” Cui Er said coldly, looking down at Su Wuduan with a touch of frost in her eyes.
Su Wuduan was momentarily stunned. He recalled Xia Yuqing’s earlier teaching about playing hard to get. Was Cui Er… jealous?
Su Wuduan paused for a moment, and the disheveled and embarrassed appearance on his face disappeared instantly. He stepped forward, shamelessly grabbed Cui Er’s clothes, and acted like a pitiful little wife, “Wife, don’t say angry words! That woman is my senior sister. I really didn’t do anything with her. My heart has always been only for you. Please believe me!”
Before Su Wuduan finished speaking, the maidservants nearby began to whisper.
“So, that girl is Master Su’s senior sister. It seems like there was a misunderstanding.”
As soon as the maid finished speaking, Lu Rui coldly interjected, “Misunderstanding? That day, both the Lady and Miss Cui Er saw with their own eyes that the woman was on Master Su’s **. How could that be fake?”
With Lu Rui’s interruption, the discussion immediately reached a climax. “In that case, Master Su won’t even spare his senior sisters?!”
“Yes, exactly! As the saying goes, the rabbit won’t eat the grass around its burrow. Master Su is really a beast!”
“Speaking of which, our Niang Niang is also one of Master Su’s junior sisters. Before, I didn’t think much of it, but now, hearing you guys say this, Master Su even dares to make a move on his senior sisters? Who knows, one day he might not hesitate to target our Niang Niang too!”
As soon as the young maidservant’s words were spoken, everyone around couldn’t help but gasp in shock.
“…” Su Wuduan listened silently to the chattering voices of the maidservants, his whole person at a loss.
Should he say that a master raises the kind of servants they have? Listening to what these maidservants are saying, their imaginations are so wild, it’s hard to bear!
“You guys saying that, I suddenly thought about it. When Young Master Su used to pursue Cui Er, it was fine for him to often come to our Xiefang Pavilion. But later, even when he had a new love, he still brought that girl to our pavilion. Could it be that his original target was not Cui Er, but our Niang Niang?”
As soon as this statement was made, it immediately received support from the others.
“Yes, yes! Our Niang Niang is so cute, kind, and innocent. You know, those perverted guys like this type the most, and Young Master Su is no exception. I always thought it was strange why he would keep coming here. Turns out, he was a drinker not really interested in alcohol*!”
* has ulterior motives
“That’s right!”
The group of maidservants went on, speaking among themselves with enthusiasm, and in the end, all their eyes were fixed on Su Wuduan with a look that said, “Young Master Su, you really are a beast.”
Feeling unfairly targeted, Su Wuduan’s expression turned purple. “…”
God knows how innocent he is. Why did his simple and ordinary explanation open up so many wild and crazy imaginations in other people’s minds? He only had eyes for his wife from the very beginning, alright?! He admits that his junior sister is indeed cute and lovely, and she’s quite pretty too, but considering her particular aspect that is way too overwhelming and astonishing, he doesn’t even dare to think about touching his junior sister, not even with a single finger!
People who have a taste for his junior sister are probably only those with peculiar and extreme preferences! And don’t even compare the suave and captivating me, who can enchant thousands of girls, with that so-called pervert! Hey!
“Please believe me, my wife. I am innocent. That woman is truly my senior sister…” Su Wuduan turned his head to look at his wife with a pleading expression, hoping to find some comfort in her. Unfortunately, he was bound to be disappointed this time.
Cui Er looked at Su Wuduan steadily for a while, then closed her eyes and let out a sigh. “I believe she is your senior sister…”
As Cui Er spoke, Su Wuduan’s initial delight turned to disbelief as she continued, “I believe she is your senior sister, but I don’t believe you.”
The smile on Su Wuduan’s face froze as he stared at Cui Er in utter disbelief.
With a slight tightening of her lips, Cui Er looked directly into Su Wuduan’s eyes and finally revealed the secret she had kept buried deep in her heart, “I don’t trust you. You have had countless women in the past. When you treated them, did you also shower them with the same tenderness, consideration, and affection as you did with me?”
“I…” Su Wuduan desperately wanted to explain, but he found himself unusually at a loss for words, unable to summon his usual eloquence and sweet talk.
Cui Er was not wrong. Before meeting her, Su Wuduan had indeed had numerous previous relationships, and he treated each of his exes with affection and love. Moreover, he had noticed Cui Er because she had slapped him mercilessly the first time they met, but it was not like he had never encountered bold and fiery women before. Yet in the end, he had always managed to charm them like a little lamb.
But with Cui Er, it was different. His initial curiosity about his mother’s choice of a future daughter-in-law had unexpectedly drawn him in. By the time he realized it, he was already deeply entangled, and there was no escape. So, yes, his previous playboy ways were now coming back to haunt him. The woman he had set his heart on didn’t want him anymore because of his past.
Staring at Su Wuduan’s regretful expression, Cui Er sighed, “Young Master Su, I’ve always had a feeling that we are not suitable for each other. And this incident has only reinforced that belief.”
“…Wife, this is really just a misunderstanding. I really didn’t…” Su Wuduan tried to explain again, but he was interrupted by Cui Er.
“It doesn’t matter whether you have anything with her or not. What matters is… I’ve come to a realization.”
Su Wuduan looked at Cui Er nervously. “….what matter?”
Cui Er chuckled self-deprecatingly, “I’ve never been able to trust you completely. You have too much of a questionable past, with a track record of misdeeds. I can’t be certain if I’m truly your one and only, and I can’t be sure that after moments of tenderness, you won’t just discard me like those you once vowed to spend a lifetime with. Will I be discarded just as easily in the future?”
“Wife, I…” Su Wuduan’s heart was pounding, and he felt an indescribable sense of complexity that almost suffocated him.
He wanted to speak up and stop Cui Er, but before he could, she interrupted him again.
“Listen to me, there are some things I’ll only say once, so listen carefully. This time may indeed be just a misunderstanding, but do you know what I thought when I saw you with **? I thought, ah, it’s really as I expected. Do you know what that means? It means that when I’m with you, I actually have no sense of security, because I can’t even predict when I’ll see another woman in your **!”
With determination, Cui Er finished speaking and turned away, no longer looking at the expression on Su Wuduan’s face.
Su Wuduan suddenly felt his throat dry, swallowing hard, not knowing what to say. Walking the night road too often leads to running into ghosts! Now, as he listened to Cui Er’s accusations, he felt regret and the pain of being cruelly rejected. It turned out that being unaccepted and mistrusted despite pouring out one’s true feelings was such a painful experience. He had once rejected so many women without caring, but now it seemed like karma had come back to haunt him, just as Xia Yuqing said, it was retribution!
Listening to the conversation between Cui Er and Su Wuduan, Xia Yuqing couldn’t help feeling a little guilty. If it weren’t for her meddling, would these two not have ended up in such a mess? But in the end, she couldn’t really blame herself for this. After all, it was all because of Senior Brother’s past actions that caused the situation to become so bad. Now, his credibility in Cui Er’s heart was probably already in the negatives!
Senior Brother, this time it’s not that Little Junior Sister doesn’t want to help you, it’s just that Little Junior Sister really can’t do anything about it! When you create a mess, you have to be responsible for it as a man! Take care!
Su Wuduan greedily stared at Cui Er’s retreating figure. He had a premonition that if he didn’t do something, she would really leave him!
“What… what do you need to believe that I truly love you?”
Su Wuduan’s voice was hoarse and filled with pain, pricking Cui Er’s heart. Cui Er pursed her lips and said, “Your heart is in your stomach. How do I know what you’re really thinking? Being in a relationship where we’re constantly second-guessing each other is too exhausting. What I want, you can’t give, and what you want, I don’t want to give. So, Su Wuduan… let me go and let yourself go too. We’re really not suitable for each other.”
“I…”
Su Wuduan was about to say something when suddenly, Cui Er seemed to have noticed something. Her expression changed abruptly, and she forcefully pushed Xia Yuqing to the side.
At the same time, a dazzling sword emerged like a rainbow, cutting through the silent air inside the hall and casting bright spots of light on the ground.
The palace maids who were originally watching the scene in amusement were startled by this sudden change. After a brief moment of shock, someone screamed, “There… there… there’s an assassin! Help, there’s an assassin!”
“D*mn it, why did the assassin choose this moment to strike? Can’t they come at a better time? I haven’t finished what I was saying!” Su Wuduan gritted his teeth, nearly biting down on them.
However, despite his complaints, Su Wuduan quickly got up from the ground and stood beside Cui Er, blocking on either side of Xia Yuqing. He stared coldly at the black-clad figures descending from the rooftops.
Xia Yuqing was caught off guard when Cui Er pushed her, almost falling flat on her face. She managed to steady herself and turned to look in surprise. She saw the beautiful longsword that had just swept past the spot where she was standing moments ago. If it weren’t for Cui Er’s push, the sharp sword would have pierced right through her.
With this thought in mind, Xia Yuqing took a few steps back in fear. Lu Rui also snapped back to her senses after the initial shock, quickly running to Xia Yuqing’s side and asking with a pale face, “Niang Niang, are you alright?”
She had witnessed the scene just now. If Cui Er hadn’t pushed Xia Yuqing away in time, she couldn’t bear to think about what might have happened.
“I’m fine.”
“Lu Rui, take Her Majesty to a safer place,” Cui Er said, narrowing her eyes and closely watching the black-clad figures, who seemed to be getting restless.
Lu Rui nodded and hurriedly stood in front of Xia Yuqing, guiding her backward.
At the same time, the guards outside the hall, hearing the commotion, rushed in. One group surrounded Xia Yuqing while another encircled the black-clad intruders. Following behind them was Yun Zhongyue, who was sneaking snacks in a nearby side hall and had also heard the noise.
“What’s going on? I’ve only been away for a short time, why is it so lively here?”
“What’s going on? Can’t you see for yourself?” Su Wuduan sneered and snatched a long sword from a nearby guard, charging fiercely towards another black-clad person who was about to ambush Xia Yuqing.
With a loud clang, the sound of sword and blade colliding broke the silence in the hall, and sparks flew in an instant as the sword clashed against the knife. Su Wuduan redirected all the anger from his interrupted confession towards these assailants. He attacked with both speed and ruthlessness, showing no mercy. The black-clad individuals quickly retreated under Su Wuduan’s assault.
Seeing Su Wuduan engage with the black-clad attackers, the other black-clad individuals felt alarmed by his fierceness and rushed to encircle him, several of them attacking him at once.
In response, Cui Er’s eyes narrowed suddenly. She leaped into action, swiftly pulling a sharp sword hanging on a nearby pillar and charging towards Su Wuduan’s direction.
With Cui Er leading the way, the hesitant guards by the side joined in to support the two. The hall became filled with the sound of fighting, and the tension escalated.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… You said you don’t feel anything, yet now that you see Senior Brother being surrounded, you can’t wait to go and help. Cui Er, your mouth is hard, but your heart is soft. Clearly, you care, so why be so indecisive?” Xia Yuqing shook her head with a helpless expression, looking annoyed.
“…” Niang Niang, can you stop acting like you’re watching a play? If I’m not mistaken, these people are clearly targeting you! Can’t you be a little more vigilant?” Lu Rui couldn’t help but inwardly criticize as she heard Xia Yuqing’s nonchalant remarks.
While Lu Rui was complaining, she heard a mocking voice from above, “Speaking of which, where did all these black-clothed people come from? They are quite skilled.”
Lu Rui trembled all over, and her veins popped up. She coldly sneered, “Standing there talking without doing anything, what are you doing showing off at such a critical moment? Get down here!”
“…,” Indeed, Xia Yuqing was terrified by the sudden outburst from Lu Rui. When Lu Rui gets angry, she can be quite frightening!
Yun Zhongyue felt a bit awkward as he rubbed his nose, reluctantly jumping down from the beam. He had a feeling that if he dared to stay on the beam and not come down, the person glaring at him from below might do the same thing as before: hit him with a bamboo pole and knock him down from the roof.
His original intention was to stay on the beam a little longer to enjoy the spectacle, then help Su Wuduan and Cui Er when they couldn’t hold on any longer. After all, there’s a saying that heroes always appear at the last moment, shining brightly, saving everyone from danger. Lu Rui would surely be moved and fall for him, willingly offering herself to him. Then, he would… oh, hoho…
If Xia Yuqing knew Yun Zhongyue’s thoughts, she would probably give him a disdainful look. Second Senior Brother, have you been reading too many martial arts harem novels recently? How could you come up with such weird and ridiculous ideas!
Unfortunately, Yun Zhongyue’s imagination ran wild, but in the end, it was Lu Rui’s unexpected low halt that brought him back to reality. He embarrassingly jumped down from the roof, touching his nose.
Lu Rui’s frustration grew as she looked at Yun Zhongyue’s somewhat evasive expression. She couldn’t hold back her ruthless scolding, “Young Master Yun, it’s not like I enjoy criticizing you. It’s fine if you have weak martial skills and we understand that you can’t be of much help. But why on earth did you come here to join the commotion at this critical moment? If you wanted to observe quietly, that would have been fine. No one would have treated you like a mute if you stayed up on the beams and kept quiet. But why did you have to open your mouth? Fine, if you wanted to talk, we could have understood. Everyone knows the situation is urgent, and it’s reasonable to choose to lay low and prioritize your safety. No one would have mocked you for wanting to stay alive. But why did you have to utter those words? Those black-clad people are assassins sent to kill our Niang Niang. If you didn’t scold them, it would be okay, but you actually praised their martial skills and spoke up for them. What am I supposed to say about you? How am I supposed to describe you?!”
“…”
The barrage of words from Lu Rui shocked everyone present once again.
Yun Zhongyue looked at the pained and disappointed expression on Lu Rui’s face as if saying, “Young Master Yun, you’ve truly disappointed me. I misjudged you.” He felt as if he not only took arrows to the knees but also countless sharp arrows piercing his back.
Weak martial arts? Joining for the excitement? Afraid of death and trying to stay safe? Praise the assassins and defend them? Who could have guessed he would be in this situation? This wasn’t logical!
Yun Zhongyue felt like he was turning to stone as he listened to Lu Rui’s relentless scolding. If he knew about the legendary character “Dou E,” he would definitely shout, “I am more wronged than Dou E!”
Meanwhile, Xia Yuqing couldn’t hold back her laughter as she watched Yun Zhongyue standing before Lu Rui like a statue, enduring her tirade.
Knowing her Second Senior Brother well, she understood that he would never do something like watching others suffer without helping or being afraid to die. He must have had other plans when he chose to stay on the rooftop.
Unfortunately, today Lu Rui’s mood wasn’t as good as usual. When she was in a bad mood and highly irritable, she tended to do some surprising things that she wouldn’t do on normal occasions. Just like the last time she found out that her Second Senior Brother had secretly eaten the delicious food she prepared for herself. She chased him with a bamboo pole much taller than herself, running through half of the palace, breaking numerous tiles on the roofs, and finally forcing him down from the roof.
Today, poor Second Brother fell into the pit again, and sometimes luck is really important.
“Miss Lu Rui, although I may not be brave enough to face danger, my martial arts aren’t as weak as you think. I just… just thought that Senior Brother and Sister-in-law are fighting over there, and it happens to be a good opportunity to communicate feelings. So, I restrained myself from going over to disturb them. It’s not like I intentionally… ” Yun Zhongyue attempted to salvage his damaged image in Lu Rui’s eyes, hastily providing a reason. Little did he know that as soon as he spoke, Lu Rui gave him another round of verbal bombardment.
“You’re saying your martial arts aren’t weak, yet you chose to stay up there? Can’t you see how hard Sister Cui Er and Young Master Su are fighting over there? They are struggling for their lives. Where do you get the leisure to communicate feelings at this time? You’re afraid of death, and it’s fine if you admit it. We wouldn’t ridicule you for that. But you dare to make excuses? Didn’t you see everyone in the hall making an effort to protect Niang Niang? Even the little maids without martial arts bravely stepped up to protect her. Yet, you, as our Niang Niang’s second senior brother, chose to hide on the roof and watch coldly, then keep making excuses to deceive us. Do you have any conscience? Do you?”
Xia Yuqing watched as Yun Zhongyue shrank smaller and smaller under Lu Rui’s scathing scolding until he became a tiny ball. He kept muttering to himself, “I’m guilty, I admit my mistakes, I am indifferent to others’ lives, I am unforgivable, I am the most heartless person in the world…”
“…” Second Senior Brother, have you been driven crazy by Lu Rui’s relentless torment?
In the end, Yun Zhongyue couldn’t endure Lu Rui’s almost devastating mental assault any longer. He suddenly leaped up from the ground, leaving behind a statement, “I will change and help immediately,” and then disappeared into the crowd of people engaged in combat.
“…”
“…”
Xia Yuqing and Lu Rui stood there in silence for a few seconds. Suddenly, Lu Rui seemed to remember something and coughed awkwardly. “Niang Niang, did I say too much just now?”
“Um, a little. But don’t worry, Second Senior Brother probably won’t mind. Besides, he wasn’t completely innocent in this matter… ” Xia Yuqing chuckled twice and whispered to comfort Lu Rui. Her Second Senior Brother’s biggest mistake was not understanding how to read the room. He couldn’t even discern Lu Rui’s emotions, so he deserved to end up in such a situation!
However, this time, Xia Yuqing misinterpreted Lu Rui’s comment. Lu Rui’s “saying too much” wasn’t quite what Xia Yuqing had in mind.
“Niang Niang, I think… even if Young Master Yun’s martial arts are really weak, I shouldn’t have said that to him just now. Although I’m not a man, I still understand a little about a man’s self-esteem. Oh, Young Master Yun must have felt that I hurt his self-esteem with my words, so he pretended to be strong and said that his martial arts weren’t that bad. I was so blinded by anger that I said those things to provoke him. Now what should I do? Young Master Yun’s martial arts are so weak, and he’s now rushing into the crowd of people fighting. What if he gets seriously injured or killed? How can I face that?”
Xia Yuqing: “…”
Suddenly, Xia Yuqing felt a lot of sympathy for Second Senior Brother. Second Senior Brother, how did you end up trying to act heroic and brave, only to be treated like a coward by Lu Rui? How will you survive from now on? Sigh…
With Yun Zhongyue’s addition, the intense battle began to tilt in favor of Xia Yuqing and her group.
In the midst of flashing blades and sword shadows, the sharp blade kissed the neck of the opponent, and then decisively pulled back without hesitation. In the instant of blood splattering, Su Wuduan ruthlessly kicked the opponent’s chest, sending them flying to the other side and colliding with another black-clothed person.
On the other side, Cui Er swung her long sword forward with all her strength. The water-like sword transformed into a sharp weapon as it pierced through the chest of the enemy in front of her, causing blood to gush out. The opponent fell to the ground.
At the same moment, after dealing with their respective enemies, Cui Er and Su Wuduan retreated a few steps and leaned against each other’s back, supporting each other.
“D*mn it, these black-clothed people may not be numerous, but their martial arts are not weak!” Su Wuduan cursed, not paying much attention to the wounds on his body except for the ones bitten by a dog. There were now even more horrifying injuries, especially one on his left arm where flesh was slightly protruding, revealing the bones.
“Wife, are you injured?” Su Wuduan glanced at the black-clothed people not far away, but instead of concerning himself with his own wounds, he was more worried about Cui Er behind him.
“I… I’m fine.” Cui Er’s eyes remained calm, but if one looked closely, they would see unusual emotions swirling in her misty eyes.
Cui Er’s gaze unconsciously swept across the wound on Su Wuduan’s arm, a wound he had sustained while saving her from a surprise attack by one of the black-clothed people when she was momentarily careless.
At that critical moment, she had never expected that Su Wuduan would suddenly rush over and use his arm to block the fatal blow aimed at her.
Su Wuduan noticed Cui Er’s lingering gaze on his arm, and he couldn’t help but feel secretly delighted. It seemed that the act of pretending to be injured was indeed effective.
Although he was momentarily flustered when he saw Cui Er in danger and rushed over without much thought, using his arm to protect her, he now saw the opportunity to take advantage of this and further strengthen their relationship. Who wouldn’t make use of such favorable conditions? He wasn’t that foolish! Wahaha…
As Su Wuduan silently calculated how to use this opportunity to close the gap between them, Yun Zhongyue unfortunately crashed in, successfully breaking the increasingly exclusive world of the two.
“Senior Brother, I’m here to help you!” Yun Zhongyue shouted loudly as he flew in front of Su Wuduan and Cui Er.
Hearing the commotion, Cui Er immediately and instinctively distanced herself from Su Wuduan in an instant.
Su Wuduan keenly felt the warmth behind him dissipate in an instant. His face, which had just brightened up, darkened immediately, and he glared fiercely at Yun Zhongyue who had interrupted them.
Yun Zhongyue awkwardly laughed and glanced at Su Wuduan’s disheveled appearance. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “Oh my, Senior Brother, it’s only been a short time, and you’ve already suffered so many injuries. Your skill has greatly declined!”
Su Wuduan gave Yun Zhongyue a cold and disdainful look, gritting his teeth as he gave him a single word command, “Scram!”
“…” Yun Zhongyue’s whole body stiffened, then he looked up at the bright and melancholic sky at a 45-degree angle in silence.
See, I told them that Senior Brother and Sister-in-law were bonding, but Miss Lu Rui just wouldn’t believe it. Now, I’ve come here at this moment to stick my nose in. Isn’t this just asking for trouble? Sigh, over there, Miss Lu Rui and Little Junior Sister disdain me, and now here, Senior Brother and Sister-in-law also disdain me. Is there anyone in this world more pitiful than me?
Yun Zhongyue’s appearance caused the harmonious atmosphere between Su Wuduan and Cui Er to plummet back to square one, and Su Wuduan’s mood also sank to the bottom.
As a result, for the following moments, everyone saw Su Wuduan furiously slashing at the black-clothed people as if he were going all out. Yun Zhongyue was startled by Su Wuduan’s ferociousness and immediately jumped to the edge of the battle circle to deal with some insignificant foes, keeping as far away from the main battle as possible. He had the feeling that Su Wuduan’s anger was directed at him, and if he didn’t take the opportunity to get far away now, he might end up being the one dismembered later.
Little did Yun Zhongyue know that his retreat caused another misunderstanding for Cui Er, who was watching from a distance.
“It seems that Young Master Yun’s martial arts aren’t very good. Look, he’s been thrown to the outside by someone.”
“…”
So, misunderstandings are born like this.
After a fierce battle, the black-clothed people were almost eliminated by Su Wuduan and the others. Seeing this, Xia Yuqing couldn’t help but relax a bit, and Cui Er and the others also gradually eased up. However, at this moment, someone hidden in the shadows was waiting for the right opportunity.
The sound of a blade being unsheathed suddenly reached the ears of the few people who were tidying up the remnants of the battle. Cui Er’s face changed dramatically as she quickly turned her head and met the gleaming blade that was flying towards them from the roof of the building diagonally opposite where Xia Yuqing stood.
“Watch out, Niang Niang!”
“Be careful, my wife!”
“Senior Brother!”
Several alarmed cries echoed over the Xiefang Hall as everything happened in an instant.
The sound of the sword piercing flesh reached everyone’s ears. The long blade forcefully tore open someone’s chest, seemingly intending to pierce through both bodies at once.
However, the person who was impaled had already anticipated the attacker’s intention. Ignoring the sharp edge, he firmly gripped the sword with his right hand, stopping its advance.
“You…” Cui Er widened her eyes, unable to believe the man who had blocked in front of her in the final moment.
A dull sound echoed as the long sword pierced the man’s left chest and hand, leaving a bloodied trail that gathered into a line at the hilt. The blood dripped down from the blade, creating a spectacular display of crimson droplets in the air before splattering into blossoms of color on the ground.
“Ugh… cough…” Su Wuduan tightly held the sharp blade, unable to hold back the blood that welled up and spat out a mouthful.
Su Wuduan’s spitting of blood finally awakened the dumbfounded Yun Zhongyue beside him.
Yun Zhongyue’s face instantly darkened, and before anyone could react, he rushed to Su Wuduan’s side. With all his strength, he kicked the last attacker away, carrying the long sword that was deeply embedded in Su Wuduan’s chest with him.
In an instant, a mist of blood bloomed in the air, and Su Wuduan, unable to withstand the force, fell backward.
Cui Er hurriedly reached out to support Su Wuduan’s falling body, her mind going blank. All she saw was the bright red color of blood—on Su Wuduan’s chest, hands, her own hands, and the ground. So much blood, how could there be so much blood flowing from one person’s body?!
“Senior Brother (Young Master Su)!” Xia Yuqing and the others snapped back to their senses, their faces filled with panic as they rushed towards Su Wuduan.
Cui Er reached out, trying to cover Su Wuduan’s constantly bleeding wound, but her hands trembled uncontrollably, making it impossible to target the injury accurately.
“Don’t tremble, stop trembling!” Cui Er suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself, trying to stop her uncooperative hands, but to little avail.
“Cui Er…” Xia Yuqing and the others were taken aback by Cui Er’s actions, staring at her with astonishment, but Cui Er had no time to care about anyone else at this moment.
Tears as big as beans kept falling down her cheeks, violently landing on Su Wuduan’s face and eyes.
Su Wuduan struggled to open his eyes, feeling the dampness on his cheeks. He looked up with a hint of surprise, “You… are crying.”
Cui Er was startled, and she wiped her face with her hand, feeling the fullness of her tears. She tried to stop them but couldn’t. The tears just kept flowing uncontrollably.
Su Wuduan smiled softly, “My wife, you’re crying for me. I’m so happy.”
Cui Er choked on her words, unable to say anything more, but managed to utter two words through her tears, “Silly fool.”
Su Wuduan smiled instead of being angry, his gaze tenderly fixed on Cui Er. “My wife, let me tell you something. In truth… I’ve never told any other women that I want to spend my life with them. I’ve only said it to you.”
Cui Er was taken aback, staring at Su Wuduan blankly, forgetting how to react.
Su Wuduan chuckled softly, lowering his head to look at the wound on his chest. He said the final words, “You said that my heart is in my stomach, and you have no idea what I’m thinking. Now I’m taking my heart out to show you. My wife, would you believe in me once again?”
“I…” Cui Er only managed to say one word before watching Su Wuduan’s hand slide down from her hand.
“My wife, I like you, and I am genuine to you. Will you believe me one more time?”
“My wife, look at them, all of them have started families. Shouldn’t we also… I promise, I promise that I’ve truly changed my ways. From now on, I will only have you, my wife, in my heart. So, my wife, will you marry me? I will do my best to treat you well.”
“How… how can I make you believe that my feelings for you are genuine?”
“You said my heart is in my stomach, I have no idea what you’re thinking. Now, I’m showing you my heart. My wife, are you willing to trust me once again?”
All the past words echoed in her ears. No one… no one will ever go to such lengths to please her, accommodate her, and guard her like this man. Why is it that we often realize the value of someone only when we lose them?
Su Wuduan, this time, I believe you. A lifetime is a lifetime, I accept it! So don’t sleep, open your eyes and look at me, okay? Wake up, wake up!
“Ah…”
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