Chapter 13 Unpleasant

Since returning from the street that day, Tang Xiaoning has gained a completely new understanding of the art of "chivalry and justice".

Not only must one be highly skilled in martial arts to defeat the bullies, but more importantly, one must be quick enough to avoid being entangled by overly enthusiastic offers of sexual favors.

When she vividly recounted her joking insights to Li Minghua, who was polishing his sword, he nodded with a serious expression and deep agreement.

The contrast made Tang Xiaoning laugh for a long time, clutching her stomach; her clear laughter echoed in the courtyard.

The sunlight was lazy that afternoon.

That persistent young master Zhou—Zhou Wenyuan—has come to visit again.

He seemed to have learned his lesson, no longer being as blunt and persistent as before, but instead carefully preparing a whole bunch of novel and interesting things:

A comical little wooden figure that can strut along by itself when wound up, a set of nine interlocking steel rings that are said to be extremely difficult to solve, and a box of rose sugar that was just purchased at a high price from a merchant in the Western Regions. The packaging is exquisite and the rich, sweet fragrance can be smelled from afar.

With a clear goal in mind, he went straight to Tang's mother to pay his respects and greet her. He spoke earnestly, saying that he was only visiting an elder who was a family friend and that he would also bring some small gifts for the lively "Xiaoning" to cheer her up. He made no mention of the embarrassing engagement.

Seeing his respectful and attentive attitude, his humble demeanor, and his use of the pretext of visiting an elder, Tang's mother found it difficult to refuse him entry. So she instructed her personal maid, Xiao Cui, to call Tang Xiaoning over.

Hearing the summons in her boudoir, Tang Xiaoning immediately pouted, her face full of reluctance: "Not again? How annoying..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Cui was already vividly describing the little wooden figure that could walk on its own:

"Miss, miss! That little wooden figure is so interesting! Once it's wound up, its two short little legs move by themselves, it's so impressive!"

Curiosity, like a kitten's claws, tickled Tang Xiaoning's heart.

She hesitated and turned her head to look out the window, where Li Minghua was sitting.

She held a soft deerskin and was meticulously wiping the ancient sword sheath, the sunlight outlining her focused and serene profile.

"Minghua," Tang Xiaoning drawled, her tone a mix of coquetry and pleading, "How about... we go take a look? Just a quick glance at the flower hall, to see how that little wooden figure walks! We'll come right back, okay?"

She stared at Li Minghua expectantly, as if Li Minghua were the key to deciding whether or not to take the "adventure".

Li Minghua wiped the sword sheath without pausing for a moment, and only after confirming that every inch of the dark patterns had been cleaned did she put down the deerskin and stand up decisively: "Okay."

The duty to protect the employer naturally includes accompanying her to meet anyone who might cause "trouble," especially this Mr. Zhou with impure motives.

Her figure brought a silent sense of security when she stood up.

Upon entering the flower hall, Zhou Wenyuan's eyes immediately lit up with eagerness when he saw Tang Xiaoning, automatically ignoring the blue-clad guard behind her who was like a shadow.

"Xiaoning!" He stepped forward eagerly, picked up the small wooden figure on the table, and presented it as a treasure. "Look at this! Just wind up the back, and it can walk on its own. It's quite interesting!"

He skillfully turned the mechanism and placed the small wooden figure on the ground.

The little wooden figure painted red indeed took steps with a "clattering" sound, its movements clumsy yet strangely endearing, swaying forward on the smooth floor tiles.

Tang Xiaoning found it fascinating and couldn't help but exclaim "Eh!" She lifted her skirt and squatted down to examine the intricate mechanical joints closely, her fingers unconsciously tapping along with the little wooden figure's movements.

“And this nine-linked rings,” Zhou Wenyuan said, pleased that he had caught her attention. He immediately picked up the set of steel-forged rings.

"It's said to be a variant of the Luban lock, extremely difficult to solve. An ordinary person might spend half a day and still not be able to untie even one link. Xiaoning, you're so clever, you'll surely figure out the trick..."

“This rose sugar is even rarer,” he said, picking up the box of fragrant candy.

Gently open it to reveal an enticing, ruby-colored candy: "Made with a secret Western Region method, sweet but not cloying, with a rich and fragrant aroma. You should try it..."

Zhou Wenyuan circled around Tang Xiaoning, who was squatting on the ground, chattering incessantly like a peacock displaying its tail feathers, showing off his gifts.

He deliberately spoke in an intimate and natural tone, as if there had never been any unpleasant engagement between them, and he was just a good older brother who doted on his younger sister.

Tang Xiaoning's attention was completely drawn to the little wooden figure walking around on the ground and the cold nine-linked rings in her hand.

She casually responded to Zhou Wenyuan's words while trying to manipulate the steel rings of the nine-linked rings.

With a soft "click," she actually managed to untie a small ring!

"Ha! It's done!" She couldn't help but let out a small cheer, her eyes sparkling with childlike pride, completely immersed in the joy of solving the puzzle.

As for the box of rose sugar that Zhou Wenyuan had raved about and placed aside, she only glanced at it before looking away indifferently.

Li Minghua, holding her ever-present sword, stood quietly not far behind Tang Xiaoning, like a silent mountain.

Her gaze first fell on the clumsy, moving little wooden figure on the ground, lingered for a moment, and then, like a bolt of lightning, fixed on Zhou Wenyuan, who was circling around Tang Xiaoning and chattering incessantly.

Watching him bend down, get close, and fawn over Tang Xiaoning, Li Minghua felt a persistent sense of irritation.

Zhou Wenyuan's voice was very noisy, like a fly buzzing incessantly in summer.

His presence was an eyesore, making her feel even more uncomfortable than the three repulsive-looking servants she had encountered in the alley that day.

This discomfort was different from the tension and alertness of facing an enemy with a drawn sword. It was more like a subtle, barbed vine that quietly grew and wrapped around her heart, bringing a strange, stifling feeling.

She subconsciously clenched her fingers, gripping the cold scabbard even tighter, as if trying to hold back some emotion that was about to spiral out of control.

Zhou Wenyuan seemed to have finally "spared" some attention on Li Minghua, this "background figure".

Perhaps it was the presence of Tang's mother that gave him some confidence, or perhaps he wanted to take this opportunity to teach this troublesome guard a lesson.

He forced a fake, friendly smile, picked up the box of rose candy that Tang Xiaoning had ignored, and handed it to Li Minghua, his tone carrying a condescending "generosity":

"Miss Li, why don't you try this candy from the Western Regions? It tastes truly exceptional."

He paused, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over Tang Xiaoning, who was still focused on solving the nine-linked rings and completely unaware of the undercurrents unfolding around them. He deliberately emphasized the last few words:

“Xiaoning has been spoiled by us family friends since she was a child, so she’s a bit wild. These days, it’s really been a lot of trouble for you to take care of her.”

He dragged out the word "take care" in his voice, which carried a naked provocation and a self-righteous assertion of sovereignty.

It's as if he's the only one rightfully by Tang Xiaoning's side, while Li Minghua is just an outsider who gets paid to do things for her.

Li Minghua's gaze lifted from the beautifully packaged box of rose candies, which exuded a sweet fragrance, and slowly moved to Zhou Wenyuan's face with a fake smile.

Finally, it landed on the top of Tang Xiaoning's head, which was swaying slightly as she unhooked yet another clasp.

In that instant, the vines that had been binding my heart tightened suddenly.

A blurry fragment of memory flashed before her eyes without warning: the bustling dessert shop, Tang Xiaoning smiling with her eyes crinkling, shoveling a spoonful of glutinous rice balls, coated with fermented rice wine and osmanthus, to her lips without a word...

The excessively sweet taste from her memory strangely surged up at this moment, carrying a warm temperature belonging to Tang Xiaoning's fingertips, which contrasted with the fragrant rose candy in front of her, which symbolized Zhou Wenyuan's deliberate attempt to please her.

For some reason, she felt that the cloying sweetness she remembered was now much more pleasing to the eye than the exquisite box of candies in front of her.

“No need.” Li Minghua’s voice rang out, colder and harder than the icicles under the eaves in winter, carrying a sense of aloofness and suppressed restlessness.

“I don’t like sweets.” She said clearly, enunciating each word, before turning her gaze back to Zhou Wenyuan’s face.

Zhou Wenyuan met with a firm rebuff and awkwardly withdrew his hand. The carefully prepared candy box now felt extremely hot and superfluous in his hand.

He managed to maintain a forced smile, but the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.

That deliberately cultivated composure was met with Li Minghua's merciless rejection, tearing open an embarrassing wound.

The atmosphere in the flower hall suddenly became somewhat frozen due to this brief interlude.

Only the little wooden figure continued to walk along, tapping on the silent ground, oblivious to everything around it.