Beijing Nine

The boy had never imagined that this day would come. Even with all his might, he was unable to resist. Those rough hands tore his clothes off...

Like a dying person, everything passes by in a hurry.

He was gifted with intelligence, but also stubborn and rebellious, with a high opinion of himself. He had always acted recklessly, and even in this situation, he had never lost his pride. He had never expected that a careless moment would lead to such a plot.

Disgusting breath hissed in his chest, rough friction rubbing against his skin... He was no longer able to struggle due to the severe pain in his hands and feet. The boy's dark eyes gradually became dull, and he stared at the roof beams which slowly turned into darkness. All his senses were closed, and he lost all dignity in the face of the powerful reality.

With a bang, the strong man on top of him fell down suddenly, and the hand that reached into his clothes hung limply at his side.

With a bang, warm and smelly liquid dripped down the body and onto the boy's delicate collarbone.

The empty pupils trembled slightly, and the horizontal beam above the sight became clear again.

"Get up, what are you standing there for?"

A clear, crisp voice echoed from beside him, as if coming from a distant, empty space. A pair of cold, small hands tugged at his disheveled shirt, with very little force.

The boy turned his head stiffly. The little girl's rosy face was deathly pale, and she looked extremely terrified. Only her round eyes, as dark as the night sky, were clear and calm, which was extremely inconsistent with her appearance.

"Don't be dazed, he will wake up soon!" The little girl's voice trembled violently, as if she found that she didn't have enough strength, so she simply climbed onto the table and kicked the man who was pressing on the boy away with her legs.

The little girl kicked for a long time before the man reluctantly fell to the side. The boy opened his mouth wide, took a deep breath, and all his rationality returned. He half-crawled up tremblingly.

"What are you looking at? Help me!" The little girl seemed extremely scared. Her hands were shaking and her voice was unsteady, but her tone was strangely calm. "My legs, my legs are weak..."

The strength that had been lost was restored as if a blood channel had been opened. A vicious look flashed in the boy's eyes, and he used his hands and feet to kick the strong man on his body to the ground.

The person who fell to the ground groaned in pain and showed signs of waking up.

"Oh no!" The little girl quickly tugged at the boy's open collar. "You idiot, are you going to wake him up to get anything done?"

With a thud, a stool hit the back of the man's head. The two men leaned over to see a disheveled, blood-stained little boy half-crawled out from under the bed, his eyes wide open, almost frantic.

"What the hell is going on!" The little girl bit her lip hard. The pain gave her some strength. She pulled the boy towards the window and said, "Hurry, hurry up!"

The boy, who was pushed onto the windowsill, finally realized that the little girl was trying to save him. Before he could react, he grabbed her cold, trembling hand and said, "I'm going to kill him!"

No one has ever insulted him like this. How can he get rid of the hatred in his heart if he doesn't tear out the skin and tendons of this person?

The hatred and coldness dancing in the boy's eyes nearly made the already trembling little girl kneel down. She clutched his clothes weakly, glanced at the other child still lying on the bed like a trapped animal, and gritted her teeth. "No, if you move him, he won't be able to leave here! Go! He won't be unconscious for long... There are plenty of opportunities for those who want to kill him."

"This man is extremely vicious. If I don't kill him now, how many more people will he harm?" If the little girl hadn't just saved him, the boy wouldn't have bothered to care at all. "You're so scared..."

"That's because my body's fragility can't keep up with the strength of my soul. I can't help it." The little girl was clearly trembling violently, but her eyes were clear and her tone was only slightly panicked. She grabbed the boy's collar with her small hand and looked up and said, "Take a long-term view! If you escape, you will have a chance to wipe out this harmful village. What's so great about killing Meng Bahai? There are more than one people like him here! Do those children he abused need me to warn you? They almost became like them... you!"

Remembering the humiliation he had suffered, the boy flew into a rage, "Shut up!"

"You are hope." The little girl's hands loosened involuntarily, but there was no fear in her eyes, although her voice was still broken. "Hurry up, if you want to kill him, then bring people back and arrest all the bad guys like him, whether they are soldiers or soldiers, and make sure they all receive the punishment they deserve."

There were soft footsteps outside the door, and the burly man beside the table groaned a few times, as if he was about to wake up.

Before the boy could react, he was pushed out of the window by the little girl who suddenly burst out with strength. His vision shook, and what came into view was the little girl's pale face and those firm black eyes.

Half a month later, the young man, dressed in red armor, led his troops from the foot of the mountain and slaughtered the mountain stronghold that had been dominated for a long time.

In a sea of ​​blood, the man he swore to tear out the tendons and skin off finally died in horror under his knife.

However, among the children crying loudly, the weak yet calm little girl was nowhere to be seen.

His tightly closed eyes suddenly opened wide, the dark depths of his eyes unable to conceal the murderous intent that was surging. His handsome face was pale, but his eyebrows and eyes were full of murderous intent.

The humiliation he had endured burned like a brand on every inch of his skin, nearly overwhelming his desire to destroy everything. His hands subconsciously groped until they touched the cold sword. He closed his eyes, sinking into the darkness of despair.

Suddenly, a tuneless melody came from next door, and the overflowing murderous aura was slowly restrained, hidden deep in the dark eyes.

Su Zirui frowned slightly, moved his lips, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's unpleasant."

Yet, the intermittent, unpleasant music strangely pulled him back from the darkness he hated. The morning light shone through the window, lingering not far from the bed. Just a little longer, and the light would reach him. This strange thought made Su Zirui curl his lips in self-mockery.

In the other room, Aruo felt that he was simply too great.

Imagine her dragging her frail, petite body, supporting a taller nobleman, a worthless man with only his money and face left, his steps weak and powerless, walking along the river for several miles before she saw a farmer working at sunrise. Following the farmer's directions, she found the only inn in Niujiazhuang Village. By then, daybreak had already broken.

Miss Aruo, who spent other people's money without hesitation, lavishly booked the only two upper rooms, indulged in a luxurious bath covered in flower petals, and generously ordered a table full of delicious food. She'd been busy all night, and perhaps because she'd just survived a life-or-death situation, she'd spent dozens of taels of silver without even feeling sleepy.

As expected, money makes people feel refreshed! After changing into dry clothes and munching on two chicken legs and a bowl of rice, Aruo felt like he was alive again.

After taking a sip of tea contentedly, Aruo sighed contentedly, "It's great to be alive."

"Miss Qi, could you please act a little more like a girl?" Su Zirui, who had finished tidying himself, frowned as he watched her sit cross-legged on the armchair. With her long hair combed into a cute, flowing bun, she looked like a girl from a wealthy family, but this sitting posture completely destroyed that aura.

Aruo blinked innocently, looked down at her dry, arrow-sleeved dress and the comfortable cross-legged position she was accustomed to. Forced by his gaze, she lowered her legs and sat upright. "Master Su, in life, comfort is the most important thing. Why worry so much about other things?"

"If everyone in the world follows their own desires and acts recklessly, how can there be any etiquette and laws in this world?" Su Zirui said softly, looking down as he played with the small teacup. Her words were not difficult to understand, but how could anyone in this world do so easily?

"Master Su, you're deliberately twisting my words." This person was trying to change the subject, but Aruo wasn't fooled. He stretched out his index finger and shook it, "People in this world should think about whether they are happy or not, not compromise themselves and hide themselves for the sake of others' opinions. Of course, happiness and joy also require obedience to the law. The two are not contradictory."

"Of course, the world's harsh demands on women have formed a prejudice. If the girl can turn a blind eye and not be affected by the words of others, she can live happily. But if you can't, you still have to follow the rules of this world to live happily." Su Zirui thought about it, but did not completely deny her idea.

"Sir Su, you cross your legs so arrogantly, and you have the nerve to say that my sitting posture is bad?" Obviously his own sitting posture is also very indecent, okay? Men are really convenient, double standards!

Aruo glanced at him sideways and muttered indifferently, "If I had followed the rules, you would have become a floating corpse downstream."

"What did you say?" Su Zirui raised his eyebrows and looked at her in a gentle tone.

"No, nothing." She was very sensible. Her fingers tapped on the table boredly. Aruo smiled and handed him a cup of tea, indicating that the topic was over.

"Why do you carry knockout drugs with you?" Su Zirui was still a little upset about her plot against him. He was poisoned last night because of his carelessness, but being knocked down by her drugs was more shameful than being poisoned.

"I've already told you it's not a knockout drug. It's something Auntie Song specially prepared for Caixin and me for self-defense. It's much more powerful than a knockout drug. You know, this kind of self-defense tool requires speed, ruthlessness and accuracy. But you were able to hold on for so long last night. It seems the medicine needs to be prepared a little more." Aruo touched his chin and guessed, could it be that the medicine is not potent enough?

Su Zirui gritted his teeth secretly, thinking that if he continued to worry about this medicine, he would be asking for trouble.

"What's wrong with your Qinggong? Didn't you say you don't know martial arts?" Su Zirui was quite annoyed by her bored look. He remembered that he had taken her pulse while she was supporting him, and indeed he didn't feel any Qi flowing. But she was able to help him get rid of those people last night, which showed that her Qinggong was not weak.

Aruo tilted his head and thought for a moment before answering honestly, "I don't know any martial arts. My master taught me Qinggong. He's quite good at it, but I became his disciple late and didn't have much talent. He kicked me out and started traveling soon after I started learning. So I learned Qinggong. He said I shouldn't act tough when faced with difficulties. I can't win anyway, so I should just run away."

"It sounds weird, but there are many factions in the martial arts world, and each has its own characteristics. This is not surprising. Who is the senior master?" Su Zirui was rarely interested in her lightness skills.

"He's just a weird old man, not a famous person." Aruo curled her lips, not wanting to mention that person.

Su Zirui nodded, but didn't ask any further questions. Many of the seniors in the martial arts world kept their secrets, and he understood that. The girl before him wasn't a criminal, so he didn't have the right to question her thoroughly.

"Are we leaving now?" Aruo knew that he had been using internal energy to heal his injuries for a while while resting, but it was not clear whether the poison had been detoxified or not. However, seeing that he was now eloquent, he should be much better.

"What? You still want to stay here?" Su Zirui looked surprised, as if he didn't expect that she would be so attached to this place.

Aruo was irritated, thinking that if it weren't for that face, she would have punched him. He was poisoned anyway, so it was unclear who was stronger. Just as she was thinking this, Su Zirui gave her a sharp look, and she immediately backed off, happily opening the door for him.

After he walked out of the room, Aruo realized that he was being too servile. "What are you doing? I'm not his subordinate."

I can only say that the one who eats the food is soft-spoken, and the one who spends the money is the big boss.

It was still early when she entered the inn, and the streets weren't crowded. Now, past noon, Aruo realized that every household in the village was decorated with lights, even the main street, as if preparing for some kind of celebration. As she wandered around, Aruo felt like she was visiting lantern festivals during the Lantern Festival. She wanted to take a look at every stall, and Su Zirui patiently followed her every step.

"Madam~" Aruo glanced at the inn's proprietress and walked over quickly, "Why are you here?"

The charming middle-aged woman smiled kindly and took Aruo's hand to examine her carefully. "This dress is perfect for you, girl."

"The boss lady has good taste." The clothes Aruo was wearing were bought by the boss lady, and she also helped to comb her hair. "By the way, do you have any happy events today?"

"You two are from outside the city, right? This one is yours..." The proprietress looked at the man following behind Aruo curiously, then looked at Aruo with a bright smile, and asked.

"Oh, this is..." Aruo remembered his words about the harsh demands people make on women, and said without hesitation, "Our young master."

"Oh?" The proprietress was a little confused. After all, when the young man first came to the inn, she had nagged him a lot because he was injured.

"Heh..." Su Zirui lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. He gently tapped her and reached out to hold her close to him. "I'm sorry, my wife is naughty. Please don't be offended, Madam Boss."

Ang? Aruo turned her head, her round eyes glaring at the person whose smile was as gentle as jade. "My...self?"

What about the etiquette they'd talked about? What about the so-called "no physical contact between men and women"? Even though he only loosely embraced her, she'd be frightened if the man who had just accused her of lacking manners suddenly did this.

"Hmm?" Su Zirui gave her a look.

Aruo didn't really want to give her face, and even less did he want to admit that she actually understood what he meant. But thinking of what he said last night, his rebuttal shifted a little before he said, "Uh, yes, my wife. This is me...an outsider, no, my husband."

Glancing at him meaningfully, Aruo smiled, shook off his arm around her, and affectionately embraced the proprietress.

"But didn't you say he was your young master?" The proprietress always felt something was wrong.

"Well," Aruo said shyly, rolling her eyes, "I was originally his maid, but then something like that happened. As the saying goes, beautiful skins are all alike, but interesting souls are rare. The young master is attracted to my soul, and I just happen to be attracted to his skin, so isn't that a deal?"

This sounded very dramatic, and the proprietress secretly glanced back. The elegant young man following behind her listened to her nonsense with good temper, and smiled in response to the proprietress's puzzled eyes, his temperament as elegant as jade. The two of them were one smart and the other gentle, and after a few more glances, they also felt that they were a good match. The proprietress winked at Aruo and patted her hand in a knowing manner.

"By the way, Madam Boss, you haven't told me what festival it is today. It's so beautiful and festive there." Aruo looked out at the big house in the center of the village. The gate of the house was antique, a bit like a clan ancestral hall, with red lanterns hanging at the door and the surrounding walls.

"Today is the clan leader's wedding, and the whole village will be celebrating. By the way, if you two don't mind, you can stay for a drink." The proprietress looked at Aruo's joy and said with a smile, "There will be a banquet at the ancestral hall tonight, and anyone can go for a drink to wish good luck. It's getting late now, so why don't you stay another day?"

"Really?" Aruo turned around and said to Su Zirui in surprise, "Okay, okay~ Let's go to the wedding."

"No, Madam, we have to go home early before it's too late." Su Zirui waved his hand.

"No, I love lively places the most. Let's stay for a while, husband~" Aruo coquettishly took his hand and shook it, acting like a real daughter.

Su Zirui's eyes twitched when he heard the soft tone, and he couldn't help but look at her warningly.

"Yes, then stay. The village will definitely be bustling today." The proprietress nodded with an earnest smile. "The clan leader is very kind and generous. We are all looking forward to his wedding. Stay and share in his joy."

"Then, stay one more day." Su Zirui said helplessly.

"Great, let's go over there and take a look." After getting his approval, Aruo eagerly pulled his sleeve and left, smiling as brightly as a wild child.

Su Zirui nodded hurriedly to the proprietress and was pulled by her to the street beside the ancestral hall.

As soon as they left the stall, Aruo hurriedly let him go, fearing that he would be tainted with official airs. After casually playing with the old artist's two lanterns, Aruo quietly asked what she had been wondering, "Master Su, why do we have to pretend to be a couple? I think being a maid is also quite reasonable."

"It's more reasonable to give in to a maid than to give in to a wife who loves to join in the fun." Su Zirui thought of her acting like a savior and constantly looking down on him, and he whispered disdainfully, "Besides, do you think you have the talent to be a maid? Don't call me sir. It's not appropriate to show off your official status here."

He said it as if he didn't want to stay. Who had suddenly poked her lower back to remind her? She was most afraid of others touching her waist!

If she hadn't been alert and hadn't guessed his intention to sneak into the village based on his words and actions in the inn, would she have cooperated like this?

"Sir Su, pretending to be a married couple has damaged my reputation. This is another price to pay." Aruo recalled this man's bad behavior and quickly appealed for his rights. Police-civilian cooperation also has a price to pay.

"Who do you think has suffered more, me or you?" Su Zirui slightly raised his eyelids, his cold eyes concealed the sternness, and a faint smile appeared on his cold pale face, just like an elegant and noble gentleman.

Aruo's anger subsided and he nodded repeatedly, "I'm definitely not good enough for you."

Su Zirui raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening. He tapped her forehead softly, then watched with satisfaction as she glared at him with her teeth bared. "Need I remind you, those ten taels of silver haven't been returned yet? And, there are a few dozen taels missing from my purse..."

Hey hey hey, joking aside, don’t bring up money.

"Ahem, what should I call you then? Su Feng?" Well, she didn't really want to be a maid. Anyway, her situation was not as strong as his, and Aruo didn't care about her reputation. She raised her eyebrows and smiled mischievously.

"Madam is really naughty." Su Zirui sneered softly, and poked her face gently with his eyebrows.

Damn, that hurts!

"Ah... Ruo?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind. Aruo covered her cheek and turned around, and saw two handsome men, one of whom looked particularly familiar.

"Aruo!" The young man in a light blue robe had a beautiful face. Seeing her expression light up with joy, he suddenly called out, opened his arms in extreme joy and ran towards her, threw himself into her arms, and hugged her neck tightly with both hands, "I finally found you!"

Aruo was stunned for a moment, then hugged the person in surprise, "Xiao Caixin, why are you here?"

The old craftsman who was weaving lanterns behind the stall was so surprised that he dropped the lantern in his hand. He hesitantly turned his gaze from the two people hugging each other to the handsome young man who raised his eyebrows helplessly.

Su Zirui's eyebrows twitched, and he coughed twice under the old artist's gaze.

Aruo came back to his senses and slowly pulled down the beautiful woman in men's clothing whose eyes were red with enthusiasm. He turned around to look at Su Zirui who had a grim expression and smiled decisively. He hooked his hand around Caixin's neck and covered her mouth. "That's great. We actually met here. Big brother, let's find a place to reunite."

Cai Xin was confused and was about to struggle, but she saw Aruo blinking and following her tacitly.

Looking at the two men's backs, Su Zirui shook his head slightly, then looked directly at the man standing aside, fanning himself and watching the show, nodding and greeting, "I didn't expect to meet you here. I wonder what brought you here in person, Brother Lin."

With a snap, he folded his fan neatly. The man in the moon-colored long gown had a handsome face, black hair tied up high, and a smile on his face. "It's just someone's request. But Brother Su, this outfit is also refreshing."

Su Zirui's eyes were cold, and he didn't comment on his words. He put his hands behind his back and followed the two girls who were walking further and further away. The man didn't get angry when he didn't respond. He twirled his fan around his slender fingertips, smiled playfully, and slowly followed.