Chapter 77

Finally, Zhou Li was one step ahead and stepped on Xu Ziyi's toes. Xu Ziyi gasped and his face was distorted. Even though he was a martial arts master, he could not withstand Zhou Li's kick. The pain drilled into his heart.

Xu Ziyi begged for mercy: "Auntie, can you please be so kind as to let me go?"

Zhou Li raised his eyebrows: "Since you begged me, it's okay."

She raised her foot and let Xu Ziyi go.

Xu Ziyi, for the sake of maintaining his demeanor in front of outsiders, naturally couldn't do something rude like tapping someone's foot. He pounded his calf and said, "You're still so petty."

Zhou Li pretended to raise his foot, and Xu Ziyi clasped his fists and said, "I was wrong. Please forgive me, Mr. Zhou!"

Zhou Li snorted coldly.

Zhou Li and Xu Ziyi were playing around, and Tang Jing's eyes were so cold that they could kill. Even through the dancing dancers, the cold wind in his eyes could kill Xu Ziyi. Xu Ziyi, a young and romantic man, could not fail to see the relationship between Zhou Li and Tang Jing. He advised Zhou Li: "Please coax your little lover more. Aren't lovers meant to be coaxed? Mr. Zhou, are you being willful again?"

"Why can I be willful and not her?" Zhou Li couldn't help but sneer.

"Don't I understand you? As a superior, shouldn't you be more tolerant and understanding? Don't you even have this little magnanimity? Or are you the one below?" Xu Ziyi spoke without restraint.

When Zhou Li glared at him, he would smile apologetically, putting on a playful smile and refusing to repent.

"You don't understand what's going on between us." Zhou Li said lightly.

"Love is the most harmful word." Xu Ziyi sighed.

"What do you know? You playboy." Zhou Li cursed.

"I don't understand, but I know that one should be sincere, both to friends and lovers." Xu Ziyi raised his glass, "Cheers to our lovers."

Zhou Li clinked glasses with him unhappily, then raised his head and drank up the wine in the glass.

The music was pleasant, but the people on the scene were in different moods. Tang Jing had a dark look in his eyes and was drinking alone. Zhang Zixin brought Zhang Man and lectured her in her ear, saying that her sister was about to get married, so she should pay attention to her influence and not bring shame to the Zhang family.

The more Zhang Man listened, the angrier she became. She just admired the righteous deeds done by the ranger and wanted to see what kind of people could be rangers. She usually stayed in the mansion and never went out of the main door or the secondary door, for fear of tarnishing her father's reputation and bringing trouble to the mansion. She was so tolerant of her temper, but her brother was still lecturing her!

Zhang Man was very angry. She suddenly sat up, picked up the wine glass and went to toast Xu Ziyi.

Xu Ziyi was still teasing Zhou Li. They had known each other for a long time and spoke more casually. Xu Ziyi was telling Zhou Li about the three wonders of Guanshi County. When he was happy, he gestured excitedly when he suddenly heard a clear voice coming from the side.

"Brother Xu, I heard that your Ranger Hall has done something righteous again. I want to toast you."

Xu Ziyi turned his head and saw a girl who looked clean raising a glass. He didn't know Zhang Man, but knew that she came with Zhang Zixin. Xu Ziyi glanced at Zhou Li and asked her.

Zhou Li said lazily, "This is the daughter of the Zhang family, the second eldest in the family."

"Oh, it's Miss Zhang." Xu Ziyi took the drink and drank it in one gulp. He smiled and said, "It's not a big deal. Our Ranger Hall was founded on the principle of hating evil. Wherever there is injustice, we will be there."

Zhang Man's eyes sparkled, and Zhang Zixin couldn't bear to watch it anymore and walked over, but before him, Tang Jing walked over first and placed a jar of wine on Xu Ziyi's desk.

"I have admired the Ranger Hall for a long time. I have heard that they are all righteous men. Today I met Brother Xu and he is indeed a handsome man. I offer a toast to Brother Xu."

Xu Ziyi smacked his lips as he looked at what Tang Jing called a glass of wine. How could he have brought a jar of wine? He seemed stingy holding the glass.

He glanced at Zhou Li sadly, and Zhou Li avoided Xu Ziyi's sight. Xu Ziyi sighed in his heart.

This young couple's quarrel affected innocent people.

Tang Jing saw Xu Ziyi's actions and became even more angry. She picked up the wine jar and asked Xu Ziyi, "Brother Xu, are you looking down on me because I'm a woman?"

"I dare not, I dare not." Xu Ziyi shook his head, picked up the wine jar on the ground and clinked glasses with Tang Jing, then they both raised their heads and drank the wine in big gulps.

Zhang Zixin and Zhang Man clicked their tongues. Zhang Zixin pulled Zhang Man aside and said, "Why don't you try to persuade her? You're a woman after all. How can you compete with men in drinking? How can this be so shameless!"

Zhang Man was worried about Tang Jing. She wasn't usually so reckless, so why was she so reckless today? But after hearing what her brother said, she became even more angry.

"What do you mean by a woman? What's wrong with being a woman? In what way am I not better than you?" Zhang Man shook off her brother's hand that was trying to stop her and applauded Tang Jing, "Keep going, big sister!"

Zhang Zixin was furious, "What are you doing? Stop adding fuel to the fire!"

Zhang Man didn't even look at her brother, avoided her, and stood beside her to cheer for Tang Jing.

Tang Jing closed her eyes slightly. Although she was competing with Xu Ziyi in drinking, her eyes were looking at Zhou Li. Zhou Li acted extremely relaxed, as if she didn't care what she did. She even stared blankly at the table and was unwilling to look at her.

"Wow, it's so lively." Zhang Mei came and interrupted the competition between the two.

Tang Jing put down the wine jar, Xu Ziyi's eyes were clear, and he bowed to Zhang Mei.

Zhang Mei waved her hand and glanced at Tang Jing, who lowered his head.

"Please sit down, everyone."

Everyone returned to their seats.

No matter what was said at the banquet, Tang Jing was absent-minded, his eyes kept on Zhou Li. Zhou Liming noticed it, but deliberately ignored Tang Jing and chatted and laughed with Xu Ziyi, talking about some matters in the hall.

Seeing the two of them like this, Xu Ziyi thought there was still room for improvement, so he didn't say anything more.

One word of advice is good, two words of advice is a gesture of friendship, and any more than that will just be annoying.

The banquet was over. Tonight was mainly for entertainment and not many important matters were discussed. I guess I will have a deep talk with Xu Ziyi tomorrow. Zhou Li basically does not get involved in such important matters in the hall, mainly because she lacks political literacy.

Zhou Li walked back slowly. He was drunk. Walking on the small road at night, the wind made his head clearer. But he felt more lonely after the revelry.

There were footsteps behind him, and Zhou Li could tell who it was without turning around.

Tang Jing walked to Zhou Li's side. Both of them smelled of alcohol. No one spoke until they reached the yard.

The night wind blew through Zhou Li's hair, and the fragrance of the dark night drifted into Tang Jing's nose. She reached out and grabbed Zhou Li's wrist. Zhou Li stopped and looked at Tang Jing calmly.

Tang Jing touched Zhou Li's chin and kissed him with his lips.

The wine-scented saliva exchanged between their mouths. Zhou Li lowered his eyes slightly, and seeing the infatuation on Tang Jing's face, he gradually separated them. Tang Jing bit Zhou Li's upper lip and asked vaguely, "Why?"

Zhou Li pinched Tang Jing's chin, she turned her head, and the two separated.

Tang Jing stared at Zhou Li. She wanted to ask Zhou Li why he made her jealous, and her heart was beating fast.

Zhou Li said, "That's enough."

She sighed softly, "You don't trust me. There's no need for us to keep entangled with each other like this."

Tang Jing's heart stopped beating. She said with difficulty, "Is it because of him?"

Zhou Li frowned. She stared at Tang Jing for a long time and sneered.

"Tang Jing, I thought you would be different, but it seems you are just like this."

Zhou Li was so angry that he almost died.

She shook Tang Jing off and left.

How could she think there was something between her and Xu Ziyi? Ridiculous!

Tang Jing's mouth moved, his expression gradually dimmed, and he did not call Zhou Li.

Zhou Li originally thought that Tang Jing wanted to have a good talk with her, so she talked to Tang Jing in a good way, but she never expected that Tang Jing would slander her as soon as she opened her mouth.

Can't she have a few close friends? Just because of their relationship, can she not date anyone? And if she liked Xu Ziyi, they would have been together eight hundred years ago. Why would it be Tang Jing's turn now?

Zhou Li went back to the house angrily. Tang Jing stood in the moonlight, which was gradually obscured by dark clouds. A darkness enveloped Tang Jing, and a gray haze also emanated from her body.

The sky gradually brightened, Zhou Li opened the window, it was another sunny day today, Zhou Li yawned, she had forgotten to practice martial arts these days when she was living in someone else's house, it was difficult to warm up her voice, so Zhou Li practiced her body movements.

When Tang Jing came back, he heard soft humming coming from the yard. Zhou Li felt uncomfortable all over if she didn't sing for a day. This habit could not be changed in a short time. Fortunately, she sang a short paragraph in a low voice and felt relaxed all over.

All the worries from last night were dispelled by the singing. Zhou Li finally figured things out. She turned around and saw Tang Jing standing behind her. Zhou Li stood in front of her with a smile on his face and said, "Tang Jing, I figured things out."

Tang Jing looked at Zhou Li. Zhou Li's clear smile seemed to infect her. Just as the corners of her mouth rose, she heard Zhou Li say, "I want to go back."

Tang Jing's smile disappeared, and Zhou Li said, "Before I leave, I'll take Master Zhang's pulse again. After confirming it's correct, I won't stay any longer. My companions are still waiting for me in the capital."

Tang Jing was silent for a long time, so long that Zhou Li thought she had become a wooden stake, before she heard Tang Jing say in a hoarse voice, "Okay."

Zhou Li lowered her eyes, "Tang Jing." She called out, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she didn't say it. She raised her face and smiled at Tang Jing.

Tang Jing seemed touched. She raised her hand, then lowered it and clenched it into a fist. "I'll arrange it."

Zhou Li watched Tang Jing turn around, pursing his lips, unlike the calmness he had just shown in front of Tang Jing.

Tang Jing didn't even say a word to keep her. Zhou Li was a little disappointed, but she also felt that Tang Jing was just like that. She was more rational than emotional, and her behavior yesterday was abnormal. It was better this way. From dust to dust, from ashes to ashes, their beginning was a mistake in itself.

But Tang Jing turned around and gritted his teeth, wishing he could eat Zhou Li alive.

For the first time, she was angry at her own powerlessness. When Zhou Li said he was leaving, she couldn't stop him forcefully. Now, all the plans and traitors were not in Tang Jing's mind. Tang Jing only knew that Zhou Li was going to run away. Although Zhou Li didn't say it explicitly, his words implied that they would never see each other again after he left.

She would not and would not allow Zhou Li to disappear from her life!

If meeting each other was a mistake, then let her continue this mistake!

Tang Jing clenched his fists. Although Zhou Li felt disappointed, he also felt relieved.

Not all beautiful encounters will lead to love. There are more secrets between them than love.