Beauty Bones (Part 5)

Chapter Five

"Don't you think I shouldn't hate her?"

Xie Yuan wanted to slap herself across the face right then and there, thinking, "Serves you right for being so talkative. Now you're behaving yourself."

Xie Yuan became uneasy at the question, but still forced a smile and said, "How could that be? Of course I hate her! If I were you, I would hate her to the bone, wishing I could skin her alive, tear her apart, and drink her blood..."

Xie Yuan_: Isn't it just a matter of saying a few words? That's how flexible we are!

"So, you also believe in reincarnation?"

Xie Yuan had experienced transmigrating into a book and being resurrected from the dead. Although she didn't know much about reincarnation, it was understandable for her to believe in such things in a world where cultivation was possible.

But these things certainly can't be said to the young apprentice truthfully, since feudal superstition is unacceptable.

"I don't think so, do you believe me?"

Xie Yuan threw the question back at him.

Song Ling casually poked at the charcoal in the stove with the fire tongs, saying lazily, "How could I possibly believe something like that?"

"The dead cannot be brought back to life."

Xie Yuan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and subconsciously replied.

"That's good, that's good. People should always look forward."

Song Ling didn't miss her relief out of the corner of her eye, and a meaningful look flashed in her eyes: "Your Highness, how did you know that my master was dead?"

"If I remember correctly, I don't think I've ever mentioned this to you before."

Xie Yuan: "???"

Her brain went blank for a moment.

What

What's going on?

His mention of it made her realize, belatedly, that Song Ling hadn't actually said how she died; he had only said that she had abandoned him and didn't want him anymore.

A cold sweat broke out on her back. Oh my god, what should she do if her little apprentice is too smart? So the reason he helped her and talked to her was because he suspected her and wanted to trick her into saying something?

In just a few words, he revealed a hundred hidden schemes.

She really put all her energy into her role as her master.

"I read a lot of storybooks when I was in the capital, including many tales of love, hate, and revenge in the martial arts world. I just subconsciously projected that image onto you and mistakenly thought your master was dead. Since she's still alive, why don't you go find her?" Xie Yuan said with a straight face, spouting nonsense. This kind of thing had to be told in a way that was both true and false, so that people couldn't tell the difference. Anyway, she did love reading storybooks, so what did it matter what kind of storybooks she read?

"Oh, but you guessed right, she really is dead." Song Ling didn't seem to care much about her answer, as if he had just asked casually.

Xie Yuan: "?"

Did he really believe it?

But the oppressive tone he used just now didn't seem fake; could it be that he really wanted to kill her?

Xie Yuan chuckled a few times, not forgetting to offer words of comfort.

"It's alright, your master is just dead, it's not like she doesn't want you anymore."

"What did you say?"

It's unclear what those words provoked him, but Song Ling seemed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His eyes turned cold, and he stood up and walked to her, slowly bending down until they were at eye level.

"What right do you have to say these things on her behalf? Huh?"

Xie Yuan:............I'm so fed up! This unpredictable and awful temper! He's driving me crazy!

But what can we do?

You can't hit or scold the apprentice you raised yourself, and you can't even say anything about him.

She is indeed not in a position to say that at the moment.

She had no other choice but to stroke his hair.

"Yes, yes, you're right. I really wasn't qualified. I overstepped my bounds. I won't do it again."

Xie Yuan thought that if she went along with what he said, everything would be fine.

But to her surprise, his gaze grew colder and colder.

Xie Yuan was completely bewildered and on the verge of tears. Was her answer wrong? Did this thing even have a standard answer?

How about... a hug?

This method was the easiest way to appease my younger apprentice when he was angry.

"Oh dear, Young Master Song, I was wrong, okay? Please stop scaring me," Xie Yuan said, taking the opportunity to stand up. Since she was standing on a footstool, she was about the same height as him. Song Ling pursed his lips and remained silent. Seeing her stand up, he also straightened up and was about to speak.

His collar was suddenly tugged hard, and before he could react, Song Ling took a step forward, a look of surprise flashing across his eyes, as a soft, warm, and delicate body, as light and soft as cotton or willow catkins, bumped into his arms.

"Young Master Song, let's hug and that will make us make up, okay?"

Xie Yuan patted his back like a close buddy, but this man was far too tall. Even standing on the footrest, she had to tiptoe to barely wrap her arms around his neck.

When she hugged him, she could clearly feel his body stiffen for a moment. I hope she didn't scare him.

"Have you hugged enough?"

Xie Yuan: "?"

"You didn't push me away, did you?" She withdrew her hand dejectedly, crossed her arms, and looked directly at him defiantly, saying, "Then you can push me away if you don't like it..."

Before she could finish speaking, she was surprised to find that although her little apprentice still had that icy, handsome face that the whole world owed him, his ears were inexplicably red?

Wow, this is quite a novel discovery!

"Young Master Song, are you perhaps shy...?"

Xie Yuan couldn't help but burst out laughing. Watching her little apprentice get the short end of the stick was as amusing as ever.

"Hey, you haven't never been in a relationship in your entire life, have you? Hahahaha!"

"Of course I would not be like the Princess, who has a large entourage of male concubines and is very knowledgeable."

Song Ling seemed to be angered by her. After saying each word clearly, she turned around, flung her sleeves, and pushed open the door, leaving in one swift motion, without giving her any chance to reconcile!

The door creaked shut.

"Hey! Young Master Song! Song Ling!" Xie Yuan stomped her foot angrily. "Hey, this brat, he got all worked up over a few words. He's really getting more and more temperamental as he gets older. So what if he's never been in a relationship? Your master has never been either!"

"Gulp gurgle"

Xie Yuan drank several bowls of warm water instead of wine, wiped her mouth hard, and casually put the bowl down by the bed, still muttering complaints under her breath.

"I really owe this brat a debt. He was a bit stubborn when he was little, but at least he knew how to be affectionate and was quite cute. As he's grown up, his face has become more and more handsome, but this temper... sigh, how is he going to get married in the future? Am I supposed to personally teach him in the end?!"

"But as long as Ah Ling's face is there, the country is still there. Instead of worrying about his marriage, I should worry about myself. I didn't have time to date in my past life, so I should really think about it in this life."

Song Ling stood quietly by the window outside the door, listening to every single word.

Where was the angry and shy look she had when she was inside?

When he heard her say she wanted to consider dating, a suppressed, almost twisted obsession, both crazy and dangerous, welled up in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it silently. Finally, a pleasant smile curved his lips, and he murmured softly, "Master, I look forward to the day we truly reunite."

"Before this, you should have shown me more consideration, shouldn't you...? This is what you owe me..."

A person wearing a white robe and a strangely smiling puppet mask leaped off the roof. He landed without making a sound. He stood ten paces away, knelt respectfully on one knee, placed his right fist on his left heart and bowed in reverence, not daring to take a step forward.

Song Ling brushed past him, saying in a cold and indifferent voice, "Is everything taken care of?"

The man in white immediately stood up and followed, replying succinctly, "My lord, there is absolutely no chance of anything going wrong."

"Give the order: from now on, get out of her sight."

"Yes, I will follow the Lord's teachings."

"I can't wait, the show is about to begin."

A blanket of snow fell heavily, covering the sky.

The two figures disappeared into the faint morning light, one after the other.

——

Xie Yuan muttered to herself about Song Ling for a long time, telling herself she was tired, and unexpectedly she actually fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already bright daylight.

The medicine was a bit bitter, but it was quite effective. Yesterday she felt a little dizzy and lightheaded, but now she's completely recovered. She not only feels refreshed, but she can even go outside for a few laps.

But Song Ling really didn't come back all night last night. Could she still be angry?

But she had to go back to the inn first, as the little girl was still there.

When Xie Yuan returned to the inn, the waiter was at the counter keeping accounts. When he saw her come in, he scratched his head as if he had seen a ghost: "Oh, Miss, how did you come in from outside? I opened the door just now and didn't see you come down."

Xie Yuan, carrying a large meat bun she had just bought from a street vendor, stepped over the threshold and explained smoothly, "I didn't eat enough yesterday, and I was so hungry this morning that I went out the back door first."

After exchanging a few polite words with the waiter, Xie Yuan went upstairs and immediately saw the little girl squatting in front of her door with her legs drawn up, looking like she had been waiting for a while.

"Peach Crisp, what are you doing squatting here so early in the morning? Come on, get up quickly, or you'll catch a cold."

The name "Taosu" was given to the little girl by Xie Yuan, since she couldn't just call her "little mute."

After the little girl gestured, Xie Yuan learned that she had not been abducted but sold to bandits by her own parents. She was not born mute; she was poisoned into muteness by bad people who thought she was noisy.

But just as they were getting to the final step, the bad guy was killed by his colleague.

There must be a mastermind behind that unknown bandit stronghold, and the waters behind it are probably much deeper than they seem.

In her past life, she was a chivalrous heroine who roamed the martial arts world and destroyed many dens. Trafficking women was indeed common, but why would she only target thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls who were all beautiful and charming, without being after money or sex? That could only mean she was after something else.

Her taking Ah Ling as her apprentice was already the biggest variable; who knows what will happen next?

According to the original script, the youngest apprentice would turn evil at the age of ten, followed by a rampant plague and the impending chaos. Twenty years later, the world would be in turmoil. At that time, the system wanted her to destroy the root cause directly, but she insisted on doing things by herself. This series of events seemed to trigger a butterfly effect.

There is still one year left until the 20-year mark.

If chaos is inevitable, does that mean anyone can be the villain?