Chapter 45 045 A Mini Shura Field
Why did you stop?
Lu Yuanyuan's eyelids seemed to be soaked with water, and she slowly twitched them.
She thought she was sober, but she wasn't. Otherwise, she should have stood up on the ground instead of hugging the other person's shoulders tighter and trying to climb up, hoping to understand why the other person had stopped halfway through by looking at their expression.
She overestimated her strength, and after climbing a few steps, her arms went weak, and she slipped down. The sudden loss of weight startled her, and she instinctively squeezed her legs together and hooked her arms around the other person's waist to avoid falling on her backside.
Perhaps it was her shifting that made the other person uncomfortable, because Lu Yuanyuan clearly felt that the other person's breath tighten for a moment. The hands supporting her thighs also suddenly tightened their grip. The fingers dug into her thighs, making it impossible for her to move.
Lu Yuanyuan felt a little uncomfortable, took a deep breath, and mumbled, "...Senior Brother Fu?"
Duan Lansheng remained silent, his breath somewhat cold, but upon hearing her groan in pain, he loosened his grip slightly, bouncing her up a little so she could lie even higher as she wished, before continuing forward.
The mountain was cooler on a summer night than on the ground, but with the two of them pressed so close together, Lu Yuanyuan was covered in a thin layer of damp sweat. Beads of sweat trickled down between her breasts, tickling her skin and seeping into her undershirt.
The person carrying her didn't smell of alcohol. No matter how you sniffed, you could only detect a clear, cool fragrance of sandalwood. Their body temperature was also lower than normal, like cool jade, refreshing and pleasant.
Lu Yuanyuan smelled the somewhat familiar scent and took a short nap. She woke up again when she felt her back touching the bed.
The night was deep and still, and Danqing Peak was shrouded in darkness. No lights were lit in the room, only moonlight. The other person gently placed her on the bed and went to light a candle. The candlelight illuminated the room, and through the curtains, she could only see that the figure seemed to be pouring her water.
Lu Yuanyuan's eyes were sleepy. She hugged the blanket and mumbled, "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Fu."
Outside the bed curtains, Duan Lansheng heard her call someone else's name to him again, and his jade-like face twisted for a moment.
Unfortunately, there was no mirror in front of him, so he didn't notice his strange behavior, and Lu Yuanyuan was even less likely to notice that something was wrong with him.
In Mount Shu, he was always Lu Yuanyuan's closest and dearest person. She said it herself. She also proved how much she valued him through her actions more than once.
This time, she went into seclusion to form her core, and he was worried about her. He originally planned to stay at Mount Shu until she emerged from seclusion. However, plans don't always go as expected, and he was temporarily assigned by his master to do something. That matter was very special, and he was the only one who could be chosen, so he had to leave the sect.
After completing the tasks assigned by his master, he was eager to return home and returned earlier than expected, barely resting. As a result, he encountered a scene that was beyond his expectations.
He wasn't unaware that Lu Yuanyuan had other friends, but he assumed that her intimate and unguarded demeanor was a privilege she granted herself. But it turned out that she would show such a vulnerable expression even with other people?
If he hadn't come back today, then wouldn't Fu Xinguang be the one sitting here in his place right now?
This thought, accompanied by an indescribable anger, surged into his heart. He quickly went to the bedside, lifted the curtain, braced himself beside her, brushed her hair aside, suppressed his anger, and whispered, "Open your eyes and see who I really am."
As the light shone in and the presence of an outsider drew near, Lu Yuanyuan shuddered slightly. She raised her hand and rubbed her eyes vigorously, her vision slowly clearing: "...Lan Sheng?"
Duan Lansheng paused, looked at her, and said in a deep voice, "If it wasn't me, then who else could it be?"
"How come you..." After her initial surprise, Lu Yuanyuan slowly realized what was going on. She rubbed her slightly dizzy temples and propped herself up. "I heard from them tonight that you were sent out by the sect leader half a month ago. How did it go? Did it go smoothly? You weren't injured, were you? Also, why did you come back early? Didn't you say you wouldn't be back for a few more days?"
Seeing that Lu Yuanyuan immediately sat up upon recognizing him, chattering incessantly with questions, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with concern, Duan Lansheng's expression softened considerably.
However, he couldn't bring himself to say that he was eager to go home. He curled his fingers, turned his face away, and pretended to be indifferent: "If there's no special reason, I'll come back as soon as things are done."
Duan Lansheng handed her the glass of water he had just placed beside him. Lu Yuanyuan needed water to quench her thirst, so she thanked him, took the glass, rinsed her mouth, and said, "Lansheng, I'd like to wash my face. Could you please get me a towel from the third drawer over there?"
Duan Lansheng said "okay" but didn't move. He took her empty cup, put it aside, and then walked to the corner of the room.
After joining the sect, Lu Yuanyuan lived next to Yin Xiaozhu. Because of the difference between men and women, he couldn't just barge into Yin Xiaozhu's place all the time. Moreover, influenced by the "simp" dynamic, it was almost always Lu Yuanyuan who went to him. Duan Lansheng rarely entered her room like that.
Lu Yuanyuan's room was spotless and had a faint fragrance. Duan Lansheng went to the wardrobe she mentioned. It was a very flat and shallow drawer. He gently pulled it open, and sure enough, it contained some toiletries.
Unexpectedly, a small piece of smooth silk was tucked inside the cloth. The silk had a strap stuck in the drawer above it, which was obviously because the drawer was too full and had slipped out. As the cloth was pulled out, the silk floated lightly into his palm.
Duan Lansheng's gaze sharpened.
During his missions, he had encountered many brothels disguised as dens of debauchery. Being devoid of desire and fear, he could remain unfazed. But this time, upon realizing what it was, the icy silk felt as if it could burn his palms, the heat reaching his ears.
Just then, her voice came from the direction of the bed: "How is it? Can you find it?"
As if he were doing something shady, Duan Lansheng's Adam's apple bobbed slightly in embarrassment. He responded softly, stuffed the undergarment back into the wardrobe, picked up a cloth, and stepped out from behind the screen. He went to the bathroom, wet the garment with hot water, and handed her the steaming cloth.
Lu Yuanyuan took it, buried her face in it, and comfortably washed it. As her hands moved, her sleeves slipped down, revealing the bracelets. Duan Lansheng saw the bracelets he had given her sliding on her wrists, as if leaving a brand on her body, revealing a hint of softness.
Lu Yuanyuan was unaware of his reaction. After washing her face and putting down the towel, she suddenly rubbed her eyes with one hand and let out a soft groan.
"What's wrong?"
"An eyelash got in."
Seeing her tears streaming down her face, Duan Lansheng grabbed her wrist, sat on the edge of the bed, and said in a deep voice, "Stop rubbing it, it will only hurt more. I'll blow it out for you."
Lu Yuanyuan had no choice but to lower her hand, tilt her head back, and try to open her eyes wide.
She had been drinking, and her cheeks were already flushed. Tears welled in her eyes, making them even redder, like a rabbit's.
It's as if if you pinch it a little more and squeeze it a little more, even more water will come out.
No... how could he have such a thought?
Duan Lansheng inwardly scolded himself, composed himself, and looked into her eyes. He gently moved her chin with his fingers to check where her eyelashes were. Their faces were only inches apart.
Lu Yuanyuan hugged the blanket, pursed her lips, feeling slightly uncomfortable, yet unable to look away. She reached out and placed her hand on his wrist, wanting to push him away but holding back.
Just then, a cold voice, seemingly from the depths of the underworld, suddenly rang out from behind them: "What are you two doing?"
A voice suddenly broke the silence of the night, startling Lu Yuanyuan, who turned to look. Duan Lansheng paused, withdrew his hand from her face, stood up, and bowed: "Senior Sister."
Yin Xiaozhu arrived at an unknown time; judging from her attire, she seemed to have already gone to bed, wearing only a light blue outer robe. She entered the room and said indifferently, "What are you doing here so late, Junior Brother Duan?"
Lu Yuanyuan's throat tightened.
Having lived here for three years, she had never seen the other person's face so unpleasant—so calm, yet a storm seemed to be brewing in their eyes.
To put it bluntly, her expression was almost as if she had caught her husband cheating on her.
Why did Yin Xiaozhu get so angry when she saw this scene?
Could it be that she has been misunderstanding all along, and that Yin Xiaozhu actually likes Duan Lansheng?
Or perhaps, before this, Yin Xiaozhu always regarded Duan Lansheng as her junior brother, until she saw Duan Lansheng seemingly blowing on her eyelashes just now, which awakened her bloodline and made her realize her feelings.
If that's the case, wouldn't she have unintentionally done something good with bad intentions, giving them a push?
Like those cannon fodder characters in novels who try their best to be bad but can never truly stop the male and female protagonists from falling in love, it's a complete joke.
But Yin Xiaozhu isn't the female lead. The female lead, Xiao Ruo, hasn't even appeared yet. If Yin Xiaozhu develops feelings for Duan Lansheng, and it ends up being mutual, wouldn't the plot get messed up?
Lu Yuanyuan was in a state of turmoil, her fingers tightening. But she was still somewhat drunk and didn't realize that she was still holding Duan Lansheng's wrist.
To outsiders, it looked as if she was scared and instinctively reached out to her closest boy for help.
Yin Xiaozhu narrowed her eyes as she looked at their clasped hands.
Sensing the hostility, Duan Lansheng frowned slightly, stepped aside to block her path, and explained, "Senior Sister, we—"
Suddenly, his hand, hidden under his sleeve, was tugged again by the small hand behind him.
Lu Yuanyuan bit her lip and said first, "Yuanjun, there's nothing between us. I was drunk just now, and Lansheng kindly brought me back. Afterwards, my eyelash accidentally fell into my eye, and he blew it out for me... Please don't misunderstand."
Her only thought at that moment was that she absolutely refused to be the matchmaker for these two. If Yin Xiaozhu truly liked Duan Lansheng, she would also sabotage their relationship.
No woman wants her beloved to be too close to another woman, to be entangled in something ambiguous, or to be very nice to another woman. In particular, she would never like to see a man entangled with her best friend.
Her goal now is to make her senior sister think that she and Duan Lansheng have an ambiguous relationship. If Yin Xiaozhu values this sisterly bond more than a budding romance, then she can basically eliminate any possibility of them being together.
So she deliberately recalled those classic "green tea" behaviors, speaking vaguely to add fuel to the fire.
Yin Xiaozhu stared at them intently and repeated, "Blow-dry eyelashes?"
Duan Lansheng remained unmoved, standing between the two, his gaze unwavering: "Yes."
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