Chapter 46 Dodder (10) What are you so excited about?
Cool, silky hair brushed against her cheek. Song Qiling stared blankly at the man's handsome features, her delicate brows furrowing slightly before she spoke with difficulty: "It's late at night, what would it look like if others heard this?"
As he exhaled, the refreshing fragrance wafted onto his face. Gu Lianzhou lowered his eyes, his gaze falling on those parting lips, a strange feeling stirring within him.
He quietly withdrew his gaze and whispered, "Senior brother, can you... sense the unusual movement of demonic energy within me?"
Song Qiling shook her head, her eyes shifting slightly, "The smells in the courtyard are too mixed; I can't tell them apart anymore."
Gu Lianzhou's gaze wandered, and he looked thoughtfully at the big tree in the center of the courtyard. His fingers, which were pressed against the windowsill, slowly tightened. Suddenly, he straightened his back and moved back half a foot.
"It must be tough on your nose, Senior Brother." He chuckled lightly, his expression as calm as ever, but his right hand, hidden behind the window, was nervously rubbing the corner of his sleeve.
Only when the smooth fabric began to wrinkle did his clenched, white fingers slowly loosen. "It's getting late, senior brother, it's time to sleep."
They just invited her over, but now they're kicking her out.
A man's mind is indeed like the weather in June, changing in an instant.
Song Qiling carefully examined the person and, seeing that the eyes were no different from usual, temporarily dispelled her concerns and smiled, "Yes, it's time to rest."
After speaking, the two looked at each other in silence for a moment. Song Qiling turned around first and climbed over the bricks into her house.
His movements were fluid and graceful, displaying the style of a bandit.
Seeing his senior brother fall out of the window, Gu Lianzhou finally let out a long breath, looked down, and frowned.
Before he knew it, his palms were sweating.
I forcefully pulled open my slightly open collar and stood by the window for a long time, letting the cool breeze blow on me, before the anxiety in my heart gradually dissipated.
The moonlight cast a dark shadow behind him.
Gu Lianzhou turned his head to stare at the winding, vine-like black shadow, feeling absurd. "What are you so excited about?"
His response was the rampant growth of the shadows.
"Bang—" The wooden window was pulled down, blocking out the light, and the shadow instantly blended into the darkness of the room.
-
Song Qiling slept until the sun was high in the sky. The servants in the mansion came to urge him two or three times before he reluctantly crawled out of bed.
"My lord, it's past breakfast time, and there's no food left in the kitchen." The maid brought over a food box, opened the lid and placed it aside, then took out a stack of snacks. "There are only some tea snacks and pastries. Have a small meal first, and then we'll have lunch in the front hall later. Master specially ordered the kitchen to prepare a lot of delicious food today. You're in for a treat, my lord."
Having gone to bed late last night and tossing and turning all night without getting a good rest, Song Qiling slowly opened her eyes and met the little maid.
"My lord... Oh dear, why are your eyes so dark and swollen?" The maid was startled and almost dropped a stack of jujube cakes.
"It's nothing, I was just flattered to stay overnight at your esteemed residence and was so happy that I couldn't sleep all night." Song Qiling smiled insincerely, as if her soul had left her body and only an empty shell remained.
The maidservant was silent for a moment, then put down the plate and turned to leave. A moment later, she returned with a basin full of hot water. "My lord, you've worked hard. I'll serve you as you wash up now."
After saying that, he wrung out a handkerchief and wiped Song Qiling's face.
The hot water splashed all over Song Qiling's face, instantly banishing any sleepiness. She pressed the handkerchief against her face and sat up abruptly. "I'll do it, I'll do it."
He took the handkerchief, carefully wiped his face, tied up his hair and secured it with a wooden hairpin, and changed into the autumn-colored embroidered lotus-patterned clothes prepared by the Murong family. The boy who was disheveled the day before had transformed into a handsome young nobleman.
The young maid was stunned, and her cheeks flushed red.
The young man is so handsome, more handsome than any man she has ever seen.
After tidying up, Song Qiling casually picked up a piece of red date cake from the plate, nodded to the maid, and said, "Thank you."
After saying that, he lifted his foot and walked out.
As soon as I stepped across the threshold, I was suddenly greeted by a bright and clear sunlight. The golden light spread out and sprinkled on the tree branches, brick buildings, and even the copper bells hanging from the eaves, all of which seemed to be covered with a layer of golden glaze.
Amidst the picturesque scenery, a tall, slender figure in jade-colored robes stood with his back to her. Hearing the noise, he turned around and smiled at her, saying, "Good morning, senior brother."
Song Qiling met this unique gaze and closed her eyes briefly.
Gu Lianzhou seemed to enjoy the fine clothes he was wearing, as if he had returned to the skin that was naturally meant for him, regaining his former flamboyant appearance, and even his aura had changed considerably.
After looking him over from head to toe, Song Qiling couldn't help but chuckle. She and her junior brother were both dressed in such vibrant emerald green today, a testament to the Murong family head's taste.
Since they're all dressed like this, then Liu Dai...
As if hearing her thoughts, Gu Lianzhou said, "Brother Liu has already gone to the front hall before us, and should be with Brother Yu at the moment."
Oops, she really did oversleep.
After glancing at Gu Lianzhou who was waiting in place, Song Qiling stepped forward and walked alongside him. "Junior brother, did you not get a good rest last night? Or did you wait for me on purpose?"
Gu Lianzhou glanced down at the pastries in her hand, his voice devoid of emotion: "Both."
Last night I was tormented by that shadow, unable to sleep until dawn, and I even had that dream...
Thinking of this, Gu Lianzhou felt a tightness in his throat and sweat on his back. He stopped in his tracks and stared blankly at the heel of his senior brother's black boots.
"After dinner today, let's go for a walk. I heard there are many inns and restaurants on West Street. Maybe we can try our luck there and find our martial uncle." Song Qiling strode out, unaware of anything unusual. When no one responded for a long time, she turned around in surprise and saw her junior brother standing there as if he had lost his soul.
"Junior brother?" Song Qiling tilted his head in confusion.
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw his junior brother look up, his eyes filled with a different kind of emotion.
It seemed to be resentment, or perhaps... fear?
What are you afraid of her for?
She's just been a bit suspicious lately, but it's all for his health. Has she upset her junior brother because of this?
Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Song Qiling strode forward and waved her hand to interrupt his stare: "Are you still angry with me because of what happened last night?"
Seeing his pupils tremble slightly, as if she had hit the nail on the head, Song Qiling became even more certain of her guess. She sighed softly and said, "Senior brother shouldn't have been suspicious of you. I promise you, I will never act like I did last night again, okay?"
Gu Lianzhou remained silent, his brows lowered and eyes narrowed. After a moment, he slowly nodded.
Look at that, it really looks like a silly goose.
Song Qiling couldn't help but want to laugh, but fearing that her junior brother would misunderstand, she forced herself to suppress her smile, though the smile still peeked out from the corners of her eyes.
Today the sky was clear and the air was fresh. She had also cleared up the misunderstanding with her junior brother, and she was in a very good mood. Even the weapon racks hanging by the roadside seemed particularly pleasing to the eye.
etc.
Where did this weapon rack come from?
Song Qiling's expression stiffened slightly. She took a step back and looked at the ebony weapon rack on the winding stone path beside her, her temple veins throbbing.
The Murong family's martial spirit has reached an outrageous level. Who would practice martial arts on such a secluded path?
Just as she was inwardly complaining, a chilling sword aura suddenly pierced through the air, leaving a buzzing sound wherever it passed. Before she could turn around, her junior brother reacted quickly, pulling her arm forward so that they barely missed the sword's edge.
"Who!" Gu Lianzhou looked in the direction of the sword energy with a gloomy face.
The man's wild laughter echoed in the courtyard. A few breaths later, a figure in black descended like a withered leaf, turning to look at Song and Gu.
Song Qiling immediately straightened his back, tensed his arms, and his aura turned as cold as frost and snow.
It is truly strange that as a guest of the Murong family, he was ambushed in the mansion.
If that person was only after her, then so be it; if not, then it might be the patriarch's doing...
"Your reaction is quick, but your vigilance is still lacking." The man in black was not particularly tall, but his shoulders and back were as thick as rammed earth walls. Even though they were covered by his clothes, the traces of his years of training were still visible.
He was handsome, but one of his eyes had a gray pupil embedded in its socket, which sent a chill down one's spine at first glance. Beneath his hooked nose, his thin lips curled slightly, as if mocking the two of them.
Seeing this, Song Qiling said angrily, "You audacious thief, how dare you commit violence in broad daylight in a home? With such disregard for the law, aren't you afraid of causing a death?"
But the man said nonchalantly, "As a guest of the Murong family, how could you not know the Murong family's rules?"
Song Qiling immediately sensed something was wrong: "What rules?"
Yu Qi didn't tell her.
The man pointed to the weapon rack to the side and said loudly, "Anyone who enters my Murong Mansion as a guest may test their swords in the courtyard and spar freely, taking full responsibility for their life or death."
What an unreasonable rule.
"Do you mean I'm being forced to test my sword even if I don't want to spar?" Song Qiling laughed angrily. "Besides, I'm not a retainer of the manor, so I don't need to abide by the rules."
Upon hearing this, the man's expression finally changed: "If you're not a retainer, then who are you?"
Suddenly realizing something, the man's brow twitched, and his tone turned cold. "Are you friends that Murong Yu brought back to the manor?"
Song Qiling neither confirmed nor denied this.
The news of the young master of the Murong family returning home last night has spread far and wide. Everyone in the manor knows about it, but very few people have actually seen what the three people who returned with Murong Yu looked like.
Now I have seen it.
Murong Zheng sneered, walked past the two men, pulled the long sword stuck in the tree, and strode away into the distance. After a while, still feeling uneasy, he turned his head to look at Song and Gu, as if trying to etch their faces into his mind.
"Junior brother, it seems we've been harassed by a vicious dog." Song Qiling tilted his head and whispered to his junior brother, "Remember to stay far away from this person if you encounter him in the future. Your senior brother can't always be by your side. If you can't beat him, run fast, understand?"
Gu Lianzhou also stared in Murong Zheng's direction, his lips pursed, and he uttered a sentence from between his teeth: "Senior brother, it seems that he heard everything you said."
Oh my...did you hear that?
Song Qiling gave an awkward smile, raised his hand to cover his lips, and continued, "It doesn't matter if he hears it. I, your senior brother, am upright and honest, and I have nothing to fear from him."
Gu Lianzhou glanced down at her, thinking to himself that this wasn't about being upright and honest, but rather...
Seeing that the man finally left, he whispered, "This man seems to have a grudge against Yu Qi, and he also dislikes us."
There are probably old grudges involved.
And that gray prosthetic eye, it's possible it's related to Yu Qi.
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