Chapter 21 The Fierce Tang Xiaoning
Liu Yiyi was so distraught that she couldn't lift her head. Her soft, suppressed sobs sounded like the whimpers of a wounded animal, and her shoulders heaved violently, sounding particularly clear and jarring in the empty corridor.
Tang Xiaoning took a deep breath, as if trying to squeeze out all the remaining anger in her chest.
The lingering, strong jasmine scent in the air now only annoyed her.
"I've remembered every single word you just said!"
Starting today, do your job well! If the kitchen is short-staffed, then go and help out honestly; if they're not short-staffed, then stay put where you are!
"Without my summons, you are not allowed to loiter in the inner courtyard again! And most importantly—you are not allowed to get any closer to Minghua! Not even an inch! Do you understand?!"
She turned around abruptly, covering her tear-streaked face with both hands, and seemed to nod slightly, but it was hard to see clearly.
He then staggered and stumbled as he ran away along the corridor.
Hiding behind the moon gate, Xiao Cui watched Liu Yiyi's disheveled escape and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She patted her chest and whispered to the old gardener beside her, "Finally, some peace and quiet... This Miss Liu is just too... sigh..."
As the figure disappeared completely from sight, Tang Xiaoning's tense nerves suddenly relaxed, she let out a long breath, and her shoulders slumped.
She looked as if she had just gone through a grueling battle, with a sense of exhaustion and depletion.
She instinctively turned around, seeking some familiar support, but unexpectedly met Li Minghua's eyes, which were now clearly filled with shock.
Those eyes were so clear and transparent, as if they could see right into her heart, which she was trying so hard to keep calm.
Tang Xiaoning's heart skipped a beat.
“You…” Li Minghua frowned slightly, looking at the lingering “fierceness” on her face after she turned away, his voice filled with confusion, “Why get so angry?”
Although she also felt a long-lost sense of relief from Liu Yiyi's departure, as if a heavy shackle had been removed, Tang Xiaoning's aggressive and sharp-tongued demeanor just now was indeed... unexpectedly fierce.
Tang Xiaoning was clearly taken aback by her question.
She had been so focused on driving away the "intruders" and protecting her "territory" that she only realized, after calming down, that her reaction had been too intense and even somewhat out of control.
A surge of heat rushed to her cheeks, and her fair skin quickly flushed with a thin layer of red.
Her gaze began to wander uncontrollably, and she dared not meet Li Minghua's overly insightful eyes any longer. She forced herself to remain calm and explained, her words coming out so quickly it seemed as if she were trying to conceal something:
"I...I'm just angry that she doesn't know any manners! She's so tactless!"
Her fingers unconsciously twisted the corner of her sleeve that Li Minghua had just pulled.
“Besides,” she raised her voice slightly, as if to make it more convincing, “the way she was acting just now, practically throwing herself at you, it was just… just indecent! I was… I was protecting my bodyguard from harassment! Yes! That’s it!”
The more Tang Xiaoning spoke, the more confident she felt. Her back, which had slumped earlier, straightened again, and her delicate chin was slightly raised as she tried to project the authoritative demeanor befitting an employer.
"As an employer, isn't it my duty and important responsibility to protect my employee's physical and mental health and... well... work environment so that she can concentrate on her duties?!"
Her voice was firm and resonant, as if she were reading a solemn appointment letter.
Li Minghua looked at her quietly.
Watching her, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling, yet she still trying to straighten her back like a puffed-up pufferfish, forcefully spouting the high-sounding rhetoric of "employer's liability."
The initial bewilderment and confusion in those clear eyes gradually faded, replaced by an exceptionally clear smile.
The smile first lingered in his eyes, then quietly spread to the corners of his lips, curving into a small but gentle arc.
She didn't call out her obvious excuse, but simply nodded slightly, responding clearly and deliberately with a hint of teasing in her tone:
"Hmm." She paused, her gaze falling on Tang Xiaoning's ears, which were turning increasingly red despite her attempts to appear calm. The teasing tone in her voice became clearer. "Thank you for your trouble, employer."
That earnest "thank you for your trouble" and that clearly visible smile unexpectedly swept across Tang Xiaoning's heart.
The "employer" aura she had just painstakingly mustered to arm herself vanished without a trace in an instant.
The blush on her face deepened rapidly, and even her neck was tinged with a light pink.
Like a small animal cornered against a wall, she subconsciously raised her hand to touch the tip of her small nose, her gaze wandering to the few remaining small flowers on the osmanthus tree beside her.
Her voice trailed off, a hint of embarrassment in her mumble: "It's good that you... at least you still have some conscience..."
She paused, then, as if to regain some ground, raised her voice slightly and added with a touch of spoiled willfulness:
"If she dares to come up to me like that again, I'll yell at her! I'll yell at her until she remembers!"
Watching her transform from a fierce and aggressive demeanor to a charmingly awkward one in an instant, the slight upturn of the corners of Li Minghua's mouth silently curved upwards a little more, though the curve was faint, it was still clearly visible.
Although the process was a bit chaotic and tense, the result... seems to be quite good.
At least, I can have some peace and quiet for a long time now.
This rare tranquility seems... even more pleasant than expected.
**
Since Tang Xiaoning "showed his might" that day, Liu Yiyi has indeed become much more well-behaved.
The indigo-clad figure never appeared again in front of the moon gate in the inner courtyard, let alone do something as inappropriate as "wiping sweat."
The mansion returned to its former tranquility, and even the chirping of birds under the eaves sounded exceptionally clear.
But some things, like the undercurrents beneath spring water, are not gone, but will eventually change direction silently.
As the morning light shone through the sparse clouds, Li Minghua stood under the pomegranate tree, his gaze fixed on Tang Xiaoning.
Tang Xiaoning was practicing the self-defense footwork with great concentration. Perhaps her pride was hurt by the embarrassing incident where she almost tripped last time, because she was particularly focused on practicing today.
As she spun around with her toes touching the ground, her skirt billowed in an arc like a black lotus. Although her steps were still a little awkward, she managed to complete the entire round in one smooth motion.
“Yes, focus your energy in your dantian and root yourself to the ground.” Li Minghua’s voice was not loud, but it clearly penetrated the courtyard.
Unconsciously, Lin Minghua tapped his fingertips lightly on the scabbard at his side, a habit he had when he was focused: "When turning around, elbows and arms protect the ribs—the opening is too wide."
Tang Xiaoning did as instructed, pulling her elbow back, the movement accompanied by a warm, slightly sweaty scent.
When she finally took the last step, her breathing became slightly rapid, and tiny beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her fair nose.
She habitually raised her sleeve, but just before the fabric touched her skin, a neatly folded plain handkerchief was suddenly presented to her.
The pure cotton handkerchief, washed until soft, with fine fuzz on the edges, was the standard style for the entire household, carrying the most ordinary, clean scent of soap.
Of course, it was completely different from Liu Yiyi's fragrant handkerchief.
Tang Xiaoning was stunned, her gaze following the hand holding the handkerchief upwards.
Li Minghua's fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, and a thin layer of calluses covered the base of her thumb. At this moment, she was steadily holding the handkerchief in front of her.
Seeing that she didn't take it, Li Minghua stubbornly extended her hand forward a little more, the edge of the handkerchief almost touching Tang Xiaoning's fingertips.
"Here." A single word, as concise as a sword slicing through the air.
Tang Xiaoning then came to her senses and took it with trembling fingertips.
The cotton handkerchief, soaked with sunlight, gently warmed my palm; the clean, slightly warm touch traveled along my veins and soothed my heart.
Clutching her handkerchief, she looked up at Li Minghua, her eyes filled with a bewildered confusion.
Li Minghua's eyelashes fluttered slightly as she looked at him. He turned his face away from the overly direct gaze and explained in a flat voice, "I'm sweating. Wipe it off."
The tone was so matter-of-fact as if saying "the weather is fine today," completely unaware of how similar this action was to the "casually tucking in hair" comment made by the stone table a month ago.
Tang Xiaoning's heart felt as if it had been gently tickled by the tip of a feather.
She lowered her head and slowly wiped the thin layer of sweat from the tip of her nose with a handkerchief. The refreshing scent of soapberry mixed with the smell of sunshine lingered in her nose, and a hint of sweetness quietly melted in her chest.
She deliberately dragged out her words, her eyes darting around with a mischievous glint in them: "Oh—it's only been a few days, and our Lady Li has already learned to 'casually' show concern for others?"
Tang Xiaoning's voice rose at the end, indicating that she was in a good mood.
Li Minghua paused almost imperceptibly.
Her earlobes were subtly tinged with a faint blush, but her face remained impassive. She casually turned her gaze back, her eyes landing on Tang Xiaoning's cheeks, which were flushed from exercise, and calmly replied, "Yeah. Just doing it on the spur of the moment."
A bright light flashed in Tang Xiaoning's eyes, and the soreness and fatigue from her earlier walking practice vanished in an instant.
She carefully folded the handkerchief as if it were a precious treasure, even rubbing her fingertips against the soft cotton fabric a couple more times before gently tucking it into the depths of her pale yellow sleeve pocket.
A sly smile played on her lips: "This handkerchief has been imbued with my ethereal aura, so you'll have to treat it with utmost care! I'll return it to you after I've personally washed and scented it!"
"Whatever you want." Li Minghua's gaze had already returned to the open space, as if the handkerchief he had just handed over was merely an illusion.
She tapped the stone table beside her with her finger, producing a crisp sound, thus steering the conversation back on track:
"You used too much force in that spinning step just now, and your lower body is unstable. Shift your weight down by three points, get your waist and stance into one, and try again."
"Huh? Again?!" Tang Xiaoning's bright smile instantly vanished, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she let out a long, mournful sigh, grinding the fallen leaves on the ground with her toes in dissatisfaction.
Li Minghua remained unmoved, only slightly raising his chin to signal her to return to her original position.
A strict and upright teacher and a charming and innocent apprentice, yet the atmosphere between them was more harmonious than ever before.
As the sun rose higher, the shadows of the trees in the courtyard shifted westward.
Xiao Cui carried a red lacquered tray with light steps. The tea in the celadon cup was clear and bright, and a few pieces of crystal-clear osmanthus cake were arranged on a white porcelain plate. Surprisingly, a small dish of oily and golden apricot preserves was added next to it.
"Huh?" Tang Xiaoning, with her sharp eyes, immediately pounced over as if she had discovered a treasure, picked up a piece of candied fruit with her slender fingers, and couldn't wait to put it into her mouth.
The sweet and sour, soft and chewy flesh melted in her mouth, and she squinted her eyes in satisfaction: "Did the kitchen finally get it today? It even remembered to prepare my favorite!"
Xiao Cui smiled, her eyes darting quickly to Li Minghua, who sat quietly drinking tea beside her. Her voice was clear and crisp:
"Miss Li went to the kitchen specifically to give the order before dawn this morning! She said that you mentioned a few days ago when you were taking a walk that you wanted to eat the freshly pickled apricots from 'Fu Ji' in the south of the city!"
"Pfft—cough cough!" Tang Xiaoning choked on the candied fruit in her mouth, turned her head sharply to look at Li Minghua, her eyes full of bright smiles.
Li Minghua's hand holding the teacup paused almost imperceptibly in mid-air, the rim of the cup still half an inch from her lips.
Her Adam's apple bobbed slightly, then she casually took a sip before setting down her teacup. Her gaze remained fixed on the swaying bamboo shadows ahead, and her tone was flat and even: "I just happened to be passing by and overheard the kitchen staff discussing shopping. I mentioned it on the spur of the moment."
"Oh... so it was just a casual mention?" Tang Xiaoning drawled out, like a little mouse that had just stolen some sesame oil, and grinned as she moved closer to Li Minghua.
She deliberately nudged Li Minghua's tense arm with her elbow, tilted her head, and leaned close to Li Minghua's ear. Her warm breath brushed against the other's already reddened earlobe, and her voice was soft and teasing:
"Is it really not some female knight-errant who secretly and meticulously etched this particular preference of mine into her heart?"
The last word was almost breathed on Li Minghua's sensitive earlobe.
Li Minghua suddenly stood up, his movement so swift that it stirred up a gentle breeze.
She kept a straight face, deliberately avoiding Tang Xiaoning's strikingly bright eyes, her fingertips brushing against the cold hilt of the sword at her waist, her voice tense: "Are you still going to practice?"
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