Chapter 44 The Darkening of Liu Yiyi
The absolute confidence and sharp edge contained in that smile made Tang Xiaoning's heart skip a beat, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart.
I felt incredibly safe and secure because of this powerful protection, but I also felt a slight flutter in my heart because of Minghua, who exuded a strange yet powerful aura.
In the following days, the mansion was heavily guarded, almost like an invisible iron wall.
Li Minghua was like Tang Xiaoning's most steadfast shadow, never leaving her side.
She walked in the garden, keeping watch three steps away.
She stood by the window while reading in the study;
Even when Tang Xiaoning was taking a bath, she would stand guard by the door outside the screen, her figure like a silent mountain.
At night, she insisted on moving her bed to the outer room of Tang Xiaoning's boudoir, lying down fully clothed with her long sword by her side, her breathing long and alert.
From initial nervousness and discomfort, Tang Xiaoning gradually grew accustomed to this impenetrable protection. In the quiet of the night, when she heard the steady, long breathing outside, a sweet feeling of being wholeheartedly and firmly enveloped and protected quietly arose in her heart.
That afternoon, under the warm, lazy sun, Tang Xiaoning suddenly felt a strong craving, longing for the sweet and smooth almond yogurt from the old shop on East Street.
She tugged at Li Minghua's sleeve, begging and pleading like a kitten begging for food:
"Minghua... Okay, Minghua! We'll just go for a little while!"
I'll be back soon after I buy it!
"With your martial arts skills so high, you can injure people even with flying flowers and fallen leaves. With you here, everything will definitely be alright!"
She blinked her big, watery eyes, trying her best to make the most pitiful expression:
"Besides, it's broad daylight, under the clear sky. What can a weak woman like Liu Yiyi do in front of all these people?"
Li Minghua couldn't resist her appearance, and even more so, he couldn't bear those expectant eyes staring at him.
She scrutinized Tang Xiaoning, then glanced warily at the sky and the direction of the courtyard gate, finally letting out a barely perceptible sigh.
Her tense jawline relaxed slightly: "Okay. But you must go and return quickly, without a moment's delay."
Her tone remained serious: "Remember, stay close to me, never leave my side."
"Definitely! I promise!" Tang Xiaoning immediately beamed with joy, almost jumping for joy.
The two left the mansion and headed straight for East Street.
It was afternoon, and the streets were bustling with pedestrians.
Li Minghua remained highly vigilant throughout, his body slightly tense, ready to exert force at any moment.
One hand hangs casually at his side, but it is actually only an inch away from the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Those sharp eyes silently swept over everyone who brushed past them, glancing over the doors and windows of every shop, the entrances of alleys, and even the goods of roadside vendors.
Tang Xiaoning also restrained her usual lively and playful nature, like a frightened little bird, and clung tightly to Li Minghua's side.
They could feel the tension in Li Minghua's arm muscles and the warmth emanating from under his clothes.
Even when passersby occasionally cast curious or amazed glances, they were silently driven away by Li Minghua's cold look.
Tang Xiaoning finally managed to buy the almond cream she had been longing for. She wrapped it in oil paper and held it in her hands. The sweet aroma slightly dispelled her tension.
Without lingering, the two immediately turned around and hurried back the way they had come.
As I passed the entrance to a relatively quiet alley with few pedestrians...
A vendor wearing a gray coarse cloth short jacket with his hat brim pulled low, obscuring his face, suddenly burst out from the depths of the alley like a cannonball.
He was extremely fast and had a clear target, crashing straight into Tang Xiaoning, who was right next to Li Minghua on the outside.
In the chaos, a cold glint flashed from his lowered sleeve, as if he were holding some gleaming sharp weapon, and he used the momentum of the collision to stab it fiercely!
"Watch out—!" Li Minghua's stern shout was like a thunderclap!
Her reaction had long transcended thought, completely imprinted on the depths of her body's instincts.
Almost the instant the other person's shoulder twitched and revealed an intention to attack, Li Minghua's arm, like a steel hoop, suddenly grabbed Tang Xiaoning's waist, pulling her into his arms with lightning speed, using his strong back to meet the possible impact.
At the same time, her other hand had already become a blur, precisely grabbing the wrist of the "vendor" who was holding the weapon.
"Crack!" A tooth-chilling sound of bone breaking rang out, accompanied by a piercing scream!
The weapon in the "vendor's" hand clattered to the ground; it was a sharp dagger with a cold, eerie blue blade, clearly poisoned!
As the hat brim was knocked askew, the face contorted in agony and madness was exposed to the sunlight.
It was Liu Yiyi, disguised and with bloodshot eyes.
Her face was contorted like a demon as she glared at Tang Xiaoning, who was held tightly in Li Minghua's arms and completely unharmed.
Her eyes burned with venom and jealousy, and she screamed, her voice piercingly harsh:
Why?! By what right?!
Why is it that you get all her attention and all her protection?!
What is it about me, Liu Yiyi, that I lack compared to you, this pampered young lady?!
Give her back to me! Give her back to me!
Ignoring the excruciating pain from her broken wrist, like a trapped beast that had lost its mind, she desperately nuzzled her head into Li Minghua's arms, trying to bite Tang Xiaoning!
At this moment, Li Minghua's eyes were as cold as frozen rock beneath a thousand feet of ice. Anger boiled silently in her chest, and her voice was deep yet contained a terrifying power:
"Stubborn fool! You're courting death!"
She held Tang Xiaoning's waist tightly, her feet moving nimbly like butterflies flitting among flowers, avoiding Liu Yiyi's frantic headbutt.
At the same time, the hand holding the other person's wrist twists and pulls in a clean and neat over-the-shoulder throw!
"Bang!"
Dust flying everywhere!
Liu Yiyi was slammed heavily onto the hard, cold bluestone pavement, the fall making her feel as if her internal organs had shifted, and she saw stars before her eyes.
Before she could struggle, Li Minghua's knee was already firmly pressed against her back, a vital spot, like a huge boulder. The powerful force made it difficult for her to even breathe, and she was completely unable to move.
The whole process was as fast as lightning and as smooth as flowing water. Tang Xiaoning, who was startled, didn't even feel too much of a jolt. Instead, she was held even tighter in her safe embrace.
"Minghua!" Only then did Tang Xiaoning regain her voice from the shock, her heart pounding wildly in her chest.
Still shaken, she clung tightly to Li Minghua's shirt, her face pale, staring at Liu Yiyi, who lay on the ground like a rag doll, subdued yet still howling with venomous resentment.
A chill ran from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, and she was so frightened that her fingertips trembled.
The commotion had already alerted passersby, with screams and exclamations erupting, which soon attracted the attention of the patrolling constables.
Li Minghua explained the situation concisely and clearly, coldly pointing out Liu Yiyi's crimes of premeditated violence and poisoning her weapon.
He then handed over the fallen dagger and the limp Liu Yiyi as irrefutable evidence.
Liu Yiyi was roughly dragged up by several yamen runners, and her hands were twisted behind her back and tied up.
As she was being led away, she suddenly turned her head, her bloodshot eyes fixed on Tang Xiaoning's pale face, a twisted smile of extreme resentment spreading across her lips.
The hatred in his eyes seemed to pierce through flesh and bone, sending chills down one's spine; even the escorting constables felt a shiver of fear.
A long-planned storm was finally quelled seemingly without serious incident thanks to Li Minghua's swift and decisive actions.
However, the resentment in Liu Yiyi's last glance left a cold shadow, quietly imprinted on Tang Xiaoning's heart.
Li Minghua's arm around her waist maintained a firm, assertive grip, as if declaring his sovereignty, and he did not loosen it for a long time.
On the way back, the setting sun cast its golden rays onto the gradually dispersing streets, but it could not dispel the chill that lingered in Tang Xiaoning's heart.
She was practically hanging on Li Minghua's left arm, her arms tightly wrapped around that strong and powerful arm.
She strained so hard that her knuckles turned white, as if that was the only anchor that could hold her faltering mind in place.
Her face was still pale with shock, and her lips trembled slightly.
Recalling Liu Yiyi's last venomous look, her body involuntarily shuddered, her voice filled with the vulnerability and disbelief of someone who had survived a catastrophe:
"How...how could she have become like this...she looked so scary just now...maybe I shouldn't have let you save her."
She subconsciously pressed her cheek against the cold leather arm guard on Li Minghua's upper arm, as if trying to draw a sense of real security.
Li Minghua could clearly feel the subtle trembling in her arms and the force that almost dug into her flesh.
She didn't pull her arm away; her right hand, still gripping the sword hilt, remained firmly in place, her knuckles turning slightly pale from the force.
Her sharp gaze still habitually swept across the surrounding corners, and the intimidating, cold aura emanating from her had not completely dissipated.
Upon hearing Tang Xiaoning's words, her voice regained its surface calm, but beneath that calm, the cold, hard embers of the storm still lingered:
"Obsessions that penetrate to the bone become a mind-devouring demon."
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Tang Xiaoning's hair, which was pressed tightly against hers and completely unguarded, and added in a firm tone:
"However, after this incident, the authorities will handle it according to the law. You can rest assured from now on."
These words were said to Tang Xiaoning, but also seemed to be said to himself, carrying a sense of resolute acceptance.
Tang Xiaoning looked up, and the golden light of the setting sun outlined Li Minghua's angular profile, his straight nose, his tightly pursed lips, and the sharp glint in his usually calm eyes that shone for her.
A surge of warmth, mixed with the lingering fear of surviving a disaster, broke down her defenses, leaving only overflowing gratitude and complete dependence.
She knew perfectly well that if Li Minghua hadn't maintained the highest level of vigilance at all times, and if she hadn't possessed exceptional martial arts skills and lightning-fast reflexes, that poisoned dagger today...
She dared not think any further.
"Minghua..." Tang Xiaoning's voice was as light as a feather, with a thick nasal tone and a sob, yet it was incredibly clear.
"Thank you..." she said, resting her head more comfortably in Li Minghua's strong and warm arms.
Her forehead gently pressed against the slightly stiff fabric of Li Minghua's shoulder.
Li Minghua's body stiffened for a moment when Tang Xiaoning leaned in.
The warm, soft touch came through the thin fabric, and she could even feel Tang Xiaoning's breath brushing against her shoulders and neck.
This sudden intimate contact left her more bewildered than when she faced ten ruthless bandits. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest, and heat had already crept up to her ears.
But she didn't push her away in the end. Instead, she almost instinctively slowed down her originally hurried pace.
The steps became steady and gentle, each step firm and deliberate, as if soothing the frightened little bird in the crook of the arms with its own rhythm.
As the setting sun generously cast its last rays, several peddlers who had witnessed the chaos unfolding earlier whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with curiosity as they turned to look at them from a distant street corner.
An older woman carrying a shopping basket walked by and saw the two of them leaning on each other so intimately, especially the imposing female guard who was so indulgent in letting someone lean on her. She couldn't help but smile with a hint of curiosity.
She whispered to her companion, "Look, this is true protection..."
Their gazes made Li Minghua feel somewhat uncomfortable, but her straight spine remained unmoved, tacitly acquiescing to this intimacy being observed in the sunset.
After this incident, the threat lurking like a leech, Liu Yiyi, seemed to have finally been uprooted and could no longer cause any trouble.
However, the idea that had long taken root in Li Minghua's heart became even more intense and clear, and more urgent than ever, the moment he witnessed Tang Xiaoning facing a fatal threat.
Some things can't wait any longer.
This realization resonated within her like a thunderous war drum.
Tang Xiaoning, still shaken and wanting nothing more than to hold onto this sense of security, was completely immersed in the warmth and protection of Li Minghua's arms.
Feeling the other person's steady steps and warm breath, she felt incredibly at ease, like a fledgling bird that had found its way home.
Unbeknownst to her, a storm of emotions, unique to the two of them, was brewing and ripening in Li Minghua's turbulent heart, about to roar in.
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