Chapter 43: Defense Must Be Taken Seriously
Tang Xiaoning was led by the wrist by Li Minghua, and they walked silently along the bluestone path leading to the inner courtyard.
She could clearly feel the hand holding hers; the palm wasn't soft, it had thin calluses, and at that moment it even felt slightly taut.
His gaze subtly shifted upwards, landing on Li Minghua's cold, hard profile.
His jawline was taut, and his thin lips were pressed into a straight line, as if he was still suppressing the anger that had just been forcibly provoked.
Tang Xiaoning felt both relieved and relieved that Li Minghua had decisively rejected Liu Yiyi, but she couldn't help feeling a pang of heartache.
She knew that the colder and calmer Li Minghua appeared on the outside, the more intense his disgust and anger towards this despicable entanglement was inside.
“Minghua…” She gently shook the wrist that was being held, her voice soft and gentle, “Don’t be angry… It’s not worth getting upset over someone like that.”
While whispering words of comfort, she tried to gently grasp Li Minghua's slightly cold fingers with her own soft fingertips, conveying silent support and solace.
The force of the grip made Li Minghua stop abruptly in his tracks.
She stood still, as if the pause button had been pressed.
She took a deep breath with a force that seemed to expel all the stale air from her chest, and only then did her tense shoulders relax almost imperceptibly.
She slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on Tang Xiaoning's small face, which was filled with worry.
At that moment, Tang Xiaoning clearly saw the lingering cold embers in Li Minghua's eyes, along with a hint of weariness that was hard to conceal.
"I'm not angry." Li Minghua's voice was low and a few degrees hoarseer than usual.
She held Tang Xiaoning's hand, not letting go, but tightening it slightly, as if drawing some kind of strength from it.
Those deep eyes were fixed on Tang Xiaoning. "I just feel... some things really shouldn't be delayed any longer."
Her tone carried a solemn, almost declarative quality.
"What is it?" Tang Xiaoning's heart skipped a beat, and the unease she felt from Li Minghua's unusual gaze instantly intensified.
She subconsciously pressed for an answer, her clear almond-shaped eyes filled with doubt and a hint of expectation.
Li Minghua did not answer immediately.
She simply gazed at her, her eyes like a sculptor's, meticulously tracing Tang Xiaoning's eyebrows, nose, and lips, as if trying to carve this vivid and bright face into the depths of her soul without missing a single detail.
That gaze was so focused it was heart-stopping, and so heavy it made Tang Xiaoning almost forget to breathe.
After a long time...
Even the servant sweeping the corridor in the distance couldn't help but steal several glances in their direction, muttering to himself that Miss Li's face looked even more frightening than when she was at the door, yet he held tightly to the young lady's hand...
Li Minghua seemed to finally break free from some kind of addiction, and the pressure on his fingers slowly loosened.
She looked away, her voice regaining its usual calm and collected tone, yet it seemed to carry an invisible distance:
"It's nothing. You must be tired after all this fuss, go and rest."
After saying that, before Tang Xiaoning could speak again, she turned around nimbly, took a few steps, and strode towards the training ground.
Her back was still as upright as a pine tree, and her steps were steady, but she no longer had the composure of the past.
Tang Xiaoning stood there, stunned, her fingertips still bearing the strength and warmth of the other person's grip.
As she watched the figure quickly disappear into the distance, a strong sense of unease quietly crept into her heart.
What exactly did Minghua mean by what he just said... and that look in his eyes?
She had never seen Li Minghua display such an expression... as if she were going to a life-or-death appointment.
Outside the mansion gate.
The cold door knocker pressed against Liu Yiyi's palm as she dejectedly supported her mother, whose face was ashen and who had exhausted even the strength to act.
Her fingernails dug deep into the palm of her other hand, leaving several crescent-shaped bloodstains, but she felt no pain whatsoever.
Each meticulously planned scheme and each humble plea only resulted in a colder and more complete rejection!
The final, tightly shut door shattered all her hopes.
The heroine's heart... is indeed made of stone!
No... perhaps it wasn't a stone, but rather that her heart had already been completely filled by the eldest daughter of the Tang family, leaving no room for anyone else.
This realization pierced Liu Yiyi's heart, instantly transforming despair into a raging fire of jealousy and a wildly growing resentment.
Why? Why should that pampered young lady receive all of Li Minghua's tenderness and protection?
Why should my sincere feelings be discarded like trash?
Since gentle persuasion cannot move you, and since you, Li Minghua, are so heartless and cruel... then don't blame me for using some extreme measures!
A mad thought, a mixture of despair, jealousy, and resentment, finally rose up in the abyss where she was driven to the brink of despair, and spat out a cold, deadly tongue.
Those eyes, which had once held a gentle sorrow, now held only icy resentment and reckless madness.
Some obsessions, when completely crushed and driven into a dead end, will breed the most terrifying thorns, enough to tear apart all pretense and twist the original "unfulfilled desire" into the all-destroying "mutual destruction".
**
After Li Minghua ruthlessly shattered all their delusions outside the mansion gates that day, Liu Yiyi and her daughter indeed vanished without a trace once again.
The Tang mansion has returned to its former tranquility and peace, and even the chirping of birds under the eaves seems exceptionally clear.
But a sense of oppression, like the low pressure before a storm, quietly spread through the corners of the mansion, weighing heavily on people's hearts.
The maids responsible for sweeping walked quietly and spoke in hushed tones, afraid of disturbing anything.
The guards took turns guarding the palace with extra diligence, and Xiao Cui saw Li Minghua standing alone on a high eaves corner several times, his gaze sweeping over the world outside the palace walls.
Tang Xiaoning's keen mind had already taken in all the changes in Li Minghua.
She spent significantly more time practicing her swordsmanship, and the sound of her long sword cutting through the air in the courtyard grew increasingly shrill and piercing, carrying a fierce urge to vent her frustration.
Sometimes, she would strike the solid wooden dummy repeatedly.
Amidst the flying sawdust, the dull "thump" of fists striking the wood was so powerful that even Tang Xiaoning, watching from afar, felt her palms go numb, as if the wooden stake was the nameless rage simmering within her.
Li Minghua remained silent, but that silence was no longer as steady as a mountain; instead, it was like a deep, ancient well, with turbulent currents hidden beneath the surface that were impossible to see or understand.
That day, taking advantage of Li Minghua's brief moment of breathlessness after sheathing his sword while drenched in sweat, Tang Xiaoning immediately approached him with a clean towel, her voice soft and gentle, tinged with a cautious probing:
"Minghua, have you been...worried about something lately? I've noticed you've been practicing your swordsmanship with extra force." She stood on tiptoe and carefully wiped the sweat rolling down Li Minghua's forehead with a handkerchief.
Li Minghua reached out and took the towel, casually wiping his face with it, his sharply defined jawline still taut.
Her gaze swept over Tang Xiaoning's worried face, finally landing on a few newly blooming rose bushes in the corner of the courtyard, their vibrant red standing out starkly against the somber atmosphere.
"It's nothing," she replied briefly, her voice slightly hoarse from the exertion.
After a moment's pause, her gaze remained fixed on the roses, as if casually asking, "Have you... left the manor alone recently?"
“No,” Tang Xiaoning immediately shook her head, subconsciously taking a small step closer to Li Minghua, as if that would give her a sense of security.
"It's so boring going out by myself if you don't come with me." She paused, then looked up and around.
Once she was sure no one was around, she leaned close to Li Minghua's ear and whispered, "And... I have a feeling that something's not quite right, like... like someone is secretly watching our mansion from the shadows."
As soon as she finished speaking, a gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, and she shivered. Instinctively, she reached out her small hand and tightly gripped the corner of Li Minghua's leather belt.
Li Minghua's eyes suddenly sharpened, and the aura around him, which had been slightly relaxed due to rest, instantly tightened, becoming as sharp and intimidating as a drawn blade.
Almost instinctively, she reached out and grasped Tang Xiaoning's slender upper arm with her broad hand, pulling her deeper behind her solid back, completely bringing her into her protective embrace.
Those sharp eyes, with a cold glint in them, swept inch by inch over the towering courtyard walls, the lush trees, and every corner where a possible lurking spy might be hiding.
After confirming that there was no suspicious movement, her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but her furrowed brows remained unchanged.
“Your feeling… might be right.” Li Minghua’s voice was very low. “Liu Yiyi… probably won’t let this go.”
"What else would she dare to do?" Tang Xiaoning was both angry and scared, her fingers gripping the leather belt even tighter. "Could she...could she really dare to kidnap someone in broad daylight?"
That's what she said, but her voice trembled without her even realizing it.
"A cornered dog will jump over the wall; such a person is utterly depraved and must be guarded against." Li Minghua finally withdrew his gaze and looked down at the terrified girl beside him.
Deep within those unfathomable eyes lay undisguised worry, like a heavy shadow enveloping Tang Xiaoning's petite figure.
“From this day forward,” her voice brooked no argument, “you shall not step out of the mansion without my personal accompaniment.”
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the flowers, plants, and paths in the courtyard: "Even within the mansion, we must be extra careful. We must pay special attention to our food, daily necessities, and everything we put in our mouths must be inspected by someone."
Li Minghua's unprecedentedly serious attitude made Tang Xiaoning's heart tighten.
She nodded vigorously, obediently replying, "Yes! I understand, I'll do whatever you say!"
She loosened her belt, then gripped Li Minghua's tight-fitting coat sleeve tightly, tilting her small face up and asking eagerly:
"Then...what about you? She hates you so much, won't...won't it be a bad thing for you?"
Her clear eyes were filled with worry for herself.
Upon hearing this, Li Minghua's tightly pursed lips curled into a chilling smile, like a sliver of cold light reflected from an iceberg: "If she has the guts, let her try."
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