Grand mansion on the shore of Taihu Lake
The water towns of Jiangnan are shrouded in mist and waves.
On the shore of Taihu Lake, an elegant mansion with three courtyards and pavilions is built by the water. With its white walls and black tiles, flying eaves and upturned corners, it blends into the lake and mountain scenery, as tranquil as a traditional Chinese ink painting.
Xie Chen had indeed put a lot of thought into the residence.
Everywhere, in the corridors, waterside pavilions, and even the corners of the courtyards, exquisite isolation formations and warning barriers were quietly set up, ostensibly to ensure "no interference between each other, each in its proper place."
Inside the main bedroom, the most eye-catching feature is the extremely large and solidly built rosewood canopy bed.
The bedposts are sturdy, and the bed board is thick and solid, standing firmly in the center of the room.
Fang Li has become the center of this courtyard.
She wakes up naturally when the sun is high in the sky, sometimes leaning on the railing of a pavilion by the lake to admire the scenery, watching the vast expanse of water and egrets skimming the surface; sometimes holding a book in a waterside pavilion, letting the breeze caress her face and the fragrance of flowers fill her sleeves; sometimes directing Xiao Liuli, who has transformed into a seven-colored little unicorn, to pick newly opened lotus flowers, or collecting morning dew from lotus leaves to make tea.
Life was leisurely and comfortable.
The four men maintained a facade of peace, adhering to their agreement not to lay a hand on Fang Li, but various open and covert struggles were constantly brewing.
Early morning, in the flower hall.
Just as Fang Li sat down at the carved round table, four figures appeared simultaneously as if by prior arrangement.
Ye Wuyang silently pushed a white jade bowl in front of her. Inside was chilled rock sugar lotus seed soup, the lotus seeds plump and the soup clear, emitting a faint chill and sweet fragrance. "It's calming and helps to clear away internal heat," he said coldly, his eyes fixed on her reaction.
Almost simultaneously, Shen Yunzhou placed a plate of paper-thin, translucent sashimi on the table. Each slice was exactly the same size and thickness, with a faint glint of light left by the sharp sword energy cutting through the edges. It was accompanied by dipping sauce. "Fresh food, good for replenishing qi," he said succinctly, his gaze sweeping over the bowl of lotus seed soup with a hint of scrutiny.
With a muffled thud, Ji Qianqiu hoisted half of a whole roasted lamb, still steaming hot, golden brown and crispy, and glistening with oil, onto the other side of the table. He wiped his sweat with a hearty grin and exclaimed, "Junior Sister! Eat meat! It'll keep you full! You're strong!" He grinned and looked at Fang Li expectantly, completely oblivious to the dark expressions that instantly appeared on the faces of the other two.
Xie Chen arrived last, carrying an exquisite purple clay pot containing a carefully stewed medicinal meal. The combination of herbs and ingredients was clearly meticulously calculated, and the aroma was rich and mild. "Li'er, this was prepared based on your slightly uneven blood and qi yesterday; it's best for gentle nourishment." He smiled as he set the pot down, his gaze sweeping over the "iced," "raw," and "greasy" dishes on the table. He shook his head slightly, his tone gentle yet tinged with superiority: "Eating such cold and greasy food first thing in the morning is not good for your health."
Fang Li picked up a spoon, her gaze sweeping over the four distinctly different breakfast dishes. A slight smile played on her lips. Finally, she scooped up a spoonful of chilled lotus seed soup, put it in her mouth, and savored its cool, sweet taste. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
Ye Wuyang felt a slight chill subside.
She picked up another slice of sashimi, dipped it in the sauce, and found it to be sweet, chewy, and with a peculiar tingling sensation from the lingering sword energy. She nodded.
Shen Yunzhou's crossed arms relaxed slightly.
Then, she gestured for Ji Qianqiu to cut off a small piece of the most fragrant roasted lamb chop. After taking a bite, she found it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, bursting with juice. She gave Ji Qianqiu a thumbs up.
Ji Qianqiu immediately grinned from ear to ear.
Finally, she picked up Xie Chen's medicinal soup, slowly drank a few sips, and felt truly comfortable as the warm soup went down her throat.
Xie Chen chuckled lightly, fanning himself, as if he had expected this all along.
Breakfast was a tumultuous affair, yet Fang Li managed to treat everyone equally, leaving no one out while satisfying no one completely, striking a perfect balance.
In the afternoon, Fang Li wanted to go to the pavilion in the middle of the lake to feed the fish. As soon as she stepped out of the corridor, the four of them followed her silently like shadows.
The corridor was not wide to begin with, but all four of them wanted to squeeze into the spot closest to Fang Li.
Ye Wuyang silently approached the left side with his agility, Shen Yunzhou subtly released his sword energy and blocked the right side without leaving a trace, Xie Chen chuckled while fanning himself, and his seemingly casual adjustments of his steps always allowed him to occupy the golden position diagonally behind Fang Li, while Ji Qianqiu tried to force his way through with his physique, which often resulted in the corridor being blocked and the railings creaking as he squeezed them.
Crossing the small bridge was even more perilous. As the four of them stepped onto the bridge at the same time, the bridge shook violently! Ye Wuyang tried to stabilize himself by freezing the ground beneath his feet, Shen Yunzhou used his sword energy to lift him up, Xie Chen secretly made hand seals to maintain his balance, and Ji Qianqiu steadied himself in a horse stance... Fang Li was shaken and stumbled, but was caught by all four hands at the same time.
She snapped at them, "You all want to drag me down with you, don't you?" The four of them then reluctantly backed down, but their eye contact became even more intense.
As night fell, the area outside Fang Li's bedroom became an even bigger disaster zone.
The four of them took turns or attempted to stand guard outside the door, ostensibly to "protect the Dharma," but in reality to monitor each other.
Ye Wuyang leaned against the opposite corridor pillar with his arms crossed, his body radiating a chill that froze even the summer mosquitoes.
Shen Yunzhou stood under a tree in the courtyard, holding his sword. His figure blended into the shadow of the tree, and his sword aura was chilling.
Ji Qianqiu simply moved a stone stool over and sat at the gate of the courtyard, his eyes wide like copper bells, warily scanning the other three.
Xie Chen often sits at a stone table not far away with a cup of tea, seemingly enjoying tea and admiring the moon, but in reality, he silently calculates the celestial chart in his sleeve, thinking about how to "naturally" break the deadlock or create some minor trouble for others.
Fang Li was happy to watch the show. Occasionally, she would deliberately smile at someone when she opened the window to let in some fresh air, or ask someone to bring in a glass of water. This always caused a stir of jealousy outside, making the atmosphere even more tense.
That night, Fang Li soaked in a petal bath in the spacious bathroom. The warm steam rose and made her cheeks slightly flushed.
Little Liuli transformed back into her Qilin form, floating on the water's surface and playing with the flower petals with her claws.
Fang Li looked through the window at the blurry figures standing like four door gods in the moonlight, and a lazy yet meaningful smile appeared on her lips.
She scooped up a handful of water, letting the petals slip through her fingers, and suddenly spoke softly, "Little Liuli, do you think... weren't those guys quite unreasonable back then?"
Little Liuli immediately perked up, rolled around in the water, and waved her little paws indignantly: "It's not just excessive! It's downright insane! (Splashing water) Host, have you forgotten! How arrogant Ice Face was back then! He even wanted to take you as his apprentice! Sword Madman was like a poker face at first! Cold and sarcastic! Xie Fox was the worst! He schemed against you in every way! And that big oaf! He was always fighting with you! The axe was whistling! It scared the system to death!"
Fang Li narrowed her eyes, her gaze becoming somewhat distant: "Yes... a gentleman would not leave this grudge unavenged..."
Little Liuli jumped up excitedly, her eyes sparkling: "Host! Are you going to start the revenge script?! (Rubbing hands together) Who should I start with? I think Iceberg Face's defense is too high, my hands will go numb if I freeze him! Sword Maniac's attack is too strong, it's easy to accidentally escalate the situation! Xie Fox is too cunning, I might get outsmarted! Big Dumb Guy! Yes! That simpleton! Thick-skinned and tough... no, he has the most weaknesses! Single-minded! Easiest to fool! (Smirking)"
Fang Li's lips curled into a mischievous smile as she reached out a wet finger and tapped Xiao Liuli's nose: "Great minds think alike. Let's start with him... Tomorrow, give him some 'special treatment'."
Xiao Liuli: "Hehehe... (laughs villainously) What are you planning to do, host? Drug him to give him diarrhea? Put him in a sack and beat him up? Or secretly add bitter melon to his food?"
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