Chapter 8. Let me give you a kiss.
He couldn't utter a sound, much less retort. After enduring her mockery time and time again, he finally chose to close his eyes.
Shi Mi wasn't about to let him off the hook. She tilted her head and said, "Don't close your eyes. You need to move your eyes around a lot so you can adapt quickly. Don't think I'm taking advantage of you; I'm actually helping you. To awaken your six senses, using reverse psychology is the simplest and most effective method. Do you feel a fire burning in your chest? That's right. Get your mind moving so your blood can flow to your limbs." As she spoke, she moved her legs off the windowsill, placed her hands on her knees, leaned forward, and continued her incessant chatter. "The Puppet Master said that to achieve twice the result with half the effort, the faster your heart beats, the better. I've been thinking for a long time about what method can work... Lu Min, have you ever been kissed by a woman? I'll kiss you. If you get nervous, your heart will jump, and maybe you'll be able to get out of bed tomorrow."
The person on the bed, who had originally closed their eyes, could no longer remain calm after hearing what she said, and their face was full of resistance.
Shimi completely ignored this and kindly comforted him, "It's alright, since you're getting married anyway, consider this my way of helping you. In that case, I've done you a great favor. When you're better in the future, please remember to repay me."
Having said that, she was about to put it into action. She pouted high, her lips pointing straight at his face like a stamp.
Perhaps due to the immense shock, he actually trembled slightly. His mouth, halfway down the path, broke into a laugh. "See, I told you it would work!"
It really worked. When his chest was filled with resentment, his consciousness suddenly broke through the barriers of his body. He could feel his hands and feet, he could feel the real pressure on his back against the bed, and he could even use all his strength to subtly show her his retreat.
As for Shimi, he maintained a nonchalant attitude, his bluster making Shimi's heart pound. After the strong medicine took effect, the plan changed; they stopped kissing, changed their route, and went to admire the scenery outside the window.
"Tomorrow is the Awakening of Insects, and there should be thunder on that day..." she asked, resting her chin on her hand. "When you're better, what are you planning to do? Go for a spring outing in the countryside? Or go fly a kite on Yinshan Mountain?"
Of course, she didn't expect to get a reply from him. After sitting idly for a while, she lazily dragged her feet outside.
About two hours later, she came in carrying a cup and said with an embarrassed smile, "I wanted to pour you a cup of hot water, but there wasn't any in the kitchen. I wanted to start a fire to boil water, but I found there was no firewood, so I had to gather and chop some wood on the spot, which is why I was a little late. I hope the Grand Tutor won't be angry?"
Lu Min had already gotten a general idea of her unreliability through their few interactions. Since they were already distant and estranged, there was no reason for him to be disappointed. In fact, when she fed him water, the temperature was just right and she didn't spill it on his face, which earned her a thank you from him.
Shi Mi was quite surprised when he heard him speak. "You can actually speak? Grand Tutor is indeed extraordinary! It's not difficult for a Yanren to regain consciousness after transforming into a living person. The most difficult thing is to speak. I thought you would need to practice for a few days, but I didn't expect you to be able to do it without a teacher. As expected, not everyone can be the Grand Tutor of the Yan Dynasty. You can command thousands of troops, but you can also manage a small body."
Unfortunately, after saying thank you, he didn't say anything more. It's unclear whether the time wasn't right or he simply didn't want to pay her any more attention.
Shi Mi didn't care; hovering around him was more like guarding him than taking care of him.
He could bend his fingers, so she took the time to praise him. He could try to move his legs, so she brought over a pair of shoes and sincerely invited him to get down and walk around.
In his entire life, the Grand Tutor had rarely been so neglected. With his status and position, everyone in the Nine Chapters Manor had to be careful not to offend him. But now he was in the hands of this unreliable young woman, who only talked and never laid a hand on him. Several times, when his legs trembled and he lost his balance, she just watched from the side, not thinking to offer him a helping hand.
"Grab this bar, it's very sturdy." She encouraged him by tucking her hands in. "Take smaller steps, your muscles and bones aren't fully stretched yet, if you take big steps you'll strain your legs."
Whether he listened to her guidance or not, she felt he was quite ruthless towards himself.
The puppet, after all, wasn't made of real flesh and blood. To make it move nimbly, every bit of progress required endless suffering. But he was persistent, never giving up even when drenched in cold sweat. Shimi then acted as a supervisor, directing him to do one lap, then another. Even when he was exhausted, he would at most be given a cup of water.
"There's still no moon tonight. I'll have Ali Dao light the lanterns so we can practice all night," she kindly reassured him. "It's okay if your feet are swollen; once the blood circulation improves, the swelling will go down by tomorrow morning."
Lu Min was self-disciplined and didn't need anyone to urge him. At first, he could ignore her, but when she treated him too disrespectfully, he finally decided to rebel and interrupted her coldly: "Isn't the young lady being too hasty? The original ten days have only been completed five days."
Shi Mi realized that he seemed a bit unreasonable, and awkwardly intertwined his fingers to argue: "This is Yan Shi's idea. Yan Shi said that the Grand Tutor bears a heavy responsibility, and Chong'an City cannot be without a leader for a day. It should be restored as soon as possible so that he can take charge of the overall situation as soon as possible."
He coldly turned his face away, saying, "I know how to arrange the time."
Shi Mi could only say "okay" and then informed him, "You have exhausted too much energy these past two days. Master Yan said that you need to perform the blessing in advance."
With a brand new body and his limbs gradually becoming stronger, everything was developing in a positive direction. The only thing that bothered him was that he had to ask the puppeteer to extend his life every ten days.
In exchange, this was leverage held over the puppet master, making him wary and preventing him from acting recklessly. Although he was dissatisfied with this constraint, it was insignificant compared to his previous illness. He would suppress his anger for now and seek a permanent solution later.
He didn't answer, but just looked at her. "I serve in the court, and sometimes I am summoned to see the emperor. It is common for me to travel between Baiyujing and Chong'an City. Yanshi never leaves her home and cannot accompany me between the two places. If there is a problem with the timing, how should we make arrangements?"
Shi Mi's expression was solemn and profound. "So, Master Yan's reason for asking you to marry me isn't to arrange a marriage, but to help you. I've served Master Yan for several years. Master Yan doesn't trust others, but he trusts me. If Grand Tutor really can't return to Lirenfang on official business, as long as preparations are made beforehand, I can bless you on Master Yan's behalf. After all, Master Yan has difficulty walking, but I can come and go freely. Grand Tutor taking me along is like taking a life-extending elixir. You see, Master Yan has really gone to great lengths to protect Grand Tutor!"
Upon hearing this, Lu Min slowly smiled and said, "Then I'll trouble you to protect me, young lady."
Shi Mi waved his hand, "It's easy. It's just that I have to be by the Grand Tutor's side all the time, which is quite a hindrance. I'm afraid the Grand Tutor will find it inconvenient in the future."
He was very practical and answered without any pretense, "I depend on the woman for my life and death, so how can I talk about convenience or inconvenience?"
The astute clapped his hands and said, "After all, you and I are the same kind of people. It's good to be companions and advance and retreat hand in hand."
He did not express any objection, as if he had already accepted the arrangement, but Shimi saw the fleeting contempt in his eyes. Even though he himself was already half a puppet, it did not prevent him from looking down on other puppets who were being controlled by others.
People have a bad habit of being self-important.
With a smile playing on her lips, she strolled away slowly, hands behind her back.
However, Lu Min's determination was admirable. He mastered the body at an extremely fast speed, and the somewhat dull and inflexible Xiao Wu who used to learn step by step was completely devoured by him.
Ali Dao and the others weren't giving up. Last time they said they'd test him by sending a broom, but they didn't expect Ran Dian to actually do it. She presented him with a bamboo handle that was half her height. Although her voice trembled with nervousness, she didn't back down at all. She stammered, "Xiao Wu, it's your turn to sweep the courtyard today."
As a result, the other party completely ignored her, and didn't even bother to glance at her face.
Ran Dian was unconvinced and called out "Xiao Wu" again, only then did he slowly turn his head.
But that face was far beyond their comprehension. They had seen his new face that night before Xiao Wu went to Jiuzhang Prefecture on business; it was noble and elegant, with exquisite features. The only flaw was a deliberate, exaggerated air about him, likely a result of Ami's teachings. Now, however, his face was flawless, every corner of his eyes and brows exuding a restrained and composed air. You no longer doubted that it came from another person; it was clearly innate, the true original.
"I mistook you for someone else." Ran Dian, whose mind wasn't usually very quick, suddenly had a flash of inspiration before he could tell her to get lost. She tightly hugged the broom back to her chest, stammering as she backed away, "I have a bad memory, so it's my turn to sweep today..."
The two who were watching from afar also fled when they saw that things were not going well.
Afterwards, Ran Dian told Yan Dian and Ali Dao, "Don't try it. That person is not Xiao Wu. Xiao Wu no longer exists."
Ali Dao crossed his arms and shook his head. "I told you, why bother making a fool of yourself? That guy is ruthless. He can wake up in three days and get out of bed in five. Go ask Ami if anyone has ever been able to do that before."
Despite their initial surprise, they quickly accepted the fact that Xiao Wu had become the Grand Tutor. Yan Dian was able to cook simple meals, and chicken soup was simmering for two consecutive days, helping the Grand Tutor recover even better. Apart from not being able to run, jump, or do strenuous exercise, walking and talking were no problem for him.
He changed back into the blouse he had worn that night. Although he had taken it off before dissecting his heart, two drops of blood were still splattered on his chest, now turned dark brown.
Having accomplished his mission, he said he wanted to meet the Puppeteer, but Shimi refused, saying, "The Puppeteer is severely injured and is recuperating. You cannot disturb him. Instead, go and see your corpse; it's about to rot in the backyard."
Lu Min was taken aback and had no choice but to accept her blunt way of speaking. Since bringing up her past body was indeed necessary, she turned around and walked in the direction the woman had pointed.
I thought they would just throw the body away in a corner like a rag, but when I got there, I found the body in a wooden box, propped up on two benches.
Ali said, "I lack everything at home, but I don't lack boxes. I had nowhere to store them, so I just put them in the boxes. I think it's quite suitable."
Yan Dian explained, "The Yan people don't rot; they can be kept inside for ten years without any problem. Humans are different. I've seen corpses kept in this way, just propped up on stools..."
They were telling the truth, but there was no need for that. Shimi winked at them, signaling them to shut up.
Everyone looked at Lu Min as he stepped forward and opened the box. Inside, a person was curled up, cold and pale like a piece of wood. He stared intently, and no one knew what he was thinking—whether it was sadness and loss, or relief.
The astute man said, "What should we do? Give me a straight answer."
He pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "Burn it. Out of sight, out of mind."
The four people present exchanged bewildered glances. They all knew that this was the body he had used for twenty-seven years; even if it was broken and battered, it was still flesh and blood given to him by his parents. They hadn't expected him to show the slightest regret, disposing of it so cleanly and decisively. This showed that he was ruthless, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
In his mind, things without value should not be kept; their very existence is a stain. This is true of all ruthless leaders throughout history; without a do-or-die mentality, they cannot employ the methods of slaughtering an entire army.
Shi Mi's furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and he turned to instruct Ali Dao: "Isn't the stove for burning the remnants ready? Prepare more wood. It's not easy to find a real person; let's see how long the raging fire lasts."
A note from the author:
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200 small red envelopes~
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