An old friend's surprise visit
The two men pressed their palms together, and their internal energy was slowly drawn back into their Dantian, and a feeling of comfort spread throughout their limbs.
Tiao Tiao let out a long sigh, a lazy smile in his eyes. Although his face was still pale, it had a little more life in it than before. "It's almost noon. Let's go eat together today. We have to make them feel at ease."
"Okay." Su Baiwei responded, suddenly leaned over and pecked him on the lips, then gave him a sly smile and tried to step away.
"You want to run away after kissing someone?" Tiao Tiao pulled her back into his arms. The wounds on his arms and underarms were twitching, and a dull pain suddenly flared up. He instinctively wanted to frown and endure it, but the moment he met Su Baiwei's gaze, he changed his mind. His eyebrows drooped slightly, and the corners of his lips curved into a perfectly appropriate arc. Even his voice was tinged with grievance: "It hurts."
How could Su Baiwei not see through his thoughts? She lightly tapped his ribs with her fingertips, looking somewhat annoyed: "You deserve it! You didn't know the seriousness of the matter." Having said that, she didn't really fall down on him. Instead, she took advantage of his tight embrace and moved closer to him.
"Slow down," Tiao Tiao chuckled, his breath brushing her ear, "You should have hidden." He looked into her eyes, his eyes as deep as a pool, but with blazing sparks jumping out of them, and he kissed her without saying anything.
The kiss was like a spring breeze blowing over the willows at first, so gentle that it made one's heart tremble. But then it turned into a torrential summer rain, carrying with it his unique domineering and greed, as if he wanted to pour out all the promises and longings that could not be expressed in the intertwined lips and teeth.
After a long moment, they pulled apart, panting. Tiao Tiao rested his forehead against hers, closing his eyes to soothe the pain and his rapidly racing heartbeat before whispering, "Let's go."
In the dining room, Mu Jin placed the last of her steaming lotus root and pork rib soup on the table. Just as she sat down, she heard footsteps. Looking up, she saw Su Baiwei, supporting Tiao Tiao, slowly approaching. Tiao Tiao's left leg was still struggling, and most of his body was leaning against Su Baiwei's shoulder.
Seeing this, everyone stood up and said, "Miss Su."
Su Baiwei and Tiao Tiao exchanged a smile. She turned to the crowd and spoke softly, "Having been through life and death, we are close friends. From now on, just call me Baiwei."
Everyone was stunned. Mu Jin was particularly dumbfounded. She had never seen the young lady like this before: a smile on her lips, a warmth in her brows, as if a lake frozen for twelve years had suddenly thawed in the spring breeze, its ripples brimming with vibrant life.
Doudou's frown relaxed slightly when he saw that the two looked significantly better than yesterday. As soon as the two of them were helped to sit down, he rushed forward and, without a word, took Tiaotiao's wrist pulse.
Tiao Tiao let him do what he wanted, panting slightly, raising an eyebrow and smiling, "The miracle doctor is so anxious that he won't even let me eat in peace?"
"Humph! It's you two, each one more troublesome than the other!" Doudou was harsh in his words, but he carefully felt the pulse with his fingers. After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief, "The pulse is indeed much more stable." He turned around and took Su Baiwei's wrist. After concentrating for a moment, he couldn't help but marvel at it, "This Tongqi Guiyuan Jue is indeed very mysterious!"
Su Baiwei smiled lightly and said gently, "Your prescription is very precise, integrating the medicinal power into the practice of the technique. The two complement each other, which is why the effect is so fast."
Doudou's ears turned red from the praise. He scratched his head and chuckled, "Same here. The recipe you prepared for Tiaotiao was also very good."
Daben slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clink. "Great! So, tomorrow night's showdown gives us a better chance of winning!"
Lan Tu felt a sense of relief, her gaze fixed on the two people's clasped hands beneath the table. She exchanged a silent glance with Hong Mao beside her, each sensing a mixture of joy and hidden worry in the other's eyes. The warmer the smile, the more it reflected the unpredictable and treacherous path ahead.
Dada stood up, holding the cup, and said with a hearty laugh, "It's a great joy that lovers finally get married. Today, I'll use tea instead of wine, and I'll toast you two."
Su Baiwei stood up in response, and when she raised the cup, her sleeve brushed across Tiao Tiao's shoulder. She said calmly, "Tiao Tiao's arm injury hasn't healed yet. I'll drink this cup on behalf of both of us. Thank you, Mr. Zhulin, for your kindness." After she finished speaking, she raised her head and drank the tea in the cup in one gulp, her movements showing a carefree and unrestrained attitude.
Dada looked surprised: "How do you know my name..."
Doudou caught a glimpse of Tiaotiao trying to hold back his laughter, and suddenly realized what was going on. He pointed at Tiaotiao and said, "It must be this colander that gave it away!"
Tiao Tiao just shrugged, the smile on his face still there.
Su Baiwei sat down, picked up a piece of fresh bamboo shoots with chopsticks and naturally handed it to Tiaotiao's lips.
The air at the table was silent for a moment, and everyone's eyes were focused here. Dada even coughed lightly and looked away slightly embarrassedly.
However, Su Baiwei and Tiaotiao seemed completely oblivious. Tiaotiao calmly took the food, chewing it carefully, and even glanced at the stunned Doudou across from him. The corners of his pale lips curled up slightly, and the corners of his eyes and eyebrows were full of the smugness of "What can you do to me?"
Doudou immediately exploded and yelled, "Great! I'm the only one left alone among the Seven Swordsmen. Are you deliberately trying to piss me off?" Then, in a fit of anger, he stretched out his chopsticks and picked up a chicken leg for Mujin, who was eating quietly beside him. "Mujin girl, don't be polite! Let's eat together. We can't lose!"
Mu Jin stared at the chicken leg that suddenly appeared in the bowl. She was stunned at first, then her cheeks quickly turned red. She hummed softly and started to nibble on it in small bites.
Tiao Tiao pretended not to hear and whispered to Su Baiwei, "Don't just focus on me, eat too."
Before he finished speaking, Sally beside him had already picked up another chicken leg and placed it in Su Baiwei's bowl. Although her expression was calm, her eyes showed concern: "If you always think about taking care of others, you should also eat well."
Su Baiwei was slightly startled, then smiled, picking up her chopsticks and spreading a piece of steamed fish on Sally's bed. "Thanks to you for injecting his Qi into him in time yesterday, he was able to stabilize his heart. You've also lost a lot of energy, so you need to take good care of yourself."
Sally was startled and looked up at Su Baiwei. Seeing no pretense in her eyes, only pure gratitude and concern, her heart warmed. She whispered, "Thank you." Although her voice was soft, it was a little softer than usual.
The steam rising from the dishes on the table brightened each other's eyes and temporarily melted the clouds in their hearts.
Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit watched this scene and smiled at each other. Their smiles contained genuine joy, yet also a hint of bitterness and heaviness.
Suddenly, a rapid knock sounded at the door, like the beating of a war drum in everyone's heart. The dining room was suddenly silent, chopsticks hanging in the air, and everyone's expression suddenly changed.
Hongmao's face was solemn, his hand already on the hilt of the sword, and he said in a deep voice: "I'll go and take a look."
Lan Tu stood up at the same time, and the Ice Soul Sword was quietly unsheathed: "I will go with you."
The two men moved as fast as lightning, silently darting to the door. Rainbow Cat peeked through the crack in the door and saw a dusty man in white standing with his horse, raising his hand to knock on the door again. When no one answered, the man suddenly raised his voice, "Wei Er, are you there?"
With a clang, the spoon in Uncle Li's hand fell into the bowl. The color drained from Su Baiwei's face instantly.
When Tiaotiao heard this affectionate name, his heart suddenly stabbed, and he subconsciously tightened his grip on her hand. He turned to Su Baiwei, his eyes inquiring.
"Chen Jin, my senior brother." Su Baiwei's voice was as cold as ice.
Everyone's expression changed when they heard this, except Mu Jin, who looked confused.
Everyone except Mu Jin knew that if Chen Jin hadn't begged him on his knees, Su Yuanshan wouldn't have chosen to collaborate with the Black Heart Tiger. In that case, Su Baiwei wouldn't have had to endure twelve years of shackles, and the Azure Dragon Sect wouldn't have suffered such a catastrophe.
Tiaotiao's eyes blazed with anger, and he was about to stand up, but Su Baiwei gently held him down. Amidst everyone's astonishment, she leaned over and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I'll go check it out. Don't move, or you might get hurt."
Tiaotiao took a deep breath, barely suppressing his anger, and said in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
Fire almost spurted out of Daben's eyes, and the Benlei Sword was unsheathed with a "clang" sound. Lightning patterns flowed faintly on the sword body: "You bastard! Where have you been hiding for the past twelve years? You come here pretending to be hypocritical now! I'll chop you to pieces!" He shook his tiger body and was about to rush out.
Sally suddenly stood up and dodged to block Daben's path. Her face was frosty, and the murderous intent in her eyes was directed towards the door. Her voice was icy: "Daben, listen to Bai Wei."
Su Baiwei quietly clenched her right hand within her sleeve, her fingertips digging deeply into her palm, her mind settling a little. She glanced at the crowd, her tone now calm, "I'll go meet him."
Mu Jin clutched the corner of her clothes in confusion, scanning the crowd's sullen faces anxiously. She quietly tugged at Dou Dou's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Doctor Dou Dou, who exactly is this Chen Jin? Why are people reacting so strongly?"
Doudou sighed deeply, his face solemn, and whispered in her ear. With every word, Mujin's eyes widened a little.
While Hongmao and Lantu were still hesitating, Su Baiwei had already walked straight towards the door. The two immediately followed her, one on each side, protecting her firmly in the middle.
The red door swung open, and Chen Jin caught sight of the pale green figure behind it. His breath caught in his throat. The person before him bore only a passing resemblance to the four-year-old girl he remembered always pestering him for candy. The coldness and aloofness between her brows gave him a sudden, unexplained jolt of panic.
"You...are Wei'er?"
Su Baiwei nodded slightly, her eyes as indifferent as if she was looking at a stranger.
Chen Jin was so excited that he couldn't help but take a step forward, but Su Baiwei immediately stepped back, her skirt fluttering lightly, bringing a cool breeze.
The swords in Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit's hands were unsheathed half an inch, a cold light flashed, their eyes were like lightning, and they were awe-inspiring.
Chen Jin had no choice but to stop, his heart aching: "Wei'er, you have grown up a lot, I almost didn't recognize you... Why do you look so bad?" As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he remembered the suffering she had endured for feeding the Gu with blood for the past twelve years. His throat suddenly choked and he could no longer speak.
Su Baiwei simply asked, "What are you doing here?"
Chen Jin glanced at Hongmao and Lantu beside her, and said in an almost pleading tone, "Can... you please excuse me and talk for a moment?"
"No." Su Baiwei said coldly, "They share the same fate with me. If you have anything to say, let's talk it out here."
Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit looked at each other, and both felt warm in their hearts, but their vigilance did not diminish in the slightest.
Chen Jin's gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment before he finally spoke with difficulty, "Wei'er, I heard Beimang Mountain is preparing defenses, and you're going to break the Mother Gu Formation. I...I want to help you." Seeing that she was still as cold as ice, he smiled bitterly and turned his gaze to the old locust tree in the courtyard. "Remember? When you were a kid, you always loved climbing this tree. One time, you couldn't get down and cried so hard..."
"How do you know?" Su Baiwei interrupted coldly. A hint of surprise flashed through her heart, but she didn't show it on her face.
"I have an insider in the Holy Fire Hall." Chen Jin wiped the sweat off his face. "He sent me a message, and I rushed here day and night. Chi Lian couldn't find you, and I didn't know where you were, so I could only come here to try my luck. I didn't expect..."
Su Baiwei looked at his dusty and tired face, and after a moment of silence, she finally stepped aside and said, "Come in."
Seeing her turn around and leave, Chen Jin hurriedly said, "Wei'er, aren't you going to ask me why I never came to see you in the past twelve years?"
Su Baiwei didn't turn around, but just turned her head slightly. "Everyone in the Holy Fire Hall has a copy of your portrait. Chi Lian is eager for you to fall into her trap." She paused for a moment, her voice cold, "From now on, please call me Su Baiwei."
Chen Jin stared at the resolute figure as he left. Suddenly, he saw the little girl with the buns, giggling and throwing herself into his arms. The warmth of the past overlapped with the alienation in front of him, and bitterness washed over him like a tide.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He could only watch as the light green merged into the shadow of the locust tree, as if taking away the last ray of light.
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