Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
The door creaked and groaned in the wind, slapping against both sides. Meng Yingying's dizziness did not lessen at all. She took a few steps to the neatly arranged bed and sat down. Now that she had some free time, exhaustion instantly crept over her. She stretched her limbs, making a comfortable sound, and lay down. The bed was hard, and since she was so thin, the hard surface made her bones ache.
Shang Mang crossed his arms and looked at her, his eyes crinkling as he said, "You're sleeping in the wrong place."
Meng Yingying raised her eyebrows in confusion, but did not get up. She asked, "Was this the place he was pointing to?"
A moment later, the slow footsteps gradually approached. She sensed something was wrong and propped herself up with her arms. Shang Mang leaned down and stopped above her. He had no breath and no heartbeat. The bells around him swayed gently, illuminating his presence. She could only look at his half-pale chin. He moved slightly.
Meng Yingying's heart suddenly started pounding uncontrollably, and she stammered, "What...what are you doing..."
The half-chin was getting closer and closer, almost touching her eyes. Her heart pounded and her breath caught in her throat.
"It's so noisy here." His slender hand touched her chest, his lips slightly curved, his fox-like eyes opened, and his entire face was magnified in front of her, every frown and smile captivating and mesmerizing.
Meng Yingying snapped out of her daze, straightened her back, and distanced herself from the two of them. She quickly regained her composure and said with evasive eyes, "You think I can't hear you because you're heartless?" Her voice was somewhat indignant. Shang Mang chuckled and moved closer.
"Um?"
"What did you say?"
Shang Mang moved closer, and as she stepped back slightly, he tightened his grip, making her breathless.
"You pervert, how dare you touch my breasts!" She reached out and shoved him hard, glaring at him angrily, "Pervert!" She roared, almost forcibly suppressing her chaotic breathing and pounding heartbeat.
Shang Mang's eyes darkened, then he narrowed his eyes and smiled again. He said, "Even a liar eventually gets himself into trouble." He spoke lightly, but Meng Yingying's mind was buzzing.
Meng Yingying suddenly raised her head, wanting to say something, but found that no one had already disappeared. Her expression relaxed, and she raised her hand to cover her eyes. She could deceive about anything, but she couldn't deceive her own heart.
Suddenly, Meng Yingying had a change of heart. She punched the bed board twice and muttered to herself, "How can you use your beauty to test and seduce someone like that? I definitely wouldn't be able to resist." She pulled back the covers and turned to her side, not wanting to think about those things anymore.
As Shang Mang stepped outside, a light drizzle began to fall from the sky.
One drop, two drops—
"Senior Zhou! Senior Zhou!" Kong Fusheng struggled to his feet from the mud, which bound him tightly. The living corpses on both sides closed in on them, forming a huge circle. Zhou Xiu stood with his sword at his side, blood dripping from the blade, mixing with rainwater and mud, and falling into the dirty soil. He merely raised his eyes slightly, his brows sharp, and said to the people behind him, "Hide behind me."
Xiao Zheyu drew his short sword and looked at him: "I won't hold you back."
Kong Fusheng gritted his teeth, held the flute, felt for the button on the side, and pressed it. A sharp point extended from one end of the flute. The zombies, all covered in blistering foam, approached them, hissing and screaming.
He held his flute horizontally, plunging it into the neck of a lunging zombie. As he pulled it out, foul-smelling black blood spurted out, making the zombie gag and turn its head away. Suddenly, his waist tightened, and he was abruptly pulled in one direction. Kong Fusheng turned around and saw Cong Rong, her face pale, looking at him with surprise, saying, "Behind you."
She pulled the hair ribbon from her waist back. Kong Fusheng was startled and stabbed back. The black blood of the zombie spurted out. Seeing that Cong Rong looked so bad, he reached out and pulled her to his side.
Cong Rong glared at her: "Let go."
Kong Fusheng withdrew his hand, his face ashen: "Sorry." Cong Rong had no intention of arguing with him and walked towards Xiao Zheyu. Kong Fusheng hesitated for a moment, then followed.
Zhou Xiuqi flicked his sword, wiping away the black blood, and said coldly, "Stop killing them, we can't kill all these zombies." He kept a straight face, and Xiao Zheyu drew his short sword and nodded slightly.
The group retreated one after another. The zombies bared their black, bloody fangs and hissed, but they did not take another step forward and all retreated back into the darkness of the forest.
Xiao Zheyu and the others ran a few steps forward, but there was no movement behind them. She stopped and called out to them, "Wait, these zombies haven't followed!" She had used up too much energy, and after stopping, she breathed steadily. She had run too fast and stopped too fast, and she was a little out of breath. Suddenly, she felt two hands patting her back. She turned around and saw Zhou Xiuqi looking uncomfortable and looking away.
Xiao Zheyu stared at him: "What are you doing?"
“Take your breath.” Zhou Xiuqi said directly, then withdrew his hands and placed them on either side, but then felt something was off and changed the subject: “These zombies are chasing us away.”
Kong Fusheng was covered in foul-smelling mud, his face grim: "Where are you sending us?"
"Xinghua Village," Zhou Xiuqi said.
A strange wind suddenly arose at the treetops and tree ends, leaving people standing there bewildered. A sliver of white light appeared on the horizon, and Xiao Zheyu calmly landed on the horizon: "It's dawn."
White flowers fluttered and danced before them, creating a fairyland scene. The sky was a hazy red, and the first rays of the morning sun illuminated their eyes.
Apricot blossoms drifted down and landed on the calm lakeside. A-Qiao sat on a wooden stool by the lake, pattering as she pattered her clothes. Her braids hung down her chest, and an apricot blossom adorned her temple. Her skin was pale yellow, but her cheeks were rosy. She whistled, and a gentle breeze blew by. It was a pleasant and peaceful scene. Suddenly, she noticed something and looked up at the opposite side of the lake.
Under the apricot tree stood four people. Two of them were dressed in Taoist robes and stood upright. The falling apricot blossoms obscured her vision. The man in white looked at her. A-Qiao opened her mouth, and his eyes became wary, his brows furrowed as he observed her every move. A-Qiao closed her mouth and stared blankly at the man's face.
The most beautiful person A Qiao had ever seen was Shou Changyue, but now, this young man's appearance was even more like that of a celestial being descended to earth, unparalleled in the world.
Zhou Xiuqi looked at the woman's dumbfounded expression and felt strange. She stared with wide eyes, but the corners of her mouth were always smiling, which was really strange.
"Are you looking at the girl?" Xiao Zheyu asked. Zhou Xiuqi turned around and met her gaze. He said somewhat nervously, "This person is very strange."
Xiao Zheyu smiled and said, "Since it's strange, why don't we go closer and take a look?"
Cong Rong coughed, looking at Xiao Zheyu's smiling lips. The princess usually had no expression on her face, only... she would smile when she was angry. But why was the princess angry? Could it be...? She turned her head and glared at Zhou Xiuqi. Was it this Taoist priest who bullied the princess? The more she thought about it, the more she felt that was right. She clenched her fists weakly and stared at him intently.
Zhou Xiuqi keenly sensed the killing intent, shifted his gaze to her, and nodded slightly, showing no fear whatsoever in the face of that intent.
In Cong Rong's eyes, it was like a provocation.
"Mother—Mother—!!" The woman across the lake suddenly cried out.
"Immortals have descended to earth—two immortals have arrived!! And a celestial child!!!" Her voice was extremely loud, and almost as soon as she finished shouting, Zhou Xiuqi felt the ground suddenly vibrate, and his brows furrowed even more tightly.
Snap—
A chubby hand slapped his face, not hard. Zhou Xiuqi was startled, his light eyes flickered. Xiao Zheyu and the others all took a step back, a large black shadow falling in front of them. This woman had several layers of fat piled up around her waist, and the ground shook when she walked. She smiled brightly, and placed her other hand on his face, cupping his face and groaning.
"O Guanyin Bodhisattva, I just asked you yesterday for a son-in-law who is like an immortal, and today you have given me one. I will definitely offer incense and prayers to you every day."
"Ah Qiao, Ah Qiao, look at his face! He's got sharp features and a striking appearance."
Zhou Xiuqi's face was distorted by her cupping, his lips were pouting, and his eyes were calm. Xiao Zheyu stood behind him, his eyes suddenly curving, and he raised his hand to cover his mouth. Kong Fusheng turned his head away, his shoulders trembling. Only Cong Rong's eyes were filled with great satisfaction.
Zhou Xiuqi calmly stepped back, leaving two red marks on his face. As if nothing had happened, he calmly said to the two women who were staring at him in a daze, "We are passing through this area and have lost our way. Please help us find a place to stay."
A-Qiao hesitated, her gaze almost glued to his face: "Okay~ Would you like to stay in my room, my lord?"
"My bed in my room is very big~" she said dramatically, her voice thin and soft, but her laughter was so fake that it seemed out of place.
Zhou Xiuqi frowned unconsciously again, but then a voice walked in front of him. Xiao Zheyu blocked his way, his voice steady: "He is my man." Zhou Xiuqi's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze filled with alarm.
My person?
Her voice kept echoing in Zhou Xiuqi's mind, disrupting his train of thought and robbing him of all reason.
When A-Qiao saw that she was blocking her way, and realized it was another immortal, her smile didn't fade. Undeterred, she asked, "Are you married?"
Xiao Zheyu, without batting an eye, casually uttered a nonsensical reply: "Yes."
Ah Qiao didn't hide the disappointment in her eyes. She pulled her mother aside and apologized, "Please forgive me. We have two empty rooms in our house that you can stay in."
After she finished speaking, she winked at Zhou Xiuqi, who dodged away, his face tense. Unlike before, he was very nervous.
After the mother and daughter turned around and led the way amidst their laughter, Xiao Zheyu turned to explain, but seeing his earlobe, she asked curiously, "Why are your ears red?"
Zhou Xiuqi kept his lips closed and remained silent.
Xiao Zheyu explained to him, "If you get entangled with her, we'll have a lot more trouble, and I don't like trouble." Her explanation was simple and straightforward. Zhou Xiuqi hummed in agreement, though his expression seemed somewhat dazed.
The chirping of birds awakens the vibrant spirit of spring. A magpie takes flight from the branch, soars into the clouds, circles several times, and lands on a tile. Just as it is about to call out, a hand grabs it and two hands pinch its beak.
"Shh, be quiet," he said, then stroked its feathers with his fingertip. A smile appeared in his fox-like eyes. He raised his hand and released it. The magpie shook its body, unable to dispel the deathly heat it had just felt, and quickly flew away.
The melodious tinkling of bells made Shang Mang narrow his eyes, his fox-like eyes curving upwards. He said with a sigh that was almost a smile, "That's about it."
The door was pushed open, and Meng Yingying walked out in her usual clothes. She stretched and looked up to see Shang Mang reclining with his head propped up, his curly hair hanging down. Today, he had his hair half-down, and his gaze followed her. He had a pair of affectionate eyes, and when he looked at people, there was always a ripple of emotion, but how much of it was real and how much was fake was unknown.
The words from last night suddenly echoed in my mind.
"Even a liar can fool himself eventually." Meng Yingying felt her heart skip a beat.
"Good morning, did you sleep well last night?" he asked her, as if showing concern.
Meng Yingying knew he wasn't genuinely concerned about her and probably just wanted to see her make a fool of herself, so she deliberately said loudly, "Of course it's comfortable to sleep in a bed all by yourself."
Shang Mang flipped over and landed in front of her: "Really? Then where did the dark circles under your eyes come from?" He was very close to her again, so Meng Yingying took a step back and subconsciously wiped her eyes. When she saw his squinting, cunning look, she realized that she had been tricked by him again.
Shang Mang straightened up, crossed his arms, and asked, "I just wanted to tell you that there's something dirty under your eyes." He gave a sly, innocent smile. As if Meng Yingying had been thinking something filthy, he clearly knew what she was thinking. Ever since Meng Yingying found out he could hear what others were thinking, she rarely thought about things in front of him. The feeling of being spied on made her uncomfortable.
She was lost in thought, and after watching her for a while, Shang Mang knew perfectly well what she was thinking.
"I won't listen to your heart forever," he said, opening his eyes. The wind suddenly softened, and his tone became gentle.
Her heart was burning, and she felt a heat rising on her face. Meng Yingying tried her best to calm down, while his bell kept ringing in her ear.
"Because it's noisy." He said the rest of the sentence lightly.
Meng Yingying instantly felt as if cold water had been splashed on her face, and all her anger vanished. She angrily sought to regain her composure: "You better be." Meng Yingying gritted her teeth and turned away.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
