Chapter 6 "Yes, after all, bad people always live longer."
Li Xiao remained unconscious, at least until Young Master Lan wiped his face.
I seriously suspect that Li Xiao is faking it. Maybe he was actually awake a long time ago, but he just didn't want to get up and wanted to enjoy his sweetheart's care a little longer.
After all, someone who's usually so smug and arrogant isn't made of porcelain; they're not the kind of person who would break at the slightest touch.
Besides, Li Xiao didn't bump into any bricks or stones, it was just my forehead.
Thinking about this, I couldn't help but touch the spot where I had been stained with blood again.
Even though I'd already wiped it clean, I could still feel a damp, lingering sensation. Not just because it was stained with blood, but also because it was someone else's blood.
I was focused on wiping my forehead, so I didn't notice when the person on the tatami opened their eyes.
Young Master Lan has gone out, supposedly to explain the current situation to Li Xiao's entourage.
I originally wanted to go with them, but the young master said that at least one person should stay in the house to watch over things. And given Li Xiao's status, it wasn't appropriate for the other people in the building to know his current situation.
Since you've said so, I naturally nodded in agreement.
Although, in reality, I don't know exactly what Li Xiao's identity is.
However, the young man usually seemed to spend lavishly, dressed elegantly, and the men accompanying him didn't appear to be ordinary servants. Furthermore, it seemed that Young Master Lan's family had previously held high-ranking positions in the imperial court.
Considering both factors, Li Xiao's family background must also be quite extraordinary.
...But what does that have to do with me?
An unpleasant person does not become lovable because of their noble birth, nor does they become sympathetic because of their humble status.
I just want to stay far away from troublesome things and avoid getting involved.
Since I lack the ambition and ability to help the world, it's enough for me to just live day by day. Perhaps one day, when I've saved enough money to buy my freedom, I can leave this brothel.
At that time, whether I start my own small business or work for others, all I ask for is a full stomach and a roof over my head to shelter me from the wind and rain.
If I'm lucky enough to meet someone I click with, and we settle down together, I don't envy the kind of passionate, tear-jerking love stories in romance novels. All I want is a simple, ordinary life like my parents', where occasional little arguments are harmless...
Unfortunately—
Whether it's my parents or my freedom, I don't know when I'll be able to see them again.
As I thought about it, I couldn't help but feel a little down. Then I shook my head and realized that I was overthinking things.
What I should do now is to stay close to Young Master Lan, learn what he teaches me, and strive to repay his kindness in the future.
But before I could be happy for long, a cold voice came over.
"Hey, what are you grinning about like an idiot over there? Did you do something wrong and get possessed by some evil spirit?"
Upon hearing this, I paused for a moment, then turned to look at the soft couch beside me, and sure enough, I saw Li Xiao squinting his eyes and smiling mockingly.
Sure enough, the guy was still lying there motionless; it was more pleasing to the eye to be a silent corpse.
"Young Master Li is awake." I responded and immediately jumped up from my chair. "I'll go inform Young Master Lan." With that, I headed towards the door.
Just kidding, I don't want to be in the same room with a guy like that and end up hating each other.
What's even more terrifying is that there are bound to be many unexpected and nasty things waiting for me in that mouth. I'm not asking for trouble by going out of my way to be scolded.
I was determined to leave, since everyone was awake. Apart from being a little pale, he looked no different from before, especially his mouth, which was still as venomous as ever.
But Li Xiao called me to stop from behind.
His voice wasn't loud, so I pretended not to hear it.
As they approached the door, a muffled thud came from the other side, as if a heavy object had overturned.
I was startled and instinctively turned around. Li Xiao was already half-lying on the ground, as if his bones had been removed, and he couldn't move for a moment.
But his dark blue eyes were fixed on the doorway, staring intently, as if they were nailed in.
I hesitated for a moment, but finally resisted the urge to turn around and leave. Mainly worried about Li Xiao's potential retaliation, I slowly moved forward.
I stopped two steps away, looking down at Li Xiao: "Young Master Li, you..."
Are you alright?
Before I could even ask, Li Xiao impatiently interrupted me.
"Help me up," he said, raising one arm towards me with difficulty.
Since he said so, I had no choice but to do as he said.
However, I am not as strong as Young Master Lan, and I am also short.
Whether Li Xiao was deliberately making things difficult for him or not, he asked someone to help him up, but he didn't lift a finger.
They say that drunk people feel heavy and sluggish, and that's probably what it feels like.
It took me a lot of effort to finally get him back onto the bed, pulling and pushing him. During this time, Li Xiao's clothes were wrinkled, and his hair was even more disheveled. Coupled with his sickly and pale appearance, he looked like an innocent boy who had just been bullied, pitiful and helpless.
The premise is that he can remain quiet and be a complete mute.
Li Xiao first looked around and, after realizing that he was in Young Master Lan's room, his expression seemed to soften slightly. Then he casually raised a few fingers and beckoned to me.
“Come here,” he said, looking at me inscrutably in the distance.
After I helped Li Xiao up, I quietly stepped back two meters away.
Now that I hear him say that, I don't really want to get close to him.
"Young Master Li, please feel free to give your orders. Pipa can hear you clearly here," I replied respectfully, believing that I did not show the slightest resistance.
But Li Xiao was clearly very dissatisfied.
He grabbed something and threw it at me.
However, he clearly hadn't recovered yet, and his throw wasn't very accurate. I instinctively tilted my head to dodge it, and the thing missed me, landing softly on the ground.
I looked down and found it was a very exquisite-looking sachet.
A small jade pendant, its rich green color closely resembling the color of Li Xiao's pupils, hung from the sachet's closure.
"What are you looking at? Hurry up and pick those things back!" Li Xiao seemed a little angry, so he raised his voice.
I didn't say anything, carefully picked up the sachet with the jade pendant, walked to a distance of half a meter from Li Xiao, and respectfully handed it over with my arm outstretched.
Seeing my expression, Li Xiao scoffed lightly and didn't even raise his hand to take it.
He stood there with his head down, arms outstretched, like a wooden statue, staring at me.
Soon, my arms started to ache, and the sachet I was holding gradually became heavier and heavier, until it felt like a heavy stone pressing down on my palm.
"Stay still, don't move."
Li Xiao noticed my trembling and spoke up to remind me. Meeting my puzzled gaze, the boy's listless face suddenly broke into a gentle smile: "This is your punishment for trying to abandon me and run away more than once."
"Loquat... we don't have any."
My raised arm began to sway precariously, and my voice trembled slightly.
Seeing this, Li Xiao straightened up slightly, leaned out and lifted my wrist: "No? So you mean what I see with these eyes is all fake? Or are you saying that I deliberately lied and made up stories to make things difficult for you?"
“Young Master Li… of course he wouldn’t be wrong, and… it’s not worth lying for someone like me.”
I replied, "Young Master Li, you are wise. Pipa really didn't mean to leave you behind. It's just that things happened so suddenly that Pipa really didn't know what to do, so she had no choice but to run and call for help."
I spoke haltingly, trying my best to appear sincere.
Upon hearing this, Li Xiao thoughtfully responded with an "oh".
Just when I thought things would just pass like this, he suddenly stared at me and asked, "You really didn't think about letting me die like that? You hate me, don't you? Just like I don't like you either."
"..."
I didn't say anything for a moment because that's really what I was thinking.
However, after a pause, he replied, "Young Master Li...you flatter me. People...don't just die so easily. Besides...good people are always blessed. Someone like...Young Master Li will naturally live to be a hundred years old."
“Yes, after all, bad people always seem to live longer,” Li Xiao added sarcastically.
Upon hearing this, my temple throbbed, as if I had accidentally blurted out what was on my mind. Looking up, I was suddenly met with the boy's ambiguous smile, and for a moment I had the illusion that he had seen right through me.
"That's what you think too, isn't it?" Li Xiao sneered.
Before I could reply, Li Xiao slowly leaned back, her eyes lowered and lips pursed. Her pale face conveyed a sense of "keep away," and she seemed completely unwilling to talk to anyone anymore.
I don't really understand how a person's emotions can fluctuate so much in a short period of time, especially when they are talking to themselves most of the time.
However, given that this person is Li Xiao, there is no problem.
We are two completely different kinds of people.
Maintaining a semblance of peace is already difficult enough, let alone achieving genuine mutual understanding.
Can……
Li Xiao may be withdrawn, but my arm really couldn't take it anymore.
"Then I'll put this sachet on the table for Young Master Li," I said, and seeing that Li Xiao didn't object, I turned and walked to the table next to me.
Maintaining one posture for too long will always make your limbs stiff, especially a twisting motion like raising your arms out to the side.
I swayed my body as I moved step by step, looking even more comical than when I first met Li Xiao.
Just as I finally reached the table and was about to carefully put the sachet down, Li Xiao, who had been silent for a long time, spoke up again.
"etc."
It was such a coincidence, as if the other person had been staring at them the whole time, but when they looked over, they could only see the back of the boy's head.
I was wondering what was going on when I heard Li Xiao say out of the blue, "That thing is yours."
"ah?"
I think I'll probably never understand what's going on in Li Xiao's head.
"I said, I'm giving you that sachet."
Li Xiao repeated it again, but I couldn't see his expression from my current angle.
They must have gotten impatient by now.
"But--"
"There's no 'buts'. If I've given it to you, just keep it. All this nonsense. Are you afraid I'll ask for it back later?"
"..."
"You can rest assured, I'm not that stingy, and it's not a valuable thing to me."
The more you spend time with Li Xiao, the more you realize that he not only likes to talk to himself, but also likes to think about things that are completely unfounded and then believe them to be true.
For example, right now, Li Xiao seems to have no idea that the reason I'm hesitating at this moment is simply because I don't want to get involved with anything related to him, and I don't know exactly how to refuse.
“But… one cannot accept a reward without merit. Young Master Li, you were brought back to your room by Young Master Lan, and it was Young Master Lan who took care of you while you were unconscious.”
As expected, upon hearing the name "Young Master Lan," Li Xiao's attention was immediately drawn, and the soft couch beneath him creaked slightly. The young man was like a fish that had been stranded for a long time, suddenly released back into the water, and feeling reassured, he began to struggle again.
"You mean, Brother Lan took the initiative to bring me to this room and even took care of me personally?" Li Xiao asked with great surprise, a blush seemingly rising on her pale face.
Although I didn't understand what was so exciting about this, I still nodded sincerely: "Not bad."
After thinking for a moment, she added, "Pipa is only staying by your side because she is following Young Master Lan's orders."
My intention in saying this is simply to distance myself from this entanglement.
But I underestimated Li Xiao's unpredictable temper—when I saw his face suddenly lose its smile, I knew that I had probably said the wrong thing again.
Fortunately, Young Master Lan returned just in time.
The moment Lan Gongzi pushed the door open and entered, Li Xiao's gloomy face suddenly brightened, making one wonder if he had specially studied the skill of changing faces.
"Brother Lan."
Hearing that familiar, coquettish address, I immediately breathed a sigh of relief and silently took a few steps back to blend into the background.
Just as I was considering whether I should find an excuse to leave the room in a natural way, leaving enough space for the two of us to be alone.
Young Master Lan said, "Now that you're awake, you should hurry home."
His tone was gentle, but there was no hint of negotiation.
As I watched Li Xiao's smile freeze on his face, I couldn't help but feel sorry for that pretty face. It's no wonder it's become so thick from all that constant back and forth.
"Xiao'er is already so weak, Brother Lan doesn't want Xiao'er to rest here?" Li Xiao said, even pretending to cough lightly twice while covering his mouth.
Perhaps because he was too engrossed in his work, the boy accidentally choked on his own saliva and then began coughing violently.
The sudden commotion startled those outside, and seven or eight burly men rushed in through the door. In the blink of an eye, they were in front of Li Xiao, patting his back, handing him water, and asking about his well-being. Those who couldn't do anything just stood by and cheered him on. The main theme was a chaotic yet orderly scene, a display of tough guys with tender hearts.
I was stunned; it was the first time I'd ever seen anything like it.
I couldn't help but look at Young Master Lan, who was standing outside the encirclement just like me. He looked completely unfazed and used to it. When he saw my dumbfounded expression, he even took the time to smile at me.
It was as if it was saying silently, "See?"
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