Chapter 4, Question 004: "Are you worried about me?"
It turns out she never truly knew Ji Yunshu, the man beside her in bed.
It's laughable that she claimed the crane she had painstakingly hunted and obtained was actually a lurking eagle, and that she herself was the prey that had been lured in.
The jokes circulating in the streets were absolutely true, and he had never hidden it from her. He was using her as a connection to become the young master of Sun and Moon Fortress, enjoying countless treasures and his status as the son-in-law of the world's number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort). Yet, only she thought she had truly melted his heart of iron.
That's really... incredibly stupid.
So stupid.
She's the biggest joke!
As soon as Jiang Ling'er's self-deprecating laughter subsided, Ji Yunshu's hurried steps came to a halt. As if he had removed a mask, the traces of worry on his handsome face vanished instantly, leaving him with an indifferent expression. His fair skin made his peach blossom eyes appear even darker, and at this moment, his eyes as he looked at Jiang Ling'er seemed like a pair of bottomless whirlpools, so dark they were almost unbelievable.
Jiang Ling'er cursed herself inwardly again for being blinded by beauty and clouded by romantic feelings. For six whole years, she had thought this man was kind and good, and for six whole years she hadn't sensed anything amiss! However, there was one thing she just couldn't understand: people's hearts are fickle, but martial arts skills cannot be mastered overnight. She couldn't fathom people's hearts, but she was certain that six years ago, Ji Yunshu was just a sickly scholar with no strength to even kill a chicken. Even if he were a genius, it was impossible for him to reach this level in just six years. Now, thinking about it carefully, her martial arts skills and ghostly, shifting movements, besides being part of the orthodox Bagua Palm of the Sun and Moon Fortress, also had a touch of ruthlessness.
It's a sinister tactic used only by cults and heretics.
She immediately got off the bed, and without even putting on her shoes, walked barefoot to him and questioned him:
Where did you get your kung fu from?
Seeing that he didn't answer, Jiang Ling'er was actually a head taller than ordinary women, and even taller than most men from Jiangnan. Ji Yunshu was also quite tall among men, standing out like a crane among chickens in a crowd, and everyone who saw him would praise him as having the appearance of an immortal.
He was still a head taller than Jiang Ling'er.
Jiang Ling'er, however, has always been a fiery and impulsive person. Especially when she's angry, she doesn't care about anyone, including the King of Heaven. She grabbed his collar and dragged him down. Ji Yunshu's lower back was immediately pressed against the desk by the window, his head lowered, and his gaze was level with Jiang Ling'er's.
Jiang Ling'er gripped his collar so tightly that her knuckles turned white, and she angrily cursed:
"Do you know that the heretical cultivation methods are different from the orthodox ones? They are different in their methods and paths of cultivation. You will die if you cultivate haphazardly, you know that!"
She was so angry that her chest heaved, her honey-colored cheeks flushed crimson with rage, and her eyes glared at him with unusual brightness, as if they were about to breathe fire.
Ji Yunshu, who had remained silent until now, suddenly stirred in her dark eyes, like some cold-blooded animal, and finally opened her lips:
"Are you worried about me?"
As soon as she finished speaking, a pair of hands had already gripped her waist without her noticing. In a dizzying moment, the two switched places, with Jiang Ling'er now sitting high on the table and Ji Yunshu standing in front of her, his hands still on her waist.
Jiang Ling'er was stunned. This move was so beautiful that before she could react, she had become his prey again.
She glanced out of the corner of her eye at his hand, as smooth as mutton fat, clasped around her waist. In the past, it had been a source of romance, but now, it only felt dangerous.
If he had a knife, she would be dead on the spot by now.
His kung fu was far superior to what she had imagined.
Damn it!!!
Ji Yunshu lowered his eyes and stared at her, taking in Jiang Ling'er's astonished expression. He also noticed the goosebumps that rose on the back of her neck, like an animal's instinctive reaction to danger. His eyes narrowed slightly, and a strange sense of satisfaction flashed through his mind. However, he remained expressionless and loosened his grip on her waist.
For some reason, although Jiang Ling'er could no longer figure out Ji Yunshu, because the current Ji Yunshu was too unfamiliar to her, she inexplicably felt that he seemed to be in a good mood right now?
Her spirited brows furrowed and then smoothed out again. Regardless of his mood, she knew he wasn't going to tell her the origin of his martial arts skills. Feeling stifled, she gave a sneer and reverted to her former self—the arrogant Jiang Ling'er who looked down on the person before her. She slumped lazily on the table, her posture unsteady. Due to the earlier commotion, her inner garment was slightly open, revealing a small patch of pale skin, starkly contrasting with her face, skin never exposed to sunlight. A wisp of hair fell, resting on her delicate collarbones.
Although she lost in terms of skill, she couldn't lose in terms of spirit! She raised her chin slightly, staring at him with a sarcastic tone:
"Since you're going to lie... why don't you just keep lying?"
Ji Yunshu's answer was to kneel on one knee, hold her feet in his hands and place them on his knees. Jiang Ling'er was really surprised by this and was stunned, staring at him blankly.
Every morning, just like before, he would pull her out of bed and carry her to the table, as if she were a child who would never grow up, dressing and washing her. Jiang Ling'er seemed boneless, lazily letting him do whatever he wanted in her arms. The way ordinary couples would enjoy each other's company was completely reversed between them.
Jiang Ling'er had once thought Ji Yunshu was as gentle and harmless as a lamb, so she naturally didn't put up any defenses. But now she knew that beneath his sheep's skin lay either a jackal or a tiger, so how could she possibly sleep soundly in the arms of a tiger?
He immediately kicked him in the chest!
Suddenly, a cool, large hand completely enveloped the soles of her feet. In the push and pull, Ji Yunshu leaned closer, forcing Jiang Ling'er to lean back. Her entire back slammed against the cold, hard table with a clatter. The food box fell to the ground with a thud. Her body lay supine on the table at an extremely soft and exaggerated angle, like a fully drawn bow. Just as she tried to get up, Ji Yunshu's other hand struck, grabbing both of her wrists and pressing them down on the top of her head. The other hand released her ankles and instead gripped her waist. At this moment, she was like a weak prey in the jaws of a tiger, completely unable to move.
Ji Yunshu pressed down on her, looking down at her. They were so close they could almost hear each other's breath, so close Jiang Ling'er could count his thick, long eyelashes, so close her chest heaving with rage would occasionally brush against his, so close she could clearly see herself reflected in his dark eyes—anger, helplessness, paleness. The more disheveled she became, the more at ease he seemed, as if everything…everything, every reaction of hers, was under his control.
What evokes anger is even more despair and horror, horror at the unknown.
Ji Yunshu stared at her quietly, taking in her expression, before finally speaking:
“I thought you already understood your situation.” She sighed softly at the end, adding, “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the hand that was holding her waist left, and went straight up, brushing aside the stray hairs on her neck. After lingering on her delicate collarbone for a while, he moved to the back of her neck and gently rubbed the goosebumps that had been there ever since, as if to soothe her.
Previously, she was the one who played this role and did this kind of thing.
Just as he had said on their wedding night, Ji Yunshu served her exceptionally well. And in her comfort, she would hold his head tightly as if rewarding him, as if bestowing a favor, her ten fingers weaving through his dark hair, rising and falling with his movements, her ten fingers also tugging at his hair lightly or heavily.
Now, the roles have reversed.
I thought you already understood your situation.
Jiang Ling'er's face was very pale. She finally understood what he meant. At this moment, all the color drained from her face, leaving her face deathly pale.
No...that's not right!
Who is she? She is the young master of the number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in the world, and the future chief镖师 (chief镖师) of the number one镖师 in the world. Old镖师 Jiang is her biological father. Even if she were a good-for-nothing, she wouldn't be the one who has fallen to such a state. She was wrong. She asked the wrong question.
She shouldn't have asked, "If you're going to lie, why don't you just keep lying?" She should have asked, "Why are you afraid to keep lying?"
She thought this, and she asked it aloud.
Ji Yunshu paused, then seemed to regret it, and smiled, the previous tenderness vanishing instantly. He released his grip on her hand, and instead kindly pulled her up from the table, letting go of her hand readily. He stood before her like a graceful and elegant tree, as if he were not the one who had been so reckless and aggressive just moments before.
"Don't you already have the answer in your heart?"
Ji Yunshu never valued her; rather, she valued Jiang, the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort) behind her, the number one镖师 (bodyguard/escort) in the world.
Although she rushed back to celebrate her father's birthday, she had already wasted three whole days at Ji Yunshu's place. Tomorrow is her father's birthday, and she was so caught up in Ji Yunshu's messy affairs that she completely forgot about this!
She had a vague sense of foreboding. The last time she saw her father was three months ago. She had come back with the escort team and then went out to play again. It had been a long time since she had a proper conversation with her father.
For some reason, the more she thought about it, the more flustered she became. She couldn't sit still any longer and jumped off the table. She walked to the door only to find that it was locked.
She immediately turned around: "You locked me up?!"
However, she didn't want to argue with him right now. The unease in her heart was spreading like ripples, and finally it felt like a whirlpool was about to swallow her up. She pursed her lips, trying her best to suppress the panic that was about to engulf her, took a deep breath, and said calmly, "Let me go. I want to see my father."
Ji Yunshu glanced at her tightly clenched fists behind her back and slowly shook her head:
"no."
Jiang Ling'er suddenly raised her eyebrows: "Why not?! What right do you have to lock me up?"
Ji Yunshu stared at her intently: "Is it enough that your father, Old Chief Escort Jiang, instructed me to do this?"
Jiang Ling'er was stunned, frozen in place: "...Why? Why won't my father come with me..."
“Recently, Jinling City has been bustling with people, mostly unfamiliar faces from out of town. Do you think they’re all here to congratulate Old Chief Jiang on his birthday?” Ji Yunshu stopped there and refused to say anything more. He just stared at Jiang Ling’er and said meaningfully, “Jiang Ling’er, you know nothing.”
She left with a final sentence: "You have half an hour to pack your belongings and leave before the city gates close. Ling'er, I'll take you back to Sun and Moon Fortress; that's our home too." Then, as if remembering something, she added, "I know you don't like Tao Niang, so I've already driven her away. Don't be angry."
As he finished speaking, he was about to touch Jiang Ling'er's hair, but she turned her head away. Ji Yunshu didn't mind, smiled, and left with his hands behind his back.
That night, Jiang Ling'er, who was supposed to leave with the servant under cover of darkness, knocked the servant unconscious with a vase. Before leaving, she paused, thought for a moment, wrote a letter of divorce, placed it on the bed, and then disappeared into the night like a nimble cat.
"Young master, look at Madam..."
A slender, jade-like hand was slightly raised, and the servant wisely shut his mouth.
Under a lantern casting a dim candlelight in front of the vermilion gate stood two figures, one tall and one short.
It was Ji Yunshu and his servant.
Ji Yunshu stared at the slender and agile figure in the night until it disappeared into the alley before turning her gaze away. She murmured something ambiguous, seemingly to herself yet also to someone else:
"It's time to grow up."
A note from the author:
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See you tomorrow!
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