Chapter 33 Ears Turned Red: Turns out even Brother Tie can be so glib...
The next morning.
In an inn in a small town at the foot of the mountain, Tie Shou hesitated at the door of the guest room, holding the clothes he had bought.
As soon as it was light, he went and bought everything he needed.
I was exhausted last night. I wonder if Miss Xuexin has woken up yet?
Iron Hand, thinking of her frail body, hesitated, wanting to let her rest a little longer.
He had just taken a step back when a weak voice came from inside.
"Is that Brother Tie?"
Tie Shou's heart skipped a beat, and he tried to sound calm as he asked, "Miss Xuexin, may I come in?"
Hearing her affirmative response, he took a deep breath and gently pushed open the door.
In this kind of small-town inn, the rooms are naturally not very nice; apart from a wooden bed, a wooden table, and two stools and chairs, there is almost nothing else.
Fortunately, although it was old and simple, it was also clean and warm.
Iron Hand became a famous local constable when he was a teenager. When solving cases, he would sleep in the open, in dilapidated houses and temples, and there was no place he had never slept.
But now, seeing her leaning weakly against the bedside, a rough, dull thin quilt covering her waist.
For the first time, he also felt somewhat dissatisfied with the inn, feeling that she had been wronged.
Xuexin saw him standing motionless, her eyes flickered slightly, and she asked softly, "Brother Tie, why are you so far away from me? Come closer..."
The last half of her sentence was as gentle as water, and a blush rose on her porcelain-white face, like a lotus flower blooming brightly on clear water.
When Tie Shou's eyes met hers, his heart swelled with warmth, and the phrase "a humble abode shines with brilliance" suddenly popped into his mind.
He sighed inwardly, walked to the bedside, and showed her the things in his arms one by one.
"This... is a dress I bought for you. I don't know much about these things, so if you don't like it, I'll go buy you a new one."
His hand, gripping the clothes, clenched nervously, as if afraid she wouldn't like it.
Xuexin reached out and took it, gently unfolding it. It was a white dress with wide sleeves, and the sheer white outer garment was embroidered with a pear blossom and several delicate butterflies. It was clear that a lot of thought had been put into choosing it.
Her gaze fell on the butterfly, and a soft light shone in her eyes. "I like it very much."
When she said she liked it, Tie Shou smiled, a feeling of satisfaction filling his heart, making him feel very comfortable.
He placed the other items he was carrying on the wooden table and smiled, "It's been raining a lot lately, so I bought you an oil-paper umbrella. I also bought some incense and some snacks that girls like, but I don't know what you like... If you need anything or want anything, be sure to tell me."
After saying that, he added gently, "I said I would take good care of you, so there's no need to feel uncomfortable about it."
The way he said this made him look like a young man who had just returned home after a long journey and was eager to see his new wife, wanting to make sure the whole family was well taken care of.
Xuexin nodded, her eyes glistening with tears, and said in a trembling voice, "Thank you, Brother Tie."
She held the white dress tightly in her arms, and as she bent over, glimpses of shimmering beauty were scattered through the tattered fabric.
Iron Hand's words of comfort stuck in her throat, her face flushed slightly, and she clenched her fists, retorting, "I asked the kitchen to make ginger soup, I'll go get it. You, you should change your clothes first."
Without even looking at Xuexin's reaction, he hurriedly went out.
Xuexin chuckled softly as she watched him hurrying along.
This means there's no need to feel anything.
She looked back at the table full of things, got out of bed to change her clothes, and then lit the incense sticks in the ceramic incense burner.
The wisps of incense smoke swirled around, instantly filling the room with the slightly pungent scent of sandalwood.
Xuexin finally smiled contentedly, as if bathing in hot soup, her whole body softening.
Ghosts can only consume three things: the life force of the living, the yang energy of strong men, and the ash from incense offered to the dead.
Being drained of one's life force by a ghost will severely shorten one's lifespan. If one's yang energy is drained by a ghost, one will fall seriously ill and never recover; if one's yin energy is drained, one will suffer from yin deficiency. Only the scent of incense ash is the best to obtain and is free from karmic consequences.
Of course, compared to the former two, the effect of incense ash was minimal. Her soul, injured by the Taoist priest, was riddled with cracks, and she had no choice but to heal and survive.
Every now and then, there was another knock outside. Xuexin opened the door slowly and calmly, and smiled when she saw who it was.
When Tie Shou saw her in her white dress and silver hairpin, with her delicate features and charming eyes, his heart skipped a beat.
He placed the warm ginger soup into Xuexin's cold palm and praised her, "So beautiful."
A strong smell of incense ash wafted over, and Tie Shou subconsciously looked behind her. There were exactly three sticks of incense burning on the wooden table.
Xuexin gripped the porcelain cup in her hand, took a step forward subtly, gazed into his eyes, and smiled sweetly, "What's beautiful about it?"
Looking into her eyes, which were as clear as spring water, Tie Shou felt his heart pounding uncontrollably. He stammered, "She's beautiful everywhere."
She lowered her eyes, "So Brother Tie can also say such glib things."
Iron Hand's face flushed red instantly. Just as he was about to offer an explanation, his burning ears were gently pinched by a pair of delicate, fleshy hands.
"His ears turned red."
Like a red-hot iron block hitting floating ice, with a sizzling sound, Iron Hand's entire body emitted white steam.
By the time Xuexin was starting to suspect that the heat from her fingertips was about to burn her soul, Tieshou was still stammering, unable to speak.
Just as she was about to take another step closer, a loud crashing sound came from the street below, followed by a cacophony of noise.
The commotion was quite loud. Tie Shou frowned, squeezed her hand as if afraid of frightening her, and then pushed open the window to check.
Unexpectedly, the person below turned out to be an acquaintance!
He explained, told Xuexin to drink the ginger soup first, and then went downstairs.
Once the window was opened, the scene not far away could be seen clearly, and the sounds could be heard even more clearly.
At the center of the crowd was a charming woman dressed as a man, wearing a haute couture hat and carrying a small, dark purple bow. Her graceful demeanor concealed an indescribable air of elegance.
Four or five hooligans were lying on the ground. One of the rouge stalls on the street had collapsed under their weight, and the men were sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.
The alluring woman stood with her hands behind her back in front of them, her words sharp and witty, and she was the center of attention.
Anyone who sees this scene can probably guess the cause and effect.
In the scene, another tall and strong young man walks out.
He was dressed in blue, with a handsome face and a gentle demeanor, and his hands appeared particularly large.
He saw the woman dressed as a man and smiled, saying, "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?"
The moment the flirtatious woman saw him, a glint of light flashed in her eyes, but she said with displeasure, "Stop talking nonsense! A good knife is one that can kill a chicken!"
Iron Hand could only say, "Yes, yes, it was my fault for being so talkative!"
Hearing his three consecutive "yes"s as a perfunctory response, she pouted, "False sincerity!"
Xuexin stood by the window, her gaze lingering on the two of them. She tapped the windowsill lightly with her fingertips, chuckled softly, and slowly poured the ginger tea into the flowerpot.
The pale yellow tea liquid diffused in the loess soil, revealing a slightly spicy aroma.
Tequila stabbed Iron Hand several times, forcing him to retreat repeatedly, before finally asking him, seemingly satisfied, what he was doing there.
Just as Tie Shou was about to answer, the surrounding crowd suddenly fell silent.
He had a premonition that it was her; she had come down.
Agave always knew she was exceptionally beautiful, truly deserving of the title "flower-like beauty." And indeed, she was stunningly beautiful, a rare beauty indeed.
However, upon seeing this person, Agave realized what it meant to have "a gaze as cold as spring water." The person before her had a face like Guanyin, so beautiful that she evoked pity. That kind of desolate yet delicate temperament made one want to pluck her down and hold her in one's hands with tenderness.
Xuexin handed a handkerchief to the little girl who was huddled in the corner, weeping, and said softly, "Wipe your tears. Here are some pastries; eating something sweet will cheer you up."
This bag of pastries was the one Tie Shou bought for her that morning, and she was now using it to curry favor without any humility.
The little girl took the handkerchief, sobbing as she shook her head, choking out, "Thank you for the handkerchief, miss! You're so beautiful and kind, I...I..."
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes like a spring, and she could no longer stop them.
Xuexin gently placed the bag of pastries into her hand and said softly, "It's alright, go home early."
Tequila overheard the whispers and praises around her, "This girl is beautiful and kind-hearted, she's truly a goddess descended to earth!"
Hearing this, she felt a slight sense of resentment. She was the one who dealt with those thugs!
Just as Tequila was about to speak up, Iron Hand suddenly strode over. She had just frowned when she saw the woman's face turn pale, and her body suddenly sway as if losing its strength.
Iron Hand immediately and gently put his arm around her, asking anxiously, "Where do you feel unwell?"
His face was anxious, but his eyes were full of tenderness, and his actions showed a pity that she had never seen in Tie Shou before.
In her ear, she heard the delicate-looking woman whisper, "Brother Tie, I'm fine."
That's what she said, but she leaned her head against Iron Hand's chest in a dependent way.
Upon seeing it, Agave's eyes flickered, and it felt as if it had been pricked by a needle.
She clenched her fists, walked straight over, and looked at Iron Hand, asking, "Iron Hand, what's this?"
Xue Xin lowered her eyes and quietly stayed in Tie Shou's arms without saying a word. Tie Shou hurriedly lowered his head and introduced, "This is the purple-clad goddess constable of the capital, and also my colleague, Long She Lan."
Then he looked up and said gently, "This is Miss Xuexin."
Xuexin then looked up, glanced at her gently, her voice soft and timid, "Miss Long."
In an instant, my initial dislike for agave turned into a strong one.
Aside from the inexplicable feelings in her heart, her intuition also subconsciously repelled this gentle and harmless woman.
She has always relied on her sixth sense to judge people; her intuition determines whether she likes or dislikes someone.
What she felt about this woman was incongruity.
She looked like a delicate pear blossom wet with rain, but her soul was a ball of filthy snow.
Tequila dislikes people who are two-faced.
But this person was Iron Hand's friend, and it seemed like he was more than just a friend...
She suppressed her thoughts and nodded coldly at her.
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Author's Note: My daily life filled with the aroma of tea is about to begin.
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