Chapter 32: The Slave Wants

Jing Huan raised her head, looking dazed.

The dead crow outside the window was a bloody, pitiful sight.

He followed her snow-white fingertip to look outside, only managing to see a sea of red.

When Liu Changning appeared at the door, he had actually already sensed her presence.

Originally, he only wanted to force Pei Yuanshao to admit that he had fallen in love with the teacher. Given the teacher’s personality, if she knew a man coveted her, she would certainly be extremely annoyed.

But unexpectedly, the Long Emperor didn’t seem to realize his intentions, whether intentionally or not, and instead made some righteous remarks.

In comparison, he himself seemed overly aggressive.

Jing Huan withdrew his gaze, his light blue eyes glistening with a hint of grievance. He lowered his head and said dejectedly, “I… spoke inappropriately just now, overstepping my bounds. I hope the lady and the young master can forgive me.”

The woman in front stood against the light in the center of the kitchen, her pale lips pressed into a straight line, showing no intention of responding.

Jing Huan was familiar with all of his teacher’s facial expressions and knew that she must be extremely impatient with him at this moment.

A wave of disappointment rose in his heart, but having experienced this feeling too many times, his face showed no sign of it.

He pointed at the dead crow outside and said in a trembling voice, full of stubbornness, “But… if the young master hadn’t shot that crow dead as a warning, I… wouldn’t have mocked him for being cold-blooded and heartless…”

His gentle eyes filled with restraint as he said grievously, “If the lady thinks I’ve done wrong, then… then I’ll leave. I lost my mother at the age of three and have been living with my aunt ever since. I thought that as a dependent, I should work hard and be diligent. But it turns out, no matter what I do, I’m still despised. Fine… I’ll go.”

Jing Huan turned his face away, and a tear silently rolled down from his blue eye.

It slid past his full lips and fell to the ground.

He didn’t sob loudly, just quietly shed tears in silence.

The tears had been welling up in his eyes for a long time, held back to the limit before finally spilling over.

It didn’t appear weak, but rather added a touch of resilient beauty.

When Liu Changning was the ancestor of the Fairy Realm in her first life, she undoubtedly admired this type of person the most.

Born into poverty, yet still standing tall, relying on their desire for life to work hard and cultivate step by step.

She liked hardworking, resilient people.

At this moment, she saw that precious quality in the young man before her.

She turned her head to look at the crow outside the window. The crow had been struck down by a stone.

There was a bloody hole in its abdomen, clearly the fatal wound caused by the stone.

For an ordinary person to hit an animal with a stone, without enough force, it would be impossible for the stone to pierce through the animal’s body.

Unless they possessed martial arts skills.

Her cheap husband happened to know martial arts, and had deep inner strength.

Liu Changning narrowed her eyes. She turned her head inconspicuously to look at the young man before her.

She hadn’t seen many men cry in this lifetime, but the person before her interpreted crying quite beautifully.

His phoenix eyes were restrained yet stubborn, tears falling silently. His back was straight, unyielding like a pine tree.

Liu Changning scrutinized him with an appraising look: “Was that crow shot down by my husband?”

The man opposite didn’t respond. He turned his face away, his full lips parting slightly as if he wanted to say something, but then closed them again.

But that grieved expression clearly revealed the answer.

If the young man before her wasn’t pretending, given her cheap husband’s personality, it was possible he would do such a thing.

However…

Liu Changning wasn’t a fool. The young man before her had many little schemes, so his words couldn’t be fully trusted.

Moreover, during their earlier argument, although she was far away, she had heard seven or eight tenths of the content.

Even if her cheap husband was at fault, this person also seemed to have deliberately provoked him.

Regardless of which possibility it was, she didn’t want to waste time on such trivial matters. After all, she wasn’t a neighborhood committee aunty.

Asking too many questions might not be good and could bring more trouble.

And she disliked trouble.

Liu Changning’s expression eased slightly as she said indifferently, “If you want to stay, then wipe your tears and go to the main hall for the meal. Although my husband has a somewhat unruly personality, if you don’t provoke him, he certainly won’t cause trouble for no reason. Put away your little schemes, and I’ll allow you to stay for a month. But if you keep causing disturbances in the household, when the time comes, I’ll have to personally ask you to leave.”

After speaking, Liu Changning turned her back and walked out of the kitchen.

Jing Huan stood there stunned. He watched her gradually retreating figure, the corner of his lips curling into a determined smile.

He didn’t need her to believe him; he only needed her to develop even the slightest bit of appreciation for him.

After that, he had many ways to make her accustomed to his presence. He wasn’t in a hurry…

――

Ever since that day’s argument with Guangjing, Pei Yuanshao seemed to deliberately avoid this place, leaving early and returning late.

Sometimes he would come back to the room very late at night.

Although Liu Changning shared a room with him, it had been many days since she had spoken a word to him.

The newly arrived young man was very sensible.

He could cook, keep the house spotlessly clean, and even do some simple mending…

If it weren’t for his occasional secret glances at her, he would be almost perfect.

Unfortunately, Liu Changning had no time to appreciate this person’s excellence; she had been busy making money recently.

She had gone to the back mountain three times, gathering many precious herbs.

Selling them to Huichun Hall, she had gradually accumulated one hundred taels of silver.

Although not much, it was enough for her travel expenses to leave Xiqiao Village.

She planned to tour the south, as she didn’t know much about this world. Going out to broaden her horizons was always more direct than learning from books. If she really wanted to enter the imperial court in the future, this journey was necessary.

While Liu Changning was busy, she didn’t know that the two young men at home were secretly competing.

The fake “Jing Huan” led fifty thousand reinforcement troops to the border of Langhuan, but unexpectedly, on the night before they were to join with the Mobei army, they were ambushed by the “Northern Rong” army at Tongbei Fortress.

The fifty thousand troops were utterly defeated, and the whereabouts of the Southern Marquis “Jing Huan” were unknown.

There were rumors that the Southern Marquis had died on the front lines.

When this news spread, General Mo was furious. He led an army of two hundred thousand, driving the Northern Rong army out of the border, and taking advantage of the victory to capture two of the Northern Rong’s cities.

The Northern Rong court finally sent a letter of surrender, willing to cede territory to the imperial court for peace.

Only then was this war finally settled.

In the old house in the west of Xiqiao Village

Jing Huan tore up the secret letter in his hand, his face full of rage. He scattered the torn paper pieces in the air.

His eyes spat venom.

The Northern Rong’s sudden attack on the northern fortress a month ago was originally a conspiracy he had planned together with the Northern Rong’s eldest princess.

The Northern Rong were supposed to be allies, how could they attack his people!

Unless…

Hah! That old fox Mo Xingfang must have interfered!

Thinking of how his plans had been failing repeatedly over the past month, and all the changes had occurred after Pei Yuanshao was demoted to Mobei.

The culprit was obvious.

Luring the enemy in to destroy them, what a good strategy!

Jing Huan gritted his teeth and spat out three words from between his clenched teeth: “Pei Ziyuan!”

If he hadn’t escaped like a cicada shedding its shell this time, the Mobei journey would have been his death.

“Lord Jing!” The masked guard bowed his head, his eyes showing anxiety, “Rumors in the capital say you’re in mortal danger. Yesterday, the neutral faction in court petitioned, begging the Empress to redistribute your military power to the Marquis of Xuanping. You…”

Jing Huan crushed the string of beads in his hand. After a long while, he said hatefully, “Tomorrow… we return to the capital!”

The Demon Sect’s old ancestor Jing Huan had stumbled so badly before a mortal for the first time.

Forced to abandon his plans to cultivate feelings with his teacher and return to the capital to deal with the trap set for him.

However…

Jing Huan’s lips curled into a bloodthirsty smile as he looked at the dilapidated mud house in the distance, his smile deepening.

――

Liu Changning was soaking in a medicinal bath in the washroom. As it wasn’t her first time taking a medicinal bath, the effect wasn’t as strong, and a thin layer of fine sweat had formed on her body.

Just as she was about to rise from the tub, footsteps were heard outside.

She discreetly looked at the shadowy figure at the wooden door, her eyes showing displeasure.

She had told him before not to disturb her…

At least he was polite enough to knock on the wooden door and call out, “My lady, are you bathing? Do you want Guangjing to come in and attend to you?”

Liu Changning nearly laughed in anger. She said sternly, “No need, you go to the kitchen and prepare the meal.”

“Oh…” The person outside seemed somewhat disappointed. He took two steps, then turned back, seemingly holding a chicken in his arms, and said, “I just went to the village and exchanged some embroidery for a chicken. Would you like me to make chicken soup for dinner to nourish your body?”

“Fine!” Liu Changning responded impatiently. This young man was usually very perceptive, but today he seemed unusually talkative for some reason.

When Jing Huan caught a glimpse of the red hem of a robe outside the door from the corner of his eye, he smiled, his face full of gentle consideration, truly the expression of a man in love.

He raised his hand and pinched the chicken in his arms. The rooster, startled, let out a sharp “gege” cry and struggled out of Jing Huan’s arms.

It crashed open the wooden door in front of them. He pretended to be flustered and fell into the room, lunging towards Liu Changning.

And so, Liu Changning, who had just risen from the wooden tub and put on her long robe, was embraced fully.

Whether intentionally or not, when this person stumbled and lunged over, although she had stepped aside to avoid him, he still managed to fall onto her with perfect accuracy.

A flash of surprise crossed Liu Changning’s eyes as she quickly pushed the man off her body.

A cold, biting voice came from the doorway: “What are you two doing?”

In the room, the woman was disheveled, embracing a young man who was as tall as her. At this moment, his eyes were wet with emotion.

That appearance was truly like someone who had just been cherished.

Although they separated extremely quickly after he appeared…

Pei Yuanshao wearily rubbed his forehead. The recommendation letter for Yude Academy, personally written by Mentor Jia, felt cold and abrasive in his bosom.

He stared fixedly at that peasant woman. She offered no explanation, nor did she show any signs of panic.

Pei Yuanshao suddenly felt like a clown. He had intended to distance himself, yet upon suddenly seeing her embrace another man in such a manner, his heart felt sour and heavy. He even wanted to avoid it, unwilling to believe the scene he had witnessed with his own eyes.

He wanted to wait for her to explain to him, to see a hint of panic in her eyes, to make him stay.

But there was none… Apart from the initial surprise, there wasn’t the slightest trace of panic in her tea-colored eyes, nor any hint of regret.

Pei Yuanshao curled his lips in a self-mocking smile.

He turned and went back to the room.

――

Liu Changning turned her head, her eyes flashing with a fierce light as she said without mercy, “I told you, if you cause trouble, you can’t stay in my household…”

This time, Jing Huan didn’t continue to pretend to be well-behaved. While removing her outer robe, she steadily met the other’s cold gaze, stepped forward twice, and cornered her by the bathtub. Lowering her head, she pleaded, “Wife-master, am I not good enough? I like you! I’ve liked you since the first time I saw you! I like you so much that when I smell your scent, I can’t help but want you. Give yourself to me, this slave wants you.”

She tugged at her long robe, her movements seemingly haphazard but actually methodically removing half of her undergarments. Her fair shoulders were exposed to the air, a blush spreading across her entire body.