Chapter 32: Lu Cha’s Heartbreak

Ying lifted its fluffy beast face, its red beast eyes staring at Zhang Meng for a moment, then twisted its body and jumped down from Zhang Meng’s embrace.

Its soft ears brushed against Zhang Meng’s pant leg, then it walked into the cave and dragged out a box. When Zhang Meng had just entered the cave earlier, she also noticed there was a box here, but at that time she was focused on finding Ying and didn’t think much about the box.

Ying raised its paw and patted the lock on the box. A soft white light shone, and the box slowly opened. Several papers with golden patterns flew out.

The papers fell into Zhang Meng’s hands. She found them covered in strange writing. Holding them, she could feel the papers were warm, as if alive.

“Ying, what is this?”

“Contract.” A hoarse voice came from the soft white little beast’s mouth.

Zhang Meng was surprised: “Contract? What contract?”

But Ying didn’t answer her. It circled around Zhang Meng, leaving behind dazzling golden light where it walked. The light surrounded Zhang Meng, preventing her from seeing clearly. All she could see was a white-gold light.

After the light dissipated, she found the papers in her hand had disappeared, but a strange pattern appeared on her palm. Ying looked up at her, and she noticed a similar pattern had appeared on Ying’s forehead.

“From now on, I am only your god, and I will fulfill your wishes.” The hoarse voice was calm and detached.

Zhang Meng was shocked upon hearing this. She quickly waved her hands: “Ying, you’re not my god, you’re the guardian god of everyone’s home. And I don’t have any wishes, you don’t need to make such a sacrifice.”

She had borrowed a book about supernatural beings from Zhong Huo’s study and roughly understood the rules of divine contracts. Once a god binds a contract with a person, it no longer has freedom and can only be driven by that person, obeying all their commands, never able to betray that person until they die and the contract is dissolved.

This kind of binding contract, apart from always knowing the contractor’s whereabouts and accurately sensing the contractor’s emotions, had no other benefits. Almost no god was willing to bind such a contract. Zhang Meng was very surprised that Ying would bind this kind of contract with her. She hadn’t done much for it, she had only brought it food a few times and helped drive away some children bullying it, that was all. She didn’t deserve such a sacrifice from it.

But Ying no longer paid attention to Zhang Meng. It jumped onto Zhang Meng’s shoulder and closed its eyes to rest.

·····

Zhang Meng woke up, raised her palm and saw that strange faintly glowing pattern. She was so scared she almost cried out.

Although she somewhat believed in the existence of door demons, she had always thought the dream realm she entered was just an illusory space, just a space imagined in her mind. But seeing the pattern on her palm, she felt her entire worldview was about to collapse.

She suddenly sat up, lit the oil lamp, and flipped open the drawing paper hidden under the table. In the drawing was a white-haired man in a black robe, with sharp red eyes, exquisite features, and tightly pursed black-purple lips.

A strange melancholy emotion slowly spread from the depths of her heart. Zhang Meng closed the drawing paper.

For some reason, she felt a bit afraid to look at him.

·····

In the deep courtyard of the Xu residence.

The light green gauze curtains fluttered in the wind. On the large red wooden carved bed, Xu Lu Cha lay with eyes tightly closed, breathing erratically.

“I don’t love you, please don’t cling to me anymore.” The woman in the dream frowned impatiently.

“I don’t need you to fulfill my wishes. My wish is to be with him. You just stay away from me. I don’t want him to be sad.”

Xu Lu Cha suddenly opened his eyes, his chest still aching from the woman’s words in the dream.

It was just a dream…

She wouldn’t treat him like that. She loved him.

Even as he kept reassuring himself, he was still flustered and panicked, his heart pounding.

Xu Lu Cha hurriedly propped himself up. After getting out of bed, he ran to the desk barefoot with his hair loose, not even putting on shoes. He spread out the rice paper, picked up the ink brush with his delicate hand, dipped it in ink, but hesitated to write.

He needed her assurance. He needed her to make a promise to him.

The brush tip trembled slightly, and it took a long time before he pressed down, tracing across the rice paper.

When Zi Yi walked in carrying clear water, Xu Lu Cha handed him a letter: “Quickly deliver this letter to Zhang Meng. Don’t let anyone find out.”

Xu Lu Cha’s handsome face was pale, his beautiful eyes panicked.

Zi Yi was surprised. Yesterday the young master had been in a good mood, but today he was so flustered and uneasy. Zi Yi really couldn’t understand: “Young master, are you alright?”

Xu Lu Cha shook his head: “I’m fine. Quickly deliver the letter to Zhang Meng.”

After Zi Yi left, Xu Lu Cha paced restlessly in the room. The scene in the dream was too real, as if he had experienced it before. That pain of his heart being torn apart made him anxious.

He didn’t know when he had started to care about Zhang Meng to such an extent.

He thought he would never fall in love with any woman. Growing up in a brothel, he knew almost everything about women’s ugly nature, and he deeply despised them.

However, Zhang Meng was so wonderful that he couldn’t help but get closer to her again and again. With each approach, his feelings for her grew more intense, as if he had deeply loved her in a past life, and after drinking the soup of oblivion, sealed those feelings deep in his heart. Now, as he interacted with her more deeply, the feelings buried in his heart broke through the seal like surging waves, overwhelming him.

He had fallen in love with her so easily!

Xu Lu Cha lay down on the bed, his beautiful eyes staring at the bed curtains for a while. He curled up, his eyes growing a bit hot.

She had no money or power, was slow and loved to eat, and was always stupidly thinking of others. He used to hate people like that, so why was he now so captivated by her?

He was originally a selfish and unscrupulous person, how could he fall in love with someone like her? They were never supposed to be compatible.

Zi Yi soon returned. Hearing a noise in the courtyard, Xu Lu Cha’s heart trembled. He quickly propped himself up, got out of bed, and ran out.

“Zi Yi, did you deliver the letter to her?”

Zi Yi’s expression was a bit strange, but he nodded.

Xu Lu Cha didn’t notice Zi Yi’s odd expression, and just urged him: “Did she say anything? Where’s her reply?”

“Young master, Detective Zhang didn’t accept this letter.” Zi Yi handed the letter back to him.

Xu Lu Cha froze, not taking the letter: “What do you mean?”

“Detective Zhang said she can’t accept your feelings, she already has someone she likes.”

Xu Lu Cha felt as if struck by lightning, all color draining from his handsome face. Zi Yi continued speaking: “Detective Zhang said you’re a good man, you’ll find someone better, she’s not suitable for you.”

Xu Lu Cha’s mind went blank. He saw Zi Yi’s mouth moving, but couldn’t hear what he was saying.

Zhang Meng couldn’t accept his feelings? Zhang Meng already had someone she liked?

How laughable!

His beautiful eyes turned red as he slapped Zi Yi hard.

“You lowly slave, you’re lying to me, aren’t you? Don’t think I don’t know you have feelings for Zhang Meng.”

Xu Lu Cha’s slap came without warning, hard and fast. Before Zi Yi could react, the side of his face was already red and swollen, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Xu Lu Cha shoved him aside roughly and ran out of the courtyard.

Servants rushed to stop him. Xu Lu Cha pointed his folding fan at them, several sharp small blades flashing coldly at the fan’s end.

“Who dares to stop me!”

Xu Lu Cha shouted fiercely, his voice cold and vicious, his beautiful eyes red and ruthless.

·····

“Detective Zhang? What’s wrong?”

Lin Hao’s concerned voice sounded beside her. Zhang Meng came to her senses and quickly smiled in response: “I’m fine.”

When she got up this morning and saw the pattern on her palm, her worldview suffered a serious blow. As she finished breakfast and was about to go out on patrol, Zi Yi came to deliver a letter. When she saw the contents of the letter, her worldview was already on the verge of collapse.

She had been in a daze all morning.

Regarding the pattern appearing on her hand, because she already somewhat believed in the existence of gods and demons, although she was very shocked, she was able to accept it quickly. But Xu Lu Cha’s letter was something she absolutely could not accept.

“When will you come to marry me?” Those few simple words almost scared her to death.

She had always treated Xu Lu Cha as an ordinary friend and never had any other thoughts. She also thought Xu Lu Cha saw her as a friend, which was why he made noodles for her, cleaned her room, and gave her a fan. She never imagined Xu Lu Cha had other intentions.

She didn’t understand what Xu Lu Cha saw in her. She was poor and had no power, just a small-time detective. The men of Cloud City looked down on the detective profession, and didn’t want to marry detectives. Because detectives not only had poor benefits, but also often faced life-threatening danger. No man was willing to marry into poverty and constantly worry about their wife-master losing her life. There were a lot of leftover women in the government office. Even Jin Yue was forced by her mother to quit her job as a detective before she could take a husband.

How could Xu Lu Cha, a rich young master, and moreover a selfish rich young master with high standards, possibly be interested in her? How could he be willing to live in poverty with her?

But those few conspicuous large characters on the letter constantly made their presence known, not allowing her to avoid them.

She felt her worldview was about to collapse.

At this moment, Zhang Meng suddenly heard a commotion. She looked up and saw Xu Lu Cha with his jade-like skin not far away.

Xu Lu Cha wore light green robes, his face pale, his beautiful eyes red. He held a folding fan in his hand, the fan tip revealing glinting knife edges. He walked quickly towards her.

Zhang Meng’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Xu Lu Cha with some wariness.

She knew Xu Lu Cha had a vengeful personality. Had he come running over to die together with her because she rejected him?

But when Xu Lu Cha approached her, he knelt and bowed to her, smiling: “Detective Zhang, Lu Cha has something to discuss with you. Are you available?”

Zhang Meng was stunned. She looked at him carefully. The murderous aura surrounding him earlier was now gentle and graceful, as if his earlier appearance of wanting to die with her was just her imagination. She looked down at his fan again – it was delicate and small, with no knife edges at the tip.

“Alright, Young Master Xu.” Zhang Meng smiled in response.

·····

Yingyue Teahouse.

Zhang Meng sat by the exquisite small round table, feeling uneasy. The previous experience of spending over a hundred taels here with Xu Lu Cha felt like a nightmare, making her heart race even now just thinking about it.

Although she had decided to never again accompany rich young masters to teahouses, this time because she felt somewhat guilty towards Xu Lu Cha, she didn’t object to his decision to bring her to Yingyue Teahouse.

Now watching Xu Lu Cha sit across from her, gracefully brewing tea, she felt her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Xu Lu Cha’s face was pale, his beautiful eyes red. She didn’t know if it was because of the tea steam, but she saw a faint glimmer of moisture in Xu Lu Cha’s eyes.