“So, do you think it’s ugly?”
Lu Zhiyao wasn’t in a hurry for her answer. He played with the puppet’s hands and legs, occasionally twisting its head, chuckling in delight.
Broken gold light shimmered on the emerald waves, the glittering spots reflecting in his brows and eyes, making him look like an immortal untouched by mortal dust.
Even now, Zheng Mei couldn’t help but be momentarily dazed by his smile.
The boat moved slowly forward. Her body grew colder. The lake water had already reached her lips. This panic snapped her back to reality.
Zheng Mei frowned deeply, staring intently at the puppet with its turning joints.
It was ugly. But obviously she couldn’t say that. But if she said it was pretty, what if he accused her of lying?
What was the right answer?
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Tla vbswtbvp olal y xlpp. Fbl nswzed’v nyzx esod ldswtb vs vbkdj.
Fbl zssjle yv vbl pxyzz csyv ynnlzlayvkdt vsoyae vblx qasx clbkde yde pweeldzu alxlxclale Nk Swspbwk’p osaep.
Psd’v zlv vbl plahydvp pvayu vss qya. Fvyu nyzx.
Hbldt Ylk ckv bla zkr byae, qsankdt bla qlya esod, bla blyav qwzz sq altalv. Fbl pbswze byhl xyel vblx akel sd vbl pyxl csyv.
Fbl zssjle yv vbl rwrrlv, pzktbvzu nyzxla, yde alrzkle, “Rv’p dsv wtzu.”
Nw Hbkuys vyrrle bkp qkdtlap sd vbl osseld okdeso qayxl yde pktble pswdezlppzu. Tkp lmralppksd oyp tldvzl yde rkvkqwz, zkjl y Jweeby’p ekpnkrzl kd y xswdvykd vlxrzl.
“Tso kp kv usw esd’v lhld jdso bso vs zkl?”
Rq kv olal Nk Swspbwk, pbl oswzed’v blpkvyvl. Fbl’e ydpola kxxlekyvlzu yde lhld raykpl vbl rwrrlv.
He ignored her, raising the puppet and speaking to himself. “It’s not ugly either. It looks quite interesting.”
His voice was mild, as if making casual conversation. But to Zheng Mei, it sounded utterly absurd.
Who would want to hear others lie to them?
“It’s pretty!” Zheng Mei immediately added, “If you’re willing, I’ll pay a hundred taels for it!”
Lu Zhiyao rested his chin on his hand, his fingers rubbing the little puppet, a faint smile on his lips. He seemed lost in thought.
He wasn’t listening to a word she said!
“This is attempted murder! I can report you to the authorities! Are you listening to me?!”
Fear gripped Zheng Mei. She couldn’t help but slap the side of the boat. The splash hit the corner of her eye, mixing with the tears streaming down.
The gauze loosened more. The water had already passed her lips. She could only keep treading water to stay afloat, to avoid being submerged.
No help in sight. Life hanging by a thread.
How could she ever have thought he was an immortal? He was clearly a demon who delighted in tormenting people!
Zheng Mei’s tears mixed with the lake water. She felt utterly helpless. The gauze strip could come undone at any moment, and she was already exhausted just from treading water.
—If you fall in, don’t waste energy struggling. You can grab the hull or the stern.
A clear, bright voice flashed through her mind. She suddenly remembered the second half of what Li Ruoshui had said this morning.
She wondered to herself: ‘Could she really see the future?!’
Zheng Mei frantically felt along the hull, but it was smooth, with no protrusions.
Remembering Li Ruoshui’s earnest expression, she gritted her teeth and decided to gamble.
She simply yanked off the half-loosened gauze and, using her dwindling strength, swam to the stern. Sure enough, she saw a row of protruding wooden strips connecting to the hull.
She pulled herself up using the strips, her eyes red, watching the approaching boat and finally letting out a sigh of relief.
She swore to herself: ‘Once they all got here, she would make him pay!’
The boat behind was smaller and carried ten guards, so it was slow. Even though the boatman deliberately slowed their pace, it still took some time for them to catch up.
Two guards hurriedly jumped into the water and pulled the thoroughly soaked, weakened Zheng Mei back onto the painted boat. The rest drew their swords, pointing them at Lu Zhiyao, expressions tense.
They were all Zheng family guards. The “ghost” they hadn’t been able to catch after so many night patrols had been toyed with by Lu Zhiyao. Charging him now was basically volunteering as cannon fodder.
Zheng Mei stood shivering at the bow in her soaked clothes, hair dripping, wetting the planks beneath her feet. She pointed a wrinkled, waterlogged finger at Lu Zhiyao. “Go arrest him, now!”
The guards stood in front of her, exchanged glances, and didn’t move.
No one wanted to be the first to strike. No one wanted to die.
Zheng Mei looked at them. Her pride had been shattered twice in one day. Furious, she laughed bitterly. “After today, don’t bother coming to work for the Zheng family!”
One guard looked at her awkwardly. His grip on his sword tightened, then loosened. After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke up. “Being a guard is a bloody business. If we do it, we’re not afraid of death. But we’re on a lake. Hard to fight properly. Once we’re ashore, we’ll definitely catch him for you, Miss.”
“He’s blind! How can he beat you?” Zheng Mei sneered and fell silent.
Twelve people stood at the bow, weighing the elegant boat down unevenly. The lilac window gauze billowed diagonally, draping over the tea table inside.
The man at the stern had his back to them, unconcerned with their conversation, lost in his own thoughts.
Suddenly, he moved. The guards at the bow instinctively tensed, held their breath, tightened their grips, their raised sword tips aimed straight at him.
Lu Zhiyao suddenly flipped around to sit on the windowsill. The hem of his white robe and the lilac gauze fluttered together, as if he were about to dive into the lake or ride the wind away.
He raised his hand. The little puppet walked along the window ledge. Its movable joints were manipulated at will, dancing and waving, making soft click-clack sounds.
Lu Zhiyao leaned against the window. His legs dangled over the water, swaying with the boat but never touching the lake.
“I’ll buy you a dress. What color do you want?”
“What did you mean by what you said last night?”
The puppet on the window jumped around, performing sword moves, click-clacking, but couldn’t answer.
After a while, the puppet suddenly stopped. Its round joints turned once. Its limbs twisted as it lay down on the windowsill. Fine, hair-like silver threads lay softly over it.
The puppet’s head tilted toward Lu Zhiyao. Its tiny eyes stared straight at him.
“Boatman, how much longer to shore?”
Lu Zhiyao tilted his head “to look.” Sunlight slanted across the wooden window, brushing his lips with a faint golden glow. His smile was gentle, not a trace of malice in it.
Several people present were entranced by that smile. Their grips on their swords loosened slightly.
The boatman had been speeding back to shore. He paused, his voice unconsciously softening. “We’ll be there very soon.”
For some reason, looking at this scene, he was reminded of the statue of the Buddha’s disciple carried during the street procession not long ago.
The boatman had worked for years. He’d rarely seen anyone as mild-mannered as this man—
But he also remembered this person had worn the same expression when he threw Miss Zheng into the water.
The boatman instinctively sped up. It was a blessing from Buddha that they weren’t fighting on the boat. Once he got them ashore, it was no longer his business.
Not just the boatman. Several guards in the back row also bent down to help row, afraid the man opposite them might suddenly attack.
The boat slowly neared the shore. Hope shone in the boatman’s eyes.
The guards helped the grim-faced Zheng Mei off the boat and immediately turned their blades toward the painted boat, hearts pounding.
Lu Zhiyao lifted the hem of his robe, tapped his white cane, and stepped onto the bank. Seeing everyone disembark, the boatman immediately left, leaving only spreading ripples as proof he’d been there.
Lu Zhiyao offered a soft smile ahead and slowly sauntered forward. “The scenery I saw boating with you today was excellent. The lake breeze was refreshing too. Don’t you think so?”
He’d learned this line at the teahouse. He didn’t know the point of saying it, but people in the stories always said it after boating. It was probably some convention.
Hearing this, Zheng Mei was so angry her nose seemed to twist. She wrung water from her hair, her teeth chattering from the cold. “Damn the boating! You’re a murderer!”
“Is that so?” Lu Zhiyao put the puppet away in his robe, utterly indifferent. “I had a lovely time too.”
Feeling he’d completed the proper formalities, Lu Zhiyao tapped his cane and walked forward, seemingly oblivious to the dozen or so blades pointed his way.
“Oh, right.” Halfway there, he remembered something, his lips curving up. “Regarding the reward for the boat trip, the Zheng family’s piece of meteoric iron will do.”
In his mind, the boat trip and invitation were no different from a wanted notice posted by the authorities. Receiving a reward was only natural.
“In your dreams! Not turning you over to the authorities is kindness enough! And you want our family’s meteoric iron?!”
The ten guards standing ahead gave Zheng Mei courage. She pushed back her wet hair and looked at Lu Zhiyao with haughty defiance.
“I see.” Lu Zhiyao showed no anger. He kept walking, getting closer and closer to those sword tips. “Did Li Ruoshui not tell you the other thing?”
He drew his sword and deftly deflected the blades blocking his path. He walked right up to Zheng Mei effortlessly. He smiled as his hand closed around her neck.
“When making a deal with me, it’s best to keep your promise.”
Zheng Mei had never imagined getting this close to him would be so painful.
The guards behind wanted to rush forward, but with Zheng Mei in his grasp, they didn’t dare act recklessly.
“Will you keep your promise?”
Lu Zhiyao patiently increased the pressure, basking happily in her choked, gurgling sounds of pain and suffering.
This was why he loved strangling people—slowly, deliberately squeezing them. Making them suffocate, making them beg. Listening to that pain and despair worming into their strained voice.
And giving himself pleasure.
He hadn’t felt this when he strangled Li Ruoshui last time. He’d thought something was wrong with him. Now he saw he was just fine.
Zheng Mei’s breathing grew ragged. The sounds from her throat were like a duck’s quack, broken syllables unable to form a complete word.
Having enjoyed himself and feeling much better, Lu Zhiyao loosened his grip, giving her a chance to breathe.
“I’ll… I’ll keep… the promise…”
Not daring to hesitate, Zheng Mei hurriedly got the words out, her voice as rough as sandpaper.
“Louder.” Lu Zhiyao’s lips curved. His long, closed lashes cast sparse shadows under his eyes.
Frowning, Zheng Mei raised her voice. “I’ll keep the promise! I’ll give you the meteoric iron!”
Lu Zhiyao, in a very good mood, smiled brightly. He took the little puppet from his robe. “Now answer me—”
“Is it pretty?”
“It’s pretty!” Zheng Mei said without hesitation, looking at the ugly puppet and nearly dying of frustration.
Lu Zhiyao nodded, satisfied. He released her completely. As he stood, he casually drew his sword and swept it behind him in a reverse slash, deflecting an incoming blade. Smiling, he tucked the puppet back into his robe. “I think it’s pretty too.”
He sheathed his sword and picked up his white cane. “I have other matters to attend to. I won’t kill anyone today. May I pass?”
The guards hesitated, then made way for him.
They’d get fired when they returned anyway. Better to save their lives now.
Zheng Mei coughed violently, tears in her eyes as she watched the group. She was furious but powerless. After all, she could see these people were no match for him.
“Have the meteoric iron ready. I will come for it in another day.” Lu Zhiyao turned and left, his voice as gentle as the spring breeze on the shore.
Another day?
Zheng Mei clutched her soaked dress, glaring at his retreating back.
She wouldn’t let him get away with this!
TLN: Damn, yanderes for the win. So sexy no?
EDN: You have weird taste.
Ahahah yes, yanderes for the win 😗