As soon as they got into the carriage, sharing the confined space with Hua Yan made the Demonic Sect disciple immediately uneasy. He whispered, “Holy Maiden, perhaps I should step outside?”
Hua Yan, with a displeased expression, replied, “With the lord outside, is it appropriate for a concubine to ride the carriage alone?”
The Demonic Sect disciple had no choice but to obediently sit back in the corner, his legs tightly together, his eyes fixed forward, adopting a very well-behaved posture.
Hua Yan frequently felt the urge to lift the curtain but restrained herself each time. With her arms crossed, she sat in the center, her face clearly showing her discontent.
If someone were to lift the curtain at this moment, they might suspect the two had their souls swapped.
The carriage hadn’t traveled far before it gently dipped and the rear slightly sank. Hua Yan immediately turned her head. Despite the carriage walls, she could sense someone had landed lightly on the rear.
No matter how skilled Lu Chengsha’s lightness skill was, additional weight was still additional weight.
Hua Yan signaled the Demonic Sect disciple to come closer with her eyes.
The disciple vigorously shook his head, retreating as far as possible, as if trying to shrink himself into the smallest size possible, making Hua Yan appear like a bully forcefully taking advantage of him.
Unable to truly force the person to come closer, Hua Yan huffed and poured herself a cup of tea. She then pretended to speak coquettishly, “Come, have some tea. I poured it for you.”
Feeling the sudden surge of murderous intent, only separated by what seemed like a paper-thin carriage wall, the disciple’s knees nearly buckled under the pressure.
Hua Yan continued in a soft voice, “Does it taste bad? Is it a bit cold? Let me heat up another pot for you.”
The disciple, unable to hold back tears, wished their Holy Maiden would stop talking!
Although that person didn’t want to see their Holy Maiden, his unpredictable appearances were more frightening than constant presence!
The Holy Maiden had ordered them not to speak of this to outsiders, but not speaking of it didn’t mean they were unaware. Everyone in the Zhengyi Sect knew how terrifying that person used to be. Although he had been expelled from Tingjian Manor and wasn’t as murderous now, he was still very frightening!
Even though he had never seen that person before, under the current circumstances, even a fool could sense the murderous intent coming from nearby!
Seeing the disciple seemingly scared to the point of slipping off his seat, Hua Yan finally pouted unhappily, “Why can’t I be kind to others?”
The surrounding murderous intent slightly receded.
The disciple had just taken a breath when their Holy Maiden continued, “I can be kind to whomever I want. Anyway, you can’t control me now. I can do whatever I please!”
Good grief, the murderous intent instantly surged again.
Supporting himself against the carriage wall to barely stabilize himself, the disciple dared not look at their Holy Maiden. Then he heard a cold, clear male voice from beside him, “…No, you cannot.”
The disciple couldn’t help but shiver, feeling a wave of dizziness.
He really was right next to them!
What virtue or capability did he possess to sit here and listen to their Holy Maiden converse with that person?
Even the sound of his voice was terrifying!
However, their Holy Maiden remained unfazed and said, “If you don’t want me to be kind to others, then come in and accompany me if you have the ability.”
The male voice lowered and slowly replied, “…No.”
The Holy Maiden immediately retorted angrily, “Then stop talking! Pretend you don’t exist!”
Surprisingly, the person responded with a faint “Mm,” a nasal sound devoid of any murderous intent, which made one feel… well, it couldn’t be that he felt aggrieved, right?
The Demonic Sect disciple trembled, cold sweat dripping from his palms, thinking it must be his imagination. That person was cold-hearted and ruthless, more sinister than their Zhengyi Sect. How could he possibly have such an absurd emotion?
Hua Yan was both angry and helpless. Acting wasn’t fun, and making Lu Chengsha angry didn’t necessarily make her happy.
The coachman seemed unaware that an extra person was at the back of the carriage. He drove the carriage along the bumpy road, heading towards Night City.
As usual, she knew Lu Chengsha wasn’t far away. If she pressed against the back wall of the carriage, there might only be a thin wooden plank separating her from Lu Chengsha. Yet, even so, it felt like worlds apart.
When the carriage arrived at the inn for a rest, the Demonic Sect disciple quickly scrambled out.
Hua Yan also got off to have a meal. After getting off, she couldn’t help but glance at the back of the carriage, which was now empty. Who knew where Lu Chengsha had gone again?
His lightness skill was now annoyingly good!
The inn was bustling with people. Their group had also hired additional coachmen, maids, and attendants who were unaware of the situation. They looked confused, seeing the high-ranking lord’s nervousness and his refusal to glance at his own concubine.
Hua Yan poked at her food with chopsticks, finding it tasteless.
The inn’s food was ordinary, but the millet cake they served was sweet and soft. Hua Yan ate two pieces, still unsatisfied. After some thought, she asked the innkeeper for another portion, wrapped it in oil paper, tied it with a string, and hung it at the back of the carriage. This act puzzled her newly hired maid, who asked, “Madam, why are you doing this?”
Hua Yan replied expressionlessly, “It’s a family tradition to hang food at the back of the carriage to ward off evil and bring blessings.”
The Demonic Sect disciple quickly chimed in, “That’s right, it’s a tradition!”
Hua Yan gave him a glance.
The disciple immediately fell silent.
For the rest of the journey, Lu Chengsha adhered to the agreement, refraining from emitting any murderous intent. However, the Demonic Sect disciple remained as anxious as ever, which made Hua Yan regret not finding someone braver.
After a while, she heard the sound of paper being unwrapped from behind the carriage, followed by faint chewing sounds, almost indistinguishable amidst the carriage’s movements.
For some reason, this reminded her of the little black dog that had lost weight from hunger.
She felt an inexplicable pang of sadness.
Burying her face in her arms on the table in the middle of the carriage, Hua Yan lay there silently. The Demonic Sect disciple, who had been too afraid to look at her, couldn’t help but ask, “Holy Maiden, what’s wrong…?”
Hua Yan ignored him.
The disciple grew more nervous, “…Are you feeling unwell? Should we stop and rest for a bit?”
Hua Yan waved her hand dismissively.
The chewing sounds from behind ceased, as if he was at a loss for what to do next.
Hua Yan sniffled, unsure if she felt sorry for herself or for Lu Chengsha.
The Demonic Sect disciple thought she was crying and, even more nervous, offered, “Holy Maiden, shall I… sing a song for you, or perform something? I know some folk songs from my hometown!”
Just as Hua Yan was about to refuse, she heard Lu Chengsha’s voice from behind, “What’s wrong…?”
The same words, but coming from Lu Chengsha, made her feel even more aggrieved. She retorted angrily, “You’re asking what’s wrong!”
Lu Chengsha was momentarily speechless.
The disciple, sensing their conversation, immediately distanced himself, holding his breath.
If not for her image as the powerful and dignified Holy Maiden, Hua Yan would have wanted to throw a tantrum. Instead, she bit her lip, her shoulders trembling. After a while, she said, “This is so exhausting for me.”
Perhaps Lu Chengsha could live like this forever, protecting someone without seeing them.
But she couldn’t.
She loved him and wanted to be with him all the time. She wanted closeness, intimacy, to touch him, to kiss him. At the very least, she wanted to be able to see him.
She missed his eyes, his hands, his lips, and his warmth…
Thinking about this, Hua Yan’s face grew warm.
Just then, there was a sound from the carriage wall behind her. She turned abruptly to see a hole being made in the thick wooden wall, as if it were indeed made of paper.
The Demonic Sect disciple, terrified, immediately scrambled back.
From the hole the size of a bowl, a long, clean hand slowly extended.
It seemed hesitant, moving very slowly as if ready to retreat at any moment, but ultimately, it didn’t. The hand opened in front of her, and Lu Chengsha’s voice, strained and struggling, could be heard, accompanied by the sound of him swallowing and his adam’s apple moving. It seemed he was also gritting his teeth, as he said, “… You can hold my hand.”
Hua Yan hadn’t expected that after more than a year, the biggest concession Lu Chengsha would make was to extend his hand.
She looked at the swordsman’s distinct hand with a complex mix of emotions. It was the first time in a long while that she had seen any part of Lu Chengsha’s body up close.
Just looking at his hand, he didn’t seem to have lost much weight; it still appeared strong. Even the lines on his palm were somewhat familiar to Hua Yan.
Hua Yan wanted to say, “Why don’t you come over completely! Just extending your hand, what is that supposed to mean!”
She didn’t care for just holding his hand!
But despite her thoughts, she couldn’t resist placing her hand on his.
It had been too long since she last touched him, and even just touching his fingers brought back memories. Lu Chengsha’s body temperature was usually low, but now his palm was warming up. His fingers were tentative, almost not holding, until Hua Yan grasped them firmly.
The warmth transmitted through their fingers brought back a heart-wrenching feeling she had missed for so long.
Every inch of their touching skin felt like it was being gently electrified.
Unable to resist, she pulled his hand closer. Lu Chengsha let her pull, and Hua Yan bit down on his fingers, her teeth marking his knuckles. She seemed to bite in frustration but couldn’t bear to hurt him, fearing she might actually cause him pain.
Lu Chengsha remained silent, his breathing only slightly disordered.
Having eaten the millet cake earlier, Lu Chengsha’s fingers still carried a faint sweetness mixed with his unique scent of cedarwood. Hua Yan couldn’t bear to bite down and, driven by an inexplicable impulse, she extended her tongue, licking his fingertip.
Lu Chengsha’s body trembled immediately.
He spoke urgently, “You…”
Hua Yan, realizing what she had done, deliberately and mischievously continued to lick his finger from the base to the tip, her movements slow, detailed, and provocative. She could feel Lu Chengsha’s entire body tensing with restraint, seemingly wanting to pull his hand back but holding himself back.
“What about me!” Hua Yan released his finger slightly, speaking righteously, “You’re the one who extended your hand!”
Lu Chengsha’s chest heaved, but he couldn’t find the words to respond.
Fueled by anger, Hua Yan was especially bold at this moment. She interlaced her fingers with his, moving slowly. Her soft, rosy lips moved along Lu Chengsha’s knuckles, and then, with a determined heart, she gently pressed his hand against her body.
Finally, Lu Chengsha tried to pull his hand away.
Hua Yan, suppressing her embarrassment, commanded, “Don’t pull away!”
His attempt to pull away caused the hole in the carriage wall to crack further. Hearing her voice, he forced himself to stop.
The Demonic Sect disciple, eyes covered and ears plugged, desperately wished the two would pretend he didn’t exist. Yet, despite his efforts, the vivid and sensuous scene was etched into his memory.
This was terrifying!
Would the Holy Maiden silence him after this?
As Hua Yan continued her mischievous actions with Lu Chengsha’s hand, she initially thought of telling the disciple to close his eyes. To her surprise, he had already curled into a ball in the corner, adopting a see-no-evil, hear-no-evil posture, sparing her the trouble.
So she continued.
In the end, both she and Lu Chengsha were left restless and unsettled. Hua Yan didn’t know if he regretted extending his hand, but she felt a sense of psychological balance.
Why should he remain so calm and composed when he couldn’t see her?
If there’s pain, let them both endure it together!
Afterwards, her newly hired maid stared in astonishment at the violently broken hole in the carriage wall. “But… didn’t we hang the food for protection and blessings? How could this still happen…”
Hua Yan, thinking of the almost comically hasty retreat of the black shadow, blushed and bit her lip. “Yes, maybe our hearts weren’t sincere enough. We’ll try again next time.”