Lu Chengsha felt that she didn’t understand the meaning of what he said at all and tried to tell her that it was really scary.
The young girl’s face was flushed as bright as the evening clouds. She stomped her foot and said, “I know!”
Lu Chengsha was momentarily speechless. The beautiful blush crept along her neck, turning it red. In his dreams, she seemed just as red, with a hint of moisture. Lu Chengsha immediately closed his eyes and recited the Lu Family Sword Manual like a mantra.
When he opened his eyes again, she had already run off.
She must still be afraid…
Lu Chengsha thought silently.
The current issues were ones that Lu Chengsha had never encountered in the past twenty or so years. He really wanted to promise her that he wouldn’t treat her that way and wouldn’t make her cry, but since he wasn’t completely sure, he didn’t want to make any promises.
Recently, the number of times he found it hard to control himself had increased, and he was a bit frustrated.
But also… very happy.
Lu Chengsha passed by a shop, filled with delicate and intricate little trinkets. Normally, he would never glance at such things, but a thought suddenly popped into his mind.
—Maybe give her a gift she might like.
He lifted his foot and turned into the shop.
The shopkeeper was carefully arranging newly arrived jewelry and listlessly said, “What do you want?” When he saw who had entered, he was stunned, his eyes wide, swallowing hard before cautiously saying, “Great Hero, what are you looking for…”
The black-clad swordsman before him had a cold and stern look, an aura that made people not dare to approach, yet his expression was somewhat bewildered.
He looked around for a long time, seemingly unable to decide.
The shopkeeper had no choice but to brace himself and tremblingly said, “How about I recommend something… Are you buying for someone? We have wooden and white jade hairpins for men, as well as hair crowns. Would you like to take a look…”
With his long hair tied back, he didn’t really need these, and the shiny blue sword tassel of Tingjian Manor on his sword was even less needed.
The shopkeeper hesitated, then heard the young man in black say softly, “For a woman.”
He lowered his head slightly, looking somewhat embarrassed.
But in this moment, the cold aura around him seemed to be cleansed, falling from a lofty, unapproachable place to the mortal world. The shopkeeper suddenly wasn’t as scared anymore. Even the most indifferent hero is just a young man experiencing his first love!
He’s not much different from my own son!
The shopkeeper immediately became enthusiastic, pulling out several new silver hairpins and jade hairpins, placing them in front of the young man.
“Take a look, these are very popular with young girls. I wonder, uh… what kind of style does the girl you want to give this to like?”
He looked at the selections, still utterly confused.
After a while, he said, “Any one will do.”
The shopkeeper shook his head and said, “That won’t do! You can’t just pick any gift for the girl you like, it would seem insincere. You need to carefully choose it yourself. I’ll bring out more for you to look at. No rush, take your time!”
Hearing this, the young man in black nodded as if he had learned something.
The shopkeeper felt a wave of sentiment, thinking “Ah, youth is wonderful,” and continued, “If you really can’t decide, just think about which one would look best tucked into that girl’s hair…”
He seemed to really think about it.
In that moment, the shopkeeper caught a glimpse of a gentle expression on his usually emotionless face. He couldn’t help but wonder, which girl is so amazing that she has stirred the heart of this stern and cold young hero?
Moments later, the shopkeeper looked at the hairpin the young man handed over, hesitating to speak.
It was a black wooden hairpin with a large red silk flower at the top, which had been unsold in his shop for a long time. It was beautiful but too gaudy and hard to pull off, often seeming vulgar and old-fashioned. Many girls would turn their faces away in disdain upon seeing it.
As the shopkeeper wrapped it up, he silently prayed, hoping that the girl wouldn’t dislike it.
Lu Chengsha took the hairpin and realized he was a bit afraid to see her.
In the past two days, every time he saw her, he couldn’t control the urge to get close to her, though he knew he shouldn’t. If he had never touched her, it would be fine, but once tasted, it was hard not to crave more.
Lu Chengsha felt increasingly unfamiliar with this side of himself.
He even thought about asking others if they felt the same, but he couldn’t bring himself to ask.
He wanted to see her, but was afraid of doing something wrong to her. Not seeing her, he still really wanted to see her. As Lu Chengsha hesitated, he found himself outside Hua Yan’s door. He knocked lightly.
Inside the room, Hua Yan felt a bit dizzy from the steam. Hearing the knock, she hummed in response.
Lu Chengsha was very sensitive to her voice. Thinking she was unwell, he immediately broke in. Although Hua Yan had bolted the door, it was nothing to Lu Chengsha.
As he pushed the door open, their eyes met, and both of them froze.
Hua Yan was soaking in a wooden tub. The only people who would knock on her door were Lu Chengsha and Ning Yin, so she wasn’t on guard. She was propping herself up with her arms, the clear water only covering her chest, with a cloth on her head.
The scene was quiet and awkward.
Lu Chengsha immediately closed the door, but the image was hard to forget. In fact, it was so clear it seemed etched into his mind.
Hua Yan, realizing what had happened, looked down at herself and then quickly sank into the water. She was, naturally, not wearing anything while bathing in her own room.
Covering her flushed face, Hua Yan couldn’t help but wonder how much Great Hero Lu had seen.
But… it didn’t seem to matter much if he had seen her. As Hua Yan sank into the water, blowing bubbles, she hugged her arms and assessed her figure. She inherited not just her face but also her build from her mother. She shouldn’t be disappointing, she mused.
Unless Great Hero Lu preferred a slimmer figure.
Hua Yan thought about this and couldn’t help but cover her face again. She climbed out of the bath, dried herself off a bit, put on her clothes, and went to find Lu Chengsha.
Unfortunately, Lu Chengsha was neither in his room nor on the roof. Hua Yan searched for a long time before finding him near a lakeside pavilion. Lu Chengsha was sitting alone in the pavilion, illuminated by candlelight, leaning against the railing, looking up at the moon. His long hair was wet, water droplets dripping from the tips.
Most importantly, he had untied his hair ribbon!
Hua Yan’s heart skipped a beat.
She suddenly remembered how, when her father’s health was better and the moon was bright, he would sit in the courtyard warming a pot of tea, sipping slowly while telling her thrilling stories of chivalry. Her father was a great storyteller, making even the simplest tales interesting, let alone the already fascinating tales of the martial world.
Heroes and conflicts, her father would narrate in a deep voice, occasionally smiling.
Hua Yan used to sit by her father’s side, listening intently, while her mother would watch from a distance, her eyes shining in a way that was completely out of character for her usual demeanor, looking at her father with infatuation.
Back then, Hua Yan was confused. Her mother would proudly say, “Silly girl, don’t you think your father is especially charming at times like these? Even though he can’t even kill a chicken, he’s read thousands of books and has a universe within him… I love your father so much! I have to go kiss him!”
Although the scene was different and the context had some variations, she could subtly understand her mother’s feelings now.
Hua Yan took a few steps forward and walked to Lu Chengsha’s side. Hearing her approach, Lu Chengsha stood up and raised his hand to tie up his long hair, but she pressed his hand down and casually took the dark blue hair ribbon from his palm, smiling, “Don’t tie it up! It looks better this way!”
Lu Chengsha didn’t try to take it back; his gaze slid over her, clearly uncomfortable.
Hua Yan carried the moisture from her bath, her fair skin showing a hint of pink. Lu Chengsha usually wouldn’t notice such details, but now he couldn’t help but notice everything he shouldn’t.
Thinking of her father, Hua Yan suddenly remembered something.
She sat down next to Lu Chengsha and said, “Although my father has passed away, his family is still around. They’re said to be in Qingzhou, a scholarly family with the surname Zhou. Because my father left his hometown a long time ago, I haven’t been there. If there’s a chance, would you go with me?”
Her mother had originally wanted to take her father back, but his illness was too severe for him to travel, so they had to give up.
Over the years, a few letters had been exchanged, and Hua Yan had wanted to visit, but she never had the opportunity.
Lu Chengsha nodded, “Hmm.” Then he realized, “To meet your family?”
Hua Yan’s face reddened slightly. She nodded, feeling a bit guilty. She didn’t dare to take him to meet the family she grew up with, as life had become so comfortable she sometimes almost forgot Lu Chengsha was here to kill Xie Yingxian.
“After all, I’ve met your family,” Hua Yan counted on her fingers. “Lu Chengzhao, Lu Huaitian, Lu Zhusheng, and your grandfather, quite a few! I wonder what the Zhou family is like. If they’re like my father, they should be pretty nice.”
Lu Chengsha had a very thin concept of family, but hearing Hua Yan’s words, he felt a strange sense of anticipation.
He suddenly recalled the time on the mountaintop at Tingjian Manor when he had naively asked her if he could marry her. Over the days, listening in on conversations on the rooftops, he pieced together some understanding from the casual gossip among the patients.
Marriage is a kind of contract that requires the consent of both families. There are some complex ceremonies and many witnesses. Once the contract is established, the man and the woman belong to each other and stay together, as she described.
He felt he understood, although he was still a bit nervous.
But Lu Chengsha was certain that he really wanted to marry her.
Does that mean if he talks to her family, he can marry her?
Lu Chengsha was somewhat puzzled.
Before he could continue to be puzzled, a slender, fair hand suddenly reached over and gently brushed through his hair.
Seeing him lost in thought, Hua Yan couldn’t resist and stretched out her mischievous hand, letting Lu Chengsha’s long hair slide through her fingers. Lu Chengsha immediately stiffened, almost wanting to pull away, but Hua Yan was having too much fun—she never tired of this!
She moved closer to Lu Chengsha and suddenly looked up, asking, “What did you see when I was bathing earlier?”
Lu Chengsha: “…”
Seeing his suddenly rigid body and irregular breathing, Hua Yan couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.
This joy was indescribable!
So, she blinked again, her gaze fixed on Lu Chengsha’s eyes, almost pressing against him. “Hmm?”
Hua Yan had rushed out, her clothes hastily put on, with the ties not properly secured. Lu Chengsha intended to lower his eyes, but as he did, he caught a glimpse of her slightly loose collar and the snowy white skin beneath.
The scene he had tried hard to forget resurfaced vividly.
Lu Chengsha finally raised his hand to push her away.
This was becoming really dangerous.
Instead, he grabbed her wrist and pressed her against the pavilion pillar—
Hua Yan felt her body turn, and Lu Chengsha’s lips covered hers. She instinctively lifted her chin, meeting his kiss. His long hair cascaded down, his star-like eyes filled with a mix of pain and restraint, as he pressed down, kissing her deeply. His knee wedged between her legs, his body pressing against hers. Hua Yan’s back was against the pillar, unable to move, her moans stifled by his kiss.
Her mind went blank.
Because after kissing her lips, Lu Chengsha slowly moved to the side of her neck. Hua Yan almost screamed!
Oh my god!
What’s happening? How did this come about?
When did he learn to do this?
Hua Yan’s legs curled up, her body heating up, feeling as if it no longer belonged to her.
Under the moonlight, his lips moved down along her collarbone, hot and burning. Hua Yan breathed heavily, feeling overwhelmed—it was too much. Her eyes turned red, and she bit her lip, yet her wrists were still held by Lu Chengsha.
The night watchman’s drum sounded in the distance.
It seemed to be this moment that snapped Lu Chengsha back to reality. He quickly let go of her wrist.
Hua Yan seemed to slide down from the pillar, her lips swollen, eyes misty, and her clothes in disarray. She panted lightly. Lu Chengsha pressed his forehead, about to apologize, when he heard Hua Yan say, “Help me up! My legs are weak.”
Lu Chengsha didn’t dare touch her again, so he drew his blade, holding the long sword out to her.
Hua Yan was speechless, “…Give me your hand!”
Lu Chengsha reluctantly sheathed his sword and offered his hand, extending it from a distance.
Hua Yan used his hand to stand up, her legs still a bit wobbly. Seeing Lu Chengsha looking as if he had done something wrong, she couldn’t help but lower her flushed face and say, “I’m not angry, what are you doing?”
She whispered, “Next time, be careful not to do it outside… it’s not good to be seen!”
Lu Chengsha: “…”
After a long silence, he finally murmured a small acknowledgment.
Back in her room, Hua Yan lay on the bed, recalling what had just happened, her face burning and heart racing. She really almost thought… Great Hero Lu indeed didn’t know how to handle it.
She rubbed her face and closed her eyes.
Before dawn, she was still asleep when someone outside called her, “Miss Zhou, someone is here to see you.”