Gasps echoed through the teahouse, followed by a deathly silence. Liu Liu’s breathing quickened. If she counted the time she saw Feng Xie as a child, this was the third time she had seen a man gasp.
This man was a veritable demon, a beauty that seemed beyond human. For a moment, she even wondered if he was a fox spirit or a cat demon, anything but human. Could a human possibly be so perfectly extreme?
A head of silver, cascading down to his waist, not a pale silver, but a shimmering, radiant hue. His eyebrows were like willow leaves, his eyes like pools of clear, blue water, so pure and bright. His lips were thin and perfectly formed, his skin as translucent as snow.
His red robes complemented his features, and it was astonishing how anyone could blend so many colors on themselves and still appear so naturally beautiful.
The man’s lips curved into a mocking smile, assuming Liu Liu was stunned into silence. This was the typical reaction he elicited from most people. Despite his cold exterior, it still affected him each time. His subordinate, trailing behind him, cruelly asked,
“Palace Master, should we chop off this woman’s head?”
At this remark, the teahouse patrons turned ashen. Such a bloody suggestion was uttered so casually. Many trembled uncontrollably, from their bodies to their hands, their faces buried in their tables.
The teahouse owner and his server had already fled behind the counter. Who would dare witness a bloody murder, especially involving a young girl?
Upon hearing the words of the man’s subordinate, Dai Mei’s expression turned cold. She glared at him, gritting her teeth, and growled, “Say that again if you dare?”
Seeing Dai Mei’s frosty demeanor, the subordinate was about to retort in anger, but he was stopped by a raised hand from the silver-haired man. His voice, like a celestial melody, then slowly resonated, “Enough, you may withdraw.”
“Yes,” the subordinate said, daring not to utter another word. He cautiously retreated behind his master, his eyes still fixed on Dai Mei with a glare.
While they were speaking, Liu Liu had reached out to untangle the two intertwined heads. Her hand brushed against the silver hair, finding it incredibly soft and smooth, a sensation that invited one to cradle it and stroke it.
Fearing she might damage the hair, she carefully removed her hairpin, a jingling ornament, and gently unfastened his hair. Then, looking up, she smiled radiantly.
“There, I almost damaged such beautiful hair,” she said, preparing to leave. To her surprise, the silver-haired man, upon hearing her words, flicked his red cloak, a hint of astonishment in his eyes. His lips curved in disbelief as he quickly blocked Liu Liu’s path.
“What did you just say? Say it again.”
Liu Liu was taken aback. Say what? She looked at the shifting light in his eyes, not understanding what she had said to provoke him. However, she was not one to be bullied easily and spoke righteously.
“I said your hair is beautiful. It feels nice to the touch, soft and smooth, like the finest silk.” Liu Liu paused, describing it in detail, wondering what he could possibly do to her.
She thought he was angered by her complimenting his hair, unaware that ripples were stirring in his heart. No one had ever told him his hair was beautiful, only that he was a demon. Since ancient times, hair had been black, so what was silver hair? And even more so, blue eyes.
“Don’t you think I look strange?” he asked, unable to bring himself to say the word ‘demon,’ which others used to describe him.
“Strange?” Liu Liu looked him up and down, not understanding what he meant by strange. Did this man have a problem? Did he question everyone he met about their strangeness? What a pity, she thought, shaking her head, she replied calmly but definitively.
“Not strange at all. You are a rare kind of handsome man. Well, I must be going.”
After saying this, Liu Liu moved past him and walked out. She still had to figure out how to deal with Feng Xie, and didn’t have time for this man. Although he was impossibly beautiful, she had no habit of falling for handsome men.
The silver-haired man stood frozen for a long time before coming back to himself. His heart felt unexpectedly warm. So he wasn't a demon, he was a handsome man. Then those who called him a demon must have been jealous of him.
A smile flickered across his lips. He turned his head, only to find the woman beside him had already left. Such a fearless, unafraid little girl could truly warm a person’s heart. His expression suddenly turned cold, and he commanded his subordinates in a low voice.
“Immediately follow the little girl who just left and find out whose daughter she is.” No matter whose daughter she was, he wanted her. Who told her not to fear him?
Not long after Liu Liu and Dai Mei left, they realized someone was following them.
When they walked fast, their pursuers matched their pace. When they slowed down, their pursuers also slowed. Liu Liu couldn’t help but sneer. The street was crowded with people, brilliantly lit, with carriages and horses flowing ceaselessly. How difficult could it be to shake off two followers?
Liu Liu reached out and took Dai Mei’s hand. While she couldn’t guarantee her martial arts cultivation, her Qinggong was something very few could match.
Two figures flashed, disappearing in the blink of an eye. The two pursuers rubbed their eyes, then looked again, but there was no trace of the girls. They angrily slapped their heads. Now their Palace Master would punish them.
Liu Liu, employing her Qinggong, quickly returned to the back courtyard of Qinglian Mountain Manor. The two of them entered Plum Courtyard through a secluded path.
The candlelight flickered, occasionally dancing. Liu Liu had changed back into her original attire, still dressed as a man. Dai Mei had returned to her identity as a woman. Thinking of the people who had been following them, she couldn’t help but pause her actions out of curiosity.
“Louzhu, who do you think was following us just now? We were very careful.”
Liu Liu sat before the vanity mirror, examining herself until not a single flaw could be found. She raised her eyebrows slightly, “If I’m not mistaken, it should be the silver-haired man’s subordinates. But that man is indeed beautiful. If he were a woman, Dai Mei might not even compare.”
“Even as a man, he is terrifyingly beautiful. But such beauty seems hard for many to accept.”
Dai Mei spoke the truth. Not only was the man beautiful, but he exuded an aura of violence that made people afraid to approach him. His personality also seemed quite eccentric. One could tell from the gazes of the people in the teahouse; they were all afraid of him.
“Silver and blue eyes are not really anything unusual. It's just a matter of race. That man probably has some foreign blood in him, which is why he looks so distinctive.” Liu Liu stood up. Why was Duan Mu so quiet tonight?
Dai Mei also noticed this, glancing around the spacious Plum Courtyard with a strange look. It was exceptionally quiet. Even Aunt Zhi and Fifth Young Master weren't in the courtyard. Where had they gone?
“Where are they?”
As soon as Dai Mei finished speaking, three people walked in. Moonlight cast long shadows on them. Duan Mu looked up and saw Liu Liu and Dai Mei standing in the hall looking at them. He quickly turned sideways to hide something.
However, Liu Liu still saw that half of his face seemed to be scraped. She stared at him coldly.
“What happened again? Didn't I tell you not to go out?”
Seeing Liu Liu’s anger, Duan Mu lowered his head in guilt and said softly, “I didn’t intend to go out. I just wanted to explore the manor. Who knew this mountain manor was full of mechanisms, so I accidentally triggered one.”
Liu Liu’s expression tightened, and she remained silent. She turned back and sat down, her expression stern, her tone cold, “This is your own doing. I told you, this manor is filled with mechanisms, and one wrong step could be fatal. But you wouldn’t listen. Now you’ve tasted its power.”
Duan Mu listened to his leader’s scolding, daring not to say a word. His face burned with a stinging sensation. He furrowed his brow slightly and remained motionless. Liu Liu waved her hand, “You may go rest now.”
“Yes, Boss,” Duan Mu, Aunt Zhi, and Fifth Young Master retreated. Seeing Liu Liu’s cold expression and unhappy mood, Dai Mei walked over quietly, “Louzhu, don’t be angry. Duan Mu has always been reckless.”