Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and Er Zhu blinked. Li Mei snapped back to reality, her face flushing as she lowered her head.
Heavens, what was he just doing!
If Er Zhu hadn't blinked, she would have walked right over...
Seeing her own foot already raised, Li Mei's face grew even redder. She was so ashamed she wished she could disappear into a crack in the earth!
"What are you two talking about, sitting down like this?"
Just as Li Mei was overcome with shame, Wang Xiaomei returned and saw the scene. Li Mei shivered and quickly took two steps back.
Sensing the awkwardness in the air, Wang Xiaomei's face instantly darkened. A flicker of sadness crossed her eyes, but she masked it well.
"Mei jie, I'll go discuss the wedding with Xiaomei. You should get some rest," Er Zhu's voice broke the awkward silence in the room. Li Mei nodded repeatedly and then went to the kang to prepare her bedding.
As Er Zhu and Wang Xiaomei entered the west wing, Wang Xiaomei was about to speak when suddenly, the light went out, plunging them into darkness!
"Ah!"
Wang Xiaomei screamed and quickly threw herself into Er Zhu's arms. Er Zhu wanted to push her away, but remembering Wang Xiaomei's fear of the dark, he couldn't bring himself to do it.
Feeling the softness against his chest and smelling her sweet perfume, Er Zhu's throat felt dry, but he suppressed his rising emotions.
"Er Zhu, hold me tight, I'm scared!"
Wang Xiaomei, however, seemed oblivious. As she spoke, she held Er Zhu even tighter. Now, they were pressed close together, Wang Xiaomei practically melting into Er Zhu's body!
"Um... this isn't right, is it?"
Er Zhu took a deep breath, gently patting Wang Xiaomei's back to comfort her, while slowly backing away to create a little distance. Although Er Zhu knew Wang Xiaomei was scared, their closeness had crossed the boundary of friendship.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I momentarily forgot..."
Just as Wang Xiaomei was about to hug Er Zhu again, she heard him speak. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her eyes, and she reluctantly let go of Er Zhu. Last time, Er Zhu hadn't refused her, but this time, he had reminded her. So, Er Zhu had someone he liked, which was why he was keeping his distance from her? The more Wang Xiaomei thought about it, the more disheartened she became, but she dared not ask, fearing an answer she couldn't bear to hear!
"Ah!"
As Wang Xiaomei pulled away from Er Zhu's embrace, she suddenly glanced out the window. At that moment, a figure darted past the window, and Wang Xiaomei clutched Er Zhu again.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Wang Xiaomei trembling, Er Zhu looked out the window and asked curiously.
"There... there's a ghost!"
As soon as Er Zhu spoke, Wang Xiaomei's trembling hand pointed out the window, her voice filled with terror. The sky was completely dark now, and with the moonlight and howling wind creating a eerie atmosphere, the fleeting black shadow outside made Wang Xiaomei even more frightened. She couldn't think of anything else; all she wanted was to burrow into Er Zhu's arms!
"Alright, don't be scared. I'll go take a look."
Er Zhu looked out at the empty window, recalling the faint sound he had heard. He tucked the quilt into Wang Xiaomei's arms and stepped into the courtyard. Nothing was there. The bright moonlight illuminated the ground, and the wind howled, punctuated by occasional dog barks! In such an atmosphere, others would have been terrified, but Er Zhu remained calm.
"Come out!"
Er Zhu cautiously scanned his surroundings, his eyes fixing on the highest point of the wall. He shouted loudly. Someone was trying to play tricks on him, and he wouldn't let it go unpunished!
Whoosh!
As Er Zhu slowly approached the courtyard wall, a figure with disheveled hair, dressed in white, suddenly flitted past him! The figure kept its head down, so Er Zhu couldn't see its face, but he could see its bleeding eyes!
Bang!
Suddenly, the white robe exploded, and a man in black night-wear descended with a clenched fist! He moved with astonishing speed, faster than any opponent Er Zhu had ever faced! The wind whipped up sand, blinding their eyes, but Er Zhu could clearly see everything!
Boom!
Just as the man's fist was about to connect with Er Zhu, Er Zhu seized his wrist. He swung the man around, and after a dizzying spin, the man crashed heavily onto the ground!
"Who sent you!" Er Zhu asked without even looking at the man, his voice icy cold.
"Heh, a dead man like you isn't worthy of knowing!" The man slowly stood up, glancing dismissively at Er Zhu and wiping the blood from his lips. Although this young man was skilled, he was no match for a former elite soldier like himself! Today would surely be this kid's last day!
"Zheng Lin sent you, didn't she? She still wants to play the damsel in distress to save the hero?"
Just as the man was about to counterattack, Er Zhu spoke. Before the man could retort, he saw Zheng Lin arrive with a large group of people surrounding them! Seeing Zheng Lin and her entourage, a flicker of shock crossed the man's eyes! He thought his madam had really ordered him to kill someone, but it was all just a play! Pathetic, he had heard the madam's orders with his own ears, yet he hadn't guessed as accurately as the young man before him! The man couldn't help but look at Er Zhu, his angry eyes now holding a hint of admiration. He seemed to understand why his madam had gone to such lengths to stage this scene in front of him.
"How dare you attempt to assassinate Mr. Wang! Everyone, attack!"
"Enough, Zheng Lin. I have important matters to attend to and no time for your charades!"
Zheng Lin shouted and was about to order her bodyguards to charge at the man who had attacked Er Zhu, but before they could move, they heard Er Zhu's words. A look of surprise flashed in Zheng Lin's eyes. She had thought her plan was foolproof, only to have Er Zhu see through it so easily! It turned out that after Er Zhu left, Zheng Lin had become increasingly interested in him. Therefore, to gain more benefits from the Zheng family and, more importantly, to win Er Zhu over, she had devised this plan. Although the plan was cliché, she believed it would be more effective on someone like Er Zhu, but she hadn't expected him to see through it!
"Mr. Wang, you've wronged me. I genuinely came to save you!"
Even though her plan was exposed, Zheng Lin had no evidence to refute Er Zhu's claims, so she continued to struggle.
"Is that so? Then how do you explain this jade token from the Zheng family?"
Seeing Zheng Lin still trying to deny it, Er Zhu sneered and produced the jade token he had obtained from the man. He had been about to activate his Heavenly Eye, but then he noticed the jade token on the man's waist and, seizing the opportunity, snatched it. The man froze, quickly patted his waist, and realized the jade token had been taken by Er Zhu at some point.