FID – Chapter 786

Chapter 786: Damn, This Is Really Life-Threatening! 

“As long as you can get married, let alone finding a wife, I’d even be willing to marry you off! You’ve been hanging around me for twenty-five years, and the more I look at you, the more you get on my nerves. It’s time for you to get out and live your own life!” 

— Liu Zhiqiu was certain, this was definitely his real father.

Only a biological father would be this dismissive of him.

Liu Muqiu had just finished bathing when she saw the man squatting by the eaves of the hall, gazing into the setting sun, looking all deep and mysterious.

“Brother Zhiqiu, what are you squatting here for?” At this hour, he should have been trying to please the old lady.

This was Zhiqiu’s daily routine: make the old lady furious, then quickly try to appease her. And repeat the cycle.

According to Brother Zhiqiu, doing this every day allowed him to see the old lady’s energetic and lively state.

Seeing her full of energy made him feel happy, so he could go around causing trouble.

“Little White Lotus, I’ve been abandoned, no one wants me,” Liu Zhiqiu half-turned his head and looked at her. “Why don’t you take me in?”

Liu Muqiu’s heart skipped a beat instantly, her eyes lit up like they had been set ablaze, shining brilliantly.

“I want you!” 

The corners of Liu Zhiqiu’s mouth quietly lifted. “Then from now on, I’ll be counting on you.”

She nodded, fiercely, eagerly.

If it had been before, her habit would have been to act a little reserved first, to pretend to be refined and well-mannered before speaking. But this time, she absolutely couldn’t pretend.

She had to be straightforward!

Otherwise, who knew if Zhiqiu might suddenly change his tune with his next sentence? That would drive her crazy!

Standing up, he walked in front of the young woman and lifted his hand to gently touch her slightly damp hair. His fingertips slipped through her strands as his dark eyes gazed deeply into hers. “Go to bed early tonight.”

“Okay,” when she answered, she noticed that her voice had grown husky without her realizing it.

His hand lightly brushing her hair felt like it had plucked the strings of her heart.

Soft, tingling, and making her shiver.

Her heart pounded heavily, beat after beat. She had a feeling that the most important, the most long-awaited moment of her life was about to arrive.

That night, before the moon had even risen halfway into the sky, the lights in the inner courtyard’s side room were already extinguished, signaling that the young woman had gone to bed. 

The elders had also turned in for the night.

The only two still brimming with energy were two grown men, who climbed up onto the roof, grabbed a jar of wine, and drank freely under the moon.

“What did you say to Little White Lotus today to make her so obedient and docile?” Wei Lan sipped his wine and smacked his lips. “Kid, share a few secrets with your uncle. I’ll try them on your Aunt Hong sometime.”

“You’d better not. Any trick you try on Aunt Hong just ends with you getting kicked off the bed.”

Wei Lan set the wine jar down, unconvinced. “Am I that useless?”

“You’re all bark and no bite,” Liu Zhiqiu scoffed, then threw an arm around Wei Lan’s shoulders like good brothers. “But isn’t this good too? Aunt Hong spent decades living a life of blood and blades. It’s not easy for her to settle down now. You guys have your way of living, we have ours. As long as we’re happy, that’s what matters.”

He paused, then smiled broadly. “Uncle Lan, Aunt Hong is lucky to have you.”

Wei Lan’s gaze softened. He lay back, staring up at the crescent moon overhead. “I’m lucky too. Back then, who would have thought we’d have a time like this? The two of us being together in this life — no matter what we do, it’s all worth it.”

He had never thought that one day he would fall for someone like her.

Cold and aloof all day long, drawing her sword at the slightest disagreement — yet somehow, that was exactly what captivated him so thoroughly.

Liu Zhiqiu also lifted his head to gaze at the moon.

He, too, had never expected it.

Never expected that he would fall for a Little White Lotus.

In the past, what he hated most were those clingy girls — the ones with their delicate airs and coy manners, all sweetness on the surface but full of scheming underneath.

Little White Lotus was practically the pinnacle of that type.

And yet, in the end, it was he who stopped in his tracks and allowed her to entangle him.

Because it was exactly this kind of person who showed him what true devotion meant, what it meant to give without regrets.

When love stirs, you don’t always notice it yourself.

By the time you realize, that person has already taken root in your heart — and you can’t, or won’t, pull them out.

The next day, as the first light of dawn appeared, there were already sounds from the inner courtyard.

The people in the house had risen.

After washing up, facing the mirror to tidy herself, Liu Muqiu deliberately applied a touch of light makeup, making her complexion look more radiant.

Although she obediently went to bed early last night, how could she possibly have fallen asleep?

Her mind had been in turmoil all night — nervous and full of anticipation — she hadn’t slept well at all.

Yet she didn’t feel the least bit tired.

In fact, she felt remarkably energetic.

Although she still didn’t know exactly what Zhiqiu meant last night when he told her to go to bed early, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation.

It definitely wasn’t just a casual reminder.

She was sure he had something more in mind.

Looking outside, the sky was just beginning to brighten. At this hour, even her grandmother and aunts — who were always early risers — hadn’t yet gotten up.

She could only stay cooped up in the inner courtyard, too embarrassed to go out.

She didn’t want to be asked why she was up so early and had no idea how to explain that it wasn’t because she woke too soon — but because she had been so excited that she barely slept a wink all night.

Finally, when she heard signs of movement outside, Liu Muqiu immediately opened her door and dashed out.

When she passed through the second courtyard, she deliberately slowed her steps, very slowly, hoping to just so happen to bump into a certain man walking out of one of the gates.

Unfortunately, the second courtyard was completely silent; clearly, the man hadn’t gotten up yet.

Liu Muqiu’s tense shoulders slumped at once, her head drooping down.

“Looking for me?”

A deep, smooth voice sounded above her. Liu Muqiu jerked her head up and saw the man standing not far in front of her.

He wasn’t wearing his usual short work shirt for field labor.

Instead, he had changed into a dark blue long robe, a jade belt cinched at his slim waist. His features were handsome, his tall figure poised and upright, lips slightly curved in a faintly mischievous smirk.

He looked exactly like a noble young master who had stepped straight out of a painting — roguish and carefree.

She had always known he was handsome, but since he usually didn’t care much about his appearance, she had never imagined that when he dressed formally, he would look this… this…

Utterly breathtaking!

Watching her gaze fixed intently on him, her cheeks inexplicably flushing red, Liu Zhiqiu arched an eyebrow, the smile at the corner of his lips deepening even more.

He walked over and leaned in close to her ear. “Have you fallen for me?”

The blush on her face visibly deepened, almost turning her into a ‘Little Red Lotus.’ Clearly shy to the extreme, she still refused to dodge away, biting her lip, her eyelashes quivering.

She gave a small, firm nod.

Holy shit! Liu Zhiqiu squeezed his eyes shut hard. He just wanted to have her there and then!

He swiftly withdrew, putting distance between himself and the faint sweet fragrance she carried.

That scent, at this moment, was like poison to him — lethal.

“Brother Zhiqiu?” The girl lifted her eyes to him, puzzled and a little hurt.

His earlier movement looked as if he were avoiding a plague.

But she didn’t know that just that one look from her nearly shattered the last of Liu Zhiqiu’s self-control.

That pitiful expression, practically inviting him to pluck her like a flower — Damn it to hell!

Liu Zhiqiu turned and walked toward the exit. “Let’s go out.”

“Brother Zhiqiu!” Behind him, her voice grew even more aggrieved. Before he could take a step, she grabbed the sleeve of his robe.

Almost the instant she touched him, the man spun around sharply, pressing her against the wall, his voice low and fierce: “Little White Lotus, do you know what married couples do at night under the covers? Call me like that one more time, and I’ll take you right now!”