Flower Stealing Master

“Ah~” A sharp scream came from behind the embroidered curtain.

Song Qingshu immediately recognized Wu Yunzhu’s voice and rushed over. Upon seeing the situation inside, he froze in place. There was no sign of Ah Zi; only Wu Yunzhu remained, looking quite peculiar. She was wrapped like a cocoon in the bedding, with only her head exposed. Her fair, round shoulders peeked out faintly.

Song Qingshu couldn’t help but touch his nose, suppressing a chuckle. ‘Just a glimpse of your shoulder, and you’re screaming like that? In modern times, girls casually wear tank tops that reveal much more than this…’  

Hearing Wu Yunzhu’s scream, You Tanzhi panicked and frantically waved his hands. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to!” He quickly dropped the curtain, turned his back, and stumbled out, his face bright red.

“Leave,” Song Qingshu said flatly.

You Tanzhi nodded hurriedly, apologizing profusely as he stumbled out. In his haste, he even tripped over the threshold.

Watching You Tanzhi’s flustered departure, Song Qingshu couldn’t help but reminisce about his own youthful, awkward days, smiling knowingly. He waved his sleeve, closing the door again. Turning back to the slightly raised quilt, he chuckled and said, “Ah Zi, come out.”

“Got it!” Ah Zi’s voice emerged from under the quilt.

“No!” Wu Yunzhu’s anxious voice rang out simultaneously. Noticing Song Qingshu’s puzzled gaze, her fair face turned crimson, and her tone took on a pleading edge. “She… she took off my clothes!”

“She made a noise and almost brought that ugly fool in here,” Ah Zi replied cheekily, poking her head out from under the quilt. “If he saw me in the master’s bed, he’d definitely fight to the death with you. Ah Zi didn’t want to cause you trouble, so I had to sacrifice this sister a little.”

“Cover up! Quickly!” Wu Yunzhu was on the verge of tears. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ah Zi threw off the quilt as she crawled out, leaving most of Wu Yunzhu’s snow-white body exposed to the air. Unfortunately for Song Qingshu, this breathtaking sight remained unseen.

“Why the fuss? There’s only the master here. If he favors you, it’s your great fortune.” Ah Zi squatted beside her, smiling mischievously, with no intention of covering her up.

Song Qingshu felt a headache coming on. ‘Why does this sound so awkward? Anyone hearing this would think I instigated Ah Zi’s behavior.’

“Ah Zi, stop messing around.” Song Qingshu flicked his fingers, releasing Wu Yunzhu from her acupoint restraint. With a casual wave, he draped the quilt back over her exposed form.

As soon as Wu Yunzhu regained her mobility, she hurriedly grabbed her scattered clothes from the bedside and hid under the quilt, fumbling to put them on.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, Song Qingshu cleared his throat. “Ah Zi, You Tanzhi seems to genuinely care for you. Isn’t this a bit too much?”

Ah Zi pouted. “Who needs his affection? Back then, I had no choice. The Xingxiu Sect was after me, and the Central Plains martial arts world was too dangerous. Since I’m so beautiful, I had to use him to have a chance to meet you. But now it’s different. With your unparalleled martial skills, I don’t need to play nice with that ugly fool anymore.”

Song Qingshu sighed inwardly, offering a moment of silence for You Tanzhi. ‘Of all the people to fall for, he had to choose this little demoness. It’d be a miracle if he doesn’t end up half-crippled from her schemes.’

He was about to speak when his brow furrowed slightly, glancing toward the door. A soft, hesitant knock echoed from outside. The irregular rhythm revealed the visitor’s unease.

On the bed, Wu Yunzhu froze mid-movement, and even Ah Zi worried that You Tanzhi had returned. She fell silent, holding her breath.

“Who is it?” Song Qingshu asked in a low voice.

“Senior, it’s me,” came Ren Yingying’s voice from outside.

Song Qingshu was startled. Earlier, she had left in a flustered state, yet now she dared to return. He quickly lowered the bed curtain and signaled for Wu Yunzhu and Ah Zi to hide. Maintaining his gentlemanly image for so long, he didn’t want it ruined now.

Seeing another woman visiting her master in the dead of night, Ah Zi couldn’t help but pout. But she had no choice but to obey his orders. ‘Master sure has a way with women. So many come looking for him. I wonder what the future mistress will be like. If she’s difficult to get along with, my days will be miserable. No, I must find a way to steer Master toward someone easy to deal with…’

Her eyes darted around before landing on Wu Yunzhu. Seeing her timid demeanor, Ah Zi’s eyes lit up. ‘She’s perfect!’

Unaware of Ah Zi’s scheming, Song Qingshu finished adjusting the bed curtain and opened the door to let Ren Yingying in. “Miss Ren, is something the matter?”

“Senior, I was overly emotional earlier and behaved rudely. Please forgive me,” Ren Yingying said, bowing slightly.

“Miss Ren, why the formality?” Song Qingshu quickly offered a hand in support, using gentle internal energy to help her up. ‘If anyone was rude, it was me,’ he thought, stifling a wry smile. ‘After all, I did take quite an advantage earlier.’

“You went out of your way to heal me, yet I didn’t even thank you properly. That was incredibly rude of me,” Ren Yingying admitted, a hint of embarrassment on her face.

“Miss Ren, you’re too kind,” Song Qingshu said with a slight smile. “I’m not like others. When I save someone, I don’t expect anything in return. My reward lies in the satisfaction of helping. Your recovery brings me joy; that is thanks enough.”

“Senior’s realm of thought is truly admirable,” Ren Yingying replied, recalling her father’s teachings about how cultivating one’s heart becomes more crucial than martial skills at higher levels of mastery. She vaguely understood his words.

Her mind wandered to the intimate healing process earlier, and her face reddened slightly. Sneaking a glance at him, she found his expression calm and indifferent, which both relieved and annoyed her. ‘Is he hinting at something or not?’

“Senior, I have a request… but I don’t know if it’s appropriate to ask,” Ren Yingying hesitated before biting her lip and speaking.

“Miss Ren, please speak,” Song Qingshu replied inwardly, amused. ‘Why is it that conversations in this era are so formulaic? As if I’d say it’s inappropriate to ask.’

“I’ve been fortunate to receive your help, but… I’ve yet to see my benefactor’s face,” Ren Yingying said, staring directly at him, her meaning unmistakable. 

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