Xiao Yuruo smiled faintly and said, "Brother Tao, I need to reconsider this matter. It's not too late to bring it up again after some time."
Tao Dongcheng smiled profoundly and replied, "For such important matters, it is only natural to consider them thoroughly. I will await good news from the wise sister."
Seeing that Miss Xiao had already arrived home, Tao Dongcheng had no reason to stay any longer. He bid farewell to Mrs. Xiao and the two young ladies, clasped his fists, turned his horse's head, and galloped away, displaying a truly heroic demeanor.
Miss Xiao stood at the door for a long time, as if facing a difficult decision. Eventually, she sighed and said, "Mother, let's go inside first."
Lin Wanrong initially thought that the Xiao and Tao families were considering a marriage alliance. After a while, he realized it was not the case. It was evident that Tao Dongcheng was pursuing Miss Xiao, but the idea of a marital connection was distant. At least, Miss Xiao's attitude was not very clear. So what exactly did Tao Dongcheng mean by "becoming one"? Seeing the worried faces of the three women from the Xiao family, it seemed like a challenging decision, possibly related to the fate of the Xiao family.
After thinking for a while, Lin Wanrong suddenly thought, "Why bother with all this? I'm just here to pass the time. After a year, I'll leave. Why bother meddling in their affairs? Even if I help the Xiao family solve their problems, would they really be willing to give me a male master? Just a fantasy, let it go."
Returning to his small room, he suddenly felt incredibly tired. The events of the evening were numerous, encountering the unpredictable courtesan Qin Xian'er, meeting the returning young lady, and narrowly avoiding a punishment. After a moment of contemplation, he unconsciously entered the realm of dreams.
It was uncertain how much time had passed when Lin Wanrong suddenly felt something was amiss. He abruptly opened his eyes and saw a person standing in front of him, coldly staring.
"Ghost!" Lin Wanrong shouted loudly, his body covered in cold sweat.
The figure stood there silently, unmoving, ignoring Lin Wanrong's loud calls.
Lin Wanrong yelled for a while, but no one came. The figure remained motionless, as if it had no life.
After a while, Lin Wanrong calmed down a bit and was about to reach out to touch the figure when a voice said, "Why did you stop shouting?"
It sounded like a woman's voice, somewhat familiar. In the middle of the night, with a mysterious figure suddenly appearing in his room, what would you associate it with? Lin Wanrong hadn't wet his pants, which was already considered brave.
"Are you, are you Sadako?" Thinking of the horror movie he had watched, Lin Wanrong was scared, cautiously asking.
"Who is Sadako?" This time, the voice of the "female ghost" was a bit louder, and it sounded extremely pleasant. Lin Wanrong felt a bit more courageous, telling himself that as long as it was a woman, he could handle it.
"You, do you remember me?" Lin Wanrong crawled out of bed and said.
"What, you don't recognize me? The warm breeze intoxicates the travelers, mistaking Hangzhou for Bianzhou. Back then, you were quite imposing." The shadow sneered.
Recalling the poem and combining it with the somewhat familiar voice, Lin Wanrong's mind brightened, exclaiming, "Are you Xiao Qingxuan?"
Dim moonlight shone into the room, reflecting on the unparalleled face of the peerless beauty. She looked at Lin Wanrong and said, "I didn't expect you to still remember me."
"Are you here to kill me?" Confirming that this figure was a person and a woman, Lin Wanrong's fear diminished a bit. As long as it was a woman, he could handle it. However, he had experienced the ruthless methods of Xiao Qingxuan before and didn't dare to act recklessly.
"What do you think?" Xiao Qingxuan's tone seemed emotionless, as cold as ice.
"This, Miss Xiao, that incident back then was simply a misunderstanding. Moreover, I was injured by you at that time and almost lost my life. We should consider ourselves even. Or, should I apologize to you?"" Thinking of that incident, Lin Wanrong still harbored resentment, but at this moment, with his life in this woman's hands, he dared not show it and temporarily suppressed it in his heart.
Xiao Qingxuan coldly said, "If an apology works, what's the use of constables?"
Lin Wanrong thought, "Damn, this girl can play dirty too." Seeing that she wasn't receptive to softness, he initially wanted to take a tough stance, but considering her skills, he decided against it. Damn, being a man is so tough.
Thinking of this, Lin Wanrong hardened his heart, deciding not to speak. If she wanted to kill or harm him, it was up to her. The two remained silent, in a momentary standoff. In the darkness, Lin Wanrong seemed to only hear his own breath.
"This girl doesn't even breathe. No wonder she's so cold-blooded." Lin Wanrong thought to himself.
Lin Wanrong had never experienced such a situation before. On a dark night, an extraordinary beauty sat by his bedside, watching him sleep. If this beautiful woman didn't wear clothes, it would undoubtedly be a very enjoyable thing. But now, this beautiful woman was fully clothed, and if he guessed correctly, she also had an extremely sharp sword on her. This made things less fun.
Feeling that his breathing was getting colder, and the atmosphere was becoming more terrifying, Lin Wanrong strangely felt drowsy. In this eerie atmosphere, he strangely felt sleepy.
"What time is it?" Lin Wanrong felt tired and couldn't help asking.
"It's the third watch." Xiao Qingxuan replied.
"Oh, if you're not busy, I'll continue sleeping." Lin Wanrong yawned. The back-and-forth between them seemed like a conversation between a married couple sharing the same bed.
Seeing that he was really about to sleep, Xiao Qingxuan's expression finally showed a slight change. It seemed that she hummed and said, "Are you really going to sleep? In that case, I'll give you a knife in your dreams, and it won't be painful."
"Miss, if you want to kill, just kill. Stop scaring people. Is scaring people fun? Scaring people a thousand times is not as good as giving them a knife once." Lin Wanrong said with a wry smile.
"Do you feel scared too
? When you bullied me back then, why didn't I see you scared?" Xiao Qingxuan said with hatred.
"Did I bully you back then? It was you who bullied me. I just said you were a little girl, which was the truth. Did I need to be so vicious? It seems like the old saying is right: a woman's heart is more venomous than a snake or a scorpion." Lin Wanrong felt genuinely wronged. A wrong word and he was faced with death. Damn, is there no justice in this world?
Xiao Qingxuan was slightly stunned, seemingly acknowledging some truth in what he said. Although he was a bit reckless, the crime didn't warrant death. Considering her excessive actions at the time, there was indeed something wrong. However, Lin Wanrong's frivolous behavior underwater had left her with an unforgettable memory. "Then, how do you settle the score for your frivolousness underwater with me?" she asked.
"This was my overreaction. Think about it, I had lost my life; how would I know what I was doing?" Lin Wanrong said.
"Overreaction? Then I will kill you today. It can also be considered my overreaction." Xiao Qingxuan's tone seemed a bit excited.
"Miss, don't be so quick to resort to violence. Please, you are a girl, and you'll get married in the future. If you keep pulling out your sword at every turn, who would dare to marry you?" Lin Wanrong pleaded.
Lin Wanrong gradually lost his fear. If this girl really wanted to kill him, she could have done it in his sleep. Now, she was talking a lot, obviously not intending to kill him. He hadn't finished his thoughts when he heard a loud sound. A sharp sword, with a cold light, swiftly passed Lin Wanrong's neck. Xiao Qingxuan was so close that he could feel the deep chill of the sword.
Damn, is this girl serious? This is my neck, and if she makes a mistake, I'm really done for. Lin Wanrong's heart pounded, and he dared not speak, afraid that a wrong word might result in a fatal cut to his throat.
"Why don't you continue talking? Don't you have great abilities?" Xiao Qingxuan's voice echoed in Lin Wanrong's ears. "Are you thinking I wouldn't dare to kill you?" The Autumn Water Sword approached Lin Wanrong's neck, almost preventing him from breathing.
Today's matter seemed impossible to resolve amicably. This girl seemed determined to kill him. Damn, since there's no hope, if I fear this girl, may I be struck by lightning.
Thinking of this, Lin Wanrong steeled his heart and decided not to look at her. He closed his eyes and remained silent.
Seeing that he didn't react, Xiao Qingxuan focused her gaze, only to find him tightly closing his eyes, unmoving, as if he had fallen asleep.
This guy, who is usually full of laughter, unexpectedly has some backbone. Xiao Qingxuan praised him inwardly, extended her delicate hand, and the sword with its cold light seemed to pass through Lin Wanrong's neck like a gust of wind.
The sword light was extremely fast. Lin Wanrong hadn't even finished blinking, and the sword was gone, leaving only Xiao Qingxuan standing there quietly. It was unknown where she had concealed the sword.
The sword's edge had brushed past Lin Wanrong's neck, and he had already felt the deep chill. As long as Xiao Qingxuan got distracted for a moment, Lin Wanrong would have disappeared from this world.
Lin Wanrong's back was completely soaked, but he had already become accustomed to the idea of death. Xiao Qingxuan had said that she wouldn't kill him today, but she would surely take his life in the future.
After saying these words, Lin Wanrong gradually understood Xiao Qingxuan's temperament. Pretending not to hear her words, he asked, "How did you know I lived here? How did you find me?"
"Is it difficult to find you? Just a little servant in the Xiao Mansion. Even if there were ten of you, I could easily find you." Xiao Qingxuan's tone carried a hint of pride.
Lin Wanrong nodded, "I do wish there were ten of me. That way, you could kill me ten times, and I could live a few more days."