Deliberately Approaching
Chapter 197: A Nanhong Hunting Knife

Chapter 197: Chapter 197: A Nanhong Hunting Knife

Actually, Tang Xiaowan had already brought Leng Lingxiao to eavesdrop outside the kitchen door when Wang Meijuan mentioned that the young lady liked Mr. Leng.

She had always envied the liveliness inside, the chatter and laughter, without the distinction between master and servant.

It’s just that she never expected to be the subject of the conversation this time, torn between staying and leaving, her cheeks burning with awkwardness.

Isn’t the gossip usually about Cheng Shi?

Oh my gosh, what’s happening today? Could it be because the roasted lamb leg is too delicious?

Tang Xiaowan indeed had her hand forcibly pulled by Li Zishen a few times, which is true, but that wasn’t the reason she felt uncomfortable and blushed.

The forced kiss was the cause, even though it happened only once and no one knew, but she felt both angry and guilty.

Thinking about it made her face turn even redder.

Leng Lingxiao clenched his jaw tightly, swept a glance over, and fixedly landed on Tang Xiaowan’s fair and slender hand, as if asking, ’Is all that Wang Meijuan said true?’

Tang Xiaowan hastily hid her hands behind her back, shaking her little head like a tambourine.

If not now, when?

Who knows what else they might overhear, these people can really cause trouble for me.

Huahua must be angry, definitely.

Tang Xiaowan quickly grabbed Leng Lingxiao’s arm and tugged him to leave, but unfortunately, it was useless; the man was rooted in place like a statue at this moment.

They looked at each other, each harboring their thoughts.

Fine, you won’t leave, huh? I will!

Tang Xiaowan frowned, biting her lower lip, and abruptly left.

Looking at where Tang Xiaowan had grabbed him, Leng Lingxiao didn’t know what to feel. There was anger, there was jealousy, but most of all, there was heartache.

When the night attack occurred, he hadn’t returned in time.

He would never forgive himself, at that time...he should have stayed by Tang Xiaowan’s side, but left because of a phone call.

By the time he got the news and rushed back from Country Y to Qingcheng, Tang Xiaowan, who was unconscious, had already been taken to Jin City Li Garden by Li Zishen.

Surrounded by layers of protection, monitored 24 hours.

He thought Li Zishen was a gentleman, truly caring for Tang Xiaowan, and would be like him, but still, he underestimated the innate nature of a man.

He didn’t dare to imagine how Tang Xiaowan had survived that time in Li Garden.

Immediately afterward, Leng Lingxiao followed her to the dining area.

"Was this lamb leg roasted by Gangzi?" Tang Xiaowan spoke first.

"Yes."

"The flavor’s not bad, so fragrant."

"Tangtang, Li Zishen..."

"Don’t listen to Wang Meijuan’s nonsense. It wasn’t that exaggerated. It seems like it was only three or four times. He mainly pulled my hand because he was afraid I would run off, especially since at that time...every day I was figuring out how to leave Jin City and go back to Qingcheng. Actually, I didn’t really lose out. You have no idea, Li Zishen’s many valuable collectibles were destroyed by me, and the rosewood furniture—hilarious, it fell apart as soon as I sat on it. The losses... definitely enough to buy two luxury houses."

Tang Xiaowan chatted away while eating, her cheeks puffed up with lamb meat.

She seemed completely unconcerned.

Leng Lingxiao listened quietly, not saying a word, only pushing a cup of tea toward her.

Sure enough, Tang Xiaowan choked on her food.

"Have some water."

She downed most of the cup in one gulp.

"Wow, that’s much better. I’ll tell you, Huahua, actually Li Zishen is quite pitiful too. I really can’t say I lost out. He suffered more than I did..."

"It’s okay, I know."

Leng Lingxiao’s tone was indifferent, his gaze devoid of joy or anger, his voice soft, barely loud enough for Tang Xiaowan to hear.

The knife in his hand moved back and forth over the lamb leg without cutting off a piece for a good while.

"Huahua, are you angry with Li Zishen?"

"Why should I be angry with him?"

"Because, because you’re pretending not to know!"

"You’re overthinking it, he’s not worth it."

"Really? I think you are clearly angry, or you don’t believe what I said, thinking I’m deceiving you."

Hearing this, Leng Lingxiao felt a sourness in his nose and remembered bits and pieces of the past.

Huahua, this knife is so sharp!

No worries, if you get hurt, I’ll take the blame. You must learn to control it deftly, it’s very convenient for self-defense.

Nonsense, it hurts like hell!

If you really get hurt, I’ll stay with you. That should be ok, right?

Ouch, it hurts, I’m bleeding!

Let me see, where are you hurt?

Hahaha, just kidding, fool!

...

"I’ve hit the nail on the head, haven’t I? You don’t trust me, right?" Tang Xiaowan pressed on.

"It’s not that, Tangtang. It’s not that I don’t trust you. Whatever you say, I believe—I just feel sorry for making you suffer in Li Garden, for not being there when you needed me the most."

"Apologizing again? Haven’t we already talked about this? Things happened so suddenly; it’s not your fault."

"No, it is indeed my fault."

"If you really can’t get over it, then tell me the truth. Why did I lose my memory, get poisoned, and who is trying to assassinate me? Is it related to... Li Zishen’s family?"

"Tangtang, how could you think of that? Did Li Zishen tell you?"

Tang Xiaowan stared steadily at Leng Lingxiao.

She knew the man was definitely hiding something from her, as it had been like this several times, always evading the important and dwelling on the trivial or answering beside the point.

"Do I even need him to say it? So many things, big and small, have happened during this time—doesn’t each one have to do with his family? I really don’t know how many people I have offended, and now you’re involved too!"

A faint smile crossed her lips, and Tang Xiaowan suddenly snatched the knife from Leng Lingxiao’s hand.

She flipped it casually, the movements very slick.

This was a Nanhong Hunting Knife embedded with nine red agates, brought over by Tang Xiaowan from Mei Garden, not light in weight and about 20 centimeters long.

Leng Lingxiao’s eyes smiled, entirely captivated.

"Come on, eat. It’s going to get cold if it sits too long," Tang Xiaowan said with raised eyebrows.

When Leng Lingxiao came to his senses, he found that Tang Xiaowan had already placed the mutton on the plate, slice after slice, neither thin nor thick.

"Alright, give me some sauce."

"I remember, don’t you not eat that stuff? You even tell me off every time, saying my taste is too heavy, that I don’t appreciate its original flavor."

With that, Tang Xiaowan shook her head.

Her mind felt in complete disarray, as though many scenes that were both familiar and strange flooded in all at once, yet she couldn’t make out any specifics.

And this had happened three times already today.

"Tangtang, are you alright?"

"I’m fine, it’s just that..."

"Did you secretly increase the dose again?"

"I, I just took one more pill."

"Tangtang, why won’t you listen? I’ve told you several times already, you can’t overdose on that medicine, it will have adverse effects."

"But I’m clearly getting much better, remembering a lot of things from the past. Do you know how painful it is to lose your memory? Every night when I close my eyes, there’s only that person’s figure, wearing a mask, holding a knife—you have no idea what it feels like, it’s especially, especially..."

As she spoke, Tang Xiaowan choked up, biting her lower lip, looking utterly aggrieved.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and tears suddenly fell.

Leng Lingxiao quickly handed her a napkin, his eyes full of tenderness and self-reproach.

"Tangtang, I’m sorry. Such a thing will never happen again. I will always be by your side, I promise, believe me."

"I don’t need it!"

Tang Xiaowan left those words behind and walked out, only to see the kitchen door wide open, three heads lined up, staring in her direction.

Leng Lingxiao, who followed closely, grabbed Tang Xiaowan and then brought her back to the dining room.