My Wife Is A Sword Immortal
Chapter 686 - 423 Zhao Rong: Can we have dinner together tonight? (3)

Chapter 686: Chapter 423 Zhao Rong: Can we have dinner together tonight? (3)

Zhu Yourong nonchalantly took Zhao Rong’s hand and pulled it towards her. Then she flattened his slightly stiff fingers and looked carefully at his palm.

After regaining his senses, Zhao Rong reacted and tried to withdraw his hand, but to no avail.

"If you want my help explaining, then don’t move."

Help? Zhao Rong’s forehead creased with black lines. Why did he feel like she was deliberately making things worse for him, as if to hurry along his demise by adding fuel to the fire?

Zhu Yourong bit her lip in concentration and extended a jade-like finger, starting to write on Zhao Rong’s palm.

Zhao Rong, realizing her intention, said helplessly, "Zhu Yourong, Teacher Zhu! I know you write well, but please stop writing on my hand."

Zhu Yourong ignored him, leisurely finishing the character on his palm: 正 (Zheng/Right).

At that moment, Zhao Rong was not concerned about the familiar character once again written on his hand by a certain Confucian-robed woman; his attention was fully behind him.

"Let go quickly, Xiaoxiao is coming!"

No sooner had Zhu Yourong finished writing that character and was about to pull away than a frantic little fox demon suddenly darted towards Zhao Rong and her.

Su Xiaoxiao wrapped her hands around the arm of Zhao Rong that she was holding and yanked it backward with force.

It was unclear whether Zhu Yourong had deliberately let go or if the little fox demon was just too strong.

With a pale face, the little fox demon held her lover’s arm, prying his hand from the grasp of the other woman.

Zhu Yourong maintained an indifferent expression as if nothing had happened, her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the fox-eyed girl who seemed to have mustered great courage.

Su Xiaoxiao held Zhao Rong’s arm tightly, her fox-like eyes wide, her mouth pouted, and she glared at her intensely.

Caught between the two, Zhao Rong opened his mouth but didn’t know how to explain.

In the flower garden, the atmosphere among the three was dead silent and extremely awkward.

Meanwhile, at a distant pavilion, a blue-clothed girl who felt as if the sky had fallen when she saw her teacher holding a man’s hand had already vanished in a wisp of smoke, darting off in haste. Even her hat had fallen to the ground, and it was unknown where she had gone...

In the flower garden, the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward and tense.

Zhao Rong quickly stepped forward, placing himself between the two women, one tall, one short.

"Xiaoxiao, she meant nothing by it. She was just writing a character on my hand, for... for..."

Zhao Rong couldn’t continue, his eyes widened as he turned to Zhu Yourong for help:

It’s your doing, so hurry up and explain for me.

Zhu Yourong thought for a moment and replied truthfully, "Who says I had no other intentions?"

"......" Zhao Rong.

He felt it was his comeuppance for being fickle-hearted—except things seemed to have gone awry with the involvement of a suspicious woman. Teacher Zhu, what business did she have joining in the commotion?

"Ziyu, step aside. Don’t speak for me, let me do it," Zhu Yourong said casually, picking up a clean writing brush from the table and tapping Zhao Rong’s head with it as she began to speak.

Zhao Rong was about to explode in anger and assert himself.

However, at that moment, a voice that belonged neither to him nor to Zhu Yourong gently arose in the garden.

"Zhao... Zhao Rong."

It was the little fox demon who had been silent until then.

Zhao Rong and Zhu Yourong turned to look.

Su Xiaoxiao pouted with wide fox-eyes, her delicate body shaking slightly, gritting her teeth as she glared at Zhu Yourong with a sorrowful tone, "Is she... the owner of that white jade piece?"

Zhao Rong was staggered and his eyes widened.

He had not anticipated that Xiaoxiao would ask such a question. The owner of the white jade piece? Did she... know about the white jade? Or was it just a guess?

Originally, he did indeed set out north alone with the white jade entrusted to him by Qing Jun, intending to exchange it. It turns out that this young girl had been silently suspicious all along...

By the table, the thoughts of the young Confucian Scholar were like a toppled bottle of mixed flavors, utterly chaotic.

For a moment, his expression was blank, and he was at a loss for words.

Zhu Yourong raised an eyebrow, somewhat puzzled by these words, yet still she swiftly turned her head, looking at Zhao Rong who seemed somewhat out of sorts.

"Is it her."

Su Xiaoxiao tightly gripped Zhao Rong’s arm with one hand, while clutching the Brocade Fragrance Pouch, stitched stitch by stitch, in the other hand, straining so hard that her veins turned blue.

She tilted her little head up, her gaze fixed on Zhao Rong, her voice quivering with tears as she questioned him.

But Zhao Rong stood there as if struck dumb, rooted to the spot, gazing at her with a stunned expression. He opened his mouth several times, only to gradually close it again.

Seeing his reaction was almost a silent confirmation of her words just now.

The little Fox Demon’s delicate shoulders appeared to twitch as she strained to lift her small face. Yet, two lines of tears still slowly fell from her reddened eyes, trailing over her deathly pale cheeks, past her lips, and down her chin.

They dripped onto the crumpled sachet in her hand.

Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t truly foolish, she was just innocent and naive, entrusting all that was good to her lover, devoted to him with unwavering trust and loyalty.

Thus, when she, with her young maiden’s sensitivity, noticed his particular affection for the white jade he carried, she found herself making up all sorts of excuses and reasons for him.

It could be a memento left by Mr. Zhao’s mother, perhaps a gift from a friend before a long journey, or it could even be a token from a childhood betrothed who, upon growing up, turned out to be ill-fated not to be his wife.

Oh, and so many other possibilities.

But... Su Xiaoxiao just didn’t dare to ask, because she feared the ’what if’.

What if? What then?

She was just a timid little Fox Demon, so frail that even the big yellow dog at the village entrance could chase her, nearly biting her tail.

So Su Xiaoxiao kept dragging her feet, burying her head like a little ostrich.

Until later, after she and Zhao Rong pledged their love in the ruined temple, and when they parted ways in Du You City, she never asked.

And Zhao Rong never mentioned the white jade, which allowed Su Xiaoxiao’s suspended heart to gradually settle down. By the time they parted, she had mostly regained her peace of mind.

She secretly rejoiced and felt guilty, thankful she hadn’t unnecessarily asked. It was just needless worry, she almost misunderstood Mr. Zhao.

But at this moment...

The little hand Su Xiaoxiao had on Zhao Rong’s arm was gradually losing strength.

Sometimes a man’s silence serves as consent.

She shrugged her dainty nose, her nose tip red and congested, yet continuously catching whiffs of a faint elegant fragrance of an orchid, coming from the blue-clothed Confucian Scholar woman not far away.

That scent was identical to the one on the hidden dusty letter on the bookshelf earlier this morning, only richer.

Considering today’s reunion after a long separation, the white jade that Zhao Rong usually wore was now nowhere to be found.

What exactly was the purpose of that white jade, and who was its master... Even if Su Xiaoxiao was dull and foolish, she couldn’t deceive herself any longer.

At this time, Zhao Rong was still silently watching her, not uttering a word, unknown what he was thinking.

Zhu Yourong’s gaze shifted back and forth between the strange pair, her lips slightly pursed.

The little Fox Demon’s hand tightened around the sachet, and using the back of that hand, she fiercely wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes. Yet as she wiped, her hand veiled half her small face, her shoulders trembling, as she sobbed in heartache.

Actually, during these days, sometimes when Su Xiaoxiao woke in the middle of the night, other than remembering the sweet moments with him and smiling foolishly in happiness, she also couldn’t help but foresee this terrible situation.

But Su Xiaoxiao felt that even if her lover truly deceived her, then he should do so earnestly for a lifetime and never let her find out.

Otherwise, if he can’t deceive her for a lifetime, if he intends to bully her forever, then he should come clean to her and not let her remain in the dark like a fool.

Just like not long ago, when Su Xiaoxiao was below the bookshelf, speaking earnestly to Zhao Rong.

"You... say something."

Su Xiaoxiao suddenly raised her hand as if to slap his face, but her hand, which was spread open with all five fingers, trembled and slowly lowered, forming a powerless fist that she gently pounded against his chest.

Zhao Rong stood immobile, his gaze still lowered, pondering something unknown.

It was at this moment.

"Don’t block the way, move aside, let me through," Zhu Yourong suddenly pushed Zhao Rong aside and stepped forward.

And to cool down... well, it seems I can only drastically cut this part out and replace it with content from a free Chapter. My apologies to the later readers; I’m unable to provide you with the genuine article. After cooling down tomorrow, I’ll continue to apply, hoping it gets approved... To be honest, I’m quite frustrated and stifled with writing this.

Enough said, today’s International Children’s Day, my brothers, have a bit of joy.

————

(Filling in the gap: Chapter One Hundred, Su Xiaoxiao whispers about the owner of the white jade, a twist repaying the buildup.)

PS: I overslept again... bowing my head in apology.