I was beaten to the point I could virtually see stars: "Hey! Hey! What are you hitting me for?!"
With a flushed face, Bai Ling asked: "Wh-What did you point to your mouth for? Didn't you say that I just had to forgive you if I lost the bet? Wh-Why are you bringing that up again?"
I laughed at the absurdity: "Who said I was talking about that? I couldn't ask for anything more than for you to forgive me and then for us to put it all behind us."
"What are you pointing for then?"
"That's not what I meant when I pointed to my mouth." I still had one of my hands acting as a sunshade for her while tirelessly using my other hand to gesture to explain myself: "I was trying to tell you, your mouth, your mouth!"
"Ah!"
Bai Ling exclaimed like a rabbit that got hit with an arrow. Her snow-white face turned ten times redder than before. It was just a faint layer of pink like an infant's skin before, but now it was red as nail polish, making her look so alluring my heart was set aflutter. She quickly covered up her lips.
"Why did you, why did you?!"
She looked disturbed like a child that did something wrong. She twisted her body left and right like she was spinning on the spot. Finally, she tried to act tough and said: "Wh-What do you want? I'm warning you, don't read too much into it, my mouth is only like this b-because……"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it." I waved my head and in a relaxed tone said: "I totally get it. Don't be shy. That's normal."
"Huh?" Bai Ling's tough demeanour softened in an instant. She retreated one step like a small animal that got frightened, curled herself up and lowered her head as if she didn't dare to look at me: "You get it?! Wh-What do you get? D-Don't act smart! This is normal. I've seen it happen many times before. It happens every day in the palace."
Of course, what's the big deal about it to be bragging about it?
I asked out of puzzlement: "Of course it happens every day. I've seen it many times already."
"You've seen it before?" Bai Ling didn't sound like she believed me: "What? When? Who was it between?"
It seemed like justice possessed General Manager Bai. She wore an expression that looked like she was about to enforce justice, so I had no choice but to answer. I replied like an honest man: "It was just a matter of time. It was the last few days. The location was the imperial city grounds, several times at the small South gate, and I passed by it a few times. As for whom…… Who else would it be? You can do it yourself."
"Yourself?" Bai Ling was extremely doubtful. She looked like she was about to blurt "Are you speaking Chinese?" but she couldn't resist her own curiosity. With her face completely red, she asked: "How could you do it by yourself? I heard that when girls are lonely at night, they might umm…… by themself…… but as for what we're talking about… you can't do it by yourself… can you?"
Bai Ling looked at me with her curious precious eyes like she was full of hope, eagerly waiting for me to show her a new world.
But…….
You can't by yourself? What the hell is she on about?
"Of course you can do it by yourself. I've seen it plenty of times." Bai Ling opened her small mouth wide with disbelief from the shocking news. I then added another sentence to shock her even further: "I always see people do it by themself in the palace."
Bai Ling retorted in a worked up tone: "That's impossible! I've been in the palace for so long and only seen it two or three times!"
What do you mean it's impossible?
"Why can't someone eat melon seeds by themself?"
Just in the palace alone, I've seen the guards changing shifts spitting melon seeds. I've even seen eunuchs eat them, so what's the issue?
"Huh? Melon seeds?" Bai Ling revealed a befuddled expression and repeated herself as if she became illiterate: "Melon seeds?"
"Yeah." I was fed up. Scold me if you like. Can it get worse than taking a slap? I reached my hand out, pulled the melon seed skin off her small mouth and waved it back-and-forth in front of her, "There was a melon seed. I was telling you there was a melon seed on your mouth. And why can't someone crack melon seeds with the front of their teeth by themself? You're a funny one."
But come to think of it, I do somewhat understand her puzzlement. General Manager Bai truthfully doesn't know how to crack melon seeds with the front of her teeth and she usually has people serving her. She must feel that there should be someone to help her crack them for her to eat. Sigh, high-ranking eunuchs in the palace sure think differently to us peasants.
I didn't notice that General Manager Bai standing next to me quivered while I was having my sigh. Her face was so red it looked like it was dripping blood, accentuating her beauty. But even if I was paying attention, I wouldn't have seen it because she used her sleeve to cover her face. When I looked at her again, I could only see a maple colour on her snow-white neck which was how I confirmed she was blushing.
But why is she blushing?
What's the big deal about cracking a melon seed with the front of your teeth? How funny she is.
"Don't worry, General Manager Bai. It's fine if you can't crack melon seeds. You're responsible for supervising the eunuchs, not the imperial kitchen. You hold such a high rank that you will never have to help anyone peel melon seeds."
Bai Ling who had been covering her face for ages finally lowered her hand and her face had returned to normal. She shot me a vicious glare and then gestured for me to come over with her finger. "……." I was speechless of a moment, "You must want to hit me, am I right?"
General Manager Bai didn't say anything and then intensified her gesturing to get me to bring my face over to her.
Her expression looked like she was going to cry if I didn't go over.
She… she… she… isn't she too sly?
I could only slowly bring my face over towards her… and just as I thought, the next thing I knew was getting slapped again!
Hey! That's enough from you! It doesn't hurt, but I'm about to get pissed!!
But Bai Ling glared at me with her enraged gaze: "Well deserved!"
How is it well deserved?!
"Why'd you hit me again?! Be reasonable, will you?! Su Xiao is so much more reasonable than you!" I rubbed my face and grumbled: "You're about the same age, and yet your temperaments are so different."
Bloody hell! This broad should learn how to be gentle from Su Xiao! Our little angel greets me with a smile every day!
"Is Su Xiao… that good?"
"Of course. He's much better than you who doesn't know how to be gentle many times over. If I knew this was how you were going to be, I wouldn't have followed you here. I got hit twice for no rhyme or reason."
I suddenly noticed something had changed.
I don't know what it is. It was like some emotion or maybe some feeling you can't see with the naked eye, but it did happen, and my ears could virtually hear the sound of a fire getting put out.
There was General Manager Bai who was shy just a while ago too. She went dead-silent as if all the noise around her got taken away. The lively Bai Ling discussing martial arts and the shy Bai Ling seemed to both vanish as if they were both fake to begin with.
General Manager Bai's face was white as a sheet of paper, completely devoid of blood. Her gaze just before was like a child's, innocent and naive, so much so that my heart was aflutter. But her gaze now looked completely empty and scary.
"Umm… General Manager Bai……."
Her gaze looked like it could kill!
"Shut up."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it let her listener know that she was dead serious. I was scared enough to shut my mouth.
The door for communication was closed off once again.
Why?! When did I offend her? This is a damn scripted fight man. Why do I smell the stench of love again?! And the leads are three… guys?!
Bai Ling kept silent. She completely stopped speaking this time. She didn't speak no matter how much of a ruckus I made next to her. She wasn't an ice-mountain this time. Instead, she had flames hidden in her eyes. Whenever I said anything, she glared at me viciously with the fire in her eyes.
We continued to silently watch the ring, but the atmosphere between us was ten times tenser than before. I have no idea what just happened.
At the same time in the ring.
Su Xiao stabbed at a spot three inches below Yi Yixian's armpit with his wooden sword. Yi Yixian surprisingly didn't dodge and let Su Xiao get a direct hit on his pressure point. Yi Yixian is most competent with the iron ring fist style on his right arm, and with his pressure point on his right arm sealed, he's done for. He had no choice but to surrender.
The applause from below the ring were deafening. It was at least ten times louder than when Tang Ye and I won. The first reason was because the crowd who watched Tang Ye's match were adults, old men, officials of the imperial court and a number of martial artists. They don't react so excitedly. Second, I was lucky to not have been told to fuck off with the way I won.
But I'm happy to see Su Xiao win.
I laughed and said: "Hahaha, General Manager Bai, I won our bet again."
You didn't expect that, did you?! Yi Yixian was already under my control before the match!
"……."
"Hahaha, you lost. How are you going to make it up to me? Hahaha."
Bai Ling didn't say anything. She just stood under the shade I made for her, glaring at me. Her gaze was cold as ice, but at the same time, intense as fire.
"Haha, hahaha… Umm… General Manager Bai?"
General Manager Bai replied without moving: "Hmm?"
General Manager Bai's face is beautiful to begin with. Her angry glares and frowns are fairly ineffective. But I think I heard gun-powder when she just retorted me. She scared me enough for me to shut up.
Bai Ling stared at me. I saw a mysterious ripple appear in her gaze. I couldn't figure out what her mood was at all.
Bai Ling quietly asked: "What do you want to say?"
"I, uhh… we made a bet just before, right…? I… I accidentally won. It's nothing, it's nothing. It's no big deal."
"Yeah, you won." Bai Ling stared at me and I saw a complex emotion appear in her eyes. She looked like she was trying to stop her anger from exploding. Bai Ling stretched out a finger, placed it on my chest and softly asked: "What do you want to do?"
"I……"
I don't want to do anything. I was just joking with her. Why is she so angry?
She ran her finger down my chest slowly and I could feel something ice-cold run down my chest. I don't know why I felt such a nice sensation in my mind and on my chest. The atmosphere around me virtually burnt up.
Bai Ling's finger ran around on my torso. She looked straight at me and asked: "What do you want me to do?"
My brain seemed to be become impaired and my mouth turned stupid. I couldn't say "nothing at all". I could only say: "Hng, hng… well……."
"I know. You want to kiss me, right? I'll let you kiss me!"
"AH?"
Alright, I'm completely confused.
Bai Ling lifted up her beautiful slender white arm, revealing her lotus-coloured skin, and grabbed the overcoat I used to provide her shade with. She didn't use a lot of strength, but still, she pulled the overcoat down from my hand.
The gentle breeze and her dextrous physique looked like a beauty dancing before me. She tippy-toed up, and twisted her body one-hundred and eighty degrees to face me front-on. The overcoat in my hand gliding to the ground covered up the ultimate vixen that would bring ruin to the nation and people.
"You won the bet for Tang Ye's match. You won't owe me anything in future." Bai Ling stared at me with her ice-cold eyes: "And now, and in the future, I, Bai Ling shall not owe you anything either!"
Bai Ling wrapped her arms around my neck. Her fingers were so soft like they were boneless. Her fingers were so smooth it was like she had no fingerprints. Her beautiful face suddenly came close to mine and she pulled me in.