Xiao He could only stare in confusion as Shi Sheng nodded her head one moment and shook it the next. ‘What’s the matter with Miss?’
Once Shi Sheng finished her porridge, she got Xiao He to help her stand up and walk around.
Bu Jingyun had said he was going to keep her, and he kept his word. Her range of activity was restricted to only her room and the garden outside.
‘Bu Jingyun, just you wait till I’ve recovered!’
It took a full ten days for Shi Sheng to fully recover. The moment she was fully healed, Shi Sheng grabbed her sword and began searching for Bu Jingyun with tremendous aggression.
“Miss, you…” Xiao He was frightened by Shi Sheng’s aggressive manner. ‘Is she planning on killing someone?’
Shi Sheng had quickly rushed out, then rushed back in just as fast. “Where’s your Hallmaster?”
“Hall-Hallmaster is with Sentinel.” Xiao He gave a stuttering answer, her face bright red.
Shi Sheng paused for a second before her expression melted into a gentle one. “Did I scare you?”
“N-No…” Xiao He shook her still red face. ‘The Miss was definitely very scary just now though…’
“Then can you take me to see your Hallmaster?” Shi Sheng’s lips curved at just the right angle to enhance her beauty even more.
As a result, Xiao He blushed deeper. “Y-Yes.”
‘How could Miss Shen be so good-looking?’ Xiao He shyly held onto her little heart as she brought Shi Sheng to where Bu Jingyun stayed.
Upon finding him, Shi Sheng very considerately lead Xiao He to stand at a spot further away.
Xiao He didn’t understand why, but still obediently stood at a distance.
Bu Jingyun had felt the killing intent from miles away and was greeted by the sight of Shi Sheng dragging her sword across the ground the moment he turned to look.
“Shen Yaoguang, what’re you doing?” The Sentinel snapped. ‘This is Nine Silences Hall, not the outside! This isn’t a place she can just act as wild as she likes!’
“Nothing,” Shi Sheng answered with a calm expression.
‘Then what’re you dragging that sword along for? To make music?! Simply outrageous!’
“You leave first.” Bu Jingyun stopped Sentinel.
“Hallmaster?”
“Go.” Bu Jingyun’s expression turned colder.
The Sentinel didn’t dare to say anymore after Bu Jingyun’s warning, so he could only give Shi Sheng a warning glare before retreating to Xiao He’s spot, where he’d be able to keep an eye on what was going on.
“Did you need something?” Bu Jingyun couldn’t help but take the initiative after Shi Sheng had simply stood there in silence for a long while.
“What’re you looking at?” Shi Sheng immediately glared back, but quickly turned her head away soon after. “Thanks for lugging me back before.”
Bu Jingyun, “…”
‘This phrasing is strange… But what’s even stranger is the fact that she’s actually thanking me!
Isn’t she the type of person who’d have the type of expression that said “you lugging me back is your honour, the fortune you’ve gathered over several lifetimes, be grateful”?’
These few days, Shi Sheng had been a bit out-of-sorts. She suspected she’d been struck dumb by that lightning, for now she found Bu Jingyun more pleasing to the eyes than before. Sometimes…
Shi Sheng pursed her lips and finally broke the silence, switching the topic in the process, “What’s the situation like outside?”
Bu Jingyun looked at her doubtfully. Only after making sure there wasn’t anything off about her did he speak, “The Shen Clan was nearly exterminated, but you’re now wanted by quite a few people. There isn’t a single safe place left for you in the Nine Provinces.”
Shi Sheng’s lip curled as she clicked her tongue in a somewhat regretful fashion, “There were actually survivors.”
‘Even after explosions of that magnitude, a few Shen Clan members somehow still survived…’
She suddenly turned around and gave him a brilliant smile. “Bu Jingyun, I’ll use the entire Nine Provinces as dowry, so how about you marry me?”
“No,” Bu Jingyun firmly rejected her without second thought. ‘Since when were women supposed to do these kinds of things? Hmph!’
“Hey, how come you’re being so unreasonable? Haven’t you always wanted to conquer the Nine Provinces? I thought…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Bu Jingyun turned to leave in a huff.
Shi Sheng dragged her sword behind her as she chased after him. “Bu Jingyun, don’t force me to use violence! Come on, marrying me won’t kill you! Even if you have feelings for your Sentinel, I won’t stop you— Ow! Fuck, why’d you just stop…”
Shi Sheng didn’t get the chance to finish her words.
She was left staring dumbly at the magnified face standing in front of her, the warmth on her lips a clear hint as to what was happening.
Bu Jingyun took advantage of when Shi Sheng had yet to react to pull her into his arms, one of his hands cradling the back of her head as his tongue gently pried her teeth open and slid inside to entwine with hers.
‘Bu Jingyun is… kissing me? Fuck! Fuck fuck fuck!!!’
Shi Sheng eventually came to her senses and bit down hard, causing a bloody taste to permeate both of their mouths. Bu Jingyun immediately released his hold on her out of pain.
He bore the roiling in his stomach as his gaze drifted away from Shi Sheng, not daring to meet her eyes. His ears were flushed red, and he could feel them burning. In the end, he simply started striding away in silence.
Only after his figure was about to vanish did Shi Sheng react.
“Bu Jingyun, fuck your grandpa! Actually dared to eat my tofu!” Shi Sheng chased after him, sword trailing on the ground behind her.
This turn of events had stunned the Sentinel and Xiao He.
‘Hallmaster actually kissed Shen Yaoguang! And of his own volition!!!’
The Sentinel felt like his future had suddenly gone dark.
‘Hallmaster couldn’t possibly really like that woman, could he? What’s so good about her? She’s not gentle or virtuous, and her figure isn’t even that good… Her words are always coated with poison, like she’ll die if she doesn’t mock someone… And she treats everyone like an enemy! Other than having a pretty face, she really doesn’t have any other good points…
Hallmaster, just what exactly do you like about her?’
……
Bu Jingyun deeply regretted kissing Shi Sheng almost immediately afterwards… even if he didn’t want to admit that her scent was very enticing, to the point where it made him feel an unprecedented level of impulsiveness.
It had been one of the sweetest moments in his life, but he still regretted it.
Because she was using this as an excuse to force him to marry her.
He had tried to hide from her, but she started showing up everywhere.
She’d appear during mealtimes.
She’d appear when he was sleeping.
She’d even appear when he was dealing with certain biological needs…
He really wished he could turn back time and give himself a couple of slaps. ‘Just why did I kiss her? How could I lose control?! En, it must’ve been because she seduced me… it’s all her fault! Yet she has the gall to force me to marry her!
No. No. No!’
“Even though you’ve already kissed me, you’re still planning on shirking responsibility? Bu Jingyun, I’m telling you now: Not a chance! You must marry me today!” Shi Sheng pointed her sword at Bu Jingyun and very shamelessly started to force a marriage.
“No,” Bu Jingyun replied with an expressionless face.
Shi Sheng’s chest heaved up and down several times before her expression completely collapsed. “Big bro, Hallmaster, Ancestor… just what will it take to get you to marry me?”
Hearing her question, Bu Jingyun’s gaze dimmed somewhat as he shook his head. “I won’t marry you.”
“Fine then! You won’t marry me, eh? Then I’ll marry you!” Shi Sheng slammed her palm on the table and roared. ‘Think I(bbb) can’t do anything to you if you don’t agree to marry me(bbb), eh? How naïve!’
Bu Jingyun, “…” ‘Am I someone you can marry just because you said so? I’m absolutely not getting married to you!’
Shi Sheng stormed off. Bu Jingyun didn’t try to stop her either, since even if she did stay…
‘Good riddance of that annoyance! I don’t want to see her again! Hmph!’
But every day, he’d still receive reports about Shi Sheng.
“Hallmaster, a group of people attempted to kill Miss Shen. She killed them all.”
“Hallmaster, Miss Shen was harassed by someone. She stripped him naked and tossed him into a brothel. He died on the bed…”
“Hallmaster, Miss Shen…”
Countless bits of information came together to form an almost life-like picture of her in his mind.
“Hallmaster, Miss Shen has killed the City Lord of Four-Square City…”