Chapter 3: Mind-Boggling Inferences

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Chen Chen paid no mind to the window that had appeared on the screen. He stared at the cap which had abruptly appeared beside the laptop, wearing a thoughtful expression.


He swore that before starting up the computer, there was no cap in this spot.


Moreover, this cap…


Surely it was too familiar…


Chen Chen reached out hesitantly and took the cap in his hands.


The cap was made from canvas, which felt slightly rough against his palm. It was khaki-colored and looked just like a duckbill cap, except it was only as large as his hand.


No matter how he looked at it, this did not seem like a cap any human could wear.


Chen Chen flipped the cap over. Inside, there was a tag sewn in with polyester fiber, with a few lines of English on it:


“IF LOST RETURN TO:”


“Harry Goodman; 1722 Green St. Ryme City.”


Translated, this meant:


“If lost, return to: 1722, Green Street, Ryme City, Harry Goodman.”

4

This was…


Chen Chen gasped sharply, an astounded expression stretching his features.


Suddenly, he turned toward the computer screen, only realizing that the movie had stopped playing.


This was Pikachu’s duckbill cap from the movie!

9

In this instant, Chen Chen was filled with a sense of absurdity and disbelief. He swiftly stooped down to check under his bed!

1

No one!


He stood up quickly and checked his sheets!


No one!


He jerked open his desk drawer!

11

Still no one…

1

After making sure that there was no one in the dorm, he had no choice but to consider that this might not be a prank set up by his dorm mates.


Furthermore, even if it was a prank, how would they know that he would play Detective Pikachu specifically at this moment?


However, if this was not a prank, what was it?


Was it because he had played this video file that the computer extracted the cap from the movie?


What kind of elaborate joke was this!


Plus, this was not the first time he was watching this movie. Why did this only occur now?


Suddenly, Chen Chen thought of something. His gaze shot toward black USB drive!

6

Was this all its doing?


Chen Chen narrowed his eyes.


He did not know whether it was the lighting or his mind playing tricks, but the shell of the USB drive now appeared to be mottled.


This USB drive which was a deep, glossy black before had a dull cast now, like metal which had oxidized after being left out for too long.


Had the USB drive changed or… Was his memory failing?


Chen Chen could not believe this. He closed the “Program Error” window and double-clicked the movie Detective Pikachu once more.


However, the “Program Error” notice popped up on screen again.


Was the file corrupted?


Chen Chen frowned and pondered. Subsequently, he tried clicking Delete. With a “whoosh”, this movie file was deleted from the USB drive…

1

He was stunned. He remembered that each time he tried to delete the other movies, he ran into a “Program Error”, so he had assumed it was impossible to delete any movie in the USB drive.


Therefore, he tried again to delete the horror movies that had been in the USB drive initially.


Still, the result was the same. Each time he clicked Delete, the computer would send a “Program Error” window.


“Could it be that I can only delete movies that have been played?”

2

Chen Chen bowed his head pensively. He opened Local Disk D again and dragged Detective Pikachu into the USB drive, then tried deleting it.


“Ding!”


As expected, the copied movie file could not be deleted.


Thus, Chen Chen played the movie again. This time, the movie played as usual and nothing strange happened.


In front of the screen, Chen Chen recalled that he had been missing his pet dog previously. At the same time, he had projected his emotions onto Pikachu’s character, then the cap had appeared.


With that in mind, Chen Chen fast-forwarded the movie until Pikachu’s scene, while imagining that he could extract the movie’s Pikachu.


In less than a few seconds’ worth of effort, the movie shut itself off and the “Program Error” window popped up.


At the same time, another cap, the same as the last one, appeared right beside his laptop!

2

It was real!!!


Chen Chen’s eyes nearly popped out. Although he had been prepared, no matter how he observed, he still could not figure out how the cap had materialized in this spot.


Surely it had appeared out of thin air?!

1

Chen Chen picked up both caps and compared them. He discovered that there was no difference down to the smallest detail and the handwriting on the tag.


It was as if God had created two completely identical objects.

1

“Can this really be due to the USB drive?”

2

Chen Chen uttered incredulously. He looked at the USB drive once again but noticed that it was even duller than before. It looked like a useless item that had been tossed away in a corner.


“This thing is getting worn out…”


Chen Chen immediately understood that each time an item was extracted from a movie, it would deplete the USB drive’s energy.


In that case, what sort of energy was this?


Electrical?


Solar?


Alternatively, was it some energy source that surpassed human technology?


More importantly, could this energy be replenished? Was this USB drive a single-use item or could it be recharged and reused?


Moreover, although he was explicitly thinking of Pikachu, why was the USB drive only able to produce its cap? Was this due to insufficient energy or some other factor?

4

Also, if he played some other movie, could he also extract something else from that movie?

13

All these questions roared in Chen Chen’s mind. He drew in a deep breath and suppressed these emotions that were making him tremble.

1

‘Calm down, calm down…’


Chen Chen took in deep breaths again as he walked toward the dorm’s door to lock it from the inside. Then, he returned to his laptop and fell into deep thought.


There were not enough clues. He still needed to carry out more experiments.


Even so, the USB drive’s energy was incapable of sustaining multiple experiments. What should he do?


At this point, Chen Chen took out a blank notebook from his drawer. He steadied his trembling hand and wrote the word “Principle” on the first page.


“Principle: Unknown.”

2

How should he employ current scientific principles to explain the phenomenon of the mysterious USB drive?


With just his own knowledge, Chen Chen was completely unable to explain everything that had happened.


It was clearly just a movie, constructed from codes and images. How could it create something out of thin air?


“Conjecture: Aliens? People from the future? Brain in a vat?”

7

After putting down this second line of words, Chen Chen could not help chuckling at himself. Then, he wrote the third line.


“Ability: Through the thoughts and ideas of someone viewing a video, it extracts/instantiates an item, displayed on screen, into reality. (Doesn’t seem to include living things.)”

2

Chen Chen speculated that both times he was thinking of Pikachu, yet only the cap was extracted. This meant that the USB drive was unable to instantiate living beings.


Of course, he could not rule out the possibility of insufficient energy being the reason.

1

Chen Chen clicked on the movie again and the screen displayed the “Program Error” window. After that, he tried deleting it.


With a “whoosh”, the movie was successfully deleted.


“Indeed, after extracting something, it can be deleted from the USB drive.”


This also meant that any movie could be transferred into the USB drive but the delete function would not work.


If he wished to delete a certain movie, his only option was to extract an item from the movie to corrupt the file.


With this in mind, Chen Chen wrote:

1

“Rule 1: Videos can be imported but can’t be readily deleted after that. The file must be corrupted first;


“Rule 2: At the moment, it appears that the video will only be corrupted when an item is extracted from it;”


“Rule 3: The size, mass, and other objective factors of the extracted item had not been tested yet.”

1

Finally, Chen Chen glanced at the USB drive.


“Appearance: Its exterior has transformed from brand-new to worn out. It’s not determined yet if this is an issue of energy…”

TBC...
Source: I Have A Super USB Drive - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 2: The Peculiar USB Drive
5

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

As Chen Chen had no other classes in the afternoon, he turned down the dorm leader’s invitation to basketball after the first class had ended and headed to his dorm alone.


As he walked, Professor Wang Xi’s words kept ringing in his ear.

1

‘Oh immortality, what a beautiful dream. Still, since the beginning of time, was there anyone who was truly immortal?’

37

Chen Chen lamented silently.


Professor Wang Xi, being a senior academic in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was excellent in both knowledge and pedagogy.

4

Not only did he spark everyone’s enthusiasm toward biology, but he even showed them a clear path.


Perhaps some of them would be inspired to delve into the field of life sciences and make noble contributions to the Earth Federation.


Upon returning to Dorm 404, Chen Chen instinctively reached out to turn on his computer. However, before his right hand could do so, his left hand promptly held himself back.

14

With a sigh, Chen Chen flipped open Modern Molecular Biology and compared it with his notes to consolidate his understanding of the class’ material.


In university, most of one’s learning was not obtained from lecturers. Self-study and practice was the only way forward.

11

Many students started slacking off after entering university. They would pay no mind to their course credits. To them, skipping optional courses was compulsory and attending compulsory courses was optional. They thoroughly enjoyed their freedom from high school’s repression.

10

Nonetheless, upon graduation, they learned what it meant to be beaten down by society…

6

This was why Chen Chen was troubled. He had no choice but to practice some self-control for the sake of his own future.


After all, what was it that people always said – the hardships of youthful days are nothing compared to the hardships of later life!

6

Just then, his phone’s screen flashed, indicating that there were more than 99 unread messages in the QQ group.


Chen Chen reached out by instinct but froze in mid-air.


‘Stop right there! This phone is a demon from hell. Don’t be tempted by it. They just talk sh*t in the group anyway, don’t…”

14

404 Dorm Leader Wang Wei: [Lil Bo, Nostril, what are you guys doing? Why did you disappear after class? Come for basketball]

1

404 Dorm Leader Wang Wei: [what is this slowpoke trying to say.jpg]

1

…


When Chen Chen opened up the group chat, he was greeted with this meaningless meme battle.

2

404 Brainiac Chen Chen: [a group of guys with 99+ messages, yet there’s zero porn, f*ck y’all.jpg]

3

After carelessly sending out an image to indicate what would interest him, Chen Chen put his phone away and propped his chin in his hand, deep in thought.

3

He could forget about the previous owner of this USB drive. After all, that room was a multi-function classroom that hosted at least four or five classes each day.


This USB drive might have even been left behind by students who had graduated years ago.


The hiding place of the USB drive was well concealed too. If Chen Chen had not happened to turn at such an angle while picking up his pen, he would not have noticed it.


This meant that the heavens knew how long this USB drive had been hidden.

8

‘The question is, who hid the USB drive there and why would they go to such lengths just to hide a USB drive?

5

‘Maybe the USB drive contains some mysterious top-secret code?’

21

These thoughts suddenly occurred to Chen Chen and he did not hesitate anymore. He lifted the lid of his laptop and plugged in the USB drive while the laptop was starting up.

15

The SSD1 was fast booting up. In less than ten seconds, the sleek interface of Windows 10 displayed before Chen Chen.

15

After a moment’s pause, Chen Chen pulled up [My Computer]. However, other than his own drive, there was no sign of any portable storage devices.


The drive letter which should have automatically recognized the USB drive had vanished.

2

Was the USB drive corrupted?


Chen Chen did not believe this and plugged in it once more. Still, there was no response.

2

‘Humph, I don’t buy this.’

1

Chen Chen’s lips curled up in a smirk as he smoothly restarted the laptop. While it rebooted, he deftly and confidently pressed down on [F2], entering the BIOS Setup interface.

10

Next, in a well-practiced manner, Chen Chen pressed [F9] to select Default Settings/Configuration, and within the same instant, clicked on [Yes]!


Finally, he pressed [F10] firmly to save his data for the last time, then rebooted the laptop!

2

All these happened in the blink of an eye. A non-veteran could not have done it.

16

After the laptop had restarted, the icon for the portable storage device did pop up at the lower right corner.


Even so, Chen Chen did not access it from there. Instead, he clicked into [My Computer], moved his cursor to the USB drive’s icon, and right clicked to select its Properties.


‘Hmm?’


In its Properties, the storage space of the USB drive was listed as 0.

1

‘Is it corrupted after all?’


Chen Chen lost all hope at once. He had wasted so much effort.

1

He shook his head and absent-mindedly double-clicked. However, the USB drive’s file opened up unexpectedly.


What he saw was a few files in the AVI format.


[Ju-on.avi], [Final Destination.avi.], [One Missed Call.avi], [Ring.avi.].

13

“Gasp…”


When Chen Chen saw what these files were, he drew in a sharp breath. He did not expect the previous owner of the USB drive to be a horror movie buff.


He did not know whether to feel disappointed or surprised. He was expecting something along the lines of a Mystery Code.avi.


Nonetheless, this proved that there was nothing wrong with the USB drive.


There was nothing much of interest to Chen Chen in the USB drive. These movies were nearly as old as Chen Chen and were very well known. Those which he wanted to watch, he had watched long ago. Those which he did not wish to watch, he would not watch even if they were played right before him.

3

Therefore, he immediately selected all the files and pressed [ctrl+d].

2

“Ding!”


However, these six movies were not deleted. Conversely, a “Program Error” window popped out.

1

Stubbornly Chen Chen tried a few times, even resorting to file shredding. Nevertheless, no matter what he did, he could not delete those movies.


“That’s peculiar…”


Chen Chen was gloomy. Perhaps the USB drive was corrupted after all?

1

He hopelessly hovered his cursor over one of the video files, thinking that he should try playing it.


However, for some reason, just as he was about to double-click on [Ju-on.avi], he felt a sudden, indescribable throbbing in his heart.


He could not say what feeling it was. It was as if a pair of eyes were peering at him from some corner that light could not reach…

8

These eyes were filled with a sense of death, like the icy kiss of a corpse…

6

This flutter in his heart caused him to stop in his tracks.


“Cough! Since when did I become such a coward?”

6

Chen Chen shook his head. Following his gut, he moved the cursor away, pulled up Local Disk D, and located a video file –


[Detective Pikachu.mp4].

2

Chen Chen selected this file and pressed [ctrl+c], then clicked on the USB drive and pressed [ctrl+v].


A green progress bar flashed instantly. In less than two seconds, [Detective Pikachu.mp4] was copied into the USB drive.

4

Everything seemed normal.


Chen Chen contemplated silently before opening the [Detective Pikachu.mp4] file in the USB drive.


The default video software started up automatically, beginning to screen this movie adaptation which was released in 2019.


Chen Chen had already watched this movie when it came out, but because he loved the way Pikachu looked, he underwent the trouble of downloading this movie.

10

As he watched the bright yellow rodent bouncing around on the screen, Chen Chen felt a faint pang of sorrow as this figure rather resembled Jerry from his home.


Jerry was the name of Chen Chen’s pet dog at home.


Chen Chen’s childhood was spent in the company of Jerry. The boy and the dog had grown up together and were inseparable.


Unfortunately, a dog’s lifespan was far too brief. Just last year, Jerry passed away due to old age.

12

As he pictured that lovable figure, Chen Chen drifted in his thoughts.


However, there was a sudden movement that he noticed from the corner of his eyes.


Chen Chen reflexively turned to look and saw that a cap had appeared beside his laptop at an unknown time.

3

“Ding!”


At the same time, the screen displayed the “Program Error” notice once again. The video that was playing shut down by itself…

TBC...
Source: I Have A Super USB Drive - ExtraNovel.com

NOTE: Please ignore the random numbers.

Chapter 1: The Inception Of Immortality

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Human life is limited. Every person will age, fall sick, and die. However, does anyone here know why we’re mortal?”

38

Upon the platform, a nearly seventy-year-old professor spoke gradually, his voice echoing the large classroom due to its acoustics.

1

“Everyone knows that the unit of life begins with a single cell. Each of us here came into being as a tiny fertilized ovum that underwent cell division.


“One cell becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight…”

14

Below the platform, Chen Chen propped up his chin with his left hand while his right hand twirled a rollerball pen. His eyes glazed over with boredom as he stared at the projection screen, daydreaming.

3

“Cells will undergo senescence and death as well. The newly divided cells replace the dead ones over and over. This is the secret to our unending growth.

3

“Even so, this cell fission isn’t infinite.


“In 1965, Professor Hayflick of Stanford University discovered that human cells are unable to self-replicate over fifty-seven times. Every cell, upon its fifty-sixth replication, will die.

12

“It’s as if there’s a counter within each cell that determines when the cell would stop dividing and when humans would start to age…


“In theory, human cells can divide up to fifty-six times at most. By calculating the cycle of each cell division, we find that the limit of human life is at one hundred and twenty years. This theory is known as…”

16

“Clatter!”

1

Just as he was listening in fascination, Chen Chen’s fingers slipped and the rollerball pen spun out of his grasp, falling under the desk.

4

Chen Chen immediately stooped over, feeling around the floor with one hand.


“Huh?”


When his head was below the desk, an unexpected glint of pitch-black light flashed before his eyes.

15

Whether it was possible for light to be black, Chen Chen truly did spot a flash of black light in that instant.

1

He looked over instinctively.


The item was long and pitch-black all over. It was wedged below the desk, trapped within a hidden groove.

16

Therefore, after Chen Chen had picked up his pen, he reached out and scratched that area.


With just a little bit of effort, there was a snapping sound and the black item was successfully pried loose.


“You there, burrowing under your desk, answer the question –”

2

Just then, the professor’s voice suddenly rang out from the platform.

4

“Snicker!”

3

There was a burst of sniggers from his dormitory friends sitting behind.

9

Chen Chen hurriedly crawled out from under the desk, his face red with embarrassment.


He stared at the beaming professor, then glanced down at his textbook before stammering, “The Hay, Hayflick Limit?”


“Take your seat.”


The professor wrung his hands and allowed Chen Chen to sit.


The lecture continued.


“At both ends of a DNA molecule is something called a ‘telomere’. This component plays a vital role in cell division.

3

“It’s responsible for keeping the chromosome intact. Each cell fission will shorten the telomere a little. When the telomeres are too short and thus unable to protect the gene structure, the cell would inhibit growth, stop replicating, and enter senescence.”


“This is the Hayflick Limit.”

15

With that, the professor turned around and quickly wrote “The Hayflick Limit” on the blackboard.


Chen Chen, who had just taken his seat, heaved a sigh of relief. While the professor was busy writing on the blackboard, Chen Chen swiftly glimpsed at the item in his hand.


‘Erm…’


In one glimpse, Chen Chen’s interest was completely deflated.

2

It turned out that the extremely black item was nothing more than a USB drive.

1

Still, it was different from most USB drives. This one was much longer, about twelve or thirteen centimeters, and looked like a carbon rod.

20

Only its USB port revealed the truth – that it was merely a USB drive.

2

Other than this, the entire USB drive had no joints or cracks. It was pitch-black and had no mention of the brand name or storage space.


Nonetheless, seeing that it looked rather awesome, Chen Chen ended up stuffing the USB drive into his pocket. He would study it further in his dorm.

30

Currently, the professor was still lecturing. “With our current level of technology, it’s impossible for cells to break past the Hayflick Limit but we could bypass this barrier through another method…”


As he spoke, the professor wrote three words on the blackboard:


“The Immortal HeLa.”

5

“Everyone must be thinking, if there’s a way to prevent the telomeres from shortening, will our cells become immortal?


“The answer is – definitely!”

3

Under the words “The Immortal HeLa”, the professor spiritedly added “The HeLa cell line”.

2

“The HeLa cell line was derived in 1951 from a clump of cervical cancer cells, taken from a contributor named Henrietta Lacks.

22

“Researchers found that these cells collected from Lacks not only failed to die, they even showed signs of growth. Every twenty-four hours, the number of cells would double.


“Later, they discovered that these cells didn’t die because of the tumor retrovirus that caused cervical cancer. This virus’ gene was able to alter the lifespan ‘switch’ in ordinary cells, thereby creating immortal cells of unlimited growth.


“In the following years, HeLa cells were supplied to various research organizations across the Federation. They helped scientists achieve cell cloning and have also been used to investigate the effects of nuclear radiation on a human body. Moreover, they’ve been placed in a space-bound rocket, to study the growth of cells in a weightless state…

4

“Data from medical sciences and biology indicate that, by this year, there are more than sixty-five thousand papers related to HeLa cells and over fifty million tons of HeLa cells have been cultivated…


“Hence, later generations shared this common knowledge – that cancer cell lines are ‘immortal’. They can continue dividing without end.”

9

When the professor uttered this line, many students started to clap enthusiastically, indicating their respect toward the contributor, Henrietta Lacks.

11

“Of course, if we humans play around with this ‘switch’, we’ll end up dead!”


The professor changed the topic abruptly, killing off the applause.


“After all, if the cycle of cell fission in our body is disrupted and doesn’t enter senescence in time, it’ll turn into a malignant tumor and threaten our life!


“We humans have kept on forging ahead in our search for the truth. When society was nothing more than an assortment of clans, the average human lifespan was less than twenty years. In the Middle Ages, that had progressed to forty years…

9

“With the emergence of science, human civilization plunged into a phase of swift development. In mere decades, humans of the Earth Federation enjoy an average lifespan that is close to eighty years!

13

“But is that enough?

4

“Even if humans achieve the pinnacle of development, we wouldn’t surpass the hundred and twenty years stated in the Hayflick Limit. This is a long way from immortality. So, what do we do?”

3

After a pause, the professor continued.


“Thus, a revolution arrived…


“In 2002, this ‘switch’ was finally discovered. Professor John Sulston from the University of Cambridge, along with two of his colleagues, found a hereditary regulation mechanism that was then named ‘programmed cell death’.”

1

The professor wrote the words “Programmed Cell Death” on the blackboard and roughly drew a circle.

2

There was a loud snap. The chalk had broken under the professor’s forceful fingers.


“This discovery shook up the entire medical science community because it determined that cell death is an automatic, physiological form of ‘suicide’, like a program that was secretly embedded!”

1

The professor spread his arms. “This means that, although we initially assumed that senescence was a natural process, in truth, it may be due to a genetic defect! If we can fix this flaw, there’s hope that we may prevail over aging and attain immortality!”

35

A soft, collective gasp could be heard throughout the room.


It was like a huge door had just been opened. Chen Chen’s pupils shrank and he could only hear one voice, constantly repeating that magical word.


“Immortality?”


“Immortality…”


“Therefore, as students specializing in biology, you’re the generation with the best chance of rectifying this genetic defect.”

1

The professor broke out into an expectant smile. “In other words, you’re the ones closest to achieving immortality in the entire human history!”

25

The class was reaching the end at this point.


The silver-haired professor wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, then concluded in a hopeful, yet rueful, manner:


“There’s no denying that we humans are still completely ignorant in the face of the boundless ocean of truth. Perhaps a distant, impossible dream like immortality is only the first step in the search for truth…


“However, no matter what, the future is in your hands…


“That’s it. Class dismissed!”


“Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap…”

23

The room was filled with thunderous applause.

TBC...
Source: I Have A Super USB Drive - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 22
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Sister Yue’er.” Xiaoba was just about to call out but Chu Qiao hurriedly covered her mouth.

The little girl had bright eyes and was looking around. She took out the embroidered bag she was holding and put it in Xiaoba’s hands while saying quietly, “Xiaoba, there is not much time left. Let’s cut to the chase. If I have not come to find you by dinner time tomorrow, you must run away from the back door of the horse shed where all the horse food is kept. I will find a way to distract the guard to leave his post tomorrow. The door will be unguarded for two hours before dinner. Here is some money and a fake identity certificate. Hold it with you and leave the city. Don’t wait for me.”

“Sister Yue’er?” Xiaoba immediately held onto Chu Qiao’s hand and said, “What are you planning to do? Are you going to get revenge? Xiaoba also wants to help you. I can’t leave alone.”

“Listen and be a good girl.” Chu Qiao patted her head and said, “There are only two of us left in the Jing family. I’m the older sister so you need to listen to me. As long as there is someone left, the Jing family will survive. If something happens to me, you can still help me get revenge.”

“But Sister Yue’er…”

“Xiaoba, listen to me. When you leave the city, head north. When you reach the San Yi city located at the border of Xia and Tang empire, wait for me for three days. If I still do not arrive after three day, you should leave by yourself. You don’t have to worry, this is just the back up plan. Once I get out, I will definitely catch up with you.”

With reddened eyes, Xiaoba pursed her lips tightly and suddenly held out her hands to wrap them around Chu Qiao’s waist. She said while choking on her tears, “I know Sister Yue’er always can resolve any problem. Nothing bad will happen to you.”

Chu Qiao hugged her shoulders, smiled and said, “Don’t worry. We will soon leave this place. In the future, there won’t be people trying to hurt us.”

The moon was shaped like a crescent in the cold, winter weather. The wind blew against the snow, creating a very dull atmosphere.

On the second day, Chu Qiao woke up early as usual and went to Zhuge Yue’s room to serve. However, she was told that the fourth young master went out early in the morning and was no longer in the residence.

Chu Qiao thought to herself, Even the gods are helping me. She turned around and walked in the direction of the main courtyard. Just as she walked to the Green pavilion, she was stopped by Zhuge Yue’s personal guard Yue Qi. The guard, who was less than fifteen years old, stared at her with a cold expression and said word by word, “The young master commanded that Xing’er is not allowed to pass through the gate.”

Chu Qiao was stunned and was not sure what Zhuge Yue was up to. She lifted her head and said with a cute smile on her face, “Big brother, I’m not leaving the courtyard. I just wanted to go to the kitchen to check if the new tea leaves that were delivered yesterday are fresh.” Right after, she turned and started walking towards the kitchen.

A little while later, Huan’er came out from the kitchen. Yue Qi frowned and asked with a confused look on his face, “Where is Xing’er?”

“Picking tea inside the kitchen with the group.”

Yue Qi frowned again, “With her status now, why does she need to do this kind of work?”

“Huh? Do you think Xing’er is as snobbish as Jin Zhu and Jin Cai?” The maidservant raised her eyebrows and looked at Yue Qi with disdain. She directly expressed her displeasure, “You are snobby!”

The white clouds were floating in the sky, what a beautiful day!

Chu Qiao found a random excuse to leave Qing Shan court. She was scared to be seen by others and chose to leave using the most hidden path. Just as she walked to the plum woods, a shadow suddenly appeared. She was shocked and saw that it was actually a teenage, with bright eyes and good features. He looked very familiar.

“Don’t be scared. I am Prince Yan’s page boy, Feng Mian. I was sent by Prince Yan to pass a message to you.”

“A message?” Chu Qiao furrowed her eyebrows and eyed Feng Mian’s body. She said, “How did you know to find me here?”

Feng Mian chuckled and said, “My master said that if I could not get into Qing Shan court, I should go hide in the most secluded pathway and I would be sure to find you.”

Chu Qiao scoffed and said, “Well, your master seems to know everything.”

“Yes, he is very smart,” Feng Mian replied cheekily while revealing his white teeth.

“What message did he want to tell me? Say it quick, I’m busy.”

Feng Mian was quite surprised and thought to himself, This little slave indeed has quite an unique temperament. No wonder both his Royal Highness and the fourth master Zhuge Yue paid so much attention to her. Feng Mian answered quickly, “He wanted to tell you that he must go back to Yan Bei in the morning tomorrow and wanted to say goodbye to you tonight. Hence, he wants to meet you at the same place as last night.”

“Back to Yan Bei?” Chu Qiao said while confused. “The Prince is a hostage in the capital. Why would he suddenly go back to Yan Bei?”

Feng Mian replied, “I’m not sure about the exact reason, but our King of Yan Bei sent messenger to the capital and asked for the Prince to return to Yan Bei. There must be something urgent that happened. The Grand Elerly’s council already approved for the Prince to go back to Yan Bei tomorrow morning.”

Chu Qiao nodded her head and said, “Tell your Prince, my identity of a servant does not allow me to leave Qing Shan court as I wish. In addition, whether the Prince goes back to Yan Bei or not, it has nothing got to do with me. I have no right to even say goodbye to him.”

Feng Mian smiled and said, “My master said if you want to go, there’s no one can stop you. Whether this has anything to do with you, is not something I could offer opinion for. Since you are busy, I will leave now.” Feng Mian smiled and disappeared into the forest. Chu Qiao could not help thinking that the Zhuge residence was so loose in security that a child like Feng Mian could wander about so freely.

After an hour of cautious prowling, Chu Qiao finally reached the side yard of the front courtyard. The yard of Zhu Shun, the steward of the Zhuge family, was presented right in front of her eyes, unguarded. At this very moment, Zhu Shun was holding a box with a sad expression on his face. The box contained a rotting hand. It looked disgusting.

Just then, a banging sound was heard. Zhu Shun was horrified. He held a dagger and ran out. His eyes were wide opened, and he shouted, “Who is it?”

It was silent. There was no one.

Zhu Shun turned around and saw a white letter sitting quietly on the ground. The top of the letter was attached to a thread, which was tied with a stone. The envelope had a peach painted on it and had a faint fragrance. After opening the letter, the man’s eyes suddenly lit up with disgusting and dirty desire in his mind. However, after some thought, he sighed, went back to his chair and did not go out.

A moment later, another bag was thrown in from the window. Zhu Shun opened it and saw that it was a women’s red binder. On top of it, there was a picture of a naked man and a women hugging each other. He felt his blood racing and burning.

He let out a laugh. He bowed his head down and smelled it. He held it and muttered, “She would not even wait for it to be nighttime! B*tch!” He then left after putting on his coat.

The Zhuge Residence was located in the east of the Zhen Huang city. Its back facing Mount Chi Song and Chi Shui lake was to its right. The residence was facing the south and covered a wide space. The building had three gates. The inner court was deep, with many layers of security. It had twenty four hours of non-stop parol. another four buildings surrounding it and a small trench fire. If there were to be a war, it would be considered a small city on its own.

Even Zhuge ladies’ rooms were located in the safest part under the mountain. For those who wanted to enter the prefecture, besides going in head-on from the front gates, there was no other possible way of getting in. The side door burst open and the guard greeted loudly, “It is Zhu Shun! Why did you come here?”

“Yesterday, there was a water leak in the Tao Ran court due to the snow that melted from the second floor, which leaked into the downstairs hall. I have come to check on it.”

The guard smiled and said, “How can I trouble you to do such trivial things? Leave it to me.”

Zhu Shun smiled and shook his head while saying, “I have nothing to do anyway. Is the First Young Master in the residence today?”

“The First Young master and the Fourth Young master have been in the study room discussing things for the whole morning already. I don’t think they will stop anytime soon.”

“Oh, okay then, I’ll go in now. There is no need to inform the masters that I was here. It is noon, the masters must be taking naps. Don’t disturb their rest.” Zhu Shun replied while nodding his head.

“I understand.”

The time was just right. A small figure was hidden in the trees. Her eyes was bright eyes and her lips lifted gently, revealed a gentle smile.

Chun Hua Court’s seventh lady Duanmu Huaning was preparing to take a nap. Her shawl slid off her shoulders. Her breast was plump and her waist was slim; her bottocks were round and her legs were long. Her skin was clear and tender, and her nails were colored red. She radiated beauty. Her maid flipped open the silk comforter and help her lady lay down to sleep naked as usual.

Just at this moment, the tile on the roof shifted quietly, but no one noticed, as a small bag of things was slowly lowered down. The bag was wriggling. It seemed like there was something alive in it.

The maidservant left and the room became very silent so that only the lady’s breathing could be heard.

The bag then landed on the seventh lady’s pillow. It was pink and there was a beautiful peach drawn on it.

While the seventh lady was sleeping soundly, she suddenly felt something was licking her good-smelling ears and neck. She lightly touched it and felt something furry. She thought it was a dream and did not bother opening her eyes. Just then, she suddenly felt pain on her face. She rubbed her eyes and saw what it was. Shocked, she screamed and it echoed throughout Chun Hua garden.

“Lady! Lady!” A maidservant hurriedly ran into the room. Just as she stepped into the room, she was shocked to see what was happening. The seventh lady’s room was filled with huge rats. They were dark, big and fat, and were not scared of humans. There were also a few on her bed, biting on her robe.

“Ah!” Where did these rats come from? Get rid of them!”

That afternoon, the entire court turned into chaos as everyone was trying to get rid of the rats.

The seventh lady drank more than ten cups of tea to help calm her nerves, but she still felt anxious and her whole body was shaking.

“Lady, I found this on your bed.” A bodyguard walked towards her, holding the pink bag.

The seventh lady took the bag and looked at it. Her eyes immediately enlarged as she stood up and said, “Little sl*t! I knew it was you! Come with me to the Tao Ran court. Let’s see what I will do to her.”

Chun Hua court’s people followed the seventh lady and left for the Tao Ran court. No one noticed the child hiding inside the cabinet in the corner. Not long later, the entire residence was in chaos and especially Tao Ran court. Chu Qiao returned back to Qing Shan court using the same path she came, and left the the chaos behind.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 21
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Cunning fox Zhuge Yue! Chu Qiao thought to herself. She nervously kneeled down and hastily said, “Xing’er doesn’t dare to tell lies.”

“Really?” Zhuge Yue tilted his head down and chuckled softly to himself. “Well, explain it to me then.”

“On the fourth of the previous month, Xing’er and a group of girl slaves were brought to the hunting grounds by young master Huai. In the end, only Xing’er survived. When Xing’er came back, Xing’er was very scared. While waiting for my wounds to heal, I took the chance to pack my belongings and plan to run away.”

“Run away?” Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows and asked, “Where were you planning to run away to?”

Chu Qiao softly replied, “I don’t know. I just didn’t want to wait there and die. Young master might think that Xing’er is being rebellious for thinking that way, however, we only get to live once. Xing’er’s life might be deemed worthless in others’ eyes, but to Xing’er, her own life is very precious. However, when I was about to run away, I was caught by the Guard Song. He then beat me up harshly. Today Guard Song saw me, he must be afraid that I would take avenge on him. Hence, he was trying to harm me to silence me.”

“Oh really? I understand now. He is still very daring.” Zhuge Yue drank a mouthful of tea and said with a calm voice, “Do you remember if he ever hit you?”

Chu Qiao stunned as Zhuge Yue’s stare was sharp like a snake. Chu Qiao immediately bowed her head and said, “It happened not long ago. That’s why Xing’er still remembers.”

“Your memory is not too bad.” Zhuge Yue nodded his head and said, “Well then, do you remember how Jin Si and Jin Zhu finessed me to kill Lin Xi? Remember when Zhu Shun sold your family members away? Remember when someone killed your sisters?”

Chu Qiao’s heart stopped for a moment and knocked her head on the floor. She said as tears rolled down her face, “Young master, Xing’er remembers everything. She is also clear about her own identity and knows her duty as well as her powers.”

“What you are trying to say is that the day when you have the same abilities as her, you will also get your revenge, right?”

Chu Qiao looked up in horror and exclaimed, “Fourth young master!”

“There is no need to deny it. When I first saw you, I already knew you were not a normal child. I saw that your eyes were hiding a lot of things.”

With tears welling up in her eyes, Chu Qiao pursed her lips and said, “What did the Young Master think Xing’er would do? Did he think Xing’er would kill people? Or did he think Xing’er was the one who harmed Jin Zhu and Jin Cai? Xing’er is still young. Even though she is filled with hatred, she still knows what to do and what not to do. Xing’er’s family and thousands of clansmen were killed. Xing’er was a highly respected person and became a slave overnight. If there really is hate, wouldn’t Xing’er hate the Sheng Jin Palace’s emperor, the Presbyterian church who gave the order, and Huang Tian Army who copied her family? Young master, Xing’er does not have that great of an ability. I only want to live happily. Those things are too serious, Xing’er cannot assume the responsibility.”

Chu Qiao knelt on the ground with her spine straight and head firmly upright, her shoulders trembled continuously as if she was extremely scared, and even tears would not come out.

Zhuge Yue looked back and forth at the child with intense stares which started to soften whilst listening to the child’s pitiful sobbing. Zhuge Yue put down his teacup, leaned on the couch and said slowly, “Get up.”

Chu Qiao tightened her lips, her reddened and watery eyes widened.

Zhuge Yue looked at the child in front of him. Looking at her small frame, flushed face with her small fists bunched nervously as if she was trying very hard not to cry, Zhuge Yue let out a sigh. Zhuge Yue had experienced many betrayals, hence he started to become very suspicious of everything that happened around him so much so that he even suspected a small child.

“Okay. I have wronged you. Just cry out loud.” To Zhuge Yue’s men, this was already considered an apology as he had never been so polite to others, except to the child who was standing stubbornly in front of him, with her big, round, and watery eyes.

Zhuge Yue suddenly felt irritated for no particular reason. He waved his hands and said, “Go away. Don’t stand here and stare at me.”

Without saying a word, Chu Qiao turned around angrily and started to leave.

“Stop right there!” Zhuge Yue suddenly shouted. Chu Qiao obediently stood there, with her back facing him.

Zhuge Yue took a small bottle made out of porcelain out of the side drawer and slowly walked down towards Chu Qiao. He grabbed Chu Qiao’s shoulders and wanted to turn her around. However, his fingers felt the tension in her shoulders. Zhuge Yue raised his brow while Chu Qiao struggled to remain facing forward and refused to turn around. Since Zhuge Yue was older than her, with some force, he managed to turn her body around. A teary-faced child stood in front of him. At the sight of Zhuge Yue, more tears ran down her face.

“It’s okay. Stop crying. I only scolded you a bit.” The young master said while frowning, “You yourself made a mistake and was not expecting others to blame you?”

“I didn’t do anything wrong. It was the young master who told me to ride the horse. I was learning well and no one said anything.” The eight year old finally released her temper and talked back to her master. While talking, she was continuously sobbing and mucus was running into her mouth.

Zhuge Yue frowned slightly and took out his handkerchief to wipe the tears off the child’s face. While wiping her tears, he said, “You still have the guts to cry? You lost my horse the other day, and today a precious pony from the west also died because of you. You still don’t admit you are at fault?”

“It’s not…it’s not like I was the one who wanted to ride the horse. In addition, Prince… Prince Yan had also returned the lost horse. I heard the news.” The child was very stubborn and argued her point to death, as tears fell down her cheek, wetting Zhuge Yue’s handkerchief.

Zhuge Yue was about to take another handkerchief, but the child took it and rubbed her nose to wipe her snot. Surprised, Zhuge Yue stared blankly at the dirty and sticky handkerchief. The child continued and said, “Even that precious pony was killed by the young master yourself.”

“So, you meant you didn’t do anything wrong?”

The child lowered her head and murmured, “What I said was the truth.”

The sunlight shone in from the corner of the window onto their shoulders. Since the child was small, even when she was standing upright, she was only at the Young Master’s shoulders. Her face was red like an apple.

“This is for you.” Zhuge Yue placed the porcelain bottle in her hands and said, “Go back and rub it on yourself.”

After all, the attention span of the child was short and she was easily distracted. Zhuge Yue smiled coyly while looking at the child, who held up the porcelain bottle and asked doubtfully, “What is that?”

“Medicine to heal the wound.”

Earlier, when the horses were galloping too fast, Chu Qiao’s palms were scratched. The child bit her lip, nodded and said, “The fourth young master, may Xing’er be excused now?”

The young master went back to his seat with his head down and with a expression as if he did not want to see her any more. He waved his hand while saying, “You can go now.”

Chu Qiao was just about to open the door when Zhuge Yue suddenly shouted, “Xing’er, the next time you see Prince Yan, don’t go near him.”

Chu Qiao tilted her head and stared back at him with a puzzled look.

Zhuge Yue frowned frustratedly and shouted, “Do you understand?”

“Understood!” The child replied loudly and turned to leave. Her small body crossed over the high door sill, causing her to almost fall over.

This child was starting to get more and more daring. The young master’s face was had a gloomy face while breathing deeply.

Right after she opened the door, she saw Zhu Cheng’s worried face. He hurriedly ran over, saw Xing’er’s teary face and asked worriedly, “What did the young master say? Is he angry?”

Chu Qiao looked at him, nodded her head and went back to her room.

Zhu Cheng entered the room frightened and saw Zhuge Yue with his head bowed down. He didn’t dare to make a sound and just stood there quietly. After a while, something flew towards his head suddenly. Zhu Cheng was terrified. He didn’t even dare to hide and thought to himself, I am dead. However, the object that hit him as soft, and hence Zhu Cheng’s head did not even hurt. He looked down and saw that it was actually a dirty handkerchief with a word “Yue” sewn on it.

“Throw it away.”

Zhu Cheng suddenly remembered Chu Qiao’s teary face, and he remembered something. After a short pause, Zhu Cheng nodded and replied, “Yes, master.”

However, as he was about to leave, he heard Zhuge Yue say, “Wait a moment.” Zhu Cheng turned his head and waited for his instructions like a slave.

The Young Master’s face turned red without any warning. Zhuge Yue thought for a long time but did not say anything.

Zhu Cheng carefully raised his head and saw Zhuge Yue’s frowning expression, as if he was going to make a huge decision. Zhu Cheng recognized that this was the expression that the Young Master usually had when he was resolving a difficult problem, so Zhu Cheng became very alert, waiting for the command. Finally, an authoritative voice said to Zhu Cheng, “Go and wash it now. Bring it back to me after it is cleaned.”

“What?” Zhu Cheng shouted, surprised.

Zhuge Yue’s anger started to rise. “What? Don’t you understand me?”

“I understand. I will do it now.”

Chu Qiao walked along the corridor with her head down and ignored everybody she walked past. Right after she shut the door, her face no longer looked wronged. Her face was very calm and eyes were very bright. With her hand on her chest, she sat on a stool and poured a cup of tea but did not drink it.

At last, today’s challenge was over. No matter how much Zhuge Yue trust her, it should be safe for now.

When the strong winds blew against her wet clothes, she felt a cold chill down her back. After drinking some tea, she started to calm down. She closed her eyes and gave out a huge sigh of relief.

Whatever it was, her plans had to go on as there was not enough time.

This year’s winter had been extremely cold, as the winds cut the skin.

In the midst of the dark sky, the bright stars shone on the earth. Winter was here and there was snow everywhere. The Yuan festival had just passed and Zhen Huang City celebrated the start of misfortune.

Zhen Huang City was covered in ice. The roads in between the palace and the Presbyterian homes were lit up with lights and was busy with horse carriages. The army that went to the west to fight in the war was defeated and their blood could be smelt from the river flowing down from the hill. Everyone knew about the defeat.

The Quan Rong army came to provoke the country, causing the noblemen to be very angry. They felt like their power was challenged and they felt threatened, causing a new war to be started. Before that, someone needed to be responsible for the previous defeat to maintain the dignity of the empire.

The gold-plated decree was sent out from the Sheng Jin palace, past the Presbyterian homes’ ruling and through Zi Wei square, Jiu Wai main street, Cheng Tian altar, Qian Kun main door towards the borderland.

The night before the chaos, the people were oblivious to the start of a war and were sleeping soundly in their homes.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 20: Chapter 20
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Chu Qiao’s heart skipped a beat. She would be getting her just deserts after all. Unexpectedly, Zhuge Yue remarked, “Follow Zhu Cheng later on and find an able guard to teach you how to ride a horse.”

“Ah?” Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng froze, then exclaimed in unison.

Zhuge Yue raised his sword-like eyebrows, frowned slightly, and declared deeply with an impatient look, “What’s the matter? Is there a problem?”

“No problem, no problem.” Zhu Cheng was seventeen this year and he had followed Zhuge Yue since he was young. Hence, he naturally knew that Zhuge Yue practiced what he preached. He replied in an appeasing tone, “I’ll bring Miss Xing Er there right away.”

Zhuge Yue raised his head in suspicion, frowned again, and stared at Zhu Cheng. “Xing Er just turned eight… Why are you calling her ‘Miss’?”

“That’s right, that’s right. I’ll bring Xing Er… Xing Er…” Zhu Cheng, who was usually witty, struggled to find a title to befit this child. He stuttered for a long while, but to no avail.

Zhuge Yue waved his hand impatiently and said firmly, “Okay. Scram. Straighten your back when you walk, lest outsiders think that the servants of Qing Shan court are all hunchbacks.”

“Yes, yes.”

Chu Qiao stood at her original position. Her petite frame was adorned in a pale yellow dress, with a vest made of fox skin on top. She looked adorable. She bowed to Zhuge Yue and softly said, “Xing Er thanks the fourth young master.”

Zhuge Yue waved his hand lightly, not even looking up.

Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng exited the Xuan hall. Zhu Cheng looked suspiciously at the child and saw Chu Qiao staring back towards him. He remarked with a laugh, “Miss Xing Er, let’s go?”

Chu Qiao smiled and ignored him, walking out of the court.

“Miss Xing Er, these are the people that I chose for you. They are all adept at horse riding, please take your pick.” Everyone, including Chu Qiao and Zhu Cheng, stood at the foot of the horse riding hill. The eight year old child raised her head slightly and scanned the group of well-built, able-bodied men standing in front of her. These men, who were usually cross towards the servants, now stood in front of her respectfully, smiles on their faces. Anyone who did not know this would have thought that they were usually that kind natured.

Chu Qiao took small strides, passing the men one by one. Suddenly, her eyes brightened up. She paused, taking a long look, a plain smile slowly appearing on her face. She pointed at a flustered-looking man, smiled lightly and said, “I want him.”

“Miss Xing Er.” Song Lian laughed in a flattering manner, his smile obviously unable to hide his worry.



The eight year old girl, wearing a snow-white vest made of fox skin, stood on the hill. Her eyes sparkled, making her appear very adorable.

“Please choose your horse.”

Chu Qiao surveyed the herd of over ten horses in front of her, only to see that their horseshoes had not been attached. Their fur appeared clean; it was obvious that they were domesticated since they were young and had not ventured outside. The child trudged on the snow unevenly, waved her whip, and remarked playfully, “I don’t want any of these. I want to ride a big horse.”

As the servants at the side prepared to intervene, Song Lian quickly stopped them. He nodded and bowed, saying, “If Miss Xing Er wants a big horse, it is no issue. The few of you, go and fetch a few fine horses. Remember, they must be big.”

Song Lian purposely emphasised the word “big”. The two servants, understanding his intent, proceeded to fetch the horses. In just a while, five big-sized horses were brought over.

Chu Qiao took a quick look and deciphered that these horses were already old. She wondered if the horses’ mobility posed a problem, but she did not raise her concerns. She turned and said to Song Lian, “These horses look strong. I’m young and have not ridden such a big horse. Guardian Song, how about you demonstrate for me and teach me something?”



In that instant, Song Lian frowned rigidly, a defeated look appearing on his face.

Zhu Cheng chided suspiciously, “Go, quickly! Don’t tell me you don’t know how to ride a horse? Why were you so eager to go along with her just now?”

Song Lian, not being able to voice his frustrations, thought to himself, if only I knew who I was serving, I would not have agreed even if they beat me to death. He walked in front of the white horse hesitantly, reached out his hand, and patted the tired-looking horse’s head twice. He carefully stepped on the stirrup, treating the horse as if it was paper paste. He feared that the horse would buckle if he used just a little strength.

The horse was stronger than expected. Although its four legs were upright, they did not buckle. Song Lian heaved a sigh of relief and said with a laugh, “The snow is heavy today. As Miss Xing Er is still young, we shall learn to mount the horse first, and commence riding tomorrow.”

As Zhu Cheng was about to nod in agreement, Chu Qiao suddenly rushed forward and forcefully smacked the horse’s buttocks. She replied jovially, “Don’t say so much! Go for a round first!”

As the sound of the smack reverberated, not only did the horse remain stationary, but its hooves buckled and it fell on the floor. Song Lian was thrown off forcefully, flipping through the air before landing head first into the snow.

All the servants rushed forward in a flustered manner. Zhu Cheng, looking at the horse, which was inhaling more than it was exhaling, frowned and commented disdainfully, “Is this the best horse? I think all of you are not taking Fourth Young Master’s instructions seriously.”

“I do not dare,” Song Lian said, crawling to his feet. “This thought has never crossed my mind. It is only that given Miss Xing Er’s tender age, we do not dare to fetch a well-developed war horse!”

Zhu Cheng nodded and remarked, “You do make a point. Xing Er, you’re still young, let’s start with a small horse, okay?”

“As long as Brother Zhu Cheng wants me to ride a smaller horse, Xing Er will follow suit.” Chu Qiao raised her head, revealing her pink cheeks and a pair of crescent eyes. She was simply adorable.



Zhu Cheng’s spirits lifted. However, the moment he turned towards Song Lian, his mood changed to that of anger. He ordered angrily, “Go and fetch the horse!”

Song Lian led the horse back, limping. Amidst Zhu Cheng’s cries for him to be careful, he helped Chu Qiao mount the horse. She looked down, broke into a grin, and requested, “Brother, I still do not know how to ride a horse. Help me to lead the horse by the reins and let’s go for a round slowly.”

Song Lian earnestly wished to do this and he promptly nodded his head in total compliance. This horse was relatively well-behaved and it slowly walked behind Song Lian. In a while, both of them had managed to cover a hundred steps. Song Lian looked up and smiled pleasingly, “Miss Xing Er, I hope this horse is good? It is a newborn. When the seventh Missy requested it from me a while back, I did not gift it to her. If it is to your liking, I can gift it to you.”

“How could Xing Er take what the seventh Missy likes? This would be unruly.”

Song Lian gritted his teeth and replied with a laugh, “Miss, what are you saying? Although the seventh Missy is the old master’s biological daughter, she is way below the fourth young master in terms of status. You are popular with the fourth young master, making your status higher than them.”

“Is that so?” The child smiled lightly and said, “I did not know that my status was so high. Until recently, I was at your mercy.”

Song Lian instantly blanched.

Chu Qiao gave him a cold look, took the crossbow attached to Song Lian’s arm, and stabbed it into the horse’s buttocks with one swift and ruthless motion. The horse, shocked, gave a loud and long neigh. It kicked Song Lian aside and rapidly galloped forward! The child, flustered, loudly exclaimed, “Guardian Song! What are you doing?”

Zhu Cheng and the rest saw what was happening from afar and panicked. They yelled and followed in pursuit of them, but none of them could outrun the beast. Chu Qiao pretended to be panicked, while her eyes darted in all directions, looking for a safe landing point.

At this instant, a yellow horse suddenly appeared in the distance. Zhuge Yue, with his fair complexion, a thunderous look, unusually red lips, dressed in a dark purple embroidery gown, came sprinting after them on his horse. He swiftly brandished his sword and planted it between the eyes of the horse. The horse, having been attacked, bellowed in agony and started to kick, standing on two legs, shaking its head rapidly! At the same time, a soft whip flew in front. Wrapping itself around Chu Qiao’s small waist and taking her down from the horse!

“Haha, that was a close save.” Yan Xun, handsomely dressed in a pristine green robe, smiled and took Chu Qiao into his arms. His voice sounded sly, hinting that he knew everything.

Zhuge Yue took the arrow out from the horse’s buttocks and turned to look at Song Lian coldly. He ordered his servants, “Take him away and hand him over to Zhu Qi at the magistrate.”

Two guards dashed forward and tied Song Lian up.

The man pleaded, “Fourth young master, no…”

In the blink of an eye, there was a loud sound. Yan Xun dashed forward and with a kick to Song Lian’s face, dislodged most of his teeth making him unable to speak. Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrows slightly, turned his head and looked at Yan Xun, his eyes slanted.

“This kind of slave would have been executed long ago in the Yan residence. How could he have any chance to defend himself?” Yan Xun laughed and remarked, “Fourth Childe Zhuge, you are overly benevolent. I didn’t mean to interfere your business Please pardon my rudeness.”

Zhuge Yue replied plainly, “It’s nothing. Prince Yan is so well-skilled. How did I not realize it back when we were both studying in the General Academy Hall.”

Yan Xun casually waved and laughed, “It was just some fluffy skills. How could that compare to the art of war in your minds?”

Zhuge Yue did not respond. With a wave of his hand, his servants took Song Lian, who was bleeding heavily from his mouth, away.

“Prince Yan, many thanks for returning our lost horse today. However, you could have asked the servants to run this errand, instead of troubling yourself. I would love to invite you to stay for a meal but I know that you are busy. I will not impose on you further. Zhu Cheng, see Prince Yan out.”



Yan Xun laughed indifferently, exchanged a few courteous words with Zhuge Yue, and prepared to leave. As he departed, he passed by Chu Qiao and whispered in her ear, “Ruthless lass, you set up another person again.”

Chu Qiao froze. She looked up, only to see Yan Xun acting as per normal, walking away with a slight smile. He adopted a straight posture and had a calm look on his face. He looked just like an adult. How was it anything like that dissolute prince with a smile on his face?

“Xing Er,” a deep voice suddenly echoed from behind her. She turned back, seeing the troubled look on Zhuge Yue’s face. “Come back with me,” he said.

Chu Qiao sighed. She was down on her luck, actually having been exposed. She needed to think of a way to handle this small, wily fox. She followed behind Zhuge Yue, depressed. She started to formulate excuses in her mind about how she was tragically bullied in the past, but she did not see the look in Zhuge Yue’s eyes. Amidst the gloom, his eyes reflected a sense of pride, but no one knew what exactly he was proud of.

The room remained silent for a long time. The breeze outside the window continued to blow gently. A faint aroma emanated from the cymbidium perched on top of the jardinière. The child continued to stand silently at the bottom. However, a long time passed, long enough for her to assume that the people above had fallen asleep. She could not resist anymore and took a peek above, meeting a pitch-black gaze as she looked up.

Chu Qiao couldn’t pretend that she didn’t see anything anymore. She licked her lips and called out softly, “Fourth young master.”

“Have you formulated your lies already?” The youngster held up a teacup, took a slow sip out of it, and stated in a plain, soothing manner.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 54: How Dare You
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Xiaoning, your Godmother and I have agreed to your Grandpa’s death wish before he passed on. It’s because he mentioned that your Grandma would’ve agreed to his request as well, even if she were still alive today,” said Mr. Gu.

“I’ll first have to ask for my Master’s opinion. I’ll agree to it if she does. I will be making a trip to the mountains tomorrow morning,” said An Xiaoning, sounding rather dignified.

“Alright,” agreed Mr. Gu.

“I’ll watch over Grandpa’s coffin tonight. You guys can take over tomorrow.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Gu Beicheng interjected.

“Sure, if you’d like.” Just as she finished, her ringtone began to crank loudly, “Boss, someone’s calling you again!”

Gu Beicheng’s face stiffened at the strange thought of that ringtone going off every single time he had called her.

It was a call from Jin Qingyan.

She headed outside to answer the call. Upon hearing that she was going to spend the night watching over the coffin, Jin Qingyan offered to accompany her, but he was turned down by An Xiaoning. She instead instructed him to make a trip there the day after.

Having changed into a fancy and proper attire accessorized with sparkling silver jewelry, she sat herself down onto a cushion next to Gu Beicheng in the brightly lit room while the door was left wide open.

“Have you had your dinner?” he asked.

“No.”

“Here, have this,” said Gu Beicheng as he retrieved two mixed-fruit cakes from the pocket of his suit and offered them to her.

An Xiaoning took the cakes and stuffed them into her mouth as soon as she unwrapped the packaging.

With keen, sparkling eyes, he watched as An Xiaoning hurriedly wolfed down the cakes on an empty stomach, seeming to be famished. In those moments, under the warm lighting, she looked more delicate than ever.

All of a sudden, Gu Beicheng reached his hand out to gently wipe the remaining food off her mouth with his thumb. “Would you like me to order them to fix you something to eat?”

Gesturing in disapproval, An Xiaoning rejected, “It’s fine, I’ll be full after finishing these cakes.”

Hearing the incoming footsteps, An Xiaoning quickly turned around only to see that Jin Qingyan had entered, clad in a big, black, and fur-collared coat. He stood tall before An Xiaoning and looked at her with a stern look on his face.

“Didn’t I tell you not to come?”

“Well, after all, I’m still your husband, and I ought to pay a visit since someone from your maiden family had passed away.” He glared at Gu Beicheng and said coldly, “Go home and get some rest. I’ll accompany her.”

“He’s my grandfather… It’s only right for me to watch over his coffin,” Gu Beicheng refused.

Jin Qingyan then sat next to An Xiaoning and took her hand in his in a tyrannical manner, as if proclaiming his sovereignty.

Noticing that he had acted out of the ordinary, An Xiaoning said with a mellow voice, “You’ll have to sit here for the entire night if you stay. Go home.”

“You’re my wife, how can I sleep alone in peace without you?”

His words had sounded ordinary, but An Xiaoning seemed to have deciphered it differently. Before she could speak, Gu Beicheng interrupted, “Since Brother-in-law is so filial, just let him stay.”

Jin Qingyan turned pale upon hearing Gu Beicheng address him as his ‘Brother-in-law.’ However, he could not retaliate since it was the truth, and thus, he had no choice but to suppress his anger, only managing to let out a grunt.

An Xiaoning’s purpose was not only to watch over the old Mr. Gu’s coffin but also to perform a ritual for him herself, which had to be completed that night.

As the clock struck 12 at midnight, she began performing the ritual while Gu Beicheng and Jin Qingyan kowtowed.

The ritual ended and the trio stayed up until three o’clock in the morning. By then, An Xiaoning was already exhausted and struggled to stay awake, but to no avail. She soon fell asleep on her lap after a few consecutive yawns.

Jin Qingyan embraced her in his arms while Gu Beicheng stood up to bring forth a small cushion to drape over her. It was a chilly night and Gu Beicheng was wide awake. Jin Qingyan was a little fatigued, but seeing that Gu Beicheng was still awake, he then decided not to fall asleep.

With An Xiaoning between them, they glared at each other with much animosity.

“If I see you touching my wife again with those filthy hands, you shall bear the consequences,” warned Jin Qingyan.

Gu Beicheng was unbothered by his words and went ahead to touch An Xiaoning. “So what if I did?” he taunted.

“Gu Beicheng!” yelled Jin Qingyan with immense anger.

“You don’t have to be so loud, Brother can hear you.”

“…”

Jin Qingyan could not be bothered to retaliate and cocked his head sideways instead.

“I haven’t seen you in a long while, and I’ve been dying to ask you something.” Gu Beicheng lit up a cigarette with his lighter, tilting his head to the side as a cloud of smoke wafted through his fingers. “Between Rui’er and Xiaoning, who do you want?” he continued.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Jin Qingyan, I know how you feel about them. You’ve arranged for Chi Rui’er to put up at your mansion in Wei Ni Estate while your lawful wife lives elsewhere. Should the media find out about this juicy piece of news, I really wonder what they would write about it. Let’s hope you don’t suffer a double loss,” scoffed Gu Beicheng.

“Stay out of my business. You don’t have the right to tell me what to do anyway,” Jin Qingyan said coldly.

“Indeed, I can’t be bothered with your business. But for hers… there’s no way I’m staying out of it,” he said while pointing at An Xiaoning.

“Do as you please.”

The initially exhausted An Xiaoning was disturbed and woken up by their loud bickering. Thus, she had overheard every single word of their conversation. Though she had always been unfeeling towards Gu Beicheng, she suddenly began to think at that very moment that it was not that bad of an idea after all to have a Godbrother.

The two loggerheads remained seated while staring at each other fervently, all the way until daybreak. Once morning arrived, Jin Qingyan accompanied An Xiaoning to the mountains, despite his overwhelming fatigue.

He watched as An Xiaoning stood before a grave and related the old Mr. Gu’s death wish, then patiently waited for her Master’s response.

“Master, please give me a sign, if you agree. If you don’t, then refrain from doing so. I’ll understand it.”

As soon as she ended her sentence, a sudden gust of wind began to blow towards them, raking up the yellow leaves and twigs on the ground. Jin Qingyan remained in a state of reverence while An Xiaoning introduced him as her husband, after which he took three respectful bows.

On the way back, An Xiaoning gave Mr. Gu a call to inform him that they could bury the old Mr. Gu together with Nun Jingxin. She then headed home to get some rest and catch up on sleep, together with Jin Qingyan.

Facing each other, they could feel one another’s breaths intensely.

“Jin Qingyan, I have a feeling that our marriage is going to be over soon,” said An Xiaoning with her eyes closed.

“I’ll never initiate a divorce with you.”

“Don’t test my patience or force me to the end of my wits,” said An Xiaoning, smiling.

He bit her lips all of a sudden, causing her to wince in pain. He then kissed her with a burning passion before she could even speak. Panting, An Xiaoning hissed as she pushed him aside, “Why did you bite me? Are you a dog!?!”

With a cold look in his eyes, he said, “Finish what you were saying earlier.”

He seemed to be giving her a warning. They both knew her previous words were unfinished.

“Jin Qingyan, I repeat, do not force me to the end of my wits. Otherwise, I’ll end things between us immediately and free myself from this marriage.”

“Say it,” he insisted.

Blinking her eyes, An Xiaoning feigned ignorance, “Say what? What did I say earlier? I don’t remember at all.”

“…”

“I’m exhausted, I’m going to sleep.”

“How dare you.”

“You don’t wish to sleep, and you’re not letting me go to sleep either. What do you want to do?” cooed An Xiaoning, who began to behave coquettishly.

The initial stiffness of his face faded into a smile as he answered, “You.”

“You want to?”

“Yes.”

“Get lost…”

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 100: Catching the Mistress at the Scene

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“How is it harsh? Isn’t it just to stay at home and look after your husband and children? Nowadays, there are many women who want to be a rich man’s wife and don’t care about anything, right?” Jiang Tong said with a smile.


Zhou Jingyun’s expression changed. Jiang Tong actually said such a thing? Could it be that she was willing to be a rich man’s wife?


Jiang Tong raised her eyebrows at Zhou Jingyun. Zhou Jingyun seemed to have understood something. He sneered, “Yes, if it were possible, who wouldn’t want to live a good life at home and be a rich lady who doesn’t care about anything? However, some women marry men who are not up to expectations and can only go out on their own to make a living.”


Jiang Tong shook her head, “What you said is not right. Some women also have to be strong. Maybe they just like to work hard in the business world. For example, some men don’t like to work hard either. By marrying a rich wife, they can achieve success for the rest of their lives without having to work hard. Of course, this is not called marrying a wife. It should be called marrying in.”


“It’s not the same thing. It’s okay for a man to marry into the family. However, if the man who married into the family is greedy and unambitious, and even dares to cheat on his wife with another woman, that’s really disgusting. As a man, I don’t want to criticize other men too much. Unfortunately, some people really don’t deserve to be called men!” Zhou Jingyun’s eyes couldn’t hide his disgust. Indeed, he didn’t like men who cheated on their partners.


“Now that you say it, I also think it makes sense. We don’t simply judge people because of an issue, but some men… tsk tsk.” Jiang Tong shook her head as if she didn’t want to talk about this topic anymore.


At this moment, a loud sound came from behind them. It was the middle-aged man who smashed the fruit juice that the waiter had just delivered! The middle-aged man’s face was very ugly, and his entire face was red. “Did I f*cking save your pride that much? Who are you guys trying to bully here?” He was already furious, thinking that his identity had been exposed and that Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun deliberately used words to pick on him.


From a certain perspective, the middle-aged man was not wrong. Jiang Tong had done it on purpose because she knew that the middle-aged man was a married man. He was a son-in-law that married into the family, and his status in the family was very low. His family’s wealth was all earned by his wife! Therefore, the conversation between Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun was very ear-piercing to him.


“Who are you scolding? Why are you so agitated when we are chatting? Are you related to those incompetent men we are talking about? Are you a son-in-law that married into the family?” Jiang Tong deliberately asked in a puzzled voice. Moreover, her voice was very loud, and all the guests at the nearby tables heard it. Even the guests who had just entered the dining area heard it and turned their heads to look over.


The middle-aged man choked. His entire face was as red as a balloon and he could not say a word. If he admitted it, wouldn’t that mean that he was a son-in-law that married into the family? Then that would be very humiliating! However, Jiang Tong was obviously scolding him. Should he continue to endure it?


“You married into the family?” The young woman turned her head and asked in disbelief. She knew that the middle-aged man had a wife. He had also told her that he was in the midst of a divorce. Because of the property division issue, the divorce had been delayed. He had even said that he would marry her after the divorce. However, he had not told her that he had married into his wife’s family!


Married into the family, so the divorce was a farce! What property division was there to talk about?!


“I did not!” The middle-aged man denied with a straight face.


“Then why are you so agitated? You said that we were picking on you for things that have nothing to do with you. You gave me a fright. I thought that our words had made you unhappy. I thought that we were mocking you,” Jiang Tong said and she looked down at the time on her phone. It should almost be time for her to arrive. The strong woman’s company was not far from here. This middle-aged man was obviously taking advantage of the lunch break to meet his lover. Naturally, he would not be too far away from the company. This was something that the middle-aged man had often done in the past. Therefore, Jiang Tong could deduce it.


“You… You f*cking…” The middle-aged man was so angry that his lungs were about to explode. His gaze seemed like he was going to tear Jiang Tong apart!


At this moment, the horn of a car sounded. A group of cars suddenly stopped by the roadside. All the doors of the cars opened at the same time. More than ten bodyguards dressed in black got out of the cars. A chubby middle-aged woman in her forties got out of the car parked in the middle. Although the woman was a little chubby, her aura was very strong.


When the middle-aged man saw this situation, his face immediately turned pale and he immediately sat back in his chair.


Jiang Tong smiled slightly and was very satisfied with the middle-aged man’s performance.


The middle-aged man was scared silly the moment he saw the woman. The middle-aged woman stared at the middle-aged man the moment she got out of the car. Her face was calm, but her eyes were filled with murderous intent. She walked step by step to the middle-aged man’s table, and the bodyguards behind her also followed.

TBC...
Source: I Repeated The Same Day For 500 Years - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 99: What’s the Rush

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“I didn’t, Babe. I love you the most. Other women are trash in my eyes. I only love you,” the middle-aged man continued to coax her.


“Really? Then why are you speaking so softly? Do you want to leave a good impression on her so that you can chase after her later?” The young girl shouted sharply.


“When did I speak softly? Can you stop fooling around? This is very annoying!” The middle-aged man lost control of his voice. After he shouted very loudly, the young woman realized that she had crossed the line and did not dare to say anything else. She only turned her head and ignored the middle-aged man.


“Babe, don’t be angry. The dishes are about to be served. See what you want to eat. Let’s order some more food to eat.” The middle-aged man adjusted his emotions and continued to coax her.


“I think you have taken a fancy to that woman,” the young girl turned her head and said. Then, she looked at where Jiang Tong was. “Look at how she dresses like a dog. I guess she must be very flirtatious. She eats with a man and doesn’t forget to seduce you. How cheap!” When the young woman said this, strong jealousy flashed in her eyes as she looked at Jiang Tong.


Zhou Jingyun didn’t want to argue with them, but when he heard this, he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He put down his cup and was about to get up. When he got up, the bodyguards not far away also walked over quickly.


“What’s the rush?” As the person who was being cursed, Jiang Tong was very calm. She held Zhou Jingyun’s hand and smiled at him. She said, “I’ll take care of it.”


As she spoke, she took out her phone and typed a message: “Your husband is on a date with his mistress. The address is…” after she finished typing the message, she entered a phone number and sent it.


Alright, now she was ready to watch a good show. Perhaps it was because she knew too many people and too many secrets, Jiang Tong felt that she could build up her connections from anywhere and through anything. It was the same this time. The middle-aged man’s wife was a strong woman, she could be considered a sub-top-tier network, similar to the low-key Jiao Qinglong. However, this woman’s family was very impressive in City Z.


After sending the text message, Jiang Tong signaled Zhou Jingyun with her eyes. Zhou Jingyun took a deep breath and sat down. Although he didn’t know what Jiang Tong was going to do, he didn’t want to have a conflict with others in public unless it was necessary. It would be beneath his dignity.


After Zhou Jingyun sat down, a few bodyguards who were hurriedly approaching him suddenly stopped in their tracks. Zhou Jingyun gestured to them, and the bodyguards understood. They pretended to be passing by and walked back after a few steps.


“Tsk, I thought something was going to happen. Who were they trying to scare.” The young woman behind him spoke again. In fact, she had been frightened just now. The moment Zhou Jingyun suddenly stood up, she was instantly frightened. Aura was something that could not be seen or touched, but it could be sensed by others. The young woman thought that Zhou Jingyun was going to come over and hit her. She was so frightened that she hid in the arms of the middle-aged man, but she did not expect Zhou Jingyun to sit down again.


“Don’t be afraid, Babe. No one will dare to touch a strand of your hair even if they are very gutsy!” The middle-aged man patted the young woman’s back and deliberately said loudly. He was very concerned about his pride. Under such circumstances, he had to protect the woman by his side.


“Tsk, he looked quite scary but he doesn’t even dare to come over. What’s with the pretense?” the young woman muttered.


Zhou Jingyun was very angry when he heard that. As a man, he should not be petty with women. However, this young woman’s mouth was too sharp and her words were not pleasant to hear. He began to regret why he had to eat outside. In the past, he always went to the private room of a restaurant. Today, he came with Jiang Tong and ate outside instead of in a private room. If he had gone into the private room, there would not have been such a mess


Seeing that Zhou Jingyun was so angry, Jiang Tong smiled silently. With Zhou Jingyun’s status, he had probably never seen a woman with such a temper. Against such a person, Zhou Jingyun would not be at a disadvantage. However, it was not nice for a man to argue with a woman. The young woman was still mumbling and saying unpleasant words, but Jiang Tong pretended not to hear it. She poked Zhou Jingyun and said, “Ignore her. Let’s talk about something interesting. Why do you think that person from the Xie family is not easy to handle? Are three days not enough?”


Jiang Tong’s words were very vague, but Zhou Jingyun understood what she was saying. She was talking about Xie Wenkai, and he didn’t know why Jiang Tong would say this in public. Zhou Jingyun also wanted to divert his attention, he didn’t want to hear the voices of the two people behind him. So, he replied, “The other party’s conditions are too harsh. No one can meet their requirements.”

TBC...
Source: I Repeated The Same Day For 500 Years - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 19: Chapter 19
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Yan Xun flew into a rage, gave Feng Mian a kick while on his horse, and shouted, “Idiot! I dare you to say that again!”



Feng Mian yelped twice in pain. He immediately turned around and ran towards the Zhuge residence. He did not dare to repeat those words again.

Yan Xun huffed in anger. He saw all his subordinates staring at him and hollered, “I do what I want!”

Everyone hurriedly looked away in their own direction and did not dare to look Yan Xun in the eye again. Each of them thought the same thing and sighed to themselves. After all, the prince was only thirteen years old. It was no big deal if he occasionally threw a childish tantrum.

By the time Chu Qiao reached the Zhuge residence, it was already late at night. Upon seeing Chu Qiao, the gatekeeper was slightly taken aback, as he recognized that this was the favored maid of Qing Shan court’s young master. Hence, he did not make things difficult and even gave her a lantern to light the way.

The Zhuge residence gave off an icy cold aura at night, and without the noise and liveliness of the daytime, the silence made the place feel like a pitch-black prison cage. Occasionally there were a few cries of some jackdaws, which were then promptly shot down by archers who had great precision. Any forms of noise was not tolerated while the masters were sound asleep; even animals could not be excused.



As Chu Qiao passed by the high walls of Lan Shan court, she heard a burst of suppressed cries. It was as if a female servant was hiding on the opposite side of the wall and crying, having erred and taken a beating.

Chu Qiao’s footsteps gradually came to a halt. The gigantic moon in the sky, pale and round, reflected her small shadow onto the red wall. Her shadow seemed thinner and longer, which reminded her of past times when she had a taller figure. She suddenly felt a tinge of sadness. Perhaps, she would snap out of her trance and realize that it was just a dream. If it was a dream, all of these things would not have happened. Those lifeless corpses, the fresh blood that flowed, and those tears of despair…

The cries of the child on the opposite side of the wall persisted. As she was too short, she could not scale the wall. How could she give warmth to others if she herself was cold? Just like those corpses that were buried underneath the snowy plains. Her despair did not help the situation.

Unexpectedly, she opened the front door of Qing Shan court. Chu Qiao was surprised. She had originally planned to spend the night in the firewood room; the fact that the courtyard’s gate was not locked stunned her. Zhuge Yue knew how to take care of his own health. When he was not attending lessons in the General Academy Hall, he would stay in the garden either busy with his flowers or enjoy some tea and burn some incense. He also highly valued sleep, unlike the other young masters, who were only preoccupied with lust, often throughout the night.

As she carefully stepped into the courtyard, the glow of a lantern started advancing towards her. Huan Er hurriedly grabbed Chu Qiao’s hand and whispered, “Finally! Where did you run off to just now? I’ve been waiting for you the entire night.”

Chu Qiao apologetically stuck out her tongue and replied, “My horse was scared away. I just came back. Where’s the young master? How come the gate isn’t locked?”

“You’re lucky.” Huan Er curled his lips and remarked with a smile, “Young master is in his study reading. He has been there all night and he has not told me to lock up. He hasn’t slept either, so I’ve been able to wait for you here.”

Chu Qiao nodded, walking towards Zhuge Yue’s room. Huan Er hurriedly stopped her and said, “The young master was not in a good mood when he came back. I do not know who ruffled his feathers. It’s late, let’s discuss things tomorrow. Anyway, the young masters did not ask you to go to Xuan hall. You go and take a rest, I’ll inform the young yaster on your behalf.”

Chu Qiao nodded and replied, “That works too.” She turned and walked back towards her own room. Huan Er dashed into the Xuan hall, spoke a few sentences and exited.

Chu Qiao was one of the maidservants in Xuan hall with a higher status. Her room was located close to the main yard. As she walked to the door, the light in the room behind her went out before she could manage to open it. She was enveloped by the darkness.

Chu Qiao was a little dazed. She turned back slightly, looking in the direction of Zhuge Yue’s room. As the last light was extinguished, the entire Zhuge residence fell into a deep sleep. Chu Qiao stood in the corridor for a long time. As the wind blew, she twitched her nose lightly. It was as if she could smell the scent of blood beneath the ground.

Zhuge Yue seemingly had a nightmare just after closing his eyes. When he woke up, the third sound of the drum had just been struck. The sounds of the watchman dragged on, carrying a soft tail sound, and drifting far away in the silent night.

In that instant, he thought that he was still dreaming. In the dream, there was a warm spring breeze and beautiful peach blossoms. The touch of his mother’s hand felt as gentle as the warm spring water, elegantly brushing across his hair, combing a neat bun for him. However, instantly, the cold air permeated his senses, rudely awakening him. He sat up, his white pajamas drenched with sweat. The windows were not fully closed and the icy, cold wind blew onto him through the window slit. The teapot by his bedside was already cold. A few pieces of osmanthus cake sat in a small blue and white porcelain dish. It’s refreshing aroma was still delectable, despite the distance. He did not feel like sleeping anymore. He put on his coat, took his long flute, opened the door and walked out.

The maidservants outside were sound asleep, not awakened at all by his movement. He continued to walk and pushed the room door open, seeing the snowy white moonlight in the courtyard. It passed through the trees and shone on the ground, forming streaky, barbed reflections. It was as if it snowed out of nowhere. The warm radiance spread around the courtyard. The midnight wind was slightly chilly and brushed against his sleeves. The fluttering sounds mimicked that of a butterfly’s wings. Heading east of the courtyard, he was welcomed by a big plum plantation. Its red and white colors intertwined and gave off a fragrant aroma, spread about by the wind.

This mansion was probably only silent at this hour. Without the other noises, it was as if he was the only person left in this world. He spotted a pavilion located higher up and wandered along the mottled stone path leading up to it. Frost had just descended upon the night, causing the path to be slightly slippery. He bent down and walked slowly, seemingly minding his way, but not paying attention at the same time.

“Fourth young master?” a crisp sound echoed in the distance. He raised his head and saw a little girl sitting on a tree next to the pavilion. She was wearing jade-green clothes, her neck adorned by a ring of snow-white camel fur. Her black eyes were big and round and were staring at him. A pair of small green boots were swinging around in mid-air, just like two dancing grass crickets.

He slowly raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why are you here?”

“I couldn’t sleep.” Chu Qiao was astonished to see him here at this hour as well. She remarked honestly, “Fourth young master, you couldn’t sleep either?”



Zhuge Yue remained silent and slowly walked up towards the pavilion.

The Zhuge residence was originally constructed on a hillside. The sights here were marvellous and offered a view of almost the entire city of Zhen Huang. The hazy moonlight was just like a thin white veil, shrouding every corner of the city, and suppressing the hostility of the harsh northern winds which had chipped away at the city for a few hundred years. The moonlight made even the thick city walls, which had been stained with the blood of numerous people, appear gentler.

Chu Qiao looked at his back view, suddenly feeling a sense of disorientation. The peace after the bloodshed made her feel tired. She leaned on a branch, staring at that quiet youngster. She watched the wind tug at his bright-colored sleeves, just like two big butterflies flying about with the flow of the wind.

“Fourth young master, I lost the little red horse.”

Zhuge Yue did not respond, as if he did not hear her words in the first place. The long flute was still in his hands, but he did not play it. He stood still silently for a while, before turning and walking down the hill.

Chu Qiao, seeing that he was leaving, climbed down the tree to follow him. However, she lost her footing and slipped. In desperation and confusion, she grabbed hold of the tree branch, only for it to slice a big hole in her clothes. The back of her arm was also cut and fresh blood oozed out of the wound.

Zhuge Yue stopped in his tracks and raised his head, only to see what seemed like a monkey—no, a child—hanging from a tree branch. He paused to think and reached out his arms.

Chu Qiao was caught off guard and questioned suspiciously, “Fourth young master, what are you trying to do?”

Zhuge Yue replied, “Jump down.”

“Ah?” She thought for a long while, before realizing his intention. Chu Qiao quickly said, “It’s okay, Xing Er can make her way down by herself.”

Zhuge Yue frowned slightly, appearing rather impatient, and declared stubbornly, “Jump down.”

Chu Qiao could not insist further and she could only release her grip. In an instant, she dropped into Zhuge Yue’s arms. She was still short, only reaching his shoulders in height. In his arms, she felt like a small cat.

“Let’s go.” Zhuge Yue placed her on the floor and walked in front of her, Chu Qiao promptly followed. They were surrounded by plum trees and the floor was strewn with petals. They trod on the soft white snow, leaving behind two rows of shallow footprints.

By the time they got back to Qing Shan court, all the servants there were awake and frantically searching for the pair. Zhuge Yue did not elaborate and went straight back to his room. Huan Er dashed over to Chu Qiao’s room and started to question her.

As they spoke, a maidservant reported that Young Master had caught a cold and that someone was on their way to get a doctor. All of Qing Shan court started to become busy. Huan Er brought a few maids and servants in and out to prepare warm water and change towels, until the doctor arrived to take the Young Master’s pulse and prescribe some herbal medicine. Only then was everyone able to catch their breath.

Chu Qiao, having had some supper, was preparing to sleep, when she suddenly heard a knock on her door. She opened the door to see Huan Er standing outside, along with an elder who looked over fifty. Huan Er uttered, “Xing Er, the young master said that you were cut. Since the doctor is here already, let him take a look at your injury.”

Chu Qiao paused for a second, and then made her way for the doctor to attend her wound. After the doctor was finished, Huan Er stated, “Also, the young master said that he would sleep in tomorrow, so we need not wake up too early to work.”



Chu Qiao nodded in agreement, and Huan Er left the room joyfully.

The hazy moonlight shone on this silent courtyard, it was as if a layer of white frost had been glazed over it.

The next day, first thing in the morning, Chu Qiao went to see Zhuge Yue. However, the young but mature young master was not in his room. Chu Qiao, aware that she lost the red horse, knew that she had to provide explanation to him. As she was about to go outside to ask for his whereabouts, she saw Zhuge Yue stroll into the courtyard, wearing a set of dark golden armor and holding a long sword. He was flanked by a group of servants and adopted a decisive and agile posture. Chu Qiao had not seen him like this before. Zhu Cheng, back bent, had a cloak draped over his arms. He followed closely behind.

Huan Er along with other maidservants hurriedly ran up. They served tea and water to Zhuge Yue, started burning the incense, wiped his hands clean, and started preparing for his bath.

Chu Qiao stood by the side of the main entrance and waited for Zhuge Yue to take his seat. And then she stepped up and confessed, “Fourth young master, I lost the little red horse.”

“Um.” Zhuge Yue acknowledged her lightly, drinking a mouthful of the tea that he received from Huan Er. Then, he ordered his other servants, “Go and fetch two pots of the cymbidium that was delivered yesterday and take away this incense burner. It irks my sense of smell.”

The servants quickly obliged and set about to run their errands. Chu Qiao stood in her original spot. Seeing that Zhuge Yue had no intention of punishing her or continuing with this topic, she smartly stopped talking. Just as she prepared to sneak out, Zhuge Yue put down his teacup, pointed at her and said, “Xing Er, hold on.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 18: Chapter 18
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Some things were decided since one’s birth, such as blood ties and their destiny.

He slumped in his seat, raised his wine glass and gulped it down in one shot, along with all his suppressed thoughts and indignation.

Chu Qiao had just walked over to the city gates and saw the servants of the Zhuge family holding lanterns and looking around. Upon spotting her, they ran towards her direction in elation.

“Xing Er, the fourth young master asked us to wait here for you. Let’s go back to the house.”



Chu Qiao paused. Given Zhuge Yue’s character, she did not expect him to send people to locate her. She nodded and got into the carriage prepared by the servants.

The horse carriage creaked forward along the bustling city streets. The volume of the noises outside gradually decreased, eventually reaching complete silence. The child leaned on the inner walls of the horse carriage. Scenes of the recent massacre started to appear before her eyes—the cold-blooded stares of the soldiers, the deeply rooted resentment of the refugees, and the limp resistance of Wei Shuye.



It was still futile despite his identity. What could she, a small fry, do then? To resist an entire empire with her abilities would be akin to a mantis trying to stop a car—an utter failure. What she could do now, was to tread carefully on her toes and continue living on, in search of an opportunity to exact revenge and leave with Xiao Ba. As for other matters, she could not hope to change anything, due to her limited capabilities.

The horse carriage slowly wandered into the distance. Chu Qiao suddenly felt a chill. She opened the curtains and scanned her surroundings, and remarked, “This isn’t the way back to the house. Where are you taking me?”

The servant froze, not expecting a child of such a small age to be able to recognize directions. He smiled obsequiously and replied, “The young master is in the other courtyard, not in the main residence.”

The child’s eyebrows twitched. She carefully asked, “Courtyard? Which courtyard?”

“The courtyard in the western part of the lake.”

Chu Qiao frowned. The precarious nature of her work over the years had naturally made her develop a sense of cautiousness, allowing her to sense when something was amiss. She tested the waters and probed, “I did not manage to retrieve the things from the house that the young master instructed me to. Let’s go back to the house, then make our way to the courtyard.”

The servant replied with a smile, “Don’t worry. the young master just said that the things no longer need to be retrieved. He’s waiting in the courtyard. Let us go there quickly, lest he gets worried.”

Chu Qiao nodded slowly with a quiet expression and let the curtains down. The servant heaved a small sigh of relief. A sly look flashed across his eyes and the edges of his lips became sharp. However, the instant where his smile expanded, a dagger suddenly made contact with his neck, coldly. The child, taking advantage of an opportunity, swiftly pounced. She solemnly exclaimed in a cold tone, “You’re not serving the fourth young master. Who are you?”

“Hehe,” a low pitched laugh, as hoarse as a night owl, suddenly erupted from the side. A gorgeously decorated carriage slowly made its way out from the dense forest. Inside was a flamboyantly dressed old man. He laughed and remarked with words carrying a tinge of evil to the servant who was at the side, nodding and bowing to him, “Impressive indeed, such a stubborn temper at this tender age. Her looks are not bad either. I’ll reward you handsomely later.”

Zhu Shun, flattered, replied with a laugh, “Sharing the burden of the second Grand Master is my duty. If the second Grand Master rewarded me, it would mean my loyalty was not accepted by you.”

The old man laughed and gave orders to the two servants on his left and right, “Take this lass back to the house.” Everyone obliged resoundingly and swiftly advanced forward.

In that instant, hundreds and thousands of thoughts flashed past Chu Qiao’s mind. She was aware that she could capitalize on the other party’s contempt and carelessness to make her escape by swiftly wounding them. However, in this case, it would arouse the suspicions of others, especially the one-limbed Zhu Shun. Even if she escaped by luck, it would no doubt implicate Xiao Ba, who was still trapped in the house. If she decided not to escape, she would end up in the clutches of this old lecher. At that time, given the capabilities of an eight year old girl, how would she manage to resist an entire army of guards from the Zhuge residence?

To escape, or not to escape?



Chu Qiao tightened up, her mind still rapidly weighing her options. How about she beat this old lecher at his own game and eliminate him, given this opportunity?

In a flash, some well-built men surged towards Chu Qiao, intent on snatching the dagger she held in her hands.

“Hang on!” a low-pitched, distinct voice suddenly reverberated. Everyone turned their head towards the source of the voice, only to see the snow on the ground being scattered by a herd of over twenty rapidly approaching pitch-black war horses. The youngster mounted on one of the horses was handsome and was dressed in green robes, adorned with white fur. He gave a loud whistle and galloped forward.

The horses gave a long neigh and stood up, their warm breaths blending with the crisp, cold air, forming a cloud of mist. The youngster, under the guard of his servants, stared coldly at the crowd. His voice was calm, he gave off an aura of wisdom and calmness that was way beyond his years. He remarked, in a low voice, “Long time no see, Mister Zhuge.”

Grand Master Zhuge, with eyes half-open, sized up the youngster. He gave a chuckle, revealing his yellow teeth. “Oh, it’s Prince Yan Xun of Yan Bei. At this ungodly hour, instead of resting in your house, what are you doing out here braving the strong, snowy winds?”

Yan Xun remarked unscrupulously, “Thanks for your concern, Mister Zhuge. How could I be sleeping soundly in my house, if you, at this age, are still admiring the lights at this late hour? It’s lantern festival, the entire nation is celebrating. I just came out to admire the festivities.”

“Oh?” Grand Master Zhuge’s long eyebrows smoothed out and he replied, “In this case, Young Prince Yan, do continue admiring the sight. I will not stay with you then.” He promptly turned to his subordinates and said, “Back to the house.”

“Hold on!” Yan Xun swiftly ordered his horse to move forward, blocking Master Zhuge’s path. He laughed lightly, pointed at Chu Qiao, and declared, “Mister, you can leave, but only if you leave this child behind.”

The old man’s eyebrows moved ever so slightly. He quizzed, “What do you mean by this, your Royal Highness?”

“This child just startled my horse, Flurry, and scared it away. I want to bring her back to answer for her deeds.”

Grand Master Zhuge, hearing these words, gave a slight smile and retorted, “In this case, I will compensate you with a fine horse.”

“This horse was just brought back from the Western desert by the King of Yan Bei! It is a fine, well-travelled horse, can you afford to pay for it?”



“Feng Mian, shut your mouth!” Yan Xun frowned, berating the page boy behind him. “The Zhuge family is a patriarch of the empire. The head of the Zhuge family is also one of the seven elders of the Grand Elder’s Council, and possess wealth and power that even our royal family cannot hold a candle to. There is nothing that they cannot afford to pay for. However, fatherly ties run deep. Flurry was personally tamed by my father and was delivered to Zhen Huang from afar. It is not a typical war horse, so I cannot let things slide just like that. I have to take this child with me.”

“Prince Yan…”

“You need not say no more, Mister Zhuge,” Yan Xun interrupted the old master. He raised his head and declared, “Mister Zhuge, given your high status, you should not need to lower yourself to plead for a slave. Regarding this matter, I will answer personally to the fourth young master of the Zhuge family. Men, take this child away.”

The personal attendants of the Yans’ residence stepped forward; one of the well-built men pushed Master Zhuge’s subordinates away, causing him to stagger. He carried Chu Qiao out with a single hand and prepared to mount the horse.

Zhu Shun, seeing that old Master Zhuge was teetering with rage, stepped forward with a pretentious smile. He tugged on the saddle of Yan Xun’s horse and pleaded, “Your Royal Highness, things can be discussed…”



With the cracking sound of a whip, followed up by a ferocious kick from Yan Xun to Zhu Shun’s chin, Zhu Shun’s fat body was knocked back. He fell on the floor and exclaimed in agony, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood, along with two of his yellowed front teeth.

“Who are you to gesture in front of me? You have no idea of your limitations!” Yan Xun stared sharply at Zhu Shun and remarked coldly.

Zhu Shun was caught by surprise. He quickly kneeled down and frantically kowtowed. In the Xia Empire, a member of the royal family did not need a reason to slaughter a civilian.

Yan Xun raised his whip and pointed at Zhu Shun, declaring coldly, “I will spare you temporarily on account of Mister Zhuge today. If you still exhibit this unruly behavior another day, I will kill you in person, even in the presence of the head of the Zhuge family.”

Finishing his sentence, Yan Xun did not even look at old Master Zhuge and echoed to his subordinates, “Let’s go!”

Yan Xun’s people then mounted on their horses. With the sight of snow being scattered around, they faded away into the end of the long street.

Old Master Zhuge turned red, his left hand trembling in anger. Zhu Shun crawled forward, maintaining a kneeling posture. He tugged at the leg of Master Zhuge. He pleaded, “Grand Master, please don’t be angry! I…”

“Scram!” the old man bellowed. He delivered a kick to Zhu Shun’s chest and shouted, “Useless piece of trash!” Following that, he boarded the carriage and promptly departed.

The heavy snow continued to fall. Silence now enveloped the long street, further highlighting the bustling main street.

The war horse stopped by the lake. The youngster, having maintained a serious look previously, now turned back with a smile and laughed, “Lass, you owe me a favor…again.”

The child raised an eyebrow slowly. Although she remained silent, her body language obviously conveyed the message, I did not beg for you to come.

Yan Xun grunted indignantly and whispered, “Would it hurt to say something nice?”

Chu Qiao took one look at him and prepared to walk away.

Yan Xun froze and hurriedly blocked her path. “What are you going to do?”

The child raised an eyebrow, “Of course I’m going back to the Zhuge residence.”

“You still want to go back?” The youngster frowned and questioned, “That lowly servant will not spare you! And as for that old fellow from the Zhuge family, he is known for his deeds in the city of Zhen Huang! Do you want to court your own death?”

Chu Qiao pushed him aside and said, “None of your business.”

Yan Xun did not let go and maintained his grip on her, saying, “What do you mean? I rescued you out of the goodness of my heart and you give such cold treatment. What good do you see in Zhuge Yue, that enigmatic fellow, he is worth you disregarding your safety to go back to him?”



Chu Qiao raised her head, frustrated that she prepared to risk all or nothing, but failed to eliminate the old lecher Zhuge. She impatiently brushed Yan Xun’s hand off, looked up and stated coldly, “Did I cry for you to come and save me? Keep your kindness to yourself, I cannot stand it.”

Yan Xun’s eyes seethed with anger. Seeing Chu Qiao’s small shadow disappearing into the distance, he shouted childishly, “Ridiculous! Serves you right that you got bullied. If I cared about you again, my surname would not be Yan!”

Chu Qiao did not even look back and disappeared among the vast sea of people after a long while. Feng Mian carefully approached and surveyed Prince Yan. He saw that his eyes were bloodshot as if he was about to cry from anger. Feng Mian froze slightly. The empire deployed various feudal lords to helm the neighboring territories and defend Zhen Huang, its capital. However, to suppress them, their sons were held hostage back in the capital. These children lived in the whirlpool of power from a young age and matured incredibly early as a result. It was the first time that Feng Mian had seen his master express his joy and anger towards another person in such a manner, just like…just like a normal child.

“Your Royal Highness, let’s make our way back to the house?”

“Hmm!” Yan Xun grunted coldly, his voice hinting at a tinge of anger. He mounted his horse and led his assistants back to the Yans’ residence.

“Feng Mian,” Yan Xun, having barely taken two steps, turned back and instructed his apprentice, “You take a trip to the Zhuges’ residence and tell them that I found Flurry. Also, tell them not to make things difficult for that girl.”

“Ah?” Feng Mian froze and opened his eyes wide. “Your Highness, didn’t you say that your surname would no longer be Yan if you helped her again?”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 53: I Don’t Want to Be Tied Down by You and Our Child
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Since you believe him, then just continue dating him. I’ve already said, I won’t poke my nose into your business. It’s all written in the books of fate, you’re destined to be toyed with by him.”

“Written in fate? I refuse to buy it!” objected Jin Qingyue, adamant about the matter.

“That’s up to you.”

“You guys are always so busy, it’s rare that you’re home together. Stay for dinner,” said Mrs. Jin.

“Alright.”

At the dining table, everyone avoided the topic of fortune-telling and instead focused on discussing bearing children.

Grinning from ear to ear, the old Mrs. Jin said, “Xiaoning, hurry and bear some children while you’re still young. It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl, we will dote on them very much, as long as they’re a Jin. Besides, you’re going to have an easier time returning to your prenatal state if you give birth early.”

An Xiaoning nodded with a smile and shot Jin Qingyan a glare. She had not forgotten what he said about detesting children and not wanting them to come between him and her.

“Grandma, we’ve only just gotten married, what’s the rush? We’re not eager to have children just yet,” said Jin Qingyan in disapproval.

“Of course you’re not eager. But I am. It’s going to take a few years until your child can speak and call me ‘Great-grandma.’ You don’t have to take care of the child after he or she is born. You two are free to roam wherever you’d like. Isn’t that great?” argued the old Mrs. Jin, a frown forming on her face.

An Xiaoning had no choice but to say coaxingly, “We’ll try for it, Grandma.”

Upon hearing An Xiaoning’s words, the old Mrs. Jin beamed with joy, her initial displeasure subsiding. “Yes, yes, alright. I’ll be looking forward to good news from you two,” she said merrily.

They managed to have a peaceful meal that day.

An Xiaoning was stopped by Jin Qingyan while she was getting into her car, “You don’t actually plan to have children, do you?”

She found it rather amusing that Jin Qingyan could not tell that she was merely trying to coax the old Mrs. Jin earlier on, despite his intelligence and wit.

“Didn’t you see how eager Grandma was?”

“Haven’t I mentioned before that I don’t like kids?”

“Do you really plan not to have any in the future?” she said as soon as she saw how serious he looked.

“At least not for now.”

“Alright.” An Xiaoning opened the car door and hopped on without saying another word. She was at a loss for words.

He then stopped her from closing the door and said again, “Xiaoning, let’s discuss having kids later in the future.”

“It was just a casual comment. Can’t you tell? It’s your call whether or not we’ll have kids. How can we have children when you’re always so stringent with contraception? Don’t make it seem like I’m so desperate to bear you children. I’m still so young, I don’t actually want to be tied down by you and our child,” groused An Xiaoning, seemingly a little disgruntled.

“I was just…” said Jin Qingyan. The frown on his forehead began to disappear.

Before he could finish his sentence, she pushed him away and slammed the car door shut with all her might before driving off as quick as she could.

——

As soon as she arrived at the store, Mei Yangyang seemed to be able to tell from the expression on An Xiaoning’s face that she was in low spirits. Since there was no one else in the store, Mei Yangyang went forward and asked, “Sis, what’s the matter?”

“Yangyang, under what circumstance do you think a married man wouldn’t want to have kids?”

“In my opinion, there could be a few reasons. First, he could be financially unprepared, thus, the child may become a burden on his shoulders, and he’s planning to have one only after he’s more financially stable. Secondly, since he’s already married, it could be that he doesn’t like children and wants to be a DINK[1: DINK: acronym for “Dual Income, No Kids,” which is used to describe someone who does not wish to have children.]. Lastly, perhaps he doesn’t love his wife. Think about it, Sis, if he loved his wife dearly, why else would he not want to have children, who are supposed to be a testament and proof of their love? In a nutshell, these should be the main reasons why a man would refuse to have children.”

Mei Yangyang had hit the nail on the head, for Jin Qingyan had indeed mentioned that he didn’t like children, though An Xiaoning was convinced that it was instead because he did not want to have children with her.

Leaving Mei Yangyang to tend the store, An Xiaoning left for the shopping mall and returned with bags full of items and furniture she had needed for her house on Dongpo Road.

She laid in bed beneath the covers, with the heater in the room switched on. She had initially planned on listening to some music and take a nap, but she ended up oversleeping.

The sky had turned pitch black by the time she woke up.

She actually had such a long nap.

She checked her phone and realized she had received two missed calls from Jin Qingyan.

Since she was already going to make her way home anyway, she decided not to call him back.

Just as she was driving out of the house, she received a call from Gu Beicheng. “Where are you?” he said, sounding extremely anxious.

“What’s the matter?”

“Wherever you are, make your way here now. Grandpa is not going to make it.”

“What?! I’ll be there at once,” An Xiaoning answered hurriedly.

She sped along the roads and managed to arrive at the Gu family mansion in 10 minutes, as opposed to the usual 15-minute journey.

She quickly alighted from the car and zoomed towards the mansion.

The butler had intentionally gone outside to wait for her. An Xiaoning picked up her tracks and eventually began running.

All the members of the Gu family had gathered in the old Mr. Gu’s bedroom.

Upon the sight of An Xiaoning’s arrival, they began to part like the Red Sea, one after another, and made way for her to enter.

Walking forward, An Xiaoning noticed the paleness of the old Mr. Gu’s face and asked for his birth characters.

She then gained a clearer picture and proceeded outside the room to brief Mr. and Mrs. Gu on what they should do.

“Go and prepare a coffin right away. He’s going to pass away in seven minutes.”

Mr. Gu checked the time on his watch instinctively and ordered for someone to bring a coffin, as instructed by An Xiaoning.

“Grandpa, I’m Xiaoning,” she said after she returned to the room and sat by his bed.

With glazed eyes, he gave a nod and struggled to speak as he tried to voice his thoughts.

He kept his eyes fixed on An Xiaoning, seemingly having something to request of her.

“Grandpa, what would you like to tell me? Go ahead and say it. No worries, don’t rush it, you can tell me slowly,” An Xiaoning said gently.

“The Gu… Gu… Family…”

An Xiaoning understood right away what he wanted to say. “I’ll definitely lend a helping hand should the Gu family face any crisis or difficulty in the future, as long as it’s within my means, for they’re my maiden home from now on. Rest assured, Grandpa,” An Xiaoning reassured comfortingly.

The old Mr. Gu could finally rest in peace after having her reassurance. A single teardrop streamed down his face as he closed his eyes after thanking her. He had not made another sound since.

An Xiaoning reached out to grasp his dry and coarse hand tightly, remaining silent as time crawled by.

An Xiaoning knew at the instant she felt his once-weak grip loosen completely that he had passed on, there and then.

“Dad!”

“Dad!”

“Grandpa!”

“…”

A somber mood filled the air, as everyone in the room cried and wailed in agony.

With the exception of An Xiaoning, who remained unperturbed and stood rooted calmly, without saying a single word.

Mr. Gu immediately checked the time again. It was exactly seven minutes later, like she had mentioned.

After helping the late old Mr. Gu change into a fresh set of clothes, they lowered him into the coffin and set up an altar. Word about his death had also spread quickly to tabloids and news broadcasters.

All the members of the Gu family, apart from those who were still abroad, were present in the living room of their home at that moment.

While they began discussing the burial matters, An Xiaoning was surprised to hear that the old Mr. Gu’s death wish was to be buried next to Nun Jingxin.

In the ordinary course of events, members of wealthy families were usually subjected to the customs of being buried together with their spouses.

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 52: I Want Him
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Qingyan, I really feel like such a failure, living all alone with no one to love me. I really wish for a shoulder to lean on.”

Jin Qingyan remained silent and looked away while she cupped her face with her hands.

Chi Rui’er closed her eyes and remained still, seeming to have fallen asleep as she did not continue speaking.

A long while later, she finally mustered the courage to voice the question she had been dying to ask, “You mentioned the other time that you would marry me. Do your words still hold true now?”

Retracting his hand, Jin Qingyan answered, “But I’m already married now.”

“But I’m not the person you married.”

“Rui’er…”

“Qingyan, I’m sick of being all by myself. Qingyan, have you got any ways to help me find a man who’s exactly like you?”

“I’m already married,” he reiterated.

“But you don’t love her, do you? How much longer do you want to be with a woman you don’t love at all? Don’t you think you’re just being cruel to yourself, having to face a woman you don’t love every single day? Qingyan, I don’t wish to come between you two, but neither do I wish to watch you lose yourself in this sloppy, meaningless marriage,” said Chi Rui’er, pouring her heart out.

“I don’t love her, but I don’t hate the sight of her either. In fact, I actually fancy her quite a bit. Since I’ve already married her, I ought to be responsible for my actions. Unless she initiates a divorce, I will never mention it myself. Rui’er, my grandma and parents adore her to bits, and she’s already my wife now. That’s a fact neither of us can change,” said Jin Qingyan firmly in a bid to make things clear between them.

“There is a way to change it, and it’s only up to you to decide. It all depends on whether you’re willing or not,” said an agitated Chi Rui’er, who sat upright.

“…”

An Xiaoning, who had been standing by the door, decided to head downstairs instead of entering the room. It was not that she feared to do so, but rather, she was worried about putting Jin Qingyan in an awkward spot.

It had absolutely never occurred to her that Chi Rui’er was eyeing Jin Qingyan, and she even wanted them to get a divorce.

Although his answer was not the best, it was definitely not the worst. In fact, it was rather comforting and reassuring. At least he did not blurt out anything hurtful.

Several moments later, An Xiaoning headed back upstairs and pushed the doors open to enter. Upon her arrival, Jin Qingyan stood up immediately and said, “You’re not busy anymore?”

“I heard Ms. Chi still hasn’t recovered from her cold after a long time, so I thought I ought to pay her a visit. After all, your friend is mine too. How’s her condition now?”

“Much better,” answered Jin Qingyan while he adjusted An Xiaoning’s coat, as it seemed to be slipping off.

An Xiaoning could not help but smile. Her eyes lit up immediately when she caught sight of the water spots at the entrance of the washroom, and she quickly walked towards it.

She opened the door and entered the washroom. After taking a look at the showerhead tap, she proceeded to scan the interior of the washroom and exited afterwards.

“Ms. Chi, did you take a shower last night?”

“I didn’t dare to since I’m still having a cold,” Chi Rui’er denied.

“I noticed that the tap was turned towards ‘cold.’ The weather’s chilly now, remember to turn on the heater when you shower, lest you catch a cold and suffer the pain of it.” She then instructed the servant who had entered, “From today onwards, please stay overnight to take care of Ms. Chi. You are not to leave even if she tells you to, not until she recovers fully.”

“Yes, Young Madam.”

With a sullen and worried expression on her face, she glanced towards Jin Qingyan and said, “Mother gave me a call to ask me to go back to the Old Mansion. Would you like to come along?”

“Alright.”

The couple then proceeded to leave together. At this very moment, Chi Rui’er found An Xiaoning extremely detestable and wished she could just give her a tight slap.

Indeed, she had taken a cold shower with the intention to make herself catch a cold, for Jin Qingyan would not have visited otherwise. It was the only way she could think of to make him slowly care for her again, like he used to in the past. However, she did not expect An Xiaoning to be so alert and sharp-eyed.

In that instance earlier, she felt a strong and sudden sense of enlightenment — that is, she would forever be like an outsider, no matter how much he had loved her, so long as his wife was present.

After all, it was not perfectly legitimate nor appropriate for her to be putting up this mansion.

Chi Rui’er began to reminisce about the past, when she had all of Jin Qingyan’s heart because he was submissive and willingly gave in to all her needs and wants. Not much had changed, except it felt drastically different in comparison to the past.

Reminded of the possibility that Jin Qingyan and An Xiaoning would bear children of their own in the future, she started to realize how slim the chances of them getting a divorce would become.

Chi Rui’er began to feel a myriad of mixed emotions — just like how something unwanted seems to become more precious only after someone else had picked it up.

——

An Xiaoning and Jin Qingyan had driven a car each, separately, thus leaving no opportunity for a conversation within the same car. A while later, they arrived at the old mansion, one after another.

Jin Qingyan alighted and stood by the car to wait for An Xiaoning. Carrying her bag, she walked forward and swiftly held his hand, as if it was a natural reaction, though she was still not quite used to it.

The pair then walked towards the living room at a synchronized pace.

Mr. and Mrs. Jin were seated in the living room, together with Jin Qingyue.

“Xiaoning, it’s November now. I called you here to ask if there’s any taboo I should be mindful of, other than not leaving home for the whole of this month,” asked Mrs. Jin worriedly.

The pair sat side by side, leaning against each other. “There’s nothing else to look out for. As long as you don’t have a major outing, you’ll be safe for the rest of the month,” said An Xiaoning.

“If that’s the case, then I’m capable of fortune-telling too. Anyone who stays at home all day is obviously going to be safe from any mishap!” exclaimed Jin Qingyue in utmost disbelief.

Unfazed, An Xiaoning said with a grin, “Since you’re capable of doing so, you shall predict the future events and matters of our family then.”

“Qingyue! Stop your nonsense,” Mr. Jin hollered while glaring at her sternly.

Pouting her lips, Jin Qingyue leaned back against the couch and began playing with her phone.

“That’s a relief to hear. I heard from Qingyan that you had read Qingyue’s fortune. Is it really impossible to change her fate?” asked Mrs. Jin again.

“It’s indeed impossible.”

“Then could you tell us what the Shi family is like? I’d still like to know more about them, even if their marriage is bound to fail. Since you’ve lived with them before, give us an objective view of their family, Xiaoning.”

“The old Mr. Shi was a very nice person, but he had already passed on. Shi Shaochuan’s mother isn’t too bad either. His grandmother, however, is a tough one.”

“What about Shi Shaochuan then?”

“He’s extremely popular with women, and he knows how to keep them attracted to him. On the surface, he seems like a great catch, but his true colors will show as soon as you’ve known him for long enough. He’s very flirtatious and promiscuous. A playboy, to put it simply. Well, he hates me, so I’ve seen his true colors the most. All along, we’ve been married only in name.” She continued, “I swear to God, I’m speaking the truth, every single word of it is true. You may not believe me now, but you definitely will after knowing him for a while.”

“Bullshit! You said Shaochuan was a playboy, but why wasn’t he ever intimate with you even though you two had been married for so long? Doesn’t that just show that he didn’t want to settle for less?” Jin Qingyue could not help but break into an uncontrollable rage.

An Xiaoning had expected her to react that way. Not wanting to argue with her, An Xiaoning said, “Time will tell whether I am right or not. It’s up to you to decide what to do, I’m staying out of it.”

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 17: Chapter 17
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Wei Shuye was livid, and the phlegm disgustingly stuck to his robe. However, he did not wipe it off but just sucked his teeth as he gazed upon the mess of corpses, and his eyes filled with hatred.

“Major General,” Jiang He sighed and walked forward and said in a deep voice, “our country does not have money to provide for these people. The elders will not sponsor the building of their quarters. You are the grandson of Wei, you need to respect your family’s wishes and protect your interests.”

Wei Shuye felt something hot pounding on his chest. His eyes were bloodshot and he was speechless. Jiang He frowned and signalled to his soldiers with a wave and a slight nod. The soldiers understood his command and instantly raised their knives to resume the killing.

“Bad guys!” a crisp voice rang. At the back of the crowd, a small face appeared from a mother’s embrace. There was no sign of tears but both eyes were red as he shouted, “Liar, you promised that you would bring us to the country to live in protected houses. You said that everyone wouldn’t have to worry about food or clothes, you said…”

An arrow instantly shot out. General Jiang He was very accurate and stopped the child’s speech as the arrow pierced through his mouth and blood spurted out from his head.

“Take action!” Jiang He withdrew his sabre as he commanded with rage.

“Stop!” The young Major General rushed towards the child and pushed away two soldiers in his path.

Jiang He raged, “Hold onto Major General!” The soldiers immediately rushed forward skilfully and held onto Wei Shuye tightly. The inhumane killing resumed and blood flowed everywhere, mixing in with the soil. The shrill of an eagle could be heard overhead, making this massacre even more frightening with the symbol of death circling above. A big hole was dug, and the few hundred corpses were thrown inside, with soil quickly added to fill it up. The soldiers rode their horses and repeatedly trampled over the ground. With the snow falling rapidly, the blood-stained ground was covered up, along with the heinous and ugly act of murder.

The handsome child of the illustrious family had lost his composure in front of his subordinates over a bunch of lowly peasants.

“Major General,” Jiang He walked forward and said after seeing him staring at the snowy ground, “you shouldn’t be like that. They are from a lowly race, with lowly blood flowing inside them. But you shouldn’t oppose orders because of that. Your uncle has high expectations of you. Without you, your brothers won’t have a leader. They are waiting for your return.”

Seeing no response from Wei Shuye, Jiang He sighed and retreated, galloping back with his team. They disappeared within a short moment.

The young man stood there for a long time as the snowstorm brewed. This lantern festival felt especially cold. The two children hiding behind the slope were shocked when the noble Major General of Wei Fa fell on his knees and kowtowed to the dead before climbing back onto his horse and galloping away.

After a while, the snowfall didn’t seem to be stopping. The child shifted her stiff, frozen feet and swayed forward.

“What are you doing?” Yan Xun was puzzled and stood up, stunned.

The child turned around with a calm expression, but her gaze was flickering. “I’m from a lowly race with lowly blood flowing inside me. You shouldn’t be standing next to me. Since we are treading a different path, let’s part early.”

Yan Xun stood at the back and stared longingly, thinking that she could tear open the degenerate world. The snow was fluffy and their footprints slowly became further apart as they headed into the heart of the Yan Empire.

Behind the vermilion gates of the rich, meat and wine went to waste; but along the road, the bones of the poor froze to death. Just as the Xia Dynasty claimed that there wasn’t money to provide for those of the other race and massacred them instead, the city sang and danced to extol the good times with a vibrant collage of colors. The beauty’s waist was slim like a willow, her skin glistening like jade, with a sweet smile and toned arms. Those “hardworking” statesmen of the Xia dynasty removed their robes and were provided sensual experiences.

Outside, icicles formed and snow accumulated. The silk strips fluttered on the various lit lanterns. The lantern festival was a time for national jubilation, even for those women. At this moment, the hurried steps of horses disrupted the lead master of the Wei family Wei Guang’s sweet dream. The white-bearded but still good-looking elder, squinted his eyes and waved off the dozens of women covered in makeup surrounding him. The women straightened their clothes and half-kneeled on the floor before retreating, without daring to lift their heads.

Wei Guang lifted his teacup, took a deep breath and gradually leaned on his soft bed. The burner released a cloud of incense slowly. The smoke drifted like a graceful dragon gradually floating up. Watching it seemed a little dreamy.

A respectful voice came from outside, “Master, Master Shuye is here.”

He should be here. The elder raised his eyebrow slightly. He was here slightly earlier than expected and wasted the lady Jade’s efforts to please. With a low voice, the elder said, “Let him in.”

The doors slid open and a young man entered the most luxurious room in the prostitute den. His moon-white colored robe was so simple and plain that it almost should not have been seen on such a noble person. Wei Shuye was gloomy and without any pretext, he asked the elder, “Why?”

Wei Guang obviously knew what he was implying. He squinted his eyes and without even looking at him, he slowly said, “When you see an elder, you don’t pay your respects? Are these the manners I taught you?”

Wei Shuye frowned as the candle in the corner of the room crackled. Time slowly passed and the young man finally lowered his head and said, “Uncle.”

“Not all matters in the world can be divided into right and wrong. Jing Er is younger than you but you need to go learn from him at this point.”

Wei Shuye crumpled his face and deeply said, “Then why did you send me there? I promised them…”

“You are Wei’s successor in line for the head of the Xia Dynasty, with royal blood flowing in your veins. You are part of the most well-respected family in the country, you need not makes promises to a bunch of lowly peasants. Their meaning in life is to lose it when the time comes, to sacrifice for their country. You did not make a mistake, and do not need to feel guilty, and shouldn’t even be here to question your uncle,” The elder cut off Shu Ye’s words and said sternly.

Wei Shuye shook his head and frowned. “Uncle, this is not what you taught me in the past.”

“Because I was naïve like you in the past and it resulted in your father’s death in the internal strife of our family.” Wei Guang opened his eyes and his gaze glistened with emotion. He slowly turned around and stared at Wei Shuye and spoke slowly, “The winner is the predator while the weak stay as prey. The world is like that. Ye Er, after all these years, you still don’t understand?”

“Uncle,” Wei Shuye’s expression was stern, “the country needs people to go westwards to open up the lands. The youths of their race believed in me and headed there. Why don’t the elders take care of their families? They travelled thousands of miles to follow me to the capital because you already promised that I would construct residences for them. They left their own houses, gave up their nomadic lifestyle, just because I promised them!” Wei Shuye emotionally lifted the incense on Wei Guang’s table and shouted angrily, “You said the country didn’t have the money to provide for them, then what’s this? This is incense from the Song Empire. Just one bundle of this costs two hundred gold coins. Two hundred gold coins can feed their entire tribe for ten years!”

Wei Guang’s expression remained unchanged as he calmly listened to Wei Shuye’s rant. The atmosphere was all set for a showdown and was filled with the youth’s rage. After a long while, the elder gently smiled and calmly said, “Ye Er, you went with Major General Zhi Lu to settle the civil discord, which ended disappointingly. It is unknown if he’s dead or alive, but you can still argue here with me. Why is that so?”

Wei Shuye was taken aback, the indignation frozen on his face, and he had no words to reply.

“You can still be standing here intact because your surname is Wei. I know you empathize with those peasants and repel the ideology of discrimination. But even though you hate this status, you are still Wei’s descendant, my nephew. What you enjoyed from the time you were born was all provided by the family. All that you ate and used, status and power, were all from the family. It will never change. A person who has enjoyed the privileges this whole time do not have the right to curse it.” Wei Guang took a deep breath and leaned on the bed, his chest rising briefly, his voice deep and with a hint of despair. “Everything in this world happens for a reason. Today, the reason that it was the Weis who massacred the Biantas, not the Biantas massacred the Weis, was because the Weis have been fighting for the growth and prosperity of our family since three hundred years ago. Three hundred years down the road, Wei family protected the frontier and guarded land of our empire, and won many distinctive battles. While the Biantas were roaming around, the children of the our Wei family were already learning skills for war, learning the ways of business, starting to dodge away from schemes secretly planned against them. The Wei family is part of the seven big clans but these nomads are diminishing. Child, the heavens are fair, they are never in favor of anyone. The reason they lost is because they never gave enough. No weakling should blame the strong for bullying them. To not be preyed on, they can only get stronger themselves. Today, you are here pitying them. If all descendants thought like you, those that were killed today would have been your siblings.”

Wei Shuye stood still and his face still tensed. He could not speak what he wanted to say.

Wei Guang gradually stood up as he extended his arm to pat his shoulder. “Ye Er, your uncle is old already and can’t protect all of you for long. When I am not around, who will protect the family? Who will protect my children against others’ attacks? Who can protect my daughters from getting played? Who can protect all of you? Will it be you?”

The doors opened and a wave of music floated in with a mesmerising essence. The elders’ footsteps gradually distanced. Wei Shuye stood up straight and felt his shoulders burning. What was pressing down on him was an invisible burden. It was a huge responsibility which he wanted to shake off but couldn’t.

The sky was pitch black, but it wasn’t as dark as his heart. The demons remained in his thoughts as they swallowed his morals. The struggle was pointless. Ultimately, he sighed and remained speechless.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 16: Chapter 16
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Yan Xun shook his head and said, “Let me send you up first instead, you can find people to come rescue me.”

Chu Qiao was shocked and scanned Yan Xun up and then. She then accepted his suggestion and said, “Okay.”

With great effort, when Chu Qiao finally was able to see the bright round moon, she felt like it seemed to be a life and death situation. She laid down on the snow and looked down at Yan Xun who was still trapped in the hole and shouted, “You wait for me and I will go get help.”

Yan Xun smiled and waved. “Hurry up!”

Her ankle was hurting and it was likely she sprained it when she fell into the hole. She limped for a few steps before an idea struck her. She stopped moving and squinted her eyes and felt chills go down her spine. If she turned and left, in this cold and deserted wilderness, Yan Xun would freeze to death. In this case, would she then get her revenge? She thought of the first day she was here—the non-stop flow of fresh blood on the hunting field, the sharp arrows—and Chu Qiao’s heart raced.

Even though the arrows that were meant to kill her were fired by the two brothers of the Zhao family. Even though the Royal Highness’ arrow struck the wild wolf. Even though after what happened, he was mocked by the Zhuge brothers for being a weakling. Even though he trusted her so much and smiled as he asked her to go and to come back quick…

Chu Qiao stood in the vast white field, her eyes pitch black, twinkling.

With a thud, a branch that was longer than one the height of a human was thrown into the hole, narrowly missing Yan Xun’s head. Chu Qiao hadn’t even revealed her head when she heard Yan Xun’s roar, “Are you trying to kill me?!”

Chu Qiao rolled her eyes in irritation. “If I was trying to kill you, I wouldn’t need such effort. Hurry and come up.”

Yan Xun was agile and climbed up. He scanned her face and then smiled wryly. “I thought you would have just left me here and wouldn’t return.”

Chu Qiao looked at him coldly. “I can only blame myself for not being cruel enough.”

Yan Xun let out a laugh as he went in front of her. He bent down slightly and said, “Since you didn’t just leave me here, I want to thank you. Let me give you a piggyback ride back.”

Chu Qiao looked at him in disbelief. “You would do something like that? Isn’t that below your status?”

“I’m feeling good today.”

Chu Qiao stopped speaking, and just as Yan Xun thought she was unwilling, he felt a small and soft body sink onto his back.

The snow on the vast plains glistened. Yan Xun was carrying someone for the first time and his actions were slightly awkward as he tried to maneuver through the snow. Chu Qiao extended her soft white hand and tapped his neck. “Don’t wiggle! I am about to fall off.”

Yan Xun paused slightly but steadied himself and gradually started moving again.

“Hey, do you know how long we have to walk?”

The child calmly replied, “Shorter than the burning of an incense, so walking back will take about two hours.”

Yan Xun nodded his head. “You’re named Xing Er?”

“How do you know that?”

“The last time at the precipice, that’s what the servant that set you up called you.” Royal Highness Yan seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today. Seeing that Chu Qiao wasn’t replying, he continued asking, “What’s your actual name and surname?”

Chu Qiao quietly said, “Why must I tell you?”

“Don’t tell me if you don’t want to.” Yan Xun replied, “But one day, you will be begging for me to listen.”

“If you have the patience, slowly wait for that day to come.”

Yan Xun frowned. “You are a child, why do you speak like an old person?”

The child on his back condescendingly replied with a twitch of her lip, “You people are not that old either. Why are your actions so devious?”

Yan Xun was astounded but smiled. “My gosh, you really do hold grudges.”

The child sounded more dreary as her tone turned cold. She replied apathetically, “You don’t hold grudges because you weren’t pointed at with an arrow before.”

The strong gusts of wind continued blowing and Yan Xun suddenly felt cold. He tried to open his mouth to refute but no words could come out. The concept of difference in status which he believed in for many years became inappropriate after what the child mentioned. For many things, as long as the majority of the people say something is right, you will naturally believe in it even though you don’t think that way inside.

The chilly moonlight shone on the snowy ground as the shadows of the two children became tiny. At this moment, the hurried steps of a horse could be heard from the distance. Yan Xun focused and said, “My men are here.”

The child on his back slightly frowned as she tried to focus on listening. All she could hear was a clutter of noise from the horses, and it seemed like an army was coming, followed by the rapid footsteps of people. It was foggy and a group of people could vaguely be seen trudging in. The child squinted and slowly spoke, “Seems like they are not your men.”

The northern winds resulted in a snowstorm as the snow drifted feverishly and densely, blocking the bright moon resulting in them being unable to open their eyes fully.

The sky was pitch black with the occasional shrill of the night owls. The birds circled the sky and the Zhen Huan city seemed like a small pearl in an ocean of white from the view of a bird. It was dazzling. Now, on the outskirts of the pearl, there was a group of shabbily dressed, sallow people who were the opposite of what the flourishing city was, and were of a different race. They were trudging along.

The piercing wind penetrated the ragged clothes of the people, resembling a knife cutting their skin which was already turning blue. The strong winds howled and the people arduously huddled together to brace themselves against the storm. Without the walls of the city to protect them from the wind, the plateau’s winter was all the more unbearable. Suddenly, a baby’s cry could be heard and the lone voice gradually spread throughout the entire group.

With a crack, there was the sound of a whip. The leader who was riding on the horse came forward with a gloomy face and snapped, “All, shut up!” However, those infants did not understand his command and the crying persisted. The leader frowned and brought his horse into the crowd. He bent down and grabbed the baby from a young woman. He raised the baby and viciously slammed it on the ground.

“Ah!” A shrilling scream followed, and the mother of the child was shocked. She immediately knelt down and hugged the baby which had already lost any form of life, crying uncontrollably.

The leader glared, and as he passed by all the refugees of a different race, they all fell silent. In the wilderness, only the crying of the young woman could be heard. The leader drew his knife and slashed the woman’s vertebrae. Blood spurted everywhere, tainting the white ground.

Chu Qiao suddenly stopped breathing for a moment and bit her lips hard. With a surge of force in her hands, she wanted to run out and help.

“Do you not care about your life?” Yan Xun hugged her tightly and whispered into her ear, “They are Wei Fa’s army, don’t act rashly.”

“It’s here,” the leader with black nails and a black fur coat told his subordinates in a deep voice. The soldiers wearing iron helmets immediately came down from their horses and drew the knives from their waists. With a tug of the rope, those refugees whose legs were tied together fell to the ground simultaneously. The eyes of the leader were gloomy and his thin lips straightened into a line before mouthing the word, “Kill!”

The slicing motion of the knives was decisive and the young soldiers had maintained their composure. They didn’t blink before tens of heads rolled on the floor and blood flowed out to form a red stream, which froze in an instant.

The child bit her lip tightly as she hid behind the slope, watching the massacre in close proximity, her heart clenched tightly. Her eyes shone brightly like a star but they felt heavy. Yan Xun’s hands were cold but still held on tight to her, but he could feel emotions running through his blood and he wasn’t able to turn his head to look her in the eyes. The small body in his embrace emanated some sort of warmth which seemed to scorch his hands.

He witnessed these repeated acts of decapitating the refugees. He felt that they weren’t just cutting off the civilian’s heads, but also his own principles. The stubbornness that had existed within him for a long time was sliced off until there was nothing left and there was nowhere to hide.

The knives slashed and the blood splattered everywhere. The refugee’s expressions were seemingly calm and there wasn’t any fear of death. Chu Qiao clearly saw that it wasn’t numbness from extreme fear, it wasn’t despair from losing all hope, and all the more it wasn’t the feeling of giving up on oneself—It was a stubborn determination and hatred to the bone. Everyone was quiet and there wasn’t any crying or cursing, even the babies were quiet. They opened their eyes and watched their people die in the arms of these other people. Their gaze was bright, but surges of hatred were tumbling inside them. This hatred would even be felt by the heavens, and even the Asura from the inferno had to give way to this hatred.

The rage and hatred that was hidden deep in her heart slowly overflowed and she clenched her fist tight like a bloodthirsty wolf. At this moment, the hurried gallops of a horse could be heard, accompanied by a man’s angry shout, “Stop! All of you stop!”

The white horse sprinted to the scene, the young master leapt off the horse and he crazily whipped the soldiers’ wrists. He stood in front of the refugees and shouted angrily at the leader, “Jiang He, what are you doing?”

“Major General Shuye, I’m just following orders and executing the rebels,” he said as he wrinkled his eyebrows, but still hopped off his horse and bowed in respect.

“Rebels?” Wei Shuye furrowed his brow and, with an intense gaze, he pointed at the elderly, the women and the children, and sternly said, “Who are the rebels? Them? Who gave you the authority to do this?”

Jiang He’s face remained the same, as stubborn as a rock. “Major General, it was ordered by Sheng Jin palace. They were direct orders by your uncle and were agreed on by the elders. Your own brother gave the orders and elders from the Wei Family discussed to come up with this order. I’m just conducting the execution.”

Wei Shuye was stunned. He turned around and and scanned the refugees. The refugees that only had solemn faces revealed much anger when they saw him. One old lady suddenly stood up without any care and scolded, “You are a liar! A shameless betrayer! The gods will punish you!”

A knife sliced the old lady’s waist and blood dripped from the knife. Her waist seemed to split in half and she collapsed to the ground. However, she still used her remaining strength to viciously spit bloody phlegm onto Shuye’s clothes. She cursed, “Even if I become a ghost…I will forever haunt… haunt… ”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 51: Aunt Flo Will Be Here in Just a Few Days
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Is Chi Rui’er’s fever severe?”

“Yes, she had two bottles of IV drip last night.”

As they headed downstairs for breakfast, An Xiaoning asked, “What would you like to have? Milk or porridge?”

“Your blood,” he blurted without hesitation.

Startled, An Xiaoning smiled at him benevolently, then said teasingly, “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait. Aunt Flo 1 will be here in just a few days.”

Her sarcastic remark left Jin Qingyan speechless. Initially, he thought he had married a meek and dainty wife, yet she turned out to be a sharp-tongued cynic, which was contrary to his expectations.

——

Jin Qingyan had planned to take a day off from work that afternoon. He decided to make his way to the old mansion because he was concerned about Jin Qingyue having her fortune told by An Xiaoning.

“I guess it’s all fate. Though we can’t change much even if we try to stop her, we still shouldn’t sit back and watch her dig a hole for herself,” said a worried Mrs. Jin, who was rather upset and disgruntled.

“Then you’ll have to put more thought into the matter.”

Nodding along, Mrs. Jin turned to ask Jin Qingyan, “I heard that Chi Rui’er is putting up at your mansion in Wei Ni Estate. Where did you get the audacity to do that? Your wife should be the only person allowed to live there. Who is Chi Rui’er to deserve a chance to live there?”

“Mom, she’s only staying there temporarily. She’ll move out after some time.”

“Get her to leave quickly, before your grandma finds out. How dare she step foot in that mansion?”

“Alright, you don’t have to worry too much about that matter. Channel your attention towards Qingyue, she seems to be getting out of hand,” said Jin Qingyan with a reassuring smile.

“Even so, I’ll still have to keep an eye on her. She’s getting too independent and rebellious for her own good.”

Just as she ended her sentence, Jin Qingyue arrived downstairs. It was rare for her to be up so early. She usually does not wake up before noon.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going out to handle some matters. I won’t be having breakfast at home.”

“Come here,” ordered Mrs. Jin, fuming with anger.

“Mother, why are you suddenly so serious?”

“Sit down!”

“Okay, just what’s the matter?” said Jin Qingyue passively.

“Your Sister-in-law has read your fortune. You’re not going to last forever with Shi Shaochuan.”

“Mother, haven’t you heard? Your destiny lies in your own hands. Are you really going to take her word for it? Just because she said so, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,” argued Jin Qingyue, who was unconvinced.

“She said you guys would get married, but not last forever. Do you have any idea what that means?”

“Which elderly couple actually manages to stay together even until death?” said Jin Qingyue, who insisted on interpreting her mother’s words literally.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it. Let me warn you again, you’d better stop seeing him so often, he’s going to toy with you once you’re wrapped around his finger,” warned the enraged Mrs. Jin.

“Fine, fine, you’re so annoying, nagging at me early in the morning. I’m going to be bugged to death,” she complained as she stood up to leave while completely ignoring her mother.

She had agreed to meet Shi Shaochuan at his office that day.

That was the reason she woke up so early that morning.

When she arrived at his office, Shi Shaochuan ordered for breakfast to be delivered while Jin Qingyue began to relay her mother’s words to him.

“Didn’t I already mention, An Xiaoning is just spouting nonsense. It was merely pure coincidence that she had managed to treat your mother’s calf. No way will I believe her twisted logic,” said Shi Shaochuan.

“I guess you’re right. Does she really think she’s God? She even claims to be able to tell that our marriage isn’t going to last forever. She’s really starting to get on my nerves. I would have beaten her to a pulp if she weren’t my sister-in-law,” lamented Jin Qingyue.

“Don’t bother, she’s just a crazy woman.”

——

“Welcome…” Mei Yangyang’s voice faded as she was startled to see that it was Long Tianze who had entered.

He was clad in a white suit, with both hands in his pockets. “Babe, do you have clothes suitable for me here?” he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

“No,” answered Mei Yangyang. She turned around and walked further into the store.

Grabbing her by the arm, Long Tianze said, “We’re somehow related now, don’t you want to see me?”

Related?

“Who’s related to you? Cut the nonsense,” retorted Mei Yangyang, recalling the passionate kiss from that night.

“You, of course. Why are you so quick to deny your actions?”

She should have been the one saying that!

“I finally understand what it means for one to be shameless. You were the one who forced a kiss on me, why are you turning the arrow against me instead?” said Mei Yangyang with her chin raised.

“Little lass, why don’t we become boyfriend and girlfriend?” asked Long Tianze as he leaned closer towards her.

“What do I stand to gain from that?”

“Hahaha… There’s plenty to gain. So would you like to?” he asked after letting out a bizarre laughter.

“No. Why are you here?” Mei Yangyang asked as she took a seat.

“To look for you, of course.” Leaning against the counter with his eyes fixed on her, he continued, “Why else do you think I’m here?”

“To look for me… for what?”

“To take responsibility for me.”

“Seems you’ve gotten it wrong. I should be the one saying that,” said Mei Yangyang with a grimace, in disbelief of what she had just heard.

“No, you stole my first kiss and so you have to be responsible for your actions.”

At that instant, Mei Yangyang felt that she was wrong about him previousl. She would have never expected him to be someone like that in reality. “You were clearly the one who kissed me first! Besides, that was my first kiss too! Don’t be shameless, alright? I know that wasn’t your first kiss!” she exclaimed.

“Oh, turns out it was your first kiss too? Just right, we happened to give our first kiss to each other. Seems like we have to take responsibility for each other then.”

Mei Yangyang was speechless. She felt like she could not communicate with him at all.

“Why aren’t you talking?”

“I don’t want a boyfriend who is in love with another woman. Besides, it’s just a kiss. As a female, I don’t even let it bother me, so a man like you shouldn’t either. Quit complaining.”

She seemed to be calling him petty. The smile on Long Tianze’s face widened — he found her to be different from other girls, who would have definitely agreed.

She was not like them at all.

“Alright, we won’t be a couple then. How about just friends?”

“Okay. I’ve agreed, so you can leave now.”

“Give me your number.”

“1234567891011.”

With a slight squint, he said while remaining calm and composed, “Do you take me for a fool? I’m being serious.”

He proceeded to leave only after Mei Yangyang had blurted her actual phone number upon noticing that a customer had entered.

Long Tianze had begun to think that he had found that kiss to be rather special and different only because he had been feeling lonely and empty. He had wanted the kiss to happen again, but he was not expecting to be rejected.

——

Having seen that Chi Rui’er had been sick for a few consecutive days with no signs of recovery, Jin Qingyan questioned the doctor about his treatment. Feeling wronged, the doctor answered, “Her fever had clearly gone down, but strangely, it came back again the day after. I’m not sure why that happened either.”

“If you can’t even treat a simple cold, why would I need you here?” Jin Qingyan chastised.

“I’ll try my best.” The doctor was startled by Jin Qingyan’s animosity and hurriedly proceeded to prepare some medicine.

Jin Qingyan moved closer towards Chi Rui’er and said, “You look so wan and sallow after a few days of being sick. Get well soon.”

“Qingyan, I’m feeling so cold,” said Chi Rui’er while she boldly went ahead to hold his hand.

“But the heater in the room is on, and you’re wrapped beneath the blanket. Are you still cold?”

With a nod, she answered, “Yes.”

“You’re running such a high fever, no doubt you’d be cold.”

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 50: Are You Trying to Murder Your Husband?
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Jin Qingyan looked down. “You still have no sense of security even though our house is rich enough.”

“But — our house’s money belongs to you and the whole of the Jin family, it’s not mine. Most people probably think that as Mrs. Jin, I should be used to having money, but they’re all wrong. Those who know me will know, regardless of the amount of money, it won’t be too much to me.”

Jin Qingyan’s fingers were in hers, gently rubbing at her smooth skin. An Xiaoning raised her head and the two passionately cuddled together.

As their bodies pressed closer, the atmosphere gradually became heated.

“Babylifewasgoodtomebutyoujustmadeitbetternull, Ilovethewayitstandbymethroughanykindofweathernull…” His handphone ringtone suddenly broke out at this untimely moment.

Jin Qingyan did not answer it. He allowed his phone to continue ringing, and the ringtone continued to chime over and over again.

After the fourth ring, he stopped whatever he was doing because the only person who had the patience to ring him for so long was Chi Rui’er. The people around him usually rang once or twice before giving up, including his parents and relatives.

His hand reached out and, taking a look at the phone screen, he saw that it was indeed Chi Rui’er calling.

He sat up and answered it. “Hello.”

On the other end came Chi Rui’er’s weak and feeble voice, “Qingyan, I’m having a fever.”

“I’ll give my family doctor a call so he could check on you.”

“Ahem, ahem… can you come over? If it’s too much trouble, then it’s fine.” Chi Rui’er coughed repeatedly. Her voice was hoarse and her breathing was heavy. It seemed like she was in terrible discomfort.

“I’ll go over right now.” His spirits immediately dampened, he pushed back the covers and got out.

An Xiaoning tightened her grip on the blanket. She looked over at him and said, “I’ll come with you.”

“No — you sleep first. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” He put on his coat last in an orderly manner. Maybe in consideration of her status, he turned and reached out to hold her face. Giving it a little peck, he said soothingly, “I’ll be back real quick.”

An Xiaoning grunted, “You better be back soon, or else…”

“Or else what?”

“I’ll use a different method to make you get it!”

“Alright…” He kept his smile and headed out.

He arrived at Wei Ni Estate. Just then, the doctor came out from Chi Rui’er’s room and reported, “Young Master, because the fever is quite high, I’ve put her on a drip.”

“Hmmm, alright, noted.”

He pushed the door open. Chi Rui’er was leaning on the bed to rest. She had one hand hanging onto a drip and the other held a cup of milk. Seeing him enter, she looked at him with a pitiful look and said, “Qingyan, I’m feeling so unwell.”

“Aren’t you on a drip? You’ll get better soon. Why did you get a fever?”

“I fell asleep while bathing.” She placed the glass of milk on the table and continued, “The bathroom temperature was too low — you should know, I have a weak constitution. Were you in bed already?”

“Ummm, I just lay down when your call came.”

“If I knew, I wouldn’t have called you. But I’ve no one to speak to. I’m so lonely.” Chi Rui’er’s eyes were brimming with sadness. “Qingyan, how much longer may I live here?”

“If you think it’s not convenient living here, I’ve arranged for someone to get you another house. I’ll get people to protect and take care of you, okay?” His words were full of meaning. It wasn’t her own house, after all, and there had to be a limit to how long she could stay there. She couldn’t possibly stay there forever.

Chi Rui’er replied lightly, “I don’t think it’s inconvenient actually, it’s very safe living here. There are people everywhere, it’s just that I’m afraid… you and your wife may get into an argument, that won’t be good.”

Jin Qingyan did not know what to say at that moment, so he just responded, “She did mention it. Just stay here for now, I’ll look for other houses. If there’s a decent one, you can move in.”

Chi Rui’er felt uncomfortable inside. This was indeed not her house, and she wasn’t the lady of the house either. She had no right to say anything. She suddenly felt it was very important for a woman to have a status.

She originally thought she had Gu Beicheng within her grasp, but who’d have known it would all be futile.

She was so deeply devoted to him and loved him so extremely much, but he suddenly initiated a breakup with her.

As for this one, he suddenly got married too.

Chi Rui’er found it funnier the more she thought of it. She had nothing at all in the end.

She found her words stuck in her throat. Finally, she was able to mouth two words, “That’s fine.”

Jin Qingyan accompanied her until a full bottle of intravenous drip had been used up. Seeing that it was rather late already, he told her, “I’ll get the helper to accompany you while you have this second bottle of drip, you can sleep peacefully now. After the bottle is used up, I’ll get her to remove the needle for you.”

“Will you be here tomorrow?”

“I’ll come over.”

Chi Rui’er could finally reply cheerfully, “Okay. I’ll wait for you, hurry back then.”

Jin Qingyan went forward to cover her with a blanket properly and dimmed the lights. He then got up and instructed the helpers to take care of her.

When he arrived home, An Xiaoning was already fast asleep.

After moving close to her warm figure, Jin Qingyan did not want to wake her so he slept quietly.

In the morning, when An Xiaoning woke up, he hugged her from behind. From his ears, he could hear the sound of her faint and regular breathing.

She pushed his hands away but her body was immediately pulled into his arms again and was not allowed to move an inch.

“I want to get out of bed.”

“You haven’t asked me if I agree to it.”

“Hmph,” she snorted softly. “I still have to get your permission to get out of bed?”

“Other times, no, but now, yes.” He turned over her body and her eyes met his — they were crinkled up in a grin. She had yet to see them clearly and was suddenly overwhelmed by his warm breath, which made the whole of An Xiaoning’s face numb.

Her head remained whirling because of the gentle treatment she was receiving. Her lips did not belong to her anymore. It was not a reckless and domineering conquest but the gentle pampering of a baby.

His legs slowly tangled up with hers, and his body gradually lost control.

Between the two of them, An Xiaoning was always in the inferior position.

When he changed and got out of bed, he said, “Come and do my tie for me.”

“I don’t know how to,” An Xiaoning confessed honestly. “I really don’t know.”

“If you don’t know, then learn,” he said in a soft tone. “I’ll teach you.”

An Xiaoning went forward and held onto the tie. His hand was on hers, going over the moves. However, she used too much strength at the end and almost strangled him to death.

“Ahem ahem ahem…” Jin Qingyan’s internal organs were about to bleed out. “Are you trying to murder your husband?”

“Sorry, my hand slipped — used too much strength — I’ll take note next time.”

He did it properly himself and went to wash up.

The two had the rare chance of brushing their teeth together. Doing the same action in the mirror and even having the same expression on, this scene oddly gave her an urge to laugh.

“A constipated look,” he mumbled as he rinsed his mouth.

“That’s because I was looking at you.”

“…”

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 98: Do You Have a Crush on Her

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“You’re too kind.” Jiang Tong pressed her elbow on the table. Then, she lowered her voice to ask Zhou Jingyun some details, such as how he arranged for people to protect her family. This matter could not be neglected. Although Jiang Tong had the powerful connections and various skills brought about by the 500-year cycle, which allowed her to deal with all kinds of sudden incidents, it was still better to be prepared for some things.


Just as Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun were whispering, a man’s loud voice suddenly came from the side, “Babe, what do you think of this place? It’s a new Italian restaurant. I ate here last week. The taste is very authentic. Have you eaten western food before?”


Jiang Tong turned around and saw a slightly chubby middle-aged man wearing a cap and holding a scantily-clad young woman who was wearing perfume. He was gesticulating at the entrance of the restaurant.


“Okay, okay. Let’s eat here then. I haven’t eaten Italian food yet.” The young woman was very happy, and her voice was so sweet that it was sickening. The two of them sat down at the table next to Zhou Jingyun and Jiang Tong. When they ordered, they were very loud. The man even waved his hand generously, saying that they could order whatever they wanted. After ordering, the two of them continued to talk as if there was no one else around. The young woman even forced the middle-aged man as she asked, “You said that you wanted to divorce your old wife. Why aren’t you divorcing her yet? Are you lying to me?”


The middle-aged man quickly coaxed and explained, “Babe, listen to me. I want to get a divorce, but I still have to settle my property matters. I can’t get a divorce yet, so you should keep your voice down… Shh, don’t talk about this anymore.”


“Hmph, you always say that,” the young woman pouted.


“Babe, don’t be angry. I’ll bring you to buy a bag later. I’ll buy the one you want,” the middle-aged man coaxed.


The people in the restaurant were all disturbed because the couple was talking too loudly. Now that they heard the contents of their conversation, everyone understood that this was an old scumbag who cheated on his wife and brought his mistress out to eat. Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun were also frowning from the noise. That couple was making a racket in public without any manners at all.


Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun were talking about the protection arrangements for her family members, which involved a lot of things that could not be heard by others, even if they were strangers. With the middle-aged man and the young woman making a commotion, Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun could not hear each other at all. Zhou Jingyun turned around to take a look. Jiang Tong also sat up straight. She did not need to turn around because the couple was sitting opposite her. She could see them as soon as she raised her head.


When the middle-aged man came over to sit down, Jiang Tong had already seen his face clearly. She knew this man. Not only did she know him, but she also knew that the middle-aged man was bragging about getting a divorce. He was just lying and tricking the young woman. Even if he was very gutsy, he wouldn’t dare to get a divorce. He didn’t even dare to mention the word ‘divorce’ to his wife. If he did, he would be sent to the hospital!


“Can you guys lower your voices? It’s affecting everyone’s meal,” Jiang Tong said directly to the middle-aged man.


“Who the f*ck are you? Does your family own the restaurant? Why do you care about what I do?” The middle-aged man immediately exploded. He had no manners and was very proud of himself. After being taught a lesson by Jiang Tong in front of so many people, he stood up and wanted to go against Jiang Tong. However, when he saw Jiang Tong’s face, the anger on his face instantly turned into a smile. “I’m sorry, beautiful lady. Let’s lower our voices. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He not only apologized to Jiang Tong but also apologized to the customers at the other tables.


The guests waved their hands to show that they didn’t mind. The middle-aged man also acted like he was very well-educated. It was as though he knew his mistake and would change his behavior accordingly. If he hadn’t looked at Jiang Tong with those lecherous eyes, perhaps his apology would have been more believable. Unfortunately… he only apologized because he thought Jiang Tong was good-looking, and it was only because she was good-looking enough that he changed his expression. His eyes had betrayed his thoughts.


Jiang Tong couldn’t be bothered with the middle-aged man. She took a sip of mango juice. However, the young woman who came with the middle-aged man couldn’t take it anymore. She said, “What are you doing? You can’t walk properly because of her good-looking face? We’re guests too. Why can’t we talk?”


“I don’t think she’s good-looking. Babe, don’t overthink it. It’s indeed our fault. We’re disturbing others by talking too loudly,” the middle-aged man coaxed in a low voice.


“Don’t you always talk like that? Loud and it sounds awesome. Why do you start acting like a gentleman when you see a beautiful woman? Do you have a crush on her?” The young woman refused to give up.

TBC...
Source: I Repeated The Same Day For 500 Years - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 97: I’ve Used This Straw Before

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“No, I don’t mind the trouble. If I lose, I’ll gladly accept my defeat!” Zhou Jingyun immediately said.


The bet was set. The two of them went out together. When they walked out of the office, Zhou Jingyun had a faint smile on his face and Jiang Tong held his arm. Anyone would think that the two of them were a couple in love.


Twenty minutes later, Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun arrived at the restaurant. Jiang Tong had come to this Italian restaurant before. Although this restaurant had only been open for half a month, Jiang Tong had been to it countless times in the five hundred years time loop. This restaurant that Zhou Jingyun thought was quite new, Jiang Tong couldn’t be more familiar with it. The restaurant’s food was indeed not bad. The two of them arrived at the restaurant. The front of the restaurant was not big, but the space inside was very large. There was space outside the door, and there were a few tables under the parasol. Coupled with the exotic style of the decoration, it gave people the feeling that they were on a vacation abroad.


The weather today was not bad, so Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun directly chose a table outside the door. It was quite comfortable to sit under the parasol and enjoy the breeze. After ordering their dinner, the two of them chatted casually. In fact, Jiang Tong and Zhou Jingyun did not need to eat together every day. They were just acting as a couple. If both of them had time, then they would eat together. They had to go to a public place to eat so that their relationship would look more realistic. However, they didn’t want to run into any rich boss in the past two days to spread the news of their relationship. They just wanted to have lunch, so they randomly chose a restaurant.


It was hard to meet those top-tier rich businessmen in this restaurant. It was not because this restaurant was not high-class, but because the super-rich people in City Z were all over 40 or 50 years old and were not used to eating western food. Moreover, western restaurants were not suitable for entertaining customers. Customers might not like what they liked to eat, so it was not a safe choice of restaurant.


No one here knew Zhou Jingyun, and no one came to disturb him, so Zhou Jingyun was very relaxed. He looked at Jiang Tong and said, “I really have to thank you a lot this time. The endorsement contract was signed very smoothly, and the endorsement fee was also very low. Oh right…” as he spoke, Zhou Jingyun took out his phone and quickly tapped the screen a couple of times. After a while, Jiang Tong’s phone rang. A text message showed that her bank card had received 20 million dollars.


“Thank you, Boss Zhou.” Jiang Tong looked at her phone and said with a smile. The two of them had reached this stage, yet Jiang Tong still called Zhou Jingyun ‘Boss Zhou’. It made Zhou Jingyun not quite used to it. He looked around and said, “Can you not call ‘Boss Zhou’ or ‘Mr. Zhou’? We can be considered acquaintances, right? Moreover, there are too many people and too many mouths here. If someone accidentally hears it, the truth will be exposed.”


“Okay, then I will call you Zhou Jingyun or Jingyun directly,” Jiang Tong said with a smile. It was just a name, so she didn’t care.


Not long after, the waiter came to deliver the drinks. Zhou Jingyun didn’t order any alcohol. He only ordered two glasses of fruit juice of which one was a glass of mango juice and the other was a glass of orange juice. Jiang Tong picked up a cup casually and took a sip through the straw. Then, she frowned.


“What’s wrong?” Zhou Jingyun noticed Jiang Tong’s expression and asked.


“It’s too sour.” Jiang Tong pushed the orange juice aside and didn’t want to drink anymore. Zhou Jingyun saw this and pushed his untouched mango juice over. “Then you drink mine.” After saying that, he took the orange juice that Jiang Tong had taken a sip of and drank it. He didn’t have any expression on his face. He probably didn’t mind that the orange juice was sour.


Jiang Tong raised her eyebrows and said, “I’ve used this straw before.”


“We’re a couple. I’ll drink whatever you don’t want to drink. Is there a problem?” Zhou Jingyun glanced at Jiang Tong and then looked at the crowd on the street. He was a little embarrassed because he had not thought through what he had done just now as he did it casually. He did not want Jiang Tong to continue asking this question so he said, “Oh right, Shao Ying will investigate you sooner or later. She might even capture your family and threaten you. So I’ll send people to protect them secretly. First of all, they won’t disturb your parents’ lives. Besides, Shao Ying doesn’t have many connections in City Z. if she sends people after your family, I’ll definitely know in advance. Zhou Mingfei will inform me. There won’t be any danger.”


Jiang Tong was a little surprised. She didn’t expect Zhou Jingyun to have arranged everything. Jiang Tong had thought about protecting her family from harm, but she wasn’t in a hurry because Shao Ying wouldn’t act so quickly. She wanted to have more connections and then arrange for people to protect her family. She might not have troubled Zhou Jingyun to do so, but Zhou Jingyun had already arranged it, and it was good that he even took the initiative to do this.

TBC...
Source: I Repeated The Same Day For 500 Years - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 15: Chapter 15
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

As time slowly passed, the attendants outside curiously entered the room multiple times. Finally, Zhuge Yue pushed the go game board aside and stood up. The servant at his side immediately came forward and help him put on his deer leather boots. He wore a pale blue and dark flowered robe with a bright red overcoat made of fox fur. A child, who was not even thirteen years old, gave off an unexplainable maturity.

“Let’s go,” Zhuge Yue mumbled as he brought his entourage of servants out.

At the front of his compound, a herd of fine horses was waiting. Because of Zhuge Yue’s delay, the other masters of Zhuge residence had already left. One servant kneeled on the floor, and Zhuge Yue calmly walked forward and stepped on his back to climb onto the horse.

As he completed his preparation to move out, Zhuge Yue suddenly turned his head towards the servant standing at the front door and asked, “Xing Er, have you seen the lights during the lantern festival?”

Chu Qiao was taken aback and hurriedly shook her head.

Zhuge Yue nodded his head and said, “Come up here, I will bring you to see them.”

Chu Qiao was stunned for a while before she realized what Zhuge Yue was implying and hurriedly replied, “Young Master, I am not allowed to do that.”

Zhuge Yue frowned and was about to speak, but Chu Qiao instantly stood forward and said, “Xing Er can ride her own horse.”

Zhuge Yue was not convinced as he eyed Chu Qiao’s small stature. His suspicion was very obvious.

“Master, give a horse to Xing Er. Xing Er can ride the horse.”

Zhuge Yue gently smiled and nodded to his escort Zhu Cheng. In a while, a small claret horse was led out. Even though it was small, it was still much larger than Chu Qiao. Everyone’s gaze was on Chu Qiao. When they saw that she wasn’t taller than the horse’s leg, they chuckled.

The child circled the horse for two rounds and raised her hands straight up but could only touch the horse’s back. Zhuge Yue thought it was funny and was about to call someone to help her up, but the child just grabbed onto the horse and with a surge of strength, climbed onto it. Her action was very swift and precise.

The people standing around let out a gasp in surprise. Zhuge Yue turned and saw the child covered in snow, looking like a snowball, but still sitting straight and proudly on the horse. He couldn’t help but smile to himself before tapping the horse to leave.

Of course, Chu Qiao knew how to ride a horse. Even though this body was a little inconvenient, the good thing was that this horse was very tame. Once it saw the other horses leaving, it followed suit.

There was no curfew in the city, and as that day was the lantern festival, the streets were still crowded and lively. It was almost evening already as the skies had darkened. The streets were illuminated and the skies were filled with fireworks. A cool wind blew. Passing by the river bend, the beautiful lanterns illuminated the streets. The sides of the walkway were filled with dragon-shaped red lights and many tenements were converted to stages for performances. Dances, variety shows, dramas and music were everywhere. The lights and fireworks brightened up the night sky as hawkers lined the street soliciting customers, selling alcohol, tobacco, food, clothes, vegetables, fruits, furniture, flowers, and fireworks. Whatever the people wanted was available. The night sky seemed to be like a vibrant brocade with the world’s magnificence scrambled all over as everyone gathered together.

Chu Qiao sat on her horse as she looked around, soaking in the rare sight of the night scene in olden times.

Zhuge family was renowned and respected. Wherever they went, people would give way. They passed by an elegant building decorated with many unique and vibrant lanterns, such as adorable animals, celestial plants and flowers. The stall owner saw Zhuge Yue stopping, and immediately brought a big golden dragon lantern forward and started singing his praises.

Zhuge Yue seemed to ignore what he was saying and merely pointed at another hanging lantern. “Bring that one here.”

The stall owner turned back and saw the fourth master pointing at a snow-white rabbit lantern. He was stunned momentarily at this young master’s choice.

As Zhuge Yue held on to the lantern, his face revealed a rare smile. He handed the lantern over to Chu Qiao and said, “For you.”

Chu Qiao was shocked and subconsciously extended her hand to take it, even forgot to express her gratitude.

Zhuge Yue was expressionless and turned around before tapping the horse to continue moving on like nothing had happened. The people around carefully eyed Chu Qiao as they moved around her, pondering about what had happened.

Chu Qiao felt a bit ironic. She was really treated as a child.

The rabbit lantern was very exquisite. It was spotlessly white with its pair of red eyes, and as Chu Qiao extended her finger to gently tap on the mouth, a strip of pink ribbon for a tongue stuck out, surprising her.

At that instant, a gentle chuckle could be heard. Chu Qiao turned around, a bright and colorful parade passed by and blocked her view. There were all kinds of varieties of carts such as golden dragon, colorful phoenix, jade butterflies, snow foxes, fairy and goddess and all kinds of flowers. There were so many that she felt giddy looking at all of them at once. Streams of people and carriages travelling up and down the streets, and they brightened the night.

Finally, the parade had moved on. The other end of the long street could be seen. Snow piled on the frozen lake and the willow branch hung low with snow and icicles on it. The black steed leisurely stood there as a green robed young man stood with his arms crossed. He was apathetically leaning on the tree while he gazed forward with his bright black eyes and gently smiled.

All of sudden, a loud bang could be heard and everyone immediately looked up. They saw an extravagant fireworks display which resembled fairies dancing in the sky. A mischievous kid threw a firecracker under Chu Qiao’s horse, and since it was the first time the horse had been out, it was frightened and raised its hooves to sprint to escape.

The young man at the tree witnessed this and immediately climbed onto his mount, whipped it and headed towards Chu Qiao’s horse.

Zhuge residence’s personnel were shocked but they were separated by the crowd and were unable to react in time.

Zhuge Yue raised his eyebrow, whipped his horse and wanted to go over but was held back by his escort. He was angered and whipped the escort’s face. He raised his head and was about to chase her but the street was already a mess. With the crowd and the bright lights, Chu Qiao was already gone.

The horse raced forward as the cold wind howled. The chatter and noises gradually faded away in the distance and only the footsteps of the horse could be heard. The little red horse might have been small, but it was of a superior breed and was fast. Chu Qiao’s small hands grabbed tightly onto the horse and she crouched on the horse’s back as she calmly observed her surroundings. Her mind raced. Jing Yue Er’s small frame wouldn’t be able to survive the fall from the horse’s back at such a high speed so she would need to find an escape.

At this moment, the quickened sound of hooves could be heard from the back. A horse was catching up to Chu Qiao and had equalled the horse Chu Qiao was on.

“You plead with me and I will save you!” The teenage boy’s voice was scattered by the cold wind blowing, but Chu Qiao could still hear bits and pieces of it. She turned her head and glared sternly at the young men who was laughing at her misfortune. Her gaze was fixated and reflected no sign of panic.

“Or you tell me what that gesture means and I will save you!”

The cold wind was brittle as the little horse raced along in knee-deep snow. It’s speed gradually reduced, but there was no sign of stopping.

There was no time to lose. Chu Qiao suddenly released both her hands and with one hand pushing against the horse’s back, she leapt in the direction of the young boy.

With a thud, Chu Qiao’s body was thrown onto the teenage. He let out a gasp and tried to stop the horse but was a little late. Both of them were thrown off the horse and landed on the soft snow before rolling to the ground. The black horse was unaware and was still chasing after the little red horse. They gradually faded into the night sky and couldn’t be seen anymore.

“Flurry!” The teenage called out as he raised both his eyebrows. He staggered two steps before he shrugged off the snow on his body, but it was a wasted effort.

“This horse should be dragged back and slaughtered. If it doesn’t even know its owner fell off it, what’s the point of keeping it?” Chu Qiao crawled up and patted off the snow on her body, glad that she wasn’t injured.

Yan Xun turned and glared at Chu Qiao as he raged, “Flurry is a precious horse that my father brought back for me when he was hunting in Yan Bei. It hasn’t been with me for more than half a month and we are not familiar with each other. What’s weird about that? You are the one who was daring enough to let go of my horse. Who do you think deserves punishment?”

Chu Qiao said with disdain, “I didn’t even ask you to follow me. You can’t watch over your own horse, it has nothing to do with me.”

“You are so daring, how dare you speak like that to me?”

Chu Qiao furrowed her brow as she looked with disdain at the young but high-status Royal Highness Yan. She coldly scoffed and turned around to head back to the city.

Yan Xun was taken aback as he didn’t know that she would just leave like that. He hurriedly chased her and asked, “Where are you going?”

Chu Qiao glanced at him. “Of course I am going home. You expect me to spend the night here?”

The snow has piled up considerably. The shallow portions were below Chu Qiao’s knee, but the deep portions buried her thighs. Yan Xun was walking beside Chu Qiao, and seeing that her footsteps were heavy, the moodiness as a result of losing his horse disappeared. He grinned as he trotted along. After a few steps, his joy turned to sorrow as his leg gave way and he plopped on the floor.

Upon hearing a crack, Chu Qiao realized things weren’t well. She initially held onto his arm but Yan Xun’s weight was too much for Jing Yue Er’s body to bear. With a bang, the two of them fell into a big snow cave.

“Hey…how are you feeling?” Yan Xun emerged from the snow as he desperately pulled himself up. He saw a little hand and went to pull her out. He started shaking her head. “You’re not dead, right?”

“Let go.” The child gloomily frowned. She shook her leg. It was painful, and her frown deepened.

Yan Xun was a little anxious. “Are you injured?”

“I won’t die.” Chu Qiao raised her head and looked. The snow cave wasn’t deep down. She asked Yan Xun, “Can you climb up?”

Yan Xun tried to gauge the distance and shook his head. “The snow here is soft. If we were on flat ground I could jump up. But here, we will just sink deeper.”

“We will freeze to death in one night.” Chu Qiao mumbled and stood up, “You stand on my shoulders and climb up, and go look for people to come rescue me.”

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 14: Chapter 14
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

As a result, Chu Qiao was treated with even more respect by the others.

In the afternoon, Chu Qiao wore a brand new white cherry apple dress, white camel fur boots and two emerald jade flowers on her head. She looked adorable as she bounced along the lakeside in the backyard. She had just retrieved some agilawood incense from the outer courtyard and as she walked past the bamboo grove, a shadow suddenly appeared in front of her. The person let out a big laugh as he said, “Haha! Finally, I found you!”

The young prince wore a sapphire robe stitched with multi-colored birds and it was an assemblage of colors. He elated waved his whip in front of Chu Qiao, looked at her from head to toe, and said with a smile, “What’s up? Today’s weather is so good, let’s go fowling.”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrows when she saw the young prince beaming with excitement. She shook her head and said, “I’m not free, I still have things to do, please excuse me.” With that, she turned and left.

“Hey, don’t leave.” The young prince hurriedly ran to block her path by extending his arms and said, “It was not easy for me to find you, and I was waiting here in this garden for the whole afternoon. How about you tell me your name and which court you belong to? I will request Zhuge Huai to let you accompany me, what you do think?”

She raised her eyebrow, turned around and faced him. “You really want me to go with you?”

The young prince solemnly nodded his head and said, “Yes, among all the servants, you are the most pleasing to my eye. Let me designate you as my chief bodyguard. What do you think?”

Chu Qiao smiled and nodded. “Okay then, I will tell you my name. But whether you are able to request me from my master, we’ll see.”

“Rest assured!” He tapped his chest and proclaimed, “Even if I requested ten, Zhuge Huai still has to listen to me, let alone I am only asking for just you.”

“Okay, listen carefully, I’m name is ‘None’ and I belong to the ‘Exist’ court. I’m under lady ‘Tricks’, and what I do is knead clay figurines for the masters and ladies to play with so that they would have fun. You must remember.”

The young master’s eyes shone brightly and he said, “You know how to knead clay figurines?”

“Yes.” Chu Qiao held in her laughter and seeing that this kid was adorable, she tiptoed and extended her arm to gently pinch him on his cheek. She smiled and said, “I have many abilities and will let you see them first-hand in the future. I still have thores to run and I need to leave now. Remember to talk to my First Young Master.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” The young prince nodded and grinned. “You better go back and pack first. I will pick you up in a short while.”

Chu Qiao walked forward for quite a while and when she turned her head, the young prince was still standing on a boulder, enthusiastically waving his hand. Chu Qiao held back her smile and walked through the bamboo grove, holding her agilawood incense as she headed towards Qing Shan court.

“Named ‘None’, court ‘Exist’, servant of lady ‘Tricks’ and skilled in kneading clay figurines and have fun. How on earth did you come up with these?” A distinctly male voice suddenly rang out. Chu Qiao was taken by surprise and raised her head to see Yan Xun in a teal-colored light robe, sitting on the branch of a pine tree, smiling as he gazed at her.

Chu Qiao had already revealed her true self in front of him a few times and didn’t find the need to hide anymore. She coldly glanced at him and angrily chided, “You climbed so high, aren’t you afraid of falling to your death?”

“That should not be your concern. You are a wicked little kid, you should be more worried about yourself. The dark clouds are gathering, you can’t be sure that there will not be thunderstorms during winter and that those who are guilty of wrongdoings will be struck.”

With her small stature, she stood below the tree, looked up and said coldly, “No matter how many wrongdoings I commit, I couldn’t compare with you brats that don’t even blink when taking someone’s life. All of you are swine and none of you are any good.”

“How daring!” Even though his words sound serious, he still spoke with a casual tone and smile. Yan Xun sat on the branch, looked down at the child and said, “I purposely misfired my arrow to spare your life. To save you, I lost the winning prize of eight beautiful western dancers from your First Young Master. You aren’t even grateful but insult me instead. What is your reasoning?”

“Reasoning is spoken to people, what’s the point of speaking to swine? I have warned you not to harass me again, and don’t even think of turning me in as a threat. If you dare to do that, you are bound to regret your actions.”

Once she finished her words, she turned and quickened her pace. After taking two steps, she was struck by some object on the back of her head. She looked down and saw a pinecone still covered in snow. She was furious. She turned her head and glared at Yan Xun with anger. “Are you trying to provoke me?”

“Nope.” Yan Xun smiled proudly and said, “I’m not provoking you, just bullying you.”

Chu Qiao tilted her head and suddenly turned and left without uttering a word. Yan Xun purposely acted like he was deep in thought by half shutting his eyes, thinking that the child would argue with him. But to see her just leave like that, he was a little disappointed.

At this moment, a fist-sized stone unexpectedly soared through the air towards Yan Xun’s face. Luckily, he had learned martial arts and had good reflexes. He managed to tilt his head and dodge the hit. He was secretly pleased but suddenly felt a burst of coldness on his back and a crashing sound ensued. From the impact on the tree, the accumulated snow scattered all over him.

The teenage Royal Highness in finery jumped off the tree, covered in snow, and was a mess. He raised his head and saw the little girl standing on the snow-covered ground, clapping her hand to dust off. She saw he looked towards her, raised her right arm and pointed her middle finger at him. She smiled proudly and turned to leave.

Yan Xun frowned slightly and pointed his middle finger too. The thirteen year old Royal Highness Yan was quite confused, What does this gesture signify?

Eleven year old page boy Feng Mian ran out from the woods and aggressively called out, “Your Royal Highness, I will go and capture her for you to punish this disrespectful servant.”

“You? Catch her?” Yan Xun snorted and raised his middle finger. “Feng Mian, what does this gesture mean?”

“This?” Feng Mian was slightly taken aback but decisively said, “It should signify an apology. She knows that what she did was overboard but she is still a child and is embarrassed to apologize upfront, so she used that gesture to replace her words.”

“Apology?” Yan Xun frowned. “Doesn’t seem like it.”

“It must be, your Royal Highness.”

“Is that so?”

In the main hall of Red Hill court, Zhuge Huai, Zhao Che and the rest burst out into laughter as they overheard the conversation.

Wei Jing smiled and said, “Zhuge, I didn’t know you have such a bright girl here. Now even I wish to meet her.”

Zhuge Huai shook his head and said, “My servant isn’t sensible and put herself in a position to be ridiculed.”

“What happened? Why are all of you laughing?” The young prince was red with embarrassment as he seemed to know that he might have been the butt of the joke, but was unaware of what he did wrong.

Zhao Che chuckled. “Named ‘None’, from the ‘Exist’ court, servant of lady ‘Trick’, can knead clay figurines to play and have fun. Put it together, it was ‘none exists, play tricks and have fun’. It was all a lie. Thirteenth brother, she was just making fun of you!”

Zhao Song’s small face was bright red with embarrassment. He stomped his foot in anger and ran out.

A rumble sounded out. A wave of happy firecracker explosions unexpectedly appeared, the sparkles mixed in with the large snowflakes on the ground. Along the streets, many children were laughing and playing as they covered their ears and ignited the cheaper ‘thunder-cracker’ which let out a thunderous sound but without sparks. They were having so much fun.

The twenty-fifth lantern festival after the ascension of the throne for Emperor Bai Zong of the Xia Dynasty arrived amidst the festivities. Everyone was overwhelmed with joy as they filled the streets. The authorities provided free firecrackers for the people, which successfully created a livelier and joyful atmosphere. Sheng Jin palace’s master appreciated the actions of the capital magistrate and praised and rewarded him.

Amidst the thunderous sounds, Zhuge residence had also tightened their preparations for this important day. On this day, large amounts of snow fell, which looked like goose feathers floating everywhere. The elders in the city claimed that this year’s snowfall was a little bit odd, as normally by this time normally there was only frost.

Chu Qiao wore her newly knitted pink dress with a fox fur coat, and her white jade-like face was covered by the fox wool. She looked adorable with her two bright eyes, and she gently removed snowflakes that landed on her sharp nose.

“Xing Er, Young Master is calling for you.” The new servant, Huan Er, ran over with a thud, arms akimbo as she heaved while calling for Chu Qiao.

Chu Qiao nodded and said, “Let’s go.” She headed towards Xuan hall steadily and without a single tinge of anxiousness.

Frowning, Huan Er watched Chu Qiao walked away. After a while, she shook her head, hurriedly trying to catch up. Compared to Chu Qiao, Zhuge Yue was more slow-paced. When Chu Qiao pushed open the doors, she saw the fourth master of the Zhuge family sitting on his heated couch, reading a game of go. His eyebrows frowned as he pondered.

Chu Qiao had prepared and double-checked all the items required for later, and handed them over to the other servants. Once she was done, she poured a cup of tea and placed it on the desk beside Zhuge Yue. She then sat straight beside the incense burner as she held her chin and waited quietly for him.

A book sat on the table and the pages were flipped open. The pages were already yellowed which showed that it was a pretty old book. Chu Qiao was fixated on the book and saw that it was actually a Buddhist scripture, and became very curious.

Zhuge Yue could not considered to be too cruel, nor was he too sly. At a minimum, he was not as bad as rest of his aristocrat peers who participated in the game in the royal hunting ground that day. However, he was aloof and was extremely self-confident. Other himself, he did not think highly of anyone else, let alone believing in faith or religion. Why would he change his mindset and read Buddhist scriptures?

“What is written on that is not all rubbish,” seemingly reading Chu Qiao’s mind, Zhuge Yue muttered. He picked up a black go piece and placed it on the game board, while flipping over a few pages of the book. “Read it out loud.”

“Living a life is like living in thorns. If your heart remains still, then your body remain calm and still. Your body remain still, then you would not get hurt. If your heart is perturbed, your body would follow and take rash actions, thus you would be hurt by the thorns. It would scratch your body, pierce through your bones, and thus you would suffer for all kinds of pain in the world…”

Zhuge Yue raised his head slowly, his eyes revealed a whirlpool of thoughts as he stared at her with a profound look. He finally smiled and said, “Not bad, you know so many words at such a young age. Who taught you?”

Chu Qiao had already felt something was amiss when she read the first line, hence she did not panic, but smiled. “Thank you, Young Master, for your compliment. I have loved reading books since I was young and learned from my brothers and sisters.”

“Is that so? Do you understand what you have read?”

“I briefly understood.” Chu Qiao replied, “Could master explain it to me?”

Zhuge Yue grinned slightly and did not speak before lowering his head and continuing to study his go game.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 49: Please Me
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Did you have fun to your heart’s content tonight?”

An Xiaoning decided to play dumb and replied cluelessly, “What fun to my heart’s content? I just returned from the store, I’m exhausted as it is, where did the fun come from?”

Jin Qingyan commented, “You little liar.”

An Xiaoning continued to deny to the end, “Who’s a little liar? Don’t come accusing me if you yourself went out to have fun. Jin Qingyan, don’t accuse an innocent person. If you saw me, why didn’t you acknowledge me directly?”

Seeing how she blatantly refused to admit, he ended the topic and stopped talking about it anymore.

One after the other, they entered the bedroom. Jin Qingyan asked her, “Can you help Qingyue read her fortune?”

An Xiaoning responded, “What aspect of her life do you want me to read?”

“Regarding marriage.”

“I already said before, to read about marriage you need to vaguely know the other party’s birth characters.”

“Shi Shaochuan, I’m sure you’re familiar with it.”

An Xiaoning was startled. “Why did you mention him?”

“Qingyue is dating him now.” As Jin Qingyan uttered those words, it seemed as if they were forced out of his mouth. It was quite clear he was averse to the idea.

An Xiaoning heard this and was immediately visibly shaken. “I do know his birth characters because his grandfather made me read them for him, but I never expected your sister to get together with him. Shi Shaochuan is really a huge playboy. Beneath the facade of his dignified appearance, the women he has toyed with can line up from the front gate to the public bathhouse — my cousin is one of them.”

“And they say women in love have an IQ of zero. This is quite true indeed.” Jin Qingyan spoke as if he expected better from her sister. “Can you help me read if they will get together for long?”

An Xiaoning was actually reluctant to reveal it as it would do her no good. Not only will Jin Qingyue not thank her for it, she would also hate her.

“I already said, if your sister gets stopped by your parents, she’ll put all the blame on me.”

Jin Qingyan could read between her lines and sensed her insinuations, but he still wanted to know, “Compared to this, it’s more serious if she falls into a fiery pit.”

An Xiaoning changed into her nightgown, then went to the washroom to wash up and brush her teeth.

After she was done, she got onto the bed and leaned on the pillow. With her body leaned on one side, she asked, “What’s Qingyue’s birth characters?”

“She was born in the year XXXX, 24th August at 10:24 pm. The place of birth is the old villa.”

She repeated what he said silently, then replied, “Even though I already know how Shi Shaochuan’s marriage life would turn out, seeing the possibility of their marriage together, I don’t what to go into the details. Their birth characters clash. Let me tell you about Shi Shaochuan’s marriage situation: no matter how many women he has, these relationships will end eventually. Even if he gets married, it won’t last long. His grandfather’s efforts were in vain — marrying me was the only way for him to find someone to grow old with, but he didn’t appreciate it and even ruined the marriage himself. That piece of saying is really applicable — if it’s fated, there’s usually no way to change how it happens.”

“Then tell me, will Qingyue marry him?”

An Xiaoning gave a pensive smile. “Want to find out? You have to please me.”

Jin Qingyan’s handsome face froze for a moment. When it came to him turning to her for a favor, he still had to put himself in a position to be exploited by her.

“How do you want me to please you? Do you need my physical strength, financial resources, or for me to wait on you personally?”

An Xiaoning grinned from ear to ear. “No, no, I only love money — your financial resources are enough.”

Jin Qingyan looked like he understood immediately. His warm smile reached his eyes. “How much?”

“Hmm, let me see… if it’s too much, it makes it seem like I’m ripping you off, but if it’s too little, it doesn’t befit your reputation. Just this amount then.” She raised one finger.

“Ten dollars?”

A smile twitched at the corner of An Xiaoning’s lips. She got five hundred thousand from accompanying Gu Beicheng to the ball. Ten dollars? That idiot…

“No.”

“Ten thousand?”

She shook her head. “Do you think I charge just this amount now?”

“Okay — I know — a hundred thousand right?”

An Xiaoning beamed. “One million.”

“Who was the one who said she wouldn’t rip me off?”

“You belittle your wife too much. In the beginning, when I asked for a hundred thousand for reading your grandmother’s fortune, I already regretted — it was too little. It’s up to you. If you don’t want me to read anymore, I won’t take the money. Let’s turn in.” She slid into the covers and pulled them properly, closing her eyes to act like she was sleeping.

“One million it is. It’s not to an outsider anyway, this is called sharing profits with your own people. Giving it to my own wife, I’m happy with it. Come, take it, don’t hesitate to buy anything you want with it!” He generously passed the cheque to her.

An Xiaoning sprung up from the bed and received it with both hands. Looking at the cheque, she felt absolutely pleased in her heart, then she pecked a kiss on it and put it away. In a serious tone, she said, “Shi Shaochuan is someone who can please women very well. He can twist facts and distort the truth. Your sister is destined to fall into his hands. Even if you and your parents try to stop it, it’ll be useless — she needs to wake up from it herself. They will get married.”

Jin Qingyan’s face changed instantly, and he seemed to be deep in thought.

“Can her fate be changed?”

An Xiaoning answered directly, “No. Enough, don’t interfere in it anymore. It’s not something within your control.”

Jin Qingyan lay down with her, feeling slightly depressed. “Regarding this matter, I still hope it can be reversed.”

“How can it be reversed?”

“How about forcefully arranging a marriage for her?” Jin Qingyan’s thin lips went cool. “That’s far better than her being with Shi Shaochuan.”

“This is not an oppressive society anymore, you’re still thinking about arranged marriages?” An Xiaoning advised him gently, “Everything in this life happens for a reason. The kind deeds you did in your previous life reap their rewards in this life. Similarly, the sins you committed in your past life will affect how your life turns out — it’s not something you can just change if you want to. Honestly, those who change their fate will cause misfortune to befall on the fortune-teller. If it’s not out of greed for money, nobody would do such a thing. It’s basically divulging the will of heaven — nothing good comes out of it if it’s overly done.”

“Then by divulging this, how will it affect you?”

“Many ways.” An Xiaoning continued, “My health, marriage, and other areas will be affected.”

“Didn’t you tell me your Master said you were born on the fifteenth of July? How did she know?”

An Xiaoning muttered, “My Master is very skillful. Those who are skilled can tell such things, but I’m nowhere near her level. My knowledge is still shallow and my skills are limited.”

Thinking of the book old master Gu had given her, she went deep into thoughts. That book would be very beneficial to her.

“How’s your store doing?”

“Oh, very good.” An Xiaoning naturally hugged his waist and snuggled her face onto his chest. “Do you know why I love money so much?”

“Why?”

“Because only money is loyal to you. It won’t be fickle-minded. As long as I have enough of it, I’ll have control over it and it’ll have to listen to me. People are different, they have a heart. Owning someone’s heart is easier said than done.” She closed her lips gently. “Compared to a person’s heart, I still prefer money, which can be easily won over.”

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 48: It Would Be Absurd If He Couldn’t Recognize Her!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Hello.”

“Do me a favor please.” With his voice low and somber, he continued, “There’s a masquerade ball tonight. Will you be my partner?”

“This kind of ball is for blind dating, why would I, a married woman, go there?”

“I already said I needed your help. Anyway, with a mask on, no one will recognize you. It’ll just be for a while,” Gu Beicheng urged her in a desperate tone.

“Don’t tell me that other than me, you can’t find any other woman? I don’t underestimate your charisma at all.” It was evident that An Xiaoning was unwilling to go.

“Five hundred thousand,” Gu Beicheng offered this price. “Just half an hour and we’ll go back. Five hundred thousand for 30 minutes, how’s that?”

“It’s a deal then.” No one would ever complain of having too much money.

—

It was soon nighttime. Under the bright lighting that illuminated the venue, one could see that An Xiaoning was dressed immaculately, all decked up for the event. Gu Beicheng’s eyes brightened up at the sight of her.

He handed the masquerade mask over to her. Noticing that the mask would only reveal her eyes, An Xiaoning momentarily felt relieved.

With her hair tucked behind her ears and the mask on her face, she possessed a different kind of alluring charm.

“If I don’t look close enough, I would never realize it was you,” Gu Beicheng assured her. “Follow me inside and don’t speak a word. It won’t be nice if you are recognized by someone.”

“Don’t tell me there’s someone I know inside.”

He casually touched his nose, slightly awkward. “Of course there is.”

After they went in, An Xiaoning wished she could take Gu Beicheng’s head off and kick it around like a soccer ball. That jerk dared to lie to her. It was undoubtedly a blind date ball, but why didn’t he tell her beforehand that Madam Gu would be there too?

Although half of Madam Gu’s face was hidden by a mask, An Xiaoning could still recognize her.

She was suddenly on pins and needles. She even slightly regretted helping Gu Beicheng over money.

“Son, is this the lady you’ve taken a fancy to?”

“No, this is my partner for the ball.”

Madam Gu’s face changed instantly. She said in a hushed tone, “Told you to come here to pick a lady, what have you brought a partner for?”

“How badly does your son need to find a woman that I have to attend this ball today?”

“You could find one easily, but you better be serious in your relationship. That Chi Rui’er whom you’ve dated before, what kind of fling was that? Those who are invited here today are all celebrities. I asked you to attend today to meet more of these kinds of ladies. Just a few days ago, I read from a magazine report that you like men — that really pissed me off, what do you think I’ll feel as your mother?”

A smile twitched at the corner of Gu Beicheng’s mouth. “All of those were fabricated by the media. Can you believe them?”

“We know that, but others don’t, right? Enough of this rubbish, I don’t care, you have to get married before Ye Xiaotian does. I want to hold my head high before Ye Xiaotian’s mother!”

“Mother, lower your volume.” Gu Beicheng hugged his mother to reassure her. “Fine, you can go and find someone you think is decent for your son to see now. I’ll go and take a look too, to see if there’s anyone I fancy.”

“That’s much better,” Madam Gu replied and headed in.

Gu Beicheng tapped An Xiaoning’s hand to signal her to follow him, and he headed towards another direction.

They had not gone too far when An Xiaoning stopped in her tracks abruptly.

Within sight were Jin Qingyan and another woman wearing a mask. He was wearing a mask that covered half his face, but she could recognize him immediately. Looking again at the woman wearing a full mask, she was sure that it was Jin Qingyue. It seemed like he had come for Jin Qingyue.

“Come on, let’s go.”

An Xiaoning whispered, “Are you blind? Jin Qingyan’s in front — can’t you see that?”

“Yes, so what? If you stand beside me and don’t speak a word, would he be able to recognize you?”

“Yes, he would.” She debated, “Can’t we just stand here?”

“There’s someone I know over there. Come on, it’ll be fine.” Gu Beicheng reached out to drag her over forcefully. An Xiaoning felt extremely uncomfortable — her head hung low, and she stared fixedly on the ground. She did not dare to look in Jin Qingyan’s direction at all.

“Wow, who is this beautiful lady?” Ye Xiaotian straightened his posture. “New lover?”

Gu Beicheng forced a grin. “Take a guess?”

Ye Xiaotian pouted jokingly, “Not sure where you found this beauty to show off in front of your buddy.”

Jin Qingyan, who was nearby, narrowed his eyes. His gaze landed on the figure beside Gu Beicheng. There was no question about it, he could tell who it was at first glance.

He had been intimately involved with this figure countless times, it would be absurd if he couldn’t recognize her!

“You can’t recognize who she is, yet you blame her for being a beauty.” Gu Beicheng sneered.

Ye Xiaotian paused for a moment, observing An Xiaoning carefully. Since she had her head hung low, he had no choice but to go closer. He scanned her from head to toe and finally stood there, his mouth agape. It was like he had made a shocking discovery — there was a look of disbelief in his eyes. He purposely bumped into Gu Beicheng and remarked playfully, “Wow, you’re really something.”

In an attempt to make her stand firmly with her head held high, Gu Beicheng grabbed An Xiaoning’s shoulder, but she was too guilty to raise her head.

“A ball like this is completely pointless.”

“Indeed, completely pointless,” Ye Xiaotian chimed in. “A bunch of boring women, I can’t be bothered to look at them.”

The two went on and on with their conversation. An Xiaoning stood there feeling tortured, wishing that time would pass quickly.

On the other hand, Jin Qingyan’s line of sight was fixated on An Xiaoning while Jin Qingyue beside him had taken out her phone to check it continuously. It looked like she also did not want to be there at all.

A blind date ball like that could not do without them — nor without Long Tianze. He arrived the latest of them all.

“It’s really getting worse over the years. One look at their figures and almost none are right on point.” As he said that, Long Tianze’s eyes landed on Jin Qingyue and he quickly averted them.

“I’m already a married man and I still have to accompany you to suffer such treatment.” He then ordered Jin Qingyue, “Switch off your phone.”

Jin Qingyue cast him a pitiful look. “Brother, I don’t want to be here.”

“Even if you don’t want to, you have to. This is our mother’s orders.”

Jin Qingyue said in annoyance, “Our mother really shouldn’t have made me come here, it’s useless.”

“Those who attend this ball are our city’s most eligible bachelors. Choose properly. If there’s anyone you fancy, then coming here would’ve been useful.”

Jin Qingyue raised her eyebrows. “Brother, I already have a boyfriend now. Are you making me into a two-timer?”

Jin Qingyan suddenly stopped speaking. The look in his eyes became ice cold. Seeing her brother’s expression, Jin Qingyue was immediately intimidated into a state of speechlessness.

On one side, Long Tianze appeared as if he was casually looking at the women around him. In reality, his soul had traveled miles out of his body.

For this masquerade ball, the few of them were there just for fun. They left the exact same way they had arrived, without any gains at all. Yet…

An Xiaoning was easily able to receive five hundred thousand.

Who would find fault with money?

Even though the thought of being subjected to a round of questioning once she was home arose, it did not matter anymore.

She used to think five hundred thousand was a large amount. Now, she could get it so effortlessly. Only a fool would say no to it.

An Xiaoning did not go home immediately while still wearing the gown. She changed into another set of clothes and threw the gown she had had on directly into the rubbish bin. As her car was pulling into the house, Jin Qingyan had already reached home.

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 96: Do You Really Want to Bet With Me?

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The blind dates that the Xie family arranged for Xie Wenkai were not very successful. Of course, it was not because Xie Wenkai’s conditions were not good, but because his conditions were too good. The conditions that the Xie family offered were too harsh. First, it was whether Xie Wenkai would like the lady or not. If he did not like the lady, even if she was very good, the Xie family would not agree to their engagement. Secondly, if the lady’s family’s assets were less than one billion, they did not even have the qualifications to go on a blind date with Xie Wenkai. The family’s assets had to be more than one billion, the lady could not be too young or old. They had to be healthy. They could look ordinary, but they could not be too ugly.


In the beginning, many people knew that the Xie family had publicly announced their intention to find a partner for Xie Wenkai, and everyone went over excitedly. However, their excitement quickly died down because it was too difficult to marry into the Xie family! Later, it was unknown whether the Xie family found the situation to be dissatisfactory or something else, but they stood out and denied that they were finding a partner for Xie Wenkai through blind dates. Then, everything stopped until today. Xie Wenkai was still single, and there weren’t any rumors about him.


“Let’s bet!” Zhou Jingyun said to Jiang Tong after repeatedly thinking about all the possibilities. He was really a headstrong person! He had just suffered a loss once, and he still didn’t learn his lesson. However, he had thought about it carefully this time. He had thought about all kinds of assumptions. He even thought about whether Jiang Tong and Xie Guofu were good friends. However, he quickly denied this assumption for three reasons. First, the Xie family would not give in. They had to follow their standards when finding a girlfriend for Xie Wenkai. Jiang Tong clearly did not meet the Xie family’s standards. Second, although Xie Wenkai was taking over the Xie family’s company, he was very obedient to his parents. He had been disciplined too much since he was young and was used to it. He could not resist the family’s arrangements. Third, based on Jiang Tong’s character, she would never be able to marry into the Xie family! This was because the Xie family wanted an obedient daughter-in-law. However, Jiang Tong did not seem to be obedient at all!


Zhou Jingyun dared to make this bet not only because he had confidence in the Xie family, but also in Jiang Tong. How could a capable person like her, who never bowed her head, be at ease as a wife of a wealthy man? He knew that Jiang Tong liked to control everything, and he also knew that Jiang Tong was calm and unhurried in the face of any situation. She would not bow and scrape to others, so she would not marry into the Xie family!


“Are you really going to bet with me again?” Jiang Tong grinned, revealing her little white teeth. She thought that Zhou Jingyun would learn from his mistakes after thinking for so long, but he actually agreed.


“I’m going to bet with you. What’s there to be afraid of?” Zhou Jingyun said.


“I’m afraid that if you lose again, you’ll have a mental breakdown and doubt your life,” Jiang Tong smiled.


“You’re the one who will have a mental breakdown. Stop talking nonsense.” Zhou Jingyun pulled Jiang Tong’s collar and pressed her collar flat. Then, he looked up at Jiang Tong and said, “Tell me the specific rules and stakes.”


“I’m afraid that you won’t be able to accept my request,” Jiang Tong smiled and shook her head.


“You’re so confident that you can win? You currently have no ties with the Xie family though?” After Zhou Jingyun finished speaking, Jiang Tong nodded and replied, “Indeed, I have no ties with them. They don’t know me either.” Then, she rolled her eyes and asked, “Then why are you spouting nonsense? Are you afraid? Do you want to go back on your word and not bet with me? Do you want to use such words to scare me into not betting with you?”


“Tsk, you really don’t have a good memory.” Jiang Tong rubbed her nose, she looked at Zhou Jingyun and continued, “Since you won’t regret it, then let’s make a bet. I’ll use three days to make Xie Wenkai fall in love with me. And it’s the kind where he would never want to leave my side and would only want to be with me for the rest of his life.”


Hearing Jiang Tong’s words, Zhou Jingyun laughed. He slapped his legs and laughed out loud. “Make Xie Wenkai fall in love with you? Hahaha, forget about three days. I’ll give you thirty days!” Xie Wenkai was not interested in women at all. Furthermore, his family was strict. People like Jiang Tong would be stopped by the Xie family’s bodyguards before she could even reach Xie Wenkai.


“I only need three days. Do you want to bet or not?” Jiang Tong did not care about Zhou Jingyun’s mockery.


“Bet. Of course, I want to bet.” Zhou Jingyun pointed to the ground. “If I win, I want you to kneel down and apologize to me.” He had to win this one time. If he knelt down to Jiang Tong once, he wanted Jiang Tong to kneel down to him once!


“No problem,” Jiang Tong agreed.


“What are your conditions?” Zhou Jingyun asked immediately.


“My conditions…” Jiang Tong dragged out her last syllable. Her shoulder swayed up and down, and then she put one hand on Zhou Jingyun’s shoulder. She leaned forward and whispered into Zhou Jingyun’s ear, “When I need you, you’ll come at my beck and call. For 300 times?”


“300 times?” Zhou Jingyun asked back.


“If you think it’s troublesome, then forget it. If you don’t want to bet, then don’t bet.” Jiang Tong seemed as though she really did not want to bet with Zhou Jingyun. She used such harsh conditions to try and force Zhou Jingyun to give up.

TBC...
Source: I Repeated The Same Day For 500 Years - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 95: Nonsense

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Zhou Jingyun had just learned from Zhou Mingfei that someone from the Xie family was investigating Jiang Tong, which meant that they didn’t know Jiang Tong. Even if they did know each other, they definitely weren’t close to her. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have mobilized so many people to investigate Jiang Tong’s identity and background to the point that even Zhou Mingfei had noticed them using their network and connections. Therefore, Jiang Tong saying that she knew Xie Wenkai was simply nonsense!


Xie Wenkai was well-known in City Z. The title of the most eligible bachelor in City Z was not for nothing. Zhou Jingyun, along with the Zhou family and Zhou Mingfei, did not have much contact with the Six Blessings Corporation. The main reason was that the Six Blessings Corporation was in the business of gold, silver, and jewelry. The Xie family did not have many people. In the eyes of outsiders, they were not considered a big family. This made it difficult for both sides to form a common connection, whether in business or other aspects. Although there were no interests or disputes between the two sides, Zhou Jingyun had heard a lot about Xie Wenkai!


Xie Wenkai’s father, Xie Guofu, was a poor boy in his early years. In his early twenties, he came out to explore the world and did a lot of business. Although he always failed, he had accumulated a lot of experience. In the end, he made his fortune from a small jade shop. Xie Guofu seemed to be born to be a businessman. He had a tough character and was brave enough to venture into the world. In the early stages of the development of the Six Blessings Corporation, he even personally led people to the jade mine in Myanmar. At that time, the place was a chaotic mountain. He could be said to have risked his life to go there just to get a first-hand good source of goods at the lowest price. Perhaps because he was too focused on business, Xie Guofu got married very late. By the time Xie Wenkai was born, Six Blessings Corporation had already developed into the largest jewelry chain company in Northern China! Therefore, Xie Wenkai was born with a halo. It could be said that he was favored by thousands of people. Xie Guofu’s wife, who was also Xie Wenkai’s mother, was a woman from a high-ranking intellectual family. When she married Xie Guofu, she was a university professor.

1

Influenced by his family’s wealth and his mother’s education, Xie Wenkai behaved differently from other children from a young age. He was well-behaved, sensible, had excellent grades, and was polite. The Xie family’s upbringing was very good, this made Xie Wenkai behave very well from a young age. He had done very well in primary school. He came first in every exam. During the summer vacation, he stayed at home to study and did not go out to play with his friends. Although he was so outstanding that people were jealous, he also lost his childhood. It was said that Xie Wenkai had a clear plan for his future under the guidance of his family when he was very young. When he was in junior high school, Xie Wenkai helped his family design a few pieces of jewelry, and those designs achieved good sales, which was talked about by many people. When he was studying abroad, he even founded his own luxury brand abroad, and personally endorsed and walked down the runway for his own brand.


Luxury goods and jewelry were considered similar, and expensive diamond bracelets were luxury goods. Therefore, the luxury brand Xie Wenkai founded overseas could be considered a small test to prepare him to inherit the family business in the future. His family had high hopes for Xie Wenkai since he was the only child of Xie Guofu.


Zhou Jingyun had heard too many legends related to Xie Wenkai in the past few years when he returned to City Z. The most famous one was the incident two years ago when Xie Guofu almost publicly announced that they were looking for a daughter-in-law. Zhou Jingyun was the same age as Xie Wenkai. He was also 27 this year, but his birthday was slightly later than Xie Wenkai’s, so Xie Wenkai could be considered older than him. Xie Wenkai’s father, Xie Guofu, was around 50 to 60 years old this year. In fact, he was not that old. Normally, it would not be a problem for him to live for another 10 to 20 years. However, Xie Guofu’s health had always been poor. He had been worrying too much for the Six Blessings Corporation over the past few years. A few years ago, he had undergone a major surgery in the hospital. Although nothing much happened after that, everyone knew that Xie Guofu was in a hurry to let his son take over because of his health. He was afraid that he would suddenly die and Xie Wenkai had yet to completely take control of the company. That would cause trouble.


Two years ago, when Xie Wenkai was twenty-five years old, not long after Xie Guofu had completed his surgery and was safely discharged from the hospital, the Xie family began to arrange for Xie Wenkai to go on blind dates. That’s right, Xie Wenkai actually needed to go on blind dates! Because the family had been too strict with him before, he had never been in a relationship, nor did he know how to be in a relationship. The opposite sex was simply unable to get close to him. Even when he went abroad, the family had sent people to keep an eye on him, they were afraid that he would be corrupted by the culture outside. The Xie family had protected Xie Wenkai too well. This also caused Xie Wenkai to be unable to deviate from the norm, and it was even more impossible for him to have a woman!


At that time, they had strictly guarded against Xie Wenkai falling in love and interfering with his studies. Now that Xie Wenkai was twenty-five, the Xie family began to worry again.

TBC...
Source: I Repeated The Same Day For 500 Years - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“Yes, young master. Thank you!” The child respectfully lowered her head. After quite some time, she suddenly asked, “Does young master believe that sister Jin Zhu was set up by sister Jin Cai?”

Zhuge Yue let out a short groan. “Jin Cai is not a daring person, and even if she had the guts, she was not intelligent enough to come up with this plan. Zhu Shun is an elder here, but made a mistake and was punished for it. His ego was too big, and he wanted to find an excuse for his mistake, which is okay. However, he shouldn’t push the blame to people from my courtyard, setting up a false image of a tussle between the servants in Qing Shan court in order to prove himself innocent. He hasn’t learned properly from his past experiences.”

“Then why doesn’t young master help sister Jin Cai? She will get beaten to death by the court.”

“If she really did it, I actually would save her. But she fell so easily into somebody else’s trap, and that was enough to prove her stupidity. There’s no point of letting someone like that stay with me.”

The sun rays were piercing into the room from the window cracks and the refreshing scent of the plum flowers gradually emanated.

Ultimately Zhu Shun had already served in the Zhuge residence for over ten years and hadn’t wasted his years being useless. Although he truly believed that it was due to the tussle between Jin Cai and Jin Zhu that he was incriminated, he was afraid that Zhuge Yue wouldn’t believe him and might think that he was trying to wash away his fault by setting Jin Cai up. Hence, Zhu Shun didn’t let the court beat Jin Cai to death, but instead wanted to wait until the next day to report to his First Young Master, who would be free then.

At night, the court was dead silent. In the pitch black woodshed, Jin Cai’s flesh seemed to have been torn apart, with marks from whipping all over. She appeared to have received a heavy sentence. Chu Qiao stood in front of Jin Cai, scooped up a ladle of water and dumped it all over Jin Cai’s face. Jin Cai groaned a little and slowly woke up. Upon seeing Chu Qiao, she raged and fiercely shouted, “You b*tch! You still dare to come see me?!”

Chu Qiao calmly stood in front of her and quietly listened to her cursing and swearing. After a while, she gently smiled and said, “If you really want to die, feel free to continue shouting.”

Jin Cai’s clothes were tainted red, her face ghostly white as she heaved heavily with hate filled eyes.

Chu Qiao shook her head and said slowly, “Even if I didn’t have an intent to harm a snake, the snake still wants to bite me. I have warned you before, you shouldn’t have repeatedly gone against me. If you didn’t stalk me, you wouldn’t have suffered this consequence. It ultimately was your own fault. How could you blame others?”

“You wicked b*tch, even if I was dead, I would haunt you as a ghost!”

Chu Qiao let out a sigh. “So you really want to die?”

Jin Cai was taken aback as Chu Qiao continued speaking, “I didn’t intend to harm you, and whatever happened today was only to teach you a lesson. Too bad the fourth master refused to save you. Seems like you will be accompanying Jin Zhu in the Ting Lake soon.”

Jin Cai’s face became paler after she heard this. She looked at Chu Qiao and her eyes revealed a glimpse of her pleading for her life. She hurriedly said, “Xing Er, neither we were implacable foes in the past, nor did we had much hatred toward each other recently. Lin Xi’s death was all Jin Zhu’s idea, I just acquiesced. If you could come here without being noticed, I’m sure you can save me. Please save me, I don’t want to die!” After which, she trembled and started bawling.

Chu Qiao sighed, placed her bag down and said, “Don’t cry already. You think I’m here tonight to just chat with you? You do not deserve to die, and since I caused you to be in this situation, I definitely won’t leave you to be. Put on this clothes and I will bring you out immediately.” She came forward and undid the ropes tied to Jin Cai’s body.

Jin Cai was delighted and asked, “Can we escape? The security here is very tight.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve bribed the guards at the back door. The master is returning home. You’re just an insignificant maid; no one will bother to investigate. As long as you can escape, you won’t die.”

Jin Cai followed closely behind Chu Qiao, and they both slipped out from the window and passed the rockery of Red Hill court. Suddenly they heard footsteps in the distance. It was the guards who were patrolling. Both girls immediately squatted down and dared not take a step forward.

Chu Qiao turned back and handed her bag to Jin Cai. She whispered, “I will go distract those people, you make your way to the western gate. I’ve already made an arrangement with the gatekeeper. Once you are there, just mention my name and you will be free to go. Here is some money and clothing. It belonged to sister Zhi Xiang. They’re a little small and I don’t know if you can fit into them. I don’t have much money and that’s all I can give you. You take care of yourself after you leave and make good choices please.” She turned and went to the other side, making some noise as she left so that the guards on duty would notice and chase toward her direction.

Jin Cai opened the bag to find that there was such a meager amount of money that she couldn’t even afford to buy a roasted goose. She raised her eyebrows. The clothes were either torn or dirty, and they were ugly and gave off a weird smell. She was even more upset. She thought that instead of being a proper servant, she had ended up as a fugitive. If she was caught, she would definitely die. This was all due to Jing Xing Er, who acted like she was a good person. So shameless of her.

Jin Cai took the money and threw the bag on the floor. She didn’t care about the consequences Chu Qiao had to face if people found this bag and its contents after she successful escape.

The cold wind blew and tugged on the corners of her clothes, the moon shone down brightly on the earth.

At that moment, in Zhu Shun’s room, a man’s heavy breathing and a woman’s tender moaning with dirty talk could be heard. The winter night was freezing, and the guards had long found warm places to take a nap. The small child tiptoed her way to Zhu Shun’s door. She didn’t make a single visible action or audible sound.

Chu Qiao knelt outside Zhu Shun’s door. Her eyes shone like diamonds in the pitch black environment, showing her wise and calm demeanor. The man inside let out a groan, followed by the rustling sound of him putting on his clothes. Chu Qiao picked up a stone and threw it at the door. The rock hit with a soft thud, but enough to be heard by the people inside. Zhu Shun raised his voice, “Who’s out there?”

Chu Qiao did not reply but picked up another stone and again threw it at his door.

“I’m coming!” the man said frustrated. “In the middle of the night, who’s that?”

The door was pulled open but no one was to be seen, Zhu Shun raised his eyebrows astonished, stuck out his head, and started walking out. Once he lifted his leg, he was tripped by a rope that he didn’t notice before crashing to the ground.

“Ouch!” he screamed in pain and was about to curse. A black sack was placed over his head, obscuring his vision. He was shocked and realized that something was amiss. He started shouting and throwing his hands around.

The night was dark and freezing. Chu Qiao held her sharp dagger, her eyes and lips revealed a cold-hearted expression. She directed her dagger at his chubby hand and slashed it. A loud shriek that sounded like a pig going through a slaughterhouse erupted. Zhu Shun held his wrist painfully and rolled around on the ground. Chu Qiao immediately escaped westwards, towards the direction of the flowerbeds.

Behind her, a clutter of footsteps from the guards followed and a sharp scream from a woman could be heard. “What happened? Ah! Who did this to you, Steward Zhu?”

The woman’s clothing was not on properly. She was shocked and said, “I did not clearly see who it was. I could only tell the person was short, seems like…seems like a child.”

“Where did the person head towards?”

“West!”

“Chase!”

Over ten people’s footsteps made their way in front of her and swept past her. She tried her best to crouch and hide among the bushes. The voices slowly drifted away and the surroundings quieted down. The child patted the soil and dirt off her body before standing up and leisurely started to leave. Her pace was unusual casual and confident.

As she passed by the rockwork of Red Hill court, she saw her bag with its contents messily sprawled about, as she had expected. She sneered, picked up her bag and walked towards Qing Shan court. She carefully climbed through the back window and changed into white pajamas. Voices outside became louder and the torch was glaring, lighting up the sky.

Chu Qiao ran her hand through her hair and rubbed her eyes before opening the door with a sleepy expression. She coincidentally met a few of the other young maids who just opened their doors.

“What happened?”

These few servants were already thirteen to fourteen years old but their status was not as high as Chu Qiao’s. They blankly shook their heads. Then, the opening of a door could be heard from Xuan hall, and they hurriedly ran over there.

Zhuge Yue was gloomy and saw the unkempt Chu Qiao and the other servants. He asked his bodyguard, “What happened? Why is there so much noise?”

“Young Master, there seemed to be an assassin. Steward Zhu’s hand was cut off. Guards at the western door captured Jin Cai trying to escape. She was brought back to the court.”

Zhuge Yue was shocked but a chuckle followed. “Who would’ve thought Jin Cai had such a temperament.”

The guard carefully looked at Chu Qiao. “When Jin Cai was caught, she screamed that she was set up by Chu Qiao and that she had done nothing.”

Once this was said, all attention turned to Chu Qiao. She wrinkled her small face and her big innocent eyes blinked as they watered, and she felt she was wronged. She turned and looked pitifully at Zhuge Yue and sadly claimed, “The fourth master, I’ve…I’ve been in my room sleeping this whole time. I-I didn’t…”

“Fourth Master, Xing Er was in her room the whole time, we all saw,” a third-class maid stepped forward and said.

Other servants started standing up for Chu Qiao.

Zhuge Yue nodded his head and told his messenger, “Tell the court, if that woman continues spouting nonsense, don’t even bother to give her a trial, just throw her into the lake. How old is Xing Er? How could Jin Cai’s talk get more and more ridiculous?”

The servant immediately nodded his head and left.

Zhuge Yue looked at his young maids and said, “Go back to sleep,” and went back into Xuan hall.

Chu Qiao stood in her spot, her face revealing her displeasure from being wronged. A few of the other servants tugged at her and said, “Xing Er, don’t be afraid, we are your witnesses. She can’t accuse you.”

Chu Qiao nodded her head and with a weeping voice, said, “Thank you, sisters.”

It was already late in the night and the cold wind continued blowing. Today was the seventh day after the children from the Jing family had left this world. The people who caused their death had finally paid their dues with their blood.

However, this little amount of pay back, was far from enough.

The “assassin” incident was a hot topic and causing chaos until the next day. Zhu Shun was left with one hand and took his rage out by ordering his men to beat Jin Cai to death. She was already injured previously, and was killed within two hours. She was thrown into the lake with a straw mat to feed the crocodiles.

Zhuge Yue had been a loner and was unsociable. Xuan hall initially only had Jin Zhu and Jin Cai, but within a few days they died one after another. Now, only Chu Qiao was left. She was still young and was not even eight years old. She had a baby-like face and spoke with childish voice. No matter how capable she was, outsiders still more or less felt weird that she would be in charge. In less than half a day, rumors had spread throughout the residence, claiming that the fourth young master was following in the old grand master’s footsteps, and had developed an abnormal liking for the ungrown young girls.

TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

“She jumped off the cliff.”

“What?” Zhu Shun was angry and instantaneously snapped, “You think I’m an idiot? You mean the lass from Jing household set you up and jumped to her death thereafter?”

“I…”

“A bunch of nonsense,” Zhu Shun shouted, “You were in here for four to five years and I have always treated you well. Your fight with Jin Zhu in Qing Shan Court is your own affairs, why did you drag me into it? What are you trying to do now? Are you trying to get me into trouble in front of the various masters?”

“Zhu caretaker, please believe me.”

“Guys! Teach her a good lesson!”

A shrilling scream sounded.

Chu Qiao held on tightly onto a rope she had prepared previously and swung herself into a small cave. This octagonal mountain was made up of piles of charcoal rocks. Every spring, there will be purple moss appearing on the charcoal rocks. After roasting it, it has a unique smell which calms the soul. Every spring, people from Zhuge family will collect the mosses from the cliff and as time passed, they dug up a man-sized hole. Chu Qiao spent a lot of time in the backyard and was made well-aware of the existence of this hole. She carefully placed the withered grass she plucked apart and kept her rope, waiting for the crowd to disperse.

At this moment, warm breath could be felt in her ear, a male voice whispered with a chuckle, “This girl, how are you so wicked?”

Chu Qiao was shocked. She immediately turned around and hastily struck the person with the hook attached to her rope.

“It’s hard to imagine you are a child who is not even ten years old yet.” The person was agile and grabbed ahold of Chu Qiao’s small hands with ease, his voice tranquil.

Because of Chu Qiao’s small stature, this person pinned her down to the floor with just one hand. But she still unyieldingly raised her head and was surprised as she raised her eyebrows, “It’s you?”

The man seemed to be stunned for a moment too and carefully scrutinized the child. He had an epiphany and smiled, “Who am I? So it’s you, is the medicine still effective?”

The man had dashing eyebrows with a sharp nose, jet-black eyes with an incisiveness hidden below his gentleness. Impressively, he is a distinguished guest of today’s gala, Royal Highness of Yan, Yan Xun.

Chu Qiao determinedly raised her head and said coldly, “Why are you here? What are you trying to do?”

Yan Xun grinned, “I should be the one asking you this.”

Many thoughts ran across Chu Qiao’s mind and she repeatedly considered the chances of pushing this man down the cliff. While she was considering, she tried to reach for the dagger hidden at her waist.

Yan Xun pointed at her and said calmly, “If you don’t want to be discovered, you better be obedient and not have any other ideas. Such a small child, how can you be so wicked?”

Chu Qiao raised her eyebrow, “Compared to you people, I am far from wicked. With you hiding here, you are probably up to no good too. Pot calling the kettle black, don’t be a hypocrite and act like you’re a big help to me.”

Yan Xun instantly stood up upon hearing this, plied open the worm and shouted, “Who’s above?”

Chu Qiao gasped and did not manage to stop him in time. If she was exposed, Xiao Ba will get into trouble too. She immediately pulled out her dagger and thrust it towards Yan Xun.

Yan Xun did a hook with his natural reflex and lounged onto Chu Qiao’s mouth, bringing her into his embrace. Just then, an alarmed voice came from above and Yan Xun stuck his head out and shouted, “His Royal Highness is here appreciating the plum trees, why are you guys causing a ruckus? Quickly disperse.”

Zhu Shun was brought to the cliff by his men and upon seeing Yan Xun, he lost his dominance and bowed down for a long while before hastily bringing his men away.

Yan Xun grinned as he released her arm, spun around and said, “This counts as me giving you a big helping hand right?”

Chu Qiao is short and is below Yan Xun’s shoulders. She stuck her ear out and listened for a while,realizing that there wasn’t any movement above. She threw her hook above and ensured that it was ledged on properly before turning over and maneuvering her way up.

Yan Xun squinted and observed her. Although she is definitely more agile, she doesn’t seem to be from a martial arts background. While she is brave, she is not reckless with nimble movements. The cave was merely a meter below, Yan Xun firmly held onto the cliff and with a surge of force, he jumped up.

Chu Qiao kept her hook and surveyed her surroundings to ensure her safety before leaving. She suddenly turned around and said coldly, “I don’t like to owe people favors. Later on before making your way back, look carefully at your horse.”

Yan Xun was slightly taken aback. By the time he recovered his sense, the child was long gone. In the distance, she seemed like a dog crawling on the rugged trail and was gone after a moment.

The young Royal Highness of Yan squinted and gave a slight grin, “Interesting.”

Descending the octagonal mountain, she passed by a strip of exquisite rockwork before entering the plum forest.

Today the various vagrants of Huang City’s great families were gathered at Zhuge Court, the plum forest area was under extra watchful eyes, hence extremely quiet. While treading through, Chu Qiao occasionally leisurely tiptoed to pluck some plum flowers.

“Hey you! Come over!” A rude voice shouted out, seemingly of a child’s but was of an overbearing tone.

Chu Qiao glanced and saw a young prince dressed in an emerald robe with an intricate depiction of a fluffy snow white sable tail embroidered in golden stitches. He had a bright face and slightly crinkled sharp nose. His et black eyes stared at her and shouted, “Yes, you! I’m calling for you!”

Chu Qiao frowned but thought it best not to cause any trouble. She bowed down respectfully and said, “I still have things to do, please excuse me.” Once she completed her sentence, she turned and left.

The young prince was taken aback as he did not expect this servant to leave as she wished. He wrinkled his nose and suddenly yielded the whip in his hand and shouted, “You mongrel! So daring!”

Once she heard the sound, she turned back immediately and grabbed the tip of the whip with her bare hands while staring coldly at him.

Little did he know that Zhuge household’s servant was so ferocious, he used all his might and tugged but to no avail. He pouted and raged, “Do you want to die? I will tell my men to chop you up!”

Chu Qiao smiled coldly and nimbly spun the whip. The whip immediately slipped out of the young prince’s hand and into her own. Despite being less than eight years old, having a small stature and with a tender face, her glare was definitely not of a child. She calmly edged forward and said without a tinge of emotion, “The whip is used for chasing horses and not for you to attack others.” Once she finished speaking, she handed the whip back to him and turned to leave.

Seeing that this girl was smaller in stature but was full of confidence and was so nimble, he felt attracted to her. Seeing her leave, he felt anxious but he was not able to speak to her positively with his huge ego. He presumptuously ran up and blocked her path, “You are a servant from which Zhuge Court? What’s your name? Do you know who I am? Do you believe I will ask my men to chop you up?”

Chu Qiao lifted up her head, glanced at him slightly and pushed his arm away. She raised her eyebrows in disdain, “You can’t beat me so you will have to call your men, what a weakling. No matter your status, I’m not interested to find out.”

The plum trees swayed as the young prince stood amidst the trees; he stared blankly at Chu Qiao disappearing into the horizon.

After reaching Qing Shan Court, she said her greetings to those around and headed straight to Xuan Hall. Zhuge Yue was lying on his bed with a lazy demeanour and just vaguely looked at Chu Qiao without lifting his head.

She walked towards a jade vase and removed the flowers from the day before, placing the plum flowers she plucked into the vase. After which, she went beside Zhuge Yue and kneeled down at the incense burner. She mixed the slush from the plum flowers with basil before carefully pouring it into the incense burner and gently fanned it. Immediately there was a refreshing smell, Zhuge Yue took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

A long time passed and Zhuge Yue seemed to have fallen asleep. At this moment, there were sudden movements outside and he wearily opened his eyes.

“Fourth Master, Zhu caretaker deployed his man to inform us that at the octagonal mountain he had caught Jin Cai red-handed, laying out a pot of rattan and many poisonous snakes. She’s being trailed now.”

Zhuge Yue half-opened his eyes and leisurely said, “Even though Jin Cai is bossy, she is timid, she wouldn’t dare to bring poisonous snakes with her. Did anyone hear what she said?”

“She said…”The servant’s voice trailed off while darting a look at Chu Qiao quietly sitting in the corner. He whispered, “She said she was following behind Chu Qiao and even said that she had set up both Jin Cai and Jin Zhu. Her purpose is to take revenge for the deaths of the children of the Jing household.”

“Xing Er,” Zhuge Yue reclined on his bed, lifted up his teacup and said calmly, “Explain yourself.”

Chu Qiao kneeled down and replied calmly, “I didn’t do it.”

“So where did you go?”

“Xing Er went to the plum garden.”

“Did anyone else see you?”

The child shook her head but thought for a moment and said, “Xing Er saw a young prince at the garden. He isn’t from our court, he’s slightly over ten years old and was wearing a jade robe with a snow white sable tail. I don’t know his name.”

“Hm,” Zhuge Yue nodded his head and told the messenger, “You go.”

The messenger was slightly taken aback and said with uncertainty, “So for Miss Jin Cai…”

Zhuge Yue raised his head, closed his eyes and leaned on the bed. He gently said, “She has to pay the price for her mistakes, see how the court wants to handle her.”

The messenger nodded and left. The house was quiet with the slight scent of the smoky incense.

“Xing Er, do you hate the court for killing your relatives?”

Chu Qiao looked down and replied obediently, “Master, Xing Er has been the court’s servant from a young age. And only because of you, I have a warm bed to sleep on, warm food to eat and clothes to keep me warm. I’m still young and my heart can’t contain so many thoughts. I only wish to serve my master well and live properly.”

“Yes,” Zhuge Yue nodded his head, “What you’re thinking is right. Even though you are young, you are still reliable. Next time, the matters of Xuan Hall will be handed to you to manage.”
TBC...
Source: The Legend of Chu Qiao: Division 11’s Princess Agent - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 47: Caught You and Ripped You Off
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

They were taken away just like that!

Who on earth had she done wrong to!

This time, he finally fell asleep completely. Mei Yangyang was at last able to put a blanket over him. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Thinking that he would not want the leftover food, she carried the packet of leftovers and set off.

Reaching home, she lay on her bed but just could not fall asleep.

She made an unconscious gesture of touching her lips. It seemed as if she could still feel his lips on hers — that sizzling feeling of excitement made her doomed to suffer from insomnia that night.

—

The following morning, Mei Yangyang was late to the store by a whole half an hour.

She ran into the store flustered, only to see An Xiaoning already seated inside. She immediately went forward apologetically said, “Sis, I’m sorry, I overslept.”

“It’s fine. We’re not busy in the morning anyway. Have you eaten?”

“No.”

“Go to the breakfast shop to eat something. There’s no one here anyway. Go on.”

Mei Yangyang nodded thankfully. “Okay.”

When she returned after eating, An Xiaoning had gone to replenish the stocks, which was a full two hours of journey. Returning from the manufacturer’s place, she saw a nanny van parked outside her own store. This van looked extremely familiar to An Xiaoning.

When she looked more carefully, she thought to herself, Isn’t that Sun Weiwei’s car?

Heading towards her store’s entrance, she saw Sun Weiwei and her assistant picking out clothes as soon as she reached the doorway.

Seeing her, the both of them were in disbelief for a moment. But when Mei Yangyang called out to her sister, the two who were hesitant to acknowledge her immediately changed their faces.

Sun Weiwei’s eyes narrowed. “You are An Ning?”

“Nice to meet you, Ms. Sun. I am An Xiaoning.”

Sun Weiwei did not speak. She whipped out her phone and started looking for something. Reading her face, An Xiaoning could easily tell what she was looking at.

“You’re Jin Qingyan’s wife?”

An Xiaoning flashed a radiant smile at her. “Yes, why?”

Sun Weiwei’s face burned in embarrassment. She stuttered, “Why… why did you join the set…”

Looking at her face, which had turned as pale as a sheet, An Xiaoning knew what she was afraid of. After all, doing drugs was not a small thing, and what she did to her was not a small matter either.

“To experience life, why not? Oh right, I forgot to tell you — this is my store. Take a look at our clothes, they are all new designs.” She spoke in an appropriate manner, like she had not suffered under the hands of Sun Weiwei on-set and like nothing had happened between the two at all.

Sun Weiwei was already in a state of bewilderment at this point. She only nodded her head, muttering, “Of course, I need to take a look, naturally.”

An Xiaoning plastered a smile on her face and spoke eloquently, “See which one you fancy, you can try them on.”

She pointed to one at random. It looked as if she had not recovered from the surprise. Seeing her serious state of shock, Mei Yangyang was unusually happy about it. She swiftly took out the clothes rail to get the piece of clothing for her.

Sun Weiwei took off her coat and tried on the clothing. An Xiaoning praised her highly, “Wow, it really highlights your class when you wear it. Ms. Sun already looks beautiful originally, but wearing this clothing from my store enhances your beauty even further.”

“Okay then, I’ll have this wrapped up.”

An Xiaoning smiled politely. “Yangyang, help Ms. Sun wrap up this clothing.”

Right after, Sun Weiwei scanned the clothes around once and pointed to another piece. “I’ll have a look at this too.”

“Okay.” An Xiaoning took down the clothing and passed it to her.

Sun Weiwei brought the clothing into the fitting room to try. She stood before the mirror. It fitted her very comfortably and it looked trendy as well — with this piece of clothing on her, she looked pretty good.

After that, she tried on another piece of clothing.

She was satisfied once again and, after changing, informed An Xiaoning, “Wrap them all up.”

“Ms. Sun is indeed forthright. I guarantee you, with these clothes, you’ll appear extraordinary.”

“How much do they cost?”

“These three clothing have different pricing. Hmm… the first costs 700 thousand, this one on my hand costs 550 thousand, and that one costs 600 thousand. Since we’re already old friends — I mean, it’s not the first day we’ve known each other — I’ll give you a discount from the original price of one million 850 thousand. How about one million 500 thousand, what do you say?”

Sun Weiwei and her assistant were dumbfounded. Her assistant couldn’t help but exclaim, “What, but this clothing looks like it costs at most a thousand yuan…”

“It might look so, but the material of the clothing is different. Moreover, we are the sole distributor of all our clothing. The manufacturer only supplies it to our shop.”

Sun Weiwei forced a smile. She had originally wanted to soothe her relations with An Xiaoning. Little did she expect that An Xiaoning would rip such a huge sum out of her. But, at this moment, she was not in a position where she could back down. Puffing herself up at her own cost, she had no choice but to buy the clothes.

“Ms. Sun, do you want them or not? I’ve wrapped them up for you.”

“I do. I’m paying by card.”

As she said those words, An Xiaoning could obviously detect her voice trembling. Her smile became even more radiant, and she replied sweetly, “Okay.”

After swiping her card, Mei Yangyang — who was also in shock — passed the clothing to Sun Weiwei’s assistant and said gently, “Take care, please come again.”

Sun Weiwei smiled uneasily, and when she turned, her whole face was stiff.

Returning to the car, she darted a glance at the bag of clothes, incensed. “Does she think I’m a fool, charging me one million and 500 thousand yuan for a few pieces of clothing!”

“Sister Weiwei, you should have rejected them.” Her assistant was boiling with rage too. “So what if she’s the Young Mistress of the Jin family?”

“You don’t understand,” Sun Weiwei said slowly, “We treated her like that on-set and she even knows that I do drugs — if she tells the media, my career is finished. You don’t even understand such a principle, how can you be my assistant! Forget about the money she cheated me out of, it’s way better than the truth being revealed. Forget it, just treat it as money lost, damn it, the more I think about it, the angrier I get.”

Her assistant did not dare to speak anymore and drove the car away.

An Xiaoning stood there watching the car pull away. She turned and told Mei Yangyang, “Yangyang, how about this: let’s hire one or two more sales assistants. They can stay in the store at night, we can put a huge bed in the changing room. That way, you can rest earlier and come in later.”

Mei Yangyang’s eyes moistened slightly. “Sis, you’re so nice to me.”

An Xiaoning patted her shoulder. “Because I think you’re nice to me too. Let’s put a notice of recruitment at the door, I’ll put you in charge of it.”

“Sure. How much is the starting pay?”

“2500 per month, food and housing included. After working for a longer time, there will be a raise in pay.”

“I think that’s really good enough. I see other shops offering at most 1600 to 1700, and they don’t even include food or housing. But…” The thought of it lifted Mei Yangyang’s spirits immediately. “You were so daring just now, you actually dared to sell our few-hundred-yuan coats to Sun Weiwei at such a high amount — more than one million yuan. Wow, what a huge amount of money.”

“The suffering I experienced under her on-set was no joke.” An Xiaoning smiled lightly. “People like her who specialize in bullying others need to be taught a lesson at the appropriate time. She probably wouldn’t dare to buy from our store again in the future.”

Mei Yangyang covered her mouth and laughed. “I suppose so, unless her brain has gone wrong.”

“Boss, that fellow is calling again!”

An Xiaoning walked further into her shop and took out her phone. It was Gu Beicheng calling her.

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 46: A Kiss Taken Away
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Mei Yangyang stood at the doorway for some time. It was cramped with people entering and leaving. She did not want to go in alone, but Mei Shuangshuang seemed to be inside. She had no choice but to go in to find out, so she hesitated.

The hoodie behind her shirt suddenly got raised up and Mei Yangyang squealed, startled — she turned to see a pair of cold eyes staring at her.

“Hey, little girl.”

“I’m not a little girl, I’m 20 already.”

“Wow, you’re of age.” Long Tianze unclenched his hands and folded them into his pocket. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to find my younger sister, but I don’t quite dare go in alone.”

“Come in with me.” He turned and headed in while Mei Yangyang followed closely behind.

After searching the place once and realizing that Mei Shuangshuang was not inside, she said, “Thank you, Young Master Long.”

“I haven’t eaten, will you have a meal with me?”

“Huh?”

He continued to stare at her, “Will you?”

Mei Yangyang finally nodded, “Sure.”

At this very moment, Mei Shuangshuang’s call came in. She answered it, and on the other end was Mei Shuangshuang’s shrilly voice, “What did you call me for? You act like you’re inspecting me all day, how annoying can you get?”

“Do you think I want to supervise you? Our parents can’t take care of you properly, I’m just controlling you abit and you’ve already become like this. If i didn’t, you will probably do worse things.”

“Tonight I’m sleeping at a classmate’s house, I’m not going back.” With that, she ended the call.

Mei Yangyang furiously threw her phone into her pocket. She then followed Long Tianze to a nearby restaurant and the two entered a private room only for themselves.

He ordered many dishes. Although she told him that they won’t be able to finish them, he still spared no effort in doing so, even ordering a luxurious brand of wine.

Mei Yangyang could guess that the number of dishes he ordered would probably amount to a huge figure.

He looked like he was in quite a bad mood, yet he urged her, “Look at how skinny you are, eat more.”

Mei Yangyang nodded and picked up her chopsticks to eat only the dishes nearest to her. Meanwhile, he ate very little and only kept on drinking.

“Don’t just drink, it’s harmful for your liver. Eat more.” Mei Yangyang picked up more food for him with her chopsticks.

Looking at her appearance, he asked, “Are you still in school?”

“No. I stopped school long ago, and now I’m working at Sister Ning’s store.”

“What store did she open?”

“A fashion boutique, selling clothes.”

Long Tianze nodded. “Looking at your baby face makes me feel that you’re very young. Why didn’t you continue going to school?”

“My family circumstances didn’t allow me to.” Mei Yangyang smiled vaguely. “Are you very unhappy?”

“You can see that?”

“It’s very obvious…”

He sighed and asked, “How many boyfriends have you had?”

“Oh, I haven’t been in love yet, so I haven’t had a single relationship before.” She ate as she spoke, “A pure and beautiful young girl like me just hasn’t found the right man who could catch my eye yet.”

Long Tianze’s gaze landed on her lips. Her pink lips were stained with oil, and he wanted to get a tissue to wipe it off for her. In actual fact, after drinking a few glasses, he really did take out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the stain off her lips himself.

Mei Yangyang was somewhat taken aback. She raised her head to look at him. His gaze was slightly detached, like he was seeing another face through hers.

Long Tianze moved closer to her and sat beside her. Using one arm to support his head, he looked at her and said, “You’re so good-looking.”

Mei Yangyang had never heard such a compliment from a handsome man like him. Her pretty face blushed and turned scarlet.

“I think I’m good-looking too.”

He broke into a broad grin and went into a trance for a moment. Using one hand to hold onto the back of her head, he pushed his face towards hers and kissed her without warning.

Mei Yangyang looked at the face that was on hers. Her whole body instantly froze; she remained in shock.

She was wondering what situation she was in. Before she could even react, his lips had pulled away from hers.

“Yueyue, why are you so blind, is that guy a better catch than me? Can he compare to my handsome face, good qualifications, and devotion towards you?”

Mei Yangyang was dumfounded. He must have taken her for someone else — this made her somewhat displeased momentarily.

Seeing that she was not speaking, Long Tianze continued to probe, “Why, don’t want to answer me?”

Although Mei Yangyang did not know who that other guy was, she still replied, “He’s not as good a catch as you, he doesn’t look as good as you or have better qualifications than you — he can’t compare to you in any way.”

“Then why do you want him and not me?”

“…” Mei Yangyang raised her glass and drank a few sips. It was true that alcohol could boost one’s courage. She then responded, “I want you and not him.”

“If you do it with me now, then I’ll believe you.”

Mei Yangyang took a deep breath and told him in a serious tone, “Look carefully, who am I?”

“Aren’t you just Jin Qingyue, who else could you be?”

“…”

Basically, he did not eat much during that meal. After paying, Mei Yangyang felt the leftover dishes were such a waste. She asked the waiter to takeaway the food before leaving the restaurant with him.

With one hand carrying the food and another supporting him, Mei Yangyang used up all her strength to get him to his personal lounge at his bar.

When she finally helped him to his bed, she felt like she was going to pass out from the fatigue.

After putting the food on the table, Mei Yangyang went to cover him with a blanket.

Little did she expect that he’d open his eyes and ask, “Didn’t you say you want me, you can have me now.”

Mei Yangyang tried to coax him to sleep, “Okay okay okay — I want you — quickly close your eyes and sleep now, I’ll do it with you after you fall asleep.”

He suddenly sprung and sat right up. He headed to the door and locked it from the inside, then came back and turned on the heater in the room. He removed his clothes himself.

Witnessing this scene left Mei Yangyang dumbfounded. She stuttered, “What… what are you doing?”

“You said you want me, you can’t go back on your words.” As he spoke, he removed every piece of clothing on him until all that was left were his briefs.

Mei Yangyang immediately stopped him from going on with his pace. “Stop… don’t continue anymore, I’m going home.”

Long Tianze reached out to grab her and held her tightly in his arms. “I forbid you from leaving.”

“Let go of me.” Mei Yangyang instantly regretted sending him back. She should have just left him with someone from the bar.

At this moment, she not only had to endure his actions of taking advantage of her but also had to hear him nagging.

“Yueyue, I’ve liked you for so many years — do you know that? Everyone can tell but you.

Yueyue, do you remember us going camping as kids? I scared you in the middle of the night by saying there was a ghost and everyone started running back, but you tripped over a rock and hurt your head. It was bleeding, and I brought my own medicine bag and bandaged your wound for you.”

“…”

Her body was abruptly pushed onto the bed. Mei Yangyang’s lips were forcefully seized by him, her whole body was in a state of oxygen deficiency.

Looking at the face right before her, his brows, eyes, nose, hair, and even his pores could not be seen.

She suddenly could not breathe and held her breath for a long time without letting go; meanwhile, her heart was thumping at a furious speed.

When it came to the point where she had to breathe or she would suffocate, she exerted all her effort to push him away and took a huge breath.

His scent was still around her mouth and lips. Mei Yangyang was not in a good state of mind — she was mourning deeply inside for herself. Twice, she was pushed down by the weight of a drunk man, and this time, even her first and second kisses had been taken away by him!

TBC...
Source: The Wealthy Psychic Lady: 99 Stolen Kisses - ExtraNovel.com

Chapter 94: Where Did Your Confidence Come From

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jiang Tong was provoking him, but she refused to admit it. Zhou Jingyun’s eyelids twitched. He suddenly pulled Jiang Tong by her collar and leaned forward. The two of them were so close that they were almost face to face. Zhou Jingyun asked faintly, “Jiang Tong, do you think I can’t do anything to you?”


“I didn’t say anything.” Feeling Zhou Jingyun’s breath on her face, Jiang Tong remained calm.


“You’re not in love with me, are you?” Zhou Jingyun revealed a teasing smile.


“Don’t flatter yourself.” Jiang Tong curled the corners of her mouth.


“Really?” Zhou Jingyun acted as if he had seen through her. “Then you clearly know that I don’t want to talk about that matter, yet you still took the initiative to mention it to me. Are you trying to get attention from me, or…”


“To outsiders, I’m already your girlfriend, and I’m pregnant. We see each other every day. Why do I need your attention for?” Jiang Tong interrupted Zhou Jingyun’s words. “You’re not the most handsome man I know, nor are you the richest. You even put on a facade that wards off strangers. When children see your face, they’ll be scared to tears. So, where did you get the confidence to think that I would fall in love with you?”


Zhou Jingyun’s eyelids twitched. Jiang Tong’s words were really unpleasant to hear!


Jiang Tong felt that she would not tell Zhou Jingyun that she had been specially trained in debating and insulting others. This was also part of her eloquence. She felt that good eloquence was very important, especially in interpersonal relationships. Saying pleasant words would make the other party happy, and saying unpleasant words would also stir up the other party’s nerves. Her words could change the other party’s emotions, and stimulate the other party’s rebellious mentality.


Zhou Jingyun was really stirred. “From what you said, you’ve met a lot of men, right? All of them are cream of the crop type of men, right?” Zhou Jingyun wanted to fight back. Although Jiang Tong had helped him a lot, he was still angry and wanted to suppress Jiang Tong’s arrogance!


Zhou Jingyun was very clear about the importance of important matters. In the overall situation, he naturally had to be on the same side as Jiang Tong. Zhou Mingfei gave Jiang Tong a house worth 100 million. He felt that Zhou Mingfei should give it as Jiang Tong deserved it. However, he also felt that he had to settle the personal grudge between him and Jiang Tong. Zhou Jingyun did not realize that he, who had always been calm and steady, had been stirred up by Jiang Tong’s words.


“I’ve seen a lot of men,” Jiang Tong smiled.


“All of them are more handsome than me and richer than me?” Zhou Jingyun pressed.


“Of course, but I can’t tell you who they are because this involves personal privacy.” Jiang Tong continued to smile


“You can’t tell me or you have no idea how to make it up?” Zhou Jingyun smiled. It wasn’t that he was narcissistic, but there were only a few people in City Z who were more handsome and richer than him, and there weren’t many of them. “Seeing how arrogant you are, I thought you were a very talented intelligence dealer. From your tone, I almost thought you knew Xie Wenkai.”


Zhou Jingyun had just mentioned Xie Wenkai, which made Jiang Tong stunned for a moment. She thought Zhou Jingyun knew something, but then she changed her mind. Maybe they had just talked about the Six Blessings Corporation. Furthermore, Xie Wenkai’s reputation in Z City was truly renowned. Zhou Jingyun’s business circle in City Z could be said to be well-known, but very few people outside the business circle knew about him because he kept a low profile. However, Xie Wenkai was different. In the whole Z City, Xie Wenkai… was almost known to everyone!


In the eyes of ordinary people, Xie Wenkai might be more famous than his father, Xie Guofu! Ordinary people couldn’t tell the name of the CEO of Six Blessings Corporation, but they could tell the name of the CEO’s only son. That was because Xie Wenkai was not only the son of the richest man in City Z but also the most eligible bachelor in City Z. He was cold and gentle, he was the dream lover of countless women.


Of course, Zhou Jingyun knew about Xie Wenkai’s reputation in City Z, so he instinctively thought of Xie Wenkai.


“Xie Wenkai…” Jiang Tong smiled, “For the time being, he doesn’t know me yet.”


“For the time being?” Zhou Jingyun found a loophole in Jiang Tong’s words.


“Yes, for the time being,” Jiang Tong nodded. “For the time being, it means I don’t know him now, but I might know him in a few days. Eh? What’s with that expression? You don’t believe me? Do you want to make another bet?”


Make another bet? Zhou Jingyun’s eyelids twitched violently when he heard the word ‘Bet’. He had just lost to Jiang Tong because he didn’t believe Jiang Tong! It had only been a few minutes since he had fulfilled the bet conditions and knelt down to apologize to Jiang Tong! The two of them were just talking, and she actually wanted to make another bet?! Zhou Jingyun was now really convinced of Jiang Tong’s abilities and connections, but this time was different!

TBC...
Source: I Repeated The Same Day For 500 Years - ExtraNovel.com