The night by the Quiet Lake was serene, yet it possessed a unique clamor of its own. For the other living creatures here, the fall of darkness signaled the start of their time. To the left, a chorus of frogs rose in waves, while not far to the front right, tiny specks of phosphorescence flickered. Chu Ruo raised her hand, tracing a path through the air with delight.
"Look, there are fireflies. I never noticed them before. Do you think they know your mother is gone? Now that this is a place of freedom, they’ve all come out to play."
Two white-clad figures sat upon the ground. Nan Muxue leaned naturally into the other’s embrace. "Your imagination is as vivid as ever."
"I think my emotions are even more vivid," Chu Ruo immediately added, "but only for you, of course."
The effect of these words was palpable; the woman in her arms clearly appreciated the sentiment, as the hands holding Chu Ruo tightened their grip. "Do you like it here?"
"As long as I’m with you, I like it anywhere."
"Glib-tongued. Did you get into trouble again today?"
"You really know how to spoil a mood," Chu Ruo grumbled. Honestly, it was rare for her to say something so sweet—even if it was a bit cheesy—but Nan Muxue just had to think the worst of her. Not cute. Her Little Scorpion was being very un-cute.
Nan Muxue’s right index and middle fingers moved to a precise spot on Chu Ruo’s back, poking it without hesitation. "Hmm?"
Chu Ruo wilted instantly. "Xue’er..."
"Call me Master."
"No, I want to call you Xue’er." She leaned in audaciously. "If that won't do, then 'Wife' or 'Little Lady' it is."
"Shut your mouth."
"You don't like those? Fine, then back to the old way—Little Scorpion~"
Nan Muxue’s expression didn't change, but her fingers pressed a fraction deeper into the vital point on Chu Ruo’s back. Chu Ruo simply went limp. "Anyway, I don't believe you’d have the heart to poke me to death."
"You..."
"Alright, alright, let’s just have a nice chat. Doing this every time hurts our feelings."
"Are our feelings truly so fragile?" Nan Muxue asked.
"Your words could really choke a person to death..."
"Even if they were that fragile," Nan Muxue said, looking at her with burning intensity, "don't even think about escaping. Chu Ruo, you belong to Nan Muxue for the rest of your life."
"Mm, using the fiercest tone to say the sweetest things. But I’m the type who isn't afraid of death. Besides, one lifetime seems a bit too short; it’s not enough."
Nan Muxue "cooperated" with her, saying, "From now on, every time you do something wrong or say something to provoke your Master, you shall be punished by staying at my side until your debt is paid in full."
"But what if I use up this entire life and still owe you?"
"Then you shall remain in debt. You will never be able to pay it off."
"That was exactly my intention."
They looked at each other and smiled. Chu Ruo wrapped her cloak around them both. "The lakeside gets cold at night. With your current condition, you must be careful. Don't be careless."
"You make your Master sound like some sort of medicine jar."
"Don't talk back to me. I’m in charge of this."
Nan Muxue pinched her chin and refused to let go. "Your temper is growing. You actually dare to..."
"Is there anything in this Hundred Flowers Palace I don't dare to do?"
"True. I forgot you have always been wanton."
"Then you are the one being dissolute."
Nan Muxue arched an eyebrow. "And what if I am?"
"I truly love your arrogance and the way your eyes soften when you look at me," Chu Ruo said, leaning in to kiss her. "Nan Muxue, how can you be like this? Treating me this way makes it impossible for me to leave you. I’m becoming more and more dependent on you. Is this exactly what you wanted?"
Nan Muxue let out a soft laugh. "It is too late for you to realize it now. Enough. You’ve likely been worried these past few days. Since we’ve come here today, take the chance to relax."
"Your mother fell off the cliff, and the leaders of those great sects are missing, presumed dead. Though we’ll be busy, we can finally stop living in suspense. You had already poisoned her that day; why did you make her fight Liu Songhe and the others afterward? I didn't actually need to pretend to be Xiong Feng to sneak attack her. If we had just waited for the poison to take effect, she wouldn't have fallen off the cliff. She is your mother, after all... are you sad in your heart?"
They had searched the cliff as best they could, descending as far as possible, but they hadn't even reached a third of the way down. No matter how skilled Nan Menghua was, even if she survived the fall, the chances of climbing back up those sheer, barren walls were zero. Others had used every tool available and only made it a short distance. The Little Scorpion’s mother was almost certainly dead.
"Her martial arts were too formidable. Poison alone wasn't enough; I needed her to exhaust her internal energy in combat. Furthermore, by doing so..."
Chu Ruo’s mind suddenly sparked with realization. "By doing so, Liu Songhe and Shen Wanxiong were also severely weakened. Oh, so you were planning to kill several birds with one stone all along."
"You aren't stupid, after all. Though your mind is usually focused elsewhere."
"Well, with a beauty in my arms, I’m more interested in the land of tenderness."
"Calling you a lecher would be an understatement."
"However, Tu Aozhi didn't lose anything. In fact, I feel like we helped him this time. Hasn't he always wanted to deal with the Central Plains martial arts world? We unintentionally helped him while dealing with your mother."
"He has many secrets—the token, my mother, his hatred for martial artists. For now, everything is still within my expectations. As for what comes next, we’ll take it one step at a time. We don't know his full background yet, but as long as he stays on the mountain, it isn't a major problem."
After she finished speaking, she realized Chu Ruo was staring at her. She smiled. "What are you looking at?"
"You," Chu Ruo replied, then laughed. "This conversation feels like it happened before, back in..."
"When you first entered the Palace. You had just woken up, and I went to see you."
"Right," Chu Ruo picked up the thread. "The exact same words. I never thought we’d reenact it today. But I remember after I answered back then, a certain someone almost strangled me. She forced me to take her as my Master and made me kneel. Sigh, thinking back, you really were..."
"Really were what?"
"Nothing, cough, nothing," Chu Ruo hugged her again. "Xue’er, you’ve always worked so hard, always been so tired. You’re constantly worrying and planning for the future."
Nan Muxue shook her head in her arms. "After all these years, I’ve long since grown used to it. I just never thought there would be someone who could walk this path with me until the end. Ruo’er, my future consists only of you."
"Sometimes I feel so useless. I always say I’ll share your burdens, but in reality, I can't do anything. I can only follow your arrangements. I never seem to think of a way to solve our predicaments; I always have to rely on you alone. Sometimes, I’m very afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
"Afraid that you’ll leave me."
Nan Muxue laughed, sounding almost happy. "A fellow like you actually knows fear? You always have such messy thoughts in your head. Even if you don't trust yourself, you should have confidence in your Master."
"It’s precisely because you’re too excellent that I..."
"Ruo’er," she tapped Chu Ruo’s head. "Sometimes you really should clear out those messy thoughts. Once my mind is set, it will not change. We have been through so much, through life and death. Why are you lacking confidence now?"
"I just find it hard to believe that such a wonderful woman would like a bucket of rice like me, who is neither skilled in letters nor martial arts."
"It seems you’ve been too idle lately. Otherwise, how could you spend all day overthinking? I shall find some work for you to do tomorrow."
"Xue’er~"
"Chu Ruo, there has only ever been you in my heart. It is so now, and it shall be so in the future. If you dare have those bastard thoughts again, do not blame your Master for being unkind."
"Then..."
"You’re still talking?"
Chu Ruo blinked mischievously. "I was going to ask... can I just move all my things directly into your room?"
The next day, news spread through the Hundred Flowers Palace. For the others, it was hard to say if it was good or bad: Nan Yunshuang had regained consciousness.
However, when a certain fact came out of her mouth, Chu Ruo felt that this was the luckiest moment of her entire life.
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Master, Spare My Life: A Disciple's Sweet Rebellion | Chapter 108 | Promises by the Lake | Novela.app | Novela.app
