Chapter 444 - Can’t Breathe

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The atmosphere fell into strange silence for a moment.

The people who had been secretly watching the scene had not expected the dignified State Preceptor to kiss the little maid. T-t-this, just what the hell was going on? Was he possessed?

Qi Qingyao reacted the fastest. She immediately pushed Li Ruoxuan away and thundered, “You’re crazy!”

After getting pushed away, Li Ruoxuan stroked his lips with his fingertip. Looking at the fierce light in the girl’s eyes, he said with a smile, “I have gone crazy.”

After Si Jin returned to his senses, he instantly approached, planning to choke Li Ruoxuan to death.

Li Ruoxuan quietly took a step back. His expression was very restrained. He said with an exceptional calmness, “Does this pageboy wish to lay a hand on the State Preceptor?”

Si Jin, “...”

A pageboy?

Once Qi Qingyao recovered from her anger, she noticed that many people nearby were watching them. She hurriedly grabbed Si Jin, who was a little agitated, and said, “Xiaojin, don’t be reckless.”

A surly light flashed across Si Jin’s eyes, like a bomb that was fit to explode anytime.

Qi Qingyao held his hand and patted the back of it gently. Si Jin calmed down a little, but his gaze was still like a little beast’s, glaring fiercely at Li Ruoxuan.

After Lu Yan, Jiang Yeqian, Dong Jing, and others had returned to their senses, Lu Yan was about to speak.

However, Qi Qingyao spoke first and asked with a gloomy gaze, “State Preceptor, I don’t know what’s gotten into you all of a sudden.”

Li Ruoxuan said unhurriedly, “I’m just interested in you. I wonder if the little maid is willing to go back with me.”

“I’m not willing.” Qi Qingyao spat out the three words coldly.

Li Ruoxuan said calmly, “When do you want me to start getting rough?”

Suddenly, right in the middle of the dead silence, a gorgeous baritone sounded in the corner.

“Li Ruoxuan!!!”

Li Ruoxuan cleaned his ears out. He turned around with a big smile and said indifferently, “Head Grand Secretariat, my ears are fine. You don’t have to be so loud.”

Jiang Yeqian’s eyes were as sharp as a knife. He lifted his eyes slightly, and there was an anger that was hard to suppress hidden within his eyes.

He walked over step by step with his crutches, like a god of death.

Then, just as he was about to flare up, his gaze swept over the people around him. He was silent. With an exceptionally assertive motion, he dragged Li Ruoxuan to the side…

Seeing that the culprit had been taken away, Qi Qingyao looked at the upper-classes of Qingzhou City, who still planned on being nosy. She quickly told Lu Yan, “Let’s leave.”

“You—” Lu Yan had recovered from this series of events. He looked at her and said in annoyance, “I can’t tolerate this.”

Qi Qingyao said faintly, “Do you think Dong Jing can defeat him?”

“I have Xiaojin,” Lu Yan confidently pointed at Si Jin in his disguise.

Seeing that there was something wrong with this idiot’s head, Qi Qingyao could only lower her voice and look down. She leaned closer to his ear and muttered, “If Si Jin really kills Li Ruoxuan right here, or severely injures him, Si Jin’s identity will be instantly exposed! Do you really want that?”

“Then do I just stand by and watch him take advantage of you?” Lu Yan let out a furious growl.

Seeing how angry he had become, Qi Qingyao shrugged helplessly and pointed at her face. “I’m just a little maid. If you still hesitate, I’m afraid everyone will suspect my identity.”

Only then did Lu Yan realize that many people around him were looking over. He glanced at the people around him with sharp eyes, then thundered, “Damn it!”

After that, he pulled Qi Qingyao’s sleeve and walked away.

Qi Qingyao pulled Si Jin after her.

Dong Jing silently followed behind the few of them.

Everyone watched the group leave quickly.

The young masters and young ladies in Qingzhou City who had been watching the scene could not hold themselves back anymore.

“Did Lu Yan just curse?

“It seems so.”

“It looks like Master Lu is very fond of his little maid.”

“This…” Was too much!

She was just a little maid, yet he had spent five million taels of silver on the Nine Star Pill of Omnipotence that everyone wanted. He was even getting defensive and had started cursing…

Ling Luoyan witnessed this scene and could not help feeling overwhelmed. That little maid was definitely Lu Yan’s personal maid!

…

…

Li Ruoxuan was not angry at what Jiang Yeqian had done, because he knew what he had done just now had angered Si Jin. That young grand master’s emotions might be unstable now, so one misstep might really end his life. Thus, he was very grateful to Jiang Yeqian for dragging him here.

After Jiang Yeqian let go of him, Li Ruoxuan circled the perimeter of the area they had stopped in and noted that this corner was very quiet.

“Did the Head Grand Secretariat drag me here for a duel?”

Jiang Yeqian was about to open his mouth.

Li Ruoxuan slowly hugged his arms around himself and said with a light chuckle, “If so, take a look at your present self first.”

Jiang Yeqian’s eyes were unblinking. The gaze of his dark orbs was very serene.

Li Ruoxuan leaned back and pointed out. “Your leg injury is still not healed, while I have long adapted to seeing things with just one eye. I’ve been meditating and regulating my breathing recently, so my internal injuries have mostly healed. If we both fight, neither side will win.”

Jiang Yeqian, “...”

“No. Under these conditions, I might hurt you more!” Li Ruoxuan said languidly with hardly a care, showing off a little.

Jiang Yeqian, “...”

The man’s eyes were like a sea of stars, as gloomy as the moonlight.

Li Ruoxuan purposely ignored his hostility and said casually, “Head Grand Secretariat, I kissed the Lu family’s little maid. Even if that little maid is Qi Qingyao, what does that have to do with you? You’re so exasperated and furious.”

Jiang Yeqian pursed his thin lips tightly. His dark eyes were locked tightly on Li Ruoxuan, as though he was calculating the outcome of a duel.

“She’s not yours. Why are you so worried?” Li Ruoxuan said, eyes full of mocking sarcasm. “Could it be that the Head Grand Secretariat also likes this widow?”

Jiang Yeqian was about to answer.

Li Ruoxuan took the lead, his tone very calm. “If so, I don’t mind dueling you now. I’ll kick you, one of my competitors, out of this circle of love rivals first!”

Jiang Yeqian, “...”

If they dueled now, both of their strengths were close, but his injuries had still yet to heal.

If he acted rashly, he might get even more hurt.

It would do him more harm than good instead.

He knew that Li Ruoxuan was sure that he would not duel with him today!

“You worry too much.” Jiang Yeqian finally weighed the possible outcomes and said with deep eyes, “I just think you were too brusque.”

Li Ruoxuan chuckled.

Jiang Yeqian coldly said, “When I go back tonight, I’ll send a letter to the empress via messenger hawk and tell her of my resignation.”

When Li Ruoxuan heard this, his mask of calmness fell off. He asked with sudden surprise, “So soon?”

Jiang Yeqian turned around.

Looking at that gentle and clean face, he said with disgust, “Li Ruoxuan, I can’t be bothered to work with you again!”

Li Ruoxuan raised his eyebrows as if asking something. However, he did not ask it aloud.

Jiang Yeqian saw through what he wanted to ask and answered his thought. He said heavily, “Because I think you’re repulsive.”

Li Ruoxuan shrugged as though not taking it to heart.

…

…

Jiang Yeqian glanced at someplace on the second floor. After Li Ruoxuan and others left, he slowly entered the secret underground chamber through the secret door.

A man in red had been lazily sitting in a particular room of the secret chamber, eating grapes leisurely.

Once Jiang Yeqian sat down on the chair, he casually threw the crutches in his hands aside, picked up the tea on the table, and downed it all in one slurp. Then, he said, “Why did you show up so openly at the Yueya Auction House today?”

Tan Xiangdie said with a little amusement, “Why? Can I not show my face?”

Jiang Yeqian said irritably, “Do you know showing up recklessly like this will make the entire Qingzhou City start contemplating on the ghost organization’s movements?”

“What’s so bad about that?” Tan Xiandie said disapprovingly, “A grand master from Eastern Ling died, and a grand master from Daming was seriously injured recently in Qingzhou City. The remaining young grand master then showed up here tonight in a disguise with Qi Qingyao by Lu Yan’s side. It’s reasonable for me to show up. I can openly let the world know that the ghost organization is monitoring every movement in Qingzhou City.”

Jiang Yeqian continued pouring his tea. “...”

Tan Xiangdie observed his mood and suddenly smiled intriguingly, “What I’m more curious about is why you didn’t show up together with me tonight. Qingzhou City would have been even more shocked then.”

Jiang Yeqian looked up and said indifferently, “If I had showed up as the Head of the Zhaixing Administration, with Li Ruoxuan’s acuity, he’d surely have noticed something.”

Tan Xiangdie had expected that he would answer this way, so he said, “You showed up as the Head Grand Secretariat, and ended up witnessing a farce.” After a pause, Tan Xiangdie asked an odd question. “Was it fun?”

“...” Like hell it had been fun!

Jiang Yeqian knew that he had been watching the bustle and so did not bother to continue the conversation.

Seeing that he was silent, Tan Xiangdie stroked his chin and asked with a smile, “That little maid is Qi Qingyao, right?”

“You know?” Jiang Yeqian raised his eyebrows.

“I’m not an idiot!!” Tan Xiangdie rolled his eyes irritably and wondered how stupid this guy thought he was. He was speechless. “Li Ruoxuan went up to them a few times to cause trouble and pester the little maid. How could people not suspect anything? That, along with your angry expression after Li Ruoxuan kissed the little maid!”

Jiang Yeqian did not say anything.

Tan Xiangdie said leisurely, “Jiang Yeqian, you gave yourself away to the State Preceptor.”

Jiang Yeqian’s expression was sullen, and he did not say a word.

Tan Xiangdie commented on his expression from just now and said, “You lost your cool!”

Jiang Yeqian was annoyed as hell. His expression was livid and he retorted. “I don’t like her.”

“You’re still being stubborn now?” ‘You’re not going to make a move, and Li Ruoxuan is planning on making one soon!’ Tan Xiangdie did not understand what he was being difficult about.

Jiang Yeqian said, “Lu Yan is better suited to her.”

Tan Xiangdie, “????”

Jiang Yeqian placed the teacup back down on the table heavily and said with a slightly distorted voice, “I have not even a flicker of interest in the kind of girl who is fickle and only wants to be a social climber.”

Tan Xiangdie, “?????????”

…

…

As Qi Qingyao and her group headed back, the sky outside was already dark.

No one spoke in the carriage. When they arrived at the mansion, the others went into the side hall and the maid served them tea. Neither Lu Yan nor Si Jin said anything.

After Qi Qingyao went back to her room and took off the human mask, she washed her face and walked out as her real self.

After sitting down, Qi Qingyao picked up the teacup and sipped on the slightly scorching tea.

Lu Yan looked at the teacup, his expression still ugly. There was choking resentment in his chest stuffed so tight that he felt very uncomfortable. He could not hold it back anymore. He looked at Qi Qingyao, who appeared at ease, and said, “Why aren’t you angry at all?”

“What is there to be angry about?” Qi Qingyao asked, not understanding.

Lu Yan said hoarsely, “He, h-h-h-he—That idiot kissed you.”

He could not speak clearly and began to stutter.

Qi Qingyao said nonchalantly, “It was just a touch of the lips, not even a kiss with tongue. What is there to worry about?”

When Lu Yan heard this, he could not breathe and almost choked himself. After he got back his breath, he said with astonishment, “Y-y-you, does it not matter to you at all who kisses you?”

“If it mattered to me, tell me what I should do now.” Qi Qingyao sat there lazily. “Should I really ask Si Jin to kill Li Ruoxuan?”

“Why not?” Lu Yan said without thinking.

Qi Qingyao facepalmed. Did this guy not think about anything anymore? Had he also gone mad? What was wrong with him today? Had everyone gone crazy?

Everyone had taken the wrong pills!!

Qi Qingyao’s eyes flashed with a hidden sharpness. She analyzed the situation for him easily.

“First of all, he’s the State Preceptor. Second of all, you live here and have a special relationship with me. If I send Si Jin to kill Li Ruoxuan, outsiders will say that the State Preceptor has just kissed a little maid of Master Lu’s, and he got so furious he asked the young grand master by Qi Qingyao’s side to kill the State Preceptor. What do you think the empress will do then?”

Her words reminded him of what was at stake and calmed his restless mood. He said slowly, “A member of the imperial court is dead. He’s also the emperor’s most valued general. By then, the most elite troops will be dispatched to hunt down and kill Si Jin. If they can’t kill Si Jin, they’ll kill you. Or they’ll think that I did it and convict the Lu family.”

“That’s right.” Fortunately, this guy was still clear-headed. Qi Qingyao continued with a gloomy gaze, “Even if the emperor does not dare to touch Si Jin because he’s a young grand master, if the State Preceptor of the current imperial court dies, they will have to explain it to the people. You and I, as well as the Qi family behind me, will be consigned to eternal damnation with that.

“Or does the Lu family have a force powerful enough to go against the imperial court?

“And finally, when outsiders ask for the reason why all of this is happening, it would be because the State Preceptor kissed Lu Yan’s little maid.

“Don’t you think it’s comical to say that, then?”

…

When Lu Yan heard her words, it was as if someone had poured cold water over his head. He facepalmed helplessly and stated a fact, “You’re calmer than me.”

Qi Qingyao said calmly, “It’s because I was just a little maid just now! Everything will become simple if you think about the problem from that standpoint.”

This grudge against Li Ruoxuan was unsolvable.

One day, that guy would have to return the favor twofold.

Qi Qingyao suddenly noticed a penetrating gaze staring fixedly at her. She followed the gaze and looked over, getting goosebumps from Si Jin’s somewhat resentful gaze.

“You… What are you unhappy about?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om