Chapter 86 - 86: Within Ten Steps

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Lanterns hung in the garden.

Under the illumination of the snow, the little boy and little girl’s appearances were especially clear.

However, Luo Qingzhou did not recognize them.

Until the little boy said excitedly, “Brother, steamed buns! Steamed buns… I’m Dongdong!”

The little girl also said excitedly, “Brother, I’m Xixi! You brought us steamed buns every day. Have you forgotten?” Luo Qingzhou was astounded.

It was the siblings in the alley!

“Why are you guys here?”

Luo Qingzhou stared at them, dumbfounded.

Back then, the siblings in the alley were dressed in tattered clothes. Their faces were covered in dirt and scars, and their appearances could not be seen clearly.

But now, they were wearing clean clothes. Their faces were smooth, tender, and rosy. They looked like completely different people.

How could he possibly recognize them?

Moreover, why did the siblings suddenly appear here?

The little boy called Dongdong said with red eyes, “Brother, an elder sister brought us here. That day, Xixi and I saw you leave in a sedan chair. We wanted to wait for you to come back, but after waiting for many days, you didn’t come back… Xixi and I were so hungry, so we prepared to leave that place…”

“That day, a woman suddenly walked into the alley and said that she could find a place for Xixi and me to work and support ourselves, so Xixi and I came over…

I didn’t expect you to be here too.”

Luo Qingzhou suddenly tightened his grip on the hoe in his hand and asked,

“What’s that woman’s name?”

The little boy shook his head. “She didn’t say.”

The little girl hurriedly said, “That elder sister is very beautiful and likes to smile. Whenever she smiles, two cute dimples appear on her face. The dress she wears is also beautiful.’

“Bai Ling?”

Luo Qingzhou’s heart skipped a beat, and a strange expression appeared on his face.

Was it a coincidence, or… “Brother, why are you here?” The little boy asked happily.

Luo Qingzhou came back to his senses and was silent for a moment. He said, “I’m married. From now on, this will be my home. Dongdong, Xixi… I’m sorry that I left you guys behind.”

The little boy quickly said, “Brother, don’t say that! If it weren’t for you giving Xixi and me steamed buns, ointment, and blankets, the both of us would have starved to death and frozen to death.’

The little girl nodded and said with tears in her eyes, “Brother, whenever we have time, we’ll go to that alley to wait for you. I didn’t expect to see you here. That’s great.”

The little boy said happily, “Xixi and I will work hard in the future so Madam won’t chase us away. That way, we can see you more often.”

The little girl also smiled through her tears. “Madam even asked us to go to school to study. We can eat meat every day and sleep in a big house and a warm blanket.”

For the siblings, who had once been reduced to beggars and had almost starved to death and frozen to death in cold alleys, this was heaven.

The elder sister who had brought them here and the madam who let them plant flowers in exchange for a chance to go to school were their angels.

Luo Qingzhou was puzzled. Just as he was about to continue asking, Mei’er suddenly walked out of the house and said with a straight face, “Madam wants you to go in, Sir.”

Luo Qingzhou paused for a moment. He put down the hoe and glanced at the siblings. He walked up to Mei’er and asked, “Miss Mei’er, they…”

“Don’t be nosy and ask things that you shouldn’t ask!”

Mei’er stopped him.

Luo Qingzhou was silent for a moment and did not ask further. He turned around and bade farewell to the siblings.

Dongdong and Xixi waved happily and said, “Brother, we’ll look for you.”

“Focus on your work! Otherwise, you won’t have anything to eat!”

Mei’er reprimanded with a straight face.

Dongdong and Xixi stuck out their tongues playfully and quickly went over to pick up the flower pot.

Luo Qingzhou followed Mei’er into the house.

In the hall, Song Ruyue was still sitting upright with a cup of tea in her hand. She was sipping it elegantly.

Seeing him enter, she glanced at him and put on airs for a while before saying coldly, “Have you finished telling the story of Romance of the West Chamber?

You didn’t leave anything out?”

Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and cupped his hands. “Yes, Mother-in-law. I’ve said finish the entire story.”

When Song Ruyue heard this, she sneered. “Looks like you don’t want to go back tonight, right?”

Luo Qingzhou looked up at her. “Mother-in-law, why do you say that?”

Song Ruyue frowned and snorted. “You’re still a scholar, yet you’re full of lies!

There are still many parts of the Romance of the West Chamber that haven’t been told yet. Do you think I haven’t heard of it? Let me tell you, I was testing you before! Actually, I’ve already read this story!”

Luo Qingzhou looked into her eyes and heard the words in her heart, “Hmph,

I’ll trick this kid first and see if he wrote it himself!” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Mother-in-law, I can guarantee that I’ve finished telling this story word for word. I didn’t miss anything.”

He said respectfully.

Song Ruyue’s eyes flashed as she stared at him. “Did you write it yourself? Or did you read it somewhere?”

Luo Qingzhou cupped his hands and said, “I wrote it myself.”

Song Ruyue snorted and reprimanded him. “It is wrong of you to behave in an unorthodox way and pursue such frivolous activities!”

However, she was secretly happy. “As expected, this kid made it up himself. Very good. This time, I can casually take it out and slap those b*tches in their faces! Hmph, Zhang Feng bragged that her son-in-law knows how to tell stories and entertain people. I’ll show her whose son -in -law is the real storyteller! I’ll make her so angry that herperiod will become irregular!”

“Hmph! Go back. If you dare to tell Weimo such a dirty story next time… Remember to tell it to me before you tell it to her. I’ll have to listen to decide if you’re allowed to tell the story to her. Do you hear me?”

Song Ruyue said coldly.

“Yes, Mother-in-law.”

Luo Qingzhou did not dare to say anything else and retreated.

He decided not to tell Second Young Miss Qin any story next time.

One story had to be repeated to a few people in a day. He was not a repeater.

His time was very precious. How could he bear to waste it on such boring things?

Facing the wind and snow, he quickly left the backyard.

He had something on his mind and wanted to quickly go to the Ling Chan Moon Palace to ask Bai Ling what was going on.

When he arrived there, the courtyard door was open.

The front yard was empty.

Luo Qingzhou knocked on the door. After no one answered, he walked in.

He passed through the passageway and the path beside the house and arrived at the back garden.

Bai Ling was wearing a pink dress and leaning against the round door. She was holding a flower in her hand. Her fingers were wrapped around a lock of hair as she lowered her head in a daze.

When she heard footsteps, she looked up and two sweet dimples immediately appeared on her face. She smiled and said, “Sir, you’re late tonight.”

Luo Qingzhou looked at her with a complicated gaze and explained, “I went to pay my respects to Madam first. I was delayed there for a while.”

Bai Ling asked, “Madam made things difficult for you again?”

Luo Qingzhou shook his head. “No, Madam is quite nice.”

Bai Ling smiled and turned around to bring him into the back garden.

In the pavilion by the pond, a girl in white was still sitting there in a daze.

Xia Chan held her sword and stood under a tree outside the pavilion, looking at the falling snow in a daze. Seeing that he was here, she turned around and looked elsewhere.

Bai Ling could not help but say faintly, “Sir, you are so biased, you actually gave Chanchan two sticks of candied hawthorn today. Ever since Chanchan returned, she has been showing off in front of me. I am so angry.”

Luo Qingzhou glanced at the sword-wielding girl and said, “Don’t lie to me,

Miss Xia Chan is not that kind of person.”

Bai Ling stomped her feet and pouted. “Sir, what I said is true! Didn’t you see how arrogant Chanchan was back then?”

Luo Qingzhou ignored her.

Xia Chan turned her face away, her lips moving slightly.

Bai Ling was furious.

Luo Qingzhou walked to the pavilion and cupped his hands at the white-robed girl inside. “First Young Miss.”

Qin Jianjia came back to her senses and looked at him indifferently before nodding slightly.

However, she still did not speak.

Luo Qingzhou glanced at her eyes and bade farewell.

When he walked to Bai Ling’s side, he whispered to the angry girl, “Come out with me for a while. I have something to tell you.”

Bai Ling was stunned. Then, she recalled the scene of him kissing her forcefully last night. The anger on her face instantly turned into fear. She crossed her arms and said, “S-Sir, don’t… I don’t want to go out… You can’t behave like that to me anymore…”

Xia Chan turned around.

Luo Qingzhou said in a low voice, “Miss Bai Ling, I just want to ask you a few questions. I was in the wrong last night. I swear that I won’t do anything to offend you again tonight.’

“Really? Sir, will you really not kiss me, touch me, and rub me like last night?”

Bai Ling hugged her chest and said timidly.

Luo Qingzhou was rendered speechless. A familiar chill suddenly assaulted him.

Luo Qingzhou took a look.

The cold girl standing under the tree was looking at him coldly.

“Come out!”

Luo Qingzhou did not say anything else and walked out. He stood outside the round door and looked at Bai Ling. Suddenly, he looked like a domineering nusband starmg at a timid wite.

He was running out of patience.

“Oh… so be it. Sir, don’t be so fierce. I’m scared…

Bai Ling pouted, blinked, and walked out timidly. When she reached the door, she suddenly turned around and raised her eyebrows at the girl under the tree, looking like a villain who had gotten what she wanted.

Luo Qingzhou walked to the wall in front of her and waited for her.

Last night, he pressed her against the wall and kissed her fiercely.

Thinking about it, he did behave like a domineering CEO.

Bai Ling walked over and glanced at the wall beside him. She pouted and said aggrievedly, “Sir, you’re not allowed to bully me anymore. Otherwise, I’ll cry…”

Luo Qingzhou looked at her and composed himself. Just as he was about to ask her about the siblings, he suddenly realized that the cold girl was standing outside the round door. She was hugging her sword and looking coldly at the falling snow in front of her.

“Let’s go to the front yard.”

Luo Qingzhou reached out and grabbed Bai Ling’s slender wrist before walking towards the front yard.

Ever since he forcefully kissed her last night, he no longer had any scruples about this girl.

After all, he had already slept with her, so there was no need to behave reservedly around her.

“Sir, y-you…” “Follow me. I just want to ask you a few questions.”

“Okay…”

Bai Ling was held by him and followed behind him like a docile sheep. She obediently walked to the front yard and suddenly turned around to stick out her tongue playfully at the cold girl.

The two of them arrived at the front yard.

Luo Qingzhou let go and was about to speak when he suddenly realized that the cold girl was standing under the roof of the front yard again. She held her sword with both arms and looked elsewhere with a cold expression.

Luo Qingzhou was rendered speechless.

“Miss Xia Chan, I only intend to talk to Miss Bai Ling. I will not bully her, I swear. You don’t have to follow me.

After Luo Qingzhou finished speaking, he pulled Bai Ling out of the courtyard and walked under a big tree outside.

Before he could speak, he subconsciously looked at the door.

The cold girl was like a ghost, silently holding her sword and standing outside the door.

She still had her face turned to the side and was looking elsewhere, looking as cold as ice.

From the beginning to the end, she only maintained a distance of 10 steps from them.

Bai Ling suddenly reminded him in a low voice, “Within ten steps, Chanchan’s sword will reach you in an instant, and she will kill you. You have to be careful.”

Luo Qingzhou froze. He hurriedly let go of her hand and took a step back..