Volume 1: Wu Fan Violates the Prohibition Chapter 8: Uninvited Guest

  Huayu's figure was plump and delicate, but due to years of martial arts training, her chest was full and upright, not something that ordinary girls could compare to. As she wrapped the tape measure around Zhao Xian's waist, her face almost touched his chest, and the upright part didn't need to be mentioned, the scene looked very ambiguous.

  Huayu sister has always been like this, giving Zhao Xian a tailored suit every year. She didn't think it was wrong, but she found that Zhao Xian had grown again and couldn't help but smile: "Stinky boy, you're growing so fast, in a few more years, I won't even be able to reach your ears."

  With the faint candlelight, Huayu's calm face was close at hand, and the fragrance wafted into Zhao Xian's mind. Her slender yet curvaceous body made one want to hold her tightly, and although Zhao Xian didn't want to offend Huayu, he was a normal man after all, and couldn't help but have a physical reaction.

  Zhao Xian's face was slightly awkward, his hands were stiff, and he suppressed the infatuation in his heart. He turned his head away, not daring to look at those red lips, but a certain unscrupulous thing on his body gradually showed signs of rising.

  Zhao Xian's face changed, and now Huayu was almost stuck to him. If he really got excited, he would definitely notice something. The scene would be incredibly embarrassing. Zhao Xian silently cursed the unscrupulous thing, muttering "Don't get up, don't get up..."

  "What's wrong with you?" Noticing that Zhao Xian's muscles were tense and his face was very strange, Hua Yu thought he was sick and put her hand on Zhao Xian's forehead to check carefully.

  The cool little hand touched his forehead, causing Zhao Xian to suddenly shudder, hastily retreating a step back and keeping some distance from the fragrant flowers. Only then did the strange feeling in his heart dissipate somewhat.

  Zhao Xian's 'impatient' appearance made Hua Yu slightly stiffen, his outstretched hand paused in mid-air before slowly retracting it, his eyes complex with emotions, but he couldn't say anything.

  Hua Yu looked wronged, so Zhao Xian took out a package from his pocket while retreating and handed something to Hua Yu: "Do you think it's pretty?"

  Zhao Xian swung the pendant in his hand and approached Huayu, originally planning to give it to Huayu during the New Year, but now he could only take it out.

  Hua Yu glanced at the object in Zhao Xian's hand, which was a silver pendant tied with a red string, very beautiful. Her eyes couldn't help but reveal a thread of fondness, but thinking that it was for Huang Tian Tian, she felt a bit more lost. Afraid that Zhao Xian would notice, she quickly put on a smile and nodded: "Of course it's beautiful, the little stinker has really grown up, knowing how to prepare gifts to win girls' hearts."

  Zhao Xian's face lit up with joy, this was his own design. He hastily handed the pendant to Hua Yu and said: "Come, I'll put it on for you."

  "What are you doing putting on the things I gave to the Huang family?" Huayu hastily shook her head, stopping Zhao Xian's hand, her face slightly displeased. These were things she had given to the Huang family's daughter, how could she wear them? If the Huang family's daughter found out, wouldn't she be scolded to death?

  Zhao Xian didn't know that Hua Yu misunderstood him and Huang Tian Tian, ignoring her obstruction, wrapped his hand around her powdered neck, under the black silky hair, carefully tied a red ribbon, saying: "This was specially made for you at Wan Bao Lou, if not for you to wear, then who would wear it?"

  The flower language was heard to be specially sent to her, the action of stopping slightly paused, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she raised her hand in disbelief, touching the exquisitely crafted pendant.

  On the pendant is engraved a small peony flower. Although it's small, it's exquisite and beautiful. Peonies are the favorite flowers of Flower Language.

  This was the first time Zhao Xian gave her a gift of flower language, and she touched the pendant in silence for a moment. Zhao Xian's meticulous movements actually made her eyes slowly mist up with water, biting her lower lip tightly to prevent herself from losing composure. After Zhao Xian tied the knot, Hua Yu quickly collected her emotions, lowered her head to take a closer look, and her eyes shone with joy from deep within her heart.

  However, just as Huayu was about to thank him, he suddenly thought of something. "Xiao Xian, where did you get so much money?" Huayu pushed Zhao Xian away, her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes serious and sternly staring into his.

  The jewelry in the Wanbao Building is notoriously expensive, and Zhao Xian didn't ask Huayu for a single penny. Relying on the income of the ironwork shop, it's impossible to afford such beautiful pendants, so much so that Huayu worried that Zhao Xian had gone out to do something bad again.

  "Don't worry, I've melted that big lock, and I won't go out to cause trouble." Zhao Xian smiled slyly, admiring himself up and down several times. Although he was wearing thicker clothes in the winter, it couldn't hide his beautiful figure, which was as sweet as a honey peach. With the silver pendant and red cord, he lost some of his ethereal quality, but gained many soft and gentle feminine charms.

  Zhao Xian couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Hua Yu was indeed a renowned beauty, and without even deliberately dressing up, she could still exude such charm with just a simple velvet jacket paired with a plain long skirt. If she were to dress up meticulously, she would likely dazzle herself to death.

  "What!!"

  Unfortunately, Huayu didn't have the slightest intention of appreciating her. Upon hearing this, her face changed color, and the excitement from earlier was also dispelled. She suddenly took a few steps back, her breathing became somewhat urgent, and even the few pearl flowers on her head trembled slightly in unease.

  Hua Yu glared at Zhao Xian for a moment, somewhat flustered, and scolded: "How could you have melted the Longevity Lock? That was the only thing your family left you, and it was also the only evidence of your identity in the future. You..."

  Zhao Xian knew that Huayu would get angry, so he quickly supported the gasping Huayu and advised him with a nonchalant expression: "The Longevity Lock has already melted, there's no use saying anything, we can't re-cast one. You've taken care of me for over ten years, I haven't even given you a gift before, so you must accept this gift. As for recognizing my family, they abandoned me and it's been a long time since our relationships ended. I don't have the mood to go find trouble myself." Zhao Xian was not the original owner of this body, he wouldn't stoop to acknowledging people who didn't know him and had abandoned their own flesh and blood in the wilderness to fend for themselves as his parents.

  "Don't say that, maybe you can get the whole...the entire Guihua Lane envies big house..." Huayu said here, and stopped again, lightly biting her lower lip, with a complex expression staring at Zhao Xian for a long time, until a layer of thin snow accumulated on Zhao Xian's broad shoulders. She smiled self-deprecatingly, as if she had figured out some things, and slowly relaxed her tense body.

  Huayu stuffed the silver pendant into her neckline, and the surprise on her face reappeared. She was moved to say: "With this kind intention, I'm already very happy. If you want to learn martial arts and go out to make a name for yourself, just say so, why did you have to melt the longevity lock?" Because it was a cold winter day, the silver pendant was too chilly, Huayu suddenly stuffed it into her small jacket against her skin, and the chill made her fragrant shoulder slightly shrink. She hurriedly covered her chest and secretly fiddled with it for a few moments.

  Really? I want to learn martial arts, become a great hero who travels the world with a sword, can you really grant my wish?

  "No way!" Huayu bluntly rejected Zhao Xian, looking at Zhao Xian's disappointed expression, she covered her mouth and glanced at the sky, saying: "You should get some rest early, don't think too much." After finishing speaking, she turned around and walked towards the backyard, returning to her own room.

  "Wow... you're really funny!"

  After Zhao Xian finished speaking, he let out a disappointed sigh. As expected, it was just a joke. All these years and he still hadn't agreed, how could he possibly agree to let him learn martial arts just because of a piece of jewelry? If he couldn't learn martial arts, then so be it, he didn't believe there were any other ways, and he wouldn't be able to make a name for himself.

  The next day, when the sky was bright, Zhao Xian got up and exercised his limbs in the courtyard. Seeing that Huayu was still resting in the house, he put on a coat and went out to his ironwork shop.

  It's already deep winter, the weather is bitterly cold. The sky is still early, and the small alley is empty. Occasionally, a few rooster crows can be heard from the small courtyard by the side of the road. A layer of white frost has formed on the withered grass on both sides of the road, making crunching sounds when stepped on. The cold wind cuts like a knife across his face, mixed with a few snowflakes. Zhao Xian couldn't help but wrap his clothes tighter and lower his head to avoid the biting cold wind blowing straight at him.

  Under the old locust tree at the entrance of Osmanthus Lane, a young servant in green clothes and hat squatted beside the fire stove of the wonton stall, warming himself with chattering teeth. He might have let out a snivel or two, wrinkling his nose to complain, while Old Zhang from the nearby mixed rice porridge stall wrapped his face in a scarf, his dry face stiff with cold.

  Zhao Xian slowly walked out, and the young servant's face lit up with great joy. He hastily got up and ran over, shouting: "Young Master Zhao Xian, you've finally come out!"

  Zhao Xian raised his eyes to take a look, and it was actually the book boy who had led the horse for Ling Xian. A thread of vigilance rose in his heart, and he secretly thought: 'At this early hour, in such a secluded area, this person is sneaking around, could he be thinking of robbing me? Then how should I deal with him? The medicine that was just prepared yesterday hasn't been tested on anyone yet, I wonder if the mixture of arsenic and horse money can counteract the poison and eliminate the blackheads...

  The little servant hastily ran to Zhao Xian's side, and because he had suddenly left the warm stove, the sudden change in temperature made him shiver violently. He awkwardly smiled after letting out a loud sneeze, then quickly pulled out an invitation from his clothes and handed it to Zhao Xian, saying respectfully: "Zhao Xian young master, with the New Year approaching, Songshan Academy will be holding its annual 'Literary and Martial Arts' grand gathering. My young master had a discussion with you the other day and greatly admires your literary talent and martial arts skills, so he wants to invite you to attend together, meet the talented scholars of Jiangnan, and bring honor to our Changzhou."

  Shuwenlun Art, also known as "Wen Hui", is held every year. Changzhou Songshan Academy is one of the few well-known academies in Daliang. Many literati and poets take advantage of this gathering to show off their talents. Zhao Xian had heard about it for over a decade but never paid attention, thinking it was just a place where dandies showed off and flirted with women. The women who could attend were probably just some coquettish courtesans from high-end brothels. Zhao Xian wasn't interested.

  Ling Xian suddenly invited him to go, probably because of the joke he made two days ago, he was not convinced in his heart and wanted to find a place to save face.

  Zhao Xiancai didn't have the time to bother with Ling Xian, so he pushed away the invitation and sat down by the stove, ordering two bowls of wontons. He declined, saying: "I appreciate your young master's kind intentions, but I'm a rough man, not suited for such refined gatherings as 'wenhui'. Zhao wouldn't dare attend."

  The invitation was rejected, and the young servant's face turned cold. He thought to himself: "Although I'm just a house servant, I'm also a servant of the Ling family. The young master of the Ling family is a precious person, yet he humbly sent you an invitation as a blacksmith, and you still dare not attend? You really don't know how to appreciate kindness. Do you think that just because your sister is protecting you, my young master won't dare touch you?"