Volume 1: Wu Fan Violates the Forbidden Chapter 4: Yin and Yang Mistake

  Li Ya let out a stern warning, of course it wasn't just talk, many 'talented scholars' showed him great respect, if he were to let Zhao Xian off so easily, what face would he have left in Changzhou.

  The reason why many people are respectful to him is definitely not because of Li Ya's knowledge. His elder cousin, Li Hu, is the boss of Changzhou Ship Gang, with hundreds of workers under his command, secretly operating all the casinos in Changzhou. He is usually domineering and no one dares to provoke him. Because he is narrow-minded and greedy, people call him "Greedy Wolf". This man is arrogant and ruthless, but he has a keen eye for detail and never leaves any evidence when doing things. In Jinling, he also has an elder brother with great power, although the government is headache, they can't do anything to him.

  Zhao Xian is also known as the 'Little Overlord of South City', but that's just a title earned from fighting and causing trouble as a kid, it can't be compared to this kind of real underworld.

  "Third Master, Third Master, is it going to end like this?"

  Seeing Zhao Xian leave safely, Li Ya was very unwilling. Beside him stood a middle-aged man with a lean and short stature, with a large mole on his face and a hint of sharpness in the corners of his eyes. Just by looking at him, it was clear that he was no ordinary person. Behind him were several thugs holding wooden clubs, all brought by him.

  When Li Ya refused to give up, the man known as Third Master slapped him with one hand, causing Li to spin around in a circle on the spot. A cold smile then appeared on his thin face as he said, "In the future when you ask for my help, remember to get the situation clear. Some people... cannot be moved openly."

  Huayu has a certain reputation in Changzhou. The wife of the prefectural governor was suffering from a stubborn illness, and after seeking medical treatment everywhere without success, she finally met Huayu and managed to save her life. Huayu has been running a private school for many years and does not charge tuition fees. In this part of the city south, his reputation is exceptionally good. Such a person cannot be easily swayed by words alone.

  Li Ya covered her face and didn't dare show any anger. San Ye was the trusted aide of her cousin Li Hu, and their relationship was much closer than that of a distant cousin like herself.

  Li Ya heard this and looked enlightened, fanning herself a few more times, nodding: "That little guy's sister is indeed not easy to deal with, but it can't end like this. Third Master, what do you plan to do?"

  Third Master's eyes narrowed into a thin line, swept over Zhao Xian who was about to disappear, and after a brief silence, he pinched Li Ya's ear and whispered a few words...

  Li Ya's eyes widened in surprise, still listening intently, first with a hint of doubt, then suddenly brightening, nodding vigorously like a chick pecking at grain, a hint of ferocity flashing in her eyes, she bowed to Third Master and quickly ran out.

  There is a small courtyard with two rooms in the Osmanthus Lane, which is the residence of Zhao Xian and Hua Yu. At the same time, it is also a school in the southern city of Yizhou. Hua Yu is a low-key person, introverted by nature, likes quiet life, lives here with Zhao Xian, usually teaches books, educates people, raises flowers and plays with grass, has been over ten years so far.

  Pushing open the courtyard gate, all that meets the eye are flower pots, filling every available space. Due to winter, only a few stalks of 'wintersweet' quietly bloom, their subtle fragrance wafting and teasing. However, Zhao Xian, being a pure man's man, isn't interested in flowers or plants. Out of affection for his home, he occasionally helps with watering, but he doesn't know that wintersweet is drought-tolerant and fears excessive water. After accidentally drowning several pots, Huayu no longer lets him touch the flowers.

  "Xiao Xian, are you hungry? I'll go get something for you to eat." Hua Yu put down the basket of vegetables in her hand and went into the house to start cleaning up utensils and preparing dinner. She washed and rinsed bowls and chopsticks, tied on an apron, and suddenly transformed from a fairy-like girl into a diligent and ordinary housewife, as if her previous ethereal quality had vanished into thin air.

  Zhao Xian followed into the kitchen, absent-mindedly leaning against the counter with his hands, still thinking about the red-clothed woman. That woman was indeed straightforward, laughing when she wanted to laugh and hitting when she wanted to hit. She had lost all the reserve of ordinary women, it was unknown where she grew up. Thinking of her silly appearance when reading that poem, Zhao Xian couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

  She was chopping the cabbage, but her mind was still thinking about Zhao Xian's 'teasing' of the red-clothed woman. Seeing Zhao Xian secretly 'smiling foolishly', with an expression that seemed to savor the memory, her own expression became increasingly strange.

  The two fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, Hua Yu put down the kitchen knife in his hand and pulled Zhao Xian to the door of the kitchen. Under the light from outside, he took a close look at him.

  Her eyes were serious and focused, her eyebrows curved, her small mouth was rosy, and her skin was smooth and lustrous. Due to her martial arts practice, she didn't look like a woman in her thirties at all, but rather like a young woman of twenty-seven or eight years old. Her figure was curvy where it should be, and slender where it should be, yet still possessed the mature charm of a married woman. Her eyebrows revealed a hint of tranquility, with a subtle sense of elegance.

  Zhao Xian is a normal man, and it's certain that he's interested in beautiful women. However, when it comes to Huayu, his feelings are unclear and hard to express. Rather than saying he likes her, it would be more accurate to say that he feels 'grateful' and 'respectful'.

  The beauty was in front of him, and Zhao Xian's heart couldn't help but flutter for a moment. Afraid that Hua Yu would notice, he quickly looked away, rubbed his chin, and asked, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"

  "Not!" Huayu raised her hand and gently stroked Zhao Xian's cheek, smiling: "Little Xian has also grown up, it's time to talk about your marriage."

  Zhao Xian was taken aback by Hua Yu's sudden intimate movement, and after reacting, a smile unexpectedly appeared on his face, saying: "That girl? Is she pretty?"

  This kid seems to have really grown up. Hua Yu saw Zhao Xian's curious look, with a smile between his eyebrows, and walked back to the stove, continuing to tidy up the dishes, asking: "Do you have a favorite girl?"

  "Uh..." Zhao Xian's face showed a hint of hesitation. He naturally had feelings for the girl, and as a normal man, he couldn't help but have some thoughts after being with Hua Yu for over ten years. However, Hua Yu was a paragon of virtue and a respected figure in Changzhou, known for her gentle and introverted personality. She had always treated Zhao Xian like a younger brother, which made him feel that she wouldn't dare to accept his feelings due to concerns about what others might say. As the saying goes, "when relationships are too close, it's hard to make a move," which was also one of the reasons why Zhao Xian found it difficult to confess.

  Luckily, Zhao Xian's face was extremely thick-skinned. When Hua Yu mentioned the topic of marriage, it was a rare opportunity that he couldn't let slip away. He hastily walked to Hua Yu's side and tentatively said: "Actually, I've had a crush on a girl for a long time, but I didn't dare say anything, fearing that our current relationship would be ruined. We grew up together, shared joys and sorrows, although she always hit me, but I know she's a kind-hearted girl. There are many things about me that she may not know, but as long as she says one word, I can tell her everything without reservation."

  He grew up with Zhao Xian since childhood and often beat Zhao Xian. Isn't that Huang Tian's daughter?

  "How shameless!" The flower language lightly scolded a sentence, with a hint of unexpected smile on her face, even the shovel in her hand stopped, staring at the 'sizzling' iron pot, wondering what she was thinking.

  Zhao Xian saw that Hua Yu was not excited, and a hint of eagerness appeared in his eyes. According to his speculation, when Hua Yu heard his confession, she should have at least blushed or even slapped him, but why was she so calm? Could it be...

  Zhao Xian's eyes lit up, and he seemed to understand something in his heart. The dark hair of Huayu, and the fragrance that came from her body, made him feel a surge of excitement, but he gritted his teeth and suppressed the agitation in his heart, slowly stretching out his hand to wrap around her slender waist.

  "Do you really like her?" Hua Yu saw that the dish was burnt, and hurriedly walked to the water tank, scooping up a ladle of clear water. This unintentional action also made Zhao Xian miss his chance.

  Zhao Xian was completely unaware that the flower language would be misinterpreted, and he was dragged together with Huang Tianba. He thought it was just a matter of the flower language being too thin-skinned, and he didn't want to clarify it, so he reluctantly withdrew his hand and squatted down to add firewood to the stove. Taking advantage of the heat, he spoke sweet words: "I really like her, I'll do whatever she wants me to do as long as she agrees. Even if we can't practice martial arts together, even if we go to a deserted place, just the two of us living together in seclusion for a lifetime, I won't regret it."

  After finishing speaking, Zhao Xian himself felt a bit awkward. He hadn't spoken such romantic words in over a decade and now felt somewhat out of practice. Thinking back to his glory days when he was the king of romance, he couldn't help but feel that his skills had declined significantly.

  Hua Yu heard that sentence, two people hiding for a lifetime, and her face showed some loss. Her hands trembled slightly, and the water splashed again. When she reacted, she complained: "Really heartless, having a daughter-in-law and forgetting her sister, I still expected you to support me in my old age."

  Having become my wife, she can't be called sister anymore, otherwise it would be too awkward for the two of us to interact.

  Zhao Xian shamelessly flattered Hua Yu, saying: "Your skin is even more tender than that of an 18-year-old girl. Even if you were thirty years younger, it would still be more than enough. You don't need me to support you in your old age. Perhaps when I'm old, you'll still be this beautiful, and at that time, don't despise me, okay? Or else, you can also teach me martial arts, so the two of us can stay young together..."

  "No way!" Huayu bluntly refused, but her eyebrows had a hint of delight, enjoying Zhao Xian's praise. All women love beauty, and no one wants to really grow old.

  Hua Yu glanced at Zhao Xian, saw the disappointment on his face, thought for a moment, and handed over the half-cooked meal to him. She walked out slowly, instructing: "You finish cooking the meal yourself, eat it, and then go back to the iron shop. Don't go out and cause trouble again. I'll make a trip to the Huang's house and come back later."

  Going to Huang's house? What are you going to do at that dead girl's house?

  Huayu ran out without warning, Zhao Xian was somewhat perplexed, gazing at the fleeting figure, he let out a soft sigh, thinking that Huayu didn't dare to clarify and had run out alone to hide, so he didn't ask any more questions.

  She looked down at the stove, but her face quickly turned black. In the pitch-black iron pot, "gurgling" water splashed up, and a thick steam rushed towards her face. On top of that, there were several burnt eggs floating around, and a special smell wafted through the air.

  Huayu is a frugal and thrifty housewife who dislikes wasteful behavior the most. Thinking of these terrifying things, they are about to enter his stomach. Zhao's mouth corner twitched involuntarily... She wouldn't have seen that the dish was overcooked and deliberately ran away, would she?