Chapter 40.1

The Mantis Stalking The Cicada (10)

Dark clouds covered the sun, and the wind swayed wildly.

The paper umbrella in Li Ruo Shui’s hand shook wildly from the wind, but it was still able to shield her from the rain and did not leave her face covered in rainwater.

What’s with this rain? It came too dramatically, and her mind unconsciously played clips from the many TV dramas she watched.

She wanted to tell him “let me explain,” but she held back several times.

There was nothing to explain. Regardless of her or Lu Zhi Yao’s point of view, both of them were not at fault— it was just that their opinions clashed.

The most important thing to do now was to make him understand her reason.

“I did ask you, and I will definitely leave the Zheng residence. But I’m only postponing my departure for a few days. Is that not okay?”

In other words, Li Ruo Shui was asking, “Can’t I do this much?”

But Lu Zhi Yao thought, “Of course not. Why would she reject me because of Zheng Yan Qing?”

Lu Zhi Yao smiled in the rain. It looked very reluctant but still has a hint of tenderness and tolerance.

However, this smile looked pained in Li Ruo Shui’s eyes. No one could stay happy forever. They could choose not to laugh when they didn’t want to without having to force themselves.

Of course she knew that agreeing with him was the easiest solution to appease him at this time, but she didn’t want to.

In another few days, everything at the Zheng residence would end, so she didn’t want to give up. She didn’t like to abandon things halfway.

“Someone in the Zheng residence has poisoned Zheng Yan Qing. Just a few more days, and I’ll be able to end this.”

……

Wait. Why did he insist that I leave the Zheng residence?

Li Ruo Shui shifted her eyes to his moist face and his drooping eyelashes. Something suddenly occurred in her mind.

No way. Is… Is he jealous?

The corners of Li Ruo Shui’s lips slowly curled upward. She suddenly thought the rain was nice.

She asked, “Why do you suddenly want me to do this? I’ve stayed in the Zheng residence for so long and you didn’t feel anything, so why do you have to make me leave today?”

Hearing her question, Lu Zhi Yao’s thoughts became even more convoluted.

He was not thinking about the answer to Li Ruo Shui’s question, but rather, about her continuous refusals.

Lu Zhi Yao didn’t understand.

She likes me, so why would she defend Zheng Yan Qing? And what did Zheng Yan Qing’s life and death have to do with her?

The raindrops pitter-pattered on the umbrella and the trees. He was reminded of the story he had heard at the teahouse.

The White Snake, Bai Suzhen, also met Xu Xian during a downpour like this.

Bai Suzhen originally did not love Xu Xian, but because of her past life, she had to marry Xu Xian to repay the debt and then use it to become immortal.

However, she fell in love with Xu Xian after her marriage and was willing to be locked up for thousands of years in order to help him.

……

That’s what matrimony is, and that’s the real reason behind a regular marriage.

He always thought that people who got married would turn against each other, thought that people who got married were disgusted with each other, and thought that husband and wife was the funniest relationship under the sky.

So he stayed at the Zheng residence from time to time, on the roof of the house Li Ruo Shui and Zheng Yan Qing shared. Lu Zhi Yao originally wanted to help her once Zheng Yan Qing’s true nature was revealed, so that she would not get hurt; after all, she was a stray that he met on the road, so he had the responsibility to take care of her.

But that was not what happened.

Li Ruo Shui and Zheng Yan Qing would talk about interesting things in the house. They would eat together, roam around together, and stay in the same room at night.

All of this annoyed Lu Zhi Yao. It was like the puppet he had worked so hard to make had been stolen. How could he leave the thief unscathed?

He had put his sword on Zheng Yan Qing’s neck countless times, but always stopped himself at the last moment.

After all, if Li Ruo Shui liked him, Zheng Yan Qing could not be considered to have committed theft. If Lu Zhi Yao really killed Zheng Yan Qing, it would instead prove that Li Ruo Shui had been stolen from him. Lu Zhi Yao would not permit that.

At least that was what he had been thinking until yesterday.

After all, Li Ruo Shui had kissed him. Wasn’t that proof that she loved him?

But it never occurred to him that love could change; that it could be altered by matrimony.

It was good news that Li Ruo Shui did not love him because he did not want her to get involved in things like love, but how could she change at will?

One should keep one’s word.

Since she said she loved him, she should keep her word. She was not an unfaithful person.

The one at fault isn’t Li Ruo Shui. It’s Zheng Yan Qing. It was this disgusting thief who corrupted Li Ruo Shui.

His chaotic thoughts immediately quietened down as the questions that had been troubling him for a long time were resolved. Lu Zhi Yao’s knitted eyebrow relaxed, and the curved corners of his lips appeared to be much more relaxed.

Lu Zhi Yao tilted his head and laughed. He laughed so much that his body trembled, and the hand gripping the hilt of his sword tightened so much that his knuckles turned white.

Such a simple answer had taken him so long to figure out.

“I’ve finally thought it through.” He stood up. Perhaps because of his emotions or perhaps because he was laughing too much, the ends of his eyes reddened. Coupled with his gentle face and long wet hair, he looked like a Buddha who had come to give salvation.

He drew his sword and walked toward the room. Due to excitement, the sword in his hand trembled.

Soon, Li Ruo Shui will be grateful to me for rescuing her from her suffering.

“You figured it out?” Li Ruo Shui was relieved to see him get up and walk towards the house, so she said while holding an umbrella, “Finally you know to take shelter from the rain. This rain is so heavy. You might get sick tomorrow.”

Once entering the house, the constant dripping of water from his body seeped into the carpet and formed a dark patch.

The cracks on his sword also reflected the candlelight into a twisted pattern and raised Zheng Yan Qing’s confusion.

“You forgot your scabbard.” Li Ruo Shui placed her umbrella outside the door and took the scabbard to Lu Zhi Yao. But her happiness didn’t last long. In the next moment, she saw Lu Zhi Yao roll his wrist and tilt his head slightly.

She was too familiar with these two movements— it was a precursor to him making a move.

Li Ruo Shui reflexively took a step back and covered her neck. As she was about to say something, she saw the blade of the sword slashing towards Zheng Yan Qing.

A cold light flashed by and then a clunking sound was heard; Li Ruo Shui blocked Lu Zhi Yao’s sword with the scabbard in her hand.

It had to be said that Lu Zhi Yao’s training did work, or at least it had begun to pay off on her.

It happened in a breath’s time. Zheng Yan Qing hadn’t even put down the pen in his hand yet, and just stared blankly at the sword above his head. “…… Are you guys having a spar?”

“Are you stupid? Get out of the way!” Li Ruo Shui raised her voice. Her block was pushed down by a lot. Even when she used two hands to hold up against the weight of Lu Zhi Yao’s sword, she was struggling.