Chapter 40.2

The Mantis Stalking The Cicada (11)

Zheng Yan Qing nodded in a panic and ran to the dining table in the middle of the room while clutching his book. He looked at them and wanted to say: “Even if it’s raining outside, you can still spar at the porch. Why do it inside?”

In Zheng Yan Qing’s eyes, Lu Zhi Yao was a gentle and courteous male, so he could never have imagined that the latter was here to kill him.

Lu Zhi Yao sighed and put away his sword. Reaching out his hand to touch the side of her face, his cold fingertips stung Li Ruo Shui.

“Don’t be fooled. That’d be pathetic.”

Li Ruo Shui was confused.

How am I being fooled?

She couldn’t understand if Lu Zhi Yao was really jealous as she thought or not. But his behavior now didn’t seem like it. Li Ruo Shui really wished someone could give her an answer.

Lu Zhi Yao had just turned around when Li Ruo Shui threw away his scabbard and embraced him from behind tightly without hesitation.

She said, “Let’s have a talk instead of using violence.”

The roaring sound of the wind outside grew louder, causing the doors and windows to rattle and make creaking sounds. Bits of the gust entering from the cracks fanned wildly against the candle flames and caused them to flicker.

The room was suddenly much darker, so Lu Zhi Yao’s face was obscure, making it hard to see his expression clearly.

Zheng Yan Qing sensed that the atmosphere was not right. He hugged the book tightly and looked at the two, then had a vague guess.

Amidst the lighting, he saw the smile on Lu Zhi Yao’s lips; ever gentle but appearing bizarre and ghastly because of the dancing flames.

Lu Zhi Yao didn’t hesitate much. He didn’t move forward after being held by Li Ruo Shui; he just raised his hand and threw out an inconspicuous dagger.

Zheng Yan Qing felt a weight on his chest and his eyes widened as he looked down towards his chest. An ancient black dagger stuck in that spot.

He mumbled, “My draft……”

Li Ruo Shui peeked from behind Lu Zhi Yao and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief when she saw the situation clearly through the flickering candlelight.

The dagger, although it was aimed towards Zheng Yan Qing’s heart, was blocked by the book he was clutching to his chest.

This was probably a lucky break amongst misfortunes.

Lu Zhi Yao could still hear Zheng Yan Qing’s heartbeat, and he curved his eyelashes and smiled somewhat helplessly.

Not being able to see was indeed a bit inconvenient. He really should personally stab his sword into Zheng Yan Qing’s throat in order to feel at ease and happy.

Lu Zhi Yao gripped Li Ruo Shui’s wrist and pushed her away. “I am helping you, but why are you stopping me?”

Li Ruo Shui looked a little anxious as he pushed her away. Lu Zhi Yao couldn’t listen to reason now, and she couldn’t beat him, so she could only restrain him first.

Li Ruo Shui reached out and touched his waist, gently rubbing it. Lu Zhi Yao couldn’t help but tremble a little.

In that instant, Li Ruo Shui grappled his neck and forcefully pushed him to the ground. Rolling over and mounting his waist, she reached out to press his wrists to the sides of his head. At this moment, she looked like a thug who was forcibly assaulting a woman.

She turned her head to Zheng Yan Qing and desperately signaled him with her eyes, “Go, now!”

Zheng Yan Qing finally understood what was happening now. He put down his book and walked over with a stool. “Ms. Li, I won’t abandon you and leave by myself. Let me help you!”

Li Ruo Shui was speechless and thought:

No thanks!!! I’m only safe if you go!

Hearing Zheng Yan Qing’s approaching footsteps, Lu Zhi Yao, who was originally put in a state of daze, returned to his senses, and his eyelashes quivered slightly.

He sat up abruptly, leaving only an inch of distance between him and Li Ruo Shui, who was sitting on his waist. Their breaths were intertwined as if they were about to kiss each other.

Lu Zhi Yao picked up his thin sword and without hesitation hacked at the spot behind Li Ruo Shui.

The blade of the sword was so sharp that it cleaved through the stool blocking Zheng Yan Qing’s body and cut a gash in his arm.

Finally hurting him, Lu Zhi Yao was so excited that his hands trembled. He could finally put an end to this tumultuous thought.

Hearing Lu Zhi Yao’s low chuckle, Li Ruo Shui no longer hesitated and prepared to put her life-preserving trump card to use.

She leaned forward and kissed Lu Zhi Yao’s slightly pale lips.

Lu Zhi Yao’s body was already wet, so coldness seeped into his body and even his lips were chilly.

They were like the bowl of cold dango in her dreams—cold, soft, and sweet.

Her hand rested on his shoulder as she closed her eyes, savoring this feeling.

Li Ruo Shui originally just wanted to stop him, but there was an unspeakable joy within her. Even her heart was pounding because of the kiss.

“I see.”

In the interval between catching her breath, Lu Zhi Yao’s low, husky voice rang in her ears. She was puzzled.

Thus, she asked, “What is it?”

Li Ruo Shui’s voice was a little hesitant as she looked at Lu Zhi Yao, forgetting for a moment that she was still sitting on his waist.

Lu Zhi Yao thought about that night when she trembled and kissed the corner of his lips again.

She didn’t kiss him because she wanted to make him happy, nor did she like him. She just didn’t want to be killed. Just like now, she only kissed him so he would let Zheng Yan Qing go.

Lu Zhi Yao sighed softly. “Why kiss me if you don’t like me?”

She kissed him not because she liked him, but because she didn’t want him to go crazy, just like everyone else.

It’s just the difference between others killing him and her kissing him.

He was glad Li Ruo Shui didn’t fall in love because then, she is still herself and will not become hateful.

Lu Zhi Yao patted his throbbing heart and frowned as he helped the baffled Li Ruo Shui up.

“How do you know I don’t like you?” Li Ruo Shui asked these words as she pulled on his sleeve.

However, she did not realize the ambiguity of this sentence. What was originally a rhetorical question became an affirmation in Lu Zhi Yao’s ears.

How do you know I don’t like you?

Lu Zhi Yao did not reply and only felt that he should not stay here.

So, Lu Zhi Yao smiled and nodded. “It’s good that you don’t like me.”

He stood up in disheveled clothes. Accompanied by that smile, he looked inexplicably fragile to Li Ruo Shui.

“Then I have no reason to kill him,” he added.

Lu Zhi Yao only wanted to kill Zheng Yan Qing only because the latter had made Li Ruo Shui break his trust. However, if Li Ruo Shui did not like him, the premise of breaking his trust was no longer present.

Zheng Yan Qing didn’t steal his puppet because Lu Zhi Yao didn’t have one in the first place.

An attempt to kill began suddenly and also ended abruptly.

Following last night’s sudden departure, today he was gone again.

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