Chapter 756: A Bit of a Headache (Part II)

Perfection Flavors Workshop is not far from Rising Dawn Palace; sitting in the third-floor elegant room of Perfection Flavors Workshop, through the east-side window one can see Rising Dawn Palace to the southwest, the straight-line distance being about one li. As soon as he entered this antiquated elegant room, Hu Xiaotian already understood that Xi Yan had made preparations.

Eight Immortals table already had four cold dishes set out, the wine also warmed in a wine warmer, a rich wine fragrance slowly permeated the indoor air, dissolving into the space above; Hu Xiaotian took a strong sniff of his nose, this wine fragrance is really pleasant.

Xi Yan said: "Sit!"

Hu Xiaotian didn't stand on ceremony with her either; after sitting down, his gaze swept over her up and down, Xi Yan widened her eyes: "Have you looked enough?"

"I've looked enough; for the sake of my appetite, could you change your appearance to keep me company while I eat?"

Xi Yan laughed: "What do you want me to turn into? How about I dress up as Long Xi Yue?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Great!"

"Eh!" Xi Yan had her hands on her hips, a vicious expression as if she wanted to devour Hu Xiaotian raw; Hu Xiaotian, however, was unfazed and took it in stride.

Xi Yan said: "You really never stop thinking about her!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "It was you who brought it up; I'm just going along with your wishes."

Xi Yan seemed angry; she turned and walked behind the screen, and moments later emerged from behind it, as if by magic, having changed from the earlier sallow, thin-skinned man back to her originally gorgeous, charming self. In a red long dress, she walked with a graceful, swaying beauty.

Yet Hu Xiaotian, facing such a nation‑toppling beauty, remained unmoved, his eyes fixed on the cold dishes on the table: "The food here looks good." He reached for his chopsticks to grab a river shrimp, but before the chopsticks could reach the dish, the back of his hand was struck hard by Xi Yan's slap: "I'm talking to you!"

"What's wrong with me?" Hu Xiaotian finally turned his gaze to Xi Yan, unable to deny that this demoness was truly exquisite in beauty. Yet judging by her appearance, one would never suspect the complexity and viciousness of her heart.

Xi Yan rested her cheeks on her hands, an innocent look: "Have you ever thought of me?"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "I do, all the time—I think of you so much I'm almost forgetting how to think."

Xi Yan realized Hu Xiaotian seemed born just to annoy her; she lifted her foot to kick his shin. Hu Xiaotian, however, spread his legs. Xi Yan kicked empty air, unable to pull her foot back in time, and found her jade foot trapped between his legs. She tugged hard, but he held it too close, so she couldn't free her leg. She bit her cherry lip and said: "Don't clamp onto me."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Obviously you're the one who thrust yourself in, so why blame me for clamping you?"

Xi Yan said: "You can't speak without being lewd, can you?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I'm a pure, utterly pure eunuch. You're overthinking it." He still released Xi Yan's foot, but the moment he let go, she kicked him hard in the shin bone of his right leg.

Hu Xiaotian grimaced in pain: "A woman's heart is the most poisonous!"

"You had it coming!"

Xi Yan picked up the wine jug and filled his cup before him; the wine was a jade green. It looked pleasing to the eye, but no one knew what had been mixed into it.

Hu Xiaotian lifted the cup and sniffed: "Poison wine?"

Xi Yan nodded: "Smart!"

Hu Xiaotian, however, tipped his head back and drained the cup, smacked his lips, and said: "Good wine!"

Xi Yan blinked her clear, beautiful eyes: "You know it's poisoned wine and you still drink it? Aren't you afraid I'll poison you to death?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Last night there was a heavenly omen; I did a finger count. Sooner or later I will die at your hands—since heaven has decreed it, I have nothing to fear; I have already prepared myself to entrust my life to you."

Xi Yan said: "Honeyed words—believing you would be strange."

Hu Xiaotian picked up a shrimp, stuffed it into his mouth, rolled it with his tongue. He ate the shrimp meat, then spat out an intact shrimp shell.

Xi Yan's beautiful eyes lit up: "Amazing—how did you do that?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Nothing special; if you practice diligently, one day your oral skill will reach my level." Gazing at Xi Yan's full cherry lips, this fellow couldn't help but let his mind wander.

Xi Yan snorted: "It's just a glib tongue; what's so remarkable about that?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "You must never underestimate this oral skill; once cultivated to a certain level, it will benefit you for life without end."

Xi Yan said: "So you mean whoever marries you will enjoy endless benefits for life?"

Hu Xiaotian hehe‑laughed: "Hard to say—whoever uses it knows."

Xi Yan wrinkled her nose, obviously failing to grasp the hidden evil in his words.

Hu Xiaotian said: "With such fine wine and food entertaining me today, is it to thank me, or do you have some other motive?"

Xi Yan sneered: "Thank you? I wish I could find a knife to poke a thousand‑hundred transparent holes in your body; you ruined my big plans and still have the shameless nerve to say such things."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I didn't ruin your big affair; you nearly blew me up, and now you dare to turn the tables on me!"

Xi Yan said: "You're looking for death yourself; didn't I tell you earlier to stay far away? You not only ignored my words, but also followed Dong Tianjiang to join in the fun."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Isn't it because I was worried about you? If I weren't afraid you'd be burned to death alive in there, I would have rushed in without hesitation to save you. I say, how can you not distinguish good from bad? Ungrateful wretch!"

Xi Yan said: "What do you think—who between us is more brainless?"

Hu Xiaotian froze for a moment, lifted his cup, took a sip, and said: "Me!"

"That's settled then; you think I'd be stupid enough to burn myself to death? Dong Tianjiang didn't know better, so his charging in is understandable, but you actually foolishly followed him inside—aren't you brainless?"

Hu Xiaotian gazed into Xi Yan's eyes and said: "Actually, even if things happened again, I would still charge in." His look was sincere and earnest; upon meeting his gaze, Xi Yan's heart fluttered, and she instantly understood what Hu Xiaotian meant.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Although I know you'll be fine, I still can't help worrying about you."

Xi Yan bit her cherry lip: "Hu Xiaotian, you bastard, are you saying this just to sweet‑talk me?" Though she scolded him with her mouth, her heart was indeed somewhat moved by him.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I've always had a question in my heart: if I had been blown up or burned to death back then, would you feel sorrow for me?"

Xi Yan shook her head: "No, because you'd die stupidly; but if you truly died, I would not live on alone! I'll offer my life to compensate yours—is that enough?"

Hu Xiaotian froze a moment, noticing that Xi Yan's gaze held no trace of jest; she must be serious, and he said: "But I'm still alive."

Xi Yan said: "So then, you're not too stupid after all."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Who is the Lan‑clad person? Is it you?"

Xi Yan shook her head.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Just how many of your comrades lie hidden in Yongdu?"

Xi Yan said: "Countless thousands!"

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "That's counting bats, snakes, and insects as well."

Xi Yan said: "You've finally shown some smarts this time." She raised her cup to clink with Hu Xiaotian's, speaking softly: "Actually, I invited you over this time because I have a favor to ask."

Upon hearing that, Hu Xiaotian immediately set down the cup that had reached his lips: "Then I won't eat this meal."

Xi Yan said: "You heartless wretch, ask yourself: if I hadn't helped you, would Long Xi Yue have escaped so easily? If I hadn't impersonated someone to take her place, you lot would probably have been tossed by Li Chenzhou into the Yong River to feed the turtles. For your sake I came all the way to Yongdu, accompanying you in this act for many days, and for your sake I gave up my original plans." She had originally intended to kill Xue Daoming.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I tell you, can you cut it out with this talk? It makes me feel like I owe you something."

Xi Yan said: "You certainly owe me, even if you couldn't repay it in this lifetime!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "What's the big deal? At worst I'll repay you with my flesh."

Xi Yan glared, eyes wide: "Hu Xiaotian, your flesh reeks so much even dogs wouldn't eat it."

Hu Xiaotian hehe laughed: "You, on the other hand, smell fragrant; dogs would definitely be interested in your flesh."

Xi Yan said: "You haven't even heard what I have to say and you already refuse!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "What good could come of you seeking me? You either trap me or deceive me. Take last time, for example: you didn't even give me a hint, yet you talked about cooperation—how could you screw over a partner like that?"

Xi Yan said: "If I really wanted to scheme against you, I'd just send a secret letter to the Da Yong court, telling them there's a great beauty in Hai Ling County who's desperately waiting for her great hero."

Hu Xiaotian broke out in a cold sweat because of Xi Yan's words, his expression instantly stiffened. This Demoness Xi Yan truly has vast supernatural powers—how could she know the whereabouts of Long Xi Yue so clearly? It seems that since she arrived in Yongdu, although she never leaves her residence, she still keeps track of our people's movements. Fortunately, Xi Yan is not yet my enemy; if she stood on an opposing stance, the consequences would be unimaginable. The seriousness on Hu Xiaotian's face instantly vanished, replaced by a warm, sunny smile: "I suddenly have some interest in your matter; why don't you tell me about it?"

Xi Yan coldly looked at him and said: "I've lost interest, you know? When a woman gets jealous, she'll spare no expense."

Hu Xiaotian said: "I really didn't realize I meant that much to you."

Xi Yan giggled: "You do have some self-awareness; actually I sought you not for a big favor, just want you to help me get something."

What is it?

Xi Yan leaned in closer and whispered: "Black Ice Clam!"

Hu Xiaotian felt his scalp tighten—surely the Black Ice Clam belongs to Prince Yan Xue Shengjing? Last time I went to him to borrow it, he refused, and he even said then that it had already been stolen; if I went again to borrow it, he definitely wouldn't comply. Hu Xiaotian gave a wry smile and said: "I can't help you with this."

Xi Yan laughed: "It's not that I want you to borrow it; I want you to steal it with me!" (To be continued~^~)