Chapter 972

Huo Ge was startled by her: 'Elder sister...' In his view, he and Hu Xiaotian are sworn brothers; since Hu Xiaotian calls Xue Lingjun 'elder sister', he naturally should also address her that way, indeed he had no intention of disrespecting her.

Xue Lingjun glared at him and said, 'Judging by your appearance, you must be nearly forty, yet you call me elder sister—I really admire your eyesight.'

Don't be fooled by Huo Ge's full beard and aged appearance—he is actually only twenty-five, and Xue Lingjun is indeed older than him. After being scolded to his face by the beauty, Huo Ge felt his face heat up; while others turn red when embarrassed, his dark skin turns a liver-like hue when he flushes.

Seeing Xue Lingjun put Huo Ge on the spot in person, Hu Xiaotian was about to speak to ease the tension, but unexpectedly Xue Lingjun broke into a coy giggle, gave Huo Ge a captivating glance, and said in a sweet voice, 'Your Highness, I was just joking with you—please don't take offense.' The rapid change in her expression left Hu Xiaotian stunned.

At this moment Huo Ge felt torn between ice and fire; facing such a bewitching beauty as Xue Lingjun, his heart went soft—this is what a woman is like, and if he could bring her to his bed, he would enjoy all the worldly pleasures. He broke into a wide grin and said, 'Miss Hu, you're really amusing.' This time he dared not casually get close and call her 'elder sister'.

Hu Xiaotian seized the chance to say, 'Elder sister, let's go together to Baiwei Lou for a meal.'

Xue Lingjun actually nodded, lowered the carriage curtain, and said, 'I'll go ahead; we'll meet at Baiwei Lou.'

Huo Ge watched the departing carriage, his mind still filled with Xue Lingjun's slightly annoyed yet alluring charm, his heart stirred and unable to calm. He said to Hu Xiaotian, 'Brother, your cousin is truly a rare beauty, exquisite to the utmost.'

Hu Xiaotian secretly smiled. Xue Lingjun's greatest weapon is the alluring charm of a mature woman; women as beautiful as she are not uncommon, but none display their assets as fully as she does. For some reason, Hu Xiaotian thought of Xi Yan; that little minx is also skilled at enchanting him. Yet Xi Yan's allure and Xue Lingjun's are fundamentally different—Xi Yan's charm involves more performance, whereas Xue Lingjun's is innate, natural in every gesture, and Huo Ge's assessment of her is not exaggerated.

Huo Ge said, 'Brother, I don't know whether your cousin is married.'

Upon hearing his question, Hu Xiaotian already sensed Huo Ge's interest in Xue Lingjun. He smiled faintly and said, 'My cousin has an unfortunate fate; she has married several times, but each husband dies shortly after the wedding, without exception. A fortune-teller told her she is a husband-killer.' Hu Xiaotian said this to make Huo Ge Retreat When Facing Difficulty, yet instead Huo Ge sighed, 'Such a beauty—if I could spend even one night with her, I would willingly face death.'

Hu Xiaotian said, 'Brother, have you got it wrong? She's my cousin!'

Huo Ge replied, 'I don't mind becoming even more closely related to you!'

Hu Xiaotian silently cursed the man's thick skin. He was clearly trying to take advantage, and of course Xue Lingjun is not really his cousin; the people of Sha Jia are naturally open and unrestrained, so Huo Ge's behavior is somewhat normal. Hu Xiaotian warned him, 'Brother, watch what you say—if it gets back to your father-in-law, it might not be good.'

When Li Tianheng was mentioned, Huo Ge felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, instantly calming down considerably. He chuckled, 'Everyone loves beauty; I was just saying it casually, brother, don't take it seriously.'

As they talked, they arrived at Baiwei Lou; Liang Yinghao had already reserved a seat in advance, and Xue Lingjun's carriage arrived at the entrance. Seeing the two approach, she opened the carriage door and stepped out. The moment she appeared, she drew admiring glances from those around; even in male attire, her feminine allure could not be concealed.

Huo Ge's eyes were practically glued to Xue Lingjun, to the point that he forgot why he had come to Baiwei Lou in the first place.

Hu Xiaotian secretly sighed; Xue Lingjun truly exudes a seductive air in every movement and smile—not only would someone like Huo Ge, a rustic barbarian who has seen little of the world, feel it, but even Hu Xiaotian himself felt an itch deep inside.

Baiwei Lou has no private rooms, which is part of its style; Liang Yinghao handles things very steadily and had already ordered cold dishes for them. The house special is fish—wild carp from the Nusha River, each at least four catties, selected live from the fish pond and slaughtered on the spot by the chef. It is stewed in a large iron pot with tender white tofu, crisp bean sprouts, and fiery red chilies, giving a perfect blend of color, aroma, and flavor; even before picking up chopsticks, it already whets the appetite.

Hu Xiaotian ordered a jar of Baiwei Lou's self-brewed Xizhou baijiu; at this time blending techniques had not yet been developed, so the pure-grain liquor has an especially mellow and fragrant taste.

The three shared three cups; although the fish was delicious, it was quite numbing and spicy. Huo Ge, being a Sha Jia native, was clearly unaccustomed to it—his forehead was already covered with sweat droplets the size of soybeans, and he kept wiping his face with a handkerchief.

In contrast, Xue Lingjun showed little reaction; she picked up a bright red chili, opened her cherry-like small mouth slightly, and ate it in one bite. Though her manner of eating was elegant and alluring, her tolerance for spice is truly impressive—she is a genuine chili lover.

Huo Ge said, 'So spicy…'

Xue Lingjun laughed, 'You can't even handle this little spice—are you really a man?'

Huo Ge replied, 'Of course I am… but I'm just afraid of spicy food.' He picked up the teacup and gulped down the tea until it was empty.

Xue Lingjun shook her head and said, 'Indeed, one cannot judge by appearance; a tall, mighty build does not necessarily make a real man.' Her beautiful eyes flicked to Hu Xiaotian as she added, 'You keep claiming to be a eunuch, yet you're actually a pure man!'

Hu Xiaotian heard her remark, which was clearly aimed at him, and couldn't help laughing, 'Elder sister, you're talking about me.'

Xue Lingjun lifted her wine cup, her fair fingers gently swirling the glass, and said, 'Hu Xiaotian, let's have a drink—for your endless lies.'

Hu Xiaotian offered no explanation, raised his cup, and drank together with Xue Lingjun.

Huo Ge gazed longingly at the two as they drank, realizing he had been left aside; the proud prince of Sha Jia felt ignored, an unpleasant sensation. He lifted his cup and said, 'Miss Hu, I also toast you.'

Xue Lingjun said, 'You still haven't done what you promised me!' Her lovely eyes remained fixed on Hu Xiaotian, as if she hadn't heard Huo Ge at all.

Huo Ge's face promptly turned purple again—it was hurtful; was he not just deliberately putting his face forward to be slapped? Huo Ge was no fool; he faintly sensed that the relationship between Hu Xiaotian and his distant cousin was not ordinary.

Hu Xiaotian laughed, 'Brother, let's both raise a cup to Elder Sister.' First, to avoid Xue Lingjun's topic; second, to ease Huo Ge's embarrassment.

Only then did Xue Lingjun accompany Huo Ge in drinking that cup.

Huo Ge secretly sighed; beautiful women are indeed born with a certain arrogance. In fact, Xue Lingjun looks down on Huo Ge, the Sha Jia prince. Da Yong and Sha Jia are far apart, with little interaction, and in Xue Lingjun's view, Sha Jia people are inferior even to the black-haired Hu. Huo Ge's coarse appearance, from the first glance he gave her, showed lustful intent, which made Xue Lingjun despise him.

Human nature often works this way: the more you pamper and flatter her, the more she may look down on you; conversely, if you ignore her and deliberately give her the cold shoulder, you are more likely to arouse her interest.

Hu Xiaotian set down his cup, smiled, and said, 'Elder sister, has my elder brother come?' He had heard that the head of the Da Yong envoy was Xue Shengjing, yet it was Xue Lingjun who arrived first, prompting his question.

Xue Lingjun's beautiful eyes shimmered with a hint of resentment: 'Heartless brat, after being apart for so long, you haven't thought of me at all.'

Hu Xiaotian's scalp tingled. To say he and Xue Lingjun were that familiar would be false; even back in Da Yong he knew she was no ordinary woman, especially since she had earned the deep trust of her imperial brother, the Da Yong Emperor Xue Shengkang. This trip to Xichuan surely had a purpose—perhaps she was sent by Xue Shengkang himself. Since you've come with this gentle act, I needn't stand on ceremony either. With that thought, Hu Xiaotian smiled narrowly and fixed his gaze on Xue Lingjun's watery eyes, saying, 'Elder sister, since I left, my heart has never ceased to think of you.'

Upon hearing this, Xue Lingjun's pretty face flushed with a touch of shyness, making her even more alluring. She let out a hum from her nose and said, 'That's about right, but you've always been slippery—how can I know you're not lying to me?'

'Conscience of heaven and earth, I would dare deceive anyone but not you, Elder Sister.'

Xue Lingjun covered her cherry lips with a clever smile and said, 'Then I don't believe you.'

Huo Ge stood there dumbfounded, watching the two; they looked nothing like cousins, their conversation was pure flirtation, which made Huo Ge even more depressed—his bulky frame sitting there, utterly ignored, as if he were air. He didn't know whether to interject, just stared blankly at his cup. Had he known this would happen, he wouldn't have come along. But upon reflection, that's wrong—clearly it was this Hu Lingjun who joined midway.

Hu Xiaotian had long noticed Huo Ge's embarrassment and naturally wouldn't treat him as invisible; he smiled and said, 'Brother, let's toast Elder Sister again.'

Huo Ge finally felt a sense of presence, lifted his cup to toast Xue Lingjun, but at this point he could hardly find words to say.

Xue Lingjun threw him a charming glance and cooed, 'Big guy, what's your purpose in plying me with drink?'

Huo Ge chuckled, 'Just showing respect.'

Xue Lingjun pursed her cherry lips; even her expression of disdain was soul-stirring: 'Who doesn't know you men—you speak nobly on the surface while harboring base, vulgar thoughts deep down? Tell me—are you trying to get me drunk so you can do as you please?'

Huo Ge felt his blood surge, his head seeming to swell a bit; if he could actually get this peerless beauty drunk, he feared he might truly lose control. Glancing sideways at Hu Xiaotian, he saw that his sworn brother remained calm and composed, Hu Xiaotian's composure clearly far superior to his own. Huo Ge silently reminded himself: beauty brings disaster; this woman is absolutely an otherworldly menace—he must not let her bewitch him.

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