Chapter 237

Since Jiang Sishui felt nothing for her, she was all the more determined to make him fall in love with her and then beg her to marry him.

But when all was said and done, that had only been a spiteful remark at the time.

Now that the two had met, Zhu Qiqi could hardly claim to have fallen for Jiang Sishui at first sight, and her earlier "bold declaration" had long since been tossed to the back of her mind.

But Zhu Qiqi always felt that if Jiang Sishui could just once open his mouth and beg her, she'd have won back a little face and barely accomplished the modest goal she'd set for herself back then.

So she fixed her big round eyes on him, staring without blinking, her heart full of anticipation.

Jiang Sishui gave Zhu Qiqi a strange look, walked toward her, and then…

He grabbed the back of Zhu Qiqi's collar and carried her into the light formation.

Zhu Qiqi was dumbfounded at first, but once she realized what was happening, she immediately shouted at the top of her lungs: "Eunuch Wei Wei Wei, what are you doing? You bastard, let go of me!"

"How dare you treat this great Young Lady of the Zhu family like this! What a bully! This is too much!"

"I'll… I'll hit you! I'll bite you!"

Zhu Qiqi struggled fiercely, pummeling and kicking Jiang Sishui, and even stretching her head out to bite him.

Unfortunately, Jiang Sishui cultivated the "Diamond Indestructible Divine Art," so even without channeling true Qi, his skin was tough enough to resist blades and swords; Zhu Qiqi's pitiful attacks were nothing more than a tickle to him.

Suddenly, Zhu Qiqi felt her body sink and her feet touch solid ground.

It was because Jiang Sishui had let her go.

The instant her feet hit the ground, Zhu Qiqi bounced toward Jiang Sishui like she had springs under her heels and let fly with her dainty fists.

But very soon she stopped, hissing and sucking in cold breaths, shaking her hands in pain.

Looking at her once slender, jade-like fingers now flushed red, Zhu Qiqi was utterly aggrieved: "How can your face be so thick!"

"But I didn't ask you to hit me either—if you hadn't hit me, wouldn't everything have been fine?" Jiang Sishui said with a mischievous grin.

"You… who told you to carry me like that! What a bully!" Zhu Qiqi sputtered with rage.

"Fine, it's my fault, I apologize to you. I'll even beg you—beg the Young Lady to stay, will that do?"

"You're begging me?" Zhu Qiqi's eyes lit up, and suddenly her hands didn't hurt anymore.

Jiang Sishui nodded helplessly.

Although he didn't know why Zhu Qiqi insisted on him opening his mouth to beg, it was nothing more than a single sentence, and he didn't mind in the slightest.

After all, before long, Zhu Qiqi herself would belong to him entirely.

So saying a few words she'd like to hear, coaxing his future wife into a good mood—what was the big deal?

Hearing this, Zhu Qiqi beamed at once, came over and patted Jiang Sishui on the shoulder, saying magnanimously: "Fine, this Young Lady is generous and broad-minded, so I won't hold your earlier offense against you!"

Only then did she notice the change in her surroundings: "Is this Shanzhuang?"

Jiang Sishui nodded: "That's right."

"Wow, it's so beautiful! Such a big lake—it's my first time seeing one!" Zhu Qiqi stretched her arms wide, as if trying to embrace the entire Taihu in her arms.

Ren Yingying suddenly said: "Miss Zhu Qiqi, let me show you around the estate."

When she said this, Ren Yingying was rather looking forward to it.

She was looking forward to the scene when Bai Feifei and Zhu Qiqi met.

After all, these two were sworn enemies in the story, bound by the hatred of a stolen husband.

But Zhu Qiqi didn't think that much; hearing this, she nodded repeatedly: "Great, thanks for the trouble, Sister Ren Yingying."

Saying so, without even paying Jiang Sishui any more attention, she grabbed Ren Yingying and ran off.

She was not only curious about Shanzhuang, but even more eager to meet the beauties Jiang Sishui had hidden away in his golden house, to see just how pretty they were and how they compared to her.

Jiang Sishui watched them go, and just as he was about to leave, a petite figure darted out from the flower grove beside him and threw herself straight into his arms.

Jiang Sishui gathered her in smoothly and smiled: "Li Yuhu, you're all better?"

"I've practiced martial arts since I was young, so naturally I recover quickly. But Sister Du Bingyan and Sister Qin still can't get out of bed yet."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but recall the scene from last night when the three of them had been brides together, and a blush rose on Li Yuhu's pretty face.

Jiang Sishui lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers, and laughed: "Does that mean my little wife can serve her husband again tonight?"

Li Yuhu felt shy in her heart, but she still nodded.

Jiang Sishui gazed at the bold, passionate girl, and his heart couldn't help but stir.

He crouched and gathered her up, lifting Li Yuhu straight into his arms.

Such a reasonable request naturally had to be granted right away; there was no need to wait until evening.

……

【Gold will always shine; the jianghu is full of talented individuals and peerless experts, yet none of them could obscure Li Buyi's brilliance】

【The Sun Moon Holy Cult is merely a first-rate faction, not particularly large in scale, and it's far away in Jizhou, yet Ren Yingying had still heard of his great name and even knew he had the ability to help people find their missing relatives】

【Ren Yingying was determined to find her missing father Ren Woxing, so naturally she wouldn't pass this up—she had probably sent people to look for Li Buyi long ago】

【And the result was that she really did find him!】

【This is no good thing for me】

"Li Buyi? Ren Yingying? How could the Sun Moon Holy Cult have gathered such intelligence? It's clearly something you told her yourself!"

The watching women, with their clear outsider's perspective, instantly understood the whole story.

But at the same time, they couldn't help but wonder—just what had Ren Woxing done to make Jiang Sishui so averse to, even disgusted by, him?

And Ren Yingying wanted to know the answer to that question just as much.

Precisely for that reason, she had deliberately brought it up in front of Jiang Sishui today.

【Ren Woxing was an ambitious, ruthless hero who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals】

【At the same time, he was also an ungrateful wretch】

【In "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," he was originally the leader of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, but was later usurped by Dongfang Bubai】

【However, whether out of regard for the little remaining affection between them or for some other reason, Dongfang Bubai did not kill Ren Woxing, but instead imprisoned him in a dungeon beneath West Lake, guarded by the "Four Friends of Plum Manor"】

【Young as she was, Ren Yingying stayed on Heimu Cliff in the identity of "Holy Maiden,"】

【After growing up, Ren Yingying, together with Ren Woxing's old subordinate Xiang Wentian, tracked down the place where Ren Woxing was imprisoned】

【Ren Yingying—delicate of mind, clever of stratagem—is the smartest heroine in the Wu Xia of Jin's novels; she ranks in the top three】

【Targeting the weaknesses of the "Four Friends of Plum Shanzhuang," she set up traps one by one, and through Linghu Chong's hands, rescued Ren Woxing】

【Because she used the stratagem of "Grafting the Flower onto the Tree," Linghu Chong even sat in prison in Ren Woxing's place for two months】

【Moreover, Linghu Chong had no idea beforehand that this was Ren Yingying's scheme, so he thought he had been set up by the "Four Friends of Plum Shanzhuang," and fell into despair for a time】

【It can be said that Linghu Chong showed Ren Woxing a great kindness】

【But Ren Woxing did not take this kindness to heart】

【After he killed Dongfang Bubai and retook the Sun Moon Holy Cult, he wished to unify the jianghu, and so invited Linghu Chong to join the cult】

【Linghu Chong firmly refused】

【Ren Woxing then used the solution to the flaws of the "Star-Absorbing Great Art" as bait, and his daughter Ren Yingying as leverage】

【If Linghu Chong would not comply, he would not allow the two of them to be together, and would let Linghu Chong go to his death】

【Linghu Chong was not afraid of death, but being unable to stay with the one he loved left him deeply distressed】

【And Ren Yingying was an extremely filial, extremely steadfast woman, caught between her father and her lover, torn either way】

【Yet Ren Woxing paid no heed at all to his daughter's feelings, ignored his daughter's pleas, and cast Linghu Chong's great rescuing kindness clean out of his mind—nothing in his eyes but profit and hegemony】

【At the end of the story, had Ren Woxing not died suddenly and inexplicably, the two of them would hardly have had a happy ending】

"¨「 Ungrateful… so that's how it is!"

Seeing this, all the women understood at once.

Jiang Sishui was worried about being fleeced like "wool"!

Just think—Ren Woxing, so wildly ambitious and so self-serving, treated a benefactor this way; how much more so would he treat Jiang Sishui?

If he were rescued and realized how extraordinary Jiang Sishui was, he would absolutely use Ren Yingying to obtain benefits from Jiang Sishui by every means.

And the kind who gives an inch and takes a mile, never satisfied.

If Jiang Sishui refused, he would use his status as father to pressure Ren Yingying.

And Ren Yingying is a filial daughter…

Then one can well imagine she would, just as in the story, fall into an impossible dilemma.

……

Manor of Many Flowers.

(damn it) Ren Yingying's brows knit tightly.

What all the women could figure out, she, though the "player in the game," could also see clearly enough.