socalfunplaces Chapter 119 Take as You Please
Chapter 119 Take as You Please
She was completely unguarded and posed no threat to him; her breath was clean, and her pulse was gentle. Lin Tian's body instincts had already quietly drawn her into the realm of slumber, leaving her without a trace of vigilance.
Zi Nu's face was so gloomy it could drip ink—or rather, a dark, ashen blue tinged with gray. Just as dawn broke, Hong Yu stumbled into her room, panting, and reported: In Nong Yu's boudoir lay a severed-necked corpse, and Nong Yu herself was nowhere to be found.
Zi Nu rushed over to take a look, but only glanced at it twice before turning around and heading straight for Lin Tian's residence.
She didn't know how much Nongyu was valued by Lin Tian.
But she knew very well that Lin Tian stayed at Zilan Pavilion nine times out of ten because of Nongyu.
Lin Tian's abilities far exceeded her comprehension. If he were to learn of Nongyu's disappearance now... Xinzheng City would likely be massacred three times over, and even the palace walls and tiles would be shaken to their foundations.
She didn't want to see that scene, but she dared not hide it—it was something that couldn't be covered up at all.
Standing in front of Lin Tian's door, she took a deep breath, her hand hovering above the door panel, hesitating for a moment as she considered her words and tact.
Without knocking, she pushed the door open, her voice tense: "Lin Tian, Nongyu, she..."
However, Zi Nu's words were abruptly cut off as soon as she opened her mouth.
Her gaze sharpened as she saw two people lying side by side on the bed—one was Lin Tian, and the other was none other than Nongyu, whom she had thought had been lost long ago.
Lin Tian, his eyes half-open, glanced at Zi Nu with a hazy look and said lazily, "Oh dear, Miss Zi Nu, you're launching another sneak attack? The sky is already turning blue."
Zi Nu stared at Nong Yu curled up in his arms, her heart feeling as if something was blocking it. She scoffed coldly, "Ambush? You held her tighter first, did I even need to lift a finger?"
Holding Nongyu in his arms... Why does that sound so strange?
Nongyu? Right, she did rest in her room last night. But while she slept soundly in bed, I laid out a mat and slept on the floor.
A quick glance revealed that the makeshift bed on the floor was empty.
Where is everyone? ...Wait, where am I?!
No! This soft, warm bundle in my arms... Lin Tian suddenly looked down and met a small face that was burning red.
Nongyu?!
His eyes were tightly closed, but his eyelashes trembled slightly; he was clearly pretending to be asleep.
who am I?
where am I?
What exactly happened last night?
Lin Tian snapped to his senses, then became completely bewildered.
Why is Nongyu lying here? Oh…right, last night he was telling Nongyu about Dongfang and Long'er, and then he fell into a deep sleep. In his dream, someone seemed to gently snuggle into his arms, warm and cozy, like a kitten. He instinctively hugged her tighter and patted her back—just like he usually did to Long'er.
Looking down at where his hands were... Lin Tian froze on the spot: This position, this force, could it be that he really treated Nongyu like Long'er last night and squeezed her all night long?
He quickly released his grip, his movements stiff as if he were having a cramp, and coughed twice: "Um... Nongyu, wake up?"
Even though he knew she was faking it, he couldn't very well yell, "Hey, stop pretending! I saw right through you!"
When Lin Tian called, Nongyu naturally couldn't refuse any longer.
In truth, she hadn't closed her eyes at all. The moment she snuggled into his arms, his hand unconsciously reached out and touched her, his fingertips occasionally kneading her gently... How could she dare to sleep? How could she bear to wake him? Besides, her heart was already with him, so she could only bite her lip, keep her eyes open, and endure the long night.
"Young master, sister." She responded softly, lowering her head and eyes, her ears turning red, and even her neck was flushed.
The three remained silent. Nongyu was silent, Zinu pursed her lips, and Lin Tian opened his mouth, but didn't know where to begin.
The air seemed to freeze, growing increasingly tense.
Zi Nu broke the silence first, her voice heavy: "Nong Yu, what are you doing in Young Master Lin's room? And what about that corpse in your room?"
"Replying to my sister," Nongyu said in a soft but steady voice, "Last night, I was wiping the zither when someone suddenly broke down the door. Fortunately, you arrived in time and saved me. You had already gone to bed, so I didn't want to disturb you; and because the room smelled too strongly of blood, I came to rest in your room for the time being."
"Yes, that's right!" Lin Tian nodded hurriedly, nodding like he was pecking at rice.
Besides nodding, he couldn't think of anything else he could do.
Zi Nu's gaze swept over Nong Yu with a complex expression before landing on Lin Tian's face. Her voice carried a warning: "Young Master Lin, now that Nong Yu is by your side, please take good care of her from now on. Although my Zi Lan Xuan is entirely composed of women, if you betray her, we will not be easy to get along with."
Clearly, she had made up her mind about something. Lin Tian was momentarily at a loss for words to clarify.
Nongyu kept her head down the whole time and did not utter a word.
"I'm relieved that Nongyu is safe and sound. I'll go and summon Han Fei—these cases are the responsibility of the Minister of Justice." With that, Zi Nu turned to leave.
As she reached the door, she paused, turned back to Lin Tian, and said, "A murder has occurred in Nongyu's room; it's an unlucky omen. Since Zilan Pavilion is short of rooms right now, she can stay with you from now on."
"I..." Lin Tian's throat tightened.
"Does Young Master Lin have any objections?" Zi Nu raised an eyebrow slightly, and for some reason, she found everything about him displeasing at that moment.
"No, no..." He could only force a smile and awkwardly agree.
Zi Nu left.
"Sigh..." Lin Tian sighed deeply.
He turned his head, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke: "Nongyu, last night..."
Just thinking about it makes my head buzz.
Nongyu kept her head down, her voice soft yet resolute: "What happened last night was of my own free will. If you do not abandon me, I am willing to dedicate my life to serving you."
She raised her eyes, her gaze clear and firm, looking directly into Lin Tian's eyes.
I got confessed to again?
Lin Tian's mind went blank, his tongue got tied, and he couldn't find the words to reply.
Seeing his long silence, Nongyu's eyelashes trembled and her heart sank slightly—could it be that he was unwilling?
A pallor gradually crept across her face, and she managed a stiff upward curve at the corners of her mouth, her voice weak and feeble: "Young master, please don't make things difficult for me... Nongyu will tell my sister the truth about what happened last night later. Besides, what happened last night was Nongyu's fault..."
Nongyu's pupils suddenly contracted, and her words came to an abrupt halt—as if an invisible hand had gripped her throat, preventing her from uttering another single word.
The despair that weighed heavily on my heart just a moment ago was instantly washed away by the burning joy.
She awkwardly and tentatively reached out her hand to Lin Tian.
Lin Tian couldn't care less about anything else. He could clearly see Nongyu's feelings, and if he pretended to be deaf and dumb, it would only hurt her. As for Dongfang's knife—let him slash it! This immortal sect is vast, and he could always find spiritual medicine to heal broken bones and mend tendons.
"Young master, no... it's really not possible right now... wait... wait until nightfall." Lin Tian had already reached his limit, but Nongyu still didn't have the courage to give herself to him in broad daylight.
It was her first time, and Lin Tian didn't want her to experience love so suddenly and be caught in a panic and embarrassment; he was even more afraid that Han Fei might show up at any moment and catch them panting and embracing each other while lifting the curtain... Lin Tian was really afraid that he would pick up his sword and chop off his head.
"Young master, let Nongyu help you change your clothes." She lowered her eyes and whispered, her voice barely audible.
Her face was as red as rouge, her eyes sparkling, and her whole being was as soft as a flower petal floating on spring water, ready to be picked by anyone.
The flame that Lin Tian had just suppressed suddenly flared up again.