"Hit me."
When given the choice between informing Zhu Pingniang that [Xu Changâan was holding Yun Qianâs long hair obsessively] and [getting hit], Miss Lu undoubtedly chose the latter.
"?"
Zhu Pingniang was surprised that Ni Zi was trembling, yet still stubbornly refusing to speak.
"Still being stubborn? Arenât you afraid of pain?"
"Afraid, of course..."
Miss Lu thought it over and decided that speaking up was worse than getting hit, since the pain would be temporary.
What Xu Changâan did... she couldnât put into words.
It couldnât be considered as betraying the family, just purely didnât know how to say it.
But Zhu Pingniang was not just anyone. Seeing Miss Lu looking as if she were ready to die, with a blush on her fair neck, her blinking sped up significantly.
For a moment, the amazement and curiosity in her heart effectively dispelled her anger towards Miss Lu.
"Like this?" Zhu Pingniang mused: "That kid Changâan... braver than I thought? Also more promising."
Miss Lu thought, the gentleman is not just promising; heâs far better than her sister in many ways.
However, fearing Zhu Pingniang, she dared not be sarcastic.
"Forget it, I can guess some things even if you donât tell me..." Zhu Pingniang showed a regretful expression, murmuring: "If I had known, I would have informed him myself. Such an interesting scene, and you got to see it..."
Zhu Pingniangâs eyes sparkled, babbling on to Miss Lu.
"Ni Zi, which kind did you see? On my way here, I heard the girls say they saw Changâan and that Miss Yun embracing under the tree at the door..."
"Huh... such a thing?" Miss Lu was taken aback.
"Oh, youâre not sociable; no girl dared talk to you as you came by, let alone gossip about Changâan." Zhu Pingniang nodded.
It was reasonable that Miss Lu was always the last to know any gossip.
Miss Lu: "..."
"Ni Zi." Zhu Pingniangâs eyes brimmed with interest; she held Miss Luâs waist and guided her to a eave to hide from the rain, coughing softly as she whispered in Miss Luâs ear: "What did you see just now?"
Miss Lu was already prepared to be hit, so she didnât want to talk, thus hearing Zhu Pingniang speak close to her ear with a flirtatious tone.
Zhu Pingniang smirked: "If this young couple dares to embrace outside, who knows what you might have caught them doing indoors. You prefer to be hit rather than speak, could it be you saw the couple kissing, or even more straightforwardly... is itâ"
The faint musk mingling with the fresh cool breeze made Miss Luâs face blush furiously; she finally couldnât hold back, stomping her embroidered shoe on the ground twice.
"Sis, what... what are you saying."
She truly had no idea what was going on in Zhu Pingniangâs head.
"Tsk, so it wasnât?" Zhu Pingniang easily deduced from Miss Lu that she hadnât seen anything interesting.
She grumbled.
"Not even kissing? Then truly, Sis canât understand why youâre shy... so hopeless; donât claim I raised you in the future."
Being a daughter raised by a Hehuan Sect elder, even witnessing unassuming intimacy that barely counted as kissing, looking flustered and tongue-tied.
"Are you really a brothelâs steward?" Zhu Pingniang looked at Miss Lu incredulously: "Could it be a switch has happened?"
Miss Lu: "..."
By then, her fear had subsided, so she puffed her cheeks and turned away, unwilling to speak.
"Forget it, Iâm too lazy to discuss with you." Zhu Pingniang blinked, then suddenly remembered something.
"Changâan said... Ah Bai attended a banquet at his place." Zhu Pingniangâs mouth twitched: "Considering they were entwined enough for you to witness, wouldnât Ah Bai also have caught something she shouldnât..."
Hmm.
Zhu Pingniangâs instincts were always accurate.
Li Zhibai indeed saw something, though she saw nothing "beautiful" like Miss Lu did.
Li Zhibai saw Yun Qian stepping on Xu Changâanâs head.
At that time, Li Zhibai was in a different mental realm compared to Miss Lu.
"Forget it, Iâll ask her some other time." Zhu Pingniang looked at Miss Lu puffing her cheeks like a little squirrel, her eyebrows curved.
This girl was shocked by her, indeed seemed to have returned to the feeling of childhood, getting angry with her.
Zhu Pingniang reminisced, shaking her head: "You are truly the only girl after following me for so long, still pure like a little white flower."
Zhu Pingniang smiled, taking Miss Luâs arm, gently opened the umbrella, and walked into the rain together.
"Little white flower..." Miss Lu squeezed closer to Zhu Pingniang, looking at her vacant temple, and said: "Sis, do you think this is bad?"
"Your usual pretending to be dumb, pretending to be serious, pretending not to see the girlsâ intimacy... though thereâs some deer burying its head in the sand self-deception, yet I donât hate it, quite like it actually." Zhu Pingniang thought and said: "Hmm, at least better than QinâEr."
Compared to Qinling, who had already gone off the rails, Miss Luâs purity made her feel exceptionally at ease.
Zhu Pingniang spoke helplessly and with emotion: "At least when I tell you bawdy jokes, I want to see you blush shyly, not have you tell me something even more excessive like QinâEr does; sheâs not as adorable as you..."
Miss Lu: "..."
She lowered her head, watching raindrops splash into the puddles, at a loss for what to say.