Chapter 4: You Call This A Married Woman?
The ancient streets, bathed in the afternoon sunlight, are like a quiet beauty, as if even time slows down for her, reluctant to let her grow old.
The old teahouse by the street is simply furnished, not as formal as other places, with small square tables, bamboo chairs, bone china tea cups, and purple copper teapots. A few dishes of snacks sit on the tables, surrounded by several elderly gentlemen.
Drinking tea, chatting, listening to operas, ear-picking, and gossiping—this is almost a daily routine for the old folks on Mudan Street.
When she was a child, Lu Yibei and a large group of children always loved to run here, not for anything else but to hear the elderly in the teahouse leisurely tell those magical stories of uncertain truth.
What about ghost snakes, what about carrying corpses to summon gods, and what about the statue in the broken temple on the east hill eating children…
Each story has a hint of horror that scared the kids, making beads of sweat appear on their foreheads, yet they couldn’t bear to part with them.
At that time, Lu Yibei’s trash-talking attribute was already beginning to show; she could always find the illogical parts of the stories and ruthlessly point them out, igniting the old gentlemen’s anger, making them dangerously close to a brain hemorrhage or myocardial infarction, only to receive a physical education lesson from the old man in return.
Now that she thinks back, Lu Yibei feels that the beatings she received were not in vain; the stories from the old gentlemen were very likely true.
Her tendency to seek logic in urban legends was purely a sign of a troubled mind.
The old teahouse on Mudan Street not only sells tea but also some snacks, with their husband-and-wife slices of lung being the most famous.
The taste is spicy but not overpowering, fresh but not greasy, with a rich numbing aroma mixed with the delicate texture of beef offal that bursts with flavor with every bite, leaving one longing for more.
However, since Mudan Street has gradually been transformed into a tourist attraction, it has become difficult to buy the husband-and-wife slices of lung. The boss of the teahouse is a laid-back person who doesn’t want those tourists rushing for the teahouse’s specialty dishes, disrupting the tranquility of the old teahouse.
Of course, if any of the old neighbors on the street want to enjoy a taste of it, they just need to give him a heads-up in advance.
Lu Yibei walked into the old teahouse, glanced around, and found the owner, Uncle He, lying in a rattan chair with his eyes closed. She stepped forward and said, “Uncle He, I’ve ordered the husband-and-wife slices of lung…”
Before she finished her sentence, the teahouse owner, without opening his eyes, waved his hand with a bamboo fan at a lunch box on the small square table beside him and said leisurely, “Take it, you don’t need to pay. Just come to my house to treat me to a meal next time.”
“How could I do that!” Lu Yibei scratched the back of her head.
The owner opened his eyes a slit and gave Lu Yibei a glare. “What are you pretending for? You think you can act shy around me?”
“Uh…” Lu Yibei pondered for a moment, picked up the lunch box on the table, and said seriously, “Well, actually, there is something, but I still want to ask shamelessly today.”
“Is your secret recipe for the husband-and-wife slices of lung really not shared with anyone?”
Speaking of which, Lu Yibei’s father had long coveted the secret recipe for the husband-and-wife slices of lung from the teahouse owner. If it weren’t for the fact that the owner had a son, he might have already made a deal concerning Lu Yibei’s future with the owner.
“Get lost!”
Alright then, the owner still doesn’t want to share the secret recipe today.
…
Lu Yibei picked up the husband-and-wife slices of lung from the old teahouse and headed straight for the secret base located at the corner of Mudan Street.
Just as she exited the door, her figure disappearing into the alley, a figure wrapped in a snow-white mink coat stealthily slipped into the teahouse.
Bai Kai came to the teahouse owner’s side, pulled down his mask, removed his sunglasses, and whispered, “Hey, Uncle He, long time no see! Can I ask you something?”
The teahouse owner lifted his eyelids, glanced at Bai Kai, and spat lightly, “Tsk! It’s really unlucky today; one Lu is gone, and now you’ve come. Get lost, you’re not welcome here!”
“Don’t be like that, Uncle He! I’m just asking if Xiaobei just came to buy lung slices from you? Do you know who she bought them for?”
“Why are you asking me? I don’t know! Could it be that he just wants to eat them himself?” the teahouse owner replied.
Hearing this, Bai Kai narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
If not for Lu Yibei’s previous remarks, he might indeed have been buying them for himself.
But the situation is a bit different now; he has big problems on him!
Which married woman has her eyes on Xiaobei? She must not succeed! Bai Kai thought.
…
On the way to the secret base, Lu Yibei’s mood was as tangled as a pair of earphone cables inadvertently pulled from her pocket, or perhaps the gaze of a domineering CEO—quite complex.
That complex structure comprised three parts excitement for a gathering with friends, two parts anxiety about being caught on the spot, and five parts peculiar thrill.
However, when she climbed to the top of the tower and saw Nanling Yaohua, all those complicated emotions dissipated.
She was barefoot, sitting on the railing with her long legs dangling outside, the already slanting sunlight casting a glow on her profile, reflecting a hint of subtle melancholy.
A gentle breeze blew, tousling her long black hair, bringing with it the scent of osmanthus flowers, mixed with the sweet smell of pineapples from a street vendor, and…
“Old Wang?” Nanling Yaohua tilted her head towards Lu Yibei with a smile, “Come here and try this! I bought this cold gluten from the market in the north of the city early this morning, pure handmade!”
“By the way, there’s this too!” She said, lifting a bottle of wine from beside her, shaking it towards Lu Yibei, “Mulberry wine.”
Upon seeing the food and drink Yi Yaohua had brought, Lu Yibei realized that she probably didn’t have any strange feelings towards this married woman.
Hmm, it was purely a case of friendship through food.
It’s just that, sharing food with a married woman in such a secret location, and there aren’t any other stories—who would believe that!?
In any case, Nanling Yaohua didn’t believe it.
She had no idea how obsessed Lu Yibei was with food; she thought Lu Yibei, like those people she had met along the way, was just attracted to her beauty. However, she didn’t mind.
According to the contents of the “Guide to Traveling the Jianghu for Xiao Hua” on pages seven to nine, having an outstanding appearance is an asset in the Jianghu; as long as one is not taken advantage of, it can be used reasonably to take advantage of others.
Yes, Nanling Yaohua, who had studied the “Guide to Traveling the Jianghu for Xiao Hua,” was just that—corrupted by two unreliable old hands.
It would indeed be great to extract something from “Wang Buliu” without conflict. Nanling Yaohua thought.
Moreover, after several encounters, Nanling Yaohua, who had rarely interacted with outsiders since childhood, already felt that Lu Yibei was a friend worth having.
As she pondered, Lu Yibei had already been chattering away beside her, suddenly recalling something and asking, “Others say I talk too much; you don’t find me annoying, do you?”
“Not at all,” Nanling Yaohua smiled, “A relative of mine once said that when you speak well; the foolish talk becomes historical, and when you embellish it, it’s art.”
“Wow! Your relative speaks so well! Truly a kindred spirit; let’s toast to your relative!” Lu Yibei exclaimed, raising his paper cup and downing it in one gulp.
…
The young man and the married woman met in a secluded place, and Bai Kai found it hard to believe nothing would happen.
If nothing happened, would they still be called men?
From a distance, on a small hillside not far from the tower, Bai Kai was crouched secretly among the bushes, using a spell formula to enhance his vision and hearing, peering up towards the tower’s top.
“This skin… these legs… this waist… this body…”
The architecture concealed Nanling Yaohua’s face, but just seeing her figure made Bai Kai feel she must be a stunning beauty, sensing that something big was about to go down.
Based on his personal experiences.
If Lu Yibei’s first life experience partner was a woman outstanding in appearance, with a perfect figure and rich experience, he would definitely never forget it, and it would ruin his happiness for life.
Just as he prepared to rush out to catch the two of them on the spot, he suddenly heard a very familiar phrase.
“…When you speak well; the foolish talk becomes historical, and when you embellish it, it’s art…”
Bai Kai, “???!”
Isn’t that the nonsense of Xiaobei’s mom? How does this girl know it?
Wait, wait, something seems off. I definitely need to see what this so-called married woman looks like today!
Bai Kai thought, his figure flashing, quickly leaving the hillside, heading towards the direction of the Huacheng Folk Culture Management Bureau.
As the headquarters of the Huacheng Siye Society, Mudan Street is tightly monitored, and through the monitoring room’s screens, almost every corner of Mudan Street can be seen.
Bai Kai had originally not planned to misuse his authority to access the monitoring to observe Lu Yibei; such actions felt inappropriate and a bit sordid.
But now the situation was different; words from the dead had come from the lips of the living, which counted as “urban legend events.”
As a principal operative of the Huacheng Siye Society, it’s only natural to investigate urban legend events, Bai Kai thought, quietly pushing open the door to the monitoring room, leaping onto the control panel, skillfully bringing up the footage from the tower’s direction, and then stood there dumbfounded.
What the hell? What’s going on? How does Xiao Hua know Xiaobei?
Lu Yibei, you call this a married woman?
Wait, could it be that they don’t know who each other is?
Upon reaching this point, Bai Kai couldn’t help but smile like a proud father, “If these two kids really are so fated, maybe I shouldn’t tell them the truth so early.”
While speaking, a figure suddenly flashed through his mind, leaving his gaze dimmer.
Love is a very pure thing; telling them now that if misunderstood, their bond was fostered by the nudging of elders would spoil everything.
Arranged marriages are just the dregs of traditional culture.
Worse yet, it might develop into something like my case, Bai Kai thought.
“Let’s leave it at that for now! Let the two kids interact for themselves first. When the time is right, I’ll give them a surprise.”
As he spoke, Bai Kai’s mind began to conjure up a scene in the not-so-distant future, where Lu Yibei would bring Nanling Yaohua to him, and he would exclaim, “You two were actually betrothed from the womb!” while their surprised faces filled with joy.
“Hey, Old Lu, Big Brother, if you were still alive, would you agree with me?” Bai Kai murmured, letting out a long sigh.
He figured they probably wouldn’t; based on those two unreliable guys’ personalities, they would want to lock Lu Yibei and Nanling Yaohua in a room tonight, tossing in a few initial spring breeze charms and dry wood fire charms.
Marriage certificates could always be obtained at the civil affairs office the next day.
“But Xiao Hua is here, yet she didn’t seek me out first; instead, she went to mess around with a ‘stranger,’ which totally gets on my nerves. I need to have a serious talk with him later,” Bai Kai said.
…
The sun was gradually setting in the west, and when the red clouds filled the sky, Lu Yibei estimated that the daily urban legend transformation was about to arrive on schedule, so she stood up, bid farewell to Nanling Yaohua, and headed towards the university city alone.
Not long after Lu Yibei left, Nanling Yaohua, who had been staying in place for a moment, cleaned up the trash and was about to return to the Lu Family Manor when suddenly, a sharp, sword-like spiritual energy fluctuation rushed into her spiritual perception range.
Feeling that spiritual energy fluctuation approaching incessantly, her gaze darkened, and with a swift motion, she drew her sword, stabbing back like lightning.
“Clang—!”
In an instant, two silver arcs of light collided in the air, sparking bursts of light.
An overwhelming force traveled down the sword blade into her palm, and while Nanling Yaohua marveled inwardly, she felt a swirling dark energy in her palm trying to disarm her sword, astonished as she turned to look at the attacker, involuntarily exclaiming.
“Master Bai? Is that you, Master Bai?”
In Nanling Yaohua’s memory, Bai Kai was still that rough man in a sheepskin coat, wrapped in a white headscarf, but the man before her now was dressed in an exaggerated mink coat, sporting large sunglasses, looking delicate like a kept man in a TV drama.
If it weren’t for the facial features resembling eight parts, combined with the swordsmanship she was incredibly familiar with, she would never have recognized him.
“Hey, Xiao Hua, you’re improving fast in swordsmanship! You’ve got about fifty percent of my abilities now.”
Confirming that the person in front of her was Bai Kai, Nanling Yaohua instantly let go of her guard, unloading that white light-like disguise, resuming her appearance as the little demon on the Gobi Desert who instilled fear.
She looked at Bai Kai with a bit of mischief and stuck her tongue out, saying, “Haha! I don’t believe it. My grandpa said you were the one with the worst sword talent among all his students.”
“You actually believe that old lecher’s words? Then tell me, why is it that only I have successfully obtained the [Fusion Spirit Pattern: Poetry Sword Soul]?” Bai Kai retorted, unamused.
“Probably…” Nanling Yaohua assessed Bai Kai, smirking, “Because you’re sufficiently flashy, right? Didn’t they say poets… Hey!”
“Little kids these days, are you just talking nonsense? Anyway, I’ll ask you, when did you come to Huacheng? What did you come for? Why didn’t you come find me when you arrived? Is there even a place for me in your eyes as your master?”
After hearing Bai Kai’s series of questions, Nanling Yaohua was stunned for a moment, recalling the purpose of her trip. Her cheeks slightly flushed, she stuck out her tongue, realizing the trouble she was in, and with a quick push of her toes against the ground, a flow of radiant light surrounded her as she swiftly dashed across the ancient street rooftops to escape.
I must not let Master Bai send me back; I haven’t seen Lu Yibei yet! Nanling Yaohua thought.
…
On the other side, in a half-finished building near the university city.
As the daylight began to dim, soon, a series of moans could be heard from the darkness, sometimes passionate, sometimes seductive, gradually returning to normal…
After a moment, Lu Yibei emerged from the half-finished building, drenched in sweat, her eyes dazed as if her body had been emptied.
Although, after coming out of the Bamboo Slips Illusion, when the urban legend transformation ceased, she temporarily didn’t feel that burning pain all over.
Now, however, the chill creeping through her body, a deeply intolerable itch in her bones, and the enticing whispers of girls echoing in her ears were equally unbearable.
Stepping out of the half-finished building, Lu Yibei glanced at the strange black substance in the crystal in her hand under the light of a streetlamp, slightly frowning.
“One bottle every day; the crystal bottle from the jewelry store costs over a hundred each. At this rate, my wallet will be emptied. I can’t just throw this away; throwing it at kids or flowers could lead to trouble.”
Lu Yibei complained to herself, taking out the newly purchased Huami P40PRO+.
That’s right, her body wasn’t heating up now, so she’d begun to indulge again and dared to buy a flagship phone.
Unlocking the phone, she entered the urban legends chat group’s review chat, forwarded more than thirty marketing videos with a single click, and as per the usual practice, filed a report, the reason being “spreading scam information in the group.”
Then.
She received a prompt message.
One Hundred and Three and a Half Cats: @Wang Buliu, please do not report this group, or we will conduct an offline review of you again.
One Hundred and Three and a Half Cats: We will organize your final entry review soon, so please be prepared to wait; currently, five people are ahead of you.
Wang Buliu: @One Hundred and Three and a Half Cats, are you a robot?
One Hundred and Three and a Half Cats: Yes.
Wang Buliu: Then can I play word games with you?
One Hundred and Three and a Half Cats: …
Wang Buliu: Then I’ll go first, one top two.
One Hundred and Three and a Half Cats: Get lost! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻
Lu Yibei, “…” Why are people so irritable nowadays?
Silently closing a certain chat app, Lu Yibei opened her contacts and called Bai Kai.
After a few rings, she heard Bai Kai’s breathless voice, faintly mixed with the laughter of a girl.
“Who—who—! Hey, Xiao Bei? What’s up?”
“Eh, Old Bai, weren’t you quite powerful previously? Why can’t you manage now?”
“…” Lu Yibei maintained a deadpan expression and remained silent for two seconds before saying, “Sorry, I’ll call you back later; you can continue being busy.”
After hanging up, Lu Yibei glanced at the now darkening sky and shook her head helplessly.
Water Brother is already middle-aged; maybe… should I buy him a couple of pounds of kidneys to supplement? Lu Yibei thought.
…
Meanwhile, on a hillside near Huacheng.
Bai Kai stood in place, staring blankly at the phone in his hand after ending the call, looking up and taking in the surroundings. Under the night sky, the shadows among the trees no longer revealed any trace of Nanling Yaohua.
Yes, he had lost her; the top three spiritual ability users in the Siye Society couldn’t track down a fledgling girl, losing face entirely.
“d*mn! These two guys are perfectly matched in playing with emotions!” Bai Kai cursed fiercely.
