江湖路弯弯: Jianghu Road is Curved! Chapter 30

_{(translated by xia0xiao1mei)}

^{(edited by anniaxx)}

CHAPTER THIRTY

Beauty Trap

Recently, the look in Pang Wan’s eyes as she gazes at Gu Xi Ju is a little strange, just like a big bad wolf seeing a pig belly, like a ferocious tiger seeing a fat wild rabbit, revealing a terrifying shine within the faint green —— she really wants to, really wants to pounce forward and claw through Lord Supreme Chief’s clothing!

“You should more or less restrain yourself a little.” Nan Yi truly could not bear to watch on, and speaks out in reminder.

With a sound of “ci-liu” the drool that was close to dripping was wiped away, Pang Wan withdraws her line of sight resentfully.

“Say, would he really bury the Jade Dragon Token inside a certain part of his body?”

As she pulls back her line of sight from beyond the windows, Pang Wan keeps an eye on the medicine concoction fire, feeling unwilling to resign herself as she lowly mutters this.

“How am I supposed to know? Not like I’m him!” Nan Yi is busy categorising the huge pile of valuable medicinal herbs in hand, his face not looking too good, “You’re fanning so slowly! Have you not eaten anything this afternoon?”

“Right right right, only know how to bully me!” Pang Wan pouts, feeling wronged, increasing her strength to wave the broken cattail-leaf fan in hand.

“I’ve decided!”

She suddenly raises her head, putting on a firm attitude that is determined to stand against all odds: “I shall go peek on him bathing!”

With a sound of “ka-cha”, the hundred-year snow ginseng in Nan Yi’s hand breaks into several pieces.

“Do you have a brain? To actually be this stupid!” He uses a type of look of immense disbelief to inspect her, “By only peeking at a man bathing, are you confident you can see every little part of his body? Should you really wish to get a full picture of his body without any reservation whatsoever, there is only one way……” He suddenly speaks no more.

“What way?” Pang Wan turns to look at him, that rosy little face filled with excitement.

Seeing her look of naïve expectations, Nan Yi gulps, swallowing down a mouthful of saliva.

“Perform the matter between man and woman with that person.”

After a long time, he picks up a cup of hot tea to cover up his own awkwardness.

“Pa!” The little broken cattail-leaf fan drops in response to those words.

“That’s right ah! How could I have not thought there is still this one tactic?!” Pang Wan eyes sparkles as she stands from the bench, hands on hips as she valiantly laughs out loud: “Wa-ha-ha!”

A sound of “pu”, and the hot tea spurts out from Nan Yi’s mouth.

“You, do you even know what the matter between man and woman is?!” His entire face is distorted into a dislocated state, the hand holding the teacup had also started trembling a little.

Pang Wan uses a belittling look to glare at him: “I know quite a lot actually! Is it not just mating? What’s the big deal about it ah?!” Not only the matter between man and woman, there’s also man and man, and even matters between woman and woman, she practically has it all in grasp —— who told the land of Mary Sue to also have people liking such heavy taste?

Nan Yi’s expression stiffens, hand reaching out like an eagle gripping onto a little chick as he lifts Pang Wan and places her before him.

“You fool! Must you annoy me to death for your heart to be at peace?!” He viciously glares at her, the vein on his forehead sharply protruding, his knuckles also sounding ka-ka, “Idiot! Pig brain!”

Pang Wan was roasted by his violent angry flames into trembling all over, yet her lips remain resolute: “The beauty trap is in fact very common ah……”

“You are also considered a beauty?” Nan Yi coldly laughs, releasing his hand with a “pa”.

Pang Wan falls to the ground like a kite cut off from its string, an extremely sorry state.

“What kind of a beauty do you think you are?!” He kicks her with the tip of his toes, it can’t be considered a heavy hit, but still very painful.

Pang Wan had long gotten used to Nan Yi’s sudden kicks and punches, silently climbing back up without a sound, carelessly wiping the dust on her face.

“I don’t need for you to care!” She roars at him, eyes a little red, before she turns and runs off.

–

An esteemed customer has come to Qi Xiang Tower this night, is a veiled pretty gentleman, with a petite figure —— since the person insists on referring to self as gentleman, Madam shall simply play along like a boat following the water currents, since whoever has money is the great lord anyway.

The pretty gentleman very boldly requests the head flower Bai Shuang _{(head flower or huā kuí / 花魁 means most favoured courtesan)}, and considerately leads her into the horse carriage personally.

“Most likely a wealthy family’s maid came out foraging on the master’s behalf!” Madam watches the carriage in the distant as she giggles, such matters she has seen far too often, and has long grown placid towards it.

Also on that same night, after Gu Xi Ju had finished taking care of his daily affairs, he goes to check on Bai Xiao Sheng’s condition, and after finding that everything is stable, he finally returns for his meal.

Although he is the Supreme Chief of Wu Lin, his personality is relatively withdrawn, should he return late, he would always eat his meal alone, unwilling to disturb others.

Once he had returned to his room, the dishes were already prepared, quietly sitting on the table were fish, meat, fresh vegetables, and rice, also prepared was a flask of warm wine. He picks up his chopsticks to have a little taste, the corners of his lips revealing a trace of a satisfied smile —— very good, a light taste just as always.

This meal is very suited to his tastes, before he knew it, he slowly proceeds on eating, demolishing the dishes of food, not even leaving behind a drop of wine.

Calling over the maids with a wave of a hand to take care of the dishes, he lights the oil lamp on the desk, and slowly reads through some letters under this warm yellow lighting.

Amongst the serene night, one light shines in the size of a bean.

Page after page, his eyelids gradually grows heavy, he struggles to keep himself awake, his brain helplessly scattered like chaos, giving rise to dizziness.

The door suddenly creaks open.

A veiled young girl in white enters, clothing carrying the cool breeze as she leisurely makes her way over to him.

“Why did you get so drunk?” The young girl’s jade arm gently moves to hold onto the man who is close to falling, her brows slightly furrowed.

——she had already calculated this would be when the drug plays into effect, but cannot help thinking, since this person has drank so much wine, don’t know if it will affect the plan?

Gu Xi Ju turns a deaf ear to her question, he raises his head, gazing at her with a look of infatuation, and even reaches out to touch her face.

“You’re angry?” He lowly asks her, his husky voice like the most beautiful wine brewed for a hundred years, dull and sweet, “Why are you angry?” He caresses the between of her brows, as though wanting to smooth out the little wrinkles.

“And why did you drink so much wine?” The young girl nags in a seeming angry yet not actually angry manner, walking forward to hold onto his shoulder, “Come, follow me to get some rest.”

Gu Xi Ju smiles but does not speak as he leaves her to move him, just that from an angle the young girl cannot detect, a pair of eyes finely traces over her hair, brows, eyes and lips.

“You’re too heavy……” The young girl has never carried someone before, and right now, could only use the original method of dragging a heavy sack, straining to pull the male towards the bed, “Should remind you to eat less rice……” She quietly mutters.

Only hearing a sound of “pu-tong”, the man suddenly makes a drunken stagger, and the two entangled people falls into the bed. The curtains rip free with a sound of “ci-la”, a snow white veil instantly obscuring the entire bed, and the world is thus separated into two.

Beyond the curtains is cold loneliness, inside the curtains is the most intimate embrace like a sweet spring dream.

“You’re concerned about me? You would actually be concerned about me?”

Two bodies as though securely sewn together, leaving not the slightest space in between, Gu Xi Ju tightly rings his arm around the young girl’s waist, pasting his cheek on hers as he whispers.

The young girl’s entire body grows numb due to the man’s hot breath, she reflexively tries to push him away, but in the end could only drop her arms, lightly resting them on his waist.

“What silly talk is this? Of course I am concerned about you ah.” Her voice gentle and soothing like a yellow oriole, all whilst not forgetting to pat the man’s shoulder.

Her wrists are suddenly seized by him tightly.

“You liar!” Gu Xi Ju fiercely props up half of his body, those eyes looking at her filled with an angry haze.

“You are not concerned about me at all! You have always been afraid of me, blaming me, scheming against me, and even cannot wait to escape from me, is that not right?” He gnashes his teeth as he accuses, yet within his expression, there actually reveals a few points of dreariness.

The young girl was slightly stunned, cheeks dyed a layer of heart moving blush.

“I didn’t……” She submissively answers, thick lashes gently fanning, rosy clouds gracefully dances on her white porcelain face, “You’re misunderstanding……”

“Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?” Gu Xi Ju’s voice sharply raises, then once again slumps into depression, “Do you know, that day when you repeatedly said it’s got nothing to do with me, such words out of anger, how much it pained my heart?”

Separated by the veil, he uses his thumb to slowly caress the young girl’s delicate face.

“I’m so pained.” He narrows his eyes, dejected, “You saying that, really pains me so much.”

Only hearing a sound of “ci-la”, pretty features exposed to the open air without reservation.

A trace of panic flashes past the young girl’s eyes.

Her breathing halts, not even daring to slip out one breathe, entire body stiff like a block of ice.

Gu Xi Ju tosses the veil aside, attentively examining for a moment, before releasing the arms confining her, smiling in a half-dreamy half-awake state.

“You’re afraid of me?” He mutters in discontent, “Why are you afraid of me? You think I eat people?” As he says this he leans down, as if he is about to kiss his beloved.

The young girl closes her eyes and grits her teeth, reaching up to hook onto his neck, turning over to press down on the aggressor —— As a city invader, he who strikes first gains the advantage.

“As if I’m afraid, I like you very much!” Against his ear, her aspirated breathe like an orchid, then with the mindset of warrior cutting his wrist^[1], she quickly places a kiss on his face.

Gu Xi Ju’s entire person freezes.

A look of great disbelief rises to his face, as he raises his hand to touch the spot the young girl kissed, fingertips slightly trembling.

“……this is a dream.” He gazes at his own finger, the corners of his lips raises into a trace of an empty and bitter smile, “This is indeed a dream, how could you possibly kiss me?”

Seeing him surprised one moment, happy the next, and eventually settling into a look of loss, the young girl cannot help but to sigh.

——this one is also the passionate lover type ah.

“That’s right ah, this is a dream.” She extends her hands to embrace him a little tighter, that small delicate nose practically pasted to his cheek.

“Do you despise this dream?” She is a little nervous, and cannot help licking her own lip.

“Despise?” Gu Xi Ju’s heart is severely thumping as he repeats after her.

“I only hate, hate why you did not let me have this dream earlier?” He shakes his head and bitterly smiles, eyes filled with dreariness.

With a huge burden lifted from her heart, the young girl brightly smiles as her ten fingers are outstretched, gently shoving the man inside the bed.

“Since you do not despise this dream, shall we make the dream look more real?”

She tenderly coaxes, a pair of hands silently wraps around his lapel.

“……as long as you are willing.” Gu Xi Ju’s face is flushed red, looking bedazzled, eyes like a scene of sparkling waves.

“Be good, listen to me, you mustn’t move.”

The young girl is overjoyed, deftly acting and unfastens the man’s silk clothing, skin like bronzeware exposed in big chunks after big chunks. Neck, shoulders, arms, abdomen……she carefully, seriously, inspects him, not even passing over the belly button, yet in the end all was for nothing.

Could it be its hidden in the lower body? The young girl is both angered and anxious, unable to refrain from crying out deep down in her heart —— you beast!

Just as she was prepared to unfasten his waistband, a slender and muscular arm wraps around her shoulder, pulling her petite body into his warm embrace.

“Hot, so hot.” Perhaps the drug is in full effect now, Gu Xi Ju’s breathing starts to significantly grow heavy, his strong chest rising and falling, a drop of glistening sweat also dripping from his forehead. In this very moment, he already isn’t the Supreme Chief of Wu Lin who is sat so high up, but is only a paddy field that is soon to be burned down by the drought, longing for the sweet fragrance of rain.

The young girl was startled by his sudden action, and leans into his ear as she appeases: “Be good ah, wait for me to take a bath first.” Having said that she deftly drills away in escape.

——it sure is scary when men are heated up, fortunately this great-aunt is wise, preparing a courtesan in advance.

Didn’t think that once both feet had just reached the ground, a sudden blast of wind hits her, and the young girl is abruptly pull back onto the bed by an enormous force, bumping into the solid chest of the person behind.

“What are you doing?!” From that collision, she could practically see stars as she grits her teeth, about to lose her temper, “I am only going to take a bath, not like I’m not coming back!” Since he has already consumed the drug, once the courtesan climbs into the bed, he would still see the person as his beloved.

The person embracing her instead laughs all of a sudden.

“No, I don’t believe you.” The man who has fallen into the love obstacle, rests his chin on the crook of the young girl’s neck, using the tip of his nose to caress her, “You are always leaving whenever you please, towards me, you have never left the slightest bit of reluctance to part —— is that not right, Wan Wan?”

Catching her completely off-guard, he bites down on her.

Along with the last syllable of his final words sounding, the young girl, as though having been struck by thunder, immediately turns lifeless.

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[1] Warrior cutting his wrist or zhuàng shì duàn wàn / 壮士断腕 is a Chinese idiom that comes from the story of a warrior making the quick decision to cut off his wrist after being bitten by a poisonous snake, thus preventing the poison from spreading through his entire body. The idiom has the meaning that one cannot be hesitant and must make a prompt decision.

Here’s another chap to leave you all jumping back and forth between these ships XD

Oh and just in case it isn’t made clear, thanks to the drug, whoever Gu Xi Ju sees, will look like the one he loves in his eyes, which means that all along Wan Wan thought he was seeing her as Fairy Sang Chan haha……oh how wrong she was XD