Chapter One Hundred Thirty: Empress Lu Beats Up Chen Yanluo
When Chen Nuo crawled out from under the table, he first looked out the window. Seeing Zhang Linsheng and the others had disappeared gave him a momentary sense of relief.
Then, the very next second, he saw Lu Xixi push open the door of the Häagen-Dazs shop, with Zhang Linsheng and Xia Xia following her inside…
Chen Nuo's heartbeat nearly stopped!
Häagen-Dazs doesn't have a back door!
In a panic, Chen Nuo snatched the menu from the table and propped it up, flattening himself against the table with his face hidden behind it.
You can't see me, you can't see me, you can't see me... he chanted in his mind.
Li Yingwan stared at Chen Nuo in disbelief and frowned; the leggy girl leaned in too. "Oppa?"
"Shh!" Chen Nuo put his finger to his lips and whispered, "Don't talk..."
Li Yingwan's eyes lit up, but she misunderstood. "Are we spying on some Bagua?"
"..." Chen Nuo nodded.
The leggy girl perked up and also propped up a menu to peer from behind.
Inside the shop, because it was full, Lu Xixi, Zhang Linsheng, and Xia Xia could only sit at a table near the entrance.
What comforted Chen Nuo a bit was that Empress Lu didn't notice him when she sat down; moreover, Her Majesty the Empress had her back to him.
Zhang Linsheng was sitting sideways, and the only one facing the inside of the shop was the pretty girl he didn't recognize.
The risk of exposure dropped slightly.
"Actually, I just have two questions to ask you. There's no need to be so nervous..."
Chen Nuo faintly heard the Empress's voice.
Then... just as he tried to keep listening...
"...%)*...&*()..."
Damn it! I can't hear a thing!
This Star Sky Empress is actually using her spiritual power to create a barrier! Was it really necessary? Is spiritual power a free commodity for Controllers? If she's worried about being overheard in public, she should find a secluded place to chat!
Chen Nuo was helpless but stayed hidden behind the menu.
Li Yingwan, on the other hand, sneakily poked half her face out, spying on the scene over there.
"Oppa... they're chatting..."
"Oppa... that pretty woman is laughing..."
"She looks so happy when she laughs."
"Oppa, are they talking about something fun?"
"Oppa... that young girl seems unhappy. I saw her secretly kick Haonan's foot."
"Oppa..."
"Shh! Don't talk." Chen Nuo, head hidden behind the menu, gently tapped Li Yingwan's leg and murmured, "Stop looking. Be careful they notice you, and don't talk... If we're discovered, it'll be trouble..."
"Hmm, why would it be trouble if we're discovered?"
"Nonsense, we'd be doomed... Huh?" That didn't sound right!
It wasn't the leggy girl's voice!
And Li Yingwan was to his right, but this voice came from his left!
Chen Nuo turned his head and saw Lu Xixi who, unbeknownst to him, had already sat down next to him. She too had leaned forward, picked up a menu, and was cutely tilting her head behind it, looking at him.
"..."
Lord Yanluo was silent for three seconds, then a smile appeared on his face. "Hello."
"Hello."
"What a coincidence..."
"Yes, quite a coincidence."
Chen Nuo took a deep breath and put the menu down.
At the door, Zhang Linsheng and Xia Xia had already left, soon disappearing down the street.
Suppressing his racing heart, Chen Nuo tried to steady his nerves, a slight smile playing on his lips. "So... you've come for ice cream too."
"What did you mean just now by saying it would be over if we were seen?"
Chen Nuo swallowed. "Well..."
"Oppa, who's this? Do you know her?" Li Yingwan asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Lu Xixi.
Lu Xixi temporarily turned her attention from Chen Nuo, smiling amiably at Li Yingwan, and greeted her in Korean, "Are you Li Yingwan?"
"Ah? You know me?" The leggy girl was stunned, then nodded. "I am Li Yingwan. May I ask who you are?"
"Me?" Lu Xixi pondered for a moment. "I'm a relative of Chen Nuo's."
"Ah... a relative..." The leggy girl didn't think much of it, just looked curious.
A relative... Chen Nuo's heart jolted! Well... a wife could also be considered a relative... right?
Lu Xixi glanced at Li Yingwan, then back at Chen Nuo. Suddenly, her gaze sharpened, freezing on a certain spot.
Chen Nuo's hand was still on Li Yingwan's thigh!
When he had patted her leg to stop her from talking, his hand had just stayed there.
For some reason, Chen Nuo sensed a storm flash within the Star Sky Empress's seemingly calm smile and gaze.
Instinctively retracting his hand, Chen Nuo coughed. "Well..."
As he desperately racked his brain for words, Lu Xixi had already started chatting directly with Li Yingwan.
"Actually, I've been wanting to meet you, Miss Li Yingwan," Lu Xixi said with a smile.
"Uh? Why?" Li Yingwan looked baffled, scrutinized Lu Xixi carefully, and her face suddenly changed. "Ah! I remember now! I've seen your picture! That white-haired kid who kidnapped me! She showed me your picture!"
Lu Xixi smiled and took a deep breath. "I'm truly sorry. That child is my student; she's always been prone to mischief... Last time was a misunderstanding. I apologize for the trouble I caused you."
"Uh... actually, it's nothing much..."
Faced with Lu Xixi's unhesitating apology, Li Yingwan's anger dissipated. She stammered for a bit, and the complaints she still had simmering inside wouldn't come out.
"I haven't finished dinner either... Since we've met, to express my apology, let me treat you to dinner. Please don't refuse, okay? Otherwise, I'd feel really bad."
Lu Xixi's attitude towards Li Yingwan was quite warm.
"That's not necessary..." Before Chen Nuo could finish, Lu Xixi looked over with a smile, and Chen Yanluo subconsciously swallowed the rest of his words.
The leggy girl was stunned. "Dinner? But we've already eaten."
"No problem, let's just consider it a late-night snack. We don't need to get too much; the main thing is to let me express my apologies."
The leggy girl, after all, was a very kind young woman. After a moment's thought, she said, "Okay then..."
My heart feels like it's about to stop! Chen Nuo thought.
"I wonder if there's any good food nearby?"
"Ah, I do know a place! There's a ramen restaurant nearby that's really good! Chen Nuo and I have been there! The owner is also very nice!"
Damn it! You're not just trying to get me killed! You're trying to get Boss Guo killed too!
Chen Yanluo felt like he was about to have a heart attack!
"No!" Chen Nuo quickly interjected.
He had to speak up!
Otherwise, tonight we're going to see 'Star Sky Empress Pursues the Snow Domain Sect Traitor 2.0' unfold! Old Guo is a really nice guy. What if I take Lu Xixi there for ramen? Isn't that repaying kindness with malice? Isn't it dooming the couple to go on the run again? They even gave me extra meat.
"Let's, let's not have noodles, then." Chen Nuo felt his back was soaked. "We've just had dinner and really can't fit in noodles."
"Hm?" Lu Xixi smiled at Chen Nuo.
"...Actually, there's really no need to go out of your way to treat us," Chen Nuo took a deep breath and said with a forced smile. "Li Yingwan wouldn't really hold a grudge, right?"
"Ah! Yes!" Li Yingwan was very polite. "The incident is already in the past, right! It was a misunderstanding, right? You are Chen Nuo Oppa's relative, so it's okay!"
Saying that, Li Yingwan looked at Lu Xixi, actually feeling quite fond of her—most importantly, she was a bit curious.
The teacher of the child who kidnapped me? And Chen Nuo Oppa's relative? What's the story here?
Of course, she could ask Chen Nuo about it later, but at that moment, Li Yingwan's first reaction was to ingratiate herself.
She's Oppa's relative, I definitely have to make a good impression!
"It's really okay, you don't have to be so polite," Li Yingwan said, already using honorifics. "I wonder..."
The girl hesitated for a moment and asked cautiously, "I wonder, what relation are you to Chen Nuo Oppa?"
"I..." The Star Sky Empress thought for a bit, glanced at Chen Nuo. Chen Nuo swallowed nervously, about to speak first.
"...I'm sort of his aunt, I guess."
Chen Yanluo almost spat blood!
"Aunt?" The leggy girl looked at Chen Nuo, then back at Lu Xixi, puzzled.
Lu Xixi, unruffled, said, "Yeah, I'm his aunt. Isn't that right..."
The Star Sky Empress smiled, showing her pearly white teeth. "...isn't that right... Nuonuo!"
At that moment, Chen Nuo felt a dreadful certainty crystallize in his heart. His face turned pale, and he forced a smile. "Yes, yes, Aunt."
Lu Xixi quietly looked at Chen Nuo, her gaze lingering on him for a moment before she looked away.
The Star Sky Empress stood up, then smiled at Li Yingwan. "Since we're not having dinner, then I'll be leaving... Hope to see you again next time."
Li Yingwan was a bit flustered and quickly stood up, bowing politely. "Then, then... Take care, Aunt."
"..." Lu Xixi looked at Chen Nuo. "Your little girlfriend is really! So! Cute! Nuonuo~~"
"..."
Did Chen Nuo dare to speak?
He didn't dare!
Lu Xixi left as abruptly as she had spoken, without a hint of hesitation.
Watching the Star Sky Empress depart, Chen Nuo felt utterly drained, slumping into his seat and remaining quiet for several seconds...
"Oppa?"
"Hmm."
"Um, your aunt... does she dislike me?"
"..."
"Will your aunt object to me being with you?"
"..."
"Was my behavior just now okay?"
"..."
"Oppa, why aren't you saying anything?"
"I'm thinking about something."
"Thinking about what?"
"Tell me, is jumping off a building faster, or jumping into a river?"
Dragging Li Yingwan away from Häagen-Dazs, Chen Nuo unceremoniously pulled the leggy girl into a taxi and, without escorting her, directly instructed the driver to take her home.
Li Yingwan had a belly full of questions... mainly about the white-haired little girl who had kidnapped her; she hadn't gotten a chance to ask for details yet.
But seeing Chen Nuo's grim expression, she ultimately didn't dare to press further.
Anyway... Chen Nuo Oppa isn't an ordinary person, so the people he knows, or his relatives... probably aren't ordinary people either!
On the way home, Chen Nuo was actually very hesitant.
What he hesitated about was: should I just pack up my valuables and run away?
However, amid the trepidation, he eventually returned home.
He used his key to open the door. Pushing it open, he saw the living room lights were on!
Lu Xixi was sitting at the dining table, Chen Nuo's laptop in front of her!
On the computer screen was the unmistakable interface of the Octopus Monster website!
And plugged into the laptop's USB port was a black Octopus Monster website flash drive!
Lu Xixi watched Chen Nuo enter.
The Empress lifted her head, offering Chen Nuo a gentle smile.
"You're back?"
"...Uh, I'm back."
"Just now, outside, I gave you a lot of face, you know."
"...Thank you," Chen Nuo gritted his teeth.
"So..." Lu Xixi sighed. "Now, let's settle the score between us."
The Empress casually turned the laptop around, the screen facing Chen Nuo.
"How exactly should I address you? Should I call you... Mr. Arsonist?"
On the screen, the username was unmistakably: Arsonist!
"Or, as your aunt, should I call you... Nuonuo?"
Lu Xixi smiled sweetly at Chen Nuo, then continued in a soft, alluring voice, "Or perhaps... I should call you... Husband~"
In utter silence, the house's windows, the glass tabletop, the mirrors...
All quietly shattered, transforming into sharp fragments that floated around Lu Xixi...
Their pointed ends aimed at Chen Yanluo.
Chen Nuo was sweating profusely, barely managing to squeeze out a smile.
"So... what should I say? Uh... welcome home, wife?"
「On a summer night」
A dull thud echoed through the air.
Residents cooling off by the roadside, waving their palm-leaf fans, looked up towards the sky but saw nothing.
"Huh? Was that thunder? Is it going to rain again?"
Chen Nuo was sent flying through the air, his body shooting out like a cannonball!
A clear footprint was imprinted on his clothes!
His clothes, including the sleeves, were torn to shreds by the shattered glass.
He flew more than twenty meters through the air, his momentum not yet spent, when Lu Xixi flashed behind him!
She lifted her foot for another kick!
BANG!
Chen Nuo shot skyward.
"Tell me! Why did you lie to me and make me your wife!!"
"To be fair! You were the one who called me husband first!"
BANG! A punch!
"Why did you even know about the red birthmark on my body!!"
"I saw it by chance when I was treating your injuries... AHH!!"
BANG! Another punch!
"So the man lying in your house isn't your father! Who is he!"
"That's the bodyguard who was wounded by you when you tried to assassinate Jiang Yingzi..."
"So you tricked me into calling him Dad?!"
"You beat him up so badly; calling him Dad a few times as an apology isn't excessive..."
BANG! A punch!
"So what was your intention when you clamored on the website about buying my nude photos?! What disgusting things did you plan to do with my nude photos?!"
"Lady! I was just spouting nonsense, I was wrong! Just consider it a misunderstanding... DAMN IT!"
BANG! Still a punch!
"In the ice cream shop earlier, you touched that girl's thigh. Felt good, didn't it?!!"
"I did that because... DAMN IT! What's it to you! What reason do you have to be angry?"
"Who said I'm angry!!!"
"Then why are you asking about it?"
"Can't I just mention it casually?!"
BANG!
Another punch!
For more than two full minutes, Chen Nuo's body never touched the ground.
He was repeatedly sent flying by Lu Xixi in mid-air.
Empress Lu, holding nothing back and unleashing her full power, left Chen Yanluo completely unable to resist, like a ball being batted around again and again...
You all know what an alley-oop is, right?
After an unknown amount of time, Chen Nuo was finally kicked downwards, his body crashing into the grassy ground.
It was eerily quiet all around; even the chirping of summer insects in the grass had ceased.
Chen Nuo struggled to sit up and saw Lu Xixi slowly drifting down to stand before him.
Chen Nuo felt his face must be swollen, and every part of his body ached dully.
There was even a faint smell of something burnt in his hair.
The fists of the Star Sky Empress concealed the power of thunderstorms and lightning.
Lu Xixi walked up to Chen Nuo.
"Lady…" Chen Nuo gasped weakly, exhaling, his eyes half-closed. "To be fair… I did save your life, right? If it weren't for me, you might have died at the hands of that couple that night."
"…So you secretly followed and watched, only coming out to save me when I was about to die? You weren't there to save me; you went for the thrill of it, didn't you?"
"Well, in the end, I still saved your life," Chen Nuo sighed.
"…So then you could strip me naked and trick me into being your wife?"
"It was fake! I didn't touch you!!"
Lu Xixi's face flushed red, but she glared and grabbed Chen Nuo's hair.
Chen Nuo saw a fist growing larger and larger before his eyes…
BANG!
Chen Yanluo's neck snapped to the side, and without the slightest hesitation, he fainted.
"HUFF!!!!"
Lu Xixi released Chen Nuo, letting out a long breath. She stood there, looking down at him for a good while.
Then, the woman muttered under her breath.
Audacious! So fond of touching thighs, huh! Felt good, didn't it!
「When Chen Nuo woke up the next day」
He was still lying on the green grass.
Whether Lu Xixi did it intentionally or not, the place where she had last beaten Chen Nuo and knocked him unconscious was none other than: Mt. Niushou, by the shores of Yulong Lake!
The place where Lu Xixi had battled Boss Guo and his wife.
The place where Chen Nuo and Lu Xixi had battled the Wizard.
When Chen Nuo climbed up from the ground, he first checked his injuries.
Fortunately, though his entire body ached, no bones were broken.
She might have been ruthless, but she didn't actually want to kill me.
Chen Nuo sat on the ground, fumbled in his pocket, and pulled out a flattened cigarette pack. He extracted a bent cigarette, straightened it, stuck it in his mouth, lit it, and took a long drag.
His chest ached a little, and the mouthful of smoke made him cough a few times.
"What a fierce woman…" Chen Nuo exhaled smoke. "Wait until I've recovered my strength; I'll tie you up and spank you!"
After finishing the cigarette, Chen Nuo stood up and, on unsteady feet, started walking back.
He looked at the secluded, wild lakeside.
Damn it, that woman is so cruel, knocking me out and just leaving me in the wilderness all night…
「Meanwhile.」
In Shanghai City, at PD International Airport.
A gentle female voice announced over the PA system: "Ladies and gentlemen, flight XXX from SH to London is about to take off…"
On the runway, inside a large passenger jet.
In a first-class seat, Yu Naitang had already adjusted her seat to a comfortable angle. She leaned back and, with practiced ease, smiled sweetly at the nearby flight attendant. "Please bring me a glass of juice and a blanket."
The flight attendant politely nodded and left.
Yu Naitang turned to look at Lu Xixi.
Lu Xixi's seat was by the window.
The Star Sky Empress was tilting her head, gazing intently out the window, lost in thought.
"Hey, Teacher, where on earth did you go last night? You haven't said a word since you came back."
Lu Xixi didn't speak.
Yu Naitang sighed and, as if in a sulk, took out her Walkman and put on her headphones.
As the plane's body gently swayed, it slowly taxied onto the runway and then began to accelerate…
Moments later, it soared into the sky…
Lu Xixi gazed out at the blue sky and white clouds…
Last night, I really did vent my anger. I didn't seriously injure that guy, just gave him a thorough beating. Firstly, I'm not naturally cruel or bloodthirsty. Secondly, at least one thing he said was true: he did save my life. And beyond that… there were some other, inexplicable reasons…
Remembering those "special" few days.
Lu Xixi always felt that, in her memory, the occasional glances the young man would steal at her inadvertently revealed a trace of indescribable tenderness.
And besides, that night of the battle with the Wizard… what he said about his past life… what exactly did he mean by that…
(End of Volume Two)