Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Lunatic! Song Ci stubbornly blocked Gan Qiongying, gripping her arm tightly and refusing to let go. Gan Qiongying was desperate to retrieve Wen Xueling, but no matter how she pinched or hit him, he wouldn’t release her, his expression not changing in the slightest. In the story, Song Ci was described as having a face as beautiful as a woman’s, with a light and graceful figure—the epitome of a gloomy youth. At this moment, he was extremely close to Gan Qiongying. For the first time, she could see his appearance clearly. Indeed, his face was as exquisite as a woman’s, with delicate features and an air of elegance. Dressed in women’s clothing, it would be hard to distinguish his gender. His skin was even more delicate and fair than Gan Qiongying’s. But that wasn’t the point! The point was, what was wrong with Zhongli Zhengzhen? Instead of having Song Ci watch the female lead, why was he making Song Ci watch her?! She looked at Wen Xueling, who was hiding beside the black bear and crying like a fool, and grew so frantic that she pinched the flesh on Song Ci’s waist, twisting it viciously! She couldn’t summon her shadow guards to deal with Song Ci now—not in such a public setting. Gan Qiongying wished she could turn all seventeen shadow guards into eyeballs and stuff them into her eye sockets. There was no way she could let outsiders see them. So she had to handle it herself. After twisting twice, Song Ci finally winced in pain and released her arm. Gan Qiongying immediately tried to run, but Song Ci swiftly wrapped one arm around her shoulders, pinning her arms in place, while the other arm encircled her waist, holding her firmly in place. “Princess, please calm down. It’s dangerous out there. You should stay here,” Song Ci said, his voice devoid of emotion. In the story, he was exactly like this—only obeying Zhongli Zhengzhen’s orders, repeatedly offending Wen Xueling and being punished by her several times. No matter how severe the punishment, the next time Zhongli Zhengzhen gave an order, he would disregard propriety and etiquette, relying on his exceptional martial skills to carry Wen Xueling around, flying through the air. But now, a hint of pain could be heard in Song Ci’s tone, as Gan Qiongying had stepped on his foot and was grinding it with all her might. Gan Qiongying watched the scene anxiously, never expecting things to turn out this way. Where was the female lead’s halo? Where was the admiration and protection from the male leads? How had a simple fight led to such a twist in the plot? And where were Wen Xueling’s guards? Why were they nowhere to be seen! Wen Xueling was terrified in the arena, her face deathly pale as she buried her head, too afraid to look up. As for Wen Xueling’s guards… her orders for the day had been to keep them from following too closely. Earlier, she had wanted to get close to Princess Hui’an, hoping to visit her home and gather information about the son-in-law of Princess Hui’an’s youngest daughter, the Commander of the Land and Sea Forces in Qinzhou. This was a task assigned to her by Jingxi Wang. The guards she had brought with her were all her father’s personal guards. Worried that Princess Hui’an might become suspicious, Wen Xueling had sent them far away. Who would have thought that before she could even exchange a few words, Gan Qiongying would scold her harshly? Unable to retort, she had run off crying in anger. And now, Wen Xueling was crouching beside the black bear, isolated and helpless. As for the original guards of Haoyue Manor, they were simply insufficient. Several guards had already tried to intervene, only to be injured by the two men who were fighting with bloodshot eyes. Now that Princess Hui'an was not here, and even the steward of Haoyue Villa was absent, who would rush forward to certain death without orders to save a lady they didn't even know? Gan Qiongying frowned tightly, glanced around, and in her anxiety, suddenly threw her head back, precisely hitting Song Ci's nose. The impact was not light—whether human or beast, being struck on the nose would temporarily sap one's strength. Gan Qiongying finally broke free and immediately pushed through the crowd, squeezing inward. It was a mess she had caused, and she had to resolve it. Just as she was about to squeeze through a gap, she saw someone emerge from the group of onlooking noble youths. That person was tall and long-legged, walking quickly toward Wen Xueling beside the big black bear, though with a slight limp. He kept his head lowered, his purpose clear, directly stepping forward to grab Wen Xueling. But Wen Xueling was utterly terrified, completely immobilized. Seeing the newcomer, Wen Xueling was overcome with emotion, unable to utter a word. Her legs had gone weak, devoid of any strength. The man shifted from supporting her to practically dragging her, and Wen Xueling could only let herself be pulled away. Gan Qiongying paused in her steps, unable to believe her eyes. That limping figure was all too familiar. She blinked hard, confirming again and again, and realized it was actually Lihua! Why wasn't it one of the male leads rushing out, but Lihua? Gan Qiongying watched as Lihua swiftly escorted Wen Xueling off the field. Wen Xueling cried until her face was streaked with mud, almost clinging to Lihua until he handed her over to two maids. Even then, Wen Xueling still clutched at Lihua's clothes. At that moment, Lihua seemed to sense something. Over the clamoring crowd and the leaping flames around the field, he looked back at Gan Qiongying. After their eyes met, Lihua immediately waved at her. From such a distance, Gan Qiongying couldn't make out his expression, but she quickly understood his meaning. Lihua was telling her to leave the field immediately and not to step forward. Gan Qiongying immediately nodded vigorously, a smile spreading across her face. Seeing Gan Qiongying retract her steps, Lihua nodded back at her. Ever since the young masters on the field had descended into chaos, he had been watching Gan Qiongying, worried she might get accidentally hurt. Just moments ago, when he saw Gan Qiongying about to enter the field to rescue someone, he knew the field was fraught with danger—swords and blades were blind, let alone two men fighting in a frenzy. As a woman, she would inevitably get injured if she tried to save someone. Without a second thought, Lihua stumbled into the field. Gan Qiongying was reluctant to look away, her gaze fixed on Lihua, the smile on her lips growing wider. When Song Ci grabbed her again, she wasn't even that angry. Pulled out of the crowd by Song Ci, an indescribable warmth surged in her heart. Lihua usually hated having his leg disability noticed, but just now, to keep her from danger, he hadn't cared at all about others seeing his limp, resolutely rushing onto the field. Gan Qiongying's heart felt as if brushed by a feather, tingling slightly. Wen Xueling was so frightened her whole body had gone limp. She collapsed into the maids' arms, looking up at Lihua from below. In that moment, in her eyes, Lihua seemed like a god descending from heaven. She cried until she was nearly sobbing. From the moment she was born, she had always been coddled and protected. Wen Xueling had never lacked guards around her, never faced danger so directly as today, never felt herself teetering on the edge of life and death. And she never expected that the one who would finally come to her rescue was... the Consort of Princess Duanrong. Seeing him turn to leave, Wen Xueling instinctively reached out again to grab the hem of his robe. But Lihua took a step back, lowering his head to look at Wen Xueling. In the flickering firelight, his gaze was icy cold, yet the flames reflected in his eyes gave Wen Xueling the illusion of warmth. Meanwhile, Gan Qiongying’s anxious heart finally settled, only for Song Ci to pull her away from the scene. Struggling free from his grip, she glared at him angrily and said, “Has Zhongli Zhengzhen’s brain been crushed by a door? Kicked by a donkey?” Instead of having Song Ci watch over Wen Xueling, why was he keeping an eye on her instead! What a lunatic!