Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
The Lady is a Bit Dull
墨書 Inktalez
Years ago
In that dilapidated temple, the cold wind howled as it rushed in.
Ge Jiu Jiu tightly wrapped herself in her tattered cotton coat, curling up into a ball, wishing she could hide completely within the thin fabric.
After a month of continuous rain and the lingering chill of early spring, business in the entire town had turned bleak.
The once overflowing slop bucket in the tavern was now filled only with rainwater, its surface dotted with beautiful yet lonely glimmers of oil, with not a single morsel of food to be found.
This left Ge Jiu Jiu feeling utterly miserable. She braved the rain outside for half the day searching for something to eat, but came up empty-handed and was left shivering uncontrollably from the cold.
Starving and uncomfortable, she could only endure it, constantly reminding herself that if she fell asleep, she wouldn't feel hungry or cold anymore.
In her dazed state, she vaguely heard someone enter the temple to seek shelter from the rain. Her eyelids fluttered slightly as she thought it better to avoid trouble and decided to continue playing dead.
Time passed without her noticing until suddenly, she heard a strange snorting sound followed by a foul odor that only wild beasts possessed, rushing toward her with the wind.
Ge Jiu Jiu jolted awake and opened her eyes to see a massive creature standing at the temple entrance, glaring intently at her.
It was a wild boar! The beast was enormous, its long tusks glinting ominously in the dim light, sending chills down Ge Jiu Jiu's spine.
Suddenly, Ge Jiu Jiu felt an urge to laugh. She thought to herself that it seemed heaven truly did not want her to see the sun rise again tomorrow.
She struggled to rise from the dusty straw pile, her voice weak as she said, "You’re not going to tell me you’re as starved as I am and came out to forage, are you? Then just eat me first; I only have half a life left anyway." As she spoke, she waved her hand toward the two figures behind her, still unclear in her vision, and shouted, "I’ll draw it away; you two should go!"
"A young lady like you has quite a bit of courage," came a warm and steady male voice from behind.
Then, with a whoosh, something sharp sliced through the air. In the next moment, an arrow had struck the wild boar, which let out a pained cry before bolting away in panic.
Ge Jiu Jiu was startled by this sudden turn of events, feeling a chill run through her body as if all her strength had been drained. The man continued, "You look unwell; why not come over and warm yourself?"
Only then did Ge Jiu Jiu slowly turn around. Not far from the fire pit sat a youth who seemed to have stepped out of a painting, with a middle-aged man standing respectfully beside him.
The young man wore white robes that glowed softly in the firelight, giving him an ethereal aura.
Ge Jiu Jiu unconsciously took a few unsteady steps toward the fire and sat down. Her gaze seemed glued to his handsome face, reluctant to look away for even a moment.
The young man in white studied Ge Jiu Jiu for quite some time. His deep-set dark eyes resembled two ancient wells, as if they could drown her whole being. "You seem to have caught a chill; are you running a fever?" he asked with concern.
"It's nothing. We beggars get sick all the time; after a good sleep, we’ll be fine when the sun comes up," she replied instinctively tightening her tattered cotton coat, her eyes revealing a hint of stubbornness. "Are you a deity?" She looked up at him, curiosity and expectation shining in her eyes.
At her words, the young man couldn’t help but chuckle softly and shook his head. His smile was as radiant as flowers blooming in spring. "There are no deities in this world; I’m just someone seeking shelter from the rain like you." He smiled again, and as his rose-colored lips parted slightly, a faint scent of musk seemed to waft through the air.
Ge Jiu Jiu was about to speak again when an older voice interjected, "Young Master, the rain has stopped; we can leave now."
"Alright." The young man nodded and turned his gaze back to Ge Jiu Jiu, warmth and concern evident in his eyes.
"We have urgent matters to attend to. I have some silver here; you can go to town to see a doctor and get something to eat," he said.
As he spoke, he took out a silver ingot and a small, exquisite crossbow from his pocket and handed it to her. "Keep this crossbow, it's good for a young lady to have something for self-defense." After saying this, he smiled, cupped his hands in a gesture of farewell, and gracefully walked out the door.
Ge Jiu Jiu wanted to express her gratitude but ultimately held her tongue, watching his figure gradually fade away.
Once the young man's silhouette disappeared from view, she snapped back to reality and examined the simple yet intricately crafted crossbow. Curiously, she fiddled with it for a while and managed to pull out the arrow box.
Inside lay two small iron arrows, each about an inch long, neatly resting in the box. Prominently engraved on the arrows were three characters— Qian Ji inn.
Comment 0 Comment Count