The lotus-like heart floated and danced with the gentle waves, sparkling like scattered jewels on the winding water under the purplish moonlight. The tranquil beauty of the waterside pavilion was subtly stirred, even the wind seemed to grow somber.

  The giant palm caressing the delicate skin at the back of the woman's neck paused noticeably. The man's rugged hand slid to her shoulders, gently pushing the soft body in his embrace away.

  Hua Duomei saw a pair of dark, deep male eyes and could only offer a bitter smile inwardly. What little comfort she found was that the force with which he held her shoulders wasn't too heavy, as if he was showing some consideration for her.

  "What do you mean?" Leisalang asked in a low voice.

  She sighed softly. "The meaning is very simple. It's that Lan Qier should go with Lieerzhen, back to the Western Desert. Or... anywhere Lieerzhen wants to take her. They should live together, neither leaving the other." She knew she was doing something extremely unwise, losing control. She shouldn't interfere, but she followed her heart.

  "You are completely unfamiliar with Lieerzhen, you don't understand him at all. On what grounds do you think Lan Qier should go with him?" He could tell he was deliberately suppressing his voice, but the fiery breath still hinted at a storm.

  "I don't understand! I only know that when Lieerzhen appeared, Lan Qier looked at him as if she was entranced. Those beautiful but vacant eyes began to show life. I saw Lieerzhen extend his hand to her. That man didn't even need to speak; with just a look, Lan Qier obediently moved closer to him. I even heard Lan Qier speak. She called his name, over and over, in a low, mournful voice, crying as she called. She cried for that man. She had him in her heart..." Her emotions were turbulent, and hot wetness unexpectedly welled up in her eyes. She was startled, and it was too late to stop it.

  She was also crying. For whom?

  For Lan Qier, or for herself?

  Or perhaps... she was also crying for a man, because she had someone in her heart?

  "She had him in her heart..." Her lips whispered, as if sighing.

  Leisalang didn't react immediately. After a moment, he realized the glimmer in her almond-shaped eyes and the dewdrops on her cheeks were actually her tears. In an instant, his stern face darkened, becoming somewhat distorted. His chest felt heavy and blocked, his throat facing the same crisis. His flesh and blood tightened to the point of pain.

  Why was she crying?!

  Gritting his teeth, he used his fingertips to wipe away her warm tears. His movements were far from gentle. He gruffly said, "I once entrusted Lan Qier to him. I gave Lieerzhen a chance, believing they were a match made in heaven and that he could give her everything beautiful. But the reality proved me wrong, and him terribly wrong! He didn't cherish her and hurt Lan Qier too deeply. I will never make the same mistake again!" He paused, then his large hand cupped her face, wiping her cheeks with force, and he growled in distress, "Stop crying!"

  She wasn't even allowed to cry? "I will cry, I will cry!" She threw caution to the wind!

  Hua Duomei was born rebellious, her spirit unrestrained. If she wanted to laugh, she would laugh wildly and charmingly; if she wanted to cry, she would cry to her heart's content. What was there to hide or worry about?

  She pulled away his rough hand that was forcefully rubbing her red cheeks, letting her eyes mist over. Her voice thick with emotion, she said, "Even if that man truly hurt Lan Qier, Lan Qier still has feelings for him. You and I cannot deny that... Yes, Lan Qier is foolish, so pitifully foolish and so adorable, foolishly giving her heart away, letting men trample on it. All in all, it's all you men who are bad, not a single good one among you, causing the women in 'Flying Cloud Pavilion' to be sad and Lan Qier to cry. All men are bad, and women are all fools..."

  Good. Very good. She had implicated all the men in the world.

  Annoyed and helpless, Leisalang took a deep breath and exhaled heavily, trying to quell the fire in his chest, but it wasn't very effective.

  "Since the men... Lieerzhen is not a good person," she quickly narrowed the scope. "Lan Qier certainly shouldn't have any more involvement with him."

  "That's different! The way he looks at Lan Qier is very different..." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. Her beautiful eyes were stubborn as she met his gaze. "If Lan Qier can return to him and her heart can be whole again, then she should give Lieerzhen a chance." Although this current wolf lord was once a scoundrel, considering his influence on Lan Qier, he deserved a chance.

  However, someone clearly didn't think so.

  Leisalang was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth, so hateful his eyes turned red.

  His square jaw, covered in stubble, tightened. He forcefully suppressed the urge to grab her slender shoulders and shake her until the woman before him woke up. It took him great effort to calm his emotions.

  His already deep and stern features became even more imposing. His normally mellow, wine-like voice turned stiff as he spoke word by word.

  "Lieerzhen and I were once as close as brothers, even closer than siblings. He saved my parents and me from death three times. One of those times, he was severely injured and nearly died... He owes my family a great debt, a debt as heavy as a mountain. Therefore, even though Lan Qier suffered greatly and was left scarred after being with him, I couldn't truly become his enemy or deal him a heavy blow. If he wanted the position of wolf lord, I gave it to him. I fulfilled his wish. But if he wants Lan Qier back, he can dream on, unless I am dead!"

  Her heart trembled, and a dull ache spread through it. Hua Duomei's face turned pale.

  She nodded slightly, understanding a little. "...So, you brought the distraught Lan Qier to Jiangnan to hide, and you stayed away for over three years, thinking that keeping them apart would be best for Lan Qier..."

  "Doing so is indeed the best! I am her brother, and I must protect her!" he stated decisively.

  "Lan Qier is not yours."

  "She is my sister! She is mine!" he glared.

  "No one said Lan Qier isn't your sister." She chuckled, seemingly helpless against his stubbornness, her tone laced with a hint of mockery. "Master Leisalang, it's just that you need to understand, she is not your possession. Your precious sister has her own thoughts. If she wishes to go with that scoundrel Lieerzhen, then your 'heart's flesh' will likely be gouged out."

  "You!"

  Unable to win the argument and too angry to bear it, he grabbed her again with his iron-like arms and leaned down to kiss her, firmly sealing that detestable little mouth and channeling all his anger into their entwined lips.

  Her lips were indeed perfect for kissing...

  Her taste was so sweet, her breath warm and inviting. Everywhere was incredibly soft, like solidified sugar from fragrant flowers. The more he kissed, the less he could control himself, falling madly into her beauty. Oh! She bit him?!

  The sweetness in his mouth turned to the taste of blood. Leisalang's lips hurt, but he refused to let go, his attack becoming even more fierce.

  Hua Duomei refused to submit meekly. She swung her fists at his hard chest, her small head futilely dodging his searing kisses.

  "What are you doing... Mmmph... Dammit..." You're squeezing my waist so hard it's about to break!

  "Making love to you!" he declared forcefully.

  "You want to, but I don't!" If they hadn't been arguing, Hua Duomei would have burst out laughing at his words.

  Realizing he had no intention of stopping, she grew nervous. She forcefully bent her elbows to push away his hot, robust body, hiding her small face. "Mmmph... I can't these days. I've calculated, I'm easily fertile... Leisalang, stop... I don't want to..."

  Something sharply pierced his chest, causing him to tremble in pain.

  Leisalang's facial features instantly froze to an extreme. As if things had reached a breaking point, his dark face suddenly softened, even revealing a row of white teeth, his deep eyes piercing.

  "Easily fertile days?" he hummed. "I think that's not a problem for the Pavilion Master. After all, no one can rival the secret techniques of 'Flying Cloud Pavilion'. If the Pavilion Master desires carnal pleasure, she should know a dozen or twenty methods of contraception, shouldn't she?" He paused again. "How about this, Pavilion Master, open your cherry lips and use your hands to join me in pleasure. You use your lips and tongue, your small hands, and I use my lower parts. I'd be very happy to have fun together—"

  *Slap!*

  An arm, using all its strength, broke free from his embrace and swung down with all its might, smacking his face sideways.

  Things had soured.

  After fiercely slapping the man's ear, she took advantage of his shock to kick his shin hard. Hua Duomei was so angry she was trembling uncontrollably.

  She rushed back to her own elegant room, bolted the door, and knew in her heart that the thin door wouldn't stop him if he tried to break in to collect the debt for the slap. She would accept it.

  As a result, she fell into a daze and slept, while Leisalang didn't disturb her all night.

  Five or six days had passed since their conflict. He was mostly absent from "Langping Waterside Pavilion," seemingly busy making arrangements. Even when he returned to the pavilion, he stayed by Lan Qier's side, sleeping wherever he could on the wooden floor, never trying to enter her elegant room again.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Well, why would he come into her room?

  Anyway... she was "inconvenient"!

  Her body was "inconvenient," her emotions were "inconvenient," her temper was "inconvenient," everything was "inconvenient"!

  Men and women were like this. Too much entanglement was bound to lead to heartbreak. One Lan Qier was already like this, not to mention the stories of the seventy-two beauties, and of course, Aunt Shuang, who had also been heartbroken...

  Why were women always the ones at a disadvantage? Because women's hearts were too soft, making them easy to bully?

  How much longer would they and he continue to "mess around"?

  If this went on, she wouldn't recognize herself!

  "Big Sister—" A delicate young woman approached in a small boat. Hua Yuhong, the youngest of the Hua sisters, arrived before her voice did, smiling sweetly at Hua Duomei, who was reclining on a chaise lounge in the corridor.

  She moored the small boat, tied the rope, and Hua Yuhong leaped onto the steps, a bamboo basket in her hand.

  "Aunt Tian said Big Sister hasn't had a good appetite these past few days, and she's worried you'll starve yourself thin. So, Aunt Tian personally made some small pastries and brewed a nourishing soup for me to bring over!"

  The maids serving in the elegant room had all been sent away by their agitated mistress for an afternoon nap. Hua Yuhong had no choice but to serve herself. She gathered her skirt and sat in front of her elder sister, laying out the items from the bamboo basket one by one.

  "I don't have an appetite. You eat it, don't disappoint Aunt Tian's good intentions." The beauty lazily raised her eyelashes.

  "Huh? 'Don't disappoint Aunt Tian's good intentions' is supposed to be my line! Big Sister, you're not being fair, stealing my words!"

  Her face, as graceful and charming as her sister's, always wore a delicate smile. The seductive charm was already evident, truly another "disaster" in the making.

  Hua Duomei languidly shifted her position.

  She was still reclining. Although the autumn air was cool, she hadn't added much clothing. She was still covered by a simple bandeau, revealing her full, rounded breasts and her smooth, beautiful shoulders. Her outer robe was about to slip off, her skin like warm jade that could be squeezed to yield water. The lines of her collarbones were breathtakingly beautiful.

  "Big Sister is so beautiful, I can't take my eyes off you!" Hua Yuhong, having been influenced by her surroundings for years, reached out to hook her sister's chin, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  With a sideways glance from her alluring eyes, Hua Duomei finally managed a reluctant smile and said, "If you have something to say, just say it. Don't beat around the bush."

  Hua Yuhong followed with a smile. "There's nothing... It's just that Aunt Tian is asking, the other aunties in the kitchen are asking, my four personal maids are also asking, and the twelve maids who practice swordsmanship in the waterside pavilion can't help but secretly ask. Hmm... if Second Sister and Third Sister were still living in the waterside pavilion, they would definitely ask too..."

  "Ask what?" she raised an eyebrow.

  "When will Big Sister make up with Big Brother-in-law?"

  Sensing her sister's beautiful face darken, Hua Yuhong scratched her cheek with her slender finger and bravely continued, "You and Big Brother-in-law are arguing... Oh! It's not an argument, it's that you're both giving each other the cold shoulder. Everyone in the waterside pavilion feels a chill, almost freezing to death. Big Sister, until when will you and Big Brother-in-law continue this standoff?"

  She had been asked and begged repeatedly by everyone before daring to come and find out. After all, the atmosphere in the waterside pavilion these past few days was extremely strange, making everyone uncomfortable!

  "He is not your Big Brother-in-law!" she said indignantly.

  "Isn't it a bit too late to deny it now?" After all, they had been calling him that for three years!

  Her younger sister's words made Hua Duomei feel increasingly tragic.

  She was truly finished. That hateful man had etched a mark on her heart, and also on the hearts of her family, a mark that could not be erased.

  Hua Duomei, you're finished...

  Hearing that sarcastic remark again. It's fine... it's fine!

  What else could she do but be unwilling? If it's finished, it's finished. She might as well accept it more readily! She truly had him in her heart. No matter how much she struggled, it would be useless. She was held captive, with no chance to turn things around.

  She admitted it!

  "Big Sister, don't be angry. If your beautiful face gets wrinkled from anger, it will be a huge loss." Hua Yuhong chuckled, scooped a small bowl of nourishing soup for her sister, and held it up to her eyebrows to amuse her. "Big Sister, please have some. I'll serve you here!"

  Hua Duomei finally chuckled. She was about to take the small bowl, flicking her sister's nose with her jade hand, when two maids suddenly rushed over from the direction of Lan Qier's sleeping quarters.

  Something had happened!

  Before the maids could speak, Hua Duomei suddenly stood up and blurted out, "Where is Lan Qier?"

  "Mistress, Miss... she's gone!" panting, in extreme panic. "Miss was asleep. We had just gone to Aunt Tian's to get some tea and snacks, and to draw a pot of spring water. It was less than two quarters of an hour. When we returned to Miss's sleeping quarters, we searched everywhere but couldn't find her..."

  Another maid said, "And then, one of the small boats outside the sleeping quarters is missing. Miss might have taken a boat out of the waterside pavilion..." Her tone was quite uncertain, but she had to say it.

  Hua Duomei's expression sharpened. Her mind raced, and she said to Hua Yuhong, who stood beside her, "Tell the maids to search the waterside pavilion separately. Every place must be thoroughly searched, even the Purple Acacia Forest." She stepped off the corridor barefoot.

  "Where are you going, Big Sister?" Hua Yuhong asked.

  Hua Duomei leaped onto a smaller, longer, lighter boat and said without looking back, "To chase someone."

  If Lan Qier had truly left by boat, she hoped the misty water forest could stop her.

  Tree shadows reflected on the water's surface.

  The water rippled, the shadows swayed.

  Sunlight fell in shafts through the gaps in the leaves, but the force seemed insufficient. It felt as if it had just passed through layers of leaves before weakening into faint light spots. The entire water forest flickered between light and dark. Only the wind knew all the secret water paths.

  As the light boat driven by Hua Duomei entered the water forest, she heard that faint flute music, as if it encircled the entire water forest, commanding the sounds of the wind, water, and leaves, mournfully calling.

  What was it calling to?

  Her heart pounded, like a drumbeat. She sped up her rowing, skillfully searching the winding waterways.

  Lan Qier was here, and so was the flutist! She vaguely guessed what the strange flute music was summoning. The other party, like her, was looking for Lan Qier.

  "Lan Qier!" She found her!

  She pricked up her ears, trying to distinguish the location of the flute music. The light boat passed between two trees with flat, large trunks. That small boat that had left the waterside pavilion was not far ahead. The person on the boat stood gracefully, holding a long pole motionless, as if lost and trying to hear the flute music, following it to the place she wished to go.

  "Lan Qier—" she called out again.

  The person on the small boat finally turned her head upon hearing the sound.

  This time, those wandering eyes had a focus, staring directly, precisely, looking into Hua Duomei's eyes for the first time. The young woman looked at her, blinked her lashes, and gave a faint, inexplicably elegant smile.

  Big Sister, he is looking for me, can you hear it?

  Yes. That person is calling for you, but don't rush, be good, don't rush. "Lan Qier, so you secretly learned to row a boat! Hehe~~ You're so naughty, sneaking out of the waterside pavilion. You've been bored these past few days. Let's ignore your big brother. Tomorrow, Big Sister will take you out to play again, okay?" The light boat broke free from the entanglement of underwater vines and approached the small boat. She also returned a smile, but her heart beat faster and faster.

  He needs me, Big Sister. I have to go to him...

  "Lan Qier!" Her voice couldn't help but intensify.

  However, this time, the small boat moved forward again, and the person on the boat no longer paid attention to her.

  Hua Duomei was stunned, not noticing that the flute music in the water forest had stopped.

  She shook her head and quickly sped up her light boat. Just as she was about to leap onto Lan Qier's side, a swift shadow swooped down diagonally, occupying the small boat before her and also taking possession of Lan Qier on the boat.

  Lieerzhen!

  The man didn't speak, only met her gaze with his bright eyes.

  Hua Duomei also remained silent, her clear eyes not blinking for a moment.

  She should have tried to snatch Lan Qier back. Even if her martial arts were inferior to his, if she couldn't fight him, she should at least try to outwit him.

  Given her personality, she wouldn't hesitate to use underhanded tactics. Even the most despicable tricks were good if they led to victory. Hypnotic drugs, incense, hidden weapons like the Furong Golden Needles, etc., could be used to great effect... However, what left her in infinite confusion was, what about after she got Lan Qier back?

  Would she keep this poor girl forever, protect her, guard her tightly, and never allow her to leave even half a step for the rest of her life? Was that the best course of action for Lan Qier?

  Confused and hesitant, she momentarily lost her focus and couldn't make up her mind.

  She couldn't see Lan Qier's face, because that little face was buried deep in the man's embrace. Her two slender, pitiful arms were wrapped tightly around the man's waist like a drowning person clinging to a piece of driftwood. The girl's eyes could no longer hold anyone else, only her man...

  After a long, long time, Hua Duomei finally came back to her senses.

  Her light boat left the deserted water area of the forest. The slowly moving boat's silhouette was like that mournful flute melody.

  As she held the light boat, she guessed she was crying.

  Her eyes were hot, her cheeks were wet, and the waterway became blurry...

  She couldn't tell why she was crying. She only knew that her heart ached faintly. She was happy for Lan Qier, yet also felt an ineffable sadness. Then, when a familiar and stern male face appeared in her mind, she couldn't help but wonder how angry, how hateful, how anxious he would be when his precious sister disappeared?

  This is bad...

  ... "If he wants Lan Qier back, he can dream on, unless I am dead!"

  That man had once roared with such conviction.

  What should she do?

  He must hate her immensely.

  And facing his hatred and annoyance, she was completely powerless.

  It's really bad...

  The man's expression at this moment looked unusually calm. His deep, dark eyes were like two unfathomable abysses.

  "She was taken away, what does that mean?"

  "She left the waterside pavilion alone. That man was waiting for her. He found her and took her away." Her voice was level, her beautiful face a little pale, her lips still curved into a faint smile.

  "He forcibly broke in and abducted her?"

  "In fact, he was trapped in the water forest and couldn't find the correct direction to enter the waterside pavilion. He didn't break in, nor did he forcibly abduct anyone. Lan Qier went with him voluntarily. She wanted to follow him. I know that." After saying this, Hua Duomei lifted her chin, unwilling to avoid those sharp, arrow-like gazes. She smiled and added, "For this whole matter, Master Leisalang can blame me. It doesn't matter. Lan Qier sneaking out of the waterside pavilion was indeed my failure to look after her properly. And Lieerzhen taking her away afterwards, I also tacitly agreed..."

  The man inhaled deeply, his chest swelling painfully with the air, and exhaled heavily, yet still couldn't expel the thick, burning sensation in his left chest.

  Leisalang wiped his slightly weary face with his large palm. His features were tense, his shoulders and arms were tense, his whole body was tightly strung. His lips were pursed into a hard line, as if he were extremely angry and had nothing more to say.

  Since Lieerzhen's appearance, these past few days had been very chaotic for him.

  He had to quickly deal with all the matters at hand, some he simply ended, others he transferred. He had to expedite arrangements for Lan Qier, and of course, for his relationship with the woman before him.

  Everything, everything, should come to an end.

  However, this woman had been giving him the cold shoulder for several consecutive days, showing him no good face, still angry about their previous conflict. He had originally planned to talk to her properly after everything was settled and all matters were arranged. Who would have expected to hear the news of Lan Qier being taken away when he returned to the waterside pavilion today!

  She said she tacitly agreed.

  She watched with her own eyes, tacitly agreeing to Lieerzhen's actions, allowing him to take Lan Qier away without permission.

  Should he blame her?

  "Are you that resentful?" He ground out the words with difficulty from between his lips, wiped his face again, and ran his fingers through his messy hair in extreme depression.

  Hua Duomei was taken aback at first, not quite understanding his question.

  She was only two steps away from him. She wanted to reach out and touch the deep frown between his brows and the lines around his mouth, but she retracted her slender fingers and hesitated. She was timid... She wanted to touch, but dared not. She never expected that she, the dignified Pavilion Master of "Flying Cloud Pavilion," would also feel timid before a man...

  Her lips still couldn't form words, and she had no idea how to respond. Leisalang suddenly let out a self-mocking hum.

  "I thought you would know and understand why I wouldn't allow Lieerzhen to bother Lan Qier again. He hurt Lan Qier first, and hurt her too deeply. With Lan Qier's current condition, she absolutely cannot withstand a second injury... She is my only family. I have a responsibility to protect her... I thought you understood."

  "Lan Qier... she is not yours." Had she really done wrong? Her heart was actually uneasy.

  "What is mine? What is not mine? Her blood relation to me cannot be severed. She is my sister, the person closest to me." He snorted. "That night, we argued about this very matter, didn't we?" His face calmed down, and a faint mockery still lingered at the corners of his lips. "...Precisely because of this, you are filled with resentment towards me. To make me feel bad, you would rather favor a man who is a complete stranger to you... Seeing Lan Qier go with Lieerzhen, things are as you wished, so are you happy?"

  Leisalang found he couldn't blame her. Even if she had tried to snatch Lan Qier back at that moment, it was still questionable whether she could have retrieved her from Lieerzhen.

  In the end, he was just unwilling, and extremely, extremely frustrated. Because of her tacit approval, because she clearly knew how much he cared about Lan Qier, yet so easily allowed someone else to take her away.

  He was unwilling, and therefore resentful!

  "I don't... I..." What else could she argue? Hua Duomei's beautiful lips trembled. She realized that every word and every sentence was stuck in her mind, in her throat, unable to be swallowed or expelled.

  Her mind had been dizzying from the moment she rowed the light boat back from the water forest. Sometimes her thoughts were clear, but the next moment she would fall into confusion, fluctuating.

  Dazed, she remembered the flute music swirling and dancing in the water forest. It called, it yearned, and anyone who heard it would shed tears... Therefore, she let tears stream down her fragrant cheeks. She suddenly understood that every woman yearned to be called, to be yearned for.

  She thought she could escape such clichés, but in the end, she quietly fell, falling heavily. She didn't know if she could still hold on...

  "Leisalang, where are you going?"

  Her heart suddenly tightened, and her voice couldn't help but rush out. She asked in a low voice to the tall figure who had turned and was about to leave, unable to hide the panic in her tone.

  "Do you still care?" Leisalang turned his head, a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

  She... she cared...

  Of course, she cared!

  Her inner affirmation was too late to be spoken. She was never a weak woman, but when it came to "love," she lost her boldness, lost her spirit. She was nothing, so self-pitying that she despised herself...

  However, the heartache was real, so real that she doubted if such stinging pain would ever cease.

  How did she fall in love?

  She couldn't figure it out... couldn't figure it out...

  Therefore, unable to figure it out, she dully kept the words in her heart, unable to speak them. Her lips curved, her nose felt sore, and her eyes were warm. She dazed as she watched the man stride away...