Chapter 009: The Language of Mutual Understanding

He was so close that she felt an overwhelming sense of pressure surrounding her, making it difficult to breathe, so she quietly took a step back.

Perhaps, the one who suffers from his abrupt action is not just her

She nodded slightly and said, "I have grown up in the Tianyin Tower since childhood; Tianyin Tower is my home. Before meeting the general today, I never had any intention of taking the stage."

He listened without speaking, and after a long time, he said: "So it seems that I have forced you to take the stage." He paused slightly, then smiled and added: "I have even been frivolous towards you."

He smiled, gently holding her chin, "There is no way around it, you are simply too beautiful."

It seemed he recalled something, and he stared at her, asking: "You mentioned earlier that you do not sing at the Tianyin Building, is that true?"

He twitched his lips, took a few steps back, and then sat down again on the same black lacquered wooden chair.

Suddenly, her heart sank, and she found herself unable to utter a single word

Sigh, "that's it." After holding it in for a long time, she finally uttered these two words. Seeing the smile that appeared on his face after he heard it, her face turned a light shade of red again

Since childhood, she has been praised for her beauty, growing up in the Tianyin Tower, she understands how important beauty is for a woman, especially for one who relies on her looks. However, now that it is truly her turn, hearing a man say such words to her brings an inexplicable sense of sorrow.

He just looked at her, saying nothing, his eyes shimmering with tears. After a long while, he suddenly said: "Do you know who you are fighting against?"

As her hand just touched the doorknob, she suddenly felt a tightness around her waist. With a startled exclamation, she realized that her body had been caught by him

She looked into his shining black eyes, and upon hearing those words, her face involuntarily flushed again. Not daring to look at him any longer, she lowered her head and slowly removed the tortoiseshell nail that was wrapped around her fingertip, placing it into the box.

He suddenly withdrew his smile and said: "Since I have compelled you to take the stage, I shall take responsibility for restoring your peace."

She looked at the prominent red handprint on his face, feeling a slight panic in her heart. Remembering his identity, she felt as if she had done something wrong, and her heart ached painfully.

She felt his hot breath on the back of her neck and heard him say, "But things have already come to this, what can Miss An do?"

He spoke expressionlessly to himself: "You are the first woman to hit me." Suddenly, he curled the corner of his mouth into a smile, "With such a beautiful face, your strikes are so fierce, it is indeed quite interesting.

She originally felt a sense of indignation at being coerced by him to take the stage, and then being kissed and embraced by him. However, upon hearing his words and seeing the red handprint on his face and the several bloodstains on his hand

As soon as his body moved slightly, her heart tightened sharply, fearing that he was about to retaliate

Thinking about how to explain the handprint on her face to others after he left the Tianyin Pavilion, and how to feign nonchalance when returning to the residence and attending court, she pursed her lips and secretly smiled.

Since childhood, she has fainted at the sight of blood. At this moment, seeing her own hand cut and bleeding by Wei Chi Jue, she suddenly became anxious and stopped struggling

"You are teasing me..." she pouted, but seeing the angles of his face soften as he smiled, her tone also weakened.

Then she stood up, bowed to him, and feigned calmness as she said: "I have already performed a piece for the general, so I shall take my leave now"

Her throat was choked. He only spoke these few short sentences, yet she felt a deep sadness slowly overflowing from him

He saw her silent, and suddenly his eyes darkened. He said softly, "Do not speak of what happened when we met last night to anyone else."

"Who would have thought that you would suddenly appear and disrupt everything?" He paused and smiled, "At that moment, I was indeed angry, but upon seeing you, I felt a sense of joy. You are as beautiful as a fairy, making me believe that you were sent by my brothers from the heavens to comfort me.

She frowned slightly upon hearing this, recalling the strong smell of alcohol from him last night, and could not understand why he would not attend the celebration banquet but instead chose to drink alone in the corner

Without waiting for him to speak, she quickly walked towards the door, her heart in turmoil, as if any delay would prevent her from leaving through that door.

She looked at the large hand that was resting on her waist, feeling both shy and anxious. Her delicate fingers climbed up to his hand, trying to pry it away with force. However, his arm was firmly locked around her waist, and no matter how hard she struggled, it did not budge in the slightest. In a moment of desperation, her nails dug into the back of his hand, leaving several traces of blood.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise, looking at him, unable to believe what he had said

As the silk brushed against the scratch, he let out a pained cry, startling her as she realized she had hurt him. When she looked up, however, she saw his smiling face

Although she wanted to know, she did not dare to ask casually. She merely nodded, unaware that the curious expression in her eyes had already been fully captured by him

The palm of her hand was burning with pain—she never knew that hitting others could also hurt herself so much

The brothers of the upper three armies have yet to recover their remains, yet the nobility of the imperial capital is celebrating my achievements and cleansing the dust from my presence. He looked at her, a lonely yet mocking smile appearing on his face, that night was supposed to be a memorial for my brothers.

Feeling his hand slowly loosen, she hurriedly turned around, took out a silk handkerchief from her sleeve, and softly said, "I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional..." as she gently wiped the bloodstains from the back of his hand

He withdrew his hand, rubbed both hands together randomly a few times, and said: "This is not even as painful as the wind and sand from the Gobi Desert in the northwest brushing against the back of my hand"