The Great Martial Saint!

Chapter 748 A Gift That Captivates the City, A Young Girl's Hairband

"Miss Xiyue." Chen Ping'an smiled and gave a perfunctory bow, "We meet again."

The pretty girl standing at the entrance of the moon gate was none other than Xi Yue, the sword-bearing girl beside Gu Qingcheng.

The moonlight today seems somewhat different from that of the past.

The young girl's moon-white dress fluttered in the wind, and her delicate and lovely double-looped bun was lightly tied with a pale golden ribbon.

If you can't see it clearly, from a distance, it looks exactly like a younger version of Gu Qingcheng.

In fact, during the several meetings Chen Ping'an and Xi Yue had, Xi Yue's attire was quite different each time.

Colors like sky blue, jewel pink, and coral pink are all included.

Such attire, upon closer examination, is actually somewhat inappropriate. However, no one raised any objections to the young woman's choice.

Clearly, as Gu Qingcheng's sword-bearing maid, the young girl's status in the Gu family is extraordinary.

Chen Ping'an noticed that the girl, who used to hold the sword with both hands, was now holding it with one hand. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but that she was carrying an extremely thick and narrow wooden box in her other hand.

The wooden box, resembling gold but not iron, looked incredibly heavy. Placed next to the girl's delicate figure, it created a somewhat comical, innocent, and helpless scene.

Seeing this, Chen Ping'an couldn't help but feel a little amused, and greeted him half-jokingly and half-seriously.

When the girl heard Chen Ping'an call out "Xi Yue," a hint of unease flashed across her face. However, she quickly recovered and said in a clear, sweet voice, "Congratulations, young master, on your transfer to Xuanling."

Chen Ping'an smiled, unconcerned, and walked towards the pretty girl.

"What brings you here, Miss Xiyue?"

As they spoke, Chen Ping'an stopped in front of the girl, the distance between them less than three feet. He could faintly smell the girl's unique and lingering fragrance.

"By the way, I haven't asked you yet, Miss. How has the Fairy of Allure been lately?" Chen Ping'an asked with a smile.

Although he felt a little guilty, as her future Daoist partner in name, he, as her fiancé, still had to show concern.

"Miss is perfectly fine."

Whether it was because the two were too close or for some other reason, a faint blush appeared on the girl's face, revealing a hint of shyness.

"In that case, that's good." Chen Ping'an said politely, "But I wonder if I, Chen, will have the honor of visiting Fairy Qingcheng today?"

Seeing the blush on the girl's face deepen, Chen Ping'an added an explanation: "I am about to take up my post and will soon be traveling to Xuanling. I do not know when I will return, and I am worried about you. I have no intention of being frivolous. I hope Miss Xiyue will not misunderstand."

Chen Ping'an's explanation only made things worse; the moment he did, the pretty young girl in front of him blushed deeply.

She hurriedly lowered her head, took a half step back, and waved her hands, saying, "Young master, don't talk nonsense. Xiyue has no misunderstanding."

His words and actions seemed to contain a hint of self-deception.

Seeing the girl's flustered state, Chen Ping'an found it quite amusing. For some reason, every time he saw a girl in front of him, he always felt a urge to tease her.

He understood the girl's flustered and shy demeanor to some extent.

Although he and Gu Qingcheng were engaged and already bound by marriage, according to custom, it was inappropriate for them to meet before their wedding. And if they were to meet, an elder should be present.

But as we've seen before, they've never done such a thing between them.

Especially the time they met under the moon at the Moonlit Lake.

As her personal maid, Xi Yue probably already knew about this. Now, the subtle hints brought it up again, inevitably making the girl in front of her feel shy and flustered.

Looking at the girl before him, her cheeks flushed, her pale gold hair ribbon swaying gently as she stepped back, she was truly captivating. With that thought, Chen Ping'an took a step forward and gently pinched her cheek.

As soon as the girl finished speaking, she calmed herself down and tried to explain the purpose of her visit, but suddenly felt her cheek being gently pinched.

She exclaimed "Ah!"

"What are you doing!"

The girl was both ashamed and angry, feeling that the person in front of her was simply lawless.

This was still in the back garden, in broad daylight, and yet, they actually dared to do it!
The girl stared at the man in front of her with her bright eyes, her face full of disbelief.

Chen Ping'an was astonished by the girl before him, as if she had discovered a new world. When did this charming young girl become so easily embarrassed?!
He still remembered the feeling he had when he first met the girl before him—she was a stunningly beautiful woman, cold and aloof. If not icy cold, she was certainly aloof and proud.

Although she lost her composure at the last moment, she gritted her teeth and glared at him fiercely.

But judging from the previous situation, it shouldn't be like this.

Could it be that some special switch was triggered, causing it to turn out like this?
Special switch, special switch, could it be...?
Looking at the flushed, delicate face in front of him, Chen Ping'an suppressed the urge to try.

"Please don't be offended, young lady. You are so charming and lovely. I only had the intention to tease you for a moment. It was my mistake," Chen Ping'an said apologetically.

I hadn't thought about it much before, but seeing the girl's strong reaction, I now realize that my actions were indeed somewhat inappropriate.

Indeed, strictly speaking, his behavior just now could be considered indecent.

Although their relationship was unusual, as Gu Qingcheng's sword-bearing maid and confidante, under normal circumstances, if Gu Qingcheng were to marry him in the future, he would formally marry her, and the maid in front of him should also accompany her as a concubine.

Of course, this is just a routine practice, and the specific circumstances vary from person to person.

He and Gu Qingcheng have not yet reached an understanding, so his current actions are really inappropriate.

Even if he and Gu Qingcheng reached an understanding, they are not yet married. It is truly inappropriate for him to bully a girl like this in the back garden of the Gu family.

Although it's better than indecent assault, it still carries a hint of frivolity.

Ironically, he had previously told her not to misunderstand, that his visit to Gu Qingcheng was not intended to be disrespectful. Yet here he was, bullying the young girl holding the sword.

If the two met in private, no one would believe that he didn't make any advances towards Gu Qingcheng.

but
That seems to be the case.

The two maids have already started to do this, but they don't seem to have done it to Gu Qingcheng.

Ok.

Except that time.

To be honest, Chen Ping'an found it strange that every time he saw this sword-wielding girl, Miss Xiyue, he always felt the urge to tease her.

Could it be that this Miss Xiyue possesses some unique charm?
What made him so unable to control his emotions?

Chen Ping'an thought to himself, secretly harboring suspicions, but his face remained calm and composed, full of apology.

"Teasing?" the girl said coldly. "You say the same thing to other women, don't you?"

Ok?
Chen Ping'an was taken aback.

Why does that tone sound a little sour?

He couldn't help but look up at the girl in front of him, only to see that her face was as cold as ice, and her bright eyes were glaring at him fiercely.

Although the girl's expression was cold, it was combined with her bright red earlobes, giving her a unique kind of cuteness.

"Heaven and earth bear witness, I, Chen, have never had such intentions." Chen Ping'an said seriously, then smiled gently: "I have only done this to Miss Xiyue. To this day, I have only ever pinched Miss Xiyue's cheek."

Chen Ping'an spoke earnestly, and a flicker of panic and helplessness crossed the girl's face, making her look as startled as a nimble little deer. This emotion, though fleeting, was clearly noticed by Chen Ping'an.

Under Chen Ping'an's intense gaze, the girl appeared extremely uncomfortable. If her hands weren't busy, she probably would have already frantically started adjusting her dress.

"Young master, please have some self-respect." The young woman forced herself to remain calm. "Xi Yue is Miss's attendant. Aren't you afraid Miss will blame you for acting like this?"

Isn't the young lady afraid of scolding the son-in-law for acting like this?
Um! ?

This sentence structure seems so familiar.

Brother, aren't you afraid your sister will scold you for doing this?
Where did this tea talk come from?

Chen Ping'an gave the girl a careful look.

If it weren't for the girl's serious expression, he probably would have thought she was teasing him in some complicated way.

Such methods are commonplace in high-ranking families. They send trusted maids in advance to conduct trial marriages, in order to solidify their favor and prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation and becoming a favored concubine in the future.

The young master is bullying Xiyue like this, isn't he afraid that the young lady will blame him?
Ah!
That makes the sentence complete.

Chen Ping'an nodded to himself.

This is still somewhat different.

"If Xiyue is willing, I, Chen, am not afraid." Chen Ping'an chuckled, his tone carrying the air of a dissolute young master.

However, despite this, his hands remained within bounds and never overstepped the bounds.

Chen Ping'an felt like he was courting death.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the girl in front of him turned cold, and her tone became icy.

"The young master is about to take up his post in Xuanling. Xiyue has come on behalf of Miss to bid him farewell. Isn't the young master afraid of upsetting Miss with this gesture?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping'an felt slightly embarrassed.

Chill!

That's exactly what I'm afraid of—being disappointed! It's because I feel guilty that I haven't properly gone to see them in all this time!

However, he would naturally not mention such things to the girl. He showed a slight apology and bowed respectfully: "I am ashamed of the kindness shown to you, Fairy of Allure."

Seeing Chen Ping'an's expression, the girl's face softened slightly, and she extended a delicate little hand: "This is what Miss gave you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping'an's gaze fell upon the large wooden box in the girl's hand.

It's not entirely a wooden box, but the material is more like gold than iron, somewhat similar to a gold-lacquered wooden box.

Chen Ping'an reached out and took the large wooden box from the girl's hand. As expected, the long and narrow wooden box was extremely heavy, just like its appearance.

I don't know where this girl got such strength, she's been carrying this on for so long.

"Miss Lao Xiyue, on my behalf, thank you for your kindness, Fairy Qingcheng. I will cherish this gift from you." Chen Ping'an bowed solemnly, his words no longer joking.

As soon as she finished speaking, the girl's expression softened slightly.

But soon, Chen Ping'an's next words completely wiped away the expression that had finally calmed down on her face.

"I have received the gift from the Fairy of Allure. As I am about to depart, I wonder if Miss Xiyue has any gift to give me?"

A gift to be given?

Here's a big-headed ghost for you!

The girl gritted her teeth, her chest heaving, and looked at the seemingly harmless face in front of her, feeling a surge of anger.

Before she could answer, Chen Ping'an's voice rang out again.

"I have noticed that the sword in the young lady's arms is quite exquisite. How about I give it to her?"

As soon as Chen Ping'an finished speaking, the girl resolutely refused.

"impossible!"

"Why is it impossible?" Chen Ping'an knew perfectly well.

"Impossible is impossible." The girl was so angry that she jumped up and down, looking at the innocent and harmless face in front of her, she just wanted to punch him.

“If there’s no reason, then I’ll just take it myself,” Chen Ping’an said rather shamelessly.

After saying that, he made a gesture to take it, which startled the girl so much that she jumped back.

The young woman was furious and scolded, "Son-in-law, you're such a scoundrel! Aren't you afraid of being laughed at if word gets out? A proud and promising young man like you bullies a weak woman and steals from her?"

Chen Ping pretended to snatch the girl, but seeing her reaction, he said arrogantly, "If you don't tell me, who will know! If there's no reason, this matter will not be dropped today."

The girl's chest heaved, filled with rage.

"you you you"

Chen Ping'an ignored him and made a move to snatch it.

"Stop! This is Miss's sword! I can't give it to you!" Seeing that the other party was about to succeed, the girl hurriedly said.

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Chen Ping'an stopped what he was doing and stood still. "It's the sword of the Fairy of Allure? Then it won't be easy to snatch it. However..."

As he spoke, Chen Ping'an's gaze had already fallen on the girl's hair bun.

Hearing the first half of Chen Ping'an's sentence, the girl's heart had only just begun to settle down when she heard the second half, and her heart immediately jumped again upon hearing it.

"I see your hairband is quite nice, why don't you give it to me?"

"No!" the girl said urgently.

"You claim this sword as Qingcheng Fairy's, so I can't very well take it from you. But you can't exactly say this hairband belongs to Miss Qingcheng too, can you?!"

Upon hearing this, the girl's expression changed, turning red with embarrassment.

Chen Ping'an looked at the girl in front of him with great interest, but his mind was preoccupied with other matters.

"You shameless scoundrel!" The girl was extremely embarrassed and angry, but finally chose to compromise.

Chen Ping'an smiled without saying a word.

Looking at the girl in front of him, who was angry and extremely unwilling, reaching out to untie her hair ribbon, he thought to himself, "The ancients were right."

What was originally a question of whether or not to give a gift has, due to his excessive requests, turned into a question of what to give.

Those who seek the top will find it, and those who seek it will find the bottom.

If that is the case.

If you want others to accept breaking down your door, you should first propose demolishing your house.

but
It's pointless anyway.

Looking at the pretty young girl in front of him, he felt that the palpitations and tremors he had felt earlier had completely dissipated.

As always, without any ripples, my usually restless and unsettled state of mind was as smooth as a mirror at this moment.

Although he had suppressed his emotions, the ups and downs he had experienced remained unresolved and required time to process.

But after the commotion just now, everything has completely calmed down, and the sky is as clear as a mirror.

As he had expected, the pretty girl in front of him was no ordinary girl. This kind of playful interaction was also an efficient form of leisure and entertainment for him, which could replenish his energy and calm his mind.

"Fine, seeing how unhappy you are, I won't accept this gift," Chen Ping'an said with a smile.

The girl, her face full of resentment, was untying her gold hair ribbon when she heard this. Her eyes widened, and she snorted indignantly.

"Hmph! You're getting a good deal and still acting innocent! If the son-in-law wants it, then take it."

Seeing the girl pouting, her face full of displeasure, Chen Ping'an couldn't help but smile and shake his head.

His previous remarks were all in jest, not meant to be unreasonable, and he couldn't help but soften his gaze and say with a smile, "Alright, alright, I was just joking, don't be angry. You can keep this hair, really, you don't need it anymore."

Seeing Chen Ping'an's expression, the girl knew perfectly well that he had just been teasing her. Looking at the face in front of her, she was furious.

But at this moment, her haughty side kicked in, and she gave a huff, saying, "Hmph! You don't want it, but I'll give it to you anyway!"

As she spoke, she untied her hair ribbon and, as if in a fit of pique, presented it to Chen Ping'an.

"Take it."

Chen Ping'an looked at the pale golden hair ribbon in front of him, and smelled the faint, elegant fragrance emanating from it. He felt relaxed and happy.

Can you still play like this?
Seeing that the other party insisted, Chen Ping'an did not refuse and accepted the girl's hair.

There was still a slight warmth between my fingers, like the gentle touch of a young girl.

The girl raised her chin slightly and extended her hand back with a rather arrogant air, as if she had won a round.

"This silly girl."

Looking at the girl in front of him, Chen Ping'an couldn't help but think to himself.

With this kind of reaction, they probably wouldn't even know when the person was sold.

However, it is ultimately a token of goodwill.

Looking at the exquisitely crafted and incomparably beautiful gold hairband in front of him, Chen Ping'an solemnly put it away and kept it close to his body.

Seeing that Chen Ping'an didn't put it into the Thousand Machine Bag, but instead placed it directly in his bosom, the girl couldn't help but blush.

"If there's nothing else, young master, then Xiyue will take her leave." The girl's voice was still pleasant, but there was a hint of unnaturalness in it.

"On behalf of Miss Lao, I thank Fairy Qingcheng." Chen Ping'an said with a smile, "Also, thank you for the hairband, Miss Xiyue."

The girl's face stiffened slightly. She nodded and then turned to leave.

"Oh, right," Chen Ping'an interrupted him.

Seeing the girl turn her head in confusion, he smiled and said, "Miss Xiyue, how did you know I was here?"

Upon hearing this, the girl's expression froze, and her cheeks flushed crimson.

"Xi Yue was lucky; she just happened to run into them."

Without waiting for Chen Ping'an's response, she gave a hasty bow and fled as if she were escaping.

Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly as he watched the charming young girl in front of him flee like a deer.

He's quite polite; even in such a hurry, he still remembers to bow.

Chen Ping'an muttered something to himself with amusement, then looked at the large wooden box in his hand that seemed to be made of gold but not iron, and a slight warmth rose in his heart.

In contrast, there is also a sense of shame.

He gazed intently into the distance, lingered there for a long time, and finally left.

(End of this chapter)