Chapter Seventeen One Man, Two Women
Su Zijing had a dream. She dreamed of being chased by a group of wicked individuals, running desperately, running and running... But no matter how hard she tried, those menacing figures always remained hot on her heels. In the boundless darkness, Su Zijing's footsteps grew heavier and heavier, as if trudging through mud, fear enveloping her body, plunging her into the unfathomable abyss...
"Whatever demon dares to abduct a commoner's daughter, behold the staff... oh... behold the sword..."
Suddenly, surrounded by radiant clouds, a tall figure with a broad sword appeared, his face blurred, stepping on auspicious clouds. As the sword danced through the air, it exuded a murderous aura, and in an instant, a group of evildoers were slaughtered, their blood flowing like a river as they fled in panic, their whereabouts unknown.
"Who are you?" Su Zijing gazed at the hero with fascination; he was the hero from her dreams!
"I am your husband from five hundred years in the future. You gave up your current relationship because of me. I've endured countless hardships to come back here, all for you, Jingjing. I miss you so much. I really miss you. I miss you too much! Do you believe me?"
"I don't believe you," Su Zijing tried hard to see the man's face clearly, but it remained blurred, as if shrouded in mist, making it impossible to discern.
"You should do this, and I should die. Once, there was sincere love in front of me, but I didn't cherish it. When I lost it, I regretted it deeply. The most painful thing in the world is this. Your sword should cut my throat! Don't hesitate anymore! If heaven could give me another chance, I would tell that girl three words: I love you. If I had to put a time limit on this love, I hope it would be... ten thousand years..."
"Ah, why should I kill you? Besides, I don't have a sword..."
"One day, when you realize you've fallen in love with someone you hate, that's the most fatal thing about this relationship!" The man murmured to himself.
"Do you hate me?"
"Yes, you can kill me. I would rather die than marry you. By the way, you don't have a sword, but you have a pair of scissors."
"My beloved is a hero who will one day come to marry me on clouds of seven colors. I guessed the beginning right, but I couldn't guess this ending..." Su Zijing lifted the scissors in her hand in despair.
...
The weather is lovely today, with the morning sunlight already streaming through the porthole, casting a warm hue inside.
Once Su Zijing fell asleep, Liu Fei got up. This bed, however, was clearly not meant for two people.
Now, Liu Fei looked at the girl lying on the bed. She alternated between furrowing her brows in sadness and smiling foolishly, radiating sunlight. Despite calling out several times, there was no response. He couldn't quite fathom how someone could display such a range of expressions while sleeping, let alone mutter nonsensical words to themselves.
It seemed he would have to employ his tried and tested technique used on Li Meng.
In Liu Fei's dictionary, there are no words like "gentle and considerate." Immediately, a cup of water was poured over the sleeping beauty's face.
Su Zijin felt the scissors pierce the skin of her throat, the cold blood flowing out and even reaching her head.
Why is the blood cold?
Why is the blood flowing to my head?
Did I commit suicide?
Why did I want to kill myself?
Ahhh... I haven't been in love yet, I don't want to die...
"Ahhh... ahhh..."
Su Zijin suddenly opened her eyes and saw Liu Fei standing at the edge of the bed. She didn't have time to think; the scissors in her hand stabbed towards Liu Fei.
"Hmph!" Liu Fei waved his hand, tightly grasping Su Zijin's wrist. In her hand, a small pair of scissors glimmered with a bloody light under the morning glow.
"What... what... what are you doing?" Su Zijin's voice trembled. Liu Fei's hand was like a pair of iron tongs, preventing her from moving at all.
"What do you think you're doing?" Liu Fei slowly took the scissors from Su Zijin's hand and asked coldly.
"I... don't want to..." Su Zijin replied weakly.
"Get up," Liu Fei said.
"Oh..." Su Zijing cautiously sat on the edge of the bed, carefully checking her clothes. Fortunately, they were intact, preserving her modesty.
"You have ten minutes," Liu Fei's icy tone made Su Zijing, who had just relaxed, nervous again.
"What can I do in ten minutes?!" Su Zijing protested loudly.
"Start counting now," Liu Fei glanced at his watch, his tone indifferent.
"Hotel check-out time is noon!" Su Zijing exclaimed angrily.
"I have the final say," Liu Fei ignored her, meticulously folding the blankets on the bed.
"I'll give you a hundred Zuor coins, can you extend it by twenty minutes?" Su Zijing pleaded, realizing that ten minutes was not enough, even for a quick shower.
"No," Liu Fei said firmly. "Nine minutes left."
"Nine minutes! Ah..." Su Zijing screamed and hurriedly climbed down to the engine room like a rabbit, surprising Liu Fei with her agility.
Fast indeed!
...
Ten minutes later, Su Zijing climbed up to the engine room, panting heavily. By now, she had changed into her own clothes, her hair slightly disheveled, making her look a bit embarrassed.
"Thank you for helping me with the laundry," Su Zijing expressed rare gratitude on her face. She hadn't expected her clothes to come out clean.
"You're welcome. The total cost, including the energy consumed and my labor fee, is fifty-two Zuor coins. You can pay fifty Zuor coins," Liu Fei said in his usual expressionless tone.
"You... Fine, I'll pay, I'll pay. No need for a discount, fifty-two Zuor coins!" Su Zijing's expression turned green with anger at Liu Fei's matter-of-fact demeanor as she reluctantly took out her smart card.
"Thank you," Liu Fei accepted his card back with satisfaction. "If you need help in the future, feel free to come to me. The prices are fair."
"Thank you!!" Su Zijing let out a cold snort from her nostrils.
"Alright, I'm leaving." Liu Fei walked to the exit and climbed down, with Su Zijing following closely behind. She dared not leave Liu Fei, as they had to pass through the Fallen Street to return to school.
Su Zijing had vowed never to visit the slums again in her lifetime.
Although the dawn had spread over the earth, it was still very early, and the slums appeared deserted. There were hardly any people on the streets and alleys.
The reason why the slum dwellers were poor was not only due to various social problems but also mainly because of laziness. Whether it was in the primitive age of the mother planet or the technological age after the interstellar migration, there was still a chance to change one's status by diligence.
The Iron Brand strictly prohibited Liu Fei from interacting with people from the slums for this reason. He had said that the time of the wealthy was money, and they rarely slept in. In the slums, however, getting up early was a rarity...
Suddenly, Liu Fei stopped.
"Bang!" Su Zijing bumped into Liu Fei's back.
"Hey, what's wrong with you... Huh..." Su Zijing stopped speaking, staring blankly ahead at the entrance to the alley, where a girl stood.
The girl was tall and slender, wearing a pure white long dress. Under the shining dawn and the cold wind, she looked like a fairy descending to earth, ethereal and graceful.
Her eyes were large and dark, innocent like a spring, charming and affectionate. Her delicate little Yao nose exuded a soft beauty, and her rosy lips were vibrant and beautiful. Her cheekbones were smooth and delicate.
Her slender, straight neck stood like a beautiful swan, her slender and round shoulders were delicate and timid, and her snow-white, soft, slightly taut long dress revealed a pair of exquisite, curvaceous hills with elastic and feminine curves. Her slender and soft arms were exposed, and her ten slender, delicate fingers were like warm jade, grasping the delicate and feminine waist like weaving silk, giving people a sense of extreme tenderness.
A pair of evenly toned, slender and long jade legs revealed a small part, with graceful and rounded curves, as graceful as a fairy in the Yaochi.
The girl just stood there quietly, exuding a quiet elegance and extraordinary nobility, as well as the dreamlike spring charm unique to a pure and untouched virgin...
Perfect!
This was a woman close to perfection. In front of this woman, Su Zijing felt inferior for the first time.
Su Zijing and Chen Chen were looking at each other. Of course, Chen Chen didn't notice Su Zijing's stunning beauty, but rather her hair. Chen Chen was a woman, albeit an inexperienced one, but women naturally have a keen and sensitive observation in certain aspects.
The messy and fluffy hair immediately caught Chen Chen's attention, indicating that Su Zijing had just woken up...
"Chen Chen, what are you doing here?" Liu Fei looked puzzled. He had known Chen Chen for two years, and she had never been to the slums before.
"Grandpa, he..." Chen Chen's face was filled with heart-wrenching sadness, her voice trembling.
Liu Fei quickly walked over to support Chen Chen. Being a man of few words, he didn't know how to console her. The only thing he could do was to support this woman, who, like himself, had lost her loved ones. He understood Chen Chen's current feelings because he had experienced them himself. When Iron Brand died, Liu Fei felt like he had lost the whole world. He never thought Iron Brand held such a significant place in his heart.
"Have you been here long?" Liu Fei felt Chen Chen's body was cold, shivering.
"I couldn't find where you lived..." Chen Chen felt the warmth from Liu Fei's body, and a crystal-clear tear rolled down her cheek.
"Do you need something?"
"Grandpa wants you to accompany him on his final journey. He has something to give you."
"Alright, I'll go to school first," Liu Fei nodded.
"I..." Chen Chen hesitated.
"Come with me," Liu Fei said.
"Okay."
...
In the desolate slums, a young man walked towards the school with two stunningly beautiful girls.
Throughout the journey, neither Chen Chen nor Su Zijing said a word, not even exchanging a glance, and Liu Fei couldn't be bothered to introduce them to each other.
A faint sense of hostility lingered in the air, but Liu Fei remained oblivious. He had already forgotten about Su Zijing's presence because Chen Chen needed his attention more.