Chapter 425
Li Ming fell into deep thought.
“Is his talent really... not good?” Xie Xuan asked, puzzled.
“He’s a blacksmith! What’s the difference between him and just picking any blacksmith from the sword forge?”
Li Mo felt a headache coming on.
He wanted to help Xie Xuan save face, but...
Imagine playing a duo with a stubborn bronze player who suddenly starts dominating like a pro overnight. Would you believe he got stronger just like that, or would you think he hired a booster?
“Sir, stop playing hard to get~”
Hua Nongying’s voice turned teasing.
At the sound, everyone felt their bones turn to jelly. Those who had just stood up to leave slumped back down, powerless.
They had never seen a scene like this.
Who has?
Li Ming had.
In his past life, at this moment, the big shots would have already started throwing money around, gifts flying in the livestream!
Xie Xuan trembled all over.
The good news was he had seen the enchanting Hua Nongying, unlocking a new expression.
The bad news was, she wasn’t looking at him.
“...”
Ying Bing raised her noble face, her cold phoenix eyes scrutinizing Hua Nongying, then casting a glance at Li Ming.
Creak!!
A sudden, piercing wail echoed in the quiet courtyard.
Li Mo looked down at the big-headed doll in his palm, his already clear eyes growing even clearer.
Ignoring Hua Nongying, he took out the ice-cold doll and stood up.
“Uh, I mainly came to enjoy the moonlight at Fengyue Xiaozhu because I heard it’s beautiful. What I said earlier was just a passing thought.”
“Now, with the sky so overcast, it’s like the moon is angry... I’m not watching anymore.”
After saying this, Li Mo turned to leave with Han Bing.
He had really tried his best; if he didn’t get a return on his investment, there was nothing he could do.
But, since they were in the imperial capital, the chances of encountering someone with a golden destiny were higher than elsewhere. He could take his time to figure it out.
“The moon is so big, what are you talking about?”
The gathered nobles felt a sense of absurdity rising in their hearts, their back teeth nearly grinding together.
Kid, do you even realize what you just missed?
The stunning courtesan of Fengyue Xiaozhu was practically throwing herself at you!
Even if it was fishing, she had baited the hook this time! Why not spend a little coin, hold her hand, isn’t that sweet?
And you want to take someone else home right now?
And it’s a noble young man at that?
Hua Nongying’s charming expression froze on her face:
“Sir, are you making fun of me?”
“No, look, it’s already dark. It might start thundering and raining soon, I need to go home and collect my clothes.”
Li Mo waved his hand dismissively, ignoring her, and took Han Bing’s delicate hand.
“Are you even a man?!”
Hua Nongying’s voice suddenly turned sharp, her beautiful face twisting slightly.
She could tolerate a man playing hard to get.
She could also accept being treated as prey, after all, true hunters always appear in the guise of their quarry.
But what she couldn’t stand was being completely disregarded; it felt like a heavy stomp on her pride!
She had never encountered this before, nor had she ever imagined it.
Hua Nongying gritted her teeth and said coldly:
“Li Gongzi, you can’t possibly... not like women, right?”
At her words, the crowd instinctively leaned back, subconsciously distancing themselves from Li Mo.
Saying that made it seem... like there really was a possibility?
Li Mo had been indifferent to Hua Nongying the whole time, and now he was even feeding that noble-looking young man some vinegar dumplings, and now he was holding hands with him.
Speaking of which, that young man was quite handsome, with a face like cold jade, a beauty that could make even women jealous.
Everything suddenly seemed to make sense.
“?”
Li Ming was not pleased at all.
But before he could speak up...
In the next moment, he heard the sound of silk brushing against hair.
The night wind, rising from who knows where, stirred up three thousand strands of hair, flowing and shimmering in the night.
The wealthy patrons, used to the beauty of courtesans, suddenly held their breath.
The courtyard fell silent.
At the entrance, the noble young man had somehow transformed into a stunningly beautiful girl, standing in the moonlight like a rare orchid in a secluded valley, as if the moon had risen just for her.
She held a piece of ethereal glass-like fabric in one hand and placed her delicate hand into his palm.
“He likes women.”
She spoke softly, her ice-like eyes both sacred and serene, as if declaring:
“This one is mine.”
Li Mo tightened his grip on her hand, slightly raising his chin, feeling utterly justified.
That was close.
Thank goodness Han Bing saved the day; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to explain himself, and who knows what strange nicknames he would have ended up with.
“Let’s go back.”
“Sure.”
Ying Bing’s eyes reflected the night, her lips parting slightly: “Since Li Gongzi has spoken, how could I dare to disobey?”
The crowd was entranced.
A voice more deadly than the courtesan of Fengyue Xiaozhu had emerged, and it was a total game-changer!
Who could withstand this?
Even the top of the Heavenly Rankings would probably be powerless against it.
The first on the Empress’s Hundred Flowers List clearly had some fluff to it...
Especially Xie Xuan, who looked utterly dazed.
But he was staring at Li Mo, wondering how he had managed this.
“!”
Li Ming was not as pleased as others might have expected.
Instead, cold sweat broke out on his back.
Because it was clearly Han Bing who had said that.
This was no ordinary act of flirtation; such behavior from Han Bing was already quite unusual!
She wasn’t actually being playful!
---
**Chapter 472: When Will the Bright Moon Appear?**
Li Mo held Han Bing’s small hand as they left Fengyue Xiaozhu, leaving the guests dumbfounded.
Strolling through a brothel with a celestial beauty like her? Impressive, kid, you’ve got skills.
The patrons in the main hall wanted to pull their hands back from the girls and give Li Mo a thumbs-up.
The two returned to Biyun Tower without taking a single cloud with them.
Meanwhile, the courtyard of Fengyue Xiaozhu fell into a dead silence, everyone’s hearts in disarray.
Wasn’t this a total disruption?
A beauty like Hua Nongying could stir such desires in men; why wasn’t that beauty mine?
Han Xianzi was different.
She was the kind of beauty that made you feel unworthy just to look at her.
Dressed as a man, she was peerless, with an icy beauty; what was terrifying was that she wore no makeup, her natural beauty shining through, as any powder on that face would only be superfluous.
Once Han Xianzi appeared...
Hua Nongying seemed to instantly become ordinary.
Of course, that was just their perception; after all, feelings often come from comparison. If you hadn’t seen a woman in a long time, you might even think a blue rabbit was stunning.
“Wang Qi Douhun... what kind of virtue does he have?”
“Forget it, everyone, I feel like I’m no longer interested in seeking pleasure at Fengyue Xiaozhu.”
“Now, even the courtesans look like common women...”
“How could she follow a man to a brothel?”
“That Li guy is really something!”
The guests lost all interest, even feeling that their earlier reckless spending was utterly foolish. One by one, they got up to leave, not even bothering to find other girls.
Hua Nongying had been slightly parted lips since earlier, yet not a single word escaped her.
She had thought about it.
To get Li Mo to bite, should she sacrifice a bit of her beauty? As long as he didn’t completely take her, it would be fine.
If this little tyrant truly became the top of the hidden dragons, reaching even greater heights, she wouldn’t mind being with him, becoming the wife of a strong man.
In short, Li Mo had given her, the sea queen, the idea of coming ashore.
But even if things didn’t go that way, she could still get a complete poem from him, leaving a legacy for eternity.
She had calculated everything well, very clearly.
But she hadn’t accounted for the fact that Ying Bing had been sitting right next to Li Mo the whole time.
Nor had she anticipated that just a glance exchanged with Han Xianzi would shatter her pride, which had been basking in the spotlight, making her feel like a beauty of unparalleled grace, along with her plans.
The pressure was overwhelming, so strong that she didn’t dare to act recklessly.
“He really isn’t playing hard to get.”
“He truly looks down on me...”
Hua Nongying felt lost, as if she had shattered, unable to even hear the maid calling her name.
“...”
Xie Xuan’s feelings were incredibly complex.
He felt a pang of sympathy, then suddenly a sense of clarity. As Hua Nongying’s illusion shattered, he began to doubt whether he truly liked her.
There was a song that perfectly matched his mood.
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