Scourge Messenger

Chapter 344 Entrusting My Life
To make it easier to move, she tied her long hair up and pinned it to her right side. Because her defensive barrier had just been broken and she had been seriously injured, her hair was a little messy and there was blood on her cheeks. Only her eyes were clear and bright like the sun, moon and stars, and her lips were red and crystal clear like lychee flesh.

She stared stubbornly at Yan Qing, her face full of vulnerability and pitiful brokenness, as if she were at his mercy.

At this moment, Yan Qing was actually a little confused.

Although saying this might make him sound like one of those oblivious yet incredibly kind male protagonists from old-school anime, Yan Qing genuinely had no idea that Ying Rushi liked him.

Firstly, they hadn't spent enough time together. Although the time the pharmacist and the others spent together wasn't much longer either, it had only been two days since Yan Qing and Ying Ru officially revealed their identities. Moreover, most of those two days were spent fighting, running away, eating, and sleeping. Where was there any time for them to get to know each other?
Secondly, even in the few moments they managed to steal during their busy schedules these past two days, he and Ying Rushi mostly argued and bickered. Ying Rushi was constantly threatening to break up and demand repayment, displaying a stubborn attitude of "I refuse to owe you anything." Yan Qing was starting to doubt whether she even considered him a teammate anymore. How could she possibly still think she liked him? This kind of narcissism was a bit too much.

Thirdly, and most importantly—

You should know that Pharmacist Shang Xinlei is willing to have an ambiguous relationship with you!
Although it's unclear how she knew, it's likely either she guessed correctly and got it right, or she secretly spied on them from her room.

As the saying goes, you can't hide your love for one person, but you have to hide it well if you love two people. But Yan Qing doesn't have that kind of environment. The only space they have together is the hall of the Thieves' House, which is like roommates dating. How can they hide it?
It was inevitable that they would be discovered.

Moreover, Ying Ru not only knew, but also joked about herself from time to time, with an attitude as calm as a bystander watching the drama unfold, without any jealousy or sadness. How could Yan Qing possibly think that she also wanted to get involved?

Yan Qing's heart skipped a beat. He recalled how the woman had clung to him when he shielded her from the attack, looking both disheveled and heartbroken. She looked at him with a strange sense of expectation, yet didn't actively draw the Heaven-Slaying Sword to unleash its [Overbearing] power. Yan Qing had assumed she was hesitant and had given her the Bingzi Pepper Forest, but now, thinking back… could she have forgotten about it and really believed he was going to die?
However, it's quite reasonable for a fool like her, who has been working under Ying Le for over a decade and has developed a strong sense of righteousness, to occasionally have a mental breakdown.

She clearly likes someone, but she insists on hiding it in her heart, even taking the initiative to talk to the other person about the person he likes, cutting her heart open again and again, never saying a word no matter how wronged she feels, immersing herself in the emotion of self-sacrifice... Damn, this kind of tragic story is really the type she would like... Damn, it seems like she really likes me.

If she reads online novels, she'd probably like the "wife-chasing-after-the-cremation" or "memory-revealing" type. Yan Qing's thoughts suddenly wandered, but were quickly pulled back because Ying Rushi pushed forward again, her bulging soft armor pressing against Yan Qing's chest.

So, do I like her?

This was the first time Yan Qing had ever asked himself such a question. He would never have had this question if it were Yao Shiyuan or Shang Xinlei. It wasn't that he didn't feel anything for Ying Rushi; last night, his eyes were practically auto-aiming at her, making even a good-tempered person like Ying Rushi almost lose her temper, and she could barely press down on her sword hilt.

But liking something is one thing, and loving it is another. Yan Qing believed that liking someone was like weaving; it required a back-and-forth process of weaving, one thread at a time. One-sided liking was no different from lust. He never doubted his feelings for Black Wolf and Red Serpent because their interactions had completed this weaving process of mutual testing.

In addition, he still had some doubts that all of the above were just his imagination. In order to avoid being scolded by Ying Rushi, Yan Qing decided to test the waters first.

He touched Ying Rushi's hand, and she instinctively pulled away until Yan Qing grasped one of her fingers, at which point she stopped moving. This wasn't a rejection, because there was no dissatisfaction on Ying Rushi's face, only shyness and inferiority. She was a third-tier messenger with divine martial blood, and her appearance was no less than Ying Le's, but she was afraid that her scarred hands would be disliked.

Yan Qing took her hand, fingers to fingers, palm to palm, their hands clasped together, drawing Ying Rushi's gaze. When Yan Qing's index finger slipped between her fingers, her hand trembled slightly, then she firmly slipped her index finger in as well.

And so, one after the other, like yarn weaving into a tight pattern, their fingers finally intertwined, their eyes meeting. Feeling her hand being held so tightly, Ying Rushi took a deep breath, letting out a soft, choked sound. Her lips curved slightly upward, a smile playing on her lips, but her narrowed eyes held tears, as if she were crying, as if she would have no regrets even if she breathed her last. She had just been so insistent on him proving himself, yet he hadn't said a word, and she was already content.

Yan Qing couldn't help but sigh. What a troublesome woman, what heavy emotions she carries. If left unattended, she'd surely live a life of misery. And she'd fallen for such a small act of tenderness.

Even now, Yan Qing is still unsure whether he is just infatuated or in love, but he knows he will never let go.

Seeing Yan Qing raise his left hand, Ying Rushi blushed, wondering if he wanted her to take the initiative. Although they were just holding hands, their fingers were intertwined, yet they could reach the door of each other's hearts. When they held each other tightly, it was as if they would grow old together in an instant.

She hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand as well.

Then Yan Qing's hand was inserted into the soft armor on her chest from the side.

Five seconds later, Ying Rushi gripped Yan Qing's throat tightly with both hands, lifted him up and slammed him against the bookshelf.

"I'm panting, I can't breathe." Yan Qing's tongue was sticking out. "Didn't you want me to prove it?"

"Then you have to proceed step by step!" Ying said angrily.

She was furious. Yan Qing's hand-holding had moved her to tears. She felt she hadn't fallen for the wrong person, because even she didn't know what she wanted, yet Yan Qing had given her the physical intimacy she craved most. She had even fantasized about it being her turn to take Yan Qing's hand this time, and then the two of them embracing and feeling each other's heartbeats. But Yan Qing had acted like such a jerk, and the atmosphere instantly shifted from ambiguous to obscene!
"I took it step by step! I held your hand first before taking the next step!"

"You're pushing your luck!" Ying Ru said with a wronged expression, "I was glaring at you angrily, and you still pinched me!"

"I thought you wanted me to prove myself more convincingly..." Yan Qing said innocently.

"Now that you know you were wrong, did you say something to me?"

"Thank you so much for the hospitality?"

Ying Rushi was so angry she gritted her teeth: "You born evil lecherous dog, keeping you around will only bring trouble to Black Wolf and Red Serpent, I'll—"

(End of this chapter)