Scourge Messenger

Chapter 352 Me Too

"Princess Dog, trim my toenails."

Where are the nail clippers?

Don't you have teeth?

"Good, you're in luck this time. You're the first person to have your toenails trimmed by Emperor Taizu of Zhou with his sword. I guarantee I'll trim them clean with just two strokes, so there will be no future problems."

"Hey, hey, I have a knife, you can use this."

"If you don't know how to use it, fix it yourself."

"You can't even do this? What good are you now that you're all grown up!" Murong Hui shook her head helplessly, handed the small knife to Ying Rushi, and said in a drawn-out, coquettish voice, "Little fox~"

"I really can't do anything with you." Ying Rushi placed the little cat's paw on her thigh. Murong Hui had grown up in a sweet environment since she was a child and had almost no self-care ability. After knowing her for so many years, she had long been used to taking care of this older sister who was a little older than her.

After she finished fixing it, Murong Hui immediately hugged her feet and said, "Okay, now it's my turn to fix yours."

Ying Rushi hadn't had her nails trimmed for quite some time. She'd been squeezing in sleep every minute of the journey, only finding time to shower once they arrived at the Demon Gathering Land. Naturally, she hadn't had time for a manicure. She was quite pleased that Murong Hui was being so filial, and just as she was about to relax, she tensed up again—because Yan Qing was leaning closer.

“The assassin didn’t show up today,” Yan Qing said. “I thought he would seize this opportunity… Could it be that he has already given up and left?”

Neither the White-Haired Lion King nor the Phoenix are easy opponents. To deal with these two demons, they must use all their trump cards and concentrate fully, which is when they are most vulnerable. Moreover, while attacking the White-Haired Lion King, they also encountered a surprise attack from the Hundred Guards. Although it was not as difficult as Murong Hui's predicament in the quagmire, it was still a perfect opportunity for assassination. Yan Qing had been keeping a close eye on Murong Hui's situation, but he did not expect the assassin to remain completely still throughout.

“Not necessarily,” Murong Hui said while repairing her armor. “We are very fast at fighting the Eight Demons, and we have moved quickly before. The assassins will most likely not be able to catch up with us, and even if they do, they won’t have time to find a good position.”

She paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, you don't need to worry about that assassin. I can figure something out myself."

"any solution?"

"Never mind him, I'll just run faster when the time comes, he can't catch me anyway."

"Didn't you say you were too delicate and could only stay up for two nights at most, and couldn't outlast those assassins who live on the edge?"

"That's just worrying about defeat before winning. As a Shadow Dance Messenger, my speed is already unmatched at the third level. It's highly unlikely that an assassin could catch up with me," Murong Hui said frankly. "Back then, you all insisted on persuading me to leave, so I just made up a reason to appease you. My worry doesn't mean I was afraid."

"Since you put it that way, shouldn't you leave now?"

"Then I'll have to trim these toenails for two days. Yellow Dog, you don't want the little fox's smelly paws to go untrimmed, do you?"

Seeing Yan Qing focus her attention on her feet, Ying Ru turned as red as a boiled shrimp, hugged her pillow to cover her face, and kicked Murong Hui hard in the stomach: "Don't cause trouble!"

"Okay, I misspoke. It smells good, okay?" Murong Hui looked at Yan Qing: "Really, you can smell it if you don't believe me, it's really invigorating!"

"Mu! Rong! Hui!"

"In short, you don't need to worry about the assassin." Murong Hui immediately became serious: "Maybe he has already given up. We've been outsmarting thin air all along."

Yan Qing knew that Murong Hui hadn't truly given up. She had been assassinated twice, even nearly dying as a result; how could she possibly be willing to accept this? She simply found it too troublesome and didn't want everyone to waste their time on it. Assassins always launched attacks from outside one's line of sight, immediately fleeing if they missed. Even in a game, they were an extremely troublesome type; encountering such an assassin in real life was simply bad luck.

“If he really gives up or leaves, you’ll just have to swallow your anger,” Yan Qing said. “But if he still wants to make a move… I’ll make him regret not leaving.”

“Exactly,” Murong Hui nodded in deep agreement, “As the saying goes, you have to consider the dog before you hit its master! I didn’t expect you to care about me so much, my little dog. I have no way to repay you, so I’ll give you this foot to fix!”

Murong Hui shoved Ying Rushi's right foot into Yan Qing's arms and ran off, making no attempt to hide her joy. Ying Rushi cursed Murong Hui inwardly a hundred times, trying to pull her foot back, but feeling the heat from her ankle, she couldn't muster any strength for some reason.

She glanced at Yan Qing, wondering if she had just washed her feet clean. They shouldn't smell... and even if they did, they shouldn't smell very bad, right?

However, Yan Qing didn't cause any trouble. He simply and neatly trimmed her toenails and returned to the sofa to continue reading his "The Legend of the Primordial Immortal Venerable". Ying Ru breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Yan Qing didn't seem to have any strange quirks. But looking at her smooth, jade-like instep, she suddenly remembered that Aunt Ying Le liked to wear nail polish.

……

...

Although the Hundred Guards were unlikely to leave the Bone Scrolls Square, the night watch was still necessary. Just as Yan Qing was about to go over to Murong Hui's sleeping posture, which began to contort, he saw Ying Rushi approaching on her own initiative.

"I'll apply the medicine for you in a moment," Ying said, trying to keep her tone calm.

"Want to apply it together? It'll save some time," Yan Qing asked. Ying Rushi blinked, not expecting Yan Qing to take the initiative to shorten the time. But as soon as she started, she immediately realized something was wrong: the two of them applying the ointment to each other's hands was less like applying medicine and more like a back-and-forth caress, a double stimulation of active and passive stimulation. Moreover, because of the flawless white jade ointment, their hands felt slippery to the touch.

She stopped silently. "You go first."

“Okay,” Yan Qing said calmly.

Unexpectedly, Yan Qing then diligently and quickly applied the medicine without any deviation. Ying Ru was somewhat surprised. When it was her turn to help apply the medicine, she noticed that Yan Qing kept looking at the street outside the window, not shifting her gaze to her for even a second. Even when she leaned forward slightly, it did not attract Yan Qing's attention.

Angry?
why are you mad?
Is it because I refused to apply the medicine together? But that was so embarrassing... And I wasn't angry about all the bad things you did before, so why are you angry just because I refused you once? And you're deliberately ignoring me.

But thinking about it carefully, it was Yan Qing who took the initiative to approach me from the beginning, and I've always been half-heartedly responding. Could it be that he finds me tiring to be around and is getting a little disheartened? If I were in his shoes, I would also hope to get a positive response when I take the initiative to advance the relationship, at least not a rejection, otherwise I would doubt the other person's sincerity.

Should I take the initiative?
In a short while, Ying Rushi's mind went through several stages: complaining, reflecting, and scheming. But the usually resourceful and decisive Prince Lanling's mind was a complete mess at this moment, and she couldn't think of any remedial measures even after applying the medicine. Actually, it wasn't that she couldn't think of any, but they were all too difficult for her. The very idea of ​​'taking the initiative' was a hurdle she couldn't overcome. Demanding Yan Qing's proof had already exhausted all her courage.

It wasn't that Ying Ru was particularly reserved or couldn't let go of her pride, but she had come after Red Serpent and Black Wolf. If Yan Qing took the initiative, she could still shirk responsibility and call Yan Qing a lecherous dog, so what did it mean if she took the initiative herself? She vaguely realized that there was something wrong with her thinking—wanting both ways—but even though she realized it, she just couldn't tarnish her reputation, just as she couldn't abandon the justice of the Ying family.

Ying Rushi dragged her feet, while Yan Qing stared outside the entire time without moving. Although they could wait until tomorrow to resolve the issue, and perhaps the problem would disappear overnight, Ying Rushi wasn't the type to place her hopes on fate. Gritting her teeth, she sat on the windowsill, blocking Yan Qing's view, and asked, "Are you angry?"

Yan Qing was taken aback: "Why am I angry?"

"Then why don't you look at me? And why don't you... touch me?"

Yan Qing's eyes lit up: "What, you want me to lay a hand on you?"

"Of course not!" Ying Rushi quickly shook her head, then paused and muttered in a very low voice, "Of course I don't want that... but if you insist... I'm asking if you're angry, don't change the subject." Her voice rose again towards the end.

"No."

"Then why won't you look at me? You've looked away again."

Yan Qing said helplessly, "Do you want to take a look at yourself?"

"What's wrong with me?" Ying Ru looked at herself, puzzled.

The dim streetlights shone through the glass windows, casting a soft glow on her like a thin veil. She wore a spaghetti strap nightgown she'd picked up from a nearby clothing store, her shoulders bare, her skin as smooth and delicate as fine porcelain, radiating a holy light, a beauty that seemed both dreamlike and ethereal.

She seemed quite pleased with her outfit tonight; didn't it look great? What's the problem?
Yan Qing hesitated for a moment, then said, "You know what a dam is, right? If there are torrential rains upstream for days on end, and the dam isn't dredged to divert the water, do you know what will happen?"

"The dam will be breached, what happened?" Ying Rushi asked, looking puzzled.

Yan Qing continued, "Have you ever seen water boiled? If you keep the fire burning after the water boils, the water will keep boiling dry, and the kettle might even explode."

Ying Rushi pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "I understand."

Yan Qing breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that as expected of the best-thinking person in the thieves' family, he could indeed understand his metaphor.

"You mean your feelings for me were just a fleeting infatuation, something that would end once the rain stopped and the fire died down?" Ying Rushi lowered her head and said, "I understand, I won't—"

"You don't know anything." Yan Qing interrupted her directly. After hesitating for a moment, he leaned close to Ying Rushi's ear and whispered something. Soon, Ying Rushi's expression changed from downcast to embarrassed, and from embarrassed to shy. She was like a boiling kettle, her face flushed.

Seeing Ying Rushi hurriedly leave, Yan Qing couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. Unfortunately, Ying Rushi, this pessimist, not only couldn't understand his metaphors but also always misunderstood them in the worst possible way, so he had no choice but to be honest.

But he was also wronged. Putting aside the fact that Ying Rushi's intimacy with him had gradually deepened these past two days, Murong Hui, that little rascal, was also completely uninhibited in their interactions. If it were like this every day, even the strongest dam would crumble, and even the most sturdy kettle would explode. Usually, there were battles to distract him, but now that it was late at night and quiet, how could Yan Qing dare to accept any more stimulation?

Some might say, "Just keep your distance from them, right?" But that's like watching a fanservice scene with a female character in the middle of a shonen manga. Even if you didn't come for that, if you skip it, there's definitely something wrong with you. Yan Qing clearly wasn't wrong, so he accepted the pain and pleasure, and looked forward to returning to the Thieves' House as soon as possible.

Suddenly, Ying Rushi walked back, blushing, and leaned close to his ear, her voice trembling and twirling:
"Actually... I've been thinking about it too."

After saying that, she quickly went back to bed. When she turned around, she saw that Yan Qing's face went through four stages: surprise, excitement, pride, and disappointment. He glared at Ying Rushi in annoyance, then crossed his legs and stared out the window, keeping watch.

Ying Rushi chuckled inwardly, but quickly covered her burning face, blushing and curling her toes, wondering what she had been thinking. How could she have said something like that? But now everyone knew each other's most embarrassing secret… a secret that belonged only to them.

Thinking of this, one should fall asleep contentedly.

(End of this chapter)