CLX Book 6 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – Flower That Is Not Exactly Flower, Fog That Is Not Exactly Fog

When someone heard that he has been poisoned what would his reaction be?

All kinds of people have all kinds of different reactions. _{Translated by foxs}

Some people would be scared that he would tremble all over, ashen-faced, they would even be unable to cry for help.

Some people would immediately kneel down and cry for help, begging for mercy.

Some people would be so nervous that they vomit, that even the last night’s meal would be vomited out.

Some people might not be the slightest bit nervous; they were just suspicious and laughed coldly, and then use words to sound out.

Some people would not even say a single word, they would rush over immediately to fight. They did not care whether the poisoning was real or fake, they simply beat you to half dead first before talking about anything else.

But there are also some people who don’t respond at all, not even a little bit.

As a result, you can’t see whether he believes? Or doesn’t believe? Was it panic? Or anger?

This kind of person is of course the most difficult to deal with. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Naturally Chu Liuxiang was that kind of most-difficult-to-deal-with person.

Therefore, he did not even show any reaction the least bit, he was just looking a bit in a daze.

He was looking at Zhang Jiejie’s swinging feet in a daze.

Among women, undoubtedly Zhang Jiejie could be considered a woman who was extremely able to keep her composure.

She was already waiting for a long time, waiting for Chu Liuxiang’s reaction. But now, in the end she still could not hold her annoyance, she could not help asking, “Did you hear what I said?”

Chu Liuxiang nodded, looking absent-minded.

Zhang Jiejie said, “Since you heard me, what do you think?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “I’m thinking …”

Zhang Jiejie asked, “What are you thinking?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “I was thinking, if you are barefooted now, it will look much better when you walk.”

Zhang Jiejie’s feet stopped swaying.

She suddenly jumped up, stood on the branch, and suddenly jumped down the branch; standing in front of Chu Liuxiang, she glared at Chu Liuxiang. _{Translated by foxs}

Even when she was staring at other people, her pair of eyes was still arcing, was still small, like a crescent moon.

Even when she was angry, there was still a layer of flowery, misty smiling expression pervading her eyes, so that people could be afraid of her, they could not get angry at her either.

This moment, Chu Liuxiang did not look at her feet.

Chu Liuxiang was looking into her eyes – he was looking at her eyes in a daze.

Biting her lip, Zhang Jiejie spoke loudly, “I told you that you have been poisoned, moreover, it is a kind of very fierce poison, but you are thinking about my feet … Are you … actually a human, or a pig?”

Chu Liuxiang replied, “Human.”

His answer was very brisk, only then did he go on, “Hence the reason I was thinking of something else.”

The woman who pretended to be the proprietress, she was obviously poisoned to death. But what poisoned her to death? Chu Liuxiang tried to pat her mouth to open, immediately something fell out of her mouth. A lychee. Behind him, there was the sound of fluttering clothes. Chu Liuxiang turned around, he stared at Zhang Jiejie who had just entered in through the window. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Zhang Jiejie also had a surprised expression on her face, she said, “What are you staring at me for? Could it be that you think I killed her?”

Chu Liuxiang still stared at her.

Zhang Jiejie laughed coldly and said, “A woman like this who values sex and despises friends, although one dies and thus there’s one less, I did not kill her. She is practically not worth me making a move against her.”

Chu Liuxiang suddenly heaved a sigh, he said, “I know you did not kill her, when she died, you were still talking to me outside.”

Zhang Jiejie spoke coldly, “You understand, that would be best. You don’t understand, that’s good too. I don’t care either way.”

Naturally it was something that she said in the moment of anger.

When a girl finish speaking angry words, more often than not, there was only one action — turn around and leave right after she finished speaking. Chu Liuxiang has been ready; as soon as she turned around, Zhang Jiejie saw Chu Liuxiang was still standing in front of her. He was standing right in front of her eyes.

But Zhang Jiejie clearly had the ability to look at him without using her eyes; she laughed coldly and said, “Good dog don’t get in the way, why are you blocking my way?” _{Translated by foxs}

Chu Liuxiang said, “Because even if you don’t care, I do.”

Zhang Jiejie asked, “What do you care about?”

Chu Liuxiang replied, “I care about you.”

Zhang Jiejie blinked. Already the ice in her eyes gradually began to thaw.

Chu Liuxiang said, “Because I know that you came here for me, but how did you know that I am here? You …”

Zhang Jiejie suddenly cut him off, she spoke loudly, “Turns out you don’t really care about me, you just suspect me; you suspect that I might be in collusion with them. If not for this, even if I die, you definitely won’t care.”

This was an angry word. Therefore, after Zhang Jiejie finished speaking, she immediately turned around and left.

This time she walked much faster.

When she really wanted to leave, even Chu Liuxiang could not stop her.

By the time Chu Liuxiang ran after her, he could no longer see her person — he only saw the seven, eight men who had just fallen on the ground.

Although a moment ago these seven, eight men were bleeding all over their faces, they could still be considered alive. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

But now their faces seemed to be without any blood, but the persons were already dead.

Because their faces have turned purple, even the color of blood could not even be distinguished clearly.

Chu Liuxiang clenched his pair of fists tightly, his face already turned purple as well.

Which showed that he was extremely angry … He detested killing, he abhorred violence.

He also hated himself for his negligence. He could have unsealed these men’s acupoints, perhaps these men might not have died; now he felt that it was like these men died in his hands.

So much so that his hands were shaking.

A hand reached out from behind, a voice as soft as the mist immediately rang in his ears, “Your hands are so cold.”

Chu Liuxiang’s hands were really cold, furthermore, they were still sweating.

Such hands really needed a woman’s gentle hold.

Yet he shook off her hand. _{Translated by foxs}

This was perhaps the first time ever that Chu Liuxiang shook off a woman’s hand.

Zhang Jiejie hung her head down, surprisingly, she did not get angry, and she did not leave either, on the contrary, her voice was even softer.

“These men were just the lowest-of-low hired thugs. For twenty taels of silver, they would kill people. Now that they died, why do you feel it so difficult to bear?”

Chu Liuxiang suddenly turned his head and glared at her; he spoke word by word, “That’s right, these men were very lowly, but you’d better not forget that they are also people.”

Zhang Jiejie said, “But … but there are also many kinds of people; people like them …”

Chu Liuxiang said, “People like them, when they die, naturally they are not worthy of sympathy, but they also had their close relatives, their wives; what about those people? Aren’t they innocent?”

Zhang Jiejie stopped talking.

Chu Liuxiang said, “Therefore, next time you want to kill someone, even if this person really deserves to be killed, you’d better think some more, think about those innocent people, those people who depend on them for their livelihood. After they die, how much more miserable those people’s live would be? How much more difficult to bear will their hearts be?” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Zhang Jiejie hung her head down, yet Chu Liuxiang could still see her eyes.

The pair of eyes that seemed to carry eternal smiling expression, now, unexpectedly there were tears filling the eye sockets.

There were no tears flowing down, there was only a layer of glistening teardrops like flickering pearls.

Chu Liuxiang was a person with principle, he respected people with principle.

He respected other people’s principle just as he respected his own.

He definitely would not argue with any girl, definitely would not hurt any girl’s self-esteem.

He did not like to lecture other people with straight face, he did not like to deal with girls with straight face even more.

Because he felt that an advice with a smile was far more useful than a lecture with a straight face.

But today he suddenly discovered that he had violated his own principles.

To him, this was simply an inconceivable thing.

Was it because he no longer regarded her as a girl, or was it because he already regarded her as his very close friend, a very close person to him? _{Translated by foxs}

Only in front of their closest friends would people do wrong things the easiest.

Because only at this kind of time that his frame of mind will be completely relaxed, not only he will forget to guard against others, he would also forget to guard against himself.

Especially in front of his beloved, it will be very easy for any man to forget everything, so much so that he might become like a kid.

“Could it be that I really already regard her as my intimate friend? My beloved? Why is it that in front of her, it’s easy for me to say wrong things, do wrong things, and make mistakes in judgment?”

Zhang Jiejie asked, “What are you thinking?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “I was wondering, are your feet as beautiful as your eyes?” He looked into her eyes, acting very seriously, he went on, “You know, a woman with good eyes may not necessarily have good-looking feet.”

Zhang Zhijie’s face did not blush. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

She was not the kind of girl who blush easily.

She also looked into Chu Liuxiang’s eyes; with a very serious face, she spoke slowly, “I won’t ever ask again in the future, are you a human? Or are you a pig?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Oh?”

Zhang Jiejie said, “Because I realized that you are not a human. No matter what kind of ‘thing’ you are, definitely you are not a human.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Oh?”

Zhang Jiejie said spoke hatefully, “In the world, definitely there is no such person like you, hearing that you had been poisoned, surprisingly you still dared to eat other people’s tofu.”

Chu Liuxiang suddenly chuckled, he asked, “Do you know why?”

Zhang Jiejie replied, “I don’t.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Simply because I know that your lychee definitely did not have any poison on it.”

Zhang Jiejie said, “You know fart.”

She laughed coldly, and then went on, “You think that you are an expert in poison, no matter what kind of poison, as soon as it is in your mouth you can immediately sense it.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Not that.” _{Translated by foxs}

Zhang Jiejie said, “Then how did you dare to say that the lychee definitely did not have any poison on it?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Based on one point.”

Zhang Jiejie asked, “What point?”

Chu Liuxiang looked at her and smiled, he said, “Maybe I don’t understand anything, I don’t know anything, but whether a person treats me well or treats me badly, I always know.”

His eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of clouds, his smiling expression was like a fog, and his voice became even softer than the clouds and mist. He continued slowly, “Based on only this point: I know that the lychee did not have any poison, because you definitely would not put poison on it to poison me.”

Zhang Jiejie wanted to pull her face, but her eyes narrowed, and her nose wrinkled slightly.

On earth, very few people can understand how cute it is when a girl wrinkles her nose when she smiles. If you don’t understand, then let me teach you: quickly find a girl who can smile like this, and let her smile to show you. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

The lychees fell down. Zhang Jiejie’s heart was light as a feather, her hand also lightly floated, slicing down, as if she couldn’t even hold the lychee. She slowly hung her head down, and spoke softly, “I really never thought …”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Never thought?”

Zhang Jiejie began to raise her head again, she looked at him and said, “I never thought that you, this person, know good from bad.”

This moment, her eyes were not like flowers, neither they were like a fog, not like the crescent moon even more.

Because on earth, definitely there was no such touching flower, such lovely fog, such touching moonlight.

Chu Liuxiang walked over, he came very close. So close that he could almost smell her fragrant breath.

If there was such a girl who looks at you with such meaningful glance, and you still don’t come over, then you must have had your two legs broken; moreover, you must be a stupid blind man with two broken legs.

Because if you are not blind and not stupid, even if your legs are broken, you would still crawl over to her.

Chu Liuxiang walked over, gently held her chin, and spoke tenderly, “Of course I know, you came here precisely to help me knocking down these men, and also in order to save me. If I don’t even know this, wouldn’t I really be a pig?”

Zhang Jiejie’s eyes slowly closed. _{Translated by foxs}

She did not speak, because she did not need to speak.

When you lift a girl’s chin, if she closes her eyes, you should understand what it means.

Chu Liuxiang’s head went down, his lips also went down.

But his lips did not go after her lips. He leaned close to her ear, and said softly, “Besides, I know one more thing.”

Zhang Jiejie said, “Mmm …”

This time, she did not speak with her eyes, neither did she speak with her mouth.

She spoke with her nose.

When a girl speaks with her nose, oftentimes it was more enchanting than if she speaks with her eyes.

Chu Liuxiang said, “I know for a girl like you, even if you want to kill me, you would choose a rather strange, a rather special method — isn’t that right?”

Zhang Jiejie opened her mouth. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

But she opened her mouth not to speak, rather, it was to bite.

She bit Chu Liuxiang’s ear.

There are so many strange things under the heavens.

The part on human body that can speak is originally the mouth.

But any man with experience knows that a woman speaks either with her eyes, her nose, or her hands and legs, it would all be more adorable than if she speaks with her mouth.

Mouth is originally for speaking. But there are also a lot of men who think that when a woman bites with her mouth, she is cuter than when she talks with her mouth. He would rather be bitten by her than listen to her talk.

Therefore, every smart woman should know one thing.

It would be best for her to open her mouth to talk less in front of men.

Zhang Jiejie bit.

But when she opened her mouth, she found that Chu Liuxiang already slipped away from her presence.

When she opened her eyes, Chu Liuxiang already swept in through the window.

It looked like he still has not forgotten the proprietress, he still wanted to see her.

But the proprietress could no longer see him. _{Translated by foxs}

The white and tender proprietress, now her whole body has turned purplish black, her eyes were tightly closed, her teeth were tightly clenched, and there seemed to be something still in her mouth.

“Why would I do this? How much do I know about her?”

Chu Liuxiang looked at Zhang Jiejie, he looked into her eyes.

While admittedly when this pair of eyes was smiling it was lovely, when it was sorrowful, it was even more touching.

It was like a crescent moon that was suddenly covered by a thin layer of clouds and mist.

But apart from this point, Chu Liuxiang knew almost nothing about her.

“I don’t even know whether her feet are beautiful or not.”

Chu Liuxiang rubbed his nose and smiled wryly. _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

He had seen her cry before. But that time was different. That time she cried, it carried a bit of anger, a bit of coquettish act. This time Chu Liuxiang could see that she was really grieving, she was really emotionally moved. He suddenly discovered that this wild horse-like girl also had a tender and kindhearted ‘side’. Up to this point, perhaps this was the only point that he knew about her.

But this point was already enough.

Willow tree shore. Soft moonlight.

Pulling Chu Liuxiang’s hand, Zhang Jiejie walked on the long and straight embankment.

Light waves lapped the long embankment, as light as Zhang Jiejie’s hair.

She untied the ribbon binding her hair, letting the evening breeze mess up her hair so that it kissed Chu Liuxiang’s cheek and neck.

The hair was light and soft, as light as the waves on the beach.

The dark blue dome of firmament was clean, there was only the bright moon, there was nothing else.

There was nothing else in Chu Liuxiang’s heart either, only a light, faint, and sweet melancholy emotion.

Only when one feels the happiest would one feel this kind of wonderful melancholy emotion.

But what was the reason for this? _{Translated by foxs}

Zhang Jiejie suddenly said, “Do you know what my favorite poem is?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Tell me.”

Zhang Jiejie said, “Can you guess?”

Chu Liuxiang raised his head, the willow leaved were dancing in the wind, the moon was pale, and the long embankment was pale.

The light waves lapped the shore like stringed music.

Unable to restrain his emotion, Chu Liuxiang recited in a low voice.

“Whence will one sober up tonight? The willows on the banks, the waning moon in the breeze of dawn.”

Zhang Jiejie’s hand suddenly clenched tightly, her person also leaned against his shoulder.

She did not say anything. She did not need to say anything anymore.

If two persons’ mind were interlinked, why bother to talk about anything else.

“Whence will one sober up tonight? The willows on the banks, the waning moon in the breeze of dawn.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

What kind of artistic conception was this? How free and at ease? How desolate? How lonely!

Chu Liuxiang knew a lot of girls, he loved them, he also understood them. But for some reason, only when he was with Zhang Jiejie that he could truly appreciate the feeling of this kind of artistic conception. When one was with the person he cares most, he often feels a kind of desolate loneliness. But it was not a real desolation, a real loneliness at all. It was just some kind of a strange feeling about life. One would only have this kind of feeling when he has already experienced the worst state of existence. That kind of artistic conception was similar to ‘thinking about the eternal heaven and earth, shedding tears realizing he was all alone’.

It was not sadness, it was not loneliness.

It was simply a beauty.

A beauty that melted people’s soul, a beauty that consumed people’s mind.

Only when someone has never gone through this kind of artistic conception would his life be truly lonely.

They reached the end of the long embankment.

No matter how long the road is, eventually one would always reach the end.

If one is at the end of the road, would it be the time to separate? _{Translated by foxs}

Chu Liuxiang sighed softly; nearly whispering, he said, “Are you going to leave again?”

Zhang Jiejie lowered her head; biting her lips, she said, “What about you?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Me …?”

Zhang Jiejie said, “You must have a place you should go to.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “I do … everybody does.”

Zhang Jiejie said, “But since you came, you never asked me, asking me where I came from? Asking me where am I going?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “I did not ask.”

All along he seldom asked anybody anything.

Because he always felt that if other people wanted to talk about that matter, he practically did not need to ask.

If they did not want to, why should he ask? _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Zhang Jiejie said, “You only asked me who the owner of that pair of hands is? Where is the person?”

Chu Liuxiang nodded.

Zhang Jiejie said, “But … But why didn’t you ask today?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “I already asked, there’s no need to ask again.”

Zhang Jiejie said, “You think I won’t tell you?”

Smiling wryly, Chu Liuxiang said, “If you are willing to tell me, why do you need me to ask?”

Zhang Jiejie said, “Maybe it’s just because even I, myself, did not know it before.”

Chu Liuxiang chuckled, he spoke indifferently, “In any case, I am not thinking of asking again.”

Zhang Jiejie blinked, she asked, “Why?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “When I met you by chance previously, I really wanted to get a bit of information from you, hence I asked, but now …”

Zhang Jiejie said, “What about now?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “Now … now when I see you, I just want to be with you, nothing else.” _{Translated by foxs}

Zhang Jiejie looked up, she gazed at him, her fluid glance was like she was intoxicated. Her body was trembling slightly.

Was it because of the cold wind on the embankment? Or because of the passion in her heart?

She suddenly fell into Chu Liuxiang’s arms.

Willow tree shore.

The night was waning, the moon was fading.

Zhang Jiejie sat up, she combed her disheveled hair with her hand.

Chu Liuxiang’s chest was broad.

In his chest, how much love could it exactly contain? How much hate?

Zhang Jiejie leaned against his chest, a long, long time passed, suddenly she said, “Get up, I’ll take you to a place.” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Chu Liuxiang asked, “Where are we going?”

Zhang Jiejie replied, “A good place.”

Chu Liuxiang asked, “For what?”

Zhang Jiejie replied, “To look for someone.”

Chu Liuxiang asked, “Looking for who?”

Zhang Jiejie’s fluid glance rolling, she spoke slowly, word by word, “The owner of that hand.”

Girls are amazing, indeed very amazing.

If you ask her by force, she just won’t tell you, even to her death she won’t tell you.

But if you don’t ask, she may insist on telling you instead.

High wall.

The wall so high that even the red apricot could not stick its head out. The bright moon seemed to be on the top of the wall.

Chu Liuxiang asked, “You just want to bring me here?”

Zhang Jiejie said, “Uh huh.”

Chu Liuxiang asked, “What place is this?”

Zhang Jiejie did not answer, on the contrary, she asked, “Can you go up this high wall?” _{Translated by foxs}

Chu Liuxiang chuckled, he said, “In the world, there’s still no wall that I can’t go up.”

Zhang Jiejie said, “Then you go up.”

Chu Liuxiang asked, “And then?”

Zhang Jiejie replied, “And then jump down.”

Chu Liuxiang asked, “And after I jump down?”

Zhang Jiejie said, “There is a path under the wall, which is paved with quarried stones from Yuhuatai [district of Nanjing City in Jiangsu].”

Chu Liuxiang said, “What a luxurious path.”

Zhang Jiejie said, “If you do not dare to walk with your feet, you can use your hands. No matter how you walk, when you reach the end, you will see a forest of flowers that look like peach blossoms. Inside the forest of flowers, there are several houses.”

Chu Liuxiang asked, “And then what?” _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Zhang Jiejie said, “When you enter that house, you can find the person you are looking for.”

Chu Liuxiang asked, “It’s that simple?”

Zhang Jiejie replied, “It’s that simple.”

She smiled charmingly and said, “Things of the world are just like that. Often times things that appeared to be more complicated are actually very simple.”

Chu Liuxiang said, “You should at least tell me what kind of place this is, what kind of person is in the house?”

Zhang Jiejie said, “Since you will find out very soon, why do you need me to tell you?”

Chu Liuxiang said, “But how did you know? How did you know that as soon as I walk in that person will be in the house?”

Zhang Jiejie did not answer.

Chu Liuxiang sucked in a mouthful of breath, he smiled wryly and said, “I already knew earlier: if I wanted to ask you, you wouldn’t tell me a single word.”

Zhang Jiejie looked up, she glared at him and said, “Do you also know earlier, that if you do not deliberately ask, I would tell you instead?”

Chu Liuxiang suddenly coughed.

Zhang Jiejie glared at him; suddenly she pulled his hand and bit it hard. The whole person jumped up, somersaulted in the air, and was already four, five zhang away.

“You are practically not a human, you are a pig, a dead pig, a dead shameless big living pig!” _{Translated by foxs}

Her scolding was still in Chu Liuxiang’s ears, but her person had disappeared.

A high wall, a very high wall.

But where under the heavens would there be a wall that Chu Liuxiang could not climb?

Chu Liuxiang stood on the top of the wall; only when he was blown by the evening wind was his mind cleared up, but his heart was still in a complete mess, no one knew what it was like.

He really could not understand what kind of girl Zhang Jiejie was.

But now was definitely not the time to think about these things. Chu Liuxiang forced himself to calm down. He knew that if he could not calm down now, he might never be able to calm down.

The flower garden was deep, although there were a few dots of lights in its midst, it still appeared to be shrouded in darkness.

“When you reach the top of the wall, then jump down.”

But what kind of place was exactly down there?

What exactly was waiting for him in the dark? _{foxswuxia.wordpress.com}

Chu Liuxiang did not know, but he made up his mind to take the risk and try.

He jumped down.

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