094 Ability Exposed

Chapter 094: Ability Exposed

Guan Shiyin’s body was right in front of the fire rack where the fish was roasting. When Fang Rulai pushed him, if Guan Shiyin didn’t want to roll forward and land face-down on the fire pit, potentially disfiguring himself, the most direct way was to slap the fire rack with his palm, extinguishing the flames while using the momentum to twist and flip over. But if he did that, the fish on the rack would surely be knocked into the dirt, ruined and inedible.

Just as Guan Shiyin raised his arm, Fang Rulai let out a startled cry—not out of fear that Guan Shiyin would be harmed or disfigured—but because she was afraid he would ruin the fish that looked perfectly cooked.

Hearing the cry so close behind him, Guan Shiyin smiled knowingly. This little bald-headed one was clearly a foodie. She pushed him toward the fire, yet still hoped he would help save the fish? Well, she was right.

Without lessening the force, Guan Shiyin’s palm came down, but the internal energy behind the strike strangely bypassed the fish on the rack, hitting only the burning firewood below. Using the momentum, he twisted and flipped, leapt over the fire rack, then with a waist twist executed a graceful aerial somersault, landing perfectly on both feet.

Smart move, perfect form.

Guan Shiyin turned around proudly, expecting to be met with admiring eyes. Instead, Fang Rulai didn’t even look at him and reached straight for the fish on the rack.

“Hah, the color looks perfect, I—”

Her words and hand stopped halfway as her vision blurred— the fish was gone.

Looking up, the fish had been drawn by Guan Shiyin’s internal energy into his own hand.

“Give it back!” Fang Rulai lunged forward to snatch it.

Guan Shiyin didn’t dodge; he simply raised his arm high. No matter how much Fang Rulai jumped, she couldn’t reach it.

“You… what do you mean?” Fang Rulai panted heavily, eyes fixed anxiously on the fish held high above his head. If the fish wasn’t eaten while still warm, it would turn fishy and lose its flavor.

One hand on his waist, the other holding the fish aloft, Guan Shiyin smiled. Seeing the venerable Master Abbot’s foodie face now was irresistibly adorable—it was hard to contain himself.

Taking advantage of Fang Rulai’s bent-over, panting position as she clung to his arm, Guan Shiyin swiftly lowered his raised arm and opened his mouth wide, biting down on the tails of the three fish skewered on the branch.

He tossed the branch aside, arms spread wide, expression growing more provocative: “Mmm, mmm, mmm! Want to eat? Come and take it!”

Sensing something was off, Fang Rulai looked up at the sound and caught sight of Guan Shiyin holding the fish in his mouth, the branch tossed aside.

This guy was blatantly using his height advantage to mock her!

Absolutely intolerable!

Fang Rulai suddenly jumped up, stomping heavily on Guan Shiyin’s toes. He winced and bent his knees; she twisted her foot and kicked the back of his knee. Losing balance, his body swayed. Fang Rulai jumped up, using her body to collide with his shoulder.

Guan Shiyin leaned back with the momentum; Fang Rulai didn’t halt either, both collapsing toward each other.

Thud! Guan Shiyin fell backward, the back of his head striking a pebble by the creek. Pain exploded in his head, vision dimmed, and a shadow darted down upon him.

Fang Rulai.

Both hands reached out, aiming to snatch the fish still visible from Guan Shiyin’s mouth.

How could Guan Shiyin let her truly take it? That would ruin his whole plan of holding the fish with his mouth.

His head throbbed, but he didn’t dare rub it. Instead, he swiftly grabbed both of Fang Rulai’s hands with his own.

Remembering last time when he left marks on her ankle, he didn’t use much force this time. Even so, compared to Fang Rulai’s lack of internal energy, it was enough to restrain her movements.

With the fish so close to her lips, unable to snatch it and having to endure the waves of fragrant aroma rolling over her, if Fang Rulai could keep control, she’d be a Buddhist saint.

Determined, she opened her mouth and reached forward.

Her hands were caught, but she still had her mouth!

Crunch—she bit right on the fish’s head! This delicacy ranked second only to braised pork on her list of favorite foods.

The tender fish meat slid smoothly into her mouth, and Fang Rulai closed her eyes in bliss. Years of eating fish taught her to distinguish meat from bones perfectly with her tongue and teeth, even without hands. She swallowed the meat, tilted her head, and spat out the bones. The three fish heads disappeared in a flash. Smacking her lips, she leaned forward to savor more fish.

This fish wasn’t tainted by modern industrial pollution, nor did the seasoning contain preservatives or additives common today. The natural freshness of the fish stood out more clearly, weaving an invisible net that tightly bound all of Fang Rulai’s senses.

She could neither move nor wished to.

She looked utterly entranced.

As if the world contained only her and the fish meat at her lips.

So, she didn’t notice that the man beneath her had already released her hands and instead wrapped his arms around her waist. His eyes were full of anticipation, daring her to try and take any more fish from his mouth.

Yes, that was his motive for holding the fish with his mouth!

She was his, and even the fish couldn’t intrude on their time alone unless it helped connect them.

Lost in thought, the little bald head’s lips puckered near her mouth. As she opened her mouth to bite the fish again, her lips brushed against his—a teasing, almost-but-not-quite kiss. She was too focused on eating to notice; Guan Shiyin, however, felt an itch of delight from the touch. This wasn’t his usual style.

Heart stirred, mouth active—before accomplishing great things, one must prepare thoroughly, right? Step one: swallow the fish meat; step two: spit out the bones.

Fang Rulai suddenly shouted, “You’re stealing my fish!”

Busy eating, she forgot everything else but kept her eyes fixed on the fish. When Guan Shiyin’s throat moved, she sensed it immediately. Her shout was also a guess—he had probably finished the fish tails he held in his mouth. But there was still a piece of fish belly untouched near his lips! No way could she let him steal that one too.

Quickly swallowing what was in her mouth, she stretched her neck and lunged for the last piece of fish.

Guan Shiyin’s lips, oily and tender, approached. He moved his throat, quickly reacting with speed and precision. Tilting his head, spitting out bones, turning back, opening his mouth wide—the luscious lips of Fang Rulai came straight to his target.

She was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood his earlier motive for holding the fish with his mouth. He was waiting for this moment! Dogs never change their eating habits… Wait, no, she couldn’t say that out loud! Saying so would mean she was what exactly?!

Remembering she might have just cursed herself with her thoughts, Fang Rulai’s mood sank to rock bottom. Compared to the villains who came to kill her in Pingcheng, Guan Shiyin’s way of seducing a woman wasn’t new at all. How did she fall for it once, then so quickly a second time? Was he just too cunning or was she too foolish and naive?

Doubting her own intelligence, Fang Rulai had no mind for kissing Guan Shiyin. She shrank back, wanting to avoid him.

But as she recoiled, Guan Shiyin spoke, “Shi Bilian’s cousin!”

Fang Rulai froze. Ah, old stories, old stories… she’d taken advantage of the moment, but the main point was still unspoken.

“You said your aunt died by your sword, right? Then who’s in charge of the second household now?”

Guan Shiyin tightened his arms as Fang Rulai, deep in thought, forgot to resist.

“My uncle’s new wife, Ling Yun.”

“Shi Bilian said her cousin’s name was Shi Lingyun. Seems this cousin dropped the family name but kept the given name, not forgetting her origins.” Fang Rulai paused, then asked, “Even if she changed her name, she was a trafficker who just came to Shengjing. Didn’t you check her background? Your grandmother is gone but your grandfather is still alive, right? Would he allow such a person into the family?”

The Guan family was prominent; even a new wife would be carefully vetted. How did such a mysterious figure enter? What secrets were hidden?

“After my mother and grandmother passed away, both my uncle’s and my own influence suffered greatly. Both sides pretended to reconcile on the surface but secretly recuperated and plotted against each other. When my uncle said he wanted a new wife, of course, I investigated. But all I found was that Shi Lingyun was a seamstress in a renowned embroidery workshop. At the time, the second prince’s lingering illness aroused the crown prince’s suspicion. Sending someone to dig deeper risked attracting his attention, so the matter was dropped.”

“What about your grandfather? Even if the Guan family traditionally had female heads, your grandmother was gone, and as the only elder, wouldn’t he oppose this?”

“He’s always favored my uncle. Mother said that since childhood, my uncle’s every request was fulfilled by him. But mother never got a smile from him, and neither did I. When he let Shi Lingyun in without question, I thought it was just because of his excessive love for my uncle. Now I wonder if he’s connected to the powers behind this.”

“That’s too soon to conclude. Anyway, once we’re back in Shengjing, the truth will come out,” Fang Rulai said, resting against Guan Shiyin’s chest, elbow propped, hands cupping her chin. “You’ve been in charge of the Guan family for eight years, right? In those eight years, not only did you not get beaten down by your uncle, but you solidified your position as the sole heir. Even if you couldn’t crush him in the beginning, what about the later years? Didn’t you think of a masterstroke to eliminate him without hurting the embroidery workshop?”

“I can! But I’m not willing.” Guan Shiyin wrapped both arms around Fang Rulai’s waist, losing the mood to take advantage but unwilling to miss any chance for tenderness. His hands roamed restlessly along her waist, but when she showed a hint of resistance, he quickly returned to serious matters.

“Since mother’s death, my uncle’s methods have grown more covert. I know clearly that eighty percent of the assassination attempts are planned by him, but when I investigate, I find no conclusive evidence. Killing him and finding a scapegoat is easy, but I’m not willing. If you don’t cut the grass at the root, the consequences will be severe, and no one understands this better than me.”

At twelve, he thought his uncle would give up the family headship after losing his daughter, but his recklessness caused mother and grandmother’s deaths. At twenty, with Fang Rulai and the second prince behind him, if he couldn’t uproot their power, he wouldn’t act rashly again.

Fang Rulai understood his implication but instinctively didn’t want him to dwell on the past, so she changed the subject.

“What do you think about Shi Bilian and her brother, who brought such important information?”

“What do you mean?”

Fang Rulai bit her finger, “I just feel their arrival was too natural, and all the causes and effects too smooth.”

“Did you hear something from the items they carried?”

“No.”

“Then what are you suspicious about?”

“Because there was nothing, I’m suspicious.” She tried to explain her feeling. “Usually, when sensing words left by people on non-living objects, the voices vary—sometimes noisy, sometimes clear, sometimes faint, sometimes harsh. But everything on Shi Bilian and her brother’s belongings was crystal clear, like a film’s original audio track…”

“What’s a film’s original audio track?” Guan Shiyin interrupted.

“It’s like when you and I talk now, there’s special equipment recording every word simultaneously. When played back for others, it sounds as if they’re right there listening, very clear.”

“There really is such a strange thing in this world!” Guan Shiyin’s eyes showed rare surprise, followed by a hint of fear. “Where exactly are you from? When did you come? And when will you leave… Ah no, you’re not allowed to leave your original place anymore!”

Guan Shiyin suddenly tightened his arms, pulling Fang Rulai into an embrace.

She wanted to resist but gave up halfway when she felt the slight trembling of his arms behind her.

His slightly tense voice sounded above her head, “Unless I don’t survive the upcoming royal battle, you absolutely cannot leave here!”

For the first time, Fang Rulai obediently pressed against his chest, showing no desire to resist.

Leave here? She didn’t even know how she came, let alone how or if she could leave. Not wanting her to leave—how could he know if someone in that distant modern world might also feel…?

Fang Rulai suddenly propped herself up on her elbows. Such topics were unsuitable now.

“What I mean is: could someone have noticed my abilities and deliberately recorded those clear, logical words on their items?”

Thank you for the flowers and encouragement from dear: c Half Summer / Like Smoke. Much appreciated, mwa~

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