Chapter 6: Night Encounter in the Desolate Garden

Mo Xunyan’s eyes were half-closed, immersed in the melody, when she suddenly heard a faint rustle from the branches above. Her brow furrowed, and with a flick of her hand, the leaf she held shot outward.

"Little girl, you disturb one's peaceful dreams, and now you wish to kill without cause?" A voice suddenly rang out from above.

The voice was as cold as shattered jade, yet possessed an indescribable magnetism. As it swirled through the night air with the breeze, it sounded exceptionally pleasant.

Before the words had even faded, a figure descended from above and landed beside Mo Xunyan, a thick scent of alcohol instantly enveloping her.

Moonlight filtered through the shadows of the trees, allowing Mo Xunyan to see that the newcomer was about twenty years old. On his square, handsome face, sword-like eyebrows slanted upward into his hairline. Beneath them, a pair of deep phoenix eyes—their gaze, seemingly drunk yet not, were as dark as deep, bottomless springs. His nose was high and straight, and his thin lips were slightly curled in a half-smile.

As the man landed, his tall, slender frame leaned toward her. He raised his arm slightly, appearing somewhat intoxicated, or perhaps acting spoiled. "Little girl, your hidden weapon has wounded my arm..."

As he drew closer, even through the heavy scent of alcohol, a distinctly masculine aura rushed toward her. Mo Xunyan’s heart skipped a beat. She shifted her body to the side, let out a cold, feigned-voice huff of "Lecher," and pushed him away with a palm strike, using the momentum to drop from the tree.

"Careful, little girl!" The man, seemingly not expecting Mo Xunyan to fall while pushing him away, leaped down in a panic to catch her, not forgetting to tease her even then, "Though you wounded me by mistake, there is no need to atone with your life."

Mo Xunyan had not expected this drunken man to be so tiresome. Feeling both angry and annoyed, she secretly twisted her body, dodged nimbly to the side, and landed on the ground with a spin. Without even looking at him, she turned and walked away.

"Little girl, you dropped something." The man caught up to her again, a rogue-like smile hanging on his face, looking indescribably wicked and charming.

Mo Xunyan paused, stopping in her tracks. She touched her neck; she did not care for adornments, and other than this crescent-shaped jade pendant, she had nothing else on her.

Confirming the pendant was still there, Mo Xunyan grew even more annoyed, assuming the man was just making excuses to strike up a conversation, which only made him seem more tiresome.

"Right here!" To her surprise, the man had already walked to her side and raised his arm again.

In the moonlight, Mo Xunyan finally saw that the leaf she had thrown was embedded in his arm, the seeping blood already staining his white shirt red.

"Serves you right!" Although Mo Xunyan felt a twinge of regret, the thought of him daring to lean so close to her earlier made her cold again. She reached out to push him away and, with a darkened face, prepared to leave.

"Little girl, being so cold-hearted at such a young age—that’s probably not good, is it? Who would dare marry you and bring you home in the future?" The man shook his head helplessly, seemingly surprised at being ignored to this extent.

"Mind your own business!" Mo Xunyan glared at him. Though her expression was cold, the moment the man looked into her eyes, he felt everything else in the world lose its luster.

Those beautiful eyes were not only like stars, but also clean and pure, striking straight at the soul. If not for the trace of sorrow and the subtle, hidden confusion within them, how perfect those eyes would be!

"I only feel it’s a pity for you!" The man himself did not know if he meant it was a pity for her coldness, or for the sorrow and confusion steeped within her beautiful eyes.

"A good dog doesn't block the path!" Mo Xunyan was not skilled at dealing with men. Having endured this much, she radiated waves of chill. She pressed her lips together, swayed her body, and began to strike.