Chapter 99: Heroine Luo, You Can’t Afford to Lose?

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Wooo-”

A desolate melody that sounded like sand flying in the desert rang out at the bow of the boat. It was distant and desolate, but it didn’t contain any sorrow.

It gave people the feeling that they were in a desert with thousands of kilometers of yellow sand. A wanderer was riding a horse and slowly passing through thousands of kilometers of sand dunes…

?

A trace of surprise flashed across Luo Ning’s beautiful eyes. She looked at Ye Jingtang’s handsome side profile and had to admit that when this little thief didn’t touch her, he was indeed unbelievably handsome, especially when he was playing music now…

The bird seemed to recall the times when it went on escort missions with Ye

Jingtang. It jumped over, squatted between the two of them, and hummed. “Coo- Chirp chirp-”

Because it had hummed many times in the past, it wasn’t out of tune.

Luo Ning’s expression softened. She sat in front of Ye Jingtang and carried the bird into her lap. She lowered her head and silently stroked its wings as her skirt swayed in the wind above the river.

After a long time, the song ended.

Ye Jingtang lowered his hands and looked to the northwest. He felt somewhat nostalgic for the times when he was escorting in the Gobi Desert at the border. His foster father was walking in front drunkenly, and Yang Chao and the other old escorts were telling dirty jokes at the side.

“You’re a man, yet you know how to play music?”

“It’s a song from the desert of Sha Province. In the past, when I went on escort missions at the border of Liang Province, I often ran there. The road was long, so 1 learned to entertain myself. How was it?”

So-so.” Luo Ning turned her head and looked around.

“What are you looking for?”

“A xiao flute, or a pipa will do…”

Ye Jingtang looked at her red lips. “Heroine Luo, you know how to play the flute?”

Luo Ning’s expression was cold, but there was a hint of pride in her eyes. “I am a woman born in Jiang Province. 1 am proficient in music, Go, calligraphy, and painting.”

“Oh…”

There was no flute on the boat, so Ye Jingtang couldn’t say anything lewd like ‘I have one here’. He turned to look at the river bank. “Hold on.”

Then he flew up, stepped on the blue waves, and reached the river bank.

Tread, tread, tread…

Soon, Ye Jingtang returned with a piece of green bamboo cut from the river.

After returning to her side and sitting down, Ye Jingtang pulled out his saber, continuously cut the bamboo, and then used the tip of the saber to punch holes in it to make a very rough flute.

He made it at the last minute, and there was basically no craftsmanship, but there were only two people and a bird in the world. It was fine as long as she could blow it and make sounds. The requirements were not that high.

Luo Ning took the bamboo flute. After looking at it for a while, she brought it to her red lips. “Woo… Toot-toot… Woo- Toot-toot-”

Under the bright moon, the two people and one bird sat side by side at the bow of the boat. The gentle melody of the flute with the charm of flowing water sounded. The sound quality was very rough and a little off-key, but it didn’t affect the beauty and carefreeness of the scene.

Ye Jingtang looked at the side of her beautiful face and found Heroine Luo looking at him coldly. He turned his gaze away and looked at the moon.

After a while, Luo Ning put down the bamboo flute. Perhaps she had also recalled her past and hometown, so her gaze was complicated. She took a deep breath and asked, “What other songs do you know?”

Seeing that Heroine Luo was interested, Ye Jingtang thought for a moment, raised his palms again, and began to play a tune in his memory.

“Wuwuwu- Wuwuwu-”

When the tune entered her ears, Luo Ning was slightly stunned. The tune was very pleasant, but she couldn’t describe the style of the tune. She had never heard it before…

Luo Ning blinked and assumed the dignified and cool posture of a cult mistress as she listened attentively.

But soon, she realized that Ye Jingtang was only playing a few tunes back and forth. She asked, “Why are you only blowing this?”

Because that’s all 1 remember… Ye Jingtang smiled and turned around. “Why don’t I sing for you?

“You’re a man, yet you know how to sing?”

“Cough cough—The carrion has drawn a swarm of bloodthirsty ants-”

(•-•)?

Luo Ning tilted her head and opened her red lips slightly. Before she could be shocked, Ye Jingtang couldn’t hold it in anymore and raised his hand. “Forget it. This song is too advanced and not suitable. Why don’t we compose and recite poetry? Hmm…”

Luo Ning sat up straight, her eyes filled with suspicion. “You can compose poetry?”

Ye Jingtang was slightly proud. “I grew up in the borders and traveled Jianghu since 1 was young. I know a little bit about everything.”

Luo Ning was already very surprised by Ye Jingtang’s extraordinary martial arts skills and outstanding appearance. She really didn’t believe that this little thief was also talented in literature. She thought for a moment and said, “Composing poetry isn’t as simple as just humming a few sentences. Do you think 1 don’t have any knowledge because I’m from Jianghu?”

Ye Jingtang smiled and said, “Why don’t we make a bet? If 1 can compose a poem and you think it’s pretty good, I’ll win. Otherwise, I’ll lose. How about it?1

II

Luo Ning was not a silly little girl. She narrowed her eyes slightly. “What do you want?”

Ye Jingtang blinked and looked at Heroine Luo’s red lips.

?!

Luo Ning’s expression turned cold, and she raised her sword again.

Ye Jingtang smiled and said, “If we want to bet, we have to bet big. If I lose, I will take off my clothes and swim naked to Azure Yang City from here.”

“Chirp?” The bird’s eyes lit up, indicating that it really wanted to see it.

Although Luo Ning felt that she might be at a disadvantage, Ye Jingtang’s bet was really scary. Driven by her curiosity and desire to win, she warned coldly, “It must be a masterpiece with a neat rhythm. I’ve read a lot of books. Don’t think of copying a random poem to fool me!”

“Uh…” Ye Jingtang’s expression froze, as if he was in a dilemma.

Seeing this, Luo Ning immediately gained confidence. Her peach blossom eyes were slightly cold as she mocked in an ethereal and clear sisterly voice, “What’s wrong? You talked so big just now, but you don’t dare to bet now?”

Ye Jingtang deliberated for a long time before nodding. Then he looked at the river and began mulling.

H H

Luo Ning looked at him coldly, not lacking confidence at all. After all, the bet was that she thought the poem was a masterpiece.

Even if Ye Jingtang really composed a poem with a neat rhythm, as long as she said that it was ordinary, he would still lose…

“The west wind blew Dongting’s youthful face away; Overnight, Xiangjun’s hair turned gray….”

Just as she was thinking about her victory, words suddenly entered her ears.

Luo Ning’s expression froze slightly. She raised her eyes and looked blankly at the man beside her.

Ye Jingtang turned his head and looked at her with a smile. “Drunk, she knows not the sky is afloat in the water; A boat laden with sweet dreams weighs down the Milky Way. Heroine Luo, what do you think?”

?!

Luo Ning was stunned. Looking at the handsome little thief with a smile on his face, she realized something. Oh no, I fell into this little thief s trap!

Luo Ning’s expression turned cold. She stood up and wanted to run, but Ye Jingtang held her shoulder down.

Ye Jingtang was slightly dissatisfied. “Heroine Luo, do you want to go back on your word?”

Luo Ning’s face flushed red, and her eyes were full of shame and anger. “Little thief! You deliberately set me up, right? How could you have written this poem?”

Ye Jingtang frowned. “Then, who do you think wrote it?”

H ii

Luo Ning had read a lot of books, but she had never seen or heard this poem.

She gritted her teeth and retorted, “Dongting should be a lake. This is a river…”

“There’s a small lake in Liang Province. 1 was touched by the scenery here and expressed my feelings.”

“Then, who is Xiangjun?”

Ye Jingtang blinked. “Pei Xiangjun. Haven’t you seen my boss?”

??

This sentence stunned Luo Ning and made her speechless. She thought for a moment and said, “Why does she have so much gray hair?”

“That’s an exaggerated figure of speech. Her family’s business isn’t doing well, so she’s worried.”

Ye Jingtang looked at the dumbfounded Heroine Luo, shook his head, and teased, “Heroine Luo, 1 thought you really meant what you said. Alas… Could it be that you think this poem is ordinary and not a good work?”

“You!” Luo Ning bit her lower lip and had nothing to say. She turned her head and pretended to be an iceberg fairy, ignoring Ye Jingtang.

Ye Jingtang looked at Luo Ning for a moment and shook his head. He got up and placed the bird on his shoulder. “Forget it. Let’s go back. It’s boring, right, bird?”

“Chirp.” The bird nodded vigorously, feeling that Sister Little Watermelons couldn’t afford to play.

Luo Ning’s face alternated between red and white. Seeing that Ye Jingtang was really about to leave, she said coldly, “Come back here! Who can’t afford to lose?”

Ye Jingtang threw the bird aside and sat back down. He looked at Luo Ning, who was acting like a ‘deceived heroine’. “Is that so?”

Luo Ning felt that she had been tricked, but she couldn’t deny the bet she had agreed to. She pondered for a moment and said, “You must be cheating. If you can compose another poem I’ve never heard before, and it’s a good work, I’ll believe you.”

Ye Jingtang said helplessly, “Heroine Luo, this is against the rules. The bet just now has been concluded. If you want me to compose another poem to prove myself, it should be after you fulfill the bet and we make another bet. Otherwise, if you keep asking me to prove myself, won’t you be unreasonable?”

Luo Ning gritted her teeth. Her eyes were full of anger as she looked at the flowing river without saying anything.

Ye Jingtang felt that this was tacit agreement. He blinked and moved closer to her cold face.

Luo Ning’s entire body tensed up, and her hands gripped the corner of her dress tightly. She wanted to lean back and dodge, but in the end, she didn’t move due to the bet. She only closed her beautiful peach blossom-like eyes and put on the appearance of a humiliated heroine who said, “There’s no greater sorrow than a dead heart. Even if you get my body, you won’t be able to get my heart.” Two streams of tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.

“Wu-”

Their lips met, eliciting a low cry.

Luo Ning’s shoulders trembled slightly, and her mind instantly went blank.

This time, it was much clearer than the last time. The man’s scorching breath brushed across her face, and an indescribable touch impacted her mind, making her feel dizzy. It became difficult for her to even sit properly.

There was no one on the two banks of the river, and the light in the middle of the river was like a bean.

The man and woman stood at the bow of the ship, leaning against each other..

There was no more sound, only countless tender feelings…