Chapter 39: A Gentleman’s Promise and a Book’s Secrets

Ye Qingfeng nervously fiddled with her fingers, stating, “Hmm, um, could you please not have those filthy thoughts about me from now on?”

‘Tsk, that’s not what I meant to say!’

‘And why was my tone so weak?!’

Ye Qingfeng had intended to be firm, to unequivocally demand that Quan Haoqing correct his attitude and treat her with brotherly affection.

Yet, after their eyes met, her words were twisted into this embarrassing, pathetic form.

‘Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it—her mind screamed the words a thousandfold.’

Quan Haoqing watched Ye Qingfeng, who was bowing her head like a primary school student caught in a transgression, with a peculiar expression.

‘Is that all?’ he thought.

He had expected her choice of words and tone to be far more severe.

And, for some inexplicable reason, she was getting angry again.

Though Ye Qingfeng had lowered her head, the concealing shroud of night could not hide the fact that she was indeed fuming.

The subtle swell of her rosy cheeks, however, was not something mere darkness could obscure.

Considering this, Quan Haoqing decided his response also required a slight alteration.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘filthy thoughts’?”

Ye Qingfeng angrily lifted her head.

Her sharp, small canines gleamed under the moonlight.

Her large, sapphire-blue eyes seemed to challenge the very moon that night, vying for which was more perfectly round.

“It’s those filthy thoughts men have about women,” she retorted.

“If you claim ignorance, I can help you remove some unnecessary organs!”

“I understand,” he replied.

Quan Haoqing’s mind cleared instantly.

Nevertheless, he spread his hands and said:

“Er, I am, after all, a man.

However, I can promise that without your permission, I will absolutely not make any of those ‘filthy moves’ you’re imagining.

Does that work for you?”

Ye Qingfeng once again fell into contemplation.

‘A gentleman is judged by his actions, not his intentions?’

‘It’s truly excellent that you can find such a convenient justification for yourself,’ Quan Haoqing thought, watching Ye Qingfeng with a touch of relief.

He nodded, agreeing with her perspective.

“Precisely,” he affirmed.

“I wouldn’t want to make promises I’m not confident I can keep, and surely you wouldn’t want a perfunctory answer, would you?”

“Alright, I accept!”

Ye Qingfeng raised her palm, turning it towards Quan Haoqing.

“Then I won’t demand any collateral to bind you,” she stated.

“However, if one day you break this promise…”

Without hesitation, Quan Haoqing clapped his palm against hers, declaring with resounding force:

“My wealth and my life, they are yours to command.”

Quan Haoqing’s words effectively blocked Ye Qingfeng’s unspoken ‘From this moment forth, we sever all ties.’

For a moment, she found herself unable to decipher this man.

‘Does he have to be so ruthless? It seems like I’m completely gaining the upper hand here.’

Quan Haoqing maintained his air of absolute confidence, stating firmly and solemnly:

“No, it’s not.

In fact, it’s an equal exchange.

Moreover, I possess absolute confidence in my ability to uphold this boundary.”

Yet, despite delivering such a flawless declaration, Quan Haoqing was met with Ye Qingfeng’s utterly deadpan expression.

“Your steadfastness… it’s rather annoying,” she drawled.

‘Huh!?’

Quan Haoqing’s face registered pure shock.

He couldn’t fathom what lapse in his expression had led Ye Qingfeng to feel this way.

“Uh… why?

Should I have perhaps wavered a little?”

Ye Qingfeng wagged her slender finger, speaking with an air of profound seriousness:

“Complete steadfastness implies I possess no charm whatsoever, while excessive wavering suggests a lack of self-control.

Therefore, you need to find a balance between wavering and not wavering.

Only then can you both uphold your credibility and consider my feelings.

To think you didn’t even consider something so basic!

Sigh, can’t your mind be a little more meticulous?”

“What!?”

Quan Haoqing was utterly thunderstruck.

‘It can be like this!?’ he mused.

Indeed, excessive steadfastness would seem to belittle Ye Qingfeng’s charm, even negate it entirely.

If he wanted to consider her feelings, he couldn’t have spoken that way.

So, how should he rephrase his words?

“Pfft, haha, hahaha, hahahaha!”

Just as he was deep in thought, a clear, melodious laugh, like that of an oriole, reached his ears.

He looked up to find a charming night elf bent over, clutching her stomach, roaring with laughter.

Realizing he had been played, Quan Haoqing adopted a feigned look of annoyance.

“You, Ye Qingfeng, playing tricks on me,” he accused.

“Hahahaha, my apologies,” she chuckled, wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes.

“But who told you to look so utterly confident?

It would have been a terrible waste not to deflate that a little.”

Ye Qingfeng, wiping away tears of laughter from her eyes, said without a trace of guilt:

“This is also a lesson learned for you (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning ‘a fall in the pit, a gain in your wit’).

Luckily, you encountered a reasonable… woman like me.

If it had been some unreasonable troublemaker, hmph hmph.”

“Meeting you truly is a blessing from the gods,” he conceded.

“Alright, let’s head back.

If we keep standing here in the middle of nowhere, people who don’t know better might think we’re up to something foolish.”

“Oh, oh, alright…”

Ye Qingfeng lifted her foot, ready to depart.

Suddenly, a question flashed through her mind: why was she accompanying Quan Haoqing on this outing today?

‘Never mind,’ she decided.

‘It’s not important; I’m happy enough, anyway.’

As for Quan Haoqing, he was also quite pleased.

He happily accompanied Ye Qingfeng all the way back to Xingqing City.

After bidding her farewell, just as he was about to move, he suddenly lifted his head.

‘Damn it, I forgot about two people!’

Meanwhile, You An and Xie Xiang, still at the Hongjin Tower in Fengcheng Town, were completely oblivious.

They were lost in a stupor of soft flesh and warm fragrance, living a dreamlike existence.

After briefly considering the intelligence and personalities of those two, Quan Haoqing concluded that attempting to retrieve them now would likely yield no gratitude.

Thus, he simply gave up on the idea.

Instead, he followed behind Ye Qingfeng.

Ye Qingfeng: “…”

‘What kind of perverted stalker is this?!’

She turned her head to look behind her, only to find Quan Haoqing even waving at her in a remarkably friendly manner.

‘No, seriously, couldn’t you at least hide behind a corner or a trash can?

Be a bit more professional, alright?’

“Hmph~”

Ye Qingfeng stopped in her tracks.

Her gaze was cold, her expression icy, like a haughty queen looking down upon an ant deserving of a thousand cuts.

“Now, now, trash,” she began, “it’s only been a few minutes since we parted, and you’re already unable to suppress your filthy desires, brimming with depraved thoughts?

Are you preparing to make a move on me?”

“No, of course not, it’s a misunderstanding.”

Quan Haoqing immediately issued a triple denial.

“I’m going back to rest,” Ye Qingfeng reiterated her plans.

“Mhm, I know,” Quan Haoqing confirmed.

Ye Qingfeng’s eyes held a flirtatious glint as she provocatively said:

“Are you planning to rest with me?

How about we share a bed?

Would you like me to give you a massage?

From head to toe~ a full-body massage~”

Her teasing, tingling tone nearly made Quan Haoqing’s bones turn to jelly.

He awkwardly shook his head.

“Uh, misunderstanding,” he stammered.

“I actually need to talk to the Xuan Yin Book Spirit about something.

It just so happens to be in your room right now… so, you know.”

“No, I don’t understand.”

Ye Qingfeng’s gaze towards Quan Haoqing grew even more disdainful.

“Your excuse is utterly ridiculous,” she scoffed.

“If it were a ‘Jin Ping Mei’ (TL Note: A classic Chinese erotic novel), I might understand your interest in it.

But as it is… what, do you intend to cultivate with it?”

“Huh?

What’s a Jin Ping Mei?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“It’s about something on me; it might know some clues, so I plan to talk to it.”

Ye Qingfeng frowned, asking:

“What thing?”

Quan Haoqing did not answer directly.

“It’s something rather unpleasant,” he explained.

“If you knew about it, you’d likely get dragged into serious trouble.

After I’ve spoken with the Xuan Yin Book Spirit, if you’re prepared to get involved in major trouble, you can ask it anytime.

How does that sound?”

“Uh, alright, come with me then.”

Ye Qingfeng currently had no intention of getting involved.

After all, she already had plenty of troubles of her own.

If Quan Haoqing needed help, she would provide it, but she wouldn’t pry or ask too many questions.

Upon returning to the room, the Xuan Yin Book Spirit was unceremoniously tossed to Quan Haoqing.

Ye Qingfeng stated, completely free of any psychological burden:

“Take it.

After you’re done talking, you can either return it to me or toss it in the trash.

Suit yourself.”

“Is this how you treat the very book that saved your life, you scoundrel of a master!”

“Hehehe,” Ye Qingfeng scoffed.

“If not for the life-saving grace, I would never have kept such a menace around until now!”

Amidst their mutual disdain, Quan Haoqing departed Ye Qingfeng’s room with the Xuan Yin Book Spirit in tow.

Only after returning to his own dwelling did he take out the Xuan Yin Book Spirit once more.

He retrieved sound-insulating talismans and affixed them around the room, then placed warning talismans on the floor.

Quan Haoqing sat before the table, solemnly inquiring:

“Now, can you tell me what you know?”

The Xuan Yin Book Spirit replied readily:

“Of course.

I won’t ask how you acquired it, but that thing is not good news…”