Book 2: The Infinite Heart

Chapter 14 - Whose First Kiss?

Fuyao picked up that chewed, almost broken piece of fish bone, then blinked her eyes as she gave it over. "Fish bone."

"Good job." Yuan Zhaoxu's face didn't change at all, smiling as he took the bone in his palm and scrutinized it a couple times. "En, sc.r.a.ped viciously and dextrously, with not even a bit of meat left. The killing intent emanates out unhindered, truly a great teeth technique."

After his words he actually took out a square handkerchief and neatly folded the bone, preparing to store the fish bone away.

Fuyao's face immediately went scarlet. That bone still had her own teeth marks and saliva on it! She only gave it over as a joke, thinking that this person who seemed so cultured and picky would definitely refuse to even touch the bone. Who would have thought that Yuan Zhaoxu's way of doing things was always one step ahead of her! She could guess the beginning, but she would always be shocked by the end.

Hurriedly moving over, with a swipe she yanked the bone backwards then patted her hands, saying, "Next time I'll chew something prettier and sign my name, then I can gift it for you to treasure. Who can say, maybe after a couple years it'll become a rare antique and you can get rich from selling it!"

Yuan Zhaoxu chuckled as he took back his handkerchief. Playfully eating a couple bites of roasted fish, he suddenly said, "Fuyao, have the past few days been good?"

"Yeah." Meng Fuyao looked over wide-eyed with a forthright smile.

"Nothing noteworthy happened?" Yuan Zhaoxu didn't look at her, but instead flipped a fish in his hand over to continue cooking.

"Nope!" Fuyao's response was swift and clear, with no sense of guilt at all.

"Then … is there anything you need my help with?" Yuan Zhaoxu set the cooked fish in front of Fuyao.

"Not a thing." Fuyao's eyelashes fluttered, the very picture of innocence.

Only after answering did she realize her previous words might have been a little cold, and she quickly added on, "What kind of problems can I have that would need you to help? You've helped me too many times already, so many times that it would be embarra.s.sing if you helped any more."

Yuan Zhaoxu laughed but didn't respond. The firelight lightly shone red on his originally pale skin, and thick lashes formed an angle under his eyes. He meticulously picked out the larger bones from the roasted fish, then gave it over to Fuyao. Fuyao took it, taking the chance to examine his expression. However, she couldn't make out anything at all.

Dejectedly biting at the fish meat, this time Fuyao couldn't taste much of the flavor. Even though nothing was out of the ordinary about Yuan Zhaoxu, she thought that he seemed to be a little unsatisfied.

Ai, from his tone, he seemed to know something. However, Fuyao absolutely would not form the habit of relying on someone everytime she met an obstacle. In the future she had to travel through all the states, and had to make the long pilgrimage to the Heavenly Court. She would face danger and the unknown future, and these things were all her own; there was no reason to hope for someone to shoulder all the problems along the way. She would need to learn to overcome malice and storms, learn to resolve conflicts on her own, learn to take care of herself while constantly improving herself.

This was also the reason why her annoying old Daoist master had thrown her out of the sect gates with a kick, forcing her to go train in the jianghu. The "Breaking Nine Heavens" technique could only be advanced in the outside world; only amidst the wider world and the polis.h.i.+ng of countless life-or-death battles could she truly struggle to the peak of martial arts.

Starting with Guo Pingrong, she should solve her own problems with only her own abilities from now on.

Besides, if Yuan Zhaoxu knew of last night's events, and knew her intention to steal away a person from the tiger's mouth was still undeterred by her previous failure, he would probably disagree with her silly plan. Fuyao glanced at Yuan Zhaoxu from the corner of her eye again, then again … ai, would his manly pride be wounded or something?

Her peeking came too frequently, causing discontent in Master Yuanbao. It suddenly sprinted over, doing a "Back-handed 180 degree spin flip forward mid-air 540 degree somersault" in front of her!

Fuyao sat eating fish while sneaking glances at Yuan Zhaoxu, and was already quite distracted. Before her eyes was suddenly a confusing blur of motion. The fat white ball spun over and over, making her dizzy and subconsciously swallow some saliva.

After that, a pain rose in her throat - a fish bone was stuck!

With an "ah" sound Fuyao jumped up, grabbing a bone to pursue the despicable Master Yuanbao! I'll stab! Stab stab stab!

Master Yuanbao fled like the wind, and Fuyao didn't even manage to chase a few steps before she was pulled back by a pair of hands. Turning back, she saw Yuan Zhaoxu lying on his side. His mirth lightly floated over like mountain mist, as he said, "Aren't you afraid of the bone digging deeper if you go chase Yuanbao with it stuck in your throat?"

With a slight tug, Fuyao's body sat down on its own. Opposite her, Yuan Zhaoxu smiled as he leaned over, lifting her chin. "Say ahhh."

Meng Fuyao numbly opened her mouth, but only after opening did she realize her current position seemed really silly. Then she thought, is he going to reach his hand in to take out the bone? This this this this … wasn't this action a little too ambiguous?

Before she could finish processing the implications, the scene in front of her eyes dimmed, and a light fragrance met her nose. A certain person's matchlessly stunning face had already leaned down. Long thick eyelashes brushed out little shadows on her face, and a faint trace of a smile could be seen in his eyes. The atmosphere around them swirled like wine. Fuyao froze in place, forgetting how to move for a moment, as she stared blankly at the sweet-smelling shadow that steadily grew closer before her….

"Gulp."

In the last 0.01 cm before lips and lips were about to meet; in the last 0.01 seconds before skin and skin would contact; Meng Fuyao finally, due to excessive shock, managed to forcefully swallow and ruin the mood.

After which, the bone stuck in her throat was dislodged and swallowed …

In almost the same instant, the beautiful features that were limitlessly enlarged returned to their usual angle. Sunlight shone, and the fragrance dissipated. Before Fuyao could return to her senses, Yuan Zhaoxu had already sat back smiling by the firepit. Unconcernedly stirring the flames, he asked, "What are you doing still frozen there? Disappointed?"

Naturally, she would rather die than admit this. Straightening up, she leapt up in an inwardly timid but outwardly fierce pose, firing out an accusation hoping to gain the initiative. "I was scared by you! You wanted to steal my first kiss!"

Yuan Zhaoxu stayed unaffected as he put another fish onto the fire to roast. Only after did he give a nonchalant reply to Fuyao, who was flushed with indignation.

"Well, my first kiss was long stolen by you. What should I do about that?"

"Huh?" Meng Fuyao's eyes widened. Not possible not possible, how could I not know if I tasted you before or not? Trying to confuse me huh? But looking at this fellow's expression, it doesn't seem like a lie … there's absolutely no way …

However, Yuan Zhaoxu had already moved on from his statement. He paid even more attention to picking out fish bones one by one. Only until he was certain every bone was gone, and that Fuyao had no possibility of getting another one stuck, did he say, "Open up."

Meng Fuyao was still sunk in the bewildered thoughts just now, so she subconsciously opened her mouth.

In her mouth was suddenly stuffed some fragrant, tender roast fish.

She heard him chuckle as he stood up. In the rustling of his robes he softly said:

"Since you won't let me take care of the big things for you, then at least let me take care of small things like fish bones for you?"