Chapter 561: Emotions Uncontainable

Shi Chun paused, frozen on the stairs, staring intently at the woman. The woman in red, who had reached the fourth floor, turned back and beckoned him.

Shi Chun immediately snapped to attention and swiftly scurried up the stairs. He approached her, a wide smile plastered on his face, and asked, "What did you say? I didn't quite catch that. Did you just say 'Demon Empress'?"

Leaning casually against the railing, the woman in red, with a hint of languor, countered, "Am I not allowed to say it?"

"No, it's just that I didn't hear you clearly," Shi Chun said, waving his hand. Then he asked, "Is your maternal uncle close to the Demon Empress?"

The woman in red replied, "Why not?"

"No, no, not at all," Shi Chun said, waving his hand again. Then, curiosity getting the better of him, he asked, "So, how did you end up working odd jobs at the Chao Yue Hall?"

Leaning against the railing, the woman in red touched the red flower in her hair with one hand while idly playing with the golden flame energy in the other. "Do you think I wanted to come here? The Chao Yue Hall had an incident, and the whole family was arrested by the city guards. It seems the library's ancestors had some connection with the Demon Empress and left them a life-saving charm. At a critical moment, the hall master crushed the ancestral jade charm, and then the Demon Empress sent my maternal uncle over. After my uncle got the family released, he said the Chao Yue Hall had many books and that I hadn't studied enough, so he made me come here to do odd jobs, saying it was to 'broaden my horizons'."

"Oh," Shi Chun said, realizing the situation. So that was what happened; no wonder Dong Liangyu had mentioned their family getting into trouble and being arrested.

At the same time, his eyes began to sparkle, and an unmistakable look of admiration filled his gaze as he looked at the woman in red. He forced a smile and asked, "To care so much about your studies, it seems your maternal uncle is truly good to you."

The woman in red said casually, "He's alright."

Shi Chun's smile became even more fawning. "This Mr. Fu you just mentioned, is he the man in the green robes?"

The woman in red nodded.

Shi Chun then asked, "Who is he?"

The woman in red replied indifferently, "Sword Saint Fu Que."

"Ah!" Shi Chun was genuinely startled this time. "He's Sword Saint Fu Que?" Even though he saw a look of disdain in her glance, he couldn't help but press further, "Why would he be here?"

The woman in red said, "He's here to read. I called him. Is there a problem?"

Shi Chun was momentarily speechless. To be able to summon even the Sword Saint, this woman must have significant influence. If she were willing, wouldn't it be quite easy for the Sword Saint to help him escape? Immediately, he clasped his hands and bowed again, saying, "I haven't yet had the pleasure of asking for your esteemed name, young lady."

"Ruo Jun..." The woman in red paused mid-sentence. Her languid posture suddenly straightened, and she said irritably, "I'm supposed to be questioning you. Why are you asking me questions instead?"

Shi Chun chuckled. He liked her simple-mindedness; it was good to be simple-minded, as such people were easier to befriend. He then adopted an earnest tone, saying, "Ruo Jun, right? Ruo Jun, I truly am Second Miss's friend, I..."

His words abruptly stopped, cut off by his own fumbling attempt to cover his beard. The woman in red had directly reached out. He had leaned so close that his beard seemed to be offered to her. She casually grabbed three strands of his beard and, before he could react, yanked them off. "Your disguise is ruined. Do you think I'm blind and can't tell? Hiding and sneaking around like a thief. Tell me, who exactly are you?"

Shi Chun, clutching his mouth, watched speechless as she tossed the fake beard away. He instinctively took a step back, utterly exasperated.

The woman in red scoffed, "Not going to talk, huh? Fu Que should still be in the building. I'm going to call him."

She turned her head and opened her mouth to shout, but Shi Chun reacted quickly, stepping forward swiftly and covering her mouth.

The woman in red's cold, sidelong glance showed astonishment and surprise. She seemed to have never expected anyone to dare lay a hand on her, let alone directly cover her mouth. The immediate, reflexive counter-attack power was something she suppressed with sheer willpower. She wanted to ask if this fellow was a bit foolish, daring to touch her without even knowing her cultivation level. Was he truly so bold? Was he not afraid of being beaten to death?

Shi Chun put a finger to his lips and shushed her. "Don't shout! Can't I just tell you? If you shout, it'll only embarrass Second Miss."

*Slap!* The woman in red slapped his hand away and said expressionlessly, "Dare to utter a single lie, and I'll chop off your hand!"

Shi Chun felt helpless. With her attitude, he clearly wouldn't get away without explaining himself. After some thought, he decided to test the waters first. "If I tell you, you won't report me to the officials, will you?"

"Report to the officials?" The woman in red gave a half-smile, which surprisingly reassured him. "As long as you're not here to cause trouble in the library, I have no interest in getting involved. And officials can't dictate to me anyway."

Alright. Shi Chun was straightforward as well. He rubbed his hands over his face, as if peeling off a layer of old skin. The dull spots and slight wrinkles on his face instantly vanished, and when he looked up again, his original appearance was restored.

With his true face revealed, he immediately straightened up with renewed confidence. In front of women, he was quite self-assured about his looks. Then he showed a helpless expression and said, "My name is Wang Ping. I used to work here at the library."

As he spoke, he observed her reaction. If she showed any sign of threat, he would immediately restrain her to prevent her from making a sound, and then figure out a way to escape.

However, the woman in red seemed unfazed, as if accustomed to such things. She simply said, "Oh, so you're the one who used to do odd jobs here. No wonder. You should have said so earlier. What's with all the hiding and beating around the bush? It's tiresome."

Seeing her nonchalant attitude, Shi Chun was surprised. "Second Miss's family was implicated because of me before. Aren't you afraid I'll return and get them into trouble again?"

The woman in red plucked the red flower from her hair, wafted it under her nose, and sniffed it lightly. She simply replied, "I'm here, so there'll be no trouble. Second Miss herself doesn't think you're a problem, so I don't need to worry needlessly."

She then casually placed the golden flame energy she had been playing with onto the railing.

Shi Chun watched her graceful figure, a vision of beauty complementing the flower, and blinked. He asked, "Aren't you curious why I returned to the library?"

The woman in red glanced at him, said "Oh," and asked, "Why did you return?"

Shi Chun gazed at her intently and said, "I came for you."

"For me?" The woman in red was startled, and the flower she was wafting under her nose stopped swaying. Having been half-leaning on the railing, she turned to stare at him, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. Could this fellow have recognized her? It was highly unlikely they would have met before. If he truly knew her, then covering her mouth earlier wouldn't be a case of ignorance being bliss; it would be a matter to settle.

Affection appeared in Shi Chun's eyes as he said, "I used to pass by the library, and the first time I saw you, I was deeply captivated. I said I was here to read, but actually, I couldn't help but want to see you, Ruo Jun..."

His intention was simple: it didn't matter if it worked or not; he'd just give it a shot. Praising someone certainly wouldn't offend them. As for shame, what was that? He didn't possess a normal person's moral compass, nor a normal person's sense of shame. He only cared about whether something was useful.

The woman in red looked visibly stunned. This was an outcome she had never dreamed of. She hadn't expected him to be so direct, so straightforward, confessing his feelings at their first formal meeting. To think someone in this world would confess to her! Her expression became somewhat unnatural, a mix of elation and oddness. Of course, she didn't find it particularly difficult to understand. After she lived a more ordinary life, many people could easily approach her, and the scholars often expressed their admiration. She understood; men were like that, and she was quite confident in her own beauty. However, those scholars usually showed off their perceived advantages like peacocks fanning their tails, trying to bolster their own confidence first.

This man, however, was different. Perhaps his confidence was simply off the charts, but he was incredibly direct, simple, and crude. With no preamble whatsoever, as she pondered whether his confession was genuine, she poked a finger out, pressing it against Shi Chun's chest, and warned, "Just talk. What's this habit of leaning closer as you speak?"

"You're too beautiful. I couldn't help myself, it's uncontrollable..." Shi Chun gave a dry laugh, repeatedly indicating his plea for forgiveness.

Seeing his simple and direct words, the woman in red, who had opened her mouth to speak, was momentarily speechless. Remembering his background, she felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. She had deliberately mentioned her maternal uncle being a confidant of the Demon Empress, intending to pressure him into helping her with tasks later. Who knew this man wouldn't follow the usual script? Not only was he not afraid of her background, but he even confessed his feelings to her. He was probably interested in her background.

Alright, since he was so shameless, she decided to play along. She asked, "Are you saying you've fallen for me?"

Shi Chun nodded repeatedly, clutching his chest. "Just one glance, and I've been thinking of you day and night. Otherwise, I wouldn't have risked coming here, knowing the city guards of Dazhi City were looking for me. They say even heroes fall for beautiful women, and I've certainly experienced that firsthand."

Unable to bear watching any longer, the woman in red lowered her gaze and blew gently on the red flower. "Anyone can say sweet words. The scholars who come to the library every day are more eloquent and say much more pleasant things than you. How will you prove you genuinely like me?"

Oh, there was a hint of possibility in her words! She hadn't rejected him outright, which meant he could continue. Shi Chun's spirits immediately lifted. For him, as long as an opening was given, there was an opportunity to maneuver. As long as he could keep it going, keep interacting, if he was willing to lower his guard and accommodate her mood, even if a romantic relationship didn't form, a friendship could. Considering he had spent so much effort on Miao Yilan just based on the background of Miao Dingyi and his wife, and this woman's maternal uncle was a confidant of the Demon Empress and could even summon Sword Saint Fu Que, his next reaction was predictable.

He almost immediately puffed out his chest and replied, "You need proof? How do you want me to prove it?"

The woman in red said, "At the dinner table just now, Eldest Miss and Third Miss mentioned something they hoped I'd help them with. If you truly like me, surely you wouldn't want to see me burdened, would you?"

"..." Shi Chun's expression froze. Anything requiring her background and connections was clearly not a task he could handle, but he still tried asking, "What did they ask you to do?"

The woman in red swept her sleeve, gathering the golden flame energy from the railing into her hand, and nodded towards downstairs. "Go ask Second Miss yourself."

She moved away from the railing, turned, and walked away.

"Ruo Jun!" Shi Chun, snapping back to reality, quickly called out to her. He hastily pulled out a child-mother talisman, broke it in half, and offered one piece to her. "I'll get back to you after I ask Second Miss."

The woman in red raised her hand to put the flower back in her hair, casually took the talisman, and walked off.

Shi Chun didn't forget to fondly praise her as she adorned the flower, "Truly beautiful."