Chapter 9

Chapter 7: Indirect Salvation!

It was class time, and the appearance of two students in Fuxing High School uniforms in the cafe was quite eye-catching.

Therefore, the guests who had planned to spend the afternoon with a cup of coffee and half a novel all cast their gazes, more or less, on Li Muyang and Cui Xiaoxin.

Moreover, the fact that such a beautiful girl like Cui Xiaoxin would walk with a dark and ugly boy like Li Muyang seemed to them to be full of intriguing details.

A couple nearby was engaged in such a boring activity.

"Another typical case of a toad lusting after a swan. The boy might be about to confess. In such a situation where the girl is strong and the boy is weak, the boy shouldn't easily open his mouth—"

"Oh, the girl is angry—"

"The girl is leaving, but the boy has called her back—What's her name? Cui Xiaoxin? A good name. But, judging by the boy's appearance, he seems determined to try again, what a stubborn and overconfident guy—"

"What? What did he say? Your ponytail looks really nice—Forgive my poor eyesight, I didn't realize you were an expert in this—"

---

Cui Xiaoxin blinked, one hand gripping the brass handle, but her feet stopped, not pushing open the glass door.

She saw Li Muyang's conflicted expression, his eyes full of panic, his mouth opening and closing, unsure of what to say. Was he about to confess to her?

But even if that were the case, she wouldn't accept it.

What a waste of time!

"I forgot to say—Your ponytail looks really nice," Li Muyang said to Cui Xiaoxin. He was so nervous that his words came out stammering.

This made him somewhat frustrated, worried that his stammering would ruin the effect of his words. Li Sini had repeatedly instructed him to say it naturally and casually, without making it seem forced.

Was his performance today—would it not seem forced?

Cui Xiaoxin paused at the door for a moment, then turned and walked back to Li Muyang.

This left the many guests in the cafe stunned. They never expected that the dark-skinned boy would have such good skills. One sentence was enough to make an angry beauty surrender.

She sat down on the sofa in front of Li Muyang as if nothing had happened.

The waiter brought her the matcha latte she had ordered, and she nodded in acknowledgment, using the standard noble etiquette of the empire. Perhaps even Cui Xiaoxin herself hadn't noticed this detail.

On the other hand, Li Muyang was still confused about the situation, standing there unsure of what to do next.

Cui Xiaoxin picked up the latte and took a sip, then said to Li Muyang, "Try it too. Although it's a bit sweet, deviating from the usual bitter and smooth taste of a latte, this is a style from Jiangnan—considering that, it's still a pretty good latte."

Li Muyang obediently sat down, picked up the coffee, and took a sip, nodding and saying, "It's pretty good."

He usually drank the most herbal medicine, and coffee was a banned item at home. The old Taoist said it would stimulate his heart.

So, anything that tasted better than herbal medicine made him incredibly satisfied.

Cui Xiaoxin's gaze fell on the heart-shaped latte art swirling in her cup, and she asked softly, "Is this the first time you've said something like this to a girl?"

Li Muyang's dark face turned slightly red.

Of course, because his face was so dark, even when it turned red, it was still dark red.

"Except for my sister," Li Muyang said, somewhat embarrassed. "Whenever I make her angry, as long as I compliment her beauty, her eyes like pearls from the South Sea, her skin like the snow of the northern border of the empire, and her clothes perfectly matching the fashion trends of Jiangnan, she immediately forgives me and tugs at my sleeve, asking if it's true, if it's really true—"

"She calls this 'indirect salvation.' When a girl is angry about something, don't continue to argue about it or try to defend yourself. Instead, find a better way to communicate. That's what she taught me."

Cui Xiaoxin raised her head and looked at Li Muyang's facial expression seriously.

When Li Muyang spoke about his sister, his voice seemed to be coated with a thick layer of honey, and the happiness in his heart almost overflowed from his face.

It was clear that the relationship between the siblings was very good.

Cui Xiaoxin was moved and thought of the tall, quiet boy in Tiandu City who always protected her in times of danger. She asked softly, "You love your sister very much, don't you?"

"Yes," Li Muyang nodded. "But I feel she loves me more."

A smile appeared at the corner of Cui Xiaoxin's mouth, and she said, "Then you must be very doting on her, right?"

Li Muyang shook his head and sighed, "It should be that way, the older brother taking care of his younger sister, giving her the best food and toys, avenging her if someone bullies her, and helping her if she bullies others—Clearly, I'm a poor older brother. Most of the time, it's my sister who takes care of me."

"She is much smarter and more excellent than me. When she was very young, she would always say she wanted to protect me and worked hard for it. When my academic performance was at the bottom of the school, she easily became the top student. She would proudly tell others that my brother isn't stupid, he just doesn't want to study. When she saw me being pushed to the ground, she learned a martial art called 'Qi-Breaking Technique' from an old Taoist, practicing diligently all year round, never stopping—"

When the old Taoist was treating Li Muyang, it was also when Li Sini would pull his greasy sleeve and ask him to teach her martial arts.

The old Taoist was much more affectionate towards Li Sini than towards Li Muyang. Every time he came, he would bring her something delicious, and his face would wrinkle with joy when he saw Li Sini come home from school.

He couldn't bear to refuse any of Li Sini's requests. After communicating with Li Muyang's parents, he took Li Sini as his named disciple.

Later, Li Muyang saw Li Sini break a tree as thick as a bowl with one punch.

Li Muyang also wanted to learn, so he endured his disgust and pulled the old Taoist's sleeve, trying to imitate his sister's tone, saying, "Grandpa Taoist, Grandpa Taoist, teach me—"

"Speak properly," the old Taoist snapped, shaking his sleeve.

Li Sini laughed so hard she rolled on the floor.

"Qi-Breaking Technique?" Cui Xiaoxin thought for a moment and said with a smile, "It sounds familiar."

"It was taught to her by a quack doctor. Maybe he just gave it a random name," Li Muyang said with a smile. "If someone mocks my intelligence, she uses her grades to mock them back. If someone bullies my weakness, she uses her strength to fight back—Am I a failure as an older brother?"

Cui Xiaoxin shook her head and said, "On the contrary, you are a very successful older brother—because you have a sister who loves you so much."

"So, before you, she was the only young girl who was willing to treat me like that—" Li Muyang looked directly into Cui Xiaoxin's clear eyes and said, "Although I don't want to see you get into a conflict with Teacher Zhao because of me, you did—My heart is really grateful. When I walked out of the classroom alone many times, hearing hurried footsteps behind me, I was so hopeful that those footsteps were for me—"

Cui Xiaoxin was moved by Li Muyang again. She thought this guy had a talent for playing the lead role in a tragic drama—provided his face was covered.

"Do you know why I turned back?" Cui Xiaoxin asked casually, playing with the silver spoon made of fine steel.

"No," Li Muyang shook his head.

"Because I've never seen a boy who is as clumsy at complimenting others as you are," Cui Xiaoxin said bluntly.

Li Muyang's face turned red, and he stammered again, hurriedly explaining, "I don't have much experience—Isn't it hard to do such things?"

"Indeed, it is hard to do," Cui Xiaoxin said. "But boys always like to challenge their weaknesses—The more they challenge, the more skilled they become."

"——"

"Then, tell me your story," Cui Xiaoxin saw Li Muyang's speechless expression and smiled, saying, "Tell me the story of how you were struck by lightning. I'm really curious. After all, not every citizen of the empire can experience such a thing. If you're not in a hurry."

"——"

(Ps: Congratulations to Qingfeng for becoming our Gold Patron. Also, if you have a good book review, I will excerpt it in the 'Starry Library' related to 'Rebellion.' Friends with flowers are welcome to submit. Book reviews that enter the Starry Library will receive a signed book from Old Liu, of course, patrons will also receive one.)

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