Chapter 185 Mess less with him

Shu Yue was angered by Du Qiu's merciless words and because she had gotten rid of Shu Huan, her self-confidence was extremely inflated. There was an illusion that the Heaven was really favoring her and everyone in the world should be obedient to her. Hence, unable to think calmly, she didn’t retreat but moved forward. She came closely to Du Qiu and threatened, "Will you get out of the way or not? If not, I'm going to scream!"

Talking to such a childish and ignorant person, Du Qiu had the feeling that he would be infected with stupidity, so, he pursed his lips and ignored her. But she was so close that the odor of her body could hardly be ignored, making him couldn't help but frown.

Shu Yue saw him frowning, thought that he was hesitating and said smugly, "How about it? Scared? Then get out of the way obediently, lest I scream and you get yourself in serious trouble!"

This time, Du Qiu looked once at her and said faintly, “Miss Shu, you stink. In addition, men and women shouldn’t touch each other. You better keep your distance from me!"

"Wh…what! You…," Shu Yue's expression changed, her face became red from shame. Then, she furiously said, "Impudent! I…I'm really going to scream!"

He had already warned her but she still had to blackmail others with such things that would harm her own reputation. She was truly stupid beyond cure.

Du Qiu glanced at her with pity. Then, he stood with his arms crossed and casted his sight elsewhere.

Shu Yue couldn’t advance or retreat, was forced to take a deep breath and then she gave a shrill scream. "Ah…."

• Can't advance or retreat: stuck in a difficult situation.

Du Qiu didn’t even blink and let her shout.

"Ah…." Shu Yue continued to scream until the busy people around them were startled and came over. Afterwards, she quickly grabbed one of Du Qiu's hand and wanted to move it in front of her body. "Help! He's molesting me! Ah…"

Shit!

Du Qiu's hand were like an iron cast, heavy and hard. She couldn’t move it at all!

In a moment of desperation, Shu Yue also didn’t think about it thoroughly. She directly reached out to her collar, pulled it a bit open and then continued to shout with a crying voice, "Catch him! He assaulted me!"

A lot of people came over, and when they saw this scene, they gasped in shock.

They knew that Shu Yue was actually a girl who only dressed in men's clothes, so they respected her and called her young master. However, they also knew how cold-hearted Du Qiu was, and just couldn’t believe that he would have indecent thoughts about Shu Yue. Even if there were people who really believed in it, they would know that they couldn’t beat him (DQ) when they compared their martial arts with Du Qiu's martial arts which he had inadvertently showed. Naturally, they didn’t dare to come forward and be rude to him. So, they all surrounded them at the side and started whispering to each other.

Shu Yue shouted for a long time but saw that those people were just being onlookers. She couldn’t help but be embarrassed and cried, "What are you all standing there doing? Come up and catch him! Otherwise, go get my brother-in-law and let him see…."

Before her voice fell, the crowd suddenly dispersed.

Shu Yue was stunned and looked up. She saw Gu Xiran rushed over from not far away, and without looking at her, he commanded Du Qiu anxiously, "Gather the people and pass on the order that no one is allowed to stay inside the city. Everyone must come out!"

Du Qiu looked up in the sky in surprise, frowned slightly and asked, "At this time?"

Gu Xiran had no time to explain and only shouted, "Go, quickly!"

Du Qiu saw that his (GXR) face didn’t look good, knew that the situation was urgent, but still reminded him (GXR). "Does this matter needs to be reported to the prefectural magistrate first? If not, when he asks about it later…."

Gu Xiran interrupted him and said, "I have already reported!"

Du Qiu then nodded, didn’t speak anymore, turned and ran away.

At this moment, Gu Xiran's face was as deep as water. His speech and behavior were very different from his usual calmness. It showed a very anxious and grumpy mood. Those with discerning eyes could already see that something had happened and stopped being a rubberneck. Slowly, everyone started to disperse, afraid that the situation would turn bad and angered him (GXR). Consequently, he would give them a hard time.

Shu Yue wasn't someone sluggish. Originally, she didn't dare to mess with Gu Xiran at such a moment, but she didn't want to let go of this opportunity that wasn't easily created where she could act like a baby and wheedle him. Therefore, after she thought about it for a while; when she raised her head again, she saw that he had already gone in the direction of the city gate. She couldn't help but be anxious, flattened her mouth, chased after him and shouted, "Brother-in-law…."

Gu Xiran was full of thoughts at this moment. He was emotionally unstable, so he didn't have the patient to talk to her and said directly, "Go away, leave me alone!"

"Brother-in-law!" Shu Yue was scolded so fiercely by him that her heart was instantly filled with grievances and unwillingness. Tears truly started pouring out and she cried, "Just now, your underling molested me. Why don't you ask or show some care?"

Gu Xiran glanced at her very impatiently. Only at this moment did he understood why so many people gathered in front of his place and said coldly, "Don't mess with him!"

"I…I mess with him?" Shu Yue completely didn't understand how he could react like this and emphasized in disbelief, "Did you hear me or not? It is he who wants to molest me and it isn't me who provoked him!"

"Really?" Gu Xiran sneered at her. "Then, why are you following me while being still perfectly fine?"

He walked too fast, Shu Yue somewhat couldn’t catch up. After trotting two steps, she urged, "It was naturally because I shouted for people to come that he couldn't start doing anything."

Gu Xiran suddenly stopped.

Shu Yue thought that her words had worked. She couldn't help but be happy inside and looked up infatuated at his side profile, waiting for his warm words of comfort.

But who had thought that Gu Xiran turned his head and said, "You don't want to be here anymore, do you? Then, pack your things and quickly go find your lost parents and brother. Don't cause trouble for me here!"

Shu Yue was stunned, "You want me to leave?"

Gu Xiran didn't answer but looked coldly at her and said, "What did I say when I rescued you? You didn't forget, did you?!"

Shu Yue became silent.

She remembered that horrifying earthquake, which shook the earth and mountains.

In the chaos, she and her mother rushed to gather the gold and silver in the house but there wasn't time at all. The house was so old and shabby that it soon collapsed. She was crushed inside, while her parents and little brother were lucky to escape.

"Mother, save me-."

"Father, get me out quickly!"

—

She still remembered that she was crying through the collapsed bricks and stones, but the earthquake continued. The bricks and stones blocked the way more and more. At first, she heard her mother scolding her father outside, crying and shouting her name. Gradually, those sounds disappeared, leaving her alone curled up in the dark. She endured wave after wave of aftershocks, endured the heavy rain leaking in from the outside, and waited there to die!

In fact, she knew that her parents had escaped with her little brother and left her but she didn't want to accept the fact. She continuously imagined them in her head that they were digging in the collapsed house and trying to save her. That was why there was no sound.

She cried until her eyes became red and swollen and her voice became hoarse.

She waited, from disappointment to despair, from despair to numbness.

She really didn’t think that she would have the moment to see the sky again. When the broken tile on the top of her head and her body was removed, and when she was finally able to stretch out under the sunlight, she looked up and saw him.

Like that, he stood upright in the dazzling sun, standing in the endless drizzle, his face showing only disappointment. He said, "It's not her!"

Then, her eyes couldn't see anymore. That was because she had stayed in the dark for too long, cried too long, and lost sight for a short time after seeing the sun again.

She heard the mess around her and there were many voices talking…

"This little girl is really lucky. Above her head is the beam house. It became stuck so it didn't hit her and she was only slightly injured."

"It was the rain that fell that was great. See, there was a fire in the house next to her house. If there was no rain, she wouldn't be killed but be burned to death."

"Dig again, maybe there are still people underneath."

After a long time, when she was put on a wooden board and carried her to outside the city, she heard him speak again.

He asked, "Have you seen your big sister?"

Shu Yue didn't remember how she answered at that time, perhaps she didn't speak at all. Anyway, he understood, and when he spoke again, the disappointment in his tone was stronger than the one he had revealed before.

He said, "Saving you was really an accident."

He said, "I hope your character is different from that of your mother’s."

He also said, "Let's be frank. During the period of recuperating, you'd better be content with your lot. Don’t cause trouble, otherwise, I will kick you out at any time!”

• To be content with one's lot: to know one's place/ act dutifully.