N-A-A Chapter 98 Aside from life and death... all were scratches.
Chapter 98 Aside from life and death... all were scratches.
Chapter 98 Aside from life and death... all were scratches.
Nan Feng waved his hand, turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving behind only a dashing yet indifferent back view: "I've said what I needed to say, and I've already flicked your forehead."
"If you still can't figure it out and want to keep getting stuck on this, then keep feeding the mosquitoes here."
"I'm gone."
Hearing Nan Feng's merciless, even somewhat rude, reprimand, Qian Renxue stood there dumbfounded.
The night wind blew by, ruffling her golden hair which had been tousled into a mess, and the red, swollen mark on her forehead still stung.
But strangely enough...
The despair and pain that had been tearing her apart gradually dissipated with this barrage of "unreasonable" insults.
Instead, there was an unprecedented sense of security.
She looked up, her gaze fixed on the departing figure.
No one had ever given her this feeling before, from childhood to adulthood.
Whether it was her doting grandfather or those other grandfathers who cherished her, the way they looked at her was always indulgent and cautious, as if she were a fragile porcelain doll who had to be wrapped in layers of lies called "protection".
They told her the world was a beautiful place, that her father was a hero, and that everything was perfect.
But that kind of "perfection" was too fake, so fake that it made her feel suffocated.
And the person in front of me—
He would curse at her, slap her on the head, ruthlessly tear open the scars she least wanted to face, point his finger at her and call her useless, and even tell her vulgar things like "It's none of your business."
However, it was only in front of him that Qian Renxue felt for the first time that she was treated as a living, breathing person.
She is not the young master of the Spirit Hall, nor a descendant of the Angel God, nor a little girl who needs to be coaxed.
It was just a thousand feet of snow.
An almost pathological sense of dependence quietly grows on the ruins of this cruel truth.
Compared to her grandfather's lukewarm lies, she actually craved this bloody truth even more.
Nan Feng didn't turn around, unaware of the tumultuous changes happening in the little girl's mind.
He was simply feeling impatient.
He only reluctantly stepped forward to act as a "caring older brother" because Bibi Dong had been so obedient and even pleading earlier.
As for breaking through that thin layer of paper—
Nan Feng curled his lip, his heart filled with disdain.
Hiding it? What's the point of hiding it?
These self-righteous adults always think that hiding the truth is protecting children. But what's the reality?
Concealing information will only lead to more suspicion and misunderstandings, making what was originally a clear cause and effect become elusive.
Why is Qian Renxue in pain? Is it because of the truth?
No, it was the long-term deception and emotional abuse that plunged her into self-doubt. She thought she wasn't good enough, that she had done something wrong, which is why she kept hitting her head against that dead end.
If the truth brings pain, then lies only make things worse.
It's like a wound that's festering. If you don't cut it open and drain it, but just cover it with gauze and tell her "it's okay, it doesn't hurt," the end result can only be that it rots to the bone, or even lead to amputation.
It's better to suffer for a while than to be miserable for a lifetime.
"Alright."
Nan Feng took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, turned his head, and glanced at Qian Renxue, who was still standing there dumbfounded. His tone remained indifferent: "Don't just stand there in a daze."
Wipe away your tears, go back and wash your face, and get a good night's sleep.
"The sun will rise as usual tomorrow, and the world will keep turning no matter who is gone."
"I'll remember that, you little brat."
"In this world, besides life and death, everything else—"
"They're just scratches."
After saying that, Nan Feng's figure flickered and disappeared into the depths of the Imperial Garden.
Only Qian Renxue remained, standing alone in the empty night.
She raised her hand and gently touched the large, red, swollen bump on her forehead. The cold, stinging sensation kept her awake for a long time.
She took a deep breath and, imitating Nan Feng's actions, forcefully wiped away the tears on her face. The confusion in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by an unprecedented determination.
"Apart from life and death—everything else is just scratches."
Qian Renxue repeated the sentence in a low voice, and a slight smile appeared on the corner of her mouth.
It hurts a lot.
But—thank you, teacher.
The candlelight flickered in the papal chambers.
Nan Feng controlled the Spider King clone, gently pushing open the door and then closing it behind him, shutting out the night outside.
On the bed, Bibi Dong lay on her side, her breathing steady, but she was clearly not asleep.
Nan Feng didn't stand on ceremony. He walked straight to the bedside, lifted the corner of the blanket, and slipped inside as if he were in his own home. Then, without any hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Bibi Dong's slender waist from behind, pressing himself against her like an octopus, his chin resting on the crook of her neck.
'
Bibi Dong's body stiffened slightly for a moment, but unusually, she did not resist or kick him down as usual.
She simply closed her eyes wearily, her voice low and hoarse: "Be gentle—I need to rest."
"Yes, Your Holiness the Pope."
Nan Feng was very sensible. He adjusted his posture, hugged that soft body tightly, and didn't move, as if he were hugging a large pillow. He sighed comfortably.
A brief silence fell over the bedchamber, broken only by the sound of their intertwined breaths.
a long time.
"How is it going?"
Bibi Dong couldn't help herself after all, and with her back to him, she asked a question that seemed casual.
"It's all resolved."
Nan Feng closed his eyes and lazily replied, "From now on, Qian Renxue shouldn't cling to you like a little shadow anymore, nor should she bother you with trivial questions like whether you love her or not."
Bibi Dong suddenly opened her eyes, her heart skipping a beat.
She turned around, and in the dim candlelight, stared at the face of "herself" so close to hers, her eyes filled with astonishment and doubt: "What have you done?"
"What did you say to her?"
"It's nothing," Nan Feng yawned. "I just revealed a little bit of what I should and shouldn't have said."
"Although I didn't tell her everything, and I didn't expose all your old, rotten secrets, that girl isn't stupid."
""
Nan Feng opened his eyes, looked at Bibi Dong's suddenly pale face, and calmly added, "Considering what she saw and heard today, plus my loving lecture just now, she should have figured it out."
Bibi Dong's expression changed drastically, a hint of panic and anger flashing in her eyes. She grabbed Nan Feng by the collar: "Nan Feng! What exactly did you say?! Who gave you the right to act on your own?!"
"Stay calm, stay calm."
Nan Feng reached out and pressed down on her hand, which she was trying to raise, and sighed helplessly, "Why are you so agitated?"
"I told you, she's doing great now, much better than that silly little girl who lived in lies and was always worried about losing things."
"Seeing that you were so desperate, I took a rare moment of mercy and gave that pampered young lady of the Qian family a top-notch psychological counseling session."
"She'll be fine, and she won't go crazy."
"Psychological counseling?"
Bibi Dong gave her a look that said, "Do you think I'm stupid?" Her eyes were full of suspicion: "You? What kind of psychological counseling do you know? I'll be grateful if you don't drive her crazy!"
"What's wrong?"
Nan Feng raised an eyebrow, looking displeased: "Bibi Dong, you can doubt my character, and you can doubt my ruthlessness and unscrupulousness."
"But you shouldn't doubt my expertise in manipulating—cough, in understanding people and psychological manipulation, right?"
"Who pulled you out of that self-destructive quagmire back then? And who is it that's fooling the whole world today?"
'
'
Bibi Dong was speechless for a moment.
Indeed, although this bastard is sharp-tongued and ruthless, he is a monster when it comes to understanding people's hearts and manipulating emotions.
But after all, that's Qian Renxue, the child who has always lived in a greenhouse. Can she really withstand Nan Feng's simple and crude "guidance"?
"alright."
Nan Feng pulled her back into his arms and patted her back: "If you're really worried, why don't you get up early tomorrow and check?"
"If Qian Renxue becomes depressed, withdrawn, or acts like she's going to die tomorrow, then you can drag me out and beat me up again."
"But if—"
Nanfeng leaned close to her ear and said, "If Qian Renxue were alright, she would be even more insightful and human than before."
"Then shouldn't you—give me a reward?"
"award?"
Bibi Dong was stunned for a moment.
Then, her gaze subconsciously swept over Nan Feng's current body—that was her Spider Queen clone, which was another body of her own.
Although the consciousness belonged to Nan Feng, the body's touch, temperature, and even appearance were exactly the same as hers.
Two "Bibi Dongs" were lying on one bed, and a "reward" was even given.
Bibi Dong's expression instantly turned somewhat unnatural, her ears turning slightly red: "You—you're using my clone right now—"
"What kind of reward do you want? Don't even think about it."
Seeing Bibi Dong's hesitant and evasive expression, Nan Feng was first taken aback, then a strange look appeared on his face.
"Hey, hey, hey, Bibi Dong, what are you thinking about?"
"The reward I mentioned is just that I hope you'll treat me better and be gentler in the future, and stop threatening to kill me at the drop of a hat."
"What does this have to do with whether I used the Spider Queen's clone or not?"
Nan Feng suddenly leaned close to her ear, his tone teasing, and drew out his words: "Or perhaps—"
"Your Holiness, are you mistaken?"
"Want to do something...exciting?"
Enraged, Bibi Dong raised her hand and delivered an elbow strike, yelling, "Get lost!!"
Nan Feng didn't dodge or avoid, but instead grabbed Bibi Dong's wrist. "I'm not leaving. You just promised me that you'd let me sleep with you."
Bibi Dong's face was cold. "I've changed my mind! Get out!"
Nan Feng raised an eyebrow slightly. "Are you sure? Qian Renxue hasn't gone far yet. If I get out of here and go back to her, I might say something I shouldn't—"
With that, Nan Feng released Bibi Dong's wrist and made a move to stand up.
"Come back!" Bibi Dong shouted hurriedly.
Nan Feng didn't even turn his head. "You think I'll just leave when you tell me to? You think I'll come back when you tell me to? Don't I have any dignity? Just wait, I'll be right here—"
7
Before she could finish speaking, Bibi Dong suddenly reached out and pulled Nan Feng back, holding him tightly in her arms.
"Don't move, go to sleep."