Chapter 35: Gu Stronghold 34

An innocent and pitiful little fool—who could ever have the heart to hurt her?

"Little fool."

But Chu Mingxiu was no ordinary man. Looking at the stunned young girl, he wore a fierce expression, his voice cold. "Last night... why didn't you refuse them?"

"You made such a racket... I couldn't sleep all night."

Zhou Zhou: "?"

She had been completely unable to move last night, so how was she supposed to refuse? Was he not just asking for a beating by saying such things?

Besides, was he really holding onto her hand so tightly just to say this?

Zhou Zhou felt puzzled.

Chu Mingxiu didn't care what she was thinking; he just stared at the girl.

"Are you mute?" His voice was cold, as if tempered in ice, as he tried to frighten her. "Not talking, are you? I'll cut your head off in a moment."

Cut, cut off my head?!

Zhou Zhou’s mind went blank. "No!"

"No, no..." She shook her head violently, terrified that he might strike her head off the very next second. "You absolutely must not cut off my head!"

Chu Mingxiu felt a sudden urge to laugh.

How stupid.

He didn't want to think about whether this girl was the key to the instance, and he momentarily didn't care if she was an NPC, because he was a pathetic villain, shameless enough to have feelings for an NPC.

Having cleared so many instances, Chu Mingxiu had never felt this way toward any NPC—a mix of affection and pity.

He even wanted to kill her.

Yet, he also wanted to protect her in this instance.

Contradictory emotions flooded his mind; even he himself didn't understand what he was trying to do.

Seeing him fall silent, Zhou Zhou tried to push him away and run.

Why did she want to run?

He didn't want her to run. Every time the girl saw him, she was the first to look away, as if she despised him to the core. Yet, why could she look at that sinister Liang Ye with such gratitude?

"Do you hate me that much?"

[Heh, the dog Chu is quite self-aware.]

[A dog that bullies my precious doesn't deserve to speak.]

[As long as you know it (doge).]

Zhou Zhou was furious. "Yes! I really hate you."

She kicked him a few times, but the man spoke without a care: "Then can you not hate me..."

"What's so good about the others? Did they make you feel good, or are they better at that..."

"I'm very capable too." He raised his eyebrows playfully. "Why can't you like me...?"

Zhou Zhou’s mind went blank. "I will never like you!"

She felt tears welling up; she hadn't been willing to let things happen this way... she just lacked the strength to resist... and she hadn't died, that was all.

She only, only wanted to live.

***

Chu Mingxiu’s stunt made the live stream lively again.

[Wow, wow, wasn't he just being fierce to his wife? Now he's recommending himself?]

[The little puppy who can't get his wife's attention starts biting everyone (clown emoji).]

[God Chu, you really deserve to die. How dare you be fierce to my wife (gloomy and twisted) (crawling frantically).]

[Let's give a round of applause; another big shot has become the wife's dog (smile).]

[Looking forward to Liang Ye finding out, hehe, I love a Shura field.]

[Honestly, watching my wife Zhou Zhou's stream every time is such a guilty pleasure.]

"You can't say that to me..."

...It wasn't my fault.

"It was you." She clenched her fingers, her body trembling, and said expressionlessly, "It was always you."

"You were the one who got close to me."

She was crying, yet she used her soft voice to say very, very fiercely, "...Why would you want to cut off my head..."

Chu Mingxiu paused. "When did I say I would?"

"You did say it." Zhou Zhou tightened her face. "You said, 'I'll cut your head off in a moment.'"

"That was only because you weren't talking, I was just scaring you."

The man laughed, his tone light. "Heh... aren't you being quite fierce now? Aren't you quite capable of talking?"

"...Pervert."

Zhou Zhou lowered her head, not wanting to look at him, and covered her ears. "I don't want to hear you talk."

Chu Mingxiu didn't mind at all; his brows relaxed, and he actually smiled.

"I thought you wouldn't get angry."

Like a clay doll without a temper, it didn't matter what was done to her—bullying, teasing—it made no difference.

*

However...

He laughed softly. "Being angry is also cute."

But she hated him.

A narcissist, an arrogant villain.

How could she not be angry? She wasn't a clay doll without a temper, remaining indifferent after such sarcasm.

Zhou Zhou felt the man was very strange.

Since he spoke words of mockery, irony, and dislike, why did he keep getting close to her?

Wasn't that contradictory?

"Bad guy!"

Zhou Zhou pushed him away hard, her pretty little face taut, and with all her might, she slapped the man's soft cheek. She even caught a whiff of blood.

Don't underestimate her; she actually had quite a bit of strength.

Chu Mingxiu hissed in pain; blood seeped from the corner of his lips and his fair cheek. The hands that had been tightly holding her inevitably loosened.

"You..." He looked at her in surprise, hearing her say in her soft voice, "You are not allowed to bully me anymore!"

She really didn't like him. Even as a fool, knowing nothing, she still didn't like him.

He wasn't angry even after being hit; he looked at her deeply, his expression subtle.

"Aren't you quite fierce now? If you don't like it, refuse. If you want to hit or scold, just show it."

Her cheeks were flushed, her raven-black eyelashes long and curled; the way she looked at him, completely at a loss, was also so beautiful.

"Little fool," the man continued in a low, cold voice, "do you not know why others bully you?"

"...Mm," she looked at him, dazed. "So, so what?"

"What does that have to do with you?"

"You hate me."

The man looked at her trembling form, his voice deep. Although the distance wasn't very close, Chu Mingxiu restrainedly lowered his gaze. "But I like you."

She should despise him to the ends of the earth.

"Since you don't like it, why do you never know how to refuse those with bad intentions?"

"Whether you're truly a fool or just pretending, being so stupid... and so seductive..."

"Do you like being handled like that..." Chu Mingxiu felt the girl was right; he was a pervert, a completely shameless scoundrel. "...Then why don't you choose me?"

"I'm quite large too, not at all worse than the others..."

He stopped short as the girl interrupted him.

"Stop talking...!"

The girl looked stern, her voice deadly serious. "You're the one who likes being handled..."

"What?" He was stunned, baffled by her words.

Zhou Zhou didn't know what the man was thinking; the anger she had been desperately suppressing surged into her mind.

"You're the one who keeps getting close to me without permission and being lewd toward me."

"You're the one who likes being handled by men."

Her head was hot, filled with surging anger. Before Chu Mingxiu could finish, she slapped him across the face again.

Zhou Zhou was beyond furious.

Did he think he was right? Using that contemptuous tone, like speaking to a plaything, without a shred of respect, yet he claimed to like her.

That wasn't love. To Zhou Zhou, liking someone meant respect and care.

She didn't want to stay here and listen to this pervert anymore.

This time, Chu Mingxiu didn't try to stop the girl as she ran away.

He stared at that soft, slender figure, a stinging pain lingering on his pale-white cheek, but he didn't care at all. He began to laugh softly.

She was right; he was acting like an idiot, being lewd toward an NPC.