Saving the Heartthrob Frenemy-Chapter 516: Sickly beauty act
Master Zi’s attention was entirely focused on his beloved daughter and he didn’t see the expressions of the people around them.
"My poor Xen-er," he whispered, his voice filled with tenderness, "you must conserve your strength. Listen to your physicians and don’t stress so much. You will be back to your feet in no time."
The physicians who had done everything in their power to cure the young miss ever since she was a child shivered subconsciously. The previous physicians had disappeared without a trace and their families dared not step on the Zi family door in fear of attracting trouble.
They already knew what this master was capable of so they tried their best to make the young miss comfortable. It just that when she was like this they would be on the edge. What if the master thought that they weren’t doing a good job and decided to make them disappear as well?
What they didn’t realise was that it wasn’t that she was unwell and weak or at least not to the extent she portrayed. She had indeed been sick as a child and the ailment almost burnt a hole in her brain. This left her with a much weaker constitution than most people her age but it wasn’t a death sentence. If she took care of herself well she would be able to have a normal life but when she saw the attention she got from her father and mother she would intentionally make herself sick or worsen her symptoms just like now. This meant that the whole sickly beauty thing was just an act.
Zi Mixen managed a weak smile, her eyes reflecting gratitude and relief. "Father don’t worry. I will be okay. I just want to see Chen-ge," she said softly looking so pitiful.
Master Zi didn’t understand why his daughter was obsessed with that bastard of the Lee family anyway. He was good-looking, yes but his terrible attitude and that cold face made him so unappealing.
"I will get him to come now take a rest," he said and Zi Mixen smiled weakly before saying,
"Thank you, Father."
After making sure she was asleep he left the room. He called over his attendant.
"Yes master?" said the man as he bowed respectfully.
"Bring that Lee brat here and make sure he doesn’t come empty-handed," he said and the man bowed again before scurrying off. If anyone could make Zi Mixen better it would be Young Master Luo.
***
High in the misty mountains, the air was crisp and the morning sun filtered through the ancient pines in slanted beams. The rhythmic sounds of metal striking metal echoed as the disciples of the Lee family, clad in their indigo tunics, practised their swordsmanship.
After his conversation with his father Luo Muchen hadn’t seen him eye to eye ever since. Thus to take his mind off his worry for Qie Xieling he began to practice even more. This competition wasn’t for the faint at heart.
There was a great possibility that some of them would be killed by the wild beast in the arena and even other disciples from the other families so he had to get them prepared. This competition was for the strong and not for the weak. He stood a head taller than the others, moving among them, his keen eyes missing nothing.
"Jin, your stance is too wide," he corrected, his voice firm yet encouraging. He demonstrated the proper footwork, his own sword a mere whisper as it cut through the air. "Balance is key. Without it, the mountain will conquer you before any opponent."
As the disciple nodded and attempted the move again, a shadow fell across the clearing. Lee Ya walked over her presence like a chill wind. Her eyes were fixed on Luo Muchen, a devilish grin playing upon her lips.
"I thought I might practice with you today, brother," she said, the word ’brother’ laced with a poison that made the nearby disciples pause and exchange uneasy glances.
Luo Muchen aware of the stakes, met her gaze with an unreadable look. The martial arts competition was but a few days away and if he injured her he would be blamed for it. This would undoubtedly bring the Zhang family to his door. So, with the patience of the mountain itself, he turned back to another young disciple.
"Remember, the sword is an extension of your mind. If your mind wanders, so too will your strike."
Lee Ya’s grin faltered, her taunt hanging unanswered in the crisp mountain air. She was a tempest, and he, the mountain, unyielding. She walked over to him and shoved him hard but he didn’t even move an inch.
Her hand shot out to clasp his lapel in a grip that was both desperate and controlled. "Where is Qie Xieling?" she demanded, her voice a serrated whisper, teeth clenched to hold back a storm of anger. She had sent people back to look for him when she found out that he wasn’t in the carriage. Halfway through the journey she had thought he was in there but it turned out he never left the inn with them at dawn. She sent people back there and they had just arrived last night only to tell her that they couldn’t find him.
She knew that her father was hunting Qie Xieling and wanted him gone but this beast who was going to remarry wouldn’t tell her where he was. Luo Muchen’s reaction was immediate, his own hand fast as a viper, latched onto her wrist. His fingers were a vice, pressure mounting until Lee Ya’s face contorted with pain, a silent testament to her suffering. Yet her deep eyes burned not with pain but with a fierce, undiluted hatred.
He leaned in close, his eyes like that of a provoked beast and whispered, "Don’t test my patience. Keep coveting my things and I won’t go easy on you."
With a forceful push, he freed himself from her grasp, stepping away as if to avoid the contagion of her wrath. His own hand, now free, clenched into a fist at his side.
