White Lotus Chapter 6
6 | Six Roses
Deng Jue was taken aback by what he said. He squinted at Tang You who wasn’t sitting too far off and asked, “High school? First or second year? Or third year?”
Some hesitation would still need to be practiced if it were the first two options. But if she was already in her third year, she would be considered to have come of age; whether from the legal or moral standpoint, there wouldn’t be any cause for worry.
“From the looks of her——"
“Ah Jue,” Xiao Zexing interrupted him, his expression cold. “The rules cannot be messed with.”
Deng Jue smiled. “I didn't say anything, did I? I'm just concerned about my little niece.”
As he spoke, his mobile phone rang.
The moment he answered, a girl's voice rang out excitedly, “Is the new picture Yuko posted Su Fang Ting?”
The voice was quite loud; next to him, Xiao Zexing heard everything clearly.
Xiao Zexing gave him a look.
Deng Jue replied resignedly, “My dear girl, let me take a look at it first. I’ll text you later, okay?”
“Don’t take too long, ok?”
Beep beep beep.
The call ended.
Deng Jue had gotten married at an early age, to a girl eight years younger than him. He held her in the palm of his hands, and spoilt and pampered her every day.
The young wife’s hobby was to obsess over celebrities; her idols ranged from movie stars to internet celebrities. She especially liked a blogger called Yuko; basically, whatever outfit Yuko posted, she had to have the same one too.
Deng Jue, the wife-spoiling demon, opened the photo she sent, zoomed in, and studied the background carefully.
Xiao Zexing unintentionally glanced at it.
Slim waist, long legs, inky black hair, snowy white skin.
Although her face was hidden by a cat mask, she could not conceal her temperament.
Deng Jue noticed Xiao Zexing's gaze, smiled, and waggled his phone at him. “Why? Are you interested in this type too? You don’t like the little girl anymore?”
Without waiting for Xiao Zexing’s response, Deng Jue continued, “This type is feasible too. A web celebrity… she probably just has an ordinary background. Tomorrow I’ll help you——”
“No need. Do you really think I like whomever I see?” Xiao Zexing withdrew his gaze. “I'm not that desperate.”
Deng Jue tutted. “Alright, alright. Anyway, such photos might be heavily photoshopped. After all, the real person has never revealed her face, who can say for sure?”
As he spoke, he finished his examination of the photo and sent a reply to his little wife.
He was rewarded with two heart emojis.
“Oh, by the way,” said Deng Jue nonchalantly, “Weijing’s just left.”
“Then find another substitute,” said Xiao Zexing, indifferent. “Did he say anything before leaving?”
Deng Jue shook his head. “No.”
He thought carefully and tried to recall Xiao Weijing's expression as he left, but couldn't remember anything.
It seemed that after that little girl came over, Xiao Weijing went off.
Xiao Zexing had a personal lounge at this club. Before he entered, he glanced in the direction of Tang You.
Under the large sunshade, she was still sitting obediently, swinging a pair of small legs. A box full of strawberries was on her knees; she held the box with one hand, and with the other, picked out the strawberries and ate them sweetly.
Those were the strawberries that she had fed him just now.
There was a bottle of water on the table in front of her; its lid not tightened properly. It wobbled, then toppled over.
Water gushed out, and the little girl scrambled to grab the bottle. Her skirt and legs got wet, and in the rays of sunlight, they gleamed and shone.
Xiao Zexing's pupils twitched slightly. He heard Deng Jue call for him, stood still for a moment, then walked away.
Tang You did not know that she had been seen by the man. Now, there was a large wet patch on the hem of her skirt, and she had no spare clothes, so she could only try to wring out the water with her hands.
After she finished, she turned on her mobile phone and started going through her messages.
Most of them were invitations to select products and requests for promotions.
And so on and so forth.
From the beginning, she had rejected several marketing companies and management agencies. Tang You did not sign any contracts with those companies, and instead, chose to strike out on her own. She intended to set up her own team upon graduation.
As she’d been preoccupied with her plan to disgust Xiao Weijing these days, coupled with Ah Mai’s self-imposed isolation, Tang You had not taken any new outfit photos; the latest update on her Instagram and blog were from a series of photos taken last month, in a private restaurant in Xijing.
Her head bowed, Tang You replied the messages one by one.
When she got to the last one, her fingers rested on the screen.
Paused.
Jiang Chenting: [ Tangtang, I will be home this Friday. ]
Tang You did not think of how to reply; besides, the message seemed more of a notification anyway, so she simply put her phone away.
The heat from the sun was getting more and more intense; there was no air-conditioning here, nor any hint of a breeze.
Tang You could not stand the heat any longer. After communicating with the staff, she went off to the spare lounge to enjoy the air-conditioning and some cold drinks.
She was only pretending to be a small white flower, and not actually one; only a fool would really wait in the hot sun for so long.
It'll be fine to come out again after getting enough rest.
After a leisurely fifteen minutes, Tang You estimated that it was almost time. She carried some fresh fruit and went back out, eating as she walked.
She’d made a very accurate estimation; she’d just eaten two grapes when she saw a few uniformed players ride out leisurely on their horses.
Tang You wasn’t sure if they could see her, so she stood up and waved.
She had an image to uphold.
Deng Jue noticed her movements, and rode up to Xiao Zexing, “The little one is waving at you; are you not going to respond?”
Xiao Zexing leaned forward, his mallet in his hand.
He took a few swings, trying to get a feel of it. Indifferently, he replied, “What’s there to respond.”
“Tsk tsk, she’d been waiting for you under the sun for so long.”
Xiao Zexing made no comment. He stroked the horse’s mane gently and patted it. “I’ll give you a reward after we win this game.”
The brown horse, which he had personally trained, understood him, and galloped off.
Atop his horse, Deng Jue smiled in resignation.
He glanced sympathetically at Tang You, who was still standing in place.
She could’ve chosen anyone else, but she just had to choose Xiao Zexing.
She might even have more luck succeeding in competing with Xiao Weijing’s fiancée for Xiao Weijing’s attention.
If Xiao Weijing was an S-class boss, then Xiao Zexing would be the ultimate SSS-class final boss.
Tang You went back to sitting at the outdoor resting area alone.
The staff thoughtfully brought a portable air-conditioner over, so the honored guest would not get too uncomfortable in the heat.
Tang You knew nothing about polo, so she could not understand what was going on before her. She took out her mobile phone again, chatted with her friends, and played some games.
With ample food, drinks, and entertainment, she didn’t really feel tired.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed in this manner, but her wrists started to feel sore from playing games on her phone. Her neck also ached, so she squeezed her shoulder with one hand.
A pair of long, slender legs appeared in her line of sight.
Tang You looked up and saw an apathetic Xiao Zexing.
He was still wearing his jersey, but he’d taken off his helmet; his pupils were dark and still as ink.
After the strenuous exercise, the tall, broad man gave off an intense oppressive aura.
Tang You put away her mobile phone frantically, and greeted him obediently, “Mr. Xiao.”
Xiao Zexing cast his eyes down at her and asked, “Why haven’t you left yet?”
“I’m waiting for you.”
Only then did Tang You notice that all the people on the field had already left, leaving only her and “Xiao Weijing”.
She asked, “Are you going home?”
Xiao Zexing did not answer her question. He continued to look down at her, and said, “Is watching polo very boring?”
“No, not at all!” replied Tang You, betraying her conscience. She smiled sweetly, “Mr. Xiao looks super handsome and cool when playing polo! Even though I couldn’t understand anything at all, but I feel that you’re really awesome! You’re great at work, and also such a good polo player! I think even Prince William can’t hold a candle to you!”
The torrent of mushy rainbow farts1 did not elicit the expected response.
Tang You, who had already braced herself to receive an oncoming storm, saw a smile spread across Xiao Zexing’s face.
There was absolutely no mistake.
He really smiled.
Not a mocking smirk nor a sneer, but an real, honest-to-goodness, sincere, happy smile.
The dimples on his cheeks flashed.
Tang You was stunned.
As she stood, confused, Xiao Zexing asked, “Can you ride?”
Tang You shook her head.
“I’ll teach you.”
Huh?
Was he really going to teach her to ride? Or was he just creating an opportunity to cause an accident and kill her?
Tang You followed Xiao Zexing with a dumbfounded expression on her face. The man’s strides were large, and she had no choice but to scurry with her smaller steps to keep up.
It was not until she reached the tall brown horse that Tang You realized that she’d overlooked something. “Wait… Wait a minute.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m wearing a skirt…” Tang You’s mind was still in a state of confusion. “I can’t ride a horse in a skirt, right?”
“You can sit side-saddle.” Xiao Zexing surveyed her. “Are you getting on yourself? Or should I help you?”
Tang You thought of last night’s incident in the kitchen, and the man’s searing hands; she immediately shook her head in fright, and refused extremely firmly, “Thank you, no need.”
Xiao Zexing smiled and gently stroked the horse’s neck.
The horse took a couple of steps left and right and swished its tail, causing dust to rise. Tang You, who had been standing next to it, quietly stepped further away.
The stable hand quickly brought a mounting block over; this horse was a little too tall for Tang You, and she needed an external boost.
Xiao Zexing turned and looked at her, “Why are you standing so far away? Come, touch it.”
Tang You had no choice but to step forward.
Xiao Zexing instructed her, “First, reach your hand towards its back. Then, place it on its side; you can stroke it or pat it lightly.”
He demonstrated the movements as he spoke.
Tang You stretched out a trembling hand and patted it according to his directions. It could be that Xiao Zexing’s earlier coaxing helped, but the horse did not reject her touch.
It's good that it's tame.
Tang You breathed a sigh of relief. She tried her best to keep up her image, put one foot in the stirrup, and with trembling hands, climbed on to the horse's back.
This was her first time riding a horse; she was so nervous that she didn't know where to put her hands. The horse has been outfitted according to Xiao Zexing’s build, so obviously it wasn’t suitable for Tang You, who was shorter by a head. After climbing atop the horse’s back, the fear of falling off at any time made Tang You hold tightly onto the reins.
She did not dare to move a muscle.
Xiao Zexing stood by the side, watched her trembling figure as she gripped the reins, and teased lightly, “Are you taking the reins’ pulse?”
The horse sneezed, and the frightened Tang You squeezed the reins even harder.
Tang You had completely regretted going along with Xiao Zexing, “Can I get down? I don’t want to ride anymore, I’m really scared.”
This was not an act; it was real fear.
Her legs and feet have gone limp; Tang You was worried that the horse would suddenly go crazy and throw her off.
After all, in many TV dramas, the vicious villainess would use this trick to bully the female lead.
“You really are timid.”
Tang You watched, horrified, as Xiao Zexing mounted the horse effortlessly, and encircled her naturally. He calmly asked, “Like this, are you still scared?”
F***.
It’s even scarier, okay!!!
I’m so afraid of being pushed down suddenly aahhhhh!!
Tang You's body was so stiff that she could play the role of a mummy.
The man's control over his body was perfect; his strong and powerful arms trapped her firmly. With her back almost pressed against the man's chest, Tang You’s muscles tensed, her lips pursed into a line, and she could no longer maintain her usual sweet smile.
It’s too close, too close!
She felt exactly like a prey that’d been caught by a wolf.
The man was that wolf.
Tang You wanted to move forward, but unfortunately the space on the horse was too small. The fear of falling made her hold on to the reins, but she didn't dare to pull too tightly for fear of hurting it.
The familiar faint scent of vanilla milk.
Xiao Zexing's arm inadvertently grazed the loose t-shirt.
There was no direct physical contact, it was empty.
The t-shirt was so airy and loose on her unimaginably slender frame.
“Relax your muscles so you can absorb the shock,” said Xiao Zexing. “Imagine your upper body is a puddle of mud.”
Tang You, “……”
In truth, her lower body felt more like a puddle of mud.
Xiao Zexing asked, “How does it feel?”
Little White Flower Tang You answered with a trembling voice, “Although riding a horse is very scary… but with you around, I'm not afraid of anything.”
This time, the voice trembling was not pretended, it was out of genuine fright.
Xiao Zexing was silent.
The blue veins on the man's hands protruded prominently; the original clenched reins gradually loosened, and eventually only tugged gently.
Xiao Zexing let the horse walk one round around the field and stopped.
It really was just a walk; he controlled the horse the entire time, not letting it make even the slightest jumping motion.
Just a leisurely stroll.
Even so, Tang You’s legs were still weak when she dismounted.
Half of it was from fear, the other half from pain.
She didn’t know how to ride a horse, and her body was stiff to the point of explosion2; on top of that, she was wearing a skirt today!
Although there was a protective harness, for the tender-skinned Tang You, it was still quite an ordeal.
Xiao Zexing patted the horse, said goodbye to it, and handed the reins to the stable hand before his eyes fell on Tang You who was sitting on the bench with shaking legs.
He asked, “Do your legs hurt?”
Not only did her legs hurt, but everywhere that touched the saddle hurt.
Tang You nodded.
“You can remember the lesson only when it hurts,” Xiao Zexing said as he took out a cigarette. He thought of the age of the person before him, and put it away again. He said mildly, “Children should go and play with people of their own age. What do you have to talk about with me?”
His words started to sound like a reprimand.
Tang You was taken aback.
She couldn’t understand what “Xiao Weijing” meant.
Wasn’t it just a five-year age difference? Why does he always put on such a… well, the tone of an elder?
Was it just her illusion?
Hold on.
Could it be that Xiao Weijing didn’t like girls who were so many years younger than him? Did he feel that there’s a generation gap between them? Or did he just simply dislike childishness?
Then, all the more she should act pitiful and childish at this time!!
It's the perfect opportunity to increase the disgust value!
Tang You held back her inner glee, quickly adjusted her emotions, tilted her face and looked at Xiao Zexing.
The angle was just right— just right for Xiao Zexing to see the tears that were caused by the burning sun flow out of her eyes.
Tang You opened her mouth shyly, “Because you are very good to me.” She ended her words with a slight upward lilt, her tone pitiful and full of admiration.
“How so?” asked Xiao Zexing.
Tang You whispered piteously, “The last time I rode a horse was when I was eight years old. You are the second person to take me horse-riding besides my dad.”
——This was pure bullshit.
Tang Xiao didn’t know how to ride a horse, nor did he possess such strong paternal love towards her.
He gave all his paternal love and devotion to Tang Nan.
Tang You wasn’t afraid that her lie would be exposed, she was only afraid that this person would take her lie seriously.
After she finished her pitiful words, the Ultimate Little White Flower Tang You bit her lower lip, lowered her eyelashes, and gazed at the ground.
A large, gentle hand rested on top of her head and rubbed it twice.
She heard the man’s calm voice say, “Then, you can also treat me as your dad in the future.”
Translator’s notes:
Whelp. We’re going nowhere with the mistaken identities, but he’s just told her to call him daddy (¬‿¬)
Footnotes:
1 rainbow farts: Over-the-top flattery. If you imagine it… the imagery is very apt.
2 to the point of explosion: Colloquial slang for ‘very, extremely’. E.g. handsome to the point of explosion: Very, extremely handsome (the handsome meter so full it was going to explode)
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