Yanhong sensed that something was wrong.
That blockheaded brat didn’t sound like he was just talking big—he really meant to jump off Severing Love Cliff to prove his sincerity.
“Young Master Mo, calm down first. Whatever you want to say, we can talk about it after you come down.”
Yanhong had no intention of letting a life be lost here, and earnestly tried to talk him down.
Mo Tu turned a deaf ear to her words.
His back faced everyone. He let the raging wind whip his long hair and white robes into disarray. He shut his eyes, no longer looking at the pitch‑black abyss below. In his mind, Guan Fusha’s sweet smile spun round and round; even the depths of his soul quivered lightly because of that sweetness.
He stretched his arms wide and smiled as if drinking nectar.
“I… have no regrets.”
“Wait!”
Yanhong strode forward, trying to stop him, but she was a step too late.
Mo Tu’s body tilted forward. In an instant, he dropped into the chasm. In the blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving behind only the ceaseless howling of the wind.
“…”
Witnessing it with her own eyes, Taohua’s legs gave out and she collapsed onto the ground.
She had known long ago that Mo Tu would leap off the cliff and die for Guan Fusha. But the impact of seeing it happen right in front of her was something words in a novel could never capture.
Everything was happening so vividly before her eyes. Mo Tu’s expression right before he jumped…
Only at this moment did Taohua finally realize just what kind of world she was living in.
Unlike usual, Guan Fusha no longer wore her trademark smile. Ever since Mo Tu jumped, her face had been blank, making it impossible to read what she was thinking.
Perhaps… she hadn’t expected Mo Tu would really jump off the cliff for her either.
Yanhong’s expression wasn’t looking good either. Mo Tu had jumped to his death. If that old man Qi Yong found out, he would definitely make things difficult for them, mocking and sneering about how incompetent they were.
Thinking of this, Yanhong couldn’t help but lift her head and glance at Guan Fusha.
They had known each other for many years; she knew Guan Fusha’s personality very well. At first, she had thought Guan Fusha was just using reverse psychology to make Mo Tu back off on his own. She hadn’t expected things to escalate this far.
There had even been a moment when she felt Guan Fusha truly wanted Mo Tu dead…
Why was she acting so out of character today?
Could it… have something to do with Taohua?
Yanhong’s gaze slid over to Taohua. The girl was limp on the ground, face pale, looking genuinely terrified.
Since the man was already dead, Yanhong had no intention of wasting any more time standing around here. She waved to the Punishment Hall guards.
“Disperse. Go do whatever you should be doing.”
“Yes!”
The guards of the Punishment Hall could tell the Protector and the Hall Master were not in a good mood. They hurriedly turned tail and slipped away.
Yanhong gave the two women one last look, said nothing, and left Severing Love Cliff.
A long while passed before Taohua’s emotions finally calmed a little. She tried to stand up, only to find her legs still weak and shaky.
Only then did Guan Fusha notice that Taohua had somehow ended up on the ground. She hurried over to help her up.
“Junior Sister, why are you sitting on the ground?”
“I… I’m fine.”
The moment she thought of that saccharine, bone‑deep smile Guan Fusha had just worn, and of Mo Tu plunging off the cliff, panic crawled all over Taohua’s heart.
She even started to doubt whether clinging to this “thick thigh” had been the right decision.
Would there come a day when Guan Fusha would look at her with that same expression, use that intoxicatingly gentle voice to coax her into jumping off Severing Love Cliff…
She didn’t dare keep going down that line of thought.
Looking at Taohua’s expression, Guan Fusha suddenly felt an empty hollowness inside, as if something had been taken from her heart.
She knew Taohua was a rich family’s pampered daughter who had been spoiled from childhood. She had probably never seen something like this before, so of course she would be frightened.
Guan Fusha took Taohua’s soft hand, gave it a gentle squeeze, and soothed her in a soft voice.
“Come, Junior Sister. I’ll take you back to Peach Garden to rest.”
“…Okay.”
Taohua wanted to shake off her hand, but didn’t dare. She could only let herself be led away.
On the way back to Peach Garden, neither of them spoke first. The quiet between them grew heavy and oppressive.
Taohua snuck a glance at Guan Fusha, wanting to break the tense silence, but when she opened her mouth, she realized she didn’t know what to say.
Just then, Guan Fusha suddenly stopped walking.
She took Taohua’s hand and covered it with her other hand, gently rubbing them together as if to warm her.
She gave a slight smile, looking no different from usual as she asked,
“Why are Junior Sister’s hands shaking so much? Do you feel very cold?”
Taohua froze for a moment, then understood what Guan Fusha meant.
With the blazing sun overhead and the heat bearing down on them, how could she possibly feel cold?
Guan Fusha was actually asking if she was afraid.
Taohua didn’t know how to answer. She could only stay silent and avert her gaze, not daring to meet her eyes.
“Junior Sister…”
Guan Fusha felt a stab of hurt. She had never imagined there would come a day when Taohua would avoid her like this.
“Look at me, and answer.”
Guan Fusha reached out and tilted Taohua’s chin up. There was a trace of injury in her eyes as she leaned closer, her fingers gently stroking Taohua’s smooth, delicate skin. Her lips parted, and she murmured her name.
“Taohua…”
Taohua instinctively wanted to push her away, but she wasn’t as strong. All she could do was take a step back.
Guan Fusha saw right through the little movement. She swept an arm around Taohua’s slender waist, pulled her into her arms, and pressed her close.
“You still haven’t answered my question.”
“Senior Sister, I…”
Taohua’s heart was at war with itself.
All this time, Guan Fusha’s kindness to her had been etched clearly in her mind. But the scene she’d just witnessed—she simply couldn’t forget it.
Taohua lowered her head, lashes drooping. Her gaze fell on the emerald jade pendant hanging against Guan Fusha’s snow‑white neck. Her voice sounded muffled.
“I’m scared. I’m very scared. I’m really, really scared…
Senior Sister, if one day I make a mistake, will you treat me like that too? So heartless, so cruel…”
Guan Fusha was stunned.
She had thought Taohua was only frightened by the sight of Mo Tu jumping off the cliff. She hadn’t realized Taohua was harboring such thoughts in her heart.
In an instant, it was like the clouds in her chest were blown away and the sky turned clear.
She lowered her head and kissed the person in her arms.
Those soft lips were just as sweet and fragrant as she had imagined, making one want to delve deeper, to taste to the very end.
Taohua, who had been rambling on, went completely dumbstruck.
Her brain refused to function. She couldn’t think at all.
In other words, she had crashed.
Conveniently, it let a certain someone kiss to her heart’s content.
No one knew how long it was before Guan Fusha reluctantly left those soft lips.
Her originally snow‑white face was now flushed red and burning hot. Even the tips of her ears were scarlet. She seemed like a different person as she stammered out,
“J‑Junior Sister…”
That one “Junior Sister” struck Taohua’s mind like a bolt of lightning, leaving her chest feeling more suffocated than if she’d [bleep]ed an entire truckload of male dogs. She almost wished she could just faint and be done with it.
Guan Fusha had kissed her!
The female lead had actually kissed her, this cannon‑fodder side character!
And damn it, she had the nerve to blush!
