Ode to Longevity

Proofread by Yin Jing

"What?" Wang Ming sobers up, who is clad in very thin clothes. He has eaten almost nothing since the morning. Asked by Feng Qingge like this, he does feel hungry at once.

"If I were you, I'd rather find a small warm room than wait outside until they find your weak point and give you the critical strike," Qingge chuckles. She casually lifts her finger to point at the kitchen.

"This fool! What a bad idea!"

"Such a big mouth! If they go into the room, how can we rescue Lord Cen?"

"Damn it! Who has a knife? I'll kill this fatso!"

Guards hidden in the crowd go nearly crazy. The stalemate has lasted for more than one hour. They are finally about to find Wang's weakness but Feng Qingge butts in.

Wang's eyes shine. At the sight of the prepared ingredients in the kitchen, Wang swiftly drags Murong Yun's wheelchair to the front of him, murmuring, "If I find you're playing tricks, I'll break your neck. You, lead the way. Others, get out!"

The crowd dare not come near at all, but move backwards slowly while Wang advances.

A few steps' distance takes them a long time to walk. Qingge is especially cautious. However, an accident still happens. The kitchen is close at hand, but Qingge gets stuck between the door with her fat jiggling. She looks back with difficulty, laughing embarrassingly, "Uh, can you lend me a hand? I seem to be stuck..."

Clearly, she has been stuck badly. Not even a narrow gap is left.

"Get your ass in!" Wang almost loses his breath, and is more vexed. For fear that Qingge plays tricks, he kicks her plump ass, hobbles on his right foot, lifts the wheelchair with one hand and throws it in together with Yun.

After slamming the door, he pants violently, leaning against the door. He turns his wolfish gaze to Qingge and Yun.

It made Qingge's fresh creep, but she has been well-prepared. If Wang tries to hurt them, she will control him at the first place. Even if perishing together with Wang, she has to assure the safety of Lord Cen.

But it seems that this guy has been far too hungry. After panting, he rushes towards the hearth as fast as he can. Watching those delicacies that haven't got to be served to the guests, he reaches for them to feed himself.

"No, you take a bite," Wang is too vigilant to try easily. Though he knows these are cuisines to be served to the guests, someone might have poisoned the food in chaos just now. If he eats the poisoned food, he will die like an idiot.

Glancing at those food, Qingge takes chopsticks and speaks calmly, "Don't worry. It's not poisoned." While speaking, she picks up a strip of fish to eat.

The weird taste spreads in her mouth. It is just a plate of steamed fish. But she tastes various flavors including sourness, sweetness, bitterness and spiciness. She just spits it out and wipes her mouth promptly, complaining subconsciously, "What the hell? Who made it? Too terrible! Steamed fish is known for its delicate and delicious flavor. Why bother to put in so many condiments? It's not a northeastern hodgepodge. How can they put everything into it? Yuck, yuck!"

Aware of the cold gaze behind, she becomes uptight, laughing at once, "That's all right. I'm just unaccustomed to the food here. You see, it's not poisonous. If it is, how can I be so energetic?"

"Humph! Keep to the side. People from wealthy families are really different from us. The food today is worth so much money that the poor cannot earn in a year even." Feeling so starved, Wang can no longer tolerate. Immediately, he shoves food in the plate into his mouth.

Not that Qingge despises the food, but that as a cook, she cannot stand those who cook it. It is nothing short of insulting the ingredients!

On the other side, Yun lookes at Qingge in surprise. He has heard long ago that the eldest daughter of the Fengs was born to be ugly and fat with the same IQ as a 7-year-old child. Now it seems the rumor proves wrong. The strategy to gain the initiative and pay a man back in his own coin alone is second to none. Wiping her mouth, Qingge looks into Yun's eyes the moment she lowers her head. An unusual light shines in his starry eyes. He still sits there imperturbably. But the calmer he appeares, the stranger Qingge feels.

Although he used to be a general fighting in the battlefield, he can have been betrayed by small movements when confronting a threat to his life even if he has no facial expressions. However, he is far calmer than he should have, which is abnormal.

Habitually knocking at the wheelchair with one hand, Yun raises his head slightly against the wheelchair and whispers, "Strike where the enemy is weakest and avoid his strongholds. Take him by surprise."

What?

These simple words that Qingge hears cause a tremor in her mind. Yun should remind her to attack the weakness of Wang. But at present, she...

No!

Qingge is confused at the thought of what just happened and Wang Ming's fear. Does Yun want her to disturb Wang Ming?

"Nine on top, eight his foot." Inscrutably leaving a few inexplicable words, Yun begins to refresh his spirits by closing his eyes and ignores her completely.

Qingge is at once embarrassed. Indeed, she doesn't know what Yun mean. What is the profound meaning of "Nine on top, eight his foot" on earth? Is it a phonetic pun or his Japanese name?

Her body trembles as if struck by lightning, with her eyes fixed on Wang Ming. It is no phonetic pun, but the terms of Eight Diagrams (eight combinations of three whole or broken lines formerly used in divination): nine on top, one underneath; six and eight, namely the feet. It is the divergent thinking of grids. Eight is one's right foot. Combined with "striking where the enemy is weakest and avoid his strongholds", it means…

"I got it!" her pupils shrink abruptly. Qingge catches on to his words. Yun is cuing her that the weakness of Wang Ming is his right foot. She makes such a loud voice that voracious Wang instantly becomes alert. He catches a rope on the side, throws it to Qingge and scolds, "What's the fuss! Tie him up!"

"What's the difference? He has been like that." While shrugging, she makes her way forward a little to approach Wang Ming.

Wang looks out nervously and snorts icily, "Hurry up! Tie him up."

"It's no use tying me up." Stopping knocking on the wheelchair with fingers unexpectedly, Yun opens his eyes slightly and says softly, "Is it possible for you to escape from here if you hurt me? As to her, a young lady out of favor in the Fengs, you can bind her in any way you like. What's more, you can get what you want here."

"…" One corner of her mouth twitches severely. Qingge does want to extract a shoehorn and stick it into Yun's mouth. She is trying to get him out of here. He should forsake her.

Wang's eyes shine again. He is hesitant for it's worth kidnapping Yun, but there is no need to injure him indeed. As to the fatso…

Qingge stiffens when seeing the sinister smile on Wang's face. That tall figure is making his way to her, with his right foot kind of lame. He walks like a penguin, rocking from side to side.

A good opportunity!

Strike when the enemy is unprepared. Take advantage of the weakness and give him a fatal blow!

That is the opportunity Yun creates for her. If Wang does tie him up, how does he have the ability to resist? As to her, it is completely different. Whether they can come out alive or not just depends on this chance.