547: Chapter 547 Don't blame me for bullying you

"I naturally know this."

Ling Hao leaned against the head of the couch,

"It's been the talk of the town; it would be hard not to know."

Of course he knew—wasn't that "Young Master Liu" none other than himself?

Gan Yiyi woke up at some point. Ignoring the lingering soreness and aching behind her, she scrambled over in a fluster and eagerly tugged at Ling Hao's sleeve:

"My lord, you have to think of something! If the Golden Crow Holy Son really brings the mistress to visit, it's clear he intends to send her off to be ruined by that Young Master Liu! If the mistress is ruined by him, this maid will definitely..."

Ling Hao reached out, pulled her to his side as well, and patted her head:

"Rest assured, I naturally won't let you all be ruined."

"Both of you have means left behind by me on your bodies. Just like Yan Hongwei today, once that Young Master Liu really tries to make a move on you, just trigger the teleportation talisman and leave directly."

To be honest, if Young Master Liu weren't himself, Ling Hao wouldn't even have allowed Saintess Yan Xueyuan to pay a visit.

After hearing this, Gan Yiyi's eyes lit up for a fraction of a second, and she said with joy:

"My lord is so good!"

Ling Hao lowered his head, the corners of his mouth curling into a wicked smile:

"Then what do you think should be done right now?"

Gan Yiyi thought for a moment, a faint flush rising on her cheeks. She lowered her eyelids and slowly bowed her head.

Ling Hao closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly, opening them only after a good moment.

He raised his hand to gently press on Gan Yiyi's hair crown, then turned his head to look at Saintess Yan Xueyuan:

"Wasn't I right before—this maid of yours does things meticulously and is also sharp-witted; she truly is someone who can be of use."

Saintess Yan Xueyuan smiled, the corners of her mouth curved up, but a layer of worry sank deep within her eyes.

She was actually somewhat disappointed. She would have preferred to hear Ling Hao say, "I will take you away directly, regardless of whatever Dongming Liu Family it is," but he didn't.

Perhaps he still had his own considerations, and she should understand him.

After all, the Dongming Liu Family of Zhongzhou was a behemoth-like existence; perhaps even he couldn't afford to offend them.

Therefore, he could only let her handle it herself, leaving means on her body so she could escape on her own.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan lowered her eyelids, able only to pray that that "Young Master Liu" wouldn't truly harbor any crooked intentions.

The door to the side room was pushed open, and the afternoon light shone in slantingly, spreading a golden ribbon of light across the threshold.

After a thoroughly satisfying session, Saintess Yan Xueyuan's long hair was scattered loose, and she simply left it unkempt. As she stepped across the threshold, her gaze slightly froze. She discovered that she was no longer in the Golden Crow Building.

Before her eyes was a courtyard; rockeries were stacked like cut cliffs, the pond water was crystal-clear to the bottom, and tails of red koi fish swam to and fro beneath the shadows of lotus leaves.

Pavilions and waterside kiosks were scattered in a well-arranged manner, and winding corridors snaked along the pond bank, dividing the entire courtyard into several independent little worlds.

She took a few steps forward, taking in the entire scenery at a glance.

An old plum tree to her left was blooming with pale pink flowers, its petals scattered sparsely on the branches as if the tail end of winter had not yet departed; yet just a few steps away, another peach tree was already heavy with blossoms, clusters of interwoven light gold and moonlight white hanging down, basking in the sunlight and exuding a sweet, warm fragrance.

Further away in a corner, the leaves of several maple trees were already half crimsoned, as if someone had dipped a brush in cinnabar and dyed them stroke by stroke.

And within the crevices of the bluestone beneath her feet, a few clumps of fresh green actually peeked out from among the mossy traces, so tender they looked as though they had just been washed in the rain.

The four seasons were blooming simultaneously within a single courtyard.

She was stunned for a split second, then asked: "Where is this place?"

"This is my private residence in Fusang Main City."

Ling Hao walked up from behind her and reached out to take out an item—a hairpin that was fiery red from end to end.

The hairpin shaft was forged from Scarlet Flame Essence Gold, and its head was carved into the shape of a Phoenix with folded wings perching on the branch of an old plum tree. Three strands of the Phoenix's tail feathers drooped down, perfectly snaking along the curve of the shaft.

The branch was dotted with two cinnabar-colored precious pearls the size of rice grains. When the sunlight fell upon them, those two dots of cinnabar faintly shimmered with a dazzling radiance.

Ling Hao styled Saintess Yan Xueyuan's hair, raising his hand to gently insert the hairpin into her locks. The shaft sank into her dark hair, the Phoenix's drooping feathers brushing right against the curve of her ear, and the two cinnabar pearls swayed gently beside her temples.

"Do you like it?"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan raised her hand to touch the tail of the hairpin. Her touch met a warm and smooth texture, as if it still carried the temperature of his palm.

The worry in her heart was diluted a fraction by this instantaneous warmth and unexpected surprise. The corners of her lips curved slightly, and her voice was gentle and soft:

"I like it."

Ling Hao smiled and withdrew his hand,

"Alright, let me send you two back. You still have some matters on your end; deal with them as soon as possible."

Saintess Yan Xueyuan nodded, then tilted her head and shouted toward the side room:

"Yiyi, why aren't you coming out quickly?"

After quite a while, Gan Yiyi hobbled out from the doorway, her steps tiny and fragmented, frowning slightly with every step she took.

Saintess Yan Xueyuan looked her up and down, her tone teasing:

"Yiyi, you are simply too useless."

Gan Yiyi shrank her neck, her voice as low as a mosquito's hum:

"It's you, Master..."

"Hm?"

Saintess Yan Xueyuan turned her head back with an expression of "benevolence,"

"I bestowed the lord's grace upon you, and you aren't shedding tears of gratitude?"

Gan Yiyi looked at Saintess Yan Xueyuan's half-smiling face and immediately lowered her head:

"Thank you for the master's bestowal... It is this maid who is useless and hard-pressed to bear the lord's grace..."

Listening from the side, Ling Hao found it amusing. He took out a jade bottle from his sleeve and handed it over:

"It was indeed my fault. Drink this; it will help you recover faster."

Gan Yiyi took the jade bottle and tilted her head back to drink it. The moment the spiritual liquid entered her throat, a wave of warmth slid down her throat, and the dull, aching soreness behind her immediately receded by more than half.

Her eyes lit up: "Thank you very much, Lord!"

Ling Hao nodded and flicked his sleeve. A flash of spiritual light swept across the figures of the three, disappearing from the courtyard.

A moment later, Ling Hao appeared alone back in the same spot, standing with his hands behind his back beneath the old plum tree. Gazing at the patch of newly reddened maple leaves and the fully blooming peach blossoms across the pond, he sighed to himself:

"Sigh, I am still too soft-hearted."

"The hints have already been given, and when we meet I will give hints again. If you still can't discover it yourself, little crybaby, don't blame me for bullying you and making you cry all over again."