Hard to Soothe

Inside the carriage.

When Qian Daoliu entered, Le Ling's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

When she had seen him the night before last, he had still been drunk.

Later, he had sobered up, and she had run away!

But Le Ling had never expected to meet him again so suddenly!

Just as during their first meeting, Qian Daoliu looked at her with a faint smile at the corners of his lips.

Le Ling set down her teacup and wanted to get up and leave.

But at that moment, the carriage began moving, slowly rolling forward. She could not even get off!

Qian Daoliu sat down in the center of the carriage.

"Ling'er, you finally came back. I've been looking for you for so long."

A breath of resentment was lodged in Le Ling's heart, and she had no desire to respond to him. She simply turned to look out the window.

The man rose, intending to sit beside her.

But before he could move, Le Ling spoke coldly. "If you sit over here, I'll get out."

Helplessly, Qian Daoliu could only sit back down.

"Ling'er, can we talk?"

"Don't want to!"

"Then I'll speak, and you listen. Is that okay?"

"Don't want to hear it!"

Not wanting to speak to him anymore, Le Ling leaned against the windowsill, closed her eyes, and pretended to sleep.

Seeing her reaction, Qian Daoliu sighed inwardly.

He knew she was angry and knew she did not want to see him, but he had not expected her resistance to run so deep!

But he knew that if he acted forcefully while she was this angry, it would only make her angrier.

So for the time being, Qian Daoliu could only indulge her.

After Le Ling had leaned against the window with her eyes closed for quite a while, the jolting carriage made her position thoroughly uncomfortable.

She opened her eyes irritably, propped her chin on her elbow, and looked out the window.

Qian Daoliu, who had been cultivating cross-legged, saw that she had awakened. It seemed she had woken only because she was uncomfortable leaning there.

He said softly, "If you really want to sleep, come sit over here. There's more room, so you'll sleep more comfortably. Or I can hold you like I used to..."

"None of your business!!!"

Le Ling turned back angrily, her beautiful eyes glaring at him.

As Qian Daoliu watched her glare at him, he thought that even after all these years, she was still so beautiful, and her eyes were still just as lovely!

"Don't look at me!"

His gaze made Le Ling's cheeks flush slightly. She warned him displeasedly.

Qian Daoliu smiled faintly and coaxed, "My Ling'er is beautiful. Am I not even allowed to look?"

This was what he often said whenever she got angry in the past.

Back then, the girl would complain that he did not understand romance, that he only knew that one line when comforting someone. Yet whenever the man said it, she would immediately smile.

But now, when Qian Daoliu used those words to soothe her again, although countless memories flooded Le Ling's heart, she no longer smiled because he had broken the promise he made back then!

"If you say another word, I'll get out!"

Unable to sleep in the jolting carriage, Le Ling simply closed her eyes and cultivated cross-legged.

Hearing her warning that she would get out, Qian Daoliu stopped speaking for the moment and cultivated cross-legged alongside her.

For the rest of the journey.

Both of them entered deep meditation as they cultivated, and neither spoke again.

It was not until dusk that the carriage finally arrived at the town closest to the Star Dou Great Forest.

After entering the town, Steward Yao guided the carriage slowly down the streets.

At the same time, he searched for a suitable inn so that the Great Offering and Miss Le Ling could stay in town for the night before entering the forest tomorrow.

Lively sounds drifted in through the carriage window. Le Ling, who had been cultivating, stopped and opened her eyes, turning to look outside.

She had not visited this town in a long time. It was completely different from how it had been back then!

The town had now expanded to three times its former size. Aside from still lacking city walls, it resembled a prosperous city in every other way.

The streets were lined with all kinds of shops and hawkers calling out their wares, selling everything imaginable. It was no longer as monotonous as before.

And everything sold by those shops and street vendors was related to Soul Masters.

At that moment, Qian Daoliu also stopped cultivating.

"Do you remember this town closest to the Star Dou Great Forest?"

Looking at the changed town outside, he said to Le Ling, "When we came here before, it wasn't this prosperous or lively. But after so many years, everything has changed!"

"Yes! You changed too. Not only did you marry another woman, you even had a son!"

Le Ling turned around and glared at him with extreme displeasure in her eyes.

Qian Daoliu was instantly speechless.

Under her glare, his heart trembled involuntarily!

He had deliberately brought up the past because he wanted to reminisce about the beautiful memories from when they had been together and rekindle their feelings.

Who would have thought that she would leave him utterly unable to respond instead!

"Ling'er, I..."

"Stop the carriage!!!"

Before the man could finish, Le Ling angrily slammed her fist against the windowsill beside her and shouted at Steward Yao, who was driving.

The shout startled the steward, and he immediately pulled the horses to a stop.

Before the carriage had even fully stopped, Le Ling had already risen, left the carriage, and jumped down.

The usually steady and composed Great Offering of Spirit Hall immediately panicked!

He quickly stood and chased after her.

"Ling'er, listen to my explanation."

"No matter what your reason was, the result is that you really did marry another woman and have a son!!"

Le Ling strode forward as she angrily retorted to Qian Daoliu.

Qian Daoliu reached out, grabbed her arm, pulled her back, and held her tightly against his chest.

"Ling'er, you suddenly left back then, and I searched everywhere but couldn't find you. Then my father had people seize me and take me back, where I was kept under watch."

"He said that if I did not agree to a political marriage and leave behind descendants, he would lock me up for the rest of my life. In order to leave and continue searching for you, I had no choice but to agree to the marriage!"

"But you were right just now. No matter what difficulties I had back then, I did break the promise I made to you! Ling'er, I'm sorry. Forgive me and give me another chance, okay?"

When he first pulled her into his embrace, Le Ling struggled fiercely. But once he began explaining, she stopped struggling.

After hearing his explanation, she said in an extremely flat tone, "Are you done?"

Qian Daoliu released her, gently grasped her shoulders with both hands, and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Ling'er, will you forgive me?"

Le Ling looked up at him.

Suddenly, she opened her little mouth and, without hesitation, bit down hard on the arm holding her shoulder.

"Hiss..."

Though Qian Daoliu was a level ninety-nine Peerless Douluo, Le Ling had bitten down fiercely with every ounce of strength she had.

No matter how strong the man was, he could not withstand her little white teeth and the vicious force behind that bite!

The spot on his arm where she had bitten hurt terribly!

But Qian Daoliu did not dare push her away, nor could he bear to. No matter how much it hurt, he could only endure it!!

Le Ling bit him for a full ten minutes.

Only after venting her anger, and even tasting the faint scent of blood, did she angrily fling away his arm and turn toward an inn not far away.

Qian Daoliu stood where he was, looking at the two rows of deep red teeth marks on his arm. Instead, he felt somewhat happy.

Because after hearing his explanation, Le Ling had still been willing to bite him like that to vent her anger. That proved he still had a chance to earn her forgiveness!

Though his Ling'er was hard to soothe, as long as there was a chance, he would not give up!