Chapter 9: A Gaze Between Beauties
“Hmm?”
Lin Tianlu looked at the figure at the door with surprise.
It was a woman he had never met before.
Her black hair was braided and held in place with a jade hairpin, her face beautiful and alluring, her eyes radiating a gentle charm.
Her figure was tall and voluptuous, clad in a long robe and a high-waisted ruqun, a light shawl draped over her shoulders and arms. Under the moonlight, he could faintly discern her curves.
The moment their eyes met, the beautiful woman’s eyes lit up with surprise, but she quickly bowed gracefully. “Good evening, Sir.”
“Good… uh, may I ask why you’re visiting so late at night, Miss?” Lin Tianlu asked, a bit puzzled.
The mature woman smiled, her voice soft and melodious. “I live in the house across the street, Sir. My husband passed away many years ago, and I’ve been raising my daughter alone. It’s not proper for me to be seen interacting with other men, so I thought I’d come and greet you when no one was around. I hope you understand.”
Lin Tianlu nodded in understanding.
In this ancient society, it was indeed inconvenient for a widow to have too much contact with other men.
If the neighbors started gossiping, it could ruin her reputation and lead to unfounded accusations.
He bowed politely. “I was busy cleaning the house today and haven’t had a chance to visit you. I apologize for making you come here so late at night. May I know your name, Madam…”
“There’s no need to apologize, Sir. You can call me Mao Ruoyu.” The mature woman shook her head gently, a soft smile on her lips. She reached into her shawl and took out a delicately wrapped package. “Please accept this, Sir. These pastries are freshly made. They’re still warm.”
Lin Tianlu chuckled awkwardly. “T-this is too much. I should be the one bringing you a gift. How could I…”
“I’m just a widow with a child, trying to get to know my neighbors. And I’ve heard the rumors, Sir. You seem to be a learned man. I was hoping that if you ever meet my daughter, you could offer her some guidance. These pastries are just a small token of my appreciation.”
Lin Tianlu hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly accepted the gift.
“I’ll come and return the favor tomorrow.”
Mao Ruoyu smiled gently. “If you need any help with anything, Sir, please don’t hesitate to ask. I’m quite familiar with Changling County, and I’d be happy to assist you.”
“Thank you, Madam.”
They exchanged a few more words before saying goodbye. Lin Tianlu watched as she walked away, her figure disappearing into the house across the street.
…
“Women in this era dress quite boldly.”
He mumbled to himself.
Although her shawl covered most of her body, he could still faintly see her fair skin beneath it. Quite alluring.
Fortunately, he had seen his fair share of images in his previous life, so he remained calm and composed.
He closed the door and returned to his room, carefully unwrapping the package. A faint fragrance wafted out along with the warmth of the pastries.
“This woman is quite a skilled baker.”
Lin Tianlu looked at the delicate white pastries in the wooden box, surprised.
He picked one up and took a bite. It was soft and chewy, melting in his mouth, leaving a sweet and refreshing aftertaste.
“Did she add mint? It’s truly delicious. I should ask her for the recipe. Learning some good cooking skills in this world wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
He chuckled to himself, finishing the pastry, and started browsing through the books left behind by the previous owner.
The scholar had a wide range of interests, from tales of the supernatural and historical accounts to Confucian classics and poetry.
He flipped through the books, looking for something interesting to read tonight.
But as he opened a book, he was taken aback.
“Is this… regular script?”
He had almost forgotten that they didn’t use simplified Chinese characters in ancient times.
Lin Tianlu sighed softly.
But he could still recognize the characters with some effort. And with the memories of the deceased scholar, he should be able to adapt soon.
Whoosh—
The wind howled outside, a chill seeping into the room. The candle flame flickered.
Lin Tianlu grabbed two books from the shelf, quickly finished his pastry, and rushed to shield the candle with his hands. After the gust of wind subsided, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“That was close. I wouldn’t want to have to go to the kitchen to borrow fire.”
Whoosh—
“Hmm?” Just as he picked up another pastry, he was startled again, quickly shielding the candle once more.
The flame flickered violently, almost extinguishing, dimming the room. But it managed to rekindle itself.
“How annoying. This ancient world with no electricity or lights is truly inconvenient. I can’t even open the window for some fresh air at night.”
Lin Tianlu walked over to the window and closed it firmly.
“That should… hmm?!”
He stared at the flickering candle again, rushing back to protect it.
“What’s going on? Is there a draft in this room?”
He checked the walls, but there were no cracks or holes. The windows were tightly shut, no wind could be seeping in.
“This is strange. Could it be the candle itself? Is the wick faulty?”
Lin Tianlu sat back down with a puzzled expression, eating his pastry with one hand while shielding the candle with the other. He started flipping through the books on the table.
“I’ll just buy some new candles and a bamboo lampshade tomorrow.”
Although his reading posture was a bit awkward, it wasn’t tiring. It was far more comfortable than his life on Mount Taiyi.
At least he had a soft bed here.
After so long, he could finally stay up late and read. That half month of living like a savage had made him feel like an old man.
…
The candle flickered, a chilling wind swirling around it.
In a dilapidated old house covered in cobwebs, Mao Ruoyu, the beautiful woman who had just visited Lin Tianlu, was chanting incantations, her eyes flashing with a cold light.
If one listened closely, they could hear her muttering,
“—Extinguish! Extinguish! Extinguish! Extinguish!”
Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, her veins throbbing as she exerted all her effort.
But no matter how she chanted, the candle flame in Lin Tianlu’s room, although flickering wildly, refused to go out.
“Why… why is this happening! Why isn’t my Soul-Snatching Candle working?!”
She could sense the flame on the verge of extinguishing, but it would always rekindle just as she was about to smile triumphantly. The constant ups and downs were agonizing.
Once or twice would have been fine, but this had been going on for almost an hour!
“Is the candle faulty? Or is the wick damp?”
“Doesn’t that scholar feel the chilling wind, the ghostly aura in the room? Isn’t he afraid at all?!”
“He ate so many of my Bewitching Pastries, why isn’t he falling unconscious?!”
“Stop reading, stop reading! What’s so interesting about those boring books? You’ll ruin your eyes. Just go to sleep!”
Frustration and helplessness filled Mao Ruoyu’s beautiful face.
She clenched her fists, gritting her teeth, and glared in the direction of Lin Tianlu’s house.
“I refuse to believe… that you can stay awake all night! Just one moment of distraction, and I’ll let you experience… the power of my soul-snatching technique!”
…
The next morning…
Mao Ruoyu lay slumped on the table, her hair disheveled, dark circles under her alluring eyes. She mumbled sleepily, “Why… won’t he sleep?”
She had stayed up all night.
But as dawn broke, the Soul-Snatching Incense and Bewitching Pastries she had prepared had no effect.
Instead, she was the one who was exhausted, her vision blurry. She had even dozed off for a moment.
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