Chapter Six: Lu Yao Lost Her First Kiss

Chapter Six: The Turmoil After Lu Yao Lost Her First Kiss

The venomous spider’s victory arrived so abruptly that everyone seemed frozen in that instant. After a few heartbeats, the triumphant cheers and shouts in the arena drowned out the voices of disappointment and curses.

Lu Yao simply couldn’t understand. How could the fierce-looking scorpion possibly lose to a venomous spider? She could only stamp her foot where she stood and scold the scorpion for its incompetence. And now, she still had to kiss her brother Li Hao. Her heart pounded uncontrollably in her chest. After all, once a promise was made, how could she go back on her word? Her parents and grandfather had always taught her: “Keeping one’s word is one of the standards of being a good person.”

When she was five, she had once asked her grandfather, “Can you take back what you’ve said?” Grandfather replied, “Words, once spoken, are like water poured out—can you gather it back?” Later, she secretly filled a basin with water and emptied it in the garden. Before she could figure out how to retrieve the water, it had already soaked into the ground—it was clearly impossible. The second time, she got clever and prepared a larger basin, pouring water from the small basin into the large one, then back again, but inevitably spilled some on the ground. The third time, she was extremely careful, and with great effort, managed to pour all the water back into the small basin.

The next day, she ran excitedly to tell Grandpa Baicao, “Grandpa, I understand now.” He asked curiously, “What have you understood, Yao’er?” She replied, “I know whether water poured out can be recovered.” Grandpa Baicao was pleased by his clever granddaughter, but her answer left him speechless. “Grandpa, water poured out can be recaptured—so does that mean you can go back on your word?” Though surprised, he answered patiently, “In theory, perhaps, but Grandpa has never tried this experiment himself.” Lu Yao said, “Grandpa, I’ve done the experiment. You can get the water back.” No matter how hard he pondered, Grandpa Baicao couldn’t imagine how she’d managed it. He bent down, asking curiously, “How did you do it, Yao’er?” Lu Yao explained how she poured the water into the garden, then used small and large basins to get it back. Grandpa Baicao laughed heartily, leaving Lu Yao baffled. When he finished laughing, he gently told her, “That’s just a trick, Yao’er. Things don’t work that way.”

At the time, Lu Yao didn’t fully understand, but later she gradually grasped the depth of her grandfather’s words—the principle that water once spilled can never be truly recovered.

Now, her thoughts were simple: “It’s easy to make a promise, but keeping it is never simple.”

Yet another problem arose: complicated, because as a girl she should be reserved, even if she’d grown up with Li Hao since childhood; and simple, because she absolutely could not be someone who broke her word. Li Hao, meanwhile, didn’t think much of it, and in his heart, he admired the mysterious voice in his mind that always seemed to know the future.

As Lu Yao agonized over and over, the words “keep your promise” echoed in her mind. Finally, she stood on tiptoe and lightly pecked her cherry-like lips on Li Hao’s cheek, then used her slender fingers to wipe away the bitter, unpleasant ointment she’d picked up from his face. Her peach-like cheeks instantly flushed a rosy red, though the blackish ointment still smeared her face, marring the scene’s beauty. Li Hao, still dazed from the venomous spider’s victory, was then further stunned by Xiao Jiu’s insight and, once again, by Lu Yao’s kiss. In this brief span of time, Li Hao’s heart had been battered by wave after wave of astonishment.

The young men nearby, witnessing Lu Yao’s kiss, cheered even more wildly than if a beautiful girl had thrown herself into their arms. What infuriated Li Hao and Lu Yao most was that, seeing their faces covered in grime and reeking, many started pointing and making cruel remarks after the cheering died down: “A match made in heaven—just like the saying, a crooked pot fits a crooked lid. That’s exactly what this is.”

Laughter erupted.

They’d become the butt of every joke, especially among those who had lost their bets. Only by mocking Li Hao and Lu Yao could they recover some small sense of joy.

Li Hao and Lu Yao were left mortified, all thoughts of surprise swept away. Lu Yao desperately wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground. Her first kiss, given just to fulfill a promise to her dear brother Li Hao, left her cheeks burning. She just wanted to keep her word, yet others claimed she’d done so intentionally, making her even more ashamed.

Fortunately, Li Hao was clever and composed. He quickly tore a strip of cloth from his robe and wiped the ointment from Lu Yao’s face.

He thought to himself, “My sister Lu Yao is nothing like what these shallow fools imagine. Let them see her true beauty!”

When Lu Yao’s peachy, lovely face was fully revealed, the blush of shyness only added to her unique charm. Dressed in an exquisite purple gown, with a noble jade belt at her waist, she radiated an air of grace and refinement. Those around her were utterly stunned. In a breath, the ugly duckling had become more beautiful and noble than any swan—the impact was overwhelming. The young men, in particular, could hardly tear their eyes away, staring at her as if they were starving men before a fragrant feast. Their drooling was revolting, and those with sweethearts could only glance furtively at Lu Yao.

“Hey! You’ve got a nosebleed. If you ruin my new clothes, I won’t forgive you.”

“As if you’re not bleeding yourself?” came a disdainful retort.

Countless ugly faces and mouths...

Li Hao was both pleased and upset. Pleased that his sister Lu Yao possessed such extraordinary beauty and grace, upset that so many men were now leering at her.

No matter what, Li Hao kept his composure. He quickly took the newly purchased mask from his waist and put it on Lu Yao, finally concealing her devastating beauty. Yet in the minds of all present, the image of her flawless face beneath the mask would remain.

Now, it was Li Hao who drew curiosity, envy, and jealousy.

Once Li Hao cleaned his own face, revealing two long, sword-like brows arching over star-bright eyes, a handsome youthful face, a high, rounded nose, and lips gently upturned at the corners, crowned by black hair tied with a fine purple-red ribbon, clad in a deep red robe with a gem-encrusted jade belt—he too was revealed as striking and noble.

Those who had mocked them as a mismatched pair were now silenced, as though struck by thunder. If Lu Yao and Li Hao were the “crooked pot and crooked lid,” what did that make the rest of them? Li Hao inwardly despised these shallow, judgmental people.

After this farce, Lu Yao’s curiosity was satisfied, but her heart was in turmoil, and she no longer felt like wandering De Shui City.

She said to Li Hao, “Brother Li Hao, shall we go home?”

Li Hao too had lost interest and readily agreed, “Alright.”

When they returned to the inn where their Rainbow Cloud Eagle was kept, the innkeeper—used to sizing up people for a living—immediately recognized from their bearing and attire that they were scions of a great house, people far above his station. He greeted them respectfully, “Young master, young miss, leaving so soon? Why not stay a few more days? De Shui City is rarely this lively.”

Grandpa Baicao always taught them, “You must learn to control your emotions—never take your frustrations out on others, and never impose your unhappiness on someone else. These are the marks of true strength. And those who achieve great things never fuss over trifles or seek to take advantage of others.”

Li Hao remembered every one of Grandpa Baicao’s wise teachings.

Though he was far from happy today, he replied politely to the innkeeper, “No, thank you. We’ll return tomorrow—provided you don’t mind the trouble, of course.”

People like them, the innkeeper would only wish to curry favor with, never offend. “Not at all, not at all. You’re always welcome, young master and young miss.”

Li Hao paid the caretaker’s fee for the Rainbow Cloud Eagle. The innkeeper initially refused, but seeing Li Hao’s sincerity, accepted only half the usual price.

A little way outside De Shui City, as they soared on the Rainbow Cloud Eagle, Li Hao turned mysteriously to Lu Yao, “Yao’er, can you guess what gift your brother Li Hao has for you?”

Lu Yao, always with Li Hao, couldn’t imagine he’d have anything special—perhaps, seeing her mood, he just wanted to cheer her up. She asked casually, “What gift do you have for Yao’er, brother Li Hao?”

With a secretive smile, Li Hao said, “Close your eyes, Yao’er. You’ll know soon enough.”

Obediently, Lu Yao closed her eyes. She felt Li Hao fiddling with her belt, heart pounding with anxiety and curiosity, uncertain what he was doing. She wanted to peek, but feared what she might see. Just as she was about to ask, Li Hao spoke.

“All done, Yao’er. You can open your eyes.”

She immediately looked down at her waist—and froze.

There, hanging from her belt, was the very sachet she had admired in De Shui City and planned to buy the next day. Never had she imagined her brother Li Hao would have already purchased it and now gifted it to her.

She asked in delight, “Brother Li Hao, when did you get this? It’s so beautiful. I love it—thank you so much!”

She was so moved she almost kissed him again, but managed to restrain herself.

Li Hao only grinned mysteriously. “Guess, Yao’er.”

Today, Lu Yao’s emotions had indeed been a rollercoaster, one wave after another.