Tang Hao was speechless.
Ling Wei was born into a wealthy family and had most likely never done housework in her life. He could imagine the mess in the kitchen.
“Sigh, you didn’t have to do that!”
Tang Hao shook his head, opened the door, and went inside.
After he closed the door, he could hear more noises in the kitchen. After a while, she screamed in pain again, as though she was injured.
Tang Hao went to the kitchen and saw Ling Wei crouching on the floor, clutching her right hand. There was a cut on her small, delicate thumb, and it was bleeding freely.
Her brows were tightly locked, and she was continuously sucking in cold air to ease the pain. She gritted her teeth, trying hard not to make a sound.
She lifted her head and saw Tang Hao looking at her. She lowered her head in embarrassment.
Tang Hao looked around the kitchen and nearly burst out laughing.
The kitchen was like a disaster zone. There was a pot on the stove. Inside the pot was a mass of black stuff emitting a strong burnt smell.
The counter next to the stove was a mess, and there was no need to mention the floor. Pot lids and plates were scattered all over. Some of them were smashed into pieces. She cut her thumb when she tried to pick up the shards.
Tang Hao wanted to laugh but instead kept a straight face. She might have wrecked his kitchen, but he did not blame her. It was her first time in the kitchen after all.
He remembered his first attempt at cooking in the kitchen.
He walked around the kitchen, trying hard to not laugh. He picked up a broom and cleaned up the shattered kitchenware.
After that, he crouched on the floor and held her hands without saying a word.
She was embarrassed. She wanted to pull her hand away.
“I… I wanted to cook something for you, but… but I didn’t know…” She said timidly.
Her eyes brimmed with tears again. Those were tears of anger at herself.
She did not expect that cooking was so difficult, even more so than managing a company.
Tang Hao smiled gently. “It’s your first time, don’t worry! Here, let me clean your wound.”
They stood up and Tang Hao led her to the sink. He washed the cut with running water, then took out some medicinal herbs, mashed them, applied the paste to the cut, and wrapped it up in bandages.
“It’ll heal soon. It won’t leave a scar!” Tang Hao said.
“Mm!” Ling Wei nodded as she sat on the chair. She did not dare to look at Tang Hao.
After Tang Hao dressed her wound, he placed her hand on the table. “Your hands are too delicate to do any housework. Cooking can be very damaging to your skin.”
Ling Wei’s fair face suddenly blushed red.
She felt an inexplicable honey-like sweetness in her heart.
“I didn’t know you have such a silver tongue,” she said with a smile.
Tang Hao smiled in return. He got up and went to clean the kitchen.
He returned to the living room and noticed that she had tidied up the living room.
Tang Hao felt warmth in his heart. ‘Given her position and upbringing, she shouldn’t have done this for me,’ he thought.
“I’ll go and buy some ingredients. What do you want to eat?” Tang Hao asked her.
Ling Wei tilted her head and thought for a long time but could not come up with anything. “I don’t mind anything. Everything you cook is delicious anyway. Right, how about I go along with you?”
She stood up from the chair, eager to go.
Tang Hao hesitated for a while but agreed to it anyway.
The two of them left the house and walked together to the nearby wet market.
Ling Wei looked to her left and right. Everything was so new and amazing to her.
She crouched in front of the fish stall and gazed at the fish swimming in the tanks. The fish vendor woman grinned at her.
She also went to the vegetable stall. The middle-aged vendor taught her the names of the different vegetables.
She was dressed rather simply. Gone was her previous glamour, but instead she looked down-to-earth and innocent.
She was like a fairy descended from the heavens. She might be dressed plainly and wore no makeup, but her beautiful features attracted everyone’s eyes no matter where she went.
The middle-aged vendors laughed when they saw how carefree and innocent she was.
They joked at her, but she did not shy away even though she blushed.
Tang Hao was slightly relieved when he saw that she had temporarily forgotten her sorrows.
He understood that she had not fully recovered from the traumatic experience, but at least she was better than last night.
Buying ingredients should have taken him less than twenty minutes, but with her, they stayed at the wet market for more than an hour. They strolled back to his apartment with the ingredients.
Tang Hao cooked in the kitchen while she watched television.
As they ate, she suddenly said, “This feels nice!”
“Hm? What feels nice?” Tang Hao was surprised.
“Like this. Going to the market and cooking together, then sharing a meal. It’s so simple yet enjoyable. It really does feel like home,” she said while blushing.
Her cheer abruptly faded away.
Tang Hao was silent. He knew that she was thinking of last night’s incident again.
Her eyes turned red again, but she stopped her tears from flowing. After dinner, she wiped her eyes and went into her room.
That night, Tang Hao could hear her sobbing in her room again.
However, the next morning, she seemed to have recovered. She was once again cheerful as she saw Tang Hao out of the house like a diligent housewife.
When Tang Hao returned that afternoon, she was waiting in the living room. She stood up and greeted Tang Hao when he came in, smiling like a blooming flower. “You’re back!” She said sweetly.
Tang Hao was stunned when he saw that.
As the days passed, she eventually recovered from her slump. There were no more crying late at night, and she resumed her previous cheery demeanor.
Just like other normal people who lived together for an extended period, their affection for each other grew.
The two people became closer to each other. They went out to the wet market together, cooked together, and ate together while watching television.
Sometimes, she teased Tang Hao. She deliberately walked in front of Tang Hao while dressed in scant lingerie, and sometimes left the door ajar while taking a shower.
Tang Hao had always been cautious. He did not want their relationship to progress beyond friends.
Perhaps that was her coping mechanism after the traumatic incident. That was what Tang Hao thought.
One night, when she sneaked into his room, under his blanket, and hugged him from behind.
“Hao! What should I do? I think I like you a little bit…”
She whispered gently into Tang Hao’s ear. She sounded both infatuated and confused.
Chapter 368 - An Intimate Night
Tang Hao’s body went rigid. He was not asleep yet. He was crafting talismans when he heard footsteps outside his room, so he quickly swept everything into the pocket dimension and hid under his blanket.
The whisper nearly made him jump in surprise.
He moved, preparing to turn over.
“Don’t move! Stay like this!” She whispered.
Tang Hao’s broad back calmed her. However, her heart was full of fear and melancholy.
At first, she thought that Tang Hao was a nice guy. However, as time passed, she realized that she had fallen for him, and it was too late for her to erase those feelings.
She knew that he already had a girlfriend. She heard him speaking to her over the phone for a few nights, which had made her envious.
“I don’t know since when I’ve fallen in love with you… I really love you…
“I regret that
I didn’t fall in love with you earlier. Perhaps things would be different.
“I envy her…”
She whispered next to Tang Hao’s ear intermittently.
Tang Hao heard all that but did not dare to reply.
Any other man would have been happy if a beautiful woman like Ling Wei confessed to them. However, he was already taken, and he could not provide her with a future.
If he could not provide her with a future, then he could not promise her anything.
They were silent for a long time.
The beautiful woman behind him eventually fell asleep, still hugging him. Tang Hao did not wake her up. When she was soundly asleep, Tang Hao gently shifted her arms, got up, and covered her with a blanket.
He went to the living room to continue crafting jade talismans.
The next morning, she pretended as though nothing happened the night before, however, she behaved more intimately, as though she was his wife.
Uncle Ming came to visit her. He saw that she was fine and then left.
The days passed by uneventfully. Half a month passed.
That day, Tang Hao returned home after his classes.
When he entered the apartment, she was sitting in the living room, but she did not have her usual cheer. She sat on the couch motionlessly, as though she had lost her soul.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Hao’s expression changed and quickly walked over.
She lifted her head when she heard Tang Hao’s steps. Her gaze was hollow and her lips were trembling. “I… I have to leave!” She said with much difficulty.
“Where are you going?” Tang Hao was confused. He sat down next to her.
“I’m going home.”
Tang Hao was stunned.
‘Yes! That is her home after all. She can’t leave it forever.’
“If you go home now, they’ll be forcing you into the marriage,” Tang Hao said, his brows were furrowed.
“I know, but what other choice do I have?” Ling Wei said blankly, “Just now, my parents and grandparents called me on the phone.
“My grandfather has been sick lately. I’ll have to go home and visit him.
“I’m more afraid that the Song family will come looking for you. You don’t know how much influence they wield.”
She covered her face and started sobbing.
“I don’t know what I should do…” She said agonizingly as she sobbed, then she leaned onto Tang Hao’s shoulder.
Tang Hao was silent for a long time. “Do you want to go back?” He said.
She nodded. “Yes,” she sobbed, “I want to see my mother and grandfather again.”
“Do you want to marry though?” Tang Hao asked.
“No!” She shook her head.
“So that settles it. You go back and visit your family, but don’t marry.”
“But… that’s not up to me!” Ling Wei lifted her head and said blankly.
Once she went home, they would make sure that she did not step outside the house again.
Tang Hao smiled. “Don’t worry about that. If you’re forced into a marriage, then I’ll definitely go and rescue you.”
Ling Wei was stunned. She stopped sobbing and started blushing.
She felt happy in her heart, but she spoke, “What are you rescuing me for? Are you going to marry me?”
Tang Hao was at a loss for a reply.
Ling Wei laughed. “Look at your face! Why, am I not good enough for you? There are so many people in Provincial City who want to marry me!”
Tang Hao smiled awkwardly. He scratched the back of his head.
Ling Wei gave him a side-eye and lifted her pinky finger. “Pinky promise, you have to come to rescue me. I’ll be waiting for you!” Her eyes stared at Tang Hao.
Tang Hao made the pinky promise with her.
They went out to the wet market, bought ingredients, and returned home to cook dinner, just like usual.
However, they felt sadness in their heart, knowing that they were soon to be separated.
After dinner, they watched television for a while. She went to her room to sleep at about ten o’clock.
Tang Hao went into his room. The jade talismans were all crafted. There was nothing to do. He laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
Some time later, he heard someone walking outside.
Tang Hao’s room door opened. A figure came in.
Tang Hao was surprised. She scuttled under his blanket.
“Hao, I’m giving you my everything. Even if you don’t come in the future, I won’t have any more regrets,” she whispered as she looked into Tang Hao’s eyes.
Then, she kissed him.
Whatever happened after that was like a dream…
The next morning, when Tang Hao woke up, he found her sleeping soundly in his embrace.
After a while, she woke up. There was a hint of resentment and embarrassment in her gaze.
“You’ll definitely regret it,” she said mischievously as she leaned close to Tang Hao’s ear, “You’ll have more chances in the future though. I’ll be waiting for you!”
She left the house after breakfast. Uncle Ming was already waiting outside for her.
She stood in front of the door for a long time. Eventually, she turned back and hugged Tang Hao one last time, bade her final farewell, turned around resolutely, and left.
Chapter 369 - In Dongying
Tang Hao was at a loss as he looked at the figure leaving as he stood next to the door.
After half a month of living together, Tang Hao was sad to see her leave.
He closed the door, then turned around and looked at the empty apartment. He came to his senses a long while later and started tidying up the place. Then, he gave Shabby Taoist Master a call.
At noon, he met Shabby Taoist Master at Octagon Alley.
Shabby Taoist Master’s appearance was like the first time they met. He wore a dirty, tattered Taoist robe and his hair was unkempt.
Somehow, Tang Hao was more comfortable when Shabby Taoist Master dressed like that. His outfit when they went to South Beach was too flashy.
“Long time no see, Fellow Cultivator Tang!”
Shabby Taoist Master got out of the car and shook hands with him eagerly.
Then, his expression became serious. “Fellow Cultivator Tang, I’ve prepared the things that you’ve requested from me. Are you sure that you want to go there alone though? We can accompany you. You just have to say the word.
“I’m angry at those Dongying bastards either. A few days ago, they sent some people to sneak around Mao Mountain and we captured them. They must be planning something major if they’ve sent people here to scout.
“I’ve heard that the incident last time had made some waves in Dongying. Miki Group is rallying forces to fight back against Mao Mountain.
“The senior and junior brothers back at Mao Mountain are restless now. They want to teach the Dongying bastards a lesson.”
Tang Hao was apologetic. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
“Eh, what do you mean? We’re always happy to kick some Dongying butt!” Shabby Taoist Master laughed heartily.
He returned to his car and retrieved a tablet computer. “Here’s all the information we have on Miki Group. Right, here’s your passport and visa.”
Shabby Taoist Master handed him another small bag.
“With this, you can depart any time. You have to be careful though, Fellow Cultivator Tang. You might have a high cultivation base, but there are many powerful figures in Dongying. Moreover, Miki Group is a big organization. They’ve recently contacted more cultivators in preparation for invading Mao Mountain. It’s probably a bad idea to go there alone now, you’ll definitely need backup,” Shabby Taoist Master said worriedly.
Tang Hao took the bag and thanked him. “Don’t worry, Taoist Master. Right, here’s some liquor for you!”
Tang Hao brought out several tens of jars of Divine Liquor and gave them to Shabby Taoist Master.
&n
bsp; Shabby Taoist Master’s eyes lit up and his mouth watered at that instant. “Oh, thanks so much! The brothers back in the mountain miss this liquor a lot!
“Are you sure that you don’t need our help?” Shabby Taoist Master asked one more time before they parted ways.
“I shouldn’t trouble you this time!” Tang Hao said with a smile.
Shabby Taoist Master nodded. “Take care of yourself then. You must return safely!”
He did not insist on helping him. After all, Fellow Cultivator Tang’s cultivation base was higher than his First Senior Brother. He might not be able to wipe out the entire Miki Group, but he should at least be able to retreat safely.
He cupped his fists, then left.
Tang Hao returned to his car and read through the information on the tablet computer.
The documents were very detailed. It had information about the group’s important members, as well as all the cultivators related to them.
Tang Hao furrowed his brows after reading the documents.
Miki Group was one of the biggest criminal organizations in Dongying. They had strong financial resources and kept many cultivators on retainers. Lately, they engaged with even more cultivators, in preparation for an invasion.
“Hmph! How brazen can they be?” Tang Hao’s eyes flashed with killing intent.
Miki Group had not learned their lesson and instead gathered more people to fight back. That was even more reason for Tang Hao to thoroughly eradicate Miki Group.
That way, Zhao Qingxue and Mao Mountain would be safe.
He took in a deep breath to calm his emotions. Then, he stashed away the tablet computer and took out the small bag.
In it were a passport and a visa. Of course, they were all forgeries. Shabby Taoist Master got someone to produce those documents for him.
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 165
