If Lu Li were anyone else, he would have said yes. He might have thrown himself at her before she said so.
But Lu Li was no such man. As a matter of fact, he despised such a man.
Under the influence of Lu Ling, Lu Li believed that a lady he liked must know how to act and how to love herself. If not, then how could she earn the love from a man? Men liked sluts, but only their bodies, not their souls.
Lu Li thought that Jiang Qiling had changed and had started to treat her as a friend. He even felt his heart aching for her when he saw her sitting on the edge of the cliff alone.
But at this moment, he became angry at her because of her failure and her belittling of herself!
He put on a stern expression, looked at her coldly and said, "Lady Qi, if you still want to act like this, then I am sorry but I will no longer find a friend in you. Forget about what I asked you. Goodbye."
Lu Li had been an emperor of the Northern Desert for some time and his status had transformed his temperament. His anger even frightened Jiang Qiling. Seeing that Lu Li was about to leave, she panicked and shed tears.
She grabbed Lu Li by his robes, looked up to him and said pitifully, "What are you saying? I'm not asking you to do anything. Just be here with me. Just sit by me. Lu Li… don't go. I am afraid. I am afraid of the dark, really. I cannot sleep at night. I feel like he is a ghost haunting me every night, asking for my life, telling me that he was wronged. I am so scared…"
Lu Li paused. He turned back and his heart softened when he saw her cheeks covered in tears, how sad she was and how much she needed him.
Jiang Qiling begged him when she noticed he was not as serious, "Really, Lu Li! I don't want you to do anything. I just want to have a sleep. Can you stay with me? It's been years since I enjoyed some sound sleep. Can you please leave after I am asleep? I am so scared…"
Lu Li's heart melted. He had thought wrongly of her.
Once again, detecting the fear and the fright in her eyes, he felt sorry for her. She acted as though she cared for nothing but she was vulnerable, even more so than regular girls.
Jiang Qiling, to Lu Li now, was not a lady of the Jiang Family that had high status. She was no longer a genius or a slut. She was a poor kid, a poor little girl that was afraid of the dark.
"Okay!"
Lu Li sat on the deck, stroke her back and said, "I will stay for the night. I am here. Go to sleep now."
Jiang Qiling hugged him around his waist and leaned against his leg. She raised her head and looked at him with her tear-filled eyes, and he looked back at her quietly. Neither of them said anything. But there was nothing romantic brewing here, only peace and comfort.
Lu Li patted her hair and back. Gradually, she fell asleep, soundly and sweetly. There were still some tear stains on her cheeks but she was smiling.
Lu Li didn't leave. He sat on the boat with his eyes closed. Jiang Qiling woke up with a start three times around midnight. Every time, she was sweating and her eyes were filled with horror. But when she saw Lu Li, she fell back to sleep.
Lu Li's heart ached for her and he hated the Jiang Family Patriarch for this. How heartless would the father have to be to force his daughter into such a situation…
Lu Li prepared to leave at the break of dawn after he cultivated through the night. If he waited after Jiang Qiling woke up, she would beg him to stay for a day. He had a lot to do at the Northern Desert. He had to establish a line of defense.
He put her on a bed gently, took out a quilt from his Interspatial Ring and tucked her in. Then he walked out quietly after giving her one last look. She was still sleeping peacefully.
When he walked out of the cabin, Jiang Qiling, who should be asleep, opened her eyes. She gazed into Lu Li as he went and a smile climbed up on her face. Once again, she fell asleep.
…
Lu Li waved to Jiang Hong at the distance from the deck. Jiang Hong got another boat over for Lu Li and they left.
"Young Master Lu, last night…"
When the boat set sails, Jiang Hong asked Lu Li coldly. Lu Li waved his hand and said, "Nothing happened. We just had a night's drink."
"Oh…"
Jiang Hong was relieved. Last night, many strong psychic powers were sent their way. If Lu Li really did something, he might have already been killed.
At the dock, Jiang Hong left with Lu Li and Ming Yu. They walked along the dock for a bit when Jiang Hong suddenly saw a man fishing by the lake.
"Ah!"
Jing Hong was surprised to see him but he shut up when the man glanced over.
Lu Li and Ming Yu looked towards the man. This was an elegant middle-aged man of knowledge. He was quite good looking with deep set eyes, so deep that they looked abysmal.
More importantly, this man's qi and energy were so powerful that neither Lu Li nor Ming Yu could tell for sure which Realm he was at. He must be of at least the Human Sovereign Realm.
"Jiang Hong, let this young man sit with me for a bit. Go and wait outside."
The middle-aged man said. Jiang Hong bowed and left. Lu Li waved to let Ming Yu go with Jiang Hong.
"Young man, come over and have a sit."
The middle-aged man beaconed Lu Li and pointed to a stone stool next to him. Lu Li walked over. He didn't salute the middle-aged man nor he looked at the man. He sat there calmly and gazed into the lake.
The man said nothing. He stared at his fishing pole and a moment lit, a fish swallowed a bait. He got a fat and beautiful carp.
He unhooked the fish and throw it back into the lake before he turned to look at Lu Li with a smile and said, "Young man, you should say something. And you are quite bold not to salute me."
"Ha, ha!"
Lu Li smiled lightly and answered the middle-aged man with proud modesty, "I am always bold. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been exiled from the Lu Family. Master Jiang, I don't think you are a man that pay much attention to unnecessary politeness. Why do you care if I bow to you or not."
"Oh?"
The middle-aged man smiled and asked gently, "How do you know who I am? Have you seen a portrait of me?"
"Never!"
Lu Li shook his head and said, "Apart from the Master of the Pavilion of Delicacy, who else would care for Lady Qi so much? You are too young to be a man enjoying fishing. You sit here so early in the morning, of course, to fish me."
"Very smart!"
The middle-aged man nodded. Then he looked into the boat in the distance and said slowly, "But clever men usually will die prematurely. If clever men want to live longer, they must learn how to play dumb instead of showing off their street smart. You are not a suitable man for Ling-er. Don't even dream of using her to rise up. You are a disciple of the Lu Family and the Pavilion of Delicacy is not worthy for you."
"Ha, ha, ha!"
Lu Li laughed out loud and looked at the middle-aged man with disdain and said, "Last night, I was wondering what the Master of the Pavilion of Delicacy would be like. Today, I am disappointed. I don't know if you are a successful master or not, but there is one thing I am sure. You are not a…successful father."
"What?"
Master of the Pavilion of Delicacy turned to Lu Li at once. His looks were as sharp as knives and his qi and energy were so strong and overwhelming that Lu Li's bones were making cracking sounds.
As of this moment, Lu Li had no doubt that if the master kept on doing this, he would be crushed into a puddle of goo...
…