After My Faked Death Failed, My Ex-Wife Came Chasing After Me - Chapter 35

Lu Ting’an: I was wrong, Senior Sister…

Lu Ting’an stood there, completely dumbstruck.

After a long while, listening to Lin Zheng’s slightly rapid heartbeat, she asked muffledly, “I won’t leave, okay? I’m not leaving. But you have to let me get up, right? Or are we just going to sleep like this all night…”

Lin Zheng remained silent for a moment, seemingly finding her words reasonable. She loosened her grip slightly. Lu Ting’an immediately propped herself up and, as if in retaliation, pinched the soft flesh of Lin Zheng’s cheek, making Lin Zheng frown repeatedly.

“Can’t you rest properly when you’re drunk? You’ve started acting out your drunken craze now, hm?”

Lin Zheng irritably swatted her hand away and said in a heavy voice, “Don’t move.”

Lu Ting’an froze for a second, and suddenly, a flare of anger rose in her heart. She fiercely pinched Lin Zheng’s waist and snapped indignantly, “Turning the tables on me! Who was the one who grabbed me and wouldn’t let me leave first?!”

As if finally losing her patience, Lin Zheng abruptly sat up. She easily pinned Lu Ting’an’s hands and pressed her firmly down onto the couch.

The pain almost brought tears to Lu Ting’an’s eyes, but with her meager strength, trying to break free from Lin Zheng’s grip was nothing but a fool’s dream. She lifted a leg intending to kick, but the movement stopped mid-air; she ultimately couldn’t bring herself to do it, grumbling internally.

Why am I arguing with a drunkard…

A wise man submits to fate. Lu Ting’an quickly assessed her current situation and began to bargain with Lin Zheng: “Lin Zheng, let’s talk this through. Let me go first. I’ll sleep here tonight; I won’t leave. If Master asks tomorrow, I’ll take full responsibility for everything, how about that?”

Lin Zheng didn’t speak; she only let out a soft hum, her tone cold: “Not good.”

Lu Ting’an was instantly dumbfounded, feeling that her momentary soft-heartedness had been wasted on a dog. Her anger flared to the top of her head, and she decisively kicked out. Unexpectedly, Lin Zheng was quick and used her knee to heavily pin her down.

“Ah—!” Lu Ting’an cried out in pain. “Lin Zheng, have you gone mad?!”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng’s willow-leaf brows furrowed slightly. She shot a look of extreme displeasure at her. “What did you call me?”

Lu Ting’an’s heart tightened, but her mouth refused to yield. She gritted her teeth and said, “Lin Zheng! Did you drink yourself stupid? Can’t even hear your own name clearly?”

Before her words had even finished, Lin Zheng’s expression darkened instantly. That face—cold, elegant, and soul-stirringly beautiful—leaned in close with an intense sense of pressure. Their noses nearly brushed, their breaths intertwining.

Smelling the sweet scent of wine on her, Lu Ting’an’s throat suddenly tightened. She subconsciously swallowed, her voice unintentionally weakening: “What… what are you doing? Did I say something wrong…?”

Lin Zheng’s eyes turned cold as she said, “No respect for your elders.”

“Huh?” Lu Ting’an was stunned.

Lin Zheng seemed to recall something, and her expression grew even more displeased. She raised her other hand and placed it by Lu Ting’an’s ear, her calloused fingertip gently rubbing her earlobe, making Lu Ting’an feel an itch.

“When you address Chen Yunxiao and the others, it’s always ‘Senior Brother’ this and ‘Senior Brother’ that.”

Lin Zheng paused, then asked coldly, “Why is it that for me, you call me directly by my name?”

Lu Ting’an opened her mouth, wanting to explain but not knowing where to start. After all, since she had transmigrated, she had never called Lin Zheng “Senior Sister” to her face in order to maintain her “vicious younger sister” persona. But it wasn’t like Lin Zheng had cared before?

Lu Ting’an hardened her heart, thinking that Lin Zheng wouldn’t dare do anything to her anyway. She braced herself and retorted, “So? What do you want to do? I’ll call you whatever I want… mmm-mm.”

Before she could finish, Lin Zheng suddenly reached out and gripped her jaw, her fingertips brushing against both sides of Lu Ting’an’s thin lips, forcing her to look up and meet Lin Zheng’s very dangerous gaze.

“What do you call me?” Lin Zheng asked in a low voice.

Lu Ting’an shrank her neck in fear, no longer daring to be stubborn. She obediently lowered her eyes, her tone carrying a hint of grievance: “…Senior Sister. I’ll call you Senior Sister, alright!”

Only then did Lin Zheng seem somewhat satisfied and let go. Lu Ting’an glared at her indignantly and took a light bite of her fingertip.

Lin Zheng was clearly startled. She withdrew her hand and stared at the spot Lu Ting’an had just bitten, lost in thought for a moment, wondering what she was thinking.

Lu Ting’an rubbed her hand, which was aching from being pinned down. Furious but not daring to speak out, she crossed her arms over her chest and said huffily, “Look at this, you’ve delayed us for so long. Now the mountain gates are closed, and we can’t go back even if we wanted to.”

Lin Zheng raised her eyes, which were slightly blurred with intoxication, and gave her a deep look, saying, “Not going back.”

Lu Ting’an laughed out of pure anger: “Fine, we’re not going back. Are you satisfied? Go to sleep then. When we wake up tomorrow morning, we’ll sneak back in before the hour of Mao.” Fortunately, Lu Ting’an had many lackeys within the sect; even if they were caught, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Lin Zheng nodded, seemingly finally content. She moved toward the inner side of the bed and said indifferently to Lu Ting’an, “Come.”

For a moment, Lu Ting’an’s scalp went numb. She looked at her in horror, her heart screaming in internal mockery: Lin Zheng had better forget everything that happened tonight once she wakes up tomorrow, otherwise, I can’t imagine how socially dead I’ll be.

Lin Zheng, however, didn’t feel there was anything unreasonable about her actions. She just looked at her calmly, with an air that suggested if Lu Ting’an didn’t come over, she would personally get out of bed and pull her.

Lu Ting’an sighed. Forget it, you can’t reason with a drunkard; she’d just go along with her for now.

She got onto the couch and pulled the quilt around herself tightly. But Lin Zheng kept staring at her without blinking, making Lu Ting’an feel extremely awkward. Finally unable to bear it, she said, “Sleep! Why are you just staring at me?”

Hearing this, Lin Zheng paused, but then hesitantly reached out a hand, intending to untie Lu Ting’an’s robe.

Lu Ting’an was so startled she scrambled back half a meter, shouting, “I didn’t mean that! Let go!”

Lin Zheng’s movements stopped. Her hand hung in mid-air as she looked at her expressionlessly, a clear sign of displeasure in her brows.

Lu Ting’an was terrified by this reaction, fearing that Lin Zheng would once again pin her to the couch without a word. She had to compromise: “Fine, fine, fine, you do it. But we have a deal, okay? Only the outer robe can come off. Once it’s off, we go to sleep. No other extra movements allowed!”

Sure enough, as soon as those words were out, Lin Zheng’s expression softened significantly. Her movements were extremely efficient; in a few swift motions, she removed the outer robe, leaving only a thin layer of inner garments.

Lu Ting’an trembled as she felt Lin Zheng’s long fingers wandering from her chest down to her abdomen. Some ambiguous thoughts inexplicably drifted through her mind, and a flush spread to the tips of her ears as she turned her head away.

Lin Zheng tossed the robe onto the floor carelessly and finally lay down with satisfaction. However, seeing the distance between herself and Lu Ting’an, she became displeased again and reached out to pull her into her arms.

Lu Ting’an shuddered. After a moment of stiffness, seeing that Lin Zheng had no intention of further action, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously stole a glance at her.

Lin Zheng had already closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly and her breath long and steady. A few strands of hair were scattered across the brocade quilt, and she lacked some of her usual cold sternness, looking much like a quietly placed statue of a beauty.

Lu Ting’an stared at her face for a while, and a strange trace of regret actually surfaced in her heart.

She really didn’t do anything else.

But in the next second, Lu Ting’an shook her head violently. She scolded herself internally: “Lu Ting’an! She’s just drunk, and her behavior is a bit out of line. What on earth are you thinking?”

Lu Ting’an froze, falling into deep self-doubt. She had been single for over twenty years in her past life and had never been in a relationship, let alone developed feelings for a woman. But for some reason, whenever she faced Lin Zheng, she couldn’t help but harbor some unspeakable thoughts, and even… a faint, ill-timed sense of expectation.

Lu Ting’an turned onto her side very gently, resting her hand under her head, staring blankly at the face so close to her.

Before knowing Lin Zheng’s true thoughts and receiving a definite response, she shouldn’t—and really shouldn’t—fantasize about anything. Moreover, given the “younger sister’s” past insults and humiliations toward Lin Zheng, the idea of Lin Zheng liking her was simply a fairy tale.

Thinking of this, she let out a soft sigh, tossed those chaotic thoughts to the back of her mind, and as the alcohol took hold, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, just as the hour of Mao passed, Lin Zheng woke up with clockwork precision.

Since she had drunk too quickly the previous night, her temples throbbed with pain. She covered her eyes with the back of her hand and waited for a moment before forcing herself to sit up.

However, what met her eyes was not the familiar furnishings of Yingyue Pavilion, but a completely strange bed. She was stunned and turned her head slightly, only to find Lu Ting’an sleeping beside her in disarray, her posture extremely unrefined, with one leg even draped over her.

Lin Zheng completely froze, her face turning ashen.

Could it be… could it be that last night she had…

She didn’t dare think further and hurriedly shook the other woman awake. Lu Ting’an rubbed her eyes dizzily and let out a huge yawn, muttering unclearly, “What are you doing… it’s still early. No morning lessons today, let me sleep a bit more.”

“Get up, quickly.” Lin Zheng reached out to pull her up, but Lu Ting’an always had a bad temper when waking up. Being pulled, she stood in place without moving. Lin Zheng’s tone carried a hint of anxiety as she lightly patted her face: “Lu Ting’an, stop sleeping.”

Lu Ting’an stretched impatiently. Unfortunately, the brocade quilt slipped down, exposing her snowy white arms to the morning light. Her inner garment was thin, the collar slightly open, and the pink underneath was faintly visible.

Lin Zheng’s breath hitched, and she immediately turned her head away. She happened to see Lu Ting’an’s robe lying on the floor, quickly picked it up, and threw it to her, saying, “Get dressed quickly. We must return before the morning bell tolls. Otherwise, what will we do if the disciples guarding the mountain gate see us?”

Lu Ting’an said dismissively, “What are you afraid of? They wouldn’t dare report me…”

Lin Zheng was helpless. She had to fish the person out of the quilt, get her washed and cleaned, and then, with a red face, help her put her clothes on one by one. She tried her best to sound calm: “Let’s go. We’re going back.”

Lu Ting’an hadn’t fully woken up yet and was pulled downstairs in a daze. Lin Zheng took out a pouch from her robe to settle the bill, then took her and mounted her sword, flying straight toward the direction of the Baiyun Luying Gate.

The cold morning wind blew against them, and Lu Ting’an’s sleepiness immediately dissipated by half. She subconsciously looked down and saw a vast abyss beneath her feet. Terrified, she instantly grabbed Lin Zheng’s waist tightly.

Lin Zheng let out a muffled grunt, her body pausing imperceptibly.

“Oh my god!” Lu Ting’an’s voice went off-key. “Can’t you say something before you start flying? Don’t you know I’m afraid of heights!”

Lin Zheng’s lips twitched, but she stabilized the sword’s momentum. She looked back at her, hesitated repeatedly, and finally asked in a low voice, “Did… did I… did I do anything last night?”

Lu Ting’an’s heart skipped a beat. Scenes from last night uncontrollably surfaced in her mind, and the tips of her ears burned instantly. She forced herself to stay calm and said, “Huh? Nothing. We both drank too much, and I couldn’t drag you, and I can’t fly a sword, so we just had to make do and sleep at the tavern for the night.”

Lin Zheng clearly still didn’t quite believe it. She remained silent for a moment and then couldn’t help but press further: “Then your clothes… how could they…”

Lu Ting’an swallowed nervously and chuckled awkwardly, “Oh, when the alcohol hits, you just feel hot. It’s no big deal. What, are you afraid I took advantage of you? I am the great young lady of the Baiyun Luying Gate; I never do things like taking advantage of people when they’re down. You can rest assured.”

Lin Zheng shook her head helplessly and said, “That’s not what I meant, you…”

“Hey! There are people below, be careful.” Lu Ting’an’s eyes were sharp, and she hurriedly spoke to interrupt her, pointing at the two disciples on duty at the mountain gate below.

The two disciples had clearly also seen the figures approaching on the sword. They were about to take out the Mingzhao Talisman to report it when Lu Ting’an leaned half her body out and shouted, “Wait, it’s me!”

the two disciples froze and were both stunned: “…Young Lady?”

Lin Zheng withdrew her sword and landed, bringing Lu Ting’an to a steady stand. Only then did the two disciples come to their senses. They hurriedly stepped forward to bow, saying respectfully, “Our apologies, Young Lady. For a moment, we didn’t recognize it was you.”

Lu Ting’an gave Lin Zheng a triumphant look, then turned back to her arrogant and overbearing self, commanding, “Keep your mouths shut. Not a single word about seeing us today is to be breathed out, do you hear me?”

“Yes, yes, yes, we understand, we understand.” The two disciples answered in unison and didn’t quietly straighten their backs until they watched the two women walk away.

One of them couldn’t help but mutter softly, “Strange. Doesn’t the Young Lady usually hate Lin Zheng the most? She’s actually having us help cover for her.”

As he spoke, the more he thought about it, the more indignant he became, adding, “Tsk, wasn’t this Lin Zheng an outer disciple just like us before? She just happened to save the Young Lady once and was appreciated by the Sect Leader. Who knows what kind of dog-shit luck she’s having.”

The other disciple shot him a cold sideways glance and said, “You talk too much! She has talent and climbed the high branch. Have some discernment in the future; don’t go targeting her everywhere, understand? Otherwise, if you anger the Young Lady, no elder will want you in next month’s outer disciple assessment!”