Upon Her Lips - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

“It seems your training during this time has been somewhat useful. This wolf isn’t light at all, and yet you managed to drag it with your small frame. Not bad, not bad at all!” Han Sheng walked beside her, clapping his hands as encouragement for little You Ran, whose face was flushed red from exertion.

You Ran used every ounce of her strength to drag the Ao-Wolf step by step. Fortunately, Mr. Han Sheng hadn’t demanded she reach a specific location within a set time, otherwise her arms might have actually dislocated.

Mr. Han Sheng walked alongside You Ran, observing the little girl. She never complained, no matter how hard, exhausting, or dirty the work was; there seemed to be a natural, superhuman tenacity in her bones. Noticing her glancing at him from time to time, he asked with a smile, “What do you want to say, little You Ran?”

As he spoke, he hung his own heavy bundle onto You Ran, whose body sank a few more inches into the snow under the weight of several extra pounds.

“Ugh…” You Ran let out a muffled grunt. She nearly toppled over, but managed to regain her balance. Her teacher always caught her off guard.

“I… I just feel… Teacher, you… you…”

“Feel like I’m not human?” Han Sheng finished her sentence with an exaggerated expression.

You Ran nodded silently, then quickly shook her head, feeling that the statement sounded like an insult. However, after witnessing Mr. Han Sheng kill a pack of adult Ao-Wolves in the back mountains using techniques she couldn’t even fathom, she truly felt he wasn’t human—he was far too powerful!

“Little You Ran, if I told you I really wasn’t human—or rather, that no one in this manor is human, including your most revered Lady Mu Fei—would you be afraid?” Han Sheng leaned down, looking directly into You Ran’s black eyes.

You Ran froze for a moment, then gave a shy smile. To her, it didn’t matter if the Lady was human; she just wanted to be by her side. Besides, she had always thought the Lady was too beautiful to be an ordinary person, like a Queen from a fairy tale or a celestial being. The revelation didn’t surprise her at all.

“No… not afraid,” You Ran answered.

“Even if it’s a terrifying, man-eating monster?” Han Sheng twisted his face into a mock-menacing snarl, gesturing fiercely.

You Ran only leaned back slightly before shaking her head decisively. Han Sheng felt a bit defeated; he couldn’t scare the little thing. Seeing a Ge-tree nearby bearing fruit, he plucked a few small red Ge-berries and handed them to her.

You Ran tasted one. Wow! So sweet! She happily ate two and offered the remaining ones back to Han Sheng, motioning for him to eat too.

Han Sheng shook his head. These sweet fruits provided a rapid boost in stamina and caused a temporary state of hyper-arousal in adults, though they had no such effect on children. In the human world, they were considered incredibly expensive tonics.

You Ran quickly finished them; she still had a wolf to haul back. Looking at the sky, she guessed it would be dark by the time she reached the manor. Fortunately, no other wild beasts ambushed them.

She looked up at Han Sheng’s face. Aside from the black eye patch over his left eye, he didn’t look like the “dangerous old man” Auntie Dai described. In fact, he looked quite young.

“What is it?” Han Sheng asked, a cigarette between his lips (though he didn’t light it).

You Ran hesitated, struggling to organize her thoughts. “Tea… Teacher, whe… when can I… be strong… like you?”

Han Sheng was surprised by the fantastical question. He wanted to tell her that as long as she remained obedient, she would have the long-term protection of the mistress of the Mu house and face no threats. “Why do you want to be strong?” he asked curiously.

You Ran pursed her lips, then whispered with shy determination, “I want… to pro… protect the Lady.”

Han Sheng burst into hearty laughter. You Ran’s face turned bright red with embarrassment. His laughter stung, but a moment later, he patted her head. “Your answers always surprise me. But, I’ll tell you a secret… your Lady…”

He looked toward the manor with a look of respect for the powerful. “She may look pale and sickly, but she is very strong. If you want to protect her, you’ll have to wait a long time. However…”

Pure-blood vampires eventually enter a state of hibernation—for years, decades, or even centuries. That is their only time of weakness. By then, You Ran, as a human, would likely no longer be in this world. Han Sheng didn’t say this out loud. Instead, he encouraged her: “However, I believe in you. So keep at it, brat.”

The “mentor and disciple” pair chatted as they made their way. One was exhausted and disheveled; the other was relaxed and cheerful. They finally reached the side gate of the manor just before sunset. You Ran was panting, her inner shirt soaked with sweat, but the cold winter wind dried it quickly. She felt warm and full of energy.

As they reached the entrance, Han Sheng made no move to help with the wolf. He pointed to the gate, signaling that reaching that spot completed her arduous task.

“An Ao-Wolf.”

A dark figure suddenly appeared before You Ran. Before she could react, the person “called out” to Han Sheng. The greeting was thick with tension.

“I wonder what has displeased the Great Butler now,” Han Sheng said, feigning ignorance.

“Unprocessed carcasses are forbidden inside,” Daolei explained coldly. Knowing the Master’s obsession with cleanliness, he could tell from the trail of blood that only a crude butcher like Han Sheng would do this.

Han Sheng pointed to the wolf and smiled. “I’m a chef; I’ll handle the ingredients. Besides, little You Ran worked very hard to drag this back…”

Daolei looked down at You Ran. Dragging an Ao-Wolf from the southern valley? Given her small stature, Daolei found it hard to believe. “You don’t believe it?” Han Sheng challenged.

Daolei had been away recently and hadn’t seen the results of her training. “You helped her.”

“No, it was entirely her own work. I only handled the killing,” Han Sheng boasted, pushing his little disciple forward. He wanted everyone to see what the legendary “Butcher” could train, even if she was a sweet soul who wouldn’t step on an ant.

“That is quite impressive then,” Daolei said, looking at You Ran. He had little fondness for Han Sheng’s unruly nature, but he assumed the Master was simply testing You Ran’s resilience.

“You Ran, if Daolei and I were to fight, who do you think would win?” Han Sheng tossed the difficult question to his honest pupil.

You Ran, caught in the middle, looked distressed. She just wanted them to get along. “I… I think…”

Before she could finish, both Han Sheng and Daolei suddenly turned and bowed deeply, their hostility vanishing instantly.

“A duel between two sounds boring. Should I join in?”

A chilling voice came from behind You Ran—Mu Fei’s signature cold tone. Her gaze was directed at the two men, specifically Han Sheng.

For the first time, You Ran saw her unconventional teacher bow his head in apology. “It was just a small joke with Daolei, please forgive me,” Han Sheng said. He noted that the young mistress’s eyes were becoming more and more like the previous Master’s—cold as a winter blade.

“Then clean up that carcass immediately. I can smell that foul stench from across the yard. Has Mr. Han Sheng grown so old that his sense of smell has failed?” Mu Fei respected Han Sheng as her father’s former comrade, otherwise she would have sent him to the second realm to retire. But when her temper flared, her words cut like knives.

Han Sheng acted sorrowful as he hoisted the wolf onto his shoulders. “Ah, the Master was so cute as a child… now she’s just like the Old Master, not cute at all…”

Mu Fei’s eyes flashed with a dangerous color, but Han Sheng had already sprinted out of range of her mental pressure. Only You Ran stood there with her mouth agape in shock; the others simply wiped away a cold sweat. This wasn’t the first time. Han Sheng had been Mu Fei’s “teacher” during her youth, so she afforded him a certain level of “respect.”

“Actually, I’m quite curious who would win between you and Han Sheng,” Mu Fei said, looking at her butler.

The usually composed Daolei showed a rare glimpse of killing intent. “If the Master permits, I wouldn’t mind presenting his head to you as a gift.”

“Ugh…” Little You Ran swallowed hard, forgotten by the group. Mr. Daolei is scary too!

Daolei let out a soft sigh and his expression returned to normal. “I’m joking.”

You Ran relaxed. She didn’t know who she would help if they fought, but as weak as she was, she probably couldn’t stop them anyway…

“You Ran.”

“He… here!”

Mu Fei’s voice pulled her back. You Ran lowered her head as the Lady’s boots came into view. “I heard you dragged that wolf back yourself?” Mu Fei asked.

You Ran nodded. “Ye… yes, Lady.”

A few seconds of silence followed. The others weren’t sure how Mu Fei would react. Was she angry because a bloody carcass had been brought to the gate?

Instead, a cool hand reached out and patted You Ran’s head—a gesture of reward. “Not bad. Weren’t you afraid of such a beast?” Mu Fei looked down, her hand messing up You Ran’s hair.

You Ran was overwhelmed with joy. She loved the Lady’s touch. Her cheeks flushed. “No… not afraid. Tea… Teacher was there.”

By the time the wolf was given to her, it was already dead, so it wasn’t that frightening. Though its tail had spikes, her teacher had given her gloves.

You Ran noticed Mu Fei was only wearing a thin outer garment. Her pale face looked even whiter than usual. Anxiety filled You Ran’s eyes. Even if her teacher said the Lady was strong, she looked so fragile and was wearing so little.

“What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Mu Fei sensed something was off. She realized she was allowing this little one to stare at her directly—when had that started? You Ran immediately looked down, realizing she had overstepped. But she couldn’t stop worrying about the Lady’s health.

She unwrapped her own scarf. It was a gift that had come with her clothes; she hadn’t dared to wear it before today. It was white and still smelled fresh. She held it out with both hands and stepped toward Mu Fei.

Daolei moved to block her, but Mu Fei stopped him. She watched with amusement to see what this “disrespectful” little thing would do.

“Lady, I…”

“Yes?” Mu Fei prompted.

You Ran pursed her lips and carefully tied the small scarf around Mu Fei’s exposed left wrist, covering the skin completely and finishing it with a little bow.

Mu Fei frowned, raising her left hand to look at it. Daolei looked at the bow on his Master’s wrist—looking like a ridiculous bandage—and had to turn his face away to hide a burst of laughter.

“Is it funny?” Mu Fei asked coldly.

Daolei cleared his throat. “Not at all.”

Mu Fei huffed. Her right hand was in her pocket, but she wondered if the girl would have tied up both if they were both exposed. The image of having both hands tied up was both absurd and strangely funny.

“You’re worried I’m cold?” Mu Fei tugged at the bow.

You Ran nodded vigorously. “Wor… worried.” She felt like the Lady was so thin she might be blown away by the wind. She really needed to get strong enough to protect her soon.

“Oh? And what if I’m still cold?” Mu Fei’s golden eyes sparkled with mischief, ignoring the internal shock of the servants. Auntie Dai was getting used to the young Master’s occasional childishness—her habit of teasing little You Ran.

The innocent and kind-hearted girl grew even more anxious. She hurriedly pulled off her gloves, only to realize they were far too small for an adult. She looked at herself, realizing she had nothing else to offer. Looking up into Mu Fei’s beautiful eyes, she summoned her courage and hugged the Lady’s leg.

She wanted to cover the Lady’s exposed legs so she wouldn’t be cold. “This way… le… legs… not cold.”

The tiny voice coming from between her legs made the seven-hundred-year-old noble feel a rare sense of bashfulness. The surrounding servants looked away, all thinking the same thing: The Master is centuries old, yet she’s playing the ‘weakling’ with a child and enjoying it. How shameless!