Chapter 45: Li Fan Gets Beaten

Chapter 45: Li Fan Gets Beaten

Silence engulfed the room instantly.

My grandmother and I were both frozen in disbelief.

The atmosphere was so awkward that I wasn't sure if I should swallow the piece of roasted chicken in my mouth or not.

The old man standing next to my grandmother, leaning on his cane, was also stunned. He stared at me with wide eyes—this was my grandfather.

With a thud, my grandfather's cane dropped from his hand. This sound snapped my grandmother out of her shock, and she rushed over, pointing at me and scolding.

"Bai Ci, Bai Ci, you're going to give your grandma a heart attack! Do you have any idea what you're doing? Look whose food you're eating! Have you lost your mind?"

My grandmother's chest heaved with anger as she grabbed my collar and dragged me towards the altar, berating me in a hoarse voice.

By now, my grandfather had also come to his senses. He picked up his cane and charged towards Li Fan.

Still in a daze, Li Fan was pulled by my grandfather and thrown out.

"You ungrateful brat, get out of here! Get out! How dare you eat Grandpa Fox Spirit's offerings? Do you want to die?!"

Grandpa's emotions were even more intense than Grandma's. He picked up his cane and started striking Li Fan without any mercy, each blow landing solidly.

"The youth these days have no respect for their elders! Eating anyone's offerings, look at his young age with that head of white hair – he can't be a decent person!"

Grandpa's scolding grew more fervent and intense by the moment.

I gasped in panic, struggling to crawl towards Li Fan, but Grandma held me down tightly.

"Running off, huh? Stay right there and kneel!" Grandma bellowed at me with full force. "Apologize to Grandpa Fox Spirit!"

I couldn't take it anymore. I shouted at Grandpa, "Stop hitting him! He's the very Fox Spirit Grandpa you're talking about! The one on the altar!"

Grandma: ...

Grandpa: ...?

Silence fell once again. I watched as Grandpa's cane trembled in his hand before dropping to the floor with a thud.

...

Seated in the chair, Li Fan exposed one of his shoulders. I stood behind him, applying medicine to his injuries.

Though my grandfather's cane couldn't inflict any severe harm on Li Fan, there were still some areas swollen from the blows.

On his fair and refined back, deep red welts gradually emerged, looking painful just to behold.

I gently touched the wound on the other shoulder, which was still wrapped in bandages. Fortunately, my grandfather's cane missed that spot; a hit there would likely have caused severe bleeding.

Li Fan glanced indifferently ahead and spoke, "Both elders, please rise. There's no need to kneel."

My grandmother and grandfather knelt uniformly on the ground, trembling as they shook their heads, refusing to stand up.

"Oh, Fox Spirit Grandfather, I unintentionally offended you, unintentionally offended! Please direct your anger at me, but spare my granddaughter..."

Tears streaming down his face, my grandfather continued his apologies while slapping himself repeatedly.

"Indeed, indeed. It was our fault for not recognizing your greatness. Our granddaughter is still young, so please don't hold her accountable..." My grandmother echoed in agreement.

Li Fan shot me a helpless glance, as if to say he'd done all he could and it was now up to me to take action.

"Ignore their kneeling, Grandpa and Grandma," I urged, "Li Fan is fine, he isn't angry with you two!"

But my grandfather didn't dare meet Li Fan's gaze, instead trembling as he spoke to me, "Little Ci, you must attend to Grandfather Fox Spirit with utmost respect, don't you dare lose your temper, understand?"

I offered an awkward smile.

When it came to serving, I had never really served Li Fan; he was the one who cooked for me.

Grandma smacked Grandfather on his back, "What are you waiting for, old man? Come with me to the kitchen! We need to cook something delicious for Grandfather Fox Spirit."

"Oh, right! Cooking, we have to cook!" My grandfather seemed to snap out of his daze, scurrying into the kitchen after Grandma.

Once they were gone, only Li Fan and I remained in the courtyard.

He promptly stood up, offering me his seat, "Alright, it's your turn to sit."

I didn't go for the chair, instead beckoning Li Fan over with a crooked finger. Confused but obedient, he approached me.

Seizing the opportunity, I looped my arm around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

A blush visibly bloomed across Li Fan's cheeks; his voice was awkward. "Young lady, you should know some restraint. Holding and hugging in broad daylight like this…"

I bared my teeth in a smile. Li Fan was likely many years older than me; his mindset might not be as liberal as mine.

It seems that his previous attempts to seduce me with charm were all done with a stiff upper lip, when in fact, he is the one who is easily swayed by flirtation.

It's incredibly challenging to get the innocent little vixen to take the initiative.

But it didn't matter; if he wasn't taking the initiative, I would.

So, I turned his head around and planted another kiss on the other cheek.

His face might be the only soft spot on his entire body, and it felt particularly delightful to kiss.

Li Fan was reluctant yet powerless against my actions. In the end, he grumbled, "Embarrassing!"

Although he spoke those words, he didn't dodge a single one of my kisses. After a while, my lips felt swollen from all the kissing.

"Enough smooching?" Li Fan raised an eyebrow. "See, besides leaving me with a face full of saliva, what else can you do?"

Ssshh...

His words stung a bit.

I pulled him closer and held his hand, speaking in a leisurely tone. "Let's get down to business. Let's talk about the zombie issue in the village."

Li Fan glanced at me. "What do you suggest we do?"

"I say we run!" I declared firmly.

Li Fan: ???

I could see three question marks hovering above his head.

"Following the principle that if we don't provoke trouble, there won't be any, I think it's best if we spend a night in our hometown, then the next day, you can persuade my grandparents to move with us. They tend to listen more to you," I said.

Li Fan's lips moved, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

Gently swaying his hand, I continued earnestly, "I couldn't care less about zombies or not, it's too risky. All I want is for the people I love and those who love me to be safe and sound."

Li Fan nodded at me, offering a gentle smile that resembled the thawing of early snow in a pond. He held my hand tightly, unwilling to let go.

"May I interpret this as your concern for my safety?" he asked.

His question left me momentarily stunned, followed by a hint of irritation.

Did he just figure that out?!

"Thank you, Bai Ci, but there are some things you can't escape from, no matter how much you try," Li Fan said with a mischievous glint in his deep eyes. Then, he handed me a mirror.

I took the mirror in confusion.

However, upon seeing my reflection clearly, I nearly choked.