Flower Stealing Master

“Oh? Brother Luo wasn’t in Juxian? Why are you back so early?” Song Qingshu raised an eyebrow, even wondering if something had happened in Juxian.

Seeing that Song Qingshu was still lying in bed without any intention of hiding, Jiao Wan’er became so anxious she almost cried, “Why are you still lying there? Hurry up and hide!”

Noticing that Jiao Wan’er’s voice trembled with fear, Song Qingshu glanced casually around and shrugged helplessly, “Where should I hide?”

“Under the bed, quickly!” Hearing the footsteps getting closer, Jiao Wan’er urgently lowered her voice, urging him. Without waiting for his response, she grabbed his clothes from the bed and stuffed them under it.

“Ridiculous! Even if he sees me, what can he do? As a man of dignity, how could I disgrace myself by hiding under a bed?” Song Qingshu flatly refused.

“How can you be like this!” Just the thought of her husband discovering what had happened between her and Song Qingshu made Jiao Wan’er dizzy with panic, her eyes welling up with tears. “You may not be afraid of him, but I still have my reputation to think of!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll hide, okay?” Seeing that he had teased her enough, Song Qingshu finally gave in. “But I’m definitely not hiding under the bed. I’ll just hide… in the blanket.” With that, he slid under the covers.

Looking at the bulge in the blanket, Jiao Wan’er was both angry and distressed, “How is this a hiding spot? Anyone could tell at a glance that someone’s under there.”

At that moment, Luo Liru’s footsteps had already reached the door. Gritting her teeth, Jiao Wan’er dashed to the bed and quickly pulled the blanket over herself, lying half-reclined as she faced the door.

“Huh? Wan’er, why are you still in bed?” Luo Liru looked at the situation in the room and was surprised.

Jiao Wan’er’s heart raced, and she discreetly spread her legs to raise the blanket, creating more space for Song Qingshu to hide, hoping to prevent her husband from noticing anything suspicious.

“I was feeling a bit dizzy and was about to take a nap,” Jiao Wan’er said as calmly as she could. “By the way, why are you back so suddenly?”

“I was halfway down the road when I realized I left something at home,” Luo Liru replied, not noticing anything amiss. He walked to a chest and began rummaging through it. “By the way, have you seen a doctor for your discomfort?”

“Y-Yes, I have,” Jiao Wan’er stammered, her mind wandering. Not only had she seen the ‘doctor,’ but the ‘doctor’ had seen her entire body.

Song Qingshu, clearly thinking the same, mischievously slid his hand under her skirt.

“Ah~” Jiao Wan’er, unprepared, let out a soft cry, her face flushing instantly.

“What’s wrong?” Luo Liru turned his head, looking at her curiously.

“N-Nothing,” Jiao Wan’er, seething with anger, pinched the culprit beneath the blanket. “I think a mosquito just bit me.”

“Mosquitoes this time of year?” Luo Liru found it strange but didn’t dwell on it. “Oh, I heard from the maids that the leader came to see you?”

“Y-Yes,” Jiao Wan’er’s heart leapt into her throat. “But since you weren’t home, he left after saying just a few words… Ah~”

“Wan’er, what’s going on today? Why do you keep making sounds?” Luo Liru shot his wife a suspicious glance.

Jiao Wan’er’s eyes nearly welled with tears, her body trembling as she tried to suppress it. “Oh, I just suddenly remembered that the leader examined me. He said I’ve been feeling weak lately and need more rest.”

“If it’s the leader’s diagnosis, then I’m reassured.” Luo Liru looked surprised. “I didn’t expect the leader, on top of his unrivaled martial arts, to also be a skilled healer.”

Every time her husband praised Song Qingshu, Jiao Wan’er felt even more miserable. “Do you trust the leader that much?”

“Of course! Look at who the leader is. If I had even a tenth of his skills—no, even just a fraction—I’d be laughing in my dreams!” Luo Liru said with admiration.

“I don’t see what’s so special about him, except how much he enjoys bullying women…” Jiao Wan’er bit her lip, subtly resisting the man under the blanket’s advances.

“The leader is like a god. Every woman in the Golden Serpent Camp dreams of being bullied by him. But they all know their place; none of them could ever compare to the Ninth Princess or Leader Zhou from Emei, haha.” Luo Liru said enviously.

Jiao Wan’er gritted her teeth. “At least I don’t want to be bullied by him!”

Luo Liru laughed heartily. “Wan’er, you’re only saying that in front of me. Admiring someone like the leader isn’t something shameful, you know.”

“Go to hell!” Jiao Wan’er was already being tormented enough by Song Qingshu under the blanket. She had hoped for a bit of comfort from her husband, but instead, he made comments like these, all while that scoundrel overheard every word.

“Wan’er, I don’t mind if you admire the leader,” Luo Liru said with a grin as he found what he had been looking for. “It’s not like the leader would ever take a fancy to you.”

“Who says he wouldn’t?” Jiao Wan’er’s face flushed red, her voice suddenly tinged with an unintended sultriness.

Luo Liru was taken aback but quickly laughed, “Wan’er, you always know how to joke around with me. I’ve got to go now; the brothers are waiting for me.”

“Just go already! You’re only making me more annoyed by staying here.” Jiao Wan’er struggled to maintain her composure.

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Things are Not Looking Good:

Yes, things are not looking good. As you know, translation requires a lot of time and energy. I translate, edit and proofread the chapters on my own. I will be honest here, I started translating as a hobby, then it evolved to a hope of earning a living by doing something I enjoy. 

However, I suffered a chain of misfortunes during and after the pandemic, and earnings from FSM and RTV helped me a lot. It became a significant part of my life. As long as my monthly income bordered around $200, I could make the time to translate in the middle of other works. Then RTV ended, and the earning decreased. Now, it has decreased to around $90-$100. And with PETTV nearing completion, that would decrease even more. A*dsence gets me about $ 0.50 per day, and you can’t get the payment until it reaches $100, so I can’t depend on that either. 

It wouldn’t be an issue in normal circumstances, but it matters a lot to me since I am still dealing with a lot of financial troubles. I am currently looking for a job, and will have to invest my time and energy in it once I get it.

Long story short, if you enjoy reading this novel, support the translation if you can, either by becoming a Patron in Patreon, or sponsoring chapters at BuymeaCoffee. You can also take some time to watch a*ds to increase the revenue on A*dsence. Grains of sand together can form a desert.

FSM supporters has been supporting me from the start no matter what, so I would continue to translate FSM as long as I am alive. But for the other projects, I now desperately need your support so that I can spend the time and energy to serve them to you all. That’s all. Thank you.