Stepping past those dumbstruck islanders, he walked with heavy, steady steps toward the two women huddled together.

  "It's all right, it's all right, Sister Danhua, open your eyes quickly. Oh my, you're still shaking? Do you want sister to kiss you and calm your nerves?" Just as she pouted and was about to kiss, a huge shadow suddenly fell over them, blocking the warm late summer sun on the island.

  Why is it so cold all of a sudden...

  The soft body pressing against the girl trembled sharply, and her delicate shoulders shrank involuntarily.

  Hua Duomei lifted her face suspiciously. That tall backlit figure was all too familiar to her. Once she recognized it, her almond eyes couldn't help but widen, yet the glimmering laughter at the bottom of her eyes still flickered softly.

  Oh my, so this great lord is also on Lucao Island! What a coincidence, we really are fated foes, we can't avoid running into each other...

  The island lord Mingda Haiyuan tried his best to persuade the distinguished guest to stay and finish lunch before leaving, but the guest insisted on leaving, saying there were matters waiting for him back at the residence. The old man saw it clearly at a glance—Lingxian didn't have "matters waiting to be handled", but a "person waiting to be handled".

  And this "person waiting to be handled" must be that beauty that brother Leisalong brought all the way from the Central Plains!

  Although he is old, and has rarely left Lucao Island these years, he still keeps his ear to the ground. Everyone in these waters is talking about it: when Leisalong came back from the Central Plains to Luzon Island this time, he had a beauty with him so gorgeous she could make fish sink to the seabed and wild geese fall from the sky. After meeting her today, well... her looks are beautiful, but not quite *that* beautiful. What makes people unable to look away is the charm that oozes from her. Every move of that girl exudes natural coquettishness—bold, wild, uninhibited. Hehe, an uninhibited beauty like this is not easy to handle, but she is perfectly matched with his equally hard-to-handle brother Leisalong.

  Today, the old man watched a good "show" and was in a great mood, sweeping away the worries caused by the Luanshanyun faction. He even ate half a bowl more nasi lemak for lunch. After eating, he did not forget to order his servants to send two layers of food boxes full of delicacies and tea to the small pavilion on the west side of the island.

  This small pavilion is located at the highest point of the whole grass slope, with an excellent view. It is definitely a perfect place for dating, dining and drinking tea. It's just a pity that the atmosphere in the pavilion at this moment doesn't seem very... um... harmonious. Two "fated foes" who "ran into each other on a narrow path" are confronting each other, wasting this beautiful day in vain.

  Hua Duomei sighed inwardly, the corner of her lips still lightly curled as always. She nudged her foot a little, which made the man suddenly tighten his grip, catching her bare foot that was trying to break free.

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  It's true, she forgot to wear shoes again, or maybe she didn't wear them on purpose. Anyway, she was running barefoot on the grass with her snow-white jade-like feet, and the soles were quite dirty.

  The man brought her to this small pavilion. His thick black furrowed brows knitted even tighter when he caught sight of her bare feet, the crease between his brows was so deep it looked like it would never smooth out for the rest of his life.

  Fine, she'll concede and surrender. If she doesn't say anything she'll suffocate herself.

  "Mm... Sister Danhua brought me out to play from the main island, told me a lot of interesting things about this archipelago sea area, and said this Lucao Island has something to do with our fragrance and spice business. I came ashore to wander around, never expected that you, great lord, would also happen to be here."

  Hua Duomei was the first to break the dead silence, but the man didn't buy it. His facial features were still as stiff as solid rock, his lips pressed into a straight line, no words came out.

  Unhindered by his cold demeanor, her clear, tender voice sounded again, still as carefree and unserious as ever.

  "So your ship is a *kanosen*? I've heard of that kind of small warship when I was in Jiangnan. It's built imitating Japanese ships, long and narrow hull with a sharper bow, perfect for riding wind and waves. Great lord, would it be convenient to let me go aboard and wander around later?" She chuckled, scratched her tender ear, looking half shy and half not. "Speaking of ships, you anchored your ship in another area, with several people guarding it, so I didn't notice... uh, I just didn't see it earlier. If I'd known you were here, I would've run straight into your arms as soon as I got off the boat, I would never have done something outrageous and immoral in front of the islanders!"

  What a load of nonsense!

  The grip on her bare foot suddenly tightened, as if he was about to crush her.

  But just then, she let out two slightly exaggerated cries of pain. Before she could even cry out the third time, the hand that was "punishing" her suddenly loosened, not daring to keep pressing hard.

  She sat on the stone table, the man sat on the stone chair.

  Her foot rested on his knee, letting him wipe it slowly with a square cloth dampened with tea. The force of his wiping was full of suppressed emotion. He was angry, how could she not know.

  "Great lord, I did wear shoes when I came out this morning, I just left them in the cabin later... mm, I swear, next time I get off the boat I'll definitely remember to put them on." Is it really that annoying? Sigh, she's used to going barefoot, doesn't like wearing shoes, he's known this for ages, hasn't he?

  Obviously, the man didn't like what she said. He even glared at her with his tiger eyes.

  It's fine, it's fine, she's already used to being glared at anyway. Getting rid of the pitiful state of almost being skinned alive just now, she laughed tenderly like light spring rain, bright and beautiful.

  "So you're not just angry about me going barefoot! Oh dear... are you angry that this building master of yours teased your precious sweetheart again for no reason?" She sighed, no one could tell if it was real or fake, her brows and eyes were soft. "Speaking of your precious sweethearts, great lord, you've carved off a piece left and a piece right, that hot sincere heart of yours is almost all gone. Is there really any little piece left that belongs to me?"

  These words of hers successfully earned her another angry glare from the man.

  Leisalong was too angry to even feel anything.

  Really.

  He really was this helpless.

  He can't yell at her, can't hit her, he can't bear to no matter what. He finally knows what it feels like to have love and hate tangled together.