The Feigned Innocence and the Enticed Escorts

Having already turned gracefully, as if poised to drift away on the wind, I smiled inwardly, my back to the two gentlemen. My carefully crafted act had not been in vain; the leader, who clearly had never had a girlfriend, had indeed taken the bait.

As these triumphant thoughts swirled in my mind, I waited until the sly smile had completely vanished from my face. Only then did I turn around, leisurely and with an air of innocence, to face the two men. “Do you seniors have any further instructions?” I asked sweetly, my voice tinged with a feigned bewilderment.

My act of innocence must have struck a nerve, for the senior from Greenwood Academy, who already seemed somewhat awkward with words, immediately began to stammer. “I, I, I…” he fumbled.

“If you seniors have no pressing matters, I shall take my leave first and refrain from disturbing your cultivation!” I declared, executing a slightly unconventional curtsy as a strategic retreat.

“Ah, no, we… Junior Sister, you… you seem to not know martial arts… Ah… no… is your martial arts cultivation merely at the initial stages?” He had likely intended to blurt out that I didn’t know martial arts, but this time, the burly man accompanying him showed a rare flash of quick wit. In a way, it was a subtle retaliation for the foot he had just endured. After being nudged, the senior instantly caught himself, rephrasing his words into a more delicate, almost scholarly inquiry.

I suppressed a laugh inwardly, having already prepared my response. With a hint of self-pity in my tone, I immediately explained, “That’s only natural. I wasn’t born into a martial arts family. I only began my training after receiving my admission letter to Tianwu University and enrolling. My cultivation period has been quite short, which is why I’m still at this stage.”

I continued, “It’s precisely for this reason that I decided to come out and cultivate independently during the break. I truly don’t want to fall behind them!”

Seeing my delicate, pitiful appearance, the other burly man immediately offered words of comfort. However, he was met with a fierce glare from the leader, which promptly cut him off mid-sentence.

“Senior’s words hold truth,” I replied softly. “Do you seniors have any other matters? If not, I shall…”

“Yes! Of course, we do!” the leader quickly interjected. “Junior Sister, don’t mind Linghu Ruoxu’s nonsense. While your martial arts aren’t yet perfected, I can see you possess a unique bone structure and a keen intellect. You are destined for greatness!”

“However, what my brothers and I actually wanted to discuss isn’t quite this…” He trailed off, seemingly embarrassed, his words faltering awkwardly.

“Then, I wonder what it is you seniors truly wish to convey?” I asked, feigning a slight surprise.

“I… I think, ah, what my brothers and I truly wish to say is this,” the leader began, gritting his teeth before speaking with newfound resolve. “Though Huangshan has been developed for tourism by the imperial court, the back mountain forests remain a wild, untamed land, frequently roamed by venomous snakes and wild beasts.”

“Junior Sister, with your martial arts not yet fully mastered, and as a young woman, traveling alone through these mountains is fraught with danger. Your safety genuinely troubles us!”

“But what choice do I have?” I asked, shrugging my slender shoulders helplessly. “No one else in my family understands martial arts enough to protect me. And most of my fellow students at school are busy with their own affairs, unable to accompany me. So, I must journey alone.”

“There are… there are my brothers and I…” the other burly man immediately chimed in, only to be promptly kicked by his leader once more, a renewed act of vengeance for the earlier slight.

“Since that’s the case, Junior Sister, would you be willing to journey with my brothers and me?” the leader asked softly, only after silencing his companion. “After all, the holiday is nearing its end, and you must be returning to Tianwu University soon, correct? If we travel together, we can at least look out for each other. Otherwise, with you alone, we genuinely cannot set our minds at ease!”

I tilted my head, speaking with a feigned hesitation. “Wouldn’t this be too much trouble for you seniors? And… would you perhaps take advantage of the situation to bully me?”

“No, absolutely not!” the leader immediately denied, his voice firm. “My brothers and I swear on our very lives that we would never! Oh, yes, speaking of which, Junior Sister, you see, the Huangshan mountain forest is an excellent place for martial arts cultivation. Besides us, there might be other practitioners here. And these individuals might not be as honorable as my brothers and I. What if you were to encounter someone truly malicious? What would you do then?” He seized the opportunity to portray the area as even more perilous.

“Precisely!” the other burly man immediately chimed in, eager to provide an example to bolster his leader’s point. “For instance, just two days ago, my brothers and I encountered a rather shifty little rascal. Tsk, that pretty boy…”

My eyes flickered; I naturally knew exactly who they were referring to, and I was secretly on the verge of bursting into laughter. Yet, with a mischievous glint, I feigned complete ignorance. “What happened to that person?” I asked.

Completely oblivious to my inner amusement, the man answered bitterly, “That little scoundrel is utterly despicable! He actually made my brothers drink…”

Before he could finish, he received another swift kick from the leader. He likely realized that such an experience was rather humiliating, especially when recounted in front of me, his supposed “Junior Sister.” He promptly offered a sheepish grin and said no more.

I blinked my eyes, my face a picture of innocence, and pressed further, “What exactly did you drink?”

The leader shot another withering glance at the burly man, then cleared his throat twice. “Junior Sister, please don’t ask. That matter is irrelevant, completely irrelevant. We still don’t know what you intend. Are you willing to accompany my brothers and me back to school?”

I tilted my head, poking my cheek with a slender index finger, feigning a moment of thoughtful cuteness. Then, appearing slightly bashful, I lowered my gaze and spoke softly, “Since you seniors are offering such kindness, it wouldn’t be right for me to refuse. And indeed, being alone in these wild mountains is a little frightening. So, I will trouble you seniors.”

With a slight curtsy towards them, I sealed the agreement. Hearing my acceptance to travel together, both men simultaneously broke into expressions of wild joy. As for me, having found a reliable escort, I could now rest easy, confident in safely navigating the Huangshan back mountain forest. Secretly, I was just as delighted. It was a joyful outcome for all!

Everything that followed unfolded almost exactly as expected. The two men whistled, summoning three other burly companions who had arrived with them. They then eagerly, and somewhat chaotically, explained my background. Just as I had anticipated, the trio was initially astonished by my appearance, which seemed entirely at odds with my apparent age and academic standing. Their surprise quickly morphed into intense interest in me, the “Junior Sister” from Tianwu University, whom the two brothers had, in hushed whispers, declared to be “probably single.”