Chapter 286: Oh My—So Embarrassing
When Gong Mo Ran finally landed, Nan Xun let out a regretful sigh.
“My lord, that’s it already? Are we back at Mo Ran Hall?”
Gong Mo Ran lowered his gaze to her, his eyes instantly turning as gentle as water.
“Duoduo, we’re home.”
At this moment, the disciples of Mo Ran Hall were still writhing on the ground, wailing miserably. Many were in such agony that they smashed their heads against the floor, blood covering their foreheads—it was a terrifying sight. Some had already passed out from the pain; if it dragged on any longer, they might truly die from it.
Seeing that my lord had finally returned—with Gong Nineteen in his arms—Gong Liu, who still retained a bit of consciousness, secretly let out a breath of relief. The nerves that had been stretched to the breaking point finally eased. He kowtowed deeply to Gong Mo Ran.
“My lord has finally returned. Nineteen is safe as well.”
Gong Mo Ran swept a cold glance over the crowd and removed the restraints on them.
The moment the restraints were lifted, the disciples hurriedly expelled the Heart-Eroding Gu and Brain-Devouring Gu from their bodies.
Having barely preserved their lives, all of them were shaken to the core.
Gong Da’s death and my lord’s furious wrath made it painfully clear to everyone: from now on, anything concerning Gong Nineteen was absolutely none of their business. Whatever my lord and Gong Nineteen wished to do was their own affair—no one would dare interfere again.
Inside the main hall, Gong Mo Ran carried Nan Xun to the bed.
As soon as Nan Xun touched the soft mattress beneath her, she stretched lazily and yawned repeatedly. Still, there was something more important than sleeping. She grabbed Gong Mo Ran’s hand and shook it, emphasizing her words.
“My lord, I’m starving. I didn’t eat properly all day yesterday.”
Aside from eating a bit of dry rations on the carriage during her initial escape, Nan Xun hadn’t eaten anything else. That young master had ordered many pastries brought to her, but for once she’d been cautious and hadn’t touched them.
Gong Mo Ran said gently, “Before going to find you, I already had the kitchen prepare everything—your favorite dishes.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he remembered that she couldn’t hear him. His gaze dimmed slightly.
According to Gong Er, when they fought, Duoduo had unleashed terrifying witchcraft power and killed Gong Da in a single move. The scene had been vividly described, easy enough for Gong Mo Ran to imagine.
After that, Duoduo had gone blind and deaf. He couldn’t help but suspect that this was the result of witchcraft backlash.
In the past, what troubled him most was that he couldn’t divine Duoduo’s past or future. The first divination had only revealed her past—hardship-filled, poverty-stricken, marked by early death. A person with no future.
In this world, there was one kind of person whose past could be divined but whose future could not—that was the dead.
There was another kind whose future could be divined but whose past could not—that was someone reborn through nirvana.
Yet Gong Mo Ran didn’t understand why, after he used a blood divination, the reading changed entirely. The second blood divination showed neither Duoduo’s past nor her future—her fate was utterly obscure.
He never doubted his own ability. He was certain the problem lay not with him, but with Duoduo.
After much thought, only one possibility remained.
Duoduo was not from this world.
Gong Mo Ran sat by the bed, holding her hand, his gaze dark and unreadable.
What unsettled him even more was how quickly Duoduo learned witchcraft and formations—as if she had been born knowing them. He disliked this feeling of being unable to fully control things.
“Duoduo, no matter what your past was like, your future belongs to me,” Gong Mo Ran said, staring straight into her dim, unfocused eyes.
Nan Xun squeezed his hand.
“My lord, when will the food be ready? I really can’t wait.”
A flicker passed through Gong Mo Ran’s eyes. He patted her hand lightly.
“Be good, Duoduo. Wait a moment—this one will go urge them.”
When the hand she was holding suddenly left, she felt a brief pang of loss and unease. She didn’t show it, though—just sat there quietly on the bed like a little fool, completely still.
Only when she finally smelled the fragrant aroma of food did her expression come back to life. She eagerly groped her way toward the outer hall.
Just as she was fumbling around in the dark, a strong hand grasped hers, and an arm wrapped around her waist.
Nan Xun felt incredibly embarrassed—because during the meal, Gong Mo Ran held her in his arms. She wasn’t sitting on a chair at all, but directly on his lap.
He carefully picked portions of all her favorite dishes and placed them into the large bowl in front of her, making sure to balance meat and vegetables.
Nan Xun smelled vegetables and wrinkled her nose in disgust. She secretly pushed the greens aside, planning to deal with the meat first—but in the next moment, the bowl was full of nothing but vegetables and cabbage.
Nan Xun’s little face darkened. She said nothing, obediently stuffing the vegetables into her mouth. Once she finished, she immediately dug out a big chicken leg from the bowl.
Nan Xun: “……”
After she’d eaten her fill, Gong Mo Ran personally helped her wash up.
Nan Xun was stripped completely bare and sat in the bathtub with her back to him, her face burning red.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but why did it feel like every time he washed her, the towel brushed over some extremely embarrassing places?
Yet in the end, he truly did nothing more than bathe her carefully, drying her wet body little by little with a dry cloth before carrying her back to bed.
He attentively dressed her in underclothes, so considerate that she felt flattered.
After placing her on the bed, he released her. Nan Xun quickly shuffled inward and patted the spot beside her.
“My lord, come sleep with me too.”
“…All right.”
Even though he knew she couldn’t hear, he still answered softly. He removed his outer robe and lay down beside her.
The moment he lay down, Nan Xun instinctively burrowed into his arms—legs and arms wrapped around him, thigh hooked around his waist, arms around his neck, her head resting on his solid arm.
Gong Mo Ran seemed to have grown fond of this kind of direct physical closeness. He tightened his hold on the little girl in his arms, lifted her slightly, then pressed his forehead to hers, nose touching nose.
Nan Xun loved the feeling of their mingled breaths. With only touch, taste, and smell left to her, she cherished this closeness—the kind where she could always feel the other person’s presence.
This time, Nan Xun slept wonderfully, straight through until morning.
She had thought that when she woke up, the big boss would be gone—after all, he was always busy, often summoned by the emperor.
But to her surprise, when she moved slightly, her lips brushed against his. She was still clinging to him like an octopus, in exactly the same position as before falling asleep.
Nan Xun gently turned her head away, rubbing lightly against his cheek, and let out a quiet giggle.
Oh my… how embarrassing.
Suddenly, being blind and deaf didn’t seem so bad after all.
