Chapter 30: Seventeen-Year-Old's Crisis .
The cellar wasn't deep, only six or seven feet deep, as it was used by the kitchen to store food. It was filled with long-lasting vegetables like potatoes, onions, and cabbage.
A faint odor of decay could be smelled.
Meanwhile, the pounding of hammers echoed clearly in her ears.
Xue Ling had finally located the source of the sound.
She saw a secret passage in the northeast corner of the cellar, barely wide enough for one person. The sound of hammering continued there, resonating clearly.
It seemed as if she hadn't noticed Xue Ling's approach.
It was true, when you're forging iron, it's really hard to pay attention to and capture the sounds around you.
Torn between calling Fang Bie and not calling him, Xue Ling finally chose to step sideways and enter the secret passage. As she entered, she was greeted by the overwhelming heat and light of fire.
As the sound of hammering intensified, she spotted Fang Bie standing before a glowing furnace.
For a split second, her scalp tingled.
"Ah!"
Xue Ling screamed, turning and fleeing.
But she hadn't expected to escape for more than two steps before someone grabbed her shoulders from behind.
Fang Bie's voice rang quietly from behind Xue Ling: "What are you doing? It's not good to scare people."
Xue Ling realized she had just made a high-pitched noise and covered her mouth quietly, whispering: "You're not wearing any clothes, are you?"
"No, I am," Fang Bie calmly corrected Xue Ling. "I'm not a pervert."
"Of course I wasn't!" Xue Ling said decisively without turning around. "I saw everything!"
"You clearly didn't see anything," Fang Bie said quietly. "It's too hot here. I just didn't wear enough."
"If you don't believe me, look back."
Xue Ling felt her face heat up.
"I don't want it!" the girl said decisively.
Although Xue Ling was seventeen years old and now half a member of the underworld, she was, after all, the only daughter of Xue Ping, the commander of the Jinyiwei. She had been treated like a young lady since childhood. How could she ever expect a young man to expose himself to her and defile her eyes?
Fang Bie had been a long-time acquaintance, which was why Xue Ling didn't turn around and yell at him, calling him a hooligan, as he ran off
And, and compared to Xue Ling's panic, Fang was truly too normal.
Did he truly have no sense of shame?
Xue Ling could only hear the young man behind her sigh: "Alright, go now."
Fang Bie released his hand.
"Well, thank you so much for today," Xue Ling said, not turning back, staring straight ahead.
"Why?" Fang Bie asked.
"Because," Xue Ling bit her lip. "Because you saved me, didn't you?"
"If you mean saving, then I've saved you at least twice," Fang Bie said. "A lifesaving favor shouldn't be expressed verbally, but in the heart."
So, was he really that steely?
Xue Ling suddenly felt that Fang Bie was a bit unreasonable.
"Are you really wearing clothes?"
Fang Bie seemed to nod from behind him. "Yes, I am. It's a little light, but it's still clothes."
"Don't lie to me!" Xue Ling gritted her teeth.
"I have no reason to lie to you?" Fang Bie asked quietly.
Xue Ling covered his eyes with his hands, turned around, and then cracked his fingers.
Well, seeing Fang Bie's bare chest, beads of sweat covered the boy's smooth pectoral muscles.
Xue Ling covered her eyes again: "You are obviously lying!"With this, Xue Ling turned around and was about to flee.
Fang Bie sighed: "The ancients were difficult to deal with, especially the girls."
Xue Ling turned around: "What are you talking about me?"
Turning around, Xue Ling saw Fang Bie's complete attire at the moment.
Actually, there was no attire at all.
Fang Bie's long black hair was completely covered with a black headscarf, and he wore a pair of straw sandals. Other than that, the boy was basically naked, and you could see large tracts of smooth muscles and light wheat-colored skin.
You won't say - it really seemed a little bit good-looking.
And the boy's lower abdomen seemed to be covered by a pair of pants that were cut too short. The top couldn't cover his navel, and the bottom couldn't cover his thighs. It was originally made of white cloth, but it was soaked with ash and sweat, making it look very messy.
But, looking at it this way, he was actually wearing something?
But because Xue Ling only saw a back view of a naked figure, practically naked from head to toe, her brain practically froze in that instant, and she could only scream and run.
"Why are you wearing so little?" Xue Ling exclaimed. "It's immoral!"
Fang Bie shrugged helplessly. "I work alone here anyway. It's like you suddenly bursting in while I was showering and saying I'm immoral for not wearing any clothes."
"It's so hot in here, I'm just asking for trouble by weaing too much."
Xue Ling tilted her head, finally realizing what was happening. She looked at the burning charcoal forge and the semi-enclosed underground space, which was like an oven. She had only been inside for less than an incense stick of time, and she felt a fine sweat all over her body.
Looking at the still-red-hot iron block and hammer next to the forge, it was obvious that Fang Bie had been forging iron there before. Obviously, the hard physical labor would have been even hotter.
"Did Sister Ping show you the way?" Fang Bie continued.
Xue Ling finally realized what was going on and blushed instantly: "Yes, yes."
This meant that He Ping actually knew roughly what was going on here and had shown Xue Ling the way in - should this be called a divine assist?
"Okay, after saying thank you, are you going back?" Fang Bie spread his hands and said: "You can't just sit here and watch me forge?"
To be honest, Xue Ling did want to watch Fang Bie forging iron here, but it was still a little too hot here, and the boy's clothes were too indecent.
Although Xue Ling inexplicably felt that Fang Bie was really super safe, yes, the kind of safe that could be a best friend, because Fang Bie spoke to her, even now, with an extremely calm feeling, without the slightest panic. In comparison, her own behavior was simply a disgrace to a girl.
But out of girlish modesty, it was impossible for her to agree to Fang Bie watching here.
"So, what are you doing here?" Xue Ling asked.
"Didn't you get a piece of black iron in the Dragon King's Palace during the day?" Fang Bie said quietly, "So I plan to cut a piece today to forge and test its performance, and by the way, see if I can make a pair of gloves."
Fang Bie looked up at Xue Ling and said, "I feel you need a pair of gold-wire gloves, but the ones I bought are too expensive and not suitable for use."
"So I can only make you a set."
Xue Ling didn't know whether her face was so red at this moment because of the fire, or because her face was so hot.
"Why, why are you so good to me." Xue Ling said, biting her lip.
At this moment, she was really afraid that Fang Bie would confess his love. If he confessed his love, Xue Ling might not be able to bear it?
"Nothing." Fang Bie said lightly.
"I'm just afraid that you will die suddenly."
"Making you stronger can save me a lot of burdens."
The young man explained.
In Xue Ling's mind, an idea suddenly came to her mind it was just as expected.
(End of this chapter)