Chapter 49: The Hidden Ones Dwell Among the Crowd

Beauty has always favored heroes, and Zhang Yurou was no exception. After listening to Zhang Mingzhi’s introduction, she instantly recalled the stories about Ding Li that Zhang Mingzhi had told her over the past couple of days. When she looked at Ding Li again, she suddenly found him far more pleasing to the eye—indeed, several times more handsome and dashing than when she had first met him, despite the many bandages wrapped around his body and the bloodstains dotting his robe.

To Zhang Yurou, all of this only served to fully reveal Ding Li’s image as a hardened, iron-blooded man. Especially when he was having his arm wound dressed and not even a frown crossed his brow, remaining perfectly calm and composed—this made Zhang Yurou’s eyes light up with the same excitement as a hunter who has spotted her prey.

“Let me do it! Clumsy hands! You can’t even manage such a small thing!” After being momentarily stunned, Zhang Yurou immediately adopted what she believed to be her most charming smile, unceremoniously pushing the little maid who was bandaging Ding Li aside. She paid no attention to the maid’s pout of grievance and dissatisfaction, and instead directed a sycophantic smile at Ding Li. Yet her hands moved with such skill and speed that even Ding Li was surprised—this did not look like a pampered young lady at all, but someone for whom dressing wounds was second nature.

“All done! Change it once a day, and in no more than five days, you won’t need it anymore!” In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yurou had finished bandaging the wound, tying the gauze into a butterfly knot at the end. She clapped her hands, her face beaming with pride, and looked up at Ding Li for praise.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” As soon as she looked up, Zhang Yurou abruptly stepped back, eyeing Ding Li warily as he gazed at her with an intense focus, lost in thought. Instinctively, she glanced down at her own chest and frowned, boldly stepping forward to give Ding Li a shove. Noticing his dazed expression, she blurted out without thinking, “Hey! Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for me?”

“Huh?”

Not only Ding Li, but even Zhang Mingzhi and Zhang Wu standing nearby were stunned by her blunt remark. Once he’d collected himself, Zhang Mingzhi smacked his forehead with his hand and let out a long, helpless sigh. Zhang Wu gave Ding Li a sympathetic look and even edged away a little, as if worried about what might happen next.

“Well, perhaps a little…” Seeing how straightforward Zhang Yurou was, Ding Li was not to be outdone. He thought for a moment, nodded, then shook his head, and replied with a serious face, “But I can’t be certain—after all, you came at me with a knife. Any man would have to think twice about that…”

“You…!” Zhang Yurou’s face flushed bright red in an instant—she was not as thick-skinned as Ding Li. But when she saw the teasing glint in Ding Li’s deep black eyes, she immediately realized he was making fun of her. Not to be outdone, she straightened her neck, met Ding Li’s gaze head-on, and a provocative smile flickered at the corner of her lips. “You’re not wrong! But if you want to pursue me, it won’t be so easy! With your current status, you’re still a hundred thousand miles short of catching my eye!”

“Oh? Then let me ask, just how high is Miss Zhang’s standard?” Ding Li knew she was sparring with him, and though her words touched on status, he wasn’t the least bit offended. Instead, he chuckled and shook his head, sighing softly as he asked, “Miss Zhang, haven’t you ever heard the saying, ‘Are nobles and generals born to their stations?’”

“Well, well! It seems you know quite a bit. How many years have you studied?” Zhang Yurou was surprised, her gaze sweeping over Ding Li with renewed interest. Though the phrase was not uncommon, few dared to utter it so boldly. She had clearly seen the flash of intelligence in Ding Li’s deep eyes and could not help but grow curious. With a feigned air of disdain, she curled her lip, and her tone grew deliberately mocking, “So our Brother Li is a man of lofty ambition? Then I must ask, how do you plan to achieve your great ambitions?”

“As for great ambitions, that will take time—favorable timing, advantageous terrain, and harmony among people,” Ding Li replied with a faint smile, tossing out a phrase that sounded like empty talk to everyone present. Just as a glimmer of sly satisfaction appeared in Zhang Yurou’s eyes, Ding Li laughed lightly and added, “I have indeed studied for a few years—not enough to be called learned, but enough to understand some principles. At the very least, I know a monarch should not die in obscurity. As for what to do, surely you know that a gentleman looks to himself, while a petty man blames others?”

At this, before Zhang Yurou could respond, Zhang Mingzhi stepped in front of Ding Li, his eyes shining with interest as he sized him up. Then he playfully punched Ding Li’s shoulder and teased, “I never imagined our Brother Li is accomplished in both the civil and martial arts—a true talent!”

“You flatter me, Second Brother! I can’t claim to be well studied—I’ve just read a few books in the past,” Ding Li replied modestly, his expression calm, betraying no hint of pride at the compliment. In truth, those lines he quoted were ones he had come across in the Analects during idle moments after completing missions in the past. He’d remembered them because they spoke to a spirit of self-improvement.

But when he noticed Zhang Yurou’s curious gaze, his heart skipped a beat, worrying she might press him for more and expose his lack of deeper knowledge. He remained composed, however, calmly meeting her eyes. All the same, he resolved privately that he must use any spare time in the future to study the classics—if only to maintain appearances.

“It seems I truly underestimated you,” Zhang Yurou admitted. Though momentarily shaken, she quickly regained her composure. She shot Ding Li a look of grudging admiration, but did not forget their current rivalry. Instantly, she turned to mock him, “You look sturdy enough, but I thought you were just another brawler like Zhang Wu, all fists and no brains!”

“Oh? Hah…” Ding Li was briefly startled, but delighted that she’d so quickly shifted the target to Zhang Wu, especially since he now realized he’d been played by Zhang Wu earlier. He smiled, shot Zhang Wu a sidelong glance, and said coolly, “Miss Zhang, that’s not entirely fair! Our Brother Wu isn’t just skilled with his fists—his tongue is just as sharp!”

“Brother Li, you—!” Zhang Wu glared indignantly at Ding Li, but suddenly felt a chill wash over him, making him shudder. Glancing up, he saw Zhang Yurou’s murderous gaze fixed on him. He immediately put on a fawning smile, backing away and waving his hands in protest, “Yurou, don’t listen to him—I would never say anything against you! All I ever do is follow your orders—I wouldn’t dare disobey you in the slightest!”

“Oh? So you haven’t said anything?” To Zhang Wu’s dismay, the more he tried to explain, the deeper he got himself into trouble. Despite his fawning, Zhang Yurou’s beautiful eyes blazed with fresh fury and her lovely face grew frosty as she glared at him, teeth clenched, as if she were about to chew him up and spit out the pieces.

“Yes, yes, absolutely!” Zhang Wu felt a chill rise from his feet to the crown of his head, freezing him in place so that he could hardly move a muscle. He kept waving his hands and begged, “Yurou, please don’t look at me like that. I was wrong, I truly was! From now on, I’ll do anything you say—go through fire or water without so much as a frown!”

“Fine! Then jump in there! Come see me after dinner!” A sly glint flashed in Zhang Yurou’s eyes. She immediately waved her arm and pointed a slender finger at the nearby pond, her expression deadly serious.

In truth, Zhang Yurou was not at all petty. She was broad-minded and cheerful, and had long since stopped holding any grudge over what had happened four years ago. She knew Zhang Wu had had little choice in the matter and that his decisions wouldn’t have changed anything. Her threatening him with a dagger was simply a special way of expressing affection for an old playmate after many years apart.

“Yurou, I…” Zhang Wu’s face crumpled, and he made no effort to hide his misery, scrunching his features together as he glanced at Zhang Yurou. Suddenly he remembered Ding Li and cast him a pleading look for help, apparently forgetting how recently he’d tried to set Ding Li up.

Sure enough, when Ding Li met Zhang Wu’s pleading gaze, he only curled his lip in a cold smile and turned his head away, gazing thoughtfully at the moonlit ripples on the lake. With a melancholy sigh, he mused, “Ah, water once gone never returns, and words once spoken can never be taken back.”

He scratched his head on purpose, brow furrowed, and turned to Zhang Yurou with a humble inquiry, “Miss Zhang, what’s that old saying? About water and words—I've suddenly forgotten!”

“A married daughter is like water spilled—you can’t get it back,” Zhang Yurou replied without hesitation, happy to enlighten Ding Li. But all the while, her gaze flickered toward Zhang Wu, making him break out in goosebumps and fear saying anything lest he draw more trouble upon himself. Inwardly, he prayed Ding Li would stop fanning the flames.

But Ding Li seemed determined to make things difficult for Zhang Wu, as if he hadn’t seen Zhang Wu’s pleading at all. Hearing Zhang Yurou’s answer, Ding Li clapped his hands in delight, not caring about his injured arm, and exclaimed, “Exactly! When a man gives his word, it should be as firm as a nail—once spoken, there’s no backing out of responsibility!”

“Brother Li…” Before Zhang Yurou, who was already smiling, could say anything, Zhang Wu sidled up to Ding Li, his head hanging as if resigned to a scolding, and said in utter dejection, “Hit me, scold me, do as you please—just please, don’t say another word. Let me live!”

At this, the whole group burst into laughter, with the boisterous Zhang Yurou doubling over, her earlier anger vanishing completely.

“All right, all right! It’s getting late—let’s have dinner! We still haven’t properly welcomed Li and Wu!” Zhang Mingzhi stepped forward, patted Zhang Wu on the shoulder, and beckoned everyone over with a smile.