Loving You is My Greatest Sin

10- Provocative

"Hey." Tao Ru walks closer to Jing that sits with his eyes glued on the scroll.

"Yeah?"

"T-thank you. For today."

Jing's eyes meet hers, a hint of sadness and regret is clearly radiating from his black eyes.

Seeing that Jing is busy, Tao Ru left him. She goes to the room and open up her new clothes.

The colors are subtle yet cheerful. She smiles when she touch the smooth fabric. The embroidery is carefully done by the finest hands, she tries on more clothes and do a mini fashion show by herself.

She never realizes how much she loves wearing beautiful and well made clothes.

She sees a red hanfu that she didn't choose. So she opens the bundle to check.

"Is this the bonus that lady Fu was talking about?"

There is even a note attached to it.

"Wear this at night, and Master Jing will be very happy to see you in it."

Tao Ru takes the hanfu and it looks very sheer. The inner robe has a pink peony embroidery in the middle. The outer hanfu is short with some lace on it.

"Is this what a modern hanfu looks like?" She looks at herself in the mirror. The sheer red tule only covers a fraction of her body.

She just shakes her head. "Maybe I'm just a village girl that doesn't understand fashion."

Tao Ru once read in a manual that guys prefer woman in red hanfu, it makes them couldn't control themselves. Is that why madam Fu says that Jing will like it, because it's red, or so she thought.

"But she says to wear this at night, why?" She still stares at the mirror.

"A night gown! That's why she never sees anyone wears something like this outside." Tao Ru is proud of herself when she guessed that.

"Tao Ru." Jing knocks at the door.

"Yes?"

"Let's have some dinner." Jing informs from the outside, still maintaining safe distance from her.

"Wait a second."

"I'll be waiting in the main room." He says and left.

"Should I wear this?" Tao Ru asks her reflection in the mirror.

"Yeah, I'm just going to wear it." She walks out of the room with her red hanfu to eat dinner.

Li Tao Ru is surely one of the best fighter in the world, but to mundane things like this, she is completely new.

Her hatred towards Jing slowly but surely lessen, is it because she get to see the other more human side of him, or is it because the soulmate connection that they are talking about. She is unsure.

_

Jing is sitting on the main table, he opens the dishes that Lady Fu gives them when visiting. A nicely roasted duck with crispy skin, stir fried veggies and ten spices chicken. He arrange the food neatly on the table, trying to impress her.

"Maybe I should put the duck on the left.." He switches the arrangement for the third time trying to make it perfect.

"Sorry for the wait." A young woman in red hanfu says.

Her neck and shoulder is on display, the peony on her chest demands attention. The sheer tule fabric is even more tempting. Jing gulps down. His eyes is glued on her. Breathing is very hard at this moment While he tries his best to control his manly desires.

"Wh-where do you get that?" He is sweating, forcing himself to not stare at her.

"This? Lady Fu gives it to me. She says to wear it at night." She touches the peony embroidery on her chest. "I really like the details on this." She says innocently, not knowing the consequences.

Oh no! Don't touch yourself like that. He shakes his head in frustration. He has to throw away his unholy thoughts.

"You don't like it?" Tao Ru asks after seeing his uncomfortable expression.

"No, no, I-" He says still sweating.

"Let's start eating." He commands, trying to shift the attention away from her provocative outfit.

Jing pours himself a glass of tea, trying to win over himself. His body is hot because of the temptation.

"Do you want some?" Tao Ru offers him a wine.

"No, I don't drink."

Tao Ru looks at him in disbelief, what? That night he clearly is as drunk as humanly possible. And his clan is the drunkest clan in the martial arts world.

"Thank you." He says, finally finished eating.

She bends over to take the dirty dishes, her outer hanfu slips off of her pale shoulder. Her body line is shapes in a  S shaped perfection. Jing's eyes almost popped out but he quickly looks away, because if not he is afraid, he won't be able to control himself anymore.

"I'm going for a short walk." He says finally.

"Hm."

Tao Ru finishes to cleans up quickly, and immediately goes to her room.

It's been days since she left Tu Gu Sect. Hot tears drop to the table in front of her, but she tries her best to keep quiet. She is afraid of the world, of what would happen to her, to the sect.

She wipes her tears lifelessly.

"Tao Ru, it's going to be okay." She tries to cheers herself up.

_
Tu Gu Sect main hall

"What do you say?!" The middle aged lady throws her cup at the floor.

"What do you mean Tao Ru is gone?!"

"Senior Li hasn't come back since three days ago, shifu."

"This is impossible!" Her loud angry voice almost break the cups.

"Shifu please calm down."

"Where is she going? She won't just leave." The shifu thinks very hard, she just couldn't believe that Tao Ru is gone.

"Who sees her last?"

A young woman enters the hall, she couldn't lift her face from the ground.

"Explain!"

"I met Senior Li in A Gu Mountain, there is nothing different, we were chatting and practicing our kungfu, this disciple doesn't know why Senior Li hasn't coming back."

"Hmm.."

"Senior Li is very strong, nothing bad will happen to her."

"Find her." The shifu is firm, she is angry at the situation. Where is Tao Ru going when she is supposed to practice her martial arts?

"But shifu, where should we search for Senior Li?"

"I don't know! If I know I will find her by my self!"

"My apologies."  The woman bows a little and left.

"Being two more people with you. And make sure there are no words out."

"I understand."

_

When everyone left, the middle aged woman is accompanied by her right hand, Lady Guo.

"Where is Tao Ru going?"  They walks to her chamber.

"We must stay positive, shifu. Maybe Senior Li is practicing her kungfu somewhere." Lady Guo  opens the door for the shifu, allowing her to enters.

"She must have told me if that is the case."

Lady Guo only smiles as an answer.

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