He had lived for over twenty years, charging through blades and shadows of battle, yet never had some reckless girl dared to ask him so bluntly whether his body was good.
A flicker of astonishment passed through his deep, dark eyes as he looked at her with confusion. "Why do you ask?"
This little girl—did she even know what kind of question she was asking a man?
Song Luo, however, showed not the slightest hint of shyness. She straightened her back and answered him with complete confidence: "I brought you here to pose as a mountain bandit. Think about it—what are bandits like? They're all broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, and fierce-looking."
She extended her fair, delicate finger and pointed at Li Rongshang's shoulder. "If your build is as weak as a sickly chicken, my brother will see through it at a glance. Won't we be exposed?"
Sickly chicken?
The corner of Li Rongshang's eye twitched slightly.
He had been on countless battlefields, and the enemy called him the God of Slaughter.
In the palace, he had heard and seen countless people revere him, fear him, and praise him—but this was the first time anyone had ever slapped the words "sickly chicken" onto him.
Seeing Song Luo's unabashedly skeptical expression, Li Rongshang's narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.
Without another word, he suddenly straightened up.
His tall, imposing shadow instantly enveloped Song Luo.
Before she could even react to what he intended to do, Li Rongshang had already stepped right in front of her. He reached out with both hands, and his iron-clamp-like palms seized her waist directly.
The moment he gripped her, the first thought that crossed Li Rongshang's mind was—what a slender waist.
Through the fabric of her skirt, the touch was so soft it was almost unbelievable, as if a little more pressure would snap her in two.
"Hey?"
Song Luo hadn't even registered what was happening.
The next instant, Li Rongshang's arms flexed slightly, and he lifted her entire body off the ground.
"Ah! So much strength!"
The sensation of weightlessness hit her, and Song Luo let out a startled cry, instinctively grabbing onto Li Rongshang's shoulders.
Song Luo was very light, petite in stature, and now held in his grip, compared to Li Rongshang's towering frame, she looked as fragile as an innocent kitten.
Watching her startled expression, a barely perceptible mischievous curve tugged at the corner of Li Rongshang's lips.
He deliberately released his grip for a moment, then caught her again.
Holding her up, he tossed her into the air.
"Ahhhh~"
Song Luo's face went pale with fright. Mid-air, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly and desperately covered her face with both hands.
This is it, this is it—I'm going to be smashed into a pulp!
However, the pain she anticipated never came.
The next second, Li Rongshang caught her steadily again.
The man's arms were as hard as iron; even catching her falling from mid-air, he didn't so much as waver.
He didn't even let out a heavy breath.
A low, teasing voice sounded by her ear.
Li Rongshang asked, "Well? Am I fit to be a bandit?"
Song Luo, still shaken, opened her eyes and peeked at him through the gaps between her fingers.
His chest, so close before her, was broad and solid. When she had grabbed his shoulders earlier, she could clearly feel the explosive power hidden beneath his robes.
This was no sickly chicken—this was clearly a hidden tiger biding its time!
Song Luo swallowed hard and nodded rapidly like a pecking chick.
"Fit! More than fit!" She quickly flattered him. "Brave warrior, please put me down first."
Li Rongshang looked at her flushed little face and only then, satisfied, released his hold, setting her steadily back on the ground.
Only when her feet were firmly planted on solid ground did Song Luo feel her heartbeat return to normal.
She took a step back and looked at Li Rongshang again—this time without the earlier disdain. Her eyes were filled entirely with admiration.
Handsome, strong—though he didn't know martial arts, with that kind of strength, he could easily pass as a fierce bandit.
She was thoroughly pleased with his physical attributes.
She clapped her hands in satisfaction.
"Great!" Song Luo's eyes sparkled as she announced enthusiastically, "Since your appearance passes the test, we should move on to the next step."
Hearing this, Li Rongshang was stunned again.
He looked down at Song Luo. "There's a next step?"
Just how many tricks did this little girl have in store for him?
Song Luo clapped her hands again. "We're going to buy pigeons."
"Buy pigeons for what?"
"To send mushy love messages by carrier pigeon every day."
Li Rongshang wanted to leave. He barely managed to hold himself back.
Song Luo clapped her hands once more. "Remember, you need to write something sappy—enough to make my brother sick to his stomach."
Li Rongshang: "…"