Chapter 55:

Lan Du's acting

So What If I'm a Girl


Lan Du's hands trembled, the more she listened, the more annoyed she got.

'Old man, I wonder if you only had this woman or was there others...I will make sure you pay for this' Lan Du wrapped some bandages around her wound and walked out the tent.

Her eyes were full of clarity and innocence the moment Yuan Min glanced at her

"Thank you colonel for the supplies"She said sweetly and walked off

Yu Tian noticed that Lan Du's hair was now different but he didn't point it out.He wondered if 

Lan Du had a reson to do so thus chose to say nothing.Lan Du changed her mask so that the bottom half of her face was revealed, she then picked up some break and began eating.

Yu Tian walked over to her

"why do you seem different with Yuan Min around?"He asked, whenever he saw her with Yuan Min around, she acts sweeter and more gentle.

Lan Du thought for a bit

"I'm a big fan, I aim to be like him in the future"Lan Du smiled and said

Yu ian laughed

"Its good to have such goals, I'm sure Yuan Min would be happy to hear this, also, whats with your hair?"He asked again

Lan Du touched her hair and replied

"I don't want to ie to my idol, my hair colour is actually black, but how can I dare show a lie to my idol?"Lan Du said shyly

Yu Tian felt Lan Du has changed completely when Yuan Min arrived, he smiled and the smile soon became laughter.

"You're an interesting lad, but before anything, let me thank you, you have saved me so many times in this trip"He said sincerey

Lan Du waved her hand

"No need to thank me, after all, I'm expecting extra wages from you, the two medicine I used cost 10 million each, in order to make sure I could fight to protect you, I had to use both, adding on the bombs and poison I used a few minutes ago, it adds to a total of 25 million, and dragon ranked assassins were not part of this mission's danger list, so either the rewards need to be raised or the employer gets sued"Lan Du smiled sweetly and and clasped her hands.

Yu Tian shook

"You're quite a greedy one, aren't you"He muttered

"Of course, I'm young and also a mercenary, if these two doesn't define greed, then what would?"Lan Du said without shame and rubbed her fingers

"Well, I hope for the extra wages, my dear em-ploy-er"Lan Du said in a cheeky tone and continued to eat.

Yu Tian laughed

"You're the first to ever threaten me like this, but I like it"He said while laughing, however, he then saw Lan Du giving him a strange look.

"y-you like that?I didn't think the owner of one of the largest corporations would be a masochist...p-please stay away from me, an M is not something I can handle even if you pay 

me"Lan Du stood up abruptly and darted off

Yu Tian was left speechless, he then heard Yuan Min laugh

"brother Tian, you walked into that one yourself, you can't blame the kid"He laughed and wiped the tears from his eyes, whilst listening to Lan Du and Yu Tian, he laughed so much that tears rolled down the side of his eyes.

"Brother Min, you're one to talk, I heard that your first child hates you, whats her name anyways?You said your daughter hates you but you never told me her name"Yuan Min shifted his gaze

"don't tell me...you don't know your own daughter's name!"Yu Tian grabbed Yuan Min by the shoulder and seated him down

"No wonder she hates you, you damn self centred brat, leaving her for 12 years is bad enough, and you still don't know her name!"He roared

Yuan Min was emarrassed

"t-this,I couldn't find any trace of her even searching through the cameras of the city, its as if she avoids them and knows the pathing for where there isn't any cameras"He sighed and shook his head

"The only place I can find her properly is the hospital my wife goes to, but the way she exits the place...its no wonder the camera never catches her"He shook his head helplessly

Yu Tian frowned

"Am I here to listen to your excuses?!Uou better properly apologise to her soon!"He shouted

Yuan Min sighed

"You think I haven't?I would have dropped to my knees to ask for forgiveness if not for the fact that my subordinates were there, she even threatens her own life so I wouldn't take off her mask"He sighed bitterly and seemed depressed

Yu Tian sat back

"You have it tough then, she is a stubborn one, its a pity, I would really like to see my niece"He said inpity

Yuan Min felt a vein bulge out on his forehead

"Your niece?When did you get so close to call her your niece, she wouldn't even let me call her daughter, much less let you call her your niece"Yuan Min lifted his brows and said angrily

Yu Tian merely laughed

"Then you have to keep trying, earn back her trust"He said in a jolly mood.

Lan Du saw them talking to one another but didn't know what they were talking about, she walked over to Liu Bu and Guan Ya.

"Little Devil, how's your stomach?I saw that jab and it wasn't shallow"Guan Ya said in concern

Lan Du chuckled

"I won't die that easily"Lan Du said confidently

"Oh?Why are you so confident?"Liu Bu asked

Lan Du smirked

"Because good people don't live long while scoundrels survive for decades, with my attitude, living a few centuries should be fine"Lan Du chuckled and replied

The two of them laughed

"You really know how to crack a joke"Guan Ya laughed and said

Lan Du laughed along with them

"I even know how to crack a skull, much less a joke"Lan Du laughed aloud but her words caused the other two to become silent.

"Little Devil...are you the incarnation of the devil?"Liu Bu asked

"No, why?To be honest, I've been asked that question quite a lot, I don't understand why"Lan Du rubbed her chin and thought.

Guan Ya and Liu Bu were both speechless, was she playing dumb or is she just that dense?

"Maybe because you're a sadist"Liu Bu answered

Guan Ya was surprised by Guan Ya's guts to say such a thing but to his surprise, Lan Du didn't get angry and nodded instead.

"True, I do enjoy other people's suffering, Guan Ya, your brother is very durable no matter how many times I tortu-train the group, they always get back on their feet"Lan Du smiled and said awkwardly

"y-you were about to say torture, weren't you"Liu Bu asked

Lan Du coughed

"Its called training, it's just a bit more intense than most, how can it be torture?"Lan Du said innocently

pfft

The two of them coughed and almost choked under her words

"a-and what might the training you give be?"Guan Ya asked

Lan Du fell silent

"Would you look at the time, I should go rest"Lan Du stretched her arms and said awkwardly

Guan Ya gave him a suspicious gaze

"my brother...won't die, will he?"He asked

Lan Du laughed

"Of course not"She said

Guan Ya let out a sigh of relief but it was immediately overshadowed when he heard her next line

"He will at most be traumatised"Lan Du added

It then dawned upon them that Lan Du wasn't just a monster, but cruel to the point of no return.She says such cruel things with a smile on her face...

"please go easy on my brother"He sighed and said

Lan Du shook her head

"He is training to be a soldier, not an empty shell, I'm merely preparing him for reality, and as my subordinate, he must not bring shame to me"Lan Du said seriously as left them.

Guan Ya thought about what she had said, he slowly nodded and a smile crept onto his face.

"Brother...I wish you the best of luck"He laughed and began talking to Liu Bu

Liu Bu shared his experiences of the day before the departure.He told him about Lan Du's activities and what Lan DU had done.

"So fierce?"Guan Ya was shocked

"Not only fierce, that group of 20 were completely traumatised!Just looking at him made them hide, I swear, some might've had a mental break down if little devil didn't leave soon enough"Liu Bu exclaimed in admiration

Their conversation lasted almost an hour and when they finished, they laughed and acted as if they were the best of friends.They flung their arms over each other's shoulders and laughed together.Lan Du saw the commotion, a thought suddenly struck her.She walked over and grabbed Liu Bu's shoulder.

"Liu Bu, what you saw that day before we departed for this mission, don't tell anyone about it, some are my private matters and will bring me future problems"Lan Du said sternly

Liu Bu glanced at Guan Ya who gave him a nod

"alright, but Guan Ya already knows about it all now"Liu Bu said apologetically

Lan Du waved her hand

"Its fine, if it comes to it, I'll use his brother as a hostage to keep him quiet"Lan Du said nonchalantly and walked away.

Guan Ya and Liu Bu were left speechless, her reasonings were too out of whack!Guan Ya was a loyal person so he wouldn't reveal it even at death, yet Lan Du actually says she will use his brother as a hostage to keep him quiet!

'Brother, did I offend you in my previous life?If not, why are you such a beast' Guan Ya wanted to cry at the moment but no tears came out.

Liu Bu patted his back and sighed

"I know how you feel..."He said slowly

The two gave one another a deep gave before hugging one another as they understood each other's pain.

"I came back to tell you it was a joke, but it seems you two are having your personal time, don't worry, I won't judge your preferences, I'll give you two some alone time, ah, also, wear protection when you two do it, send me a invitation to the ceremony in the future, I'll be there to give my best wishes"Lan Du said earnestly and respectfully

The two paused and stared at her, then at one another.They immediately shot back and stopped hugging as they stared at Lan Du.

"w-w-what the h-hell are y-you t-talking about!"Liu Bu's hand trembled as he pointed at Lan Du

Guan Ya's face was red from embarrassment but Lan Du shrugged her shoulders.

"Then who told you two to hug so intimately?You can't blame me for this"Lan Du said innocently

Her words left them speechless, why does Lan Du have to be so harsh with her words?In front of her, anything can be twisted with a slight alteration.

It was at this moment a laughter came from behind them, they turned their heads and saw Yuan Min and Yu Tian together standing behind them laughing.

"C-colonel Yuan"Lan Du was surprised, she didn't feel his presence at all

Yuan Min was laughing as he stared at them

"Little Devil was it?You're a funny one"He laughed, he has been there since Lan Du walked over to them to make fun of them hugging.

Every word she said made Yuan Min want to laugh but he held it in.

Lan Du became flustered

"Greetings Colonel Yuan, what can I be of service to"Lan Du said respectfully

Yuan Min smiled

"You're very talented, I'm hoping to invite you to my regiment"He said gently

Lan Du paused but soon shook her head

"I-I cannot...I need to take care of my sister and mother, my sister can't leave because of a past trauma and my mother is sick...they...they are still waiting for me to return"Lan Du lowered her head and said emotionally

The four became silent, they didn't think Lan Du had such a story

"Then why did you sign up for this trip?You should have enough money as well"Yu Tian asked

Lan Du shot him a gaze

"What type of world do you think we live in?This is a world where only the strong can remain, I came purely for the Spirit Dew, only by getting stronger can I protect my family"Lan Du gritted her teeth and spoke out

Yuan Min sighed

"It seems I was a bit rushed"He shook his head and said

Lan Du trembled

"n-no...I'm very happy that you invited me, you have always been my target to get stronger, I've looked up to your strength"Lan Du smiled beneath her mask and said, her eyes filled with serenity and thankfulness

Yuan Min felt a strange joy rise in his heart but didn't understand why.

Yu Tian chuckled


"Yuan Min, this lad said that you have always been his idol, it seems he wasn't lying"

In Lan Du's heart, she felt like puking, this was the first time she hated acting to such a degree.Her every word made herself want to punch herself and just acting out the gaze as well made her feel disgusted.But to keep up character, she was forced to do so.Yuan Min smiled

"Alright, take good care of your sister and mother, by the way, you never mention your father"Yuan Min wondered and asked

Lan Du froze and her eyes were suddenly filled with sadness

"my father...he used to be a mercenary as well, like you, I looked up to him, but during a mission...his body was never found"Lan Du shook as she lightly pinched herself

"It seems I revealed an embarrassing side of myself, I will take my leave"Lan Du spoke up and turned her head her body was trembling slightly

'I hope I never have to say such corny words again...dammit, if not for the fact that the old man knows the way I speak, i wouldn't have acted this way' He body trembled not out of sadness nor was she acting, it was Lan Du trying not to punch herself in the stomach for forcing herself to say such corny words in front of Yuan Min.

However, the other four saw it as pure loneliness and sadness, they felt sympathetic towards 

Lan Du's story and Yuan Min felt apologetic for bringing it up.

Lan Du glanced back and said lightly

"I-I will be on one of the trees scouting, if you need me anytime soon, just call out"Her voice was slightly horsy and dry

Yuan Min now felt guilt rising up, he had done such a terrible thing to someone who looks up to him.Now, Liu Bu and Guan Ya saw Lan Du in a different view.They always thought Lan Du was a cold hearted person, but after seeing this, they wondered if maybe her toughness was an act.

"maybe he's just misunderstood"Liu Bu mumbled

Guan Ya knew what he meant and nodded his head

"He's not a bad person, though the things he does may be a bit extreme"He added

Yu Tian sighed

"He has done so much for me already, I would have died on the first day of the trip if not for him, before we even arrived, he already saved me twice, I cannot thank him enough.He's a kind person that hides it with toughness, yet fate is cruel and gives him such a tragic childhood"He shook his head and sighed

Yuan Min frowned

"Whats the age limit for becoming a mercenary?"He asked

Yu Tian shook his head as he didn't know either, the two of them glanced at Guan Ya and LIu 

Bu hoping they could tell them.

"eh, the age is 16"Liu Bu replied

Yuan Min frowned

"Then thats strange...Little Devil, his bone age is only 12, meaning he lied about his age"He said slowly

His words greatly shocked the other three.

"t-twelve!"