《关闭小说畅读模式体验更好》

        "Yes．ItseemedsooddlyfamiliarandremindedmeofsomeoneIhadonownwell，butI’tforthelifeofmethinkofwhoitcouldbe!"

        "Yes．Somethingsinlifearehardtofathomandanticipate．Letmetellyouastory.”

        Duringhisnarration，Lotuswasbusyservingfreshlycookeddishesandwarmwine．Herfootstepswerelightandsoftasacat’spawandherfigurewaslitheandpliantasthewillow.Shecameasoftly,withonlytherustlingofherskirtsannoungherpresence．

        GrandpaIronRodsippedhiswineandbeganhistale：

        “Manyyearsago，therelivedaridlordnearbywhoownedsomudthatabirdcouldnotflythroughwithoutstopping.Innumerablehorsesandmules,servantsandserfsworkedforhimnightandday;butridgrainrottedinhisbarnsbecauseofinpetentma．Hewasabesottedmaninhisfiftieswholovedwineandwomenandusedhiswealthandiosatisfyhiseverywhim．Heexpandedhismansionintoaminiaturepacetohousehistwenty-fourbeauties-younggirlswhocaughthisfandwhomhetardlessofwhethertheyweremarriedorbetrothedorunwilling；thuscreatingtragedieseverywhere．Asamatteroffact，itcreatedtragedyforhimselfaswell．Siyranny,selfishnessandarrogancedidlittletoaspireloveandloyalty,eachofhistwenty-fourbeauties,forcefullygathered,hadherownpn,hemintendingtostaywithhim"tilldeathdouspart"．Perhapsheavenwasangrywithhimandcausedseveralfirestreatdealofhisproperty．Neverhavingbeenagoodmanager,heseemedatalossastohowtocope．Hismanywiveshadaffairswiththosewhoflockedaroundorworkedforhim，andnowtookadvantageofhispreoccupationtostealorembezzlewhattheycouldandrunaway．Itwaslikeagianttreefallingtothegroundandallthemonkeyslivinginitscatteringindifferentdires．Hewasdevastatedbytheirdesertionandneverrecoveredfromthisblow．Hesoondied.”Here，GrandpaIronRodhelduphiswinedhospitablypressedDimitritoeatanddrinkmore．Thendlordwasbadinmanyways,theoldmantinued,buthediddoonegooddeed-heoncesavedOldGrandpaIronRod’slife．Itmayhavebeenjustarandom,capriciousact，butGrandpaIronRodfelthehadtorepaythisfavor．Beingverypoor,hehadnothingtoofferhisriefactorexcepthisbelovedgranddaughter.Lotuswasatraditionandfilialgirlwhouorandfather’ssilentrequest，soshevoluntarilyofferedtomarrytheoldndlordwheurnedsixteen．However,bythetimeshegrewup,thendlordhaddied;andtruetoheritment，Lotussworeomarry．WhenshesawDimitri,shewasstruckwithhisfeaturesbecausesomehowunilythedeadndlord’sfacewasreflecteDimitri’seyes．Shetoldhergrandfatheraboutit．

        Atfirst，Dimitricouldnotuandwhytheoldmantoldhimthestory，butthenhisthoughtsturheKingdomofDreamswherehe,too,hadtwenty-fourbeautiesandahugepace．Thisassociationreviouslife,whosedesiresandambitionsremainediialinhissubsciousnessgavehimaneeriefeelingthatsentapricklysensationdownhisspine．Heexcimed，"Youmeantosaythatthendlord，thedogandI...?"Theoldmaninterruptedhimwithahushsaying，"Shh..."Helookeduptothemyriadofstarsintheskysaying,"Saynomore.Letnotthestarsknowyoursecrets!"

        Theoldelmtreewithitsrednternshohedwarfedtablesandchairs．Anoldmanwithsnow-whitehair,beardandeyebrohisperingintimatelywithamiddleagedman."IamiedinfortuellingandyourfeatureshavethestrabinationIhaveevereacross．YoushouldberichasaMammonbutalsopoorasachurchmouse.Yourstationinlifeshouldbeemiasakingbutalsolowlyasabeggar.Thisistroversialindeed!ButthereisohingImustwarnyouagainst．Soonyouwillbeeblind．OfthatIamcertain，sobeprepared.”Theoldmanstoodupandsaid，

        "Itiste．Imustrestnow．Lotusiswaitingforyoubytheriverbehindthehouse．Good-bye.”Sayingso，hetooktherednternfromtheelmtreeandwalkedslowlytowardshishut,leavingalonely,bentandquiveringshadowonthegroundbehindhim．

        Theobscurelightshonedimlyamidthedereamofthebathroomwherethefournakedwomen：Aisha，Stephanie，AngelidLotuswereenjoyieambathtogether.LotushadjustbeentellingthemofherenterwithDimitriandsheadded，

        "HisrighteyewasalreadyblindwhenIfirstmethi’mafraidsomethingmighthavehappeohim．IwishIknewwhereheisnow.”Theyallfellsilent，fortheyknewKingDimitricameaashepleasedandnooneeverknewhiswhereaboutsbeforehand．Angelica,thewriteraess，lookedatLotus’ripplingravenhairfallingagainsthersnow-whiteslopingshouldersandthought，

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