Huo Fenglie woke up several times without seeing Liu Zhenqing. He gradually became uneasy, and asked Yue Xuqian. 

Yue Xuqian was also surprised, and couldn’t help saying: “Is Young Master Liu deliberately avoiding you? Sure enough, he’s still bothered about you calling him Qing-ge?”

Although it was not his original intention, what Yue Xuqian said still hurt Huo Fenglie, and his uneasiness became increasingly obvious. Even after falling asleep due to medicine, he would wake up from nightmares soon after.

When the medicine boy came to change Huo Fenglie’s dressing, Yue Xuqian said: “Why is it you, ah? Where is your senior?”

The medicine boy said: “The miracle doctor seems to like Young Master Liu very much, and keeps him talking. But don’t worry, this kind of follow-up treatment does not require the work of a miracle doctor.”

Yue Xuqian saw that Huo Fenglie was not concerned, so he followed the medicine boy to the miracle doctor’s courtyard, but saw Liu Zhenqing sitting on the steps outside, lost in thought. His expression was sometimes tangled, sometimes absent-minded, and sometimes solemn. Yue Xuqian was anything but reassured.

Although he was no longer with the miracle doctor, he had not gone to see Huo Fenglie. He had waited every step of the way before. Could it be that he knew Huo Fenglie would wake up, so he didn’t go to see him? Sitting here sighing, no matter how one looked at it, he was lovesick, ah.

Yue Xuqian stepped forward with a cough: “What is wrong? You don’t look well. Did the miracle doctor say something?”

Yue Xuqian deliberately searched for a topic, but Liu Zhenqing sighed and said: “Senior asked me to go back to the Medical Valley with him.”

Yue Xuqian’s shock was immediate, and he thought for a moment before saying: “This…..this is an honor, ah. I saw that you know some medical skills, so you should want to study medicine. It is a good thing to be admitted to the Medical Valley. Only…..I’ve heard that the Medical Valley is easy to enter but not easy to exit. Fenglie…..still can’t be separated from you. He has asked for you several times since he woke up.”

It was not that he wanted to stop Liu Zhenqing from developing himself, just that the pair hadn’t pledged their love yet and now they were in such an awkward situation. If Liu Zhenqing left, his brother might be a bachelor for the rest of his life. It wouldn’t be too late if he talked it out first and then left, ah.

A flash of uneasiness crossed Liu ZHenqing’s face. “Really? He woke up several times?”

Yue Xuqian sat down and carefully probed: “Are you angry with him, ah? You won’t even see him?”

“Ah?” Liu Zhenqing was taken aback.

Yue Xuqian gave a faint sigh and decided to speak on his brother’s behalf. “Actually, toward that Qing-ge…..he just loved him like a brother. After all, that person watched him grow up. Don’t misunderstand, ah.”

But Yue Xuqian himself didn’t believe it. After all, he had noticed the abnormality since they met as children.

Liu Zhenqing was very important to Huo Fenglie. It could be said that that person was the first person he saw in this world. It was no exaggeration to say that before he had a concept of the distinction between men and women, all of his feelings were already fixed on that person.

But he still intended to fool Liu Xiaozhu. After all, that person was dead, so why should he take a dead person so seriously? Huo Fenglie also very much cared about the current Young Master Liu, so of course he must try his best to win him over.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s lips twitched when he heard this. Naturally, he understood at once what Yue Xuqian was thinking, and said with dissatisfaction, “Really? I don’t think that’s right?”

Yue Xuqian could only say: “Really, really. Why don’t you ask Fenglie? I think Fenglie has you in his heart, so you should speak to him frankly.”

Liu Zhenqing was rendered speechless on the spot. Perhaps Yue Xuqian thought he was crazy about Er-gou, and worried that he would give him up out of heartbreak?

Seeing Liu Zhenqing fail to respond, Yue Xuqian became truly anxious. He found an excuse to leave, then turned around and ran to find Huo Fenglie.

“It’s over, it’s over. Young Master Liu is leaving with the miracle doctor.”

Huo Fenglie got a shock when he heard this. After questioning him thoroughly, he understood that Liu Zhenqing and the miracle doctor recognized each other, so the miracle doctor wanted to take Liu Zhenqing away.

Seeing that Huo Fenglie was silent, Yue Xuqian really had the feeling that he was an anxious eunuch next to a calm emperor.

“Hey, Brother, I don’t understand you. Do you like him or not? If you like him, then keep him, ah. I saw him like that, and I think he intends to leave!”

He actually didn’t, but Yue Xuqian really felt that he had to get things moving.

As expected, Huo Fenglie’s expression changed slightly. But after being silent, he said firmly: “He doesn’t like me that way, and I can’t keep him, so it is better to let him go. At least this time, I will know where he went. That is enough.”

Yue Xuqian was greatly alarmed, and for a moment, he really thought that he was hallucinating. Shaking his head, he said: “What nonsense are you speaking, ah? You’re saying that he doesn’t like you, not that you don’t like him?”

When Huo Fenglie didn’t answer, Yue Xuqian was unable to understand. “Aren’t you making things harder for yourself? There are rumors that even after he lost his memory, he followed you into peril. I don’t think he doesn’t like you. I feel like the two of you are in love with each other.”

But no matter what Yue Xuqian said, Huo Fenglie’s expression did not change at all. He seemed to be extremely certain about this matter. This confounded Yue Xuqian. After all, according to his understanding of Huo Fenglie, he would not come to such a conclusion if he wasn’t absolutely sure.

Yue Xuqian bustled left and right, but still didn’t see any results. In the end, he gave up and waited to see what would happen.

Huo Fenglie didn’t seem to think too much about it anymore, and didn’t even ask why Liu Zhenqing hadn’t come.

Because of the medicine, he fell asleep again. In his dreams, he was at the border camp for some reason, and the feeling of regret was almost driving him insane.

Just then, a voice came.

“Er-gou…..Er-gou, wake up!”

Hue Fenglie woke up at once and saw Liu Zhenqing sitting at his bedside, looking at him worriedly.

“Did you have a nightmare? You’ve broken out in a cold sweat. Get up and wipe yourself off, otherwise you’ll get a cold if you sleep like this.”

As he spoke, Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to assist Huo Fenglie, who was still dazed as he sat up. Then he watched Liu Zhenqing bustle about the room, his eyes gradually darkening.

“Qing-ge, why are you here?”

“I came to see you.”

“You and the miracle doctor recognized each other.”

“En, Master guessed it right away and admonished me for a long time.”

Liu Zhenqing brought warm water, towels, and new underclothes as he talked.

“I heard that you are going to the Medical Valley?”

Liu Zhenqing walked over and paused, tilting his head to regard Er-gou’s expression curiously, but his face unfortunately remained expressionless.

Huo Fenglie didn’t let Liu Zhenqing continue to busy himself. He took off his robes and took a towel to wipe with, as if doing something as they spoke would make him seem more casual. This way, he didn’t have to look at Liu Zhenqing.

His technique right then was too stiff, which seemed to betray his inner uneasiness.

Liu Zhenqing sat aside and looked at Huo Fenglie. Since his body had rapidly lost weight due to the excessive blood loss during his treatment, the scars all over his body seemed a bit stark and looked even more distressing. But the tooth marks on his neck were gone since he was unwilling to bite hard that time, unlike the ones on his shoulder. He feared the scar would be difficult to remove unless he used medicine from the Medical Valley, but…..he didn’t ask his master for it.

“Master brought it up. I…..” Before Liu Zhenqing could finish speaking, Huo Fenglie suddenly interrupted.

With his eyes lowered, Huo Fenglie said, “I’ll send someone to take you back to the Medical Valley. You don’t need to worry about what happens after that. I won’t let anything happen to the Liu family, and I won’t tell anyone about you. When it’s over, I…..I’ll go visit you, okay?”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed at once, and he said quickly: “What? Why are you suddenly saying this?”

Huo Fenglie analyzed seriously: “Qing-ge will encounter too many dangers when following me. I didn’t expect the matter to become so serious, with groups of assassins watching us all the time. Now that I’ve thought about it, it would be best for you not to get involved in this matter.”

Huo Fenglie actually knew that everything Liu Zhenqing said when he agreed to stay was a lie. If he was really so worried about the long-separated Liu family, he wouldn’t have tried to leave along the way in the first place. He had a hard mouth, but a soft heart.

And Huo Fenglie himself was despicable. He had taken advantage of this, knowing that Qing-ge probably didn’t want to stay with him, but still hoped to make Qing-ge stay a little longer. Because he knew that once Qing-ge left, it would not be easy to see him again. But now that his master would retain Qing-ge, Huo Fenglie was no longer afraid that it would be difficult to find him in this world.

Huo Fenglie’s reasoning was very sound and rational, and for a moment, Liu Zhenqing could find no excuse. He was no longer Prime Minister Liu, nor was he the real Liu Xiaozhu. There was really no valid reason for him to be involved in this matter, and when encountering the assassins, it seemed as if him staying was a burden.

He knew that Er-gou was worried about his safety, but how could he not be worried about Er-gou? And…..and…..the thing between them hadn’t been made clear yet.

Liu Zhenqing was already troubled and tangled, but now his head had been stimulated into overheating by Huo Fenglie. The dignified Prime Minister Liu was also a novice when it came to matters of the heart. Without being able to figure it out, and without caring about the consequences, he just did whatever he wanted.

“I thought you wanted me to stay with you.”

Huo Fenglie was taken aback. His expression went extremely stiff for a moment, and he stopped getting dressed. He wanted to raise his head, but still did not dare to look at Liu Zhenqing.

“Having Qing-ge here is naturally a boon when it comes to investigating the case. After all, Qing-ge is smarter than me, but safety comes first. It would be difficult for Qing-ge to come back to life again.”

Liu Zhenqing felt like this person was gently pushing him away, and he was endlessly irritated.

“No way, what I want to ask is…..tsk. Huo Fenglie, do you like me?”

Liu Zhenqing thought he could force Huo Fenglie to tell the truth, but in the next moment, he saw Huo Fenglie raise his head suddenly. His eyes seemed to be looking directly at him, but he also seemed to be in a daze.

“No, I don’t have such thoughts.”

Liu Zhenqing had never expected this answer. His brain buzzed and shut down like a computer.

“Qing-ge, I…..I really don’t. You must have heard other people’s nonsense and misunderstood. I really…..don’t. I am very clear-headed and regard you…..as my brother.”

Huo Fenglie’s tone was urgent, as if he was eager to contest this and hoped that the other party would believe his words.

Just like a poor liar who was afraid of being sentenced, using sophistry to withdraw a confession.

Like the jealousy, care, doting, and protection of the past were not his doing.

For a moment, Liu Zhenqing was ashamed and angry, and really thought that he had made a huge mistake from beginning to end and embarrassed himself in front of Er-gou.

But he was Liu Zhenqing. Even if he had no experience with love and easily mistrusted his own judgment, he was no fool. If one person could treat another person like this, Liu Zhenqing could conclude with certainty that it was love carved into the heart and bones.

So at this time, Liu Zhenqing wanted to shout, “Go for it!”

But he didn’t shout, and just watched the panicked Huo Fenglie.

He didn’t know or understand why Huo Fenglie was acting like this. He was obviously afraid that Liu Zhenqing would have a love affair with someone, but he refused to confess his feelings.

Now he was just angry! It felt like being led on.

He wasn’t concerned about his feelings for Huo Fenglie, and only felt that he deserved sincere love.

What the hell, Er-gou wouldn’t admit it…..how could he…..

When he was angry, he was the kind of person who could not be coaxed!

“Ah, really? Heh.” Liu Zhenqing snorted, then turned around and left.

This moment made Huo Fenglie feel as if he was within a nightmare. “Qing-ge, don’t leave!”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t give a damn. If a dog can’t be trained, Laozi doesn’t believe he can’t force you to confess your love.

As a result, he heard a bang. Looking back in surprise, Liu Zhenqint saw that Huo Fenglie had fallen off the bed in great embarrassment.

He didn’t have much strength after the treatment, and it was currently very difficult for him to get up. He could only look up at Liu Zhenqing.

Faced with all this, Liu Zhenqing could only stomp his feet three times in anger, a childish reaction that only happened when he was forced to do something. Then he raised his foot and went to help Huo Fenglie.

“You have no strength, why are you moving around?”

Seeing Liu Zhenqing coming back, Huo Fenglie still felt uneasy and added another sentence.

“Qing-ge, I really don’t have any wrong thoughts about you.”

Liu Zhenqing……

Damn it, I’ll just drop you again!

But Liu Zhenqing still gritted his teeth and helped him back to the bed. Upon looking up, he glimpsed Huo Fenglie’s expression of unease, as if he would put aside his heart and prove it to him if he wouldn’t believe it.

Liu Zhenqing once again almost doubted if he was an overconfident man and had misunderstood.

In the end, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but twitch as he said: “Forget it, just pretend I didn’t ask and do whatever you want. But I must say that I have no plans to go to the Medical Valley and have already rejected Master. I will take care of this matter to the end. I can’t rest assured just relying on you young ones.”

Huo Fenglie stared at Liu Zhenqing in shock. In the end, Liu Zhenqing was still willing to stay with him. Maybe…..maybe Qing-ge believed it, or…..he didn’t care at all.

“Get some rest, I still need to see Master.” Liu Zhenqing didn’t want to stay any longer. 

Huo Fenglie nodded with a murmur, like a puppy that had made a mistake. This made Liu Zhenqing want to touch his head, but he was still angry, so he held back.

After leaving the room, he returned to Master’s courtyard in a temper and vented his wrath on the bushes there. He beat them for a long time, which drew his master over.

“What’s wrong? Did you go see Xiao Huo?”

“Pah!”

“Why are you angry? Xiao Huo dared to put you in such a temper. Was there some big conflict? You never get angry easily.”

“That kid actually said he doesn’t like me! He doesn’t like me?” Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but complain.

Unexpectedly, his master reflected on this first, probably in disbelief, and burst out laughing after a moment. 

“Master is laughing?!” Liu Zhenqing glared at him.

“You stupid disciple, aren’t I laughing at you for being so angry? Didn’t you say before that you didn’t have such ideas about him yet? If he doesn’t like you, you should be happy. From now on, you can simply regard him as your adopted brother. Feel free to follow me now.”

Liu Zhenqing stared blankly for a moment. His expression changed several times, he he finally gritted his teeth and said, “No, I can’t leave.”

“Why. Don’t make excuses to your teacher.”

Liu Zhenqing scoffed coldly, “I’m not making excuses. I only have one idea here: I won’t leave until he admits he likes me!”

“So what if he admits it?” His master asked in amusement.

Liu Zhenqing took a deep breath and said: “Then I’ll tell him that I’m a little tempted too!”

After he spoke, he added unwillingly: “Just a little!”

“It’s really just a little bit! I don’t like men!”

“So it’s a casual thing where I can run away at any time, that kind of little bit!”

“Master, why are you leaving? Don’t you believe me?”

“I’m telling the truth, it’s just a little bit! Even that stinky little demon won’t admit it, on what basis should I have to…..”

The Author Has Something to Say:

Er-gou has a reason. You’ll see after Qingqing teases Er-gou well.

---

Consider donating via Kofi here!

Chapter Seventy << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Two