The inner side of the patch was soft and sticky bio-silica gel, which absorbed into the skin and felt cool.

Like a secret reminder.

Fortunately, it was quickly warmed by body heat.

Huo Tinglan helped Ye Ci stick them on and then exited first. There was no one else outside. He folded his cuffs back, straightened his shoulders, and pretended to wash his hands in front of the sink.

Whether it was intentional or not, he was wearing a black shirt today, and after rubbing against Ye Ci’s wet sportswear for a long time, the front of the shirt was stained with water that could not be seen on the dark fabric. It looked no different from a clean shirt.

In the stall, Ye Ci tugged at the hem of his clothes and pushed the door open slowly, walking out.

Perhaps because his thigh ligaments had been over-stretched, his steps were unsteady.

The permanent marking had happened over a month ago during the summer break, and school had started just a few days after. Ye Ci’s study schedule was very tight and Huo Tinglan was afraid that his energy would be affected, so over the past month or so, he had been showing restraint. Most of their intimate contact had been simple touches.

Thus……he had firmly held back.

He also hadn’t done anything too serious just now.

After all, it was impossible for him to really do anything to Ye Ci in the school bathroom.

When they went home tonight, would Huo-shushu……

Ye Ci recalled the day of the permanent mark during summer break and curled his fingers up nervously, clenching them together.

Even recalling a few scenes was not good. The back of his neck was faintly hot, the skin that had finally cooled down flushing a passionate pink, and he had no choice but to wash his face with cold water.

The events were not over yet, and the students were all gathered on the sports field. There were not many people in other areas of the campus, but fortunately, the milk tea shop was open like normal.

“Try it.” Ye Ci handed Huo Tinglan a glass of grape smoothie. “It’s really delicious.”

Water droplets condensed on the outside of the purple-red cup, and the thick snow-white cream was dotted with a few round, green grapes. It was a childish drink, and Huo Tinglan took it and sipped it with a smile: “En, it’s delicious.”

Ye Ci’s cheeks puffed out slightly as he chewed the grapes without saying a word, his bright eyes slightly curved with happiness.

The noise of shouting and announcements came from the sports field. The distance was too great, and the sound quality was a bit muffled. The two of them sat in the shade of a secluded tree and drank while enjoying the breeze.

Aside from the age difference, they were like a school couple on a secret date.

Ye Ci bit his straw, and his mind finally drifted off for a bit as he silently replayed the 1500 meter run. Did his running posture look cool enough? Did he look silly when he was sweating and panting? He also regretted that he didn’t look on both sides of the track and wave at Huo Tinglan or something……

His thoughts were all rather uncomplicated.

Nothing more than the small thoughts of a teenager, always thinking about looking cool in front of his lover.

“……What are you thinking about?” Huo Tinglan had been observing him for a long time.

“I’m, I’m thinking about the competition,” Ye Ci said truthfully.

“Why is your face getting redder?” Huo Tinglan bent his index finger and pressed the back of it against his spreading blush.

It was soft and hot.

Ye Ci turned his face to look at him. His eyes were very obedient: “I don’t know.”

“Are your glands hot?” Huo Tinglan lightly touched the back of his neck.

They were hot.

The exuberant heat could be felt through the layers of barrier patches.

“Do you have enough strength?” He smiled with faint ill intentions.

Ye Ci stretched his legs. “……Maybe I’m a little, little tired.”

“Baby,” Huo Tinglan said in a low voice, his eyes dark, “Your fever period is here.”

Even if it was a few days early.

After the permanent marking, an Omega’s fever periods would become regular.

And the hormonal fluctuations caused by close contact may cause the fever to advance within a certain range……

Ye Ci was startled, and touched the back of his neck.

He hadn’t been an Omega for long enough, and often ignored those signs.

“Want to go back and watch the events?” Huo Tinglan softly asked Ye Ci’s opinion. “Or go home with me first to……deal with it.”

Because of the permanent mark, Ye Ci’s fever symptoms would not be very serious. Other Alphas would not be sensitive to the soaring pheromone concentration, but it had a huge impact on Huo Tinglan.

So there was no rush to deal with it.

Ye Ci hesitated for a moment. Today’s sports competition had come to an end. He wouldn’t be able to stay long once he went back, and his classmates would see him blushing like this.

It was noticeably his fever period, and in case it got worse……

Ye Ci squeezed the cup that he had unconsciously crushed, sucked up the grape pieces at the bottom, and pretended to be calm as he said: “It’s not, not convenient to go back……let’s go home first and, and deal with it.”

As the saying went: First time unfamiliar, second time well-accustomed.

Having experienced such an intense, days-long permanent mark, Ye Ci felt that there was nothing left to be shy about, so he put on a steady and experienced look. After returning home, he first went to find his pajamas, and when he looked up, he saw that Huo Tinglan had also walked into the cloakroom to look for something. Ye Ci raised his chin toward the bathroom, his face bright red, and said coolly: “I’m going to take a shower.”

After saying as much, he was about to turn around and leave when Huo Tinglan embraced him. His thin back pressed against the firm muscles of his chest, and he felt the vibration as Huo Tinglan laughed.

He had clearly laughed, but his tone regained its composure the next second.

“Wait a moment, baby, I have something to ask you.” 

“What?” Ye Ci felt that it wouldn’t be anything serious.

– Huo-shushu at once acted demure in order to play dirty tricks.

“At the opening ceremony of the sports competition this morning, your class performed a group dance……” Huo Tinglan smiled, and while continuing to embrace him from behind, he pulled Ye Ci to sit on the cloakroom’s changing stool. He wrapped his arms around the other’s arms and clasped his wrists with his hands, fully encircling the boy who was a full size slenderer than himself, but his tone was gentle and upright, as if they were having a heart-to-heart conversation. “Wasn’t it all Omegas who did it?”

Ye Ci’s intuition wasn’t good, so he pursed his lips and remained silent.

It was a pity that his thoughts were still too pure, so he went over Huo Tinglan’s words again and again but couldn’t find anything wrong with them, giving a low “En.”

“What about you, why didn’t you do it?” Huo Tinglan asked softly.

“I……” Ye Ci instinctively ignored the important and dwelled on the trivial, avoiding the real reason of, ‘seeking to dress a male Omega in a skirt like a girl,’ and said, “No, since I can’t, can’t dance, I couldn’t do it.”

He felt that he couldn’t mention the skirt business.

“It was because you can’t dance?” Huo Tinglan smiled softly.

“Yes,” Ye Ci insisted.

Huo Tinglan nodded, and said clearly, “Then that means……you have no objection to wearing skirts.”

“ ? ! ”

Ye Ci licked his lips, dumbfounded.

What an unexpected interpretation.

“No, that’s not it,” Ye Ci shook his head vigorously, stuttering out a quick, “I object, I object.”

Huo Tinglan sighed: “So antisocial.”

Although his popularity was so high that he would be welcomed by the students as soon as he walked into the stands of Class 7, not wearing a little skirt along with the other Omegas was antisocial.

– What a good trick to confuse black and white.

Ye Ci stared in amazement, and his lips that had been licked moist and tender opened in shock.

Could it be that Huo-shushu would block him no matter what he said, taking advantage of his anxious, clumsy mouth……

Huo Tinglan’s eyes were fixed as he said solemnly: “Huo-shushu is very worried about you.”

“Could it be that, that you want me to wear……” Ye Ci gulped, unable to believe it. “But, but today didn’t you see what they, they were wearing?”

There were no short skirts at home!

And, and it was too late to prepare one!

“Indeed.” Huo Tinglan paused for two seconds, then said naturally, “That’s why the style is not the same.”

A laugh escaped after the slight pause.

He had made an error in his performance.

With this laugh, Ye Ci was instantly enlightened.

……Although it wasn’t flawless Buddhist enlightenment.

Huo Tinglan’s plan was premeditated. It just happened that the Omegas had danced at the sports competition and Huo Tinglan was there to see it.

The skirt in question was probably not a standard skirt.

It wouldn’t be as good as their dancing skirts! At least those were decent!

This penetrated into Ye Ci’s mind, and his voice trembled with embarrassment: “Then, then you……”

That voice gradually became fainter, like the buzzing of a mosquito.

“……are being perverted?”

Facing this question, Huo Tinglan fell silent.

Ye Ci thought he was going to play at being decent again and tease him with ridiculous words such as “Huo-shushu is helping you integrate into the group” or “other Omegas wear them, Xiao Ci.” 

Unexpectedly, Huo Tinglan smiled and said: “Indeed.”

He didn’t even try to conceal it!

It wasn’t that he had special hobbies, it was just that when the little gentleman’s legs looked so good, a few untoward thoughts surfaced when he was distracted.

It wouldn’t hurt to try once in a while.

He let go of Ye Ci and leisurely rummaged through the closet.

Ye Ci was in his fever period and couldn’t leave him.

In the changing mirror, his ten fingers were as thin and white as scallions as they held onto his trousers. His knuckles protruded sharply, and he was so embarrassed that he wanted to beat someone up. However, he still waited motionlessly for Huo Tinglan to find a skirt for him to wear, blushing. The corners of his eyes and the tip of his nose were also stained a slight red, aggrieved and bullied.

After Huo Tinglan found the clothes, he smiled apologetically: “I didn’t have you try it on, so I don’t know if it will fit……is it too short?”

Ye Ci glanced at Huo Tinglan’s hand and was too ashamed to speak. He lowered his head and leaned his forehead on his hand without saying a word.

“But the stockings are elastic, so they should fit,” Huo Tinglan consoled him, but gradually couldn’t speak human words. “Baby, will you wear the skirt? I can help you.”

The swivel mirror in the cloakroom was turned to face the changing stool.

Ye Ci resisted passively, not struggling but not cooperating.

And let Huo Tinglan dress him like a doll.

… …

Due to the rise in body temperature, even his white back, chest, and abdomen were light pink.

The silk and lace rippled with different shades of broken light along with the movements of his body, complementing that pink skin.

“I, I have an event tomorrow……I’ll need to, to wear a tracksuit,” Ye Ci said tremblingly. “Don’t touch my, my arms and legs, okay, Huo-shushu?”

Touching, of course, referred to “leaving traces.”

“Okay,” Huo Tinglan responded first, and then asked politely, “Then where can I touch?”

“……”

“Make me a list?”

After a long silence:

“Face, belly, and……”

So cute.

Huo Tinglan followed his words and kissed his face.

– Then followed the list one by one.

On the second day of the sports competition, Ye Ci had a few events to participate in, but they weren’t high-intensity.

Events such as the javelin throw only required a short run-up, and was very friendly to his sore waist and legs. Moreover, the students were not very good at such professional things, so everyone had fun messing around together.

After all his events were over, Ye Ci returned to the Class 7 stands to concentrate on watching the competition.

Today’s sun was unbelievably hot. He and Jiang Yan each contributed a hand to prop up a school uniform jacket as a sunshade, freeing up the other hand to eat the potato chips sitting between them.

“I used to think you didn’t like these things.” Jiang Yan frowned. “You’re so cool, you don’t look at first glance like someone who loves snacks.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t like to eat them, but mainly because he hadn’t eaten them much before.

“Before, I didn’t know that I could love snacks so much.” Ye Ci’s lips curled up.

Jiang Yan opened a huge extra-value pack that barely fit when he stuffed it in-between them: “These cheesy onion ones are also super tasty, try some……”

Under the simple school uniform awning……

Crunch, crunch.

Crunch, crunch.

Like two happy little hamsters.

Tsk –

A Coke can was cracked open.

“Our class should be number one in total points. I went to ask just now.”

“That is, is a must.”

“Later, you must represent our class to accept the award. The class monitor and the sports committee have agreed. You have contributed the most and your appearance is good.”

“……I’m going?”

“There’s no need to make a speech. There are so many representatives, just bow when it’s your turn.”

“Then……okay, I’ll go.”

“……”

In the distance, another burst of cheers and encouragement sounded.

“Look, look! The head of the sports committee is about to cross the finish line!”

The students in the front row stood abruptly.

Ye Ci also stood up with potato chips in his mouth, looking up with interest. He was not accustomed to shouting, but he silently cheered for his teammate in his heart.

On the synthetic track of the bright green and brick-red stadium, vigorous figures were striding forward in the autumn wind, cheering and laughing like a tidal wave.

It was a beautiful autumn day.

【End of Sports Competition】

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Extra Four: Sports Competition << Table of Contents >> Extra Six: The Necktie

After changing his clothes, Ye Ci returned to the sports field. Like a young seedling that was so green and tender that water could be squeezed out, he stood tall and straight in the pale sunlight, drawing countless eyes.

Among them, a dark and solid gaze came from the platform.

Wherever Ye Ci went, that line of sight followed.

A high-level Alpha’s eagle-eyed vision was put to unscrupulous work once more, and at such a long distance, those eyes could still clearly pick out details that should or shouldn’t be seen.

It made his heart itch unbearably, and there was a scorching fire rolling in his stomach, but he put on a reserved and steady air, keeping his face tranquil.

This morning, Ye Ci would be going back and forth between track and field competitions. Roll-call was held for an event, and then it soon began. When he easily took first place, the broadcast was full of limericks from Class 7: “The spring breeze is blowing, the war drums are beating, who is Class 7’s Brother Ci afraid of……Class 7, Class 7, competing for Tiansheng, Brother Ci, Brother Ci, salute the outstanding hero……”

Ye Ci had thin skin, and when he first heard the shameful title of “Class 7’s Brother Ci,” he directly got a stitch in his side while on the track. He sprinted the remaining 100 meters in pain, and stood beside the finish line rubbing his stomach. He hung his head fearfully, afraid that people around would see that he was the domineering “Brother Ci” of legend.

He clearly still lacked a clear understanding of how well-known he was in other classes.

There were not many people around who didn’t know……

It was only that they were more covert.

After rushing through a few rounds, Ye Ci temporarily returned to the class stands to rest. Later on, he had the 1,500 meter run, which was a major event. The sports committee was quite conscientious, studying the race schedule and digging around to set aside a period of rest for him.

As soon as he appeared, there was a burst of deafening cheers and applause from Class 7’s area in the stands, with no less enthusiasm than if they were meeting a celebrity.

Ye Ci smiled shyly and triumphantly, and two small dimples appeared on his face. He feared that people would notice and tease him, but he couldn’t hold back his smile, and lowered his head as he walked towards the empty seat that his classmates had reserved for him.

After several events, he was sweating so much that his back was drenched. An Omega name Jiang Yan who had accompanied him throughout the run was afraid that he would catch a chill from the wind, so he put a sports jacket over his shoulders.

Ye Ci had a well-proportioned figure, with a shorter upper body and long legs. The jacket hung so loosely that it almost covered the track shorts, making it look like he wasn’t wearing any at first glance.

Beads of sweat rolled along the muscles, dripping down in liquid streams to set off those jade-white legs. The traces of Omega pheromones in the sweat accumulated more and more, and the powerful barrier patch on the back of his neck couldn’t block them. The sweet scent of vanilla diffused in the autumn wind.

Damn.

Cheng Xiao stared straight at Ye Ci and turned his head to chase after the sight of him with a sour feeling in his heart.

An old cow eats young grass.^[1] Surnamed Huo was really able to enjoy it.

“Brother Ci, wipe off your sweat!” A sports committee member who was also an Alpha sensed that something was wrong and threw a freshly opened towel through the air at Ye Ci.

“Thank you.” Ye Ci raised his hand to catch it.

“Cheng Xiao, stop staring at others!” Jiang Yan was the Omega who told Huo Tinglan previously that he would “watch” Ye Ci. He had a hot temper, and seeing that Cheng Xiao still had some hope in his heart, he stood in front of him and vigorously exposed him. “You don’t have a chance, ah, go take a look at yourself.”

Cheng Xiao was greedy and jealous, and it was clear that he couldn’t beat Huo Tinglan. He knew that in the eyes of the other, he was just a brat who couldn’t even grow facial hair, and estimated that even using a finger to deal with him would be overkill. He could only vent his anger on others, and choked out angrily at Jiang Yan: “You’re watching me? The control is pretty widespread.”

“That’s right, ah, I have a wide range. The school was built by my family, so why shouldn’t I take care of what goes on at school?” He stared, hands on his hips, and spoke plausibly.

The project to build the school was indeed taken over by the Jiang family. Cheng Xiao was dumbfounded. But when an Omega who couldn’t speak so eloquently uttered a “fuck,” and he lost his temper.

“……”

Ye Ci could hear what they were arguing about, but he didn’t feel offended. His emotions didn’t even fluctuate for this childish Alpha, and he just gave Cheng Xiao a light glance and raised his head to drink water.

Cheng Xiao was embarrassed and turned back with a blushing face.

Ye Ci took a chocolate energy bar from his classmate and gnawed on it, then grabbed his mobile phone from his schoolbag. There was a new message from Huo Tinglan.

[Huo Tinglan]: Baby, you’re really amazing. How many times have you won first place?

He had actually counted all the times he’d won, and just wanted to give Ye Ci a chance to show off to him.

Ye Ci scratched his head and quickly reported his results.

Huo Tinglan didn’t hesitate to praise him, and complimented him effusively.

Ye Ci reaped considerable benefits. Scrolling on his phone, the corners of his mouth were raised all the way up. Worried that he was smiling too widely, he pressed his fist against his lips and squeezed them tightly shut.

– He had been coaxed to show his belly again.

Ye Ci was proud of himself for long enough, and worrying that Huo Tinglan would get bored, he lowered his eyes and typed.

[Ye Ci]: I won’t have any events today after I finish the 1,500 meter run. How about walking around the campus with you?

Huo Tinglan had also studied here, so he probably wanted to see the changes made to his alma mater.

Huo Tinglan smiled and sent an “okay.”

Ye Ci racked his brains to figure out how to entertain him, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

[Ye Ci]: Our school milk tea shop has a grape smoothie that is very delicious. I usually drink one glass per day.

After posting, he was a little embarrassed. Huo Tinglan was not a student in his teens or twenties. It was too tasteless to treat someone to a smoothie at a milk tea shop for less than 20 yuan……

He hesitated, and withdrew the message.

The other party came back quickly.

[Huo Tinglan]: I saw it, I want to eat.

[Huo Tinglan]: Treat me.

It was like a date.

Ye Ci’s heart beat hard a few times.

[Ye Ci]: En, my treat.

That chat history was filled with the atmosphere of campus romance, as refreshing as lemon and sea salt.

But at this time, Huo Tinglan sent another message.

[Huo Tinglan]: I have something to say, but I don’t know if it is convenient for me to tell you now……is there a classmate next to you?”

Ye Ci glanced around. Of course there were classmates, but they were all watching the events with their chins raised, and no one was paying attention to him.

He was paralyzed by the sweet, fresh atmosphere of love, and replied unguardedly: Yes, but they’re all watching the races. What do you want to say?

A few seconds later.

[Huo Tinglan]: Baby’s legs are really white.

“……”

Ye Ci fell silent.

[Huo Tinglan]: I want to taste your sweat.

What followed was even more unsightly.

This person who looked so dignified and elegant was sending this stuff to a male high school student from the stage.

What was the strength of this wolf in sheep’s clothing!

Ye Ci abruptly looked away. As if he was holding a white-hot poker, he locked the screen in a rush and tossed the phone into his schoolbag.

Presently, he blushed and raised his butt, pulling down his sports shorts a little.

An extra centimeter was still a centimeter.

Some people were real scoundrels.

Ye Ci rested, and then the 1,500 meter run commenced.

After three and a half laps around the track, Ye Ci was still running effortlessly, but the sun that had been hiding his face before slowly emerged from behind the clouds. There was sweat on his skin, and when it was exposed to the harsh sun, it became slightly itchy and uncomfortable.

When he crossed the finish line first amidst the joyful cheers of his classmates, he rushed several meters with the streamer trailing from him, then stopped to take the mineral water Jiang Yan handed over. He twisted the top off and took two drinks, then poured it over the top of his head, simply and roughly driving away the heat and itching all over his body.

The water soaked through his clothes, and the light fabric of the sportswear firmly stuck to the wet skin.

Ye Ci was not like some fastidious little Omegas who wore tight-fitting vests under the sportswear to prevent exposure.

So some details and contours……were instantly revealed.

“You, do you want to put on a jacket……”

Jiang Yan averted his eyes, but Ye Ci still thought it was normal to pour water over his head after strenuous exercise. Wiping the water droplets from his face, he shook his hands toward the grass and said frankly: “No need, I’m almost about to, to suffer heat stroke.”

“……Want to go to the locker room and change?” 

However, Huo Tinglan’s deep, gentle voice came from behind, and he couldn’t hear the slightest hint of displeasure. “There is air conditioning inside the building.”

After the start of the 1,500 meter race, he had left the stage to wait for Ye Ci at the finish line.

He was a young man as vigorous and nimble as a leopard. The wind blew his hair back, revealing the entirety of his small face, and his eyes were as bright as stars……

He had come to the sports field. However, Ye Ci was not distracted during the race and basically didn’t look to the sides of the track, so he hadn’t seen him.

“Ah, okay.” Ye Ci turned his head. “When, when did you come?”

“I’ve been standing here for a while to see you cross the finish line.” Huo Tinglan smiled and raised the paper bag in his hand containing fresh clothes. Then he stood in front of him unobtrusively and led him towards the gymnasium.

There was a public changing room in the gymnasium. Ye Ci thought that Huo Tinglan’s purpose was to let him change clothes, but just as he entered the door, Huo Tinglan grasped the back of his neck gently. He immediately softened into a ball and was conscientiously moved to the bathroom.

The standard of hygiene was comparable to that of a five-star hotel. There was no smell, and no one else in sight. Huo Tinglan carried Ye Ci into a stall, locked the door, and then leaned in toward his ear and said in a hoarse voice: “I saw it all, baby.”

Hot breath warmed his ears, and the temperature jumped a bit in the cramped compartment.

“Saw what?” Ye Ci was slightly taken aback.

“What do you think?” Huo Tinglan twisted the drenched fabric on his chest.

Ye Ci’s face abruptly turned red, and he stuttered badly: “I, I wasn’t paying attention……I was, was running, and, and it was so hot……”

Huo Tinglan wore a half-smile: “En.”

“I’ll just, just change it.” Ye Ci snatched the paper bag containing the change of clothes from Huo Tinglan’s hand and put it on the shelf behind the toilet.

“Wait, put this on first.” Huo Tinglan loosened his own neckline.

Then he undid his tie with one hand and tugged.

The silk tie rubbed against his collar quickly, making a thin, sharp whoosh.

“I thought of this when I saw you put on the tracksuit……” Huo Tinglan clamped Ye Ci’s wrists with one hand and twisted the hem of the half-sleeved shirt with the other.

Fingertips poked between Ye Ci’s slightly parted lips along with silky fabric.

“Bite down,” he whispered.

“……” Ye Ci’s cheeks flushed red and he grabbed the piece of cloth with his small white teeth, turning his head away shyly.

Huo Tinglan carried out all the ungentlemanly things he had messaged him on WeChat previously.

He didn’t know if the grape smoothie in the milk tea shop was good, and had no interest in sweets.

But the fruit in early autumn was indeed sweet.

“Huo-shushu, the, the swelling is pretty obvious……” Ye Ci changed into the replacement clothes Huo Tinglan had brought, feeling extremely embarrassed and indignant.

Those red and purple marks and fingerprints were not a problem, and with trousers covering them, nothing could be seen.

But elsewhere, they were a bit harder to hide.

“Use these.” Huo Tinglan took out a pair of patches from the paper bag.

The bandages were flesh colored and round.

Little things that could prevent similar embarrassing situations.

“Will they work?” Huo Tinglan asked softly.

Ye Ci shook his head in confusion.

In the end, Huo Tinglan took advantage of what could be explained in three minutes and educated him for ten minutes on the spot.

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[1] An old cow eats young grass (老牛吃嫩草) refers to a romance where one person is significantly older than the other. ⮐

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Extra Three: Sports Competition << Table of Contents >> Extra Five: Sports Competition

The story from the gymnasium that evening spread fast. Fortunately, most of Tiancheng’s students were familiar with the ways of the world and didn’t look at Ye Ci from the perspective of viewing a rare animal or spread outrageous rumors. After the initial shock, most of the students returned to normal, but the group of Alphas who had been waiting to make a move were drenched in cold water and felt a little dispirited. Among them, Cheng Xiao’s setback was particularly serious. One second, he was ecstatically dazzled by Ye Ci’s basketball skills, and the next second, he discovered that not only did Ye Ci have an Alpha, but he was even married. The little flame of his wishful thinking had been extinguished by an Alpha who was stronger and better than himself, slowly crushed and trampled upon. The Alpha’s dignity was greatly injured, and he had been wilting like a weather-beaten eggplant for the past few days.

On the other hand, those Omegas who had a particularly good relationship with Ye Ci couldn’t calm down at all. Whenever they got the chance, they would excitedly grab Ye Ci and torture him for “details.”

Everyone gossiped in a proper manner, and there was nothing private that was inconvenient to talk about, so Ye Ci answered honestly.

Every time, there was an exclamation of, “Wuwuwu, so sweet!”

The weather changed, and the suffocating summer heat seemed to dissipate overnight. The air conditioning in the classroom was shut off, and that date of the autumn sports competition was finally set.

A notice was issued that this sports competition would be held together with the 30th anniversary celebration. The opening performance was more grand than in previous years, and it was said that several outstanding graduates who were well-known in their respective fields would be invited to give speeches.

The date had been set, and the declaration of various events was also on the agenda. The nerves of Class 7’s Omegas were so bad that it was almost contagious. After four semesters, the Omega events had not been fully registered. The sprint was fine, they could run 400 meters. For hard-core events such as long-distance running, the sports committee went about begging for help. The triple jump was a technical event that always brought up the rear, and was regarded as “the 30-meter sprint followed by the standing long jump.” Therefore, the total class points were hovering in the middle and lower reaches all year round, and the principle of “friendship first, competition second” was resolutely implemented.

In the last semester of the third year of high school, they finally found a good seedling. The sports committee spent most of the day chasing Ye Ci around whenever they had free time, droning and buzzing: “One more, Brother Ci, sign up for one more and you will be my own brother. Let’s add the javelin throw, there is only one person signed up for it, and we’re missing the other, I’ll ask again in the last class……”

Ye Ci hesitated to answer not because he thought he would be too tired, but because he was too embarrassed to participate in so many competitions. He just wanted to help the sports committee solve two or three difficult events. As a result, as soon as he yielded, he was entangled by the sports committee. The other Omegas also encouraged him wildly, and he was such a pushover that he had to sign up for two more. But after this happened, the sports committee still didn’t let him go, but clutched the fat little sheep all the way from the entrance of the teaching building to the gate after school: “Brother Ci, we in Class 7 can make a turnaround this time thanks to you, Brother Ci! ! !”

The little Omegas watching the excitement fanned the flames and also called sweetly: “Goodbye – Brother –”

Ye Ci shivered, and they almost caused him to stumble.

The little Omegas giggled.

“Don’t, don’t shout……” Ye Ci’s ears turned red, and he looked helplessly at the sports committee. “Really, that’s the last one. I’ve applied for too many, no, no other class can compare.”

What he said was the truth, but it sounded very arrogant, and he appeared extra arrogant because of his sincerity, which caused another wave of excitement among the students.

During rush hour after school, the traffic in front of the school gate was crowded, and the students raised their faces and stretched their necks to look for a familiar vehicle or the person in charge of picking them up.

Amongst the crowd, Huo Tinglan’s figure was exceptionally tall and straight. The black shirt set off his fair face and dark eyes as he looked over silently.

With a spouse that every sort of person was attracted to, it was not enough to only defend against Alphas, but even Omegas could not be underestimated.

The possessiveness of a top Alpha was also top-notch, and the influence of the permanent mark had not dissipated. He had to remind himself to maintain rationality every second of the day.

……

Forget it.

There was no need to drink vinegar over a few children.

At worst……he would get compensation elsewhere.

Someone saw him and hurriedly poked Ye Ci: “Cough, Xiao Ci, that……”

Several students raised their heads, taken aback for a moment, and then they all came forward to greet Huo Tinglan politely, looking a bit nervous.

Some of their families were friendly with the Huo family, and others had not been able to develop such a relationship for the time being. Among them were two faces that looked familiar to Huo Tinglan. They had met during the New Year’s visit and were juniors from another family.

He smiled, returned the greetings modestly, and explained casually: “I’m here to take my little gentleman home.”

Little gentleman!

Ye Ci was almost used to hearing this address, but those Omegas were all so excited that they stared at him crazily as if they wanted to eat him.

Ye Ci: “……”

He blushed and whispered: “I signed up for the sports competition.”

In the past few days, Huo Tinglan had robbed the driver of his job and went to great lengths to pick him up from school. He refused to wait in the car, and found it necessary to stand at the school gate and watch from a distance like other hard-working parents. Moreover, he was a powerful person who could not be offended, and no one thought to covet what was his anymore.

“Don’t worry, take your time.” Huo Tinglan calmly took Ye Ci’s schoolbag that was slung across his right shoulder and helped him carry it. Then he took the school uniform jacket that was draped over his forearm.

The dignified patriarch, like a personal assistant, carried Ye Ci’s bag and coat in a skillful way that was obviously not for show.

The meaning in this doting action was self-evident.

Naturally, there was also a bit of “declaration of sovereignty.”

Ye Ci was a little slow in this aspect and didn’t get the meaning, but the Omegas had already seen through it in a second, each of them pursing their lips and snickering.

Huo Tinglan also smiled at them tacitly.

“Mr. Huo, don’t worry,” a bold Omega said cheerfully. “We’ll watch for you!”

“Ah?” Ye Ci was at a loss. “Watch what, me?”

Huo Tinglan smiled, said “All right” in a joking tone, and then returned to the car with Ye Ci.

This time there was a driver in the car.

It had also been several days.

However, as soon as he got into the backseat, Ye Ci had the illusion that the soles of his feet were burning.

As if he was stepping on something hot, like volcanic rock, or like five fingers gripping and rubbing his ankles.

“Are you remembering something?” Huo Tinglan asked leisurely, glancing at him.

“No!” Ye Ci shook his head so hard that it almost went flying off.

“By the way, I heard you discussing the sports competition.” Huo Tinglan asked with a smile, “Is it going to be held together with the school’s anniversary?”

Ye Ci raised his eyes and said curiously: “How do you know?”

He was aware that Huo Tinglan was one of the members of the school board of directors, but with so many properties owned by the Huo family, Tiancheng Private School was a relatively insignificant one. He didn’t care about such things, and usually even if there were important matters, they were handed over to the special assistant. It was estimated that matters on the level of a school celebration or sports competition wouldn’t even reach tenth place on the list of things he paid attention to.

“I received an invitation to the school celebration.” Huo Tinglan took a beautifully printed letter from the pocket of his suit, opened it, and said, “Outstanding Tiancheng graduates are invited to deliver speeches at the opening ceremony.”

He had also studied at Tiancheng when he was in high school, and went abroad to study after graduation.

“After all, I’m still your senior.” Huo Tinglan was in a dilemma, and had a faint look of distress between his brows. “I’ve been busy with work these days, so I haven’t decided whether or not to go. Baby, if you want me to……”

Ye Ci’s bright eyes darted, and he poked his head over to check the invitation dubiously.

If he listened to half of what Huo-shushu said and discarded the other half, he would never go wrong.

“What, are you afraid I created a fake?” Huo Tinglan smiled, extremely innocent, and brushed off the corner of that hard-earned paper, saying confidently, “You see, the signature of one of the school directors, the seal of the school……”

It was indeed signed by a school director.

Ye Ci was dumbfounded.

Outstanding Graduate Invited: Huo Tinglan

Inviter’s signature: Huo Tinglan

Above the two horizontal lines, the sharp and elegant handwriting of “Huo Tinglan” was exactly the same.

Relying on being a school director, this person asked the school for an invitation letter and invited himself.

What thick skin!

Ye Ci couldn’t help but be amazed.

“I just want to see what it’s like to watch you compete in sports.” Huo Tinglan didn’t really want to hide it from him at first, so when he was exposed, he just smiled gracefully. “Can I go?”

“……Yes.” Ye Ci scratched his cheek.

What boy wouldn’t want to look cool in front of his crush?

He had originally wanted Huo Tinglan to watch him compete.

It was just that in the original plan, he was going to ask his classmates to take some videos he could send to Huo Tinglan……but it would be great if Huo Tinglan could come in person.

At most, he would be teased by his classmates……and he was already a little used to it.

On the day of the sports competition, the heavens favored them and it was cloudy without rain or sun.

The opening ceremony of the school celebration was truly extraordinary. The student formation was large, and the square groups made up of each class displayed attention-grabbing ingenuity. In a certain first year class, there was even a showy young master Alpha who carried the class flag and rode a horse around the field……Fortunately, Ye Ci did not need to share the burden of performing at the opening ceremony for Class Seven. The girls and the male Omegas dressed as girls danced in short skirts. Ye Ci stood aside and felt proud of his height of 1.8 meters. 

The skirts fell short of ten centimeters……

It was hard not to be scared.

After the whole school team entered the arena, various leaders and student representatives gave speeches, followed by outstanding graduates’ speeches and wishes for the 30th anniversary celebration. Apart from Huo Tinglan, several graduates who were quite famous in their respective fields were indeed invited.

Perhaps out of consideration for the little gentleman who was still standing at attention on the sports field, Huo Tinglan’s speech was the shortest and most concise. As soon as he opened his mouth, there was a constant commotion coming from the student formation, and from time to time there were a few uncontrollable screams. However, Huo Tinglan was completely unaffected by the restless atmosphere at the scene. His tone was serious and calm, and those not in the know would think that he was a proper person.

After the opening ceremony, the sports competition finally started. Ye Ci hurriedly went to the bathroom to change into a set of half sleeves and shorts that were convenient for his events. The sports shorts were not much longer than mid-thigh, and a pair of well-proportioned legs were displayed, thin, with just the right amount of muscle to not be obtrusive. It may have been because the skin was so smooth that there was a thin sheen of light along the slightly protruding muscles of his thighs.

Very vivacious.

Very beautiful.

Very……seductive.

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Extra Two: Sports Competition << Table of Contents >> Extra Four: Sports Competition

There was no telling how long Huo Tinglan had been standing at the entrance of the venue. After all, everyone’s attention was focused on Ye Ci just now, and no one was looking towards the door.

But at this time, following Ye Ci’s line of sight, all eyes turned in that direction.

The families of the students who came to Tiancheng were probably all wealthy and respectable people. Some of them had business contact with the Huo family and visited during New Years and the holidays. Someone recognized who this was and let out a soft, suppressed exclamation.

“I’m dead! So handsome –”

“Ah, ah, ah, he seems to be looking over here.”

An excited Omega whispered to his companion, the two of them so thrilled that they were about to twist into pretzels.

“Why is he here?”

“He seems to be one of the school’s directors. I remember that the Huo family has shares in Tiancheng……”

“Even if he is a school director, why is he here?”

“……”

As a group of students whispered, Ye Ci had already started running towards Huo Tinglan, and the corners of his blue and white school uniform suddenly rose.

From the back, his figure was inexplicably joyful.

“Huo-shushu, why, why are you here?” Ye Ci ran so fast and braked so hard that the soles of his shoes made a sharp noise on the gymnasium floor.

He hadn’t fastened the button on his collar. When Huo Tinglan lowered his eyes, he saw two collarbones that were white and straight like polished birch wood, covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

Like flower dew, tempting people to touch.

……No wonder that brat from the Cheng family kept looking at his neckline.

“The driver had asked for leave the day before yesterday, as there was an urgent matter in his hometown.” Huo Tinglan looked down and frowned slightly. “He didn’t tell you?”

“He did!” Ye Ci blurted out first, fearing that he would deduct the driver’s wages, and then remembered what the driver had said when he sent him to school the morning before yesterday. At that time, he used the drive to school to ponder an ingenious competition-level physics problem in the back seat, his soul trapped in the electromagnetic field, and had forgotten after casually agreeing.

“He did say that,” Ye Ci stated firmly. “I forgot.”

“……So I’m here to pick you up today.” Huo Tinglan smiled and said gently: “I waited for you at the school gate for more than half an hour, but no students came out. Then I sent you a message and didn’t get a reply. I was worried about what might have happened to you, so I came in to take a look.”

“Sorry, Huo-shushu.” An eighty-year-old man wouldn’t be as forgetful as he was. Ye Ci apologized with drooping brows. “As soon as I started playing, I forgot and didn’t look at my phone.”

“There’s no need to apologize for such a small matter.” Huo Tinglan smiled. His black eyes were slightly sullen, but the corners of his mouth were raised and his tone was gentle. After confirming Ye Ci’s safety, those previous words were unimportant. He was concerned about other things, so the conversation turned a little abruptly. “Hot, baby?”

“Ah,” Ye Ci was taken aback, “kind of……”

It wasn’t hot before, but his nerves were somewhat tense when confronting Cheng Xiao.

“Take off your jacket since it’s hot, and I’ll hold it for you,” Huo Tinglan said softly. “Go play with your classmates for a while, I’ll wait for you.”

“It’s not for fun, it’s just for the, the sports competition in a few days. There is a basketball game and our, our classmates want to learn how to play……” Ye Ci explained, taking off his jacket and handing it over.

With this natural handover, the Omegas not far away were so excited that they let out suppressed screams like the steam from a boiling kettle.

“Ah, ah, ah, ah, he also took clothes from XiaoCi!”

“I’m dead……”

“Did he call you ‘Baby’ just now? Was it ‘Baby’, or am I deaf? !”

“It was ‘Baby!’ Let me tell you that they are not relatives! That look couldn’t come from a relative! I ship them, you guys are wasting your energy.”

“Shipping teacher!”

“Good shipping teacher!”

“……”

Ye Ci’s face turned red, and he turned his head to gesture at the group of Omegas whose eyes had turned into gossip searchlights, explaining: “They’re all Omegas, don’t think too much about it.”

“En.” Huo Tinglan’s smile was warm like a spring breeze. “That one looks pretty strong.”

His eyes locked onto the suspicious Chen Xiao.

Ye Ci: “……”

It shouldn’t be too hot after taking off the coat, so Huo Tinglan fastened the button on Ye Ci’s shirt for him.

“He’s an Alpha.” Ye Ci’s Omega self-preservation skills were still slow, and only then did he realize something, dropping his head. “We’re just, just competing, and he really annoys me.”

“All right.” Huo Tinglan didn’t want to lose face in public, and he accepted everything that Ye Ci said with a smile.

He looked very good-natured.

But Ye Ci sensed that something was wrong.

“I played ball just, just now. Did you see it all?” Ye Ci asked in a low voice: “Did I……look cool?”

“Cool, baby.” Huo Tinglan smiled and leaned over slightly. He whispered in his ear in a voice that only these two people could hear: “Go first, don’t keep your classmates waiting……we’ll talk about this matter when we get home.”

We’ll talk at home.

This was like what parents might say after a parent-teacher meeting, “See how I’ll deal with you when we get home.”

But this “dealing with” was obviously not of that kind. Ye Ci, an impure male high school student whose mind had been polluted, instantly conjured up several unsightly scenes. On the way back to his classmates, his face turned increasingly red at a pace visible to the naked eye.

Chen Xiao was quite displeased with those jeering Omegas, and even more displeased that Ye Ci acted cool and confident in front of him, but the moment he was next to Huo Tinglan, he became soft like a ball of rice cake. He pretended not to notice this little episode and asked while dribbling: “Finished talking? Still want to play?”

“No.” Ye Ci shook his head faintly. “He won’t let me.”

Damn.

Why were these words so ambiguous?”

Half curious and half reluctant, Cheng Xiao said: “No way, Huo Tinglan won’t let you play ball?”

Huo-shushu was listening!

Ye Ci defended with a strong desire to survive: “He’ll let me play, but, but not with you.”

“What’s wrong with me?” Relying on Huo Tinglan not lowering himself to bother with him, Cheng Xiao scoffed and glanced at the door with bravado. “Your surname isn’t Huo, ah, and he still called you ‘baby, did I hear that right……” He thought for a moment about what elder would have a different surname. “What kind of uncle is he?”

As far as Cheng Xiao knew, Huo Tinglan had several cousins.

As soon as he spoke these words, an inexplicable chill ran down his spine.

Cheng Xiao cringed in fright.

The arrogance from a moment ago deflated like a punctured balloon.

Ye Ci glanced at him silently, clenched his fists, and said in a voice that was not loud, but could be heard by all the students present: “He is my husband.”

“……Ah?” Cheng Xiao slowly opened his mouth wide. His jaw almost unhinged in shock.

“Aaaaaaah!”

The little Omegas stomped their feet and made a racket.

In fact, some time ago, a few well-informed students had passed on some of Ye Ci’s family affairs, saying that he was actually the third eldest grandson of the Chu family, with his mother’s surname. As for further gossip, since Ye Ci had long stopped dealing with the Chu family and the Huo family had always kept a low profile, even the marriage of the family head had been kept secret and no one was able to find out.

It was inconvenient to ask about other people’s family affairs directly. Besides, these little Omegas who were close to Ye Ci hadn’t befriended him because of his family background. Gossip was not always accurate, so nobody took heed of what others had to say, and didn’t pay attention to it.

This time, it was almost like being struck with a hammer. It was unlikely that the head of the Huo family would marry an ordinary person with no background.

Of course, that wasn’t important. The important thing was –

“Xiao Ci is married?!”

“Wuwuwu, I was bent because of him. Wow, I feel like the boss is staring at me, I’m joking, I’m a straight Omega……”

“How come you never told us!”

“When did this happen? Last Spring Festival, my parents took me to the Huo family’s house to give New Year’s greetings, and I didn’t see you at that time. No, you were underage at that time……”

“……..”

Everyone chattered continuously.

With Ye Ci’s communication skills, he would have to grow ten more mouths to deal with these little Omegas. Thankfully, Huo Tinglan had already stepped into the gymnasium gracefully and looked over at him with a smile on his lips. 

It would be too embarrassing to gossip in front of others, so the little Omegas kept silent and pulled Ye Ci to shoot ball. However, all of them had an excited gleam in their eyes. There was no more he could teach them, but Ye Ci taught perfunctory for ten minutes and announced their dismissal on the spot, letting them practice freely. Then he left the venue with Huo Tinglan under the teasing eyes of his classmates.

The car was parked across from the school gate, and Ye Ci obediently followed behind Huo Tinglan, tightly holding his breath.

Walking to the car, Huo Tinglan sat in the back seat as usual.

The driver didn’t get out of the car, and he opened the door by himself. Ye Ci was ill at ease, but he didn’t sense any abnormalities. He assumed that since Uncle Zhang had gone back to his hometown to run some errands, Huo Tinglan had temporarily changed to another driver who was not as proficient in the business. He also sat in the back seat.

As soon as he sat inside, he found that the driver’s seat was empty.

Ye Ci licked his lower lip: “……Where’s the driver?”

Huo Tinglan smiled: “Without a driver, I took the rare opportunity to pick you up. I drove today.”

“……” There was a moment of silence.

“Then why, why did you sit in the back seat?”

The fragrance of tequila was getting stronger, and Ye Ci had a bad feeling. He went numb all the way to his tailbone and almost followed his instinct to escape by opening the door and jumping out of the car.

“I’m getting old,” Huo Tinglan said calmly. “I can’t turn the steering wheel anymore.”

Ye Ci: “…….”

Was this not him playing the scoundrel?

It was a pity that the dignified formula one racer in the previous life was now broken down on the side of the road because of his lack of a driver’s license, unable to move an inch.

“You, how old are you, you’re only thirty, your life is just beginning……” Ye Ci clumsily coaxed that vat of vinegar. “Even Cheng Xiao can’t compare to you.”

Huo Tinglan flexed and clenched his fingers, and said with a smile: “It seems that I have a little strength.”

Huo Tinglan: “Continue.”

Ye Ci: “……”

That was all there was to say.

Ye Ci blushed. The window shades of the car were drawn, it was dark outside, and there was no one on the road……

It was absolutely safe!

Ye Ci felt relieved, and leaned forward to honestly kiss Huo Tinglan’s cheek and thin lips. While kissing, he softly asked: “Huo-shushu, do, do you have the strength now?”

“It’s a little better,” Huo Tinglan said in a low voice. “Kiss me a little more?”

“……”

After an hour:

Huo Tinglan returned to the driver’s seat and started the car.

The window was open a small crack for ventilation, and the summer wind outside was clean, with the smell of fresh, moist vegetation.

But it couldn’t hide the sweet and fishy scent inside the car……

It was inconvenient for Ye Ci to get out of the car, so he simply remained in the back seat. There was no one in the passenger seat, just a pile of laundry waiting to be washed.

A blue and white shirt, trousers, white cotton socks, a school uniform tie.

They were all dirty and sticky with sweat, unable to be worn anymore.

The only thing still clean was a pair of sneakers.

“Don’t get out of the car when we get home,” Huo Tinglan said leisurely. “I’ll go get something for you to wear first.”

“……”

Ye Ci was so embarrassed and indignant that he didn’t want to reply.

Did it need to be said?

Who was the one who couldn’t get out?!

“Did you hear me?” While waiting at a red light, Huo Tinglan turned to look at him.

“Don’t, don’t look back, just focus on the light……” Ye Ci curled up into a ball, hugging his schoolbag. Above the pair of clean white sneakers were distinct ankle bones, tight calves, knees……

“I heard you, turn back around!” 

He was so embarrassed that he wanted to slam his head on the back of the car seat and die.

He could never, ever let Huo-shushu get jealous again! ! !

---

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Extra One: Sports Competition << Table of Contents >> Extra Three: Sports Competition

Tiancheng Private School’s summer vacation was only twenty days, counting the seven days of military training, and soon it was already September.

It was still sweltering, and the sunshine was strong. There were not many people on the sports field, and physical education classes had also been temporarily moved to air-conditioned indoor venues. But even so, a bit of gossip from an unknown source made the students who had just passed the holiday and hadn’t had time to calm down stir with restlessness. It was said this year’s autumn sports competition would be held earlier than in previous years, and would be held in conjunction with the 30th anniversary celebration.

The most widely watched game in previous school sports competitions was basketball. Confrontational sports were already exciting, and this was a good opportunity to see the Alphas show off.

The Omegas in Ye Ci’s class this year had lost their enthusiasm for “watching Alphas” – – how could a stinky Alpha compare to their handsome and fragrant Omega brother? !

Intramural sports competitions were as strict and meticulous as regular competitive sports, and the contestants were mainly divided by gender. After all, the impact of glandular sex on physical fitness was far greater than structural sex. Female Alphas were tied with male Alphas, but male Betas were usually far inferior to male Alphas. Therefore, if they were divided according to the “male and female” gender structure, the whole school would be playing the same games and it would be a sports competition solely for male and female Alphas.

The Alphas in Ye Ci’s class were all very good, and there were 15 classes in the year group. In previous basketball games, their Class 7 basically jumped into the top five, but the Omegas in their class were just okay and had been at the bottom of the year group for a long time. Perhaps the Omegas with the least athleticism in the whole school happened to be gathered together in Class 7, and in previous years, were just asked to do things way beyond their abilities. But this year, the glory of Omegas was in their class, and it was time to bravely fight for first place!

Thus, Ye Ci took a few Omegas from his class to the gymnasium to practice.

The matter of playing ball was decided at the end of the penultimate class in the afternoon. Ye Ci sent a message to the driver in charge of picking him up and explained the situation, saying that he would take a taxi back by himself later that night. The homeroom teacher came in to check on the class after he sent the message, and Ye Ci turned the phone on silent and threw it onto the table in a hurry. When the bell rang, he was surrounded by a group of little Omegas as they walked towards the gymnasium. There were boys and girls, chirping as they went like a group of little birds flapping their wings.

“Our class’s Omegas will be the champions this time.”

“I was so afraid that I would lose face in the game that I fouled five times and was benched……”

“Me too……”

“It’s all up to Xiao Ci! He’s the hope of the whole village!”

Ye Ci’s face went hot from the praise as he repeatedly threw and caught the basketball in his hands. He sincerely encouraged and comforted: “You guys just need to practice. Your basketball skills are no worse than mine. If you’re afraid of fouling, just have fun, and you’ll be fine once you get used to it.”

“Xiao Ci is so sweet!”

“Hey, who told me before that Xiao Ci can play street basketball?”

“I know a few tricks.” Ye Ci scratched the tip of his nose, seven parts shy and three parts proud. “The methods are unorthodox and aggressive.”

“We want to see!”

“How naughty, what a thrilling feeling.”

“Ah, ah, ah, if only I had Alpha glands!”

“Alright, when class is over later……I’ll give you a demonstration.”

Ye Ci was flattered by the praise and quickly agreed. As he said that, at a loss in front of his retinue, he had an idea and spun the ball vertically on his finger like in a basketball cartoon. 

A series of ‘wows’ filled his ears.

In all the excitement, Ye Ci completely forgot to check if the driver had replied to him.

… …

Twenty minutes later.

In the gymnasium.

“I’ll demonstrate it again.”

The venue was quite chilly. Ye Ci wore the thin jacket of his summer school uniform with the sleeves rolled up, revealing his sharp wrist bones. He dribbled a few times and then made a deft three-step basket.

This was the most basic shooting technique. There were a few Omegas who had played with him in his physical education class before, and he had already taught them this, passing on his techniques.

“Remember the six-character memorization technique.” Ye Ci held up six fingers, and his earnest appearance was very inspiring. “One big step, two small, three bounces, the big finger is, is……”

“Is, is what?” 

Someone suddenly cut in.

It could be inferred that the low voice was probably from an Alpha. There was a smile in his voice, and he was stuttering to tease Ye Ci.

It was not necessarily malicious, and sounded very comfortable.

Ye Ci turned away and swept past him indifferently.

It was Cheng Xiao, an Alpha from his class.

He looked very handsome, and was also a young master. In a short period of two years, his partners changed like a revolving lantern, and everyone knew he was here to get a date.

When Ye Ci first transferred to Tiancheng, this person often pestered him and talked nonsense. Ye Ci straightforwardly showed him a cold face, knowing that he was a professional, and as a result, he regrouped and came back even stronger with greasy pickup lines.

“Cheng Xiao, aren’t you being childish?” Said a little Omega. “Go back to your training.”

The Omegas in their Class 7 all knew Cheng Xiao and generally didn’t like him.

“What do you care? Cheng Xiao raised his eyebrows and went to lightly push Ye Ci. “Hey, I’m just kidding around!”

“Touch me less.”

Ye Ci seemed to have eyes on the back of his head and stepped sideways to avoid him.

“Okay, okay, okay.” Cheng Xiao was annoyed. Probably because he thought it was interesting to see a bunch of Omegas pretending to play basketball, he stood by, holding a ball and watching with a smile on his lips.

“That is to say……” Ye Ci ignored him and continued to teach the students.

Ye Ci’s enthusiasm for basketball could be considered ordinary, and was mostly because he didn’t have any other entertainment and would just play street basketball with those ruffians and gamble from time to time. He was young at that time, and the gang treated him like a child. They behaved well towards him, and if they lost, they paid, so they just had a good time.

The ability to play wildly was shut down in standard ball games, and although Ye Ci was interested, he never went to the school-organized games.

In this way, when he taught people how to play standard games, it was inevitable that some novices would rigidly copy him step by step. 

Cheng Xiao watched for a while and felt that Ye Ci’s level was “thorough” and a little graceful. Holding the basketball in his arms, he refrained from interjecting and giving pointers from the side, just yammering “keep it up,” “keep it up,” trying to attract Ye Ci’s attention.

Finally, Ye Ci was overwhelmed by the disturbance. He raised his hand and threw the basketball to a good-looking girl to let her lead the others in practice, then strode toward Cheng Xiao.

Cheng Xiao was very pleased with himself, aiming a half smile at him: “What are you up to, ah?”

Ye Ci used his index finger to flip the ball out of Cheng Xiao’s arms and covered it with one hand: “Come on.”

Cheng Xiao was very happy, thinking that the little Omega was forcibly playing it cool. Afraid to anger him, he bit his lower lip to hold back and said in a soft voice: “Okay, ah, let me teach you a few tricks?”

“Thanks, but there’s no need.” Ye Ci was expressionless.

“No need? Are you really comparing yourself to me, ah?” Cheng Xiao laughed again. “Then, when I win……what can I say?”

“If I win, you go away.” Ye Ci pointed to the Alphas in the distance who were laughing and looking this way. They were all from Class 7’s basketball team, and had also come to practice. However, after practice, it became “watching Brother Xiao pick up an Omega.”

– – From Ye Ci’s point of view, this group of people may still not have woken up completely after taking a nap.

“Then if I win,” Cheng Xiao lost no time playing the hooligan, and gave his friends a look like everything was under control, “You’ll go out with me, ah?”

Ye Ci: “……”

Equally terrible and shameless.

Why did surname Cheng want a pummeling?

“Whatever,” Ye Ci said concisely. “You can’t win.”

“Damn,” Cheng Xiao cursed softly, hooking his finger at Ye Ci. “Come on.”

While his finger was still hanging in the air, Ye Ci had already thrown the ball. It was aimed straight at Cheng Xiao’s face, wreathed in a murderous aura and with such speed and strength that if it hit his face, it would definitely break his nose. Cheng Xiao subconsciously protected his face, but Ye Ci’s hand was faster. The ball seemed to be stuck in his palm as he quickly retracted it.

As soon as he pulled the ball back, Cheng Xiao’s evasion looked ridiculous, like he was an overly-defensive coward.

The little Omegas who were watching the excitement from the sidelines burst into laughter.

Cheng Xiao glanced over, distracted.

In less than a second, Ye Ci moved to slam the ball hard at the backboard with rounded arms. Cheng Xiao twisted his body to grab the ball, and only halfway through the jump, the ball bounced back into Ye Ci’s hand in the same way. Cheng Xiao turned around quickly as he landed, but before he could regain his footing, the basketball had bounced under his crotch. He turned around to grab it, and Ye Ci passed him like a gust of wind, controlling the ball to circle around in front of him, as if throwing a handkerchief.

Cheng Xiao played serious games, and had never met someone who clearly treated people like monkeys. He spun in a daze, becoming dizzy. Ye Ci repeated the trick with a vigorous swing of the ball and hit the backboard. Cheng Xiao saw through his trick and stood still, staring at Ye Ci’s right hand as he prepared to steal the ball. Ye Ci jumped up to catch the ball in an instant and scored a jump shot from that spot.

Cheng Xiao was toyed with by him, spun around and around again. Because he was tall and broad, it was not strictly accurate to say that Ye Ci was playing with a monkey, but was more fittingly playing with an orangutan.

The Omega onlookers were all happily stomping their feet, and the sound of hahaha was endless.

Ye Ci raised a finger toward Cheng Xiao, indicating that he had scored once. Then he threw the ball to him, turned to those Omegas, and said calmly: “We had an agreement that I would give, give you a demonstration.”

“Fuck, you can do it, ah.” Cheng Xiao came back to his senses, and couldn’t help whistling in appreciation at Ye Ci, his eyes lighting up. “Have you ever played street basketball?”

He suspected that he had lost his head and was played around with by others, but he became even more excited.

He had played.

Ye Ci really didn’t enjoy talking to this little rascal, so he nodded faintly.

“Okay, come on, I’ll attack and you defend…….” Cheng Xiao excitedly asked to change positions.

Defensive Ye Ci was nothing to scoff at. He didn’t participate in the sports competition last semester, but the whole class had been present to watch the games. He knew Cheng Xiao’s abilities well.

It wasn’t a question of winning or not, but a question of whether Cheng Xiao would be broken down into a son or a grandson when he stole the ball.

He and Cheng Xiao changed positions and were about to start. When his angle of view changed, he saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance of the gymnasium.

“Wait.”

Ye Ci cherished words like gold as he called a stop to the game.

He feared that another “wait” would be the last straw to crush the jar of vinegar.

---

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Chapter Forty-Five << Table of Contents >> Extra Two: Sports Competition

Zhao Yelan ate a few mouthfuls, met the eyes of the group who were waiting to be fed, and said, “Why don’t you pick up your chopsticks?”

He Cuizhang scratched his head and said with a foolish smile: “We eat too fast, and you don’t get enough to eat every time, so we discussed it just now. This time, we must wait for you to finish eating first before we start.”

“Do you think I can eat with you staring at me like this?” Zhao Yelan asked.

“Then should we……turn around?”

“No need, just eat,” Zhao Yelan said lightly.

Yan Mingting laughed: “Okay, don’t pretend to be reserved. Hurry up and do it, I’ve already ordered the kitchen to add chicken legs for each of you. There will be enough tonight.”

“The General is mighty!”

Everyone shouted in unison, picked up their bowls, and started to eat.

Before now, Zhao Yelan only felt that when they were eating, their chewing sounds were too harsh, but today he was in a bit of a mood to observe how they ate. He found that Zhong Yuehong’s eating speed was no slower than other people’s.

Perhaps noticing his gaze, Zhong Yuehong explained: “If you don’t fight with them, you will have nothing to eat.”

Zhao Yelan inadvertently curled the corners of his mouth: “Indeed.”

Zhong Yuehong was taken aback, and the others also looked at him with surprise: “Zhao-daren, did you just smile at us?”

Zhao Yelan: “Did I?”

“You did!” He Cuizhang said excitedly: “We all know you didn’t want to meet us, my lord. I didn’t expect such a day to come!”

“Right!”

Zhao Yelan smiled mockingly, but this group of people became even more excited, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

“……” What was wrong with them?

Yan Mingting kept silent, and just gazed at Zhao Yelan and laughed with them.

The servants brought up a large platter of chicken drumsticks, and the group of people went to pick them up one after another. Yan Mingting preemptively took the biggest one and put it into Zhao Yelan’s bowl.

“This piece is for the biggest hero tonight, are there any objections?”

“Of course there are no objections! Zhao-daren, eat more, if it’s not enough, I’ll give you mine too!” He Cuizhang said.

“You’ve already taken a bite, how dare you give it to someone else?” Zhong Yuehong said.

The group of people laughed. Zhao Yelan smiled lightly, looked down at the chicken drumstick, and ate it wholeheartedly.

After dinner, it was getting late. The rain outside had stopped at some point, and everyone left one after another.

Zhong Yuehong was the last one to leave. She sat on the chair, rubbed her hands on her thighs, and hesitated to speak, glancing at Zhao Yelan from time to time. Seeing that he was about to go back to his room, she stood abruptly and mustered up her courage: “Zhao-daren.”

“Speak, what is the matter?” Zhao Yelan waited.

Zhong Yuehong looked at Yan Mingting nearby, and he shrugged: “Okay, you two take your time talking. I’ll go back to the room first.”

When there were only two people left, Zhong Yuehong blushed and said: “My mother gave me the dress……thank you very much, my lord. But I know the money my mother gave you could never buy such nice clothes. However much is left, I will make it up to you.”

“What if you can’t make it up?”

Zhong Yuehong was startled: “Then……can the clothes be returned? I haven’t touched them yet.”

“They can’t be returned, they were custom made according to your size. Other ladies won’t wear them.” Zhao Yelan continued, “There is no need to make it up, this little bit of money is nothing.”

It took Zhong Yuehong a while to say solemnly: “Thank you, my lord. If you need me in the future, just ask.”

Zhao Yelan nodded: “Understood. It’s time to go back.”

“One more thing.” Zhong Yuehong took a small crossbow and arrows from her sleeve. “The General ordered me to look for a weapon that suited you before, but I couldn’t find one that was particularly suitable, so I improved this one. Do you think it fits you?”

Due to physical differences, Zhong Yuehong preferred lightweight weapons and made use of flexible props such as nine-tailed whips and crossbows. It was just that although the crossbows in the military camp had a long range, they were also a bit heavy, not suitable for carrying around. She had nothing to do recently, so she made a smaller crossbow and arrows by herself, which could be grasped in one hand and had a high impact. The disadvantage was that the range was a bit short, but it was enough for self-defense.

Zhao Yelan took it in surprise, checking it over repeatedly. There were short arrows in a box, and he aimed towards the high wall in the distance. With a slight movement of his arm, the arrow shot out like the wind and with a bang, it was firmly embedded in the wall.

“Not bad.” Zhao Yelan touched the crossbow appreciatively.

“If my lord likes it, I’ll make a few more spares later,” Zhong Yuehong said happily.

“Many thanks.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I just followed the General’s orders. I tried other types of weapons before, but they were all rejected by the General.”

“When did he ask you to do it?”

“The second day of your wedding.”

Zhao Yelan was slightly surprised, thinking of that night in the bridal chamber. When he failed to threaten him with a dagger, Yan Mingting had detested the gaudy weapon and said he would get him a few handier weapons. He had originally thought that he was just talking without thinking the matter through, not expecting him to actually keep it in mind.

When Zhao Yelan returned to the room, Yan Mingting was already lying on the ground.

“Did she want to thank you for the dress, but was too embarrassed to say it in front of other people?” Yan Mingting aske leisurely with his arms pillowed under his head.

“En.” Zhao Yelan closed the door and asked abruptly: “Are you alert?”

“What do you mean?”

As soon as Yan Mingting turned his head, he saw Zhao Yelan raise his hand to expose a dark shape in his sleeve. In the next moment, an arrow shot straight at him.

He turned over and leaped up, and the arrow went straight into the place where he had been lying down. Pulling the arrow out to check it, he asked: “This was given to you by Zhong Yuehong?”

“En. Zhao Yelan passed by him and took the arrow from his hands without a sideways glance. “Thank you.”

Yan Mingting was slightly startled, and stood there for a long time before taking two steps: “Hey, why are you being so polite, our relationship……”

With a whoosh, another arrow shot over.

Yan Mingting: “……”

If he suddenly regretted it, what should he do? He wouldn’t receive an arrow while he was asleep, would he?

In the blink of an eye, it was the day when the results of the preliminary round of the Imperial examinations were announced. Gao Tan went to buy fruit, searched through the list for a long time, and rushed back to report: “My lord, that Wang Guisheng really did it!”

“En.” Zhao Yelan drank tea calmly, took the basket, and looked through it for a long time. It was full of fruit, none of them unusual, so he asked for them to be washed before eating them.

Ever since he had entered the General’s Mansion, he had asked his informants to transmit as little information as possible, so as not to be discovered by Yan Mingting. The man had grabbed his cherries twice at the beginning, whether it was intentional or unintentional, but he hadn’t paid attention to this matter afterward, which finally dispelled some of his doubts.

Gao Tan put the washed apples on the table and asked in a whisper: “Will this Wang Guisheng be the top scorer?”

“I can’t say for sure, but if he can enter the Imperial examinations now, he will definitely be admitted to the first class, depending on whether he is in first or second place.”

“Then can we go say hello? Or wait for him to become the top scorer?”

“Why would I want to show favor?”

“But, my lord, you asked him to have dinner before, wasn’t it just to win him over?”

“Then it is even better not to show favor. This man has great ambition, and he already had a grudge against me. Those who go to make friends with him will definitely break the threshold. If I go again, he will only think that I have ulterior motives and intend to climb the dragon and cling to the phoenix.”^[1]

“Then you want to ignore him?”

“Who said that?” Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. “If I don’t look for him, he will come to me.”

“What will he do when he comes to my lord?”

“Perhaps he admires my talents and wants to make friends with me?” Zhao Yelan smiled.

Gao Tan was getting more and more confused: “But didn’t my lord say he had a grudge against you? How could he admire you and take the initiative to make friends with you?”

“Because of Ruan Xian,” Zhao Yelan said.

Gao Tan didn’t ask any more questions since he couldn’t understand anyway, and simply went to the courtyard to play with the maids and servants.

Around noon, Yan Mingting returned to the mansion.

Zhao Yelan was sitting in the main hall drinking tea. The new year’s Mingqian tea had been delivered, and when he had nothing to do, he would make two cups.

“Why are you so late today?”

“Don’t mention it.” Yan Mingting put the sword on the table, sitting down with a sigh. “The Emperor will hold the martial arts exam this year, which was originally the responsibility of the Ministry of War, but today he asked me in morning court to be the chief examiner.”

“Apart from those old fellows from the Ministry of War, the only military officials in court are you and your lieutenants. He really is worried,” Zhao Yelan said. “However, resuming the martial arts exam is a good thing for the common people.”

“It is a good thing. I also hope to encourage more people to practice martial arts. It’s just that the Emperor not only asked me to be the chief examiner, but also asked me to assign some manpower to the Imperial army, and asked me to be in charge of the Spring Hunt again. Does he think I’m superhuman?” Yan Mingting said unhappily.

Zhao Yelan joked: “It turns out you also want to be lazy?”

“Also?” Yan Mingting looked at him and suddenly smiled. “That’s right, Zhao-daren spends his days leisurely in the mansion, I can pilfer a bit of laziness.”

Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows and smiled: “It is good to get used to this kind of thing. Once you are idle, you won’t want to move again.”

“How about I retire and go back to my hometown? I won’t be a general anymore, and we can go out and have a good time,” Yan Mingting said temptingly.

Zhao Yelan laughed and said: “You can leave if you want. Who do you want to leave this terrible mess to?”

Yan Mingting sighed deeply.

Seeing his dejected look, Zhao Yelan wanted to laugh, but thought of something and asked: “Did you just mention the Spring Hunt?”

“That’s right, ah. The date is set to be after Qingming, when the final results of the civil and military examinations will be announced. The Emperor wants to take advantage of the Imperial examination banquet to invite all the officials to participate in the Spring Hunt together.” Yan Mingting tapped the table. “Are you going?”

Zhao Yelan said: “Since all officials can go, why wouldn’t I?”

“You can go, but you have to do something first,” Yan Mingting said mysteriously, leaning in across the table.

“What?”

“You draw a second portrait of me first, bigger than Bao Lun’s. Cuizhang and the others have said these days that my portrait is not as good-looking as Bao Lun’s, and I’m furious.” Yan Mingting thumped the table angrily.

Zhao Yelan directly refused.

“Didn’t you just say that you have nothing to do? Just draw a portrait for me,” Yan Mingting begged.

“Don’t even think about it.” Zhao Yelan couldn’t stand the harassment and got up to leave, but Yan Mingting grabbed his sleeve.

“Zhao-daren, please~” Yan Mingting tried his best to stare with big, innocent eyes, and even winked at him.

“Let go, don’t hinder me.” Zhao Yelan wore a complicated expression.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to spit out my New Year’s Eve dinner.”

“……”

A few days later, it was Qingming. There was an ancient poem which said that during the Qingming festival, it would rain heavily and the pedestrians on the road would lose their souls. The continuous rain filled this festival with a stronger sense of loneliness and solitude. The heavy rain did not stop, making travel more complicated.

Yan Mingting was going to visit his family’s tombs and make offerings. Seeing that the rain had no intention of stopping, and the tombs were on a mountain, he asked Zhao Yelan to stay in the mansion for the sake of survival. Traveling lightly by himself, he went to pray to his family alone.

When he came back in the afternoon and found that Zhao Yelan was not in the mansion, he found Housekeeper Qin and asked: “Where did Zhao Yelan go?”

“He went out with Xiao Gao.”

“No one else is with him?”

“En.”

Yan Mingting walked to the gate anxiously. The heavy rain came in at a slant. He didn’t know where the master and servant had gone. Although he knew that Gao Tan was proficient in martial arts, and there were forty-eight people arranged by himself to protect him covertly, when he thought about Zhao Yelan’s situation when it rained last time, his heart felt like it was on fire and he was in a hurry to run out.

There were very few people on the streets outside the gate, and those who bustled past held umbrellas and carried a basket with some incense sticks in it, likely in a hurry to visit a grave.

Not knowing what he was thinking, he picked up an umbrella and rushed into the curtain of rain. Running along the street for a while, he finally arrived at Zhao Mansion.

The guards of Zhao Mansion looked at him in surprise: “……General? Why are you here?”

“Has Zhao Yelan come back?” Yan Mingting asked urgently.

“Yes, he returned early in the morning.” The guards quickly sent him in.

There was an unexpected smell of medicine from afar, and when he looked into the kitchen, Gao Tan was there decocting medicine. He stepped forward swiftly: “What medicine are you making?”

“General, you’re here!” Gao Tan’s eyes were red. He seemed to find his backbone at once, babbling, “My lord just fainted again……we came here this morning and it was raining heavily on the way, the umbrella couldn’t cover everything and my lord got wet, then went to pray again……he just fainted. The doctor left just now, and the medicine will be finished soon.”

Yan Mingting roughly understood the situation and patted Gao Tan on the shoulder: “Don’t panic, I’ll go and see him. You proceed here and bring the medicine when it is ready.”

“All right.” Gao Tan sniffed.

Yan Mingting turned around and went to the bedroom, going straight to the bedside. Zhao Yelan was lying there with his eyes closed, his face pale and his lips bloodless. However, his cheeks were a little red and his forehead was covered in sweat. His brows were tightly furrowed and he was talking nonsense.

When Yan Mingting touched his forehead, it was very hot. He anxiously tucked him in, but he kicked the blanket away, turning over in pain.

Yan Mingting went to get another face towel, soaked it in cold water and wrung it out, then turned the person over and put the wet cloth on his forehead. After a while, the other started kicking at the blanket again.

“General, the medicine is ready.” Gao Tan came in carefully carrying the medicine bowl.

Yan Mingting sat on the edge of the bed and helped Zhao Yelan sit up, holding his upper body as he said: “You come feed him.”

Just as Gao Tan was about to feed him, Yan Mingting stopped him. He grabbed the spoon, blew on it, and then fed it to Zhao Yelan. Unexpectedly, Zhao Yelan spit it out and instinctively resisted taking the medicine.

“Zhao Yelan, be obedient,” Yan Mingting said.

Whether or not the other party heard it, he drank the medicine in the end. Gao Tan finally breathed a sigh of relief, and whispered: “The doctor said that after drinking the medicine, my lord should rest and recuperate, and be covered in bedding to sweat it out.”

“En, you go out first. Leave this to me, and close the door,” Yan Mingting said.

Gao Tan nodded and stepped back.

Yan Mingting laid the person down. Just after covering him with the blanket, Zhao Yelan kicked it away, muttering with a frown: “……Hot.”

Yan Mingting started to take off his outer robe: “Whether you can hear me or not, let me explain to you first that I only want to help you. These clothes got wet on the road, so I took them off, I don’t mean to take advantage of you. If you don’t agree, jump up and hit me now.”

After a moment, he climbed into bed: “Okay, it seems that you agree.”

Yan Mingting hugged him into his arms. The other person’s body was hot like a stove. No wonder he thought the blanket was too hot.

Zhao Yelan struggled unconsciously for a while. Yan Mingting patted his back lightly and said in a soft whisper: “It’s not hot, it’s not hot, just sleep and you’ll be fine.”

Zhao Yelan gradually calmed down under his comfort, subconsciously hugging him.

Yan Mingting’s body was stiff as his hands continued to pat the other’s back. That thin body seemed as if it could be easily broken at any time. He lowered his eyes to look at Zhao Yelan’s face. Stretching out his fingers, he smoothed the brow that was tightly furrowed in sleep, and his voice couldn’t be softer: “What kind of dreams are you having?”

He was answered by sleep talk.

Unable to hear clearly, he leaned his ear closer: “What did you say?”

Afterwards, Yan Mingting heard him call out: “Mother……”

---

[1] To climb the dragon and cling to the phoenix (攀龙附凤) is an idiom stemming from Chinese mythology that means indulging in the favor of powerful people in order to gain benefits. ⮐

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Chapter Twenty-Six <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was a rainy spring day, and bean-sized raindrops splashed on the green tiles. Rainwater formed waterfalls along the eaves and poured to the ground, moistening the earth.

Holding an umbrella, He Cuizhang rushed to the General’s Mansion and met Zhong Yuehong, who had just arrived with several other lieutenants at the door. They shook the rainwater from their umbrellas and patted their trouser legs.

“Is there something serious going on that he called us here so urgently?” He Cuizhang asked.

“We’ll know when we meet the General,” Zhong Yuehong said.

The group of people nodded and went to Yan Mingting with damp bodies, only to find that the location for today’s discussion was the study.

Everyone was used to meeting in the armory, where they could discuss business and practice their skills at the same time. The occasions they went to the study were indeed negligible.

As soon as the group stepped into the study, they could smell the scent of brush and ink. He Cuizhang said: “Ai, my head starts to hurt when I catch sight of a book. I feel dizzy.”

Everyone laughed, including Zhong Yuehong. Seeing Yan Mingting with his back turned to them, he cupped his hands and said: “General, we’re here. Has something happened?”

After a good while, Yan Mingting came to his senses and looked back at them, wide-eyed. 

The atmosphere was very strange.

“Oh, you’re here.” Yan Mingting beckoned them to him. “It’s nothing serious, I just wanted to ask how your search for the doctors is going.”

“We’re still investigating, but people nearby say they have never heard of Bao Lun. I suspect he did not use his real name to see the doctor. We brought portraits along, and none of the doctors knew him,” Zhong Yuehong said.

“Speaking of portraits, ah……” Yan Mingting suddenly became animated and pointed behind him. “What do you think of this one?”

Following the direction of his finger, everyone realized that Yan Mingting had been standing in front of a painting.

Hanging high, that painting was full of mist and colorful flowers that were competing to bloom, very pleasing to the eyes.

It was a pity that no matter how excellent the painting was, for this group of soldiers, it was like playing an instrument for a cow.

They looked at it carefully for a moment, then nodded perfunctorily: “Not bad, not bad, what were we talking about?”

Zhong Yuehong: “We were speaking about portraits.”

He Cuizhang answered: “Yes, I think the portrait of Bao Lun is not very well drawn.”

“I have a very good portrait right here!” Yan Mingting said, “Come, come, look at this.”

He pointed to a certain place on the painting, and everyone came together to look at it carefully. Zhong Yuehong said: “There’s just this small person, is it really a portrait?”

“Aren’t portraits supposed to have larger figures?” He Cuizhang asked curiously.

“You don’t understand, this is called artistic conception,” Yan Mingting explained with eloquence. “Look at this portrait, unconstrained and flowing. The spring scenery outside the city is vivid and lifelike on the paper. Look at the person in the portrait again, isn’t it excellent for a portrait to use such a large landscape to set off this figure?”

He Cuizhang thought about it: “But the figure is so small. This is clearly a landscape painting, the person should have been added casually.”

Yan Mingting: “How could this have been added casually? It is clear that the painter had him in his eyes, and because of this, put him in the portrait to become its brightest embellishment. This is the so-called finishing touch!”

The two started to argue. Zhong Yuehong was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “Who is the person in this painting?”

“Your question is right on point.” Yan Mingting stood next to the figure and lifted his chin proudly. “That’s right, it’s me.”

The group: “……”

“Then this painting……was made by Zhao-daren?” Zhong Yuehong asked hesitantly.

“Excellent, very discerning.” Yan Mingting pointed at her and continued to praise her. “Stay for dinner tonight, and I’ll add some chicken drumsticks for you.”

The other people: “……”

He Cuizhang’s eyes darted and he slapped his thigh: “Aiyo, I say, who could draw such a wonderful portrait? If you didn’t say, I wouldn’t dare to guess it was Zhao-daren, but speaking of this portrait, how ingenious it is! Look at this person in the portrait again, how handsome! This is a standard figure portrait with the landscape as a backdrop, the artistic conception is profound!”

“Pretty good, you can also have chicken drumsticks.” Yan Mingting nodded.

“Me too, me too!” The others immediately praised it, coaxing Yan Mingting into a cheerful mood.

Seeing his smug look, He Cuizhang and Zhong Yuehong whispered: “The more I look at the General, the more I feel that he is going to be finished.”

“Who says he’s not,” Zhong Yuehong said. “I think he’s fallen.”

He Cuizhang: “What are you talking about, ‘fallen?’ He obviously just can’t tell the difference between a figure painting and a landscape painting, and sooner or later his brain will be finished.”

Zhong Yuehong: “……”

After getting this painting to be valued as he wished, Yan Mingting returned to the topic and asked: “Do you have the portrait of Bo Lun? Let me see.”

Zhong Yuehong took out a piece of paper. Yan Mingting opened it, looked it over, and said meaningfully, “Yuehong, ah, if you don’t know how to draw, don’t force yourself to draw. If you take this inhuman and ghostly portrait to enquire, then who could say they had seen him?”

Everyone laughed out loud. This portrait could not be said to be ugly, but extremely hideous. It was not even clear whether it was of a human or a monster. Zhong Yuehong blushed slightly: “I just painted it according to my impression. I don’t know how to draw, so you do it if you have the ability!”

The others fell silent again, looking at the sky, the ground, and to the side, but didn’t dare to look at Yan Mingting.

“All right, portraits are indeed difficult for you. Let me ask an expert for advice.” In a good mood, Yan Mingting went to find Zhao Yelan for advice. When he reached the door, he couldn’t help but turn around and tell them, “Be careful, that portrait is a priceless treasure. Don’t touch it, or I will kill you.”

“No worries, ba,” He Cuizhang said.

No one cares about this painting except for you!

Yan Mingting searched around the mansion, saw Gao Tan coming out of the bedroom with cakes, and stopped him. Finding that there was not a piece of cake missing on the plate, he said in surprise: “Is he still sleeping? He hasn’t come out of the room all day?”

“En, no appetite either.” Gao Tan sighed.

“What’s wrong? Wasn’t he fine yesterday? Was he too tired after painting all day?” Yan Mingting asked.

“Perhaps. And it’s raining again today, so my lord’s mood is even worse.”

“It has something to do with the rain?”

“En, when it rains, my lord has no energy and his temper is not very good. I heard from the doctor that many people’s moods can be affected by the weather, so maybe my lord’s is like this too,” Gao Tan said.

“I see, you leave first.”

When Yan Mingting entered the room, he saw Zhao Yelan lying on the bed, wrapped in a blanket.

He stepped forward to lift a corner of the blanket and found that Zhao Yelan was not asleep. His eyes were open in a daze, and his face was suffused with red from being covered up.

“Sleeping like this is bad for your health.” As soon as Yan Mingting finished speaking, the blanket was snatched away by Zhao Yelan, and he covered himself tightly again.

“Cuizhang and Yuehong have come to the mansion, and Yuehong wants to meet with you for something. Are you going to let her see you like this?” Yan Mingting smiled. “You’re like a snail.”

“Won’t see her!” Zhao Yelan said in a muffled voice.

“Then would you do me a favor……”

“Won’t help!” 

“I’ll lift your blanket, ah.”

“You dare!”

With a pull of Yan Mingting’s big hand, he completely lifted the blanket and held it in his arms. Suddenly exposed to the air, Zhao Yelan unwittingly curled up his legs and gave him a sullen look: “Yan Mingting, what on earth are you trying to do!”

“What about you?” Yan Mingting put the blanket on the table before sitting on the edge of the bed, saying softly, “Come on, tell me, what are you thinking right now?”

“That I want to kill you.” Zhao Yelan glared.

“But you can’t kill me. Because your body is weak, your martial arts are poor, your appetite is small, and you don’t take care of yourself. Can you make even a small move against me? If you want to kill me, you have to live well first, and you can’t neglect your body,” Yan Mingting said.

“Do you think I don’t know that!” Zhao Yelan was so angry that his chest heaved. He put on his clothes furiously and went out, not even taking the time to put on his shoes. “Fine, if you won’t go, I’ll find a quieter place myself. Don’t bother me.”

As soon as he passed through the door, big hands stretched out at once from behind. Arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him back into the room.

The door slammed shut and Zhao Yelan reached out to reopen it, having somewhat of an emotional breakdown: “You let go of me! Don’t force me!”

“I’m not forcing you.”

Zhao Yelan incessantly hit the door with his hands and feet, but the person behind him embraced him tightly, not allowing him to escape. Just when he was about to fight to the death, he felt a sudden weight as Yan Mingting put his head on his shoulder.

He froze abruptly for a moment, his body wrapped in warmth.

Yan Mingting relaxed his grip. Still embracing him, he took a deep breath and said: “Didn’t we agree to cooperate? If something is the matter, just tell me, it’s okay to get angry. It’s raining so much outside, don’t go and run around. What if you get sick again?”

Zhao Yelan continued to struggle.

“I actually don’t like rainy days either, they cause many accidents. The original plan to defeat the enemy may fail because of the rain. While marching, a heavy rain can stop the ration delivery team, and the soldiers will starve for many days. In the face of nature, human beings are so fragile. So what if we hate rainy days? Is the battle over? Is the day lost?”

Zhao Yelan finally subsided, staring at the ground in silence.

“We need to cherish our bodies more, whether it is for ourselves or for those who care about us,” Yan Mingting said with emotion.

The corners of Zhao Yelan’s mouth twitched, but there was no smile in his eyes: “I have always lived for myself. If not, do you think there would be people who care about me?”

“Me, ah, I care about you.”

Zhao Yelan’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, but he turned around and pushed him away: “You just want me to help you find out the truth.”

“Why do you always think the worst of people?” Yan Mingting smiled helplessly. “Alright, let’s just say I’m doing it for the truth. I don’t want you to die, let alone watch you commit suicide.”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback: “Who is going to commit suicide?”

“You were clutching that blanket, didn’t you want to suffocate to death?” Yan Mingting said suspiciously, “You don’t usually sleep like this.”

“……I just think the sound of the rain is noisy,” Zhao Yelan said.

“Ah……It seems that I misunderstood, it wasn’t to commit suicide.” Yan Mingting scratched his head. He saw from the corner of his eye that the other was still barefoot, and took his wrist. He didn’t pull it, but simply carried him back to the bed, wiped his feet with a handkerchief, and put on his shoes: “Alright, let’s go meet Yuehong and the others, it’ll be livelier. How boring it is to stay in this room alone.”

With a drooping face, Zhao Yelan was coaxed left and right into the study.

Only, they ran into Housekeeper Qin in the corridor, and when he saw them, his smile spread wrinkles all over his face. Then he was taken aback, saying doubtfully: “Are you finished?”

“Finished what?” Yan Mingting asked.

“It’s nothing, nothing.” Seeing Zhao Yelan’s ugly expression, Housekeeper Qin stepped back cautiously. The more he thought about it, the more he thought something was wrong.

Just now when he was cleaning, he suddenly saw Zhao Yelan coming out of the room with disheveled clothes. Subsequently, Yan Mingting hugged him back and slammed the door shut, and there were noises from time to time within. His old face went red again, and he immediately asked the servants who were cleaning nearby to disperse.

In the end, it took only a quarter of an hour for the two of them to come out well-groomed and dressed. 

It was true……General, you can’t perform, ah?!

Housekeeper Qin was very saddened.

The group in the study were still discussing how to draw Bao Lun’s portrait. Seeing Yan Mingting return with Zhao Yelan, they knew that the invited expert had arrived and immediately got up to offer their seats: “My lord, please.”

Zhao Yelan sat down, puzzled, and saw an unfinished monster portrait on the table, asking: “What is that?”

“Answering my lord, this is Bao Lun.”

“ ? ”

Zhao Yelan began to suspect that what they were looking for was not a person, but a ghost.

Yan Mingting laughed and stepped forward to say: “They don’t know how to draw, so they were just kidding around. It’s best to leave this kind of thing to you. Can you draw one for us?”

Zhao Yelan looked askance at him: “Do you think I’ve met Bao Lun?”

“No.”

“Then how can I draw him?”

“Uh……I overlooked that.” Yan Mingting only remembered that his paintings looked good, and completely forgot about this!

“Now what do we do?” Zhong Yuehong said worriedly.

“Okay.” Zhao Yelan re-laid the paper, stuffed the ink stick into Yan Mingting’s hand, and ordered, “Grind the ink.”

Yan Mingting jumped up immediately and asked while grinding the ink, “Can you draw it?”

“I’ll try for the time being.” Zhao Yelan asked, “Tell me first, what did Bao Lun look like, and did he have any outstanding features?”

“He looked a bit dark, a head shorter than me, and his hair was wrapped in a cloth towel,” He Cuizhang said.

“I remember that his eyes were a bit large, his eye sockets were sunken, and there was a mole on his nose. As for his mouth……I don’t really remember,” Zhong Yuehong said.

“He had a dry mouth and loved to drink, and smelled like alcohol.”

Everyone described the other word by word. Zhao Yelan began to draw the simple outline of a face: “Like this?”

“The forehead should be wider,” Yan Mingting said.

He switched out the paper again and revised it. Yan Mingting nodded, and he started to draw the facial features: “What needs to be changed?”

Everyone gathered around the table, talking out the details, and he corrected them again and again.

This repetition took almost an hour, and it was getting dark outside. The servants came to call them for dinner, but everyone ignored them, all focused on watching Zhao Yelan paint the portrait stroke by stroke.

When the final touch was completed, Zhao Yelan asked, “How is it now?”

Yan Mingting glanced down, looked at Zhao Yelan in surprise, and the corners of his mouth curled up: “It’s done.”

The others immediately exclaimed in astonishment, and He Cuizhang shouted: “Zhao-daren you are really amazing!!”

“Zhao-daren is truly admirable.” Zhong Yuehong couldn’t hide her excitement.

Zhao Yelan smiled faintly, put down the brush, and rubbed his wrist. Yan Mingting took his wrist at this moment and rubbed it for him, his strength moderate, much more comfortable than blindly massaging it by himself. He did not refuse.

“Tomorrow we’ll take this portrait to investigate again, and hopefully find out some news.” Zhong Yuehong carefully folded the portrait and placed it in her pocket.

Yan Mingting couldn’t help but say proudly: “You see, the expert I invited is the best at drawing people. No matter if he has seen them or not, he can draw them.”

“Yes, Zhao-daren is the best. I think this portrait of Bao Lun looks better than yours, General,” He Cuizhang praised.

“What do you mean? Is mine not as good-looking as Bao Lun’s?” Yan Mingting objected.

“That’s right, ah, Bao Lun’s is big, with a nose and eyes. Yours, General, is just a figure. It could be me or someone else, right, brothers?”

“Right, right, I think that person in the painting is quite like me,” Another person answered.

“I feel the same way!”

Yan Mingting’s face collapsed, and he drove them to the front hall, then turned around and came to Zhao Yelan’s side to wash the brushes with him: “How about drawing another portrait for me? One with eyes and a nose?”

“What grand dream is this? How free am I?” Zhao Yelan hung up the pen. When he walked to the door, he found that it was still raining heavily outside. It hadn’t stopped. But the sound of the rain had been drowned out by everyone’s noisy voices, and he was able to immerse himself in painting with peace of mind.

At this time, an oil-paper umbrella was opened next to him. Yan Mingting took his shoulders and held it above the two of them. “Let’s go eat.”

Zhao Yelan glanced at him blankly, and was led across the courtyard at a trot to the front hall, facing into the wind and rain the whole way. The water splashed up from the path to wet his boots and the hem of his robes, and the soles of his feet stepped into the wet, soft soil. He could smell the aroma of food from afar, and see the lieutenants sitting in the hall talking and laughing. Everything was ordinary, so ordinary that it felt a little unusual.

He stood in front of the hall, patted the water droplets on his sleeves, and wanted to ask his servants to prepare some hot water to wipe the mud stains on his body. 

Yan Mingting set the umbrella aside and said casually: “Don’t bother, let’s go eat first.”

“Exactly, ah. Come and eat, my lord, we’re waiting for you,” He Cuizhang said eagerly, holding his chopsticks.

“Zhao-daren, come quickly.” Zhong Yuehong and the others also looked at him expectantly.

Zhao Yelan looked at them for a moment, then walked over and said softly: “All right.”

---

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Chapter Twenty-Five <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Seven

Business at Huicheng Tower was as good as ever, and the lobby was full of people and guests.

The private room on the second floor was very quiet.

When they were walking just now, Zhao Yelan came to the restaurant quietly without saying a word, sitting down to eat in silence. However, this silent attitude made people suspect that they had guessed correctly!

Everyone looked at Yan Mingting cautiously, then looked up at the top of his head, feeling that the General was missing a colorful hat.^[1]

Yan Mingting was crestfallen, picking at the food on his plate once in a while without picking it up.

“Can you still eat well?” Zhao Yelan asked coldly.

Yan Mingting took a deep breath, picked up his chopsticks, and then just sighed listlessly.

Zhao Yelan kicked him on the calf and said impatiently: “Fine, there’s no end to this, he’s only my favorite……”

“Favorite?!”

“Pawn.”

“Oh……” Yan Mingting worriedly ate a mouthful of food. “What do you like about him?”

 Zhao Yelan glanced at him a few times: “It seems that he has a big appetite and eats quickly.”

“You joke, who can have a better appetite and eat faster than me?” Yan Mingting picked up the bowl and chopsticks and started to shovel down food.

All of the subordinates were dumbfounded, not expecting the General to be so easy to coax. Several people buried their heads and ate. As long as they pretended not to see, the General was still the most upstanding man in their hearts!

At the end of the meal, only Zhao Yelan was still eating slowly, so Yan Mingting asked the others to go back first and stayed to wait quietly.

Zhao Yelan put down his chopsticks, wiped the corners of his mouth, and got up to leave, walking in a certain direction.

After Yan Mingting paid the bill, he seemed to know where he was going and caught up with him within a few steps.

In a short while, the two returned to Bao Lun’s house again. He had brought his subordinates just now to facilitate the search for clues, but it was inconvenient for them to participate in the details. Even though Yan Mingting trusted them, the fewer people who knew about it, the better.

It was very strange. Even though he had been unwilling to reveal more to his subordinates for many years, he chose to trust Zhao Yelan unconditionally, which was simply unimaginable.

He looked at Zhao Yelan, who was standing by the window with his head lowered in thought, and asked in a low voice: “Did you see something?”

Zhao Yelan bowed his head, sniffed the window sill for a moment, and said: “This smell……is a bit terrible.”

“How can it not smell? The wood is rotten,” Yan Mingting said.

“It’s not the smell of rot, but……the smell of herbs,” Zhao Yelan said.

“Herbal medicine? Maybe he drank medicine all year round, then poured the dregs out the window?”

Zhao Yelan nodded: “That’s right, if you drink medicine all year round, you’re either in poor health, sick, or poisoned. Check the nearby doctors to see if any of them have treated him.”

“Okay, I’ll send someone to do it.”

The two searched around again, but couldn’t find anything else for the time being, so they left the place.

As soon as Zhao Yelan got into the sedan chair, he heard Yan Mingting ask: “What about your body?”

Zhao Yelan was taken aback: “What?”

“Is it really just because of your poor foundation that you have been taking medicine for a long time? Or……” Yan Mingting looked at him hesitantly, and even began to go through who might poison him one by one in his mind.

He put them all in a line and was startled by how long it was. It seemed as if everyone would like to poison him.

The corner of Zhao Yelan’s mouth twitched: “Who knows.”

“Unacceptable. Don’t eat outside in the future, and don’t give anyone a chance.” Yan Mingting said sternly: “There is no need to recruit servants for the mansion, who knows if there are people with evil intentions.”

Zhao Yenal gave him a cryptic look.

Yan Mingting paused slightly, raised his chin, and turned his head to look elsewhere: “It’s better to be careful. I’m……still waiting for you to help me find out the truth.”

Zhao Yelan gave a laugh: “All right, then Zhao Yelan’s life will be in the hands of General Yan.”

General Yan didn’t answer, but just tightened his hand on his scabbard, as if in silent promise.

“The exercising must continue.” Yan Mingting suggested again, “Let’s do it step by step, and do lower-intensity exercises first.”

“Stop the sedan chair.”

“Hey, why are you stopping the chair?” Yan Mingting thought he was tired of listening to him, and only after chasing him out did he realize that he was going to a tailor shop.

As soon as the shopkeeper saw them coming, he showed them the custom-made clothes: “Zhao-daren, please look and see if this meets your requirements. The inside is specially made silk trousers, and the outside is the favorite style of pleated skirt for ladies and young misses.”

These were women’s clothes after all, and Zhao Yelan didn’t have the time to examine them carefully, so he nodded after taking a look: “En.”

The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief: “My lord, it’s like this. Because this small shop has never received such a request, I didn’t dare to finish up using all the materials, and only made this one for you to have a look at first. If you are satisfied and can give me a few days grace, I will hurry and do the remaining two.”

Zhao Yelan nodded in agreement.

“Only, the price……you know, the silk of these trousers is not cheap……” The shopkeeper said cautiously.

Zhao Yelan took out a purse and threw it to him: “Take a look for yourself.”

The shopkeeper was delighted beyond measure, but didn’t dare to take too much. He wrapped up the dress with a smile and sent the people and their belongings out the door together.

Zhao Yelan stared at the clothes in his hands, frowned, and handed them to Yan Mingting like a hot potato: “You take them to her.”

Yan Mingting laughed: “You’re not going? We should go together and let her know how much money you spent on her.”

“I’m not here for her.”

“Then you are……” Yan Mingting recalled, “Because of her mother?”

Zhao Yelan frowned slightly, stopped answering, and went straight into the sedan chair.

After Yan Mingting sent him back to the mansion, he went to the Zhong residence with the things. Before he left, Zhao Yelan called to him: “Don’t say what you shouldn’t say.”

“Rest assured, ba.”

When he returned, Yan Mingting brought back a big piece of pork, shouting when he entered the mansion: “Zhao Yelan, come and see the big gift Yuehong’s mother gave  you.”

Zhao Yelan could hear his spirited voice from the study. He took a scroll and went to the front courtyard to have a look, seeing him hand the pork to the cook and walk towards him with a smile.

Zhao Yelan hurriedly took a few steps back: “Have you washed your hands yet?”

“Oh, right.” Yan Mingting turned to fetch water, and said while washing the oil from his hands, “Yuehong’s mother never told Yuehong in order to surprise her. When I handed over the dress to her just now, tears almost fell from her eyes. I couldn’t handle that kind of situation, so I ran away quickly.”

Zhao Yelan smiled silently. Glancing at him inadvertently, he saw him take out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his hands. It was embroidered with spring peach blossoms. This was the same piece that he had wiped his sweat with before and asked Yan Mingting to throw away, yet the other party still carried it with him.

“I don’t know if Yuehong will like it, what if she doesn’t like it and hurts her mother’s heart? Do you think I should talk to Yuehong in advance?” Yan Mingting asked, pouring the water out and turning around.

“Do as you wish.” Zhao Yelan picked up the scroll, then turned and walked to the study.

Yan Mingting chased after him and rolled his sleeves back down: “It shouldn’t be necessary, I think she’ll like it.”

“Why?” Zhao Yelan looked sideways at him.

Yan Mingting stopped and looked him up and down appreciatively: “Although the prices at that shop are outrageously expensive, the clothes made are all very good-looking. I have seen a lot of them, after all, and no one would dislike them.”

Zhao Yelan stared at him for a moment, then turned his head away.

“You smiled again.”

“I did not.”

“The corner of your mouth was curved a little.”

“You’re talking nonsense.”

Zhao Yelan strode forward and Yan Mingting insisted on following him. Housekeeper Qin saw the two chattering in the corridor, turning around to say to the servant next to him: “See that? They are now more affectionate than the old general and the old lady.”

“I never saw how the old general and his wife loved each other. Can you tell me about it?” The servant said.

“Just……in any case, they were not as loving as these two are now. Oh, I have to go burn incense to the old general and tell him that everything is fine in the mansion.” Housekeeper Qin happily went to the ancestral hall, completely forgetting how many times he cried here when Zhao Yelan first entered the mansion.

Now more than a month had passed, and the people in the mansion had gotten used to this picky and difficult master. Not to mention his generosity, his relationship with the General was getting better and better!

“Have you sent someone to look into the doctors?” Zhao Yelan asked as he walked into the study.

“En, I found a few reliable people to check. Ai, I knew I should have brought those two guys back together, but it’s a pity that they didn’t want to come to the capital,” Yan Mingting said with emotion.

“Which two guys?”

“You don’t know them, the little think tank and the troublemaker in the military camp.” Yan Mingting sighed. “The old military advisor also passed away at the end of last year, ai.”

“Little think tank? I think I would like to meet him if I have the chance.” Zhao Yelan sat down leisurely and continued to read.

“There will be a chance, if you’re willing to go to the military camp,” Yan Mingting said with a smile.

“Why is it so difficult to see them?” Zhao Yelan scoffed. “Not seeing them is also fine.”

Yan Mingting laughed loudly.

After a while, one of them was lying on the couch flipping through a book, and the other was sitting on the threshold polishing his sword. Neither spoke, and they were so quiet that only the sound of pages turning and the sharp sound of a weapon being wiped could be heard.

Zhao Yelan didn’t think it was noisy, and when he occasionally heard the sound of walking over there, he knew that he was going to get another sword to clean.

He turned his head to look out the window. Everything was calm, and the flowers in the yard were in bloom, but there were too few varieties and some elegance was missing from the view.

He called Xiao Gao out the window, and he appeared quickly: “My lord, what are your orders?”

“Make preparations to go view flowers tomorrow.”

“Okay, should we still prepare as before?”

“En.” He remembered something and turned to look at the person at the door. Who knew that Yan Mingting had turned to look at him at some point with eyes full of anticipation, like a big dog hoping to be taken away by its master. He asked, “Are you going……”

“I’m going, I’m going,” Yan Mingting quickly interrupted him, raising his sword and walking in. “What do you need to prepare? Do you need my help?”

“Keep your sword away from me.” Zhao Yelan pointed to the sharp, dangling sword.

Yan Mingting immediately inserted it into the scabbard.

Zhao Yelan turned his head and told Gao Tan: “Just prepare more food, this pig has a big appetite.”

Yan Mingting: “ ? ”

“Okay.” Gao Tan covered his mouth and ran away with a smile.

The spring day was beautiful, the breeze fragrant with flowers and plants.

In order to enjoy the flowers every spring season, Zhao Yelan would make a special trip out on the mountain outside the city to drink spring tea, look at the clouds in the sky, and view the flowers on the mountain, stealing half a day of leisure.

As they set off, Yan Mingting thought it was just a simple viewing of flowers, but unexpectedly, the sedan chair was almost full. He wondered: “Why are you bringing these things?”

Zhao Yelan replied, “Naturally, in order to use them.”

The sedan chair stopped at the foot of the mountain, and the servants carried things to climb up. Zhao Yelan ascended the stairs, and after walking a few steps, began to wipe his sweat.

Gao Tan habitually went to help him continue walking, but he was lightly pushed aside, his place taken by another.

“Xiao Gao, go ahead and lead the way, they don’t know where they’re climbing to,” Yan Mingting said.

“Oh……” Seeing that he was supporting Zhao Yelan, Gao Tan smiled sincerely. “Okay, I’ll go find them.”

Zhao Yelan looked sideways at Yan Mingting: “You can help people?”

“Sure I can, ah.”

“Then why are you grabbing me? My arm hurts!” Zhao Yelan said sharply.

“Oh, oh, excuse me” Yan Mingting quickly rubbed him and helped him climb up with care, taking advantage of this opportunity to exercise. However, after climbing for a while, they saw a pavilion where Gao Tan had already ordered people to put down all the things.

“That’s it?” Yan Mingting asked.

“Otherwise, did you think we would climb to heaven?” Zhao Yelan shot him a sidelong glance, walked slowly to the pavilion, and sat down on the padded stone bench.

In an instant, the table was covered with pastries and candied fruit, and tea was brewed.

Yan Mingting: “……” What extreme enjoyment, ah.

“All right, you go and amuse yourself.” Zhao Yelan didn’t like being disturbed, so after dismissing the servants, only Gao Tan and Yan Mingting were left by his side.

He could see the joy in Gao Tan’s eyes. This kid had been protecting his safety for so many years. Now that Yan Mingting was by his side, he could go play with peace of mind.

Gao Tan was as happy as a monkey, scurrying back and forth between the trees.

Yan Mingting sat down beside him and picked up a piece of fruit. Stuffing it into his mouth, he said out of boredom: “I thought you scholars would do something special when appreciating flowers. Are you really just going to look at them, ah? What’s so good about these flowers?”

“Boor.” Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look. “No matter how good the scenery is, it will be spoiled when it enters your eyes. Why did you have to come here?”

“I wanted to see how you enjoy flowers.” Yan Mingting raised his chin with a smile, staring intently at his side profile.

After watching for a long time, the center of his vision gradually only accommodated one person. The colorful spring flowers outside the pavilion became embellishments, red, yellow, blue, and purple, all of which were not as good-looking as the white skin, red lips, and black hair of the person in front of him.

Noticing the other’s progressively serious gaze, Zhao Yelan’s hand holding the tea paused slightly. He didn’t look back, not wanting to delve into it, but lowered his head to drink the tea.

It was unclear if he was too lazy to answer, or attempting to evade.

After sitting for a while, Zhao Yelan was at last willing to stand up. He looked around and took in the beautiful scenery around him.

There was a peach grove not far away. Yan Mingting noticed that Gao Tan was playing with the fallen petals. Thinking that it looked interesting, he raised his sword and leaped over, exchanging pointers with Gao Tan in the grove.

Gao Tan was baffled and returned a few moves. Feeling that he could not win, and afraid of hurting the master, he simply slipped away with qinggong.

Yan Mingting had just warmed up. Looking at the flowers and vegetation around him, he finally felt the pleasure of understanding the people who appreciated flowers. It seemed as if he was the only one left in the world, one with nature, and this naturally lifted his mood.

He raised his sword and brandished it between the trees, treating every falling petal as an enemy, and the grove was filled with a rustling sound. His figure was agile and vigorous, like a phantom in the wind, forming an excellent picture along with the spring scenery.

With a slash of the sharp sword, he happened to catch a flower. He stopped, took the flower casually, and walked out of the grove to find that Zhao Yelan was painting in the pavilion, his movements smooth and flowing.

Just at this moment, Zhao Yelan raised his head and gazed at him.

For some reason, Yan Mingting looked at the nearby person as if he was in a painting. His heart moved at will, and he subconsciously threw the petals through the air. They directly landed in Zhao Yelan’s hair, forming an interesting contrast.

“……” Zhao Yelan raised his hand to brush them off, but two drops of ink splashed from his brush onto his sleeve, and he hurried to wipe it away.

“What are you drawing?” Yan Mingting walked into the pavilion with a smile, looked at the rice paper on the table, and saw that the other party had nearly finished drawing the mountain scenery.

Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow, pointed to the peach grove in the painting with a smile and said: “You drew me in, why didn’t you tell me in advance?”

There was only one figure in the entire painting, and those few strokes outlined the brisk, easy movements of the person as he danced with his sword.

Zhao Yelan picked up the brush and dipped it anew in the paint, turning his head to look at him: “Who let you barge into my painting?”

---

[1] This is referring to “wearing a green hat,” which means being cuckolded. ⮐

---

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Chapter Twenty-Four <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Six

After returning home, Zhao Yelan did not spare a glance for Yan Mingting.

Yan Mingting was self-aware of his guilt. While the other was taking a bath, he conscientiously stood outside the door and apologized: “Sorry, I was wrong, I will never pretend to be drunk again. I was just playing around for a while, disregard this villain, my lord. Forgive me this time?”

“General, what are you doing?” Housekeeper Qin passed by with a broom.

“Cough.” Yan Mingting immediately stood up straight, put his hands on his hips, and looked up and around. “Nothing, I just came out to look at the stars.”

Housekeeper Qin raised his head: “It’s so dark, how can there be stars?”

Yan Mingting: “Then I’m looking at the moon.”

“Then you continue to appreciate it, ba. I’ll deliver some food for the Furen. Before going out today, he said that he wanted to eat jujube cake.”

“What are you waiting for, go get it quickly,” Yan Mingting urged, and when Housekeeper Qin returned, he directly took the snack from his hands. “Just leave it to me, Uncle Qin, you can go rest.”

He stood at the door with the snack for a while before the door opened.

Zhao Yelan refused to look at him, standing at the door and calling Xiao Gao, who brought someone to take the basin away.

Only then did Yan Mingting enter the room cautiously and wave the snacks in front of his eyes for a special purpose: “You’re tired, ba. Have something to eat.”

“Won’t eat.” Zhao Yelan gave him a sidelong glance, lay down on the bed, and prepared to go to sleep.

“Are you sure you don’t want to eat it?” Yan Mingting picked up a piece, put it in his mouth, and said with gusto: “Mmm~ It’s delicious~”

“……”

Yan Mingting ate several in a row, and there was a faint sweet smell in the air.

Zhao Yelan couldn’t endure anymore and sat up, glaring at him.

Yan Mingting offered the plate forward: “No matter how angry you are, you need to eat, ah. Who’s to blame if you get hungry?”

Zhao Yelan’s stomach rumbled, and he really wanted to block his damn mouth.

Yan Mingting was truly capable. Every time his mood improved slightly, he could anger him again in the next moment.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He furiously picked up a piece of jujube cake and stuffed it into his mouth, but accidentally choked on it and coughed uncontrollably.

“Eat slowly, no one is going to take it from you. These are all yours.” Yan Mingting patted him on the back.

After finally slowing down, Zhao Yelan began to eat quietly, and then said: “Stay away from me, you smell like alcohol. It stinks to death.”

Yan Mingting obediently put the plate beside the bed and stood a little farther away, then spoke about proper business: “I’ve already found the men that you wanted. When will you start to help me find out the truth?”

“What is the hurry? Can an old case be solved in such a short time?” Zhao Yelan calmly picked up a second jujube cake. “What does that boy named Bao Lun have to do with the matter?”

Yan Mingting couldn’t help leaning forward again, and was glared at by Zhao Yelan. He explained: “Careful, the walls have ears. It’s safer to speak closer. This Bao Lun was a servant who used to take care of my father, and he had always been loyal. After my father was injured, he was the one who oversaw his medicine. He put poison in the medicine, which eventually caused my father to fall on the battlefield and be killed by the enemy. Afterwards, this boy returned to Beijing with the team that transported my father’s body, and then disappeared. After being caught some time ago, he admitted that an overwhelmingly powerful person had instructed him to do it, but because the lives of his family were in the hands of that person, he refused to reveal anything and committed suicide.”

“Overwhelmingly powerful……so you suspected me?” Zhao Yelan asked.

Yan Mingting smiled and offered him a cup of hot water: “Come, eating too many pastries will make your mouth dry. Did you think you would not be suspected in this matter?”

Zhao Yelan took a sip of water and said, “Perhaps he was talking about someone who was powerful when your father died.”

Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment, then gave him more water: “You’re so clever! So is there anyone you suspect?”

“Hm……take it away.” Zhao Yelan, who was forcibly poured more water, said in disdain, “That’s too much. The late emperor was cruel by nature, and many officials tried their best to gain his favor by cruel means, but there were also people who offended him, and there were often big changes in personnel.”

“So what can be done?”

“We’ll go to Bao Lun’s house first to check the situation,” Zhao Yelan said. “Perhaps there is another person who can be of help to us.”

“Who?”

“The Prime Minister.”

“Li Jinyu? Isn’t he only good at reciting poems and doesn’t care about the affairs of the court at all?” Yan Mingting said. “Even though you were demoted, he didn’t take the opportunity to take over your operations, and still recited poems and wrote essays. The Emperor has not appointed a Deputy Prime Minister after a long time, and almost everything is taken care of by the Emperor himself.”

“The position of Deputy Prime Minister will temporarily not exist,” Zhao Yelan said.

In the year since Zhao Xuan ascended the throne, he had been stabilizing his court and had gradually won the trust of the courtiers. Now that he had finally transferred the power to himself, he would not delegate power easily.

Yan Mingting gave him a meaningful look: “You suspected this early on. That’s why you agreed so quickly when you were dismissed, so as to hide your strength and bide your time?”

Zhao Yelan smiled faintly.

He knew Zhao Xuan too well. Once the throne was firmly established, Zhao Xuan would start to carry out drastic reforms, starting with the courtiers, and establish his own center of power. This was necessary in order to both restrain and strengthen each other.

This art of checks and balances was exactly what he had taught Zhao Xuan in the past.

Yan Mingting only felt that the water inside was very deep. Although he knew that Zhao Yelan didn’t care about his dismissal, when he saw that he knew everything like the back of his hand, he admired him from the bottom of his heart. He was sitting here plainly weak and lacking in strength, but had clear insight into the court.

“Then according to what you’ve said, Li Jinyu’s power exists in name only, so how can he help us? Shall he compose a poem for us?”

“Stupid.” Zhao Yelan knocked on his forehead. “He has been an official for three generations, don’t you think he could know more?”

“That’s true.” Yan Mingting nodded.

“And don’t think that he is only capable of writing a few poems. In terms of great wisdom, there are truly few people in the entire court who can match him. He is the one who knows best how to hold the middle ground. He has been an official for three generations, promoted step by step, and has also protected the prosperity of his Li family.”

Yan Mingting suddenly realized that when he was in court, he usually only saw Li Jinyu’s various excuses and felt that this person was pedantic and incompetent. But if he was really incompetent, how could he have gotten all the way to the position of Prime Minister?

Even Zhao Yelan, who had been working for Zhao Xuan since he was a child, was demoted one year after Zhao Xuan ascended the throne.

It was truly admirable that Li Jinyu could survive three generations and was able to be promoted safely when the previous five princes competed for the throne so fiercely.

“But how can he help us? We just beat up his son,” Yan Mingting said.

“Why be anxious, it was his son’s fault that we beat him. Just wait, he will take the initiative to come to our door.” Zhao Yelan ate and drank enough, and then lay down again.

“Could it be that you planned to beat Li Yucheng just now?”

“That’s right, but I have wanted to beat him for a while. Sooner or later, he would have to suffer.” Zhao Yelan yawned.

Yan Mingting looked at his back for a while, then suddenly said: “Zhao Yelan, it’s really good to have been able to marry you.”

Zhao Yelan stiffened slightly, then turned his head to look at him doubtfully.

“If this marriage didn’t work out, I don’t know if I would be plotted against by you to die someday.” Yan Mingting laughed.

“……” Zhao Yelan smiled slightly. “If you dare to disturb my sleep again, I will kill you tonight.”

Yan Mingting immediately lay down on the ground: “Sleeping. See you tomorrow.”

The next day, Gao Tan went to buy fruit and came back, happily telling Zhao Yelan about the excitement outside: “Last night, Li Yucheng’s servant went back to the mansion to inform the Prime Minister, and he quickly led people to rescue Li Yucheng back. The common people were laughing at Li Yucheng, saying that his face was swollen like a pig’s head.”

“That was a light punishment.”

If Yan Mingting hadn’t shown mercy, he would have been killed with one punch.

A few days later, it was the day of the Imperial examinations. There were officers and soldiers guarding the examination hall, and common people were waiting outside.

Zhao Yelan didn’t take Gao Tan with him when he went out, and followed Yan Mingting and his group to the house where Bao Lun lived. It was said to be a house, but it was actually a wing room rented from a family. It was a bit dilapidated and the building was full of firewood, with little room to live.

These days, Yan Mingting had sent people to patrol the area covertly, but no suspicious person had been seen.

Zhao Yelan picked up a wooden stick and looked around carefully, saying: “These should be his tools to guard against thieves. There are many traces of friction on them, indicating that they were used often.”

“But public security in this area is very strict, so why use it so often?” Zhong Yuehong asked.

“That means he had a guilty conscience. He was afraid of enemies knocking on the door in the middle of the night, so he made many preparations,” Zhao Yelan said. “Since his family members aren’t here, there must be some correspondence or traces left behind. Search carefully.”

The seven or eight people searched all over the room, and when Yan Mingting passed by a window, he abruptly paused: “Does this count?”

Zhao Yelan walked over and saw a small groove on the window sill, like a wire had been embedded in it. He walked out the door, observed the wall for a while, and said: “His family is likely already gone.”

Everyone was stunned.

“Why do you say that?” Yan Mingting asked.

“This groove should be the evidence they left behind when they sent messages. But looking around here, it is worn and decayed, which shows that it has been a long time since anyone has passed a message.”

Another trail was blocked, and everyone was inevitably discouraged. Yan Mingting sighed, then cheered up and said: “Let’s go to eat first, and we will have the strength to continue searching after we’re full.”

The group of people walked in the direction of Huichun Tower just as the Imperial examination ended. A large group of people poured out, and the streets instantly became crowded.

As Zhao Yelan walked, he was inadvertently separated by the crowd. Yan Mingting was surrounded by his subordinates, talking about the matter just now, and didn’t notice that he had fallen behind.

Zhao Yelan was hit at the waist by a child who wasn’t paying attention to the road. He took a few steps back, pressed his stomach, and heard someone behind him ask: “Are you all right?”

Zhao Yelan turned his head and saw that it was Wang Guisheng, whom he had only met a few days ago. He shook his head and said, “It’s nothing.”

“Let’s go to the side first, there are many people here.” Wang Guisheng squeezed a path for him and brought him under the big tree by the side of the road. Only then did he have a chance to breathe.

“Many thanks.”

Wang Guisheng was still surprised, seeing that his form was thin and weak as he took out a handkerchief to cover his mouth and cough into. He didn’t seem to be as scary as the rumors said.

“How was the written test?” Zhao Yelan met his eyes and smiled lightly, like a spring breeze blowing over a green branch, glowing with vitality.

Wang Guisheng was stunned for a moment, then replied: “It was fine, but I don’t know if the examiner will approve it.”

“Why? Were you really so bold as to remonstrate and criticize again?” Zhao Yelan smiled.

Compared with the last time, Wang Guisheng was more courageous now and nodded calmly: “Yes.”

“No matter, the head examiner is not better than you. Don’t worry.”

Having been encouraged by him, Wang Guisheng had mixed feelings, and seeing that he was coughing badly, he couldn’t help but step forward. He didn’t know what to do, and while he was lost in thought, a figure suddenly appeared beside him and rushed towards Zhao Yelan, patting him on the back: “Why are you over here? I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

Wang Guisheng took a closer look and saw that the man had a tall figure and an extraordinary and dignified appearance. His hair was half-tied, and the tail of his hair blew in the wind, brushing Zhao Yelan’s fair cheeks. Zhao Yelan’s expression suddenly became more lively as he glanced at him and said meanly: “Do you still have me in your eyes?”

“How could I not, didn’t I come around to look for you as soon as I found out you were gone? I didn’t expect you to be with this……” Yan Mingting was immersed in his own emotions just now. When he had realized that there were many people around, he subconsciously went to look at Zhao Yelan, but found that he had disappeared. Quickly looking around, he saw him standing under a tree with a strange man, talking and smiling.

The smile was so gentle. He had never been smiled at for that long!

Yan Mingting looked at Wang Guisheng with a fake smile on his face and continued: “……this plain-looking young man.”

Wang Guisheng: “……”

Zhao Yelan gave him a strange look, and said in his heart: This plain-looking young man will impeach you in court in the future.

“General, my lord, I finally found you.” Zhong Yuehong and several others rushed over one after another.

Zhao Yelan nodded: “Okay, let’s go eat. I won’t pay for the meal today.”

Yan Mingting: “I’ll pay, I’ll pay, you can get whatever you want.”

Zhao Yelan: “I want to buy Huichun Tower.”

Yan Mingting: “Ah? What did you just say? The wind here is so strong, the road is so wide……”

Zhao Yelan: “Get lost.”

Wang Guisheng watched the group of them leaving noisily, only then realizing that the other person was the famous General Yan Mingting.

But he felt that General Yan was a little bit more unpleasant than Zhao Yelan.

On the other side, Yan Mingting approached Zhao Yelan and asked in a low voice: “Who was that person just now?”

“Wang Guisheng.”

“Oh, him……I don’t know him.” Yan Mingting turned his head and asked his subordinates, “Do you know him?”

Everyone shook their heads together: “Never heard of him, never seen him.”

“You may know each other later.” Zhao Yelan didn’t say any more.

Yan Mingting’s lips twitched: “Why are you pretending to be mysterious, it isn’t rare for me not to know him……how did you meet?”

“Oh, I remember! I’ve seen that kid!” He Cuizhang suddenly said, “A few days ago when we were drinking in Huichun Tower, I saw that kid enter my lord’s private room, and the two of them stayed there for a long time!”

As soon as these words fell, everyone looked at Zhao Yelan one after another. They wore varied expressions, but were all undoubtedly looking at him with strange eyes, as if they were saying –

“You have someone else in your heart?! You’ve found a lover?! You’re standing with each foot in a different boat?!”^[1] Yan Mingting said in horror.

Zhao Yelan: “……”

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[1] Standing with each foot in a different boat means having two lovers at the same time. ⮐

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Chapter Twenty-Three <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Five

The restaurant’s business was booming that night. Some soldiers had to rush back to accompany their families, and left after drinking to make room for other guests.

After Yu Dali went out, Zhao Yelan opened the window and watched the guests coming and going below. It wasn’t until a group of scholars approached that he ordered Gao Tan: “Go, tell the shopkeeper to have these people go to the number two room.”

Not long after, there was a burst of laughter from the corridor. Gao Tan was about to speak, but Zhao Yelan made a gesture for silence and listened carefully to the movement next door.

This group of people was made up of the candidates who were to compete in the Imperial examinations, and they were already somewhat famous. After taking a seat in the room, they soon began to drink and compose poems. Occasionally, some people boasted, attracting the applause and praise of others.

Among the high-spirited voices, only one person’s voice was a little weak: “I won’t drink, I don’t have enough silver on me.”

“How can you leave without having a drink? How about this, you read a fu essay and if we are all satisfied, we will let you go without paying any money. Okay?”

The man was quiet for a while, and read a fu essay in front of everyone, referring to the theme of tonight’s banquet and satirizing inebriated people who made a pretense at being cultured. The blow hit, causing everyone’s expressions to change slightly. Knowing that he was making oblique accusations, they simultaneously challenged him.

The corners of Zhao Yelan’s mouth curled up, and he whispered something to Gao Tan in a low voice.

Gao Tan nodded, and knocked on the next door: “My lord, will you take a step out to speak?”

“Who are you?” Someone asked.

Gao Tan didn’t answer. The man just wanted to escape this place, so he immediately followed him to the next room. As soon as he entered, he saw a handsome gongzi sitting upright and was a little surprised: “You are?”

“May I have your name?”

“Wang Guisheng.”

“It is really you. Please sit down.”

Recently, Zhao Yelan knew a little about some well-known candidates, but only a few people caught his eye, and one of them was Wang Guisheng. Born in a poor family, not good at poetry, but with unique insights in his fu essays, their text full of critical words and phrases, with extraordinary courage.

“I have read a few of your articles, and I really admire them,” Zhao Yelan said.

Wang Guisheng was a little surprised. Anyone who heard that their talent had been recognized would be delighted, not to mention Wang Guisheng, who had always been ridiculed because of his family background. He flattened the corners of his lips and tried to appear calm: “Thank you, brother. May I ask which one is your favorite?”

“I like the one where you scold Zhao Yelan the most.”

“Really?” Wang Guisheng looked at him incredulously. Just because this article was discovered and publicized, many people laughed at him and condemned him for being overconfident, and even scolded him for not being afraid of death.

“Few people liked this article.” Wang Guisheng felt that he had met a confidant, and looked at him excitedly. Seeing his extraordinary clothes and appearance, he asked again, “May I ask who this gongzi is? Perhaps we can be friends?”

“Zhao Yelan.”

“En?”

“This one is Zhao Yelan.”

Thump –

Wang Guisheng directly fell off the chair. His face was pale, and he felt that his days were really over.

It was one thing to make insinuations against someone in an article, but another to meet them face to face. He said tremblingly: “So……are you here to kill me?”

“No.” Zhao Yelan took a slow sip of tea and smiled slightly. “I truly admire your talent. Do you dare to write articles like this during the exam?”

Wang Guisheng clenched and loosened his fists, and said, “Yes, I will still write like this!”

“You may try, but they might not necessarily let you write the characters.” 

“Then I’ll write about injustice.”

“Not bad, a little backbone. I hope you will remember that sentence when you take the exam.” Zhao Yelan waved his sleeves. “Come, let’s eat.”

Wang Guisheng looked at him in surprise: “Aren’t you going to kill me?”

“What’s the use of killing you? Since we met here by chance, why not make friends.” Zhao Yelan smiled and ordered someone to add bowls and chopsticks, along with a few more dishes. “Come, hurry and eat.”

Wang Guisheng ate the most thrilling meal of his life. In the end, he left safely, and the other party gave him a treasured fu essay.

While walking out the gate, he looked back at the shadow in the window of the second floor, a little confused – what kind of person was Zhao Yelan? Was it consistent with the rumors?

“My lord, he bad-mouthed you, why did you invite him to dinner?” After the other left, Gao Tan had some complaints.

“Because he has a bright future,” Zhao Yelan said.

This person’s words and deeds proved that he was the kind of person Zhao Yelan needed the most now. He was talented, courageous, and upright. The last person like this was Kan Chuan, who had already risen to the top.

Two days ago, Liu-daren of the Ministry of Rites was temporarily removed from the position of Chief Examiner due to his conduct. An exception was made for Kan Chuan, and it could be seen that Zhao Xuan favored this type of person.

He had read several articles written by Wang Guisheng, and the possibility of him entering the top grades of the Imperial exam was very high. Once Zhao Xuan discovered Wang Giuisheng’s innate disposition, he would definitely have use for him.

Then why not give Wang Guisheng favors in advance?

It was getting late. Zhao Yelan walked downstairs and saw the drunken soldiers in the lobby. Frowning subconsciously, he walked outside.

A short while later, he went back again. He grabbed the ear of Yan Mingting, who was lying on the table, and said with gritted teeth: “Stand up, we’re going back!”

“Aiayaya.” Yan Mingting stood up in a daze, his body slanted to the side as he touched his hand. “Not so hard.”

“General, you’re henpecked, ah.” He Cuizhang’s face was flushed from drinking, and when he spoke loudly, everyone at the tables laughed, pointing at Yan Mingting and jeering.

“Non-nonsense.” Yan Mingting’s face went red. He could barely keep his eyes open as he put his hands on his hips in protest. “I’m standing because I want to!”

“Speak less nonsense and go back quickly, you’re making a fool of yourself.” Zhao Yelan pulled his ear hard and Yan Mingting begged for mercy.

Amidst the laughter of the crowd, Yan Mingting followed him out at a crooked angle. He fell directly into the sedan chair and collapsed on the seat.

Shortly after Zhao Yelan sat down, the man closed his eyes and tipped over to lean against his shoulder. He seemed to feel uncomfortable and held onto his arm firmly. “Not drinking?”

“You’re drunk, get off of me.” Zhao Yelan ruthlessly pulled his arm away, but the other directly embraced him instead.

“Not allowed, not allowed to leave without finishing this cup!”

The more Zhao Yelan struggled, the tighter the other party hugged. He sighed powerlessly toward the sky. Why did he bother taking this drunkard home?”

Fortunately, after he stopped struggling, Yan Mingting stopped moving, and the two maintained this posture as everything finally became quiet.

He regulated his breathing and looked sideways at the fellow hugging him. A straight nose, moist lips, red face, and rather long eyelashes. In fact, he was considered one of the most outstanding romantic figures, but the two of them couldn’t get along from the beginning, so when looking at Yan Mingting, he always found his appearance distasteful.

But the conversation last night made Zhao Yelan slightly change his view of him.

Even if they couldn’t get along in harmony, it didn’t hinder his appreciation of the other party.

Today, seeing him compete with so many masters with his own eyes, he knew that his position of General was not in vain.

If there was no marriage, the two may have become friends, or Yan Mingting might have shunned him like everyone else.

Right and wrong, cause and effect, these were truly not things that could be figured out through random assumptions.

“My lord, over there……oh, sorry!” At this time, Gao Tan lifted the window curtain, saw Yan Mingting and Zhao Yelan tightly embracing each other, and immediately covered his face in embarrassment. “I didn’t see anything.”

“……” Zhao Yelan didn’t bother to explain, and feigned being calm. “What is the matter?”

“There are two sneaky fellows over there, and one of them looks familiar, like Li Yucheng,” Gao Tan whispered.

“Go catch them and return.”

Li Yucheng had just walked into an alley to meet the young servant boy. The last time he found someone to beat Zhao Yelan secretly, but who would have thought that a group of men in black clothes would suddenly appear. He was used as a scapegoat, and he could not give a clear explanation when he opened his mouth. He might be beaten to death by his father if he went back, so he simply ran away to hide for a while to see if the government could find the real culprit.

In the past few days, he was relieved to hear that the government had closed the case, but he didn’t dare to go home for a while for fear of being scolded, so he had continued to hide outside for a couple of days. The money he had on him was no longer sufficient, so he had to ask the servant boy to secretly get some money from home.

The two of them were covertly exchanging the money when someone grabbed their collars from behind.

“Hey, hey, who are you? Do you know who this gongzi is?!” While shouting, Li Yucheng looked back and discovered that it was a familiar-looking young man, but couldn’t remember who he was at the moment. “Let go of me, you hear!”

Although this man looked thin and weak, his strength was not small. He and the boy flailed for a time, but couldn’t escape from the other’s grasp.

Gao Tan walked up to the sedan chair with one in each hand, and said, “My lord, I brought them.”

“Who the hell are you! Let go of me, believe it or not, I will send someone to arrest you!” Li Yucheng stared at the culprit in the sedan chair and shouted, “Come out if you have the ability, what are you doing hiding in the shadows!”

The sedan chair suddenly shifted, and he heard a cold voice: “You behave for me, don’t go out and make a fool of yourself!”

Upon hearing this, Li Yucheng faltered: “Zhao Yelan……?”

The curtain was lifted, and Li Yucheng saw Zhao Yelan coming out, followed by a drunk fellow.

Zhao Yelan first glanced at Li Yucheng, and then glared at Yan Mingting: “Go back, do you hear me?”

Yan Mingting lowered his head, leaned on his right shoulder, and didn’t move.

Zhao Yelan: “……”

Li Yucheng looked at the two standing together and his expression sank. He completely stopped making a fuss and stared at them silently, his eyes filled with resentment and anger.

“The people you sent have been arrested by the government and also pleaded guilty. Your father made several trips for you to spare you from being sentenced,” Zhao Yelan said.

Li Yucheng’s mouth curled, and tears rolled down unconvincingly. He turned his head and sniffed hard, saying, “In the end, it’s in your hands. If you want to kill me or cut my flesh, you can do as you please, just don’t touch my father.”

“You’ve said this yourself.”

Zhao Yelan walked over, and Yan Mingting was supported by the bearer next to him before he could fall to the ground.

Li Yucheng was slapped crisply with a pa, followed by another slap on the other side, leaving hot and painful slap marks on both cheeks.

“Zhao Yelan, you really dare to hit me!” Li Yucheng held his face in his hands and glared at Zhao Yelan furiously. He wanted to resist, but was held tightly by Gao Tan, unable to fight back as occasional passers-by glanced at him. He had never lost so much face!

“Hitting you is a light punishment, what did you intend for those people to do to me?” Zhao Yelan asked condescendingly.

Li Yucheng was at a loss for words. Naturally, he was going to have him punched and kicked inside of a sack.

Zhao Yelan didn’t wait for him to quibble about it, and directly ordered: “Hang him up.”

“Yes.”

“I’m the son of the Prime Minister, how dare you hang me? You are demoted now, believe it or not, I will have my father kill you!” Li Yucheng cursed.

“Go ahead,” Zhao Yelan said, “You don’t even dare to return home, but you remember your father after having a mishap?”

Li Yucheng felt dejected at these few words, and in the blink of an eye, he was tied up by Gao Tan. By the time he realized it, he had already been hung upside down on the willow tree next to him.

“Let me go, you let me go!” Li Yucheng was strung up by his feet with his head down, and he was so uncomfortable that it was difficult to curse others. “Heh, Zhao Yelan, you don’t have many good days left, sooner or later you will be killed by that evil star, Yan Mingting!”

When Yan Mingting heard his name, he stood up straight in a daze. Looking up at him, he walked up to Zhao Yelan, tugged at his sleeve, and said dizzily, “Wife, he scolded me. Beat him up.”

Zhao Yelan: “……”

“He is an evil star, he’ll kill everyone! My sister was killed without even entering the door. Zhao Yelan, your days are numbered, haha!”

A gust of cold wind blew by. Zhao Yelan coughed a few times and suddenly noticed a figure passing by swiftly to let down the person in the tree.

“Yan Mingting, what are you doing? Are you opposing me?” He was about to become angry, when he saw Yan Mingting stuff a piece of cloth into Li Yucheng’s mouth, slap him twice, and kick him before hanging him up again.

“The mouth is for eating, not for farting,” Yan Mingting said in a profound voice.

Li Yucheng: “Wu wu wu wu wu……”

Yan Mingting clapped his hands, turned around, and walked toward Zhao Yelan: “Let’s leave, let’s go home.”

Zhao Yelan looked him up and down with a half-smile: “General Yan is quite sober.”

Yan Mingting: “ ! ”

“Aiya, I’m so dizzy.” Yan Mingting rubbed his temples and leaned against him weakly.

Zhao Yelan kicked him on the calf and turned around to get into the sedan chair. When he bent down, he felt a sudden weight on his shoulders.

He turned his head to see that Yan Mingting had taken off his cloak and placed it on him.

“It’s cool at night, don’t catch a cold.” Yan Mingting smiled.

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Chapter Twenty-Two <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Twenty-Four