Zhao Yelan didn’t pay any attention to him all night, and began to reflect on whether he had been too talkative recently. That was why Yan Mingting was so lawless that he dared to tease him.

Although Yan Mingting didn’t ask him why he was suddenly angry, he looked at him with a smile from time to time, which made him even more annoyed.

The next day, after bathing and resting, Zhao Yelan awoke when the sky was barely light, and had just sat up when he caught a glimpse of the person lying on the ground. But this person was awake, and looked over as soon as he heard movement.

“Why didn’t you get up?”

Normally at this time, Yan Mingting was just getting back from court or on his way to the training grounds, and had never stayed in bed until this hour.

Yan Mingting crossed his arms and said unhurriedly: “I’m seeing how long someone can sleep.”

Zhao Yelan slanted him an annoyed look and got up to go bathe. No matter how closely the other party followed, he treated him as if he completely didn’t exist.

After getting dressed, he stood in front of the drawer, staring at the sachets in a daze. His hand finally stopped on the most eye-catching one, the one with sweetgrass inside.

Sweetgrass could be used as a medicine, and also be used as a spice. It was only that the scent was special. Some people liked it and some people hated it, and Yan Mingting was of the latter.

As soon as he grasped the rope of the bag, his hands were held down. Yan Mingting stood behind him and said: “Change to another, ba.”

Sneezing was too embarrassing, and hurt his handsome face.

During the silence, Housekeeper Qin walked in and saw one’s chest against the other’s back. “Ah!” He instantly covered his eyes and said: “General, my lord, there are guests outside asking to see you.”

“It’s so early, who is it?” Yan Mingting asked.

“It is the daughter of the magistrate of Zhizhou who came to thank the two masters.”

The two looked at one another, and Yan Mingting asked: “Do you know each other?”

Zhao Yelan shook his head: “You?”

“I barely know a few people in the capital, so how could I know Zhizhou?”

“Let’s go and see.”

Yan Mingting nodded, noticed that he had put down the sweetgrass sachet, and followed with satisfaction.

A young woman was standing in the foyer, wearing a lotus root-colored Liuxian skirt and a beaded hairpin on her head. Her hair was worn half up and half down, and one could tell at a glance that she was a girl not yet of age. When she saw them coming to the hall together, her eyes lit up for a moment, and she looked at them with a happy expression: “General Yan, Zhao-daren, this youngest daughter is the daughter of the magistrate for the prefecture. Her name is Sun Muyun, and unfortunately she ran into a thief on the street a few days ago. Thanks to the General’s help, her grandmother’s heirlooms were not lost.”

Yan Mingting finally remembered why she looked familiar, and said: “It was a small matter, no thanks are necessary.”

Sun Muyun stretched out her hand, and the maid handed a box to her. She offered her thanks with both hands: “General Su Wenyan made great military exploits. This little girl received a Luan jade knife, which is of no use to her. If it can be appreciated by the General, it is no loss of money.”

When the box was opened, there was a short, sharp knife inside. The scabbard placed next to it looked very extravagant and had a unique shape, inlaid with gold, jewels, and precious stones.

Yan Mingting watched in silence for a moment. Sun Muyun knew that he liked it, so she handed it over to Housekeeper Qin, who was standing nearby.

“Thank you, Miss Sun,” Yan Mingting said.

“You’re welcome.” Sun Muyun looked at him and smiled so hard that her eyes were barely visible.

Seeing this, Zhao Yelan sneered inwardly and sat down. His eyes scanned the two of them, and he said with a half smile: “Housekeeper Qin, why don’t you prepare Miss Sun some tea.”

“No need, I have already had tea.” Sun Muyun smiled and took a roll of silk from the maid, and walked up to Zhao Yelan with a meaningful look. “I bumped into Zhao-daren by accidently last time, thank you for your help. I also know that you like good brocade and silk clothes. I happened to bring a lot of silk when I came to Beijing this time, and it is all good silk selected from the Jiangnan Embroidery Workshop. I wonder if they can catch your eye?”

Zhao Yelan lowered his head for a look, and the other party thoughtfully presented the material before his eyes, explaining: “The best materials from Jiangnan Embroidery Workshop will be sent to the palace, but I have a good relationship with the embroiderers, so they sent me a few pieces. These patterns are woven stitch by stitch by the embroiderers……”

Zhao Yelan looked up at her: “You came to Beijing to take part in the draft?”

“Precisely, I came of age at the beginning of the year. According to the law, all daughters of officials will enter Beijing for the draft after coming of age.”

“Then why did you give us gifts? It is better to save them for the people in the palace,” Zhao Yelan said.

“No, my lord has misunderstood, I did not come here to curry favor with you and General Yan,” Sun Muyun hurried to explain, but it was not easy to tell them the real reason in person – you were born good-looking, and it brings me joy to look at you.

If she said this, she would be thrown out, right?

Her eyes darted away and she said: “I am just a newcomer, and I am grateful for the kindness of the two masters. This is why I want to give the knife to the hero and the silk to the beauty…..Zhao-daren.”

Zhao Yelan looked at her suspiciously, and at this moment, Sun Muyun took out a brand new brocade handkerchief: “My lord, if you don’t like the silk, take a look at the material of this handkerchief, soft and comfortable, much better than those in the capital. I personally tested it……”

Zhao Yelan became interested and rubbed the fabric between his fingertips.

Seeing them discussing the handkerchief, Yan Mingting’s expression became darker and darker. He sent a meaningful look toward Housekeeper Qin at the side, and he immediately understood, stepping forward to interrupt their conversation: “My lord, it is time for breakfast.”

“Oh, so you haven’t had breakfast yet? This one didn’t expect that the two masters had also not eaten yet,” Sun Muyun said.

“Miss Sun also hasn’t eaten?” Zhao Yelan said, “If you don’t mind, why don’t you stay for a meal?”

“Can I?” Sun Muyun looked at them in surprise. 

Can’t ! ! !

Yan Mingting roared in his heart, but remained outwardly indifferent, thinking that Zhao Yelan would understand his expression, but the other party had already led her to sit down at the table.

The two chatted happily, from the waving south of the Yangtze River, to scenery, food, and customs. Sun Muyun talked endlessly, and her words were full of longing for her hometown.

After breakfast, Sun Muyun bid them farewell again. As soon as she walked out of the General’s Mansion, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief and giggled silently, saying to the maid in a low voice: “Heavens, how can Zhao-daren be so handsome and gentle, full of knowledge about economics and market conditions. Having a meal with him today, even if I die, I will have no regrets!”

The maid fell into deep helplessness. Her Miss was good at everything, but when she saw a handsome man, she couldn’t function. She said: “But General Yan looks a bit fierce.”

“What do you know?” Sun Muyun smiled inexplicably. “He was obviously jealous.”

“What? Jealous?”

“It seems that the rumors in the capital cannot be completely believed. How could anyone think that the General and Zhao-daren are incompatible?” Sun Muyun’s smile gradually became unrestrained. “I think they will be in harmony sooner or later, heehee.” 

After sending her away, Yan Mingting turned around and asked: “What did you do to help her?”

“The last time she was outside the gate, she dropped something and I picked it up,” Zhao Yelan replied.

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“It was just a matter of lending a hand, but she spent a lot of time inquiring about your preferences and then came to give gifts?” Yan Mingting’s face was so dark that he could squeeze out ink. “I think she clearly has ulterior motives.”

“Oh? What ulterior motives?” Zhao Yelan asked.

“To keep you in her thoughts! Mostly because you look handsome and she wants to get close,” Yan Mingting said.

“……” Zhao Yelan said, “She is a beautiful girl, and will soon belong to the Emperor. Knowing the relationship between the two of us, but still being able to give gifts in person, how can she have ulterior motives?”

Yan Mingting was soothed by the words, “the relationship between the two of us.”

“Besides, didn’t she also give you a precious knife? Couldn’t she just be thinking of you, and only praised me in passing so that it would be easier to enter the door in the future?” Zhao Yelan said mockingly.

“How is this possible.” Speaking of the precious knife, Yan Mingting took the box and put it in front of him. “This sort of fancy and useless weapon is just what you like, so take it.”

If he had known that this woman would give Zhao Yelan silk, he wouldn’t have taken the knife and would have directly invited that person to leave.

“Didn’t you already prepare the crossbow for me?” Zhao Yelan took the knife and played with it. “Can this thing still be used?”

“It is of little use in self-defense, but it can be played with. Don’t you love gold, silver, and jewels? You can pick all these things off the sheath.”

Zhao Yelan gave him a blank look.

Yan Mingting still had to go to the training grounds to tell Zhong Yuehong the news from the palace, so he left the house first. Zhao Yelan handed the two gifts to Xiao Gao to be put in storage, and when he returned to the room, he saw Housekeeper Qin staring at the things on the table, talking to himself non-stop. 

“What are you looking at?” Zhao Yelan asked flatly.

“My lord, may I ask where this hairpin came from, ah?” When Housekeeper Qin came to clean up, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of several hairpins on the table, and one flowing cloud jade hairpin caught his attention. He was afraid he had been mistaken, so he boldly asked.

“Yan Mingting gave it to me, why?”

“Indeed,” Housekeeper Qin said with a smile. “This hairpin was originally given to the old general by the late Emperor, and the general gave it to the old madam when they got married. But this is men’s jewelry, so the old madam gave it to the old general again. However, the general thought it was a nuisance, so he never wore it. I didn’t expect this hairpin to find a suitable owner……”

Zhao Yelan frowned. He thought that Yan Mingting had bought it, but it turned out to be a family heirloom. Fortunately, this hairpin didn’t have any “Furen” significance –

“My lord, the General is taking after the old general and giving it to you as his wife……”

Zhao Yelan froze and looked at him coldly: “Finished cleaning? From now on, you don’t need to bother with this room, just call other servants to clean it.” The kind who talked less.

Housekeeper Qin complained to Xiao Gao aggrievedly: “Xiao Gao, how did you survive by Zhao-daren’s side for so many years?”

Xiao Gao wore an honest expression: “I am good at martial arts, and I don’t talk too much. I just do what I’m told and don’t ask many questions.”

Housekeeper Qin: “……Fine, I do none of that.”

In the afternoon, Zhao Yelan went out to take care of some business. When the sedan chair passed Hongxiu House, he heard someone making a commotion from a distance and the sedan chair suddenly stopped.

“What happened?”

Xiao Gao replied: “My lord, someone fell in front of the sedan chair.”

“Go around.”

“It seems to be Li Yucheng.”

Zhao Yelan lifted the curtain and got out of the sedan chair to see Li Yucheng lying on the ground. He was yelling incessantly and pointing at the man standing across from him as he cursed: “Boy, you dare to throw me? Just you wait until I call someone!”

Zhao Yelan: “…….” This fellow always shouted so arrogantly yet barely had the power of a fart. How the hell had he survived until now?

While he was speechless, Li Yucheng spotted him and his eyes lit up. He quickly got up and ran to his side: “Zhao-xiong, Zhao-xiong, are you here to pick me up?”

Were they that familiar?

Zhao Yelan’s face darkened. He turned around and tried to leave, but was unexpectedly grabbed by the other. They seemed to hook shoulders like two brothers as one shouted at the person opposite: “I think that your claim of being the number one beautiful man in the capital is just a bunch of bragging. If you have the ability to compare with my Zhao-xiong, let’s see what you’ve got!”

Zhao Yelan looked down at his feet, which were standing on tiptoes due to his arm being over the other’s shoulders, and said: “Stop showing off.”

Li Yucheng choked.

But when that person saw Zhao Yelan, he said sternly to Li Yucheng: “Next time you try to snatch people from me, I will beat you to death!” Then he affected a confident and condescending look and fled.

“You’re capable of running away, ah, what a virtue.” Li Yucheng proudly gave his back a thumbs up, then turned around. Seeing Zhao Yelan’s gloomy expression, he gave an embarrassed smile and tidied his clothes carefully, then straightened up and said: “Thank you for your kindness, I owe you this time.”

“What will you pay me?”

“I’ll……I’ll invite you to listen to music!” Li Yucheng raised his voice. “A stunning beauty came to Hongxiu House recently. She is proficient at playing music and singing, she’s good at everything. It is hard to find one like her!”

Zhao Yelan watched him ramble on and said: “You don’t gamble anymore?”

Li Yucheng was surprised for a moment, and waved his hand: “No more gambling, no more, I quit.”

“You changed to prostitutes?”

“……Don’t say it so harshly, ah!” Li Yucheng said with a guilty conscience, “That beautiful woman is really like nothing in heaven and earth, ah. If you see her, I guarantee that you will be as fascinated as I am.”

Zhao Yelan scoffed and turned to leave, but was held back by him again.

“I have something to say to you. To save face, let’s have a meal together,” Li Yucheng said with a humble posture.

Zhao Yelan looked back at him and said: “I still have something to do, let’s talk another day.”

“What is it?”

“Going back to feed the rabbit.”

A vein twitched in Li Yucheng’s forehead: “You would rather go back and feed the rabbit than have a meal with me?”

“If you don’t take back your hand, I will ask Xiao Gao to personally escort you back.”

Li Yucheng glanced at the martial artist boy next to him and immediately raised his hands, saying with a smile: “Another day, another day.”

After getting rid of Li Yucheng, Zhao Yelan returned to the mansion to find Yan Mingting already sitting in the foyer.

“Where did you go?” Yan Mingting asked.

Zhao Yelan asked lightly: “Did you bring the message to Zhong Yuehong?”

“En.” Yan Mingting sighed deeply. “She decided to go back to the military camp.”

“Back to the military camp?”

“En, that’s what she meant to do earlier. She doesn’t like the capital, and this time she returned to Beijing only to visit her family, which is why she delayed for so long. She didn’t expect that this would lead to so many complications, so she is determined to go guard the border now,” Yan Mingting said.

“What about her mother?”

“They will leave together. I contacted someone to let Mother Zhong settle down in a border town, so that they can get together when they are free.”

Zhao Yelan nodded: “If that’s the case, then let her go, ba. Just don’t move them right now, in case the Emperor discovers this abnormality. When the general election is over, send her out on the grounds of a military transfer order.”

“En, I think so too. She will stay in Beijing for now.” Yan Mingting smiled helplessly. “It is good to go to the border, the capital is as unpredictable as clouds and waves, really bothersome.”

A few birds flew overhead, flapping their wings and soaring towards the endless sky. Zhao Yelan turned to the side, looking up at them, and said: “Yes, from now on the bird will fly free, how happy……”

Yan Mingting was taken aback for a moment. A trace of longing peeked out from the other’s expression, and he said: “Have you ever thought about leaving?”

Zhao Yelan glanced at him, then went to the study without saying a word.

“By the way, you never told me what you did today and why it took you so long to come back,” Yan Mingting said, chasing after him.

“Don’t meddle in other people’s business,” Zhao Yelan said.

Yan Mingting’s intuition told him that something was not quite right. He stopped and turned to look for Gao Tan. He saw the person feeding the rabbit in the back courtyard and asked: “Xiao Gao, where did you and your lord go today?”

Xiao Gao raised his head and averted his eyes: “We didn’t go anywhere.”

“Nonsense, I clearly saw you on the street. A good many people saw you,” Yan Mingting lied. As expected, Xiao Gao believed it and looked at him in surprise, recalling the time when there were the most onlookers……

“My lord really didn’t want to go to the brothel, it was Li Yucheng who insisted on pulling him along!”

Yan Mingting: “ ! ”

---

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Chapter Thirty-Nine <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Forty-One

A burning hot pair of lips fell on a slightly cold cheek.

It was difficult to master his strength due to panic, so it was not so much a kiss as it was a hard, noisy smooch.

After this sound, the vehicle went silent, and the scene that had been about to go out of control looked as if someone had pressed the pause button.

Xia Xingchi couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge his blush, and quickly pushed Li Chengyuan away with both hands.

But he seemed to be frozen in place, unmoving, the expression on his face blank and a little……dazed?

This was only fleeting, however, and Li Chengyuan bullied him again in an instant! Even worse than before!

“You can’t kill me!” Xia Xingchi clenched the diamond engagement ring tightly in his right hand and hurried to loudly say, “Li Chengyuan, we, we are already engaged! You can’t murder your husband, ah!”

Secretary Ye was separated by the privacy screen, pricking her ears up to eavesdrop and expecting to hear something embarrassing that was not suitable for the ears of children —

In the end, it turned out to be a legal drama?

She was drinking water when she heard those confusing words and almost choked to death, never expecting that Master Xia would have such a bizarre misunderstanding of Mr. Li.

Although the boss was indeed ruthless and tyrannical, it was actually not to the point of murder and arson, ah.

……She understood.

This must be a little fun between husband and wife!

As soon as those words were uttered, Li Chengyuan’s eyes also flickered with a bit of surprise, as if angered and amused at this dreadful idea.

At present, the back seat was very quiet.

Finally, Li Chengyuan gave an angry laugh, the corners of his lips curling up in a mocking arc.

Perhaps he realized he had made a gaffe just now, but in any case, he didn’t want to further frighten Xia Xingchi, so he reached out his hand to fasten the seatbelt for him.

In the end, he leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes to rest, as if nothing had happened.

Secretary Ye in the front seat was currently coughing from choking on water after accidentally interpreting a legal drama.

Xia Xingchi couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed, and looked at Li Chengyuan again as he wondered, am I too cowardly and disgraceful?

In all fairness, the current big villain didn’t seem to be entirely insane, nor had he become a maniac outlaw.

For a time, he couldn’t tell whether it was more embarrassing to kiss him suddenly and noisily, or to curl into a ball and shout, “Don’t kill me.”

Whatever, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t made a fool out of himself in front of him before.

Their horoscopes must not suit each other, otherwise he wouldn’t have had repeated social deaths since the night they first met —

– – –

As soon as he transmigrated into the book, he fell into Li Chengyuan’s bathtub out of nowhere, and even slipped and landed on him.

An earth-shattering splash, water flying in all directions. Forget about the person in front of him only being asleep, even if he was dead, he would have still woken up.

The moment he fell into the water, Xia Xingchi only had one thought in his mind: “It’s over.”

He thought he would be caught red-handed in the next second, but found that the man seemed to be passed out.

His mouth and nose were already submerged under the water, and his eyes were closed and motionless.

Xia Xingchi was completely at a loss. The odd lightning strike and resurrection from the dead, the unfamiliar situation and strange naked beauty, everything was very baffling.

But the priority right now was not to watch the other party drown. Before he had time to think about anything else, he quickly fished him out with great effort.

The man looked pale and sickly, who would have thought that he was actually so tall?

When he saw him at first, he had admired his beautiful and defined muscles, but this situation had become a catastrophe for Xia Xingchi —

With his thin, pitiful little body, it was really not easy to drag a man with such a huge difference in body size to the bed.

After a long period of struggling, it was finally done. Xia Xingchi let out a long sigh of relief, and reached out to touch Li Chengyuan’s chest.

Although he was unconscious, there was fortunately still a heartbeat, and his breathing was normal.

Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to explain to Comrade Police how he had appeared here out of thin air, and there just happened to be a dead person.

“Sir?” Xia Xingchi called him tentatively.

No one answered, and no one explained to him what was going on.

Looking around, he appeared to be in the presidential suite of a hotel. The furnishings definitely put it above five stars, costing five or even six figures per day.

Thinking of this, even though he was confused and at a loss, Xia Xingchi couldn’t help sighing like a money enthusiast, as if there was the alluring smell of banknotes in the air.

After a short moment, he at last remembered his proper business and hurried toward the huge glass floor-to-ceiling window to see: 

This was the top floor of the hotel, which overlooked the bustling night scenery of the city.

Xia Xingchi faintly saw the word “Beijing” — but it was not the capital city that he was familiar with.

The high-rise buildings, the city landmarks, everything was unfamiliar.

But what was reflected in the glass was still his original appearance. Even the crescent-shaped scars on his wrists were still the same, and the outfit was still the waiter’s uniform that he was wearing before.

It was really too strange. When he was struck by lightning, he was burnt on the outside and tender on the inside. Add a bit of cumin and salt, and the kids next door would cry from hunger. It was outrageous enough to make the social news.

Not only was he still alive, but he was also in a strange “capital city” that seemed to be in another space and time.

And then there was this mysterious person……wait!

Where was that person?!

Xia Xingchi turned his head and found that the bed was empty.

Before he could react, there was a strong wind from behind and a powerful hand grabbed his wrist, then he was pushed down on the bed without warning!

The pale, handsome face was very close. The man had woken up at some unknown point, and walked up behind him after putting on a bathrobe.

His whole person was like a big cat, walking without a sound.

Xia Xingchi was immediately taken aback. Before he could resist or quibble, his neck was gripped by the other party and he was unable to move.

That cold hand was extremely strong. Obviously, he was being regarded as an uninvited guest who snuck into the room late at night.

“Ah……Sir, don’t get worked up, let go first! I……I’m here to give you a show!”

Xia Xingchi was squeezed almost to the point of suffocation. He pointed to his waiter’s uniform with great effort, trying to pretend that he was someone from the hotel.

— No, no, what was he talking about, ah?!

Soaking in someone’s bathtub in the middle of the night for a show, could it be that the performance was a magician conjuring a person out of nowhere?

As expected, these words were not credible at all, the strength of the hand on his neck got a little stronger. The throttled Xia Xinchi was suffocated for a while, and the attempts he made to speak and remedy the situation were stuck in his throat.

It was over. He was dead.

For fuck’s sake, where had he offended God……being struck to death by lightning wasn’t enough, so now he was going to be strangled in another space and time?

Breaking into a private residence wasn’t a crime punishable by death, ah. Was he really going to kill him?

Xia Xingchi’s eyes were full of stars and black mist as he thought about all kinds of messy things.

So he didn’t notice the man’s momentary astonishment when he saw his face clearly — the restraint on his neck suddenly disappeared.

When he could breathe again, Xi Xingchi quickly took a few deep breaths and coughed uncontrollably.

He just wanted to give in and beg the good man to spare his life, and maybe let it be known that his counterpart’s method of self-defense was excessive, but he sensed that the other party was shaken.

Then that body tilted, and he collapsed on the spot. His entire frame actually fell directly down on top of Xia Xingchi. 

With the abrupt “zero-distance intimate social interaction,” Xia Xingchi felt that he had been more frightened in this one night than he had been in the entirety of the past twenty-three years.

He wanted to quickly push this person away, but found that the other person’s eyes were closed tightly. His whole body was freezing, and he even trembled unconsciously, clearly in extreme discomfort.

Xia Xingchi realized belatedly that he hadn’t been knocked unconscious in the bathroom just now, but lost consciousness due to some sort of illness.

“Sir? Are you unwell? Do you want me to call an ambulance?” 

Xia Xingchi hurriedly captured back his frightened soul and sat up to look. He saw that the man’s face was paper-white and his forehead was dripping with cold sweat.

“……Leave.” Li Chengyuan was still conscious, but his condition was extremely poor. His thin, bloodless lips trembled slightly, and his voice was low and almost inaudible.

His attitude was considerably irascible, perhaps because he didn’t want to be seen by strangers when he was sick and weak. 

Fortunately, Xia Xingchi didn’t mind this bad attitude. On the contrary, this was the sentence he wanted to hear the most  — as soon as he heard this, he stood up and got out of there immediately!

As soon as he turned around, his wrist was tightly grasped by a firm hand.

It was unknown if he had confused him with someone else due to his sickness and confusion, or if he had suddenly changed his mind.

In any case, the man struggled to get up, and his hoarse voice sounded both like a command and a plea: “Don’t leave.”

Xia Xingchi was baffled.

This person had just strangled someone forcefully and indifferently, but now he was like some sort of vaguely-conscious large, fluffy animal begging for company.

This change of attitude was faster than flipping the page of a book.

In Li Chengyuan’s blurred vision, he could only vaguely see the shape of a figure.

With the remnants of his faint consciousness, he tightly held onto Xia Xingchi’s wrist: “Don’t go, I’ll give you money……don’t leave anymore.”

“Money?”

Little money-grubbers were very sensitive to this word. They worked hard down to the last second before they died, and “making money” was already imprinted into their bones.

He immediately pricked up his ears and asked: “Sir, are you hiring me to take care of you overnight?”

This request was not difficult to understand. Although he didn’t know what was wrong with this beauty, he looked so uncomfortable and definitely needed someone to look after him.

Otherwise, in the case of sudden death in the middle of the night, no one would know to call 120.

“Don’t go,” Li Chengyuan repeated. “……I’ll give you all the money in my wallet.”

The wallet happened to be on the bedside table. Xia Xingchi quietly picked it up and took a look — and was immediately shocked by the quantity of banknotes!

Li Chengyuan had just gone abroad to negotiate a contract yesterday, and inside the wallet was a thick wad of US dollars that he hadn’t had time to exchange.

The little money-grubber’s eyes nearly lit up.

Just now, he had wanted to rub the soles of his feet with oil and slip away, but after looking over the salary, the boss had offered too much money for him to leave.

Xia Xingchi then persuaded himself: Stay, ba, there is nowhere to go just now. I can just stay here for one night. It seems this beauty doesn’t have the strength to go crazy again.

Under the influence of such wealth, the newly inducted “Xia Nursing Worker’s” attentiveness was like a barrage of gunfire.

“Boss, do you need me to pour water for you? Do you need any medicine? Or a bedtime story? Do you want me to sing to you?”

There was no answer. Li Chengyuan had received Xia Xingchi’s affirmative answer of “not leaving,” finally couldn’t endure any longer, and fell asleep.

Seeing this, Xia Xingchi simply took off the wet waiter’s uniform and set it aside, then found a bathrobe to put on.

Sitting by the bedside was called patient care, but in actuality, he started to happily count money.

There was a whole one hundred bills, and the little money-grubber who was poor until death became rich due to a windfall!

– – –

Early the next morning, warm sunshine fell upon his body.

Xia Xingchi shrank back into the depths of the bed, yawned contentedly, and curled up into a ball with only half of his face exposed to breathe.

In his dreams, he was still counting money that never ended no matter what. Instead, he counted more and more until he almost drowned in it.

When he finally realized that this was a dream, he woke up abruptly —

And saw his super-rich temporary employer, whose face was expressionless as he slightly raised his head to button his shirt. 

But those eyes stayed on him from beginning to end. There was no telling how long he had been watching him.

The eyes of the two met. Xia Xingchi was at a loss at first, thinking, “Who am I?” Then he quivered, screaming in his heart, help, I’m going to die!

The boss hired me as a caregiver and paid me so much money, and I suddenly……fell asleep! And got caught!

Immediately afterward, a mess of thoughts cascaded through Xia Xingchi’s sleepy head: 

He was unconscious at the time, did the wages still count?

Or maybe he didn’t know he had so much money in his wallet? Would he go back on his word?

Unacceptable! He still wanted money!

What if he didn’t remember holding him tight and not letting go, and asked why he was in his room or in his bed?

Xia Xingchi was frightened, and stared at Li Chengyuan vigilantly with wide, round eyes.

At this time, a female voice was suddenly heard: “Mr. Li, the quarterly summary of the Finance Department – ah!”

The door was ajar, and it opened with a light tap.

This exposed Xia Xingchi lying on the bed in disheveled clothes and sleep-mussed hair.

In the next moment, Xia Xingchi jumped up as if he had received an electric shock, picked up his clothes and wallet amidst Secretary Ye’s screams, and ran away!

Having been single for twenty-three years, he experienced the scene of being caught in bed one day after his death.

The ridiculous thing was that because he was barefoot when he died, he only wanted to “borrow” a pair of disposable slippers to wear.

Who would have thought that, panicked and not fully awake, he didn’t realize that this was far from the truth until he had wildly run far away.

To his surprise, he had maintained the “excellent” habit of thrift, and subconsciously swept away all the disposable items in the hotel that he could see.

He opened his hand, and there was a complementary condom in his palm.

Xia Xingchi: ……

– – –

Unable to bear recalling the past, Xia Xingchi was embarrassed for two days, until he finally had no choice but to comfort himself by thinking that the man might just be a handsome passer-by NPC.

Just like one of those that gave out money and experience at the start of a game, in any case, they wouldn’t meet again.

Who would have guessed that he would meet the big villain boss at the start?

Now firmly bound by the seat belt fastened by the boss himself, Xia Xingchi could only huddle into a ball and not dare to act rashly again, so as not to make Li Chengyuan suddenly go crazy once more.

The quieter it was, the more his brain continued to play the previous scenes of strangulation.

Xia Xingchi could do nothing but repeatedly grab the floor with his toes, as if he could dig a hole through the floorboard and jump in to hide.

---

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Chapter Four << Table of Contents >> Chapter Six

Early in the morning the next day, as soon as the Emperor adjourned court, Yan Mingting rushed back to the mansion without stopping. Zhao Yelan happened to be eating breakfast, and wondered: “You left court so early today?”

“En, there was nothing serious to discuss, so we dispersed.” Yan Mingting hurried out after finishing his meal.

Zhao Yelan changed into his official uniform and walked slowly to the sedan chair. He opened the curtain and stared blankly for a moment: “Why are you here?”

“To send you to the Imperial Academy, ah.” Yan Mingting smiled and sat up straight, saying, “It just so happens that I have nothing to do right now, so I’ll just take your sedan chair and go to the Zhong residence.”

“You need a sedan chair? Isn’t it faster to ride a horse?” Zhao Yelan climbed in dubiously, and as soon as he sat down, Yan Mingting ordered the bearers to leave without giving him a chance to stop them.

“I could ride a horse, but what if Auntie Zhong wants to take the sedan chair?” Yan Mingting argued with conviction.

Why would Auntie Zhong sit in the sedan chair? To have a taste of a different life?

Zhao Yelan didn’t want to argue with him anymore, so he turned to business: “Since you are going to Zhong Yuehong’s house, you can bring her a message.”

“What message?”

Zhao Yelan whispered a few words in his ear.

Yan Mingting was distracted. His warm breath was like wind on a summer night, soft and serious, inexplicably making him hot and restless. It also brought a faint fragrance that made his heart itch, and he could see the line of his white neck, down until it sank behind the lapel. The protruding Adam’s apple was like a sharp, gleaming weapon, stabbing at his city gate time after time.

“What did……you just say?” Yan Mingting asked, swallowing.

“Are you deaf?” Zhao Yelan seemed like he was about to get angry.

“The sedan chair was shaking a bit, I didn’t hear it clearly,” Yan Mingting said with a guilty conscience.

Zhao Yelan glared at him with cold fury and repeated himself: “If she is summoned to the palace, you have her do this……”

After listening, Yan Mingting found it hard to understand and asked uncertainly: “Really? Isn’t this directly presenting her to the door? What if the Emperor really likes her?”

“Do you understand him or do I understand him?”

“……You,” Yan Mingting choked out, feeling a bit stifled. It was a very normal answer, but it left a sour taste in his mouth.

After arriving at the Imperial Academy, Zhao Yelan did not allow him to get off the sedan chair, and directly ordered the bearer to carry him back. Then he turned around and went in, hearing commotion inside. Taking a closer look, he saw an old scholar arguing with Wang Guisheng.

He listened closely, and it was nothing more than a small verbal dispute which somehow involved matters of the court. The Bachelor said that Wang Guisheng was arrogant, not knowing respect, and Wang Guisheng in turn insinuated that he was pedantic and old-fashioned, and didn’t know how to adapt.

In any case, the rank and qualifications of the old Bachelor were higher than most people here. Seeing that he, a fresh scholar, was so shameless, he was so angry that he almost couldn’t breathe. The others hurried to appease the Bachelor and teach Wang Guisheng a lesson.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Guisheng became the target of public criticism.

Ruan Xian, who had been sitting on the sidelines, saw Zhao Yelan coming and had a change of mind. He quickly slipped to his side and said in a low voice: “What should be done now? Shall we help Wang Guisheng?”

On one side were many colleagues and seniors, and on the other were powerless newcomers. Ruan Xian weighed it in his heart. If they spoke for the Bachelor, others had already done so, and at most everyone would get along in harmony as before. But if they helped Wang Guisheng at this time, and he was promoted in the future, he would still care about their friendship, so they might as well give it a try.

“It’s up to you,” Zhao Yelan said flatly.

Aware of everyone’s condemning gazes, Wang Guisheng looked around and paused for a moment on Zhao Yelan, wondering if the other party would also take the opportunity to make things difficult for him. Unexpectedly, he whispered something to Ruan Xian and then turned around and left.

The next moment, Ruan Xian smiled and walked forward to mediate. First he placated the Bachelor’s emotions, then pretended to be angry and took Wang Guisheng aside to reprimand him.

As for what happened after, Zhao Yelan didn’t care at all. Anyway, Wang Guisheng’s temperament would definitely make him suffer in officialdom. If he didn’t know how to adapt, it would be difficult to achieve great things. He didn’t have the patience to guide him.

Use it if you can, discard it if you can’t.

He walked into the chess player’s room and coughed weakly twice: “Sir, I heard you want to play chess with me?”

“Precisely, my lord, please come in!” The chess player welcomed him in flatteringly. For those who were good at chess, officialdom was far less fascinating than a chess game. Whether it was a famous scholar or a courtier, as long as he could play a good game of chess, he would be considered a confidant.

The two had never played chess together before, but when the Emperor came to the Imperial Academy, he only played against Zhao Yelan. The chess players were very curious about the level of their opponent. How much courage must he have to beat the Emperor at every game?

In the evening, Zhao Yelan walked out the gate of the Imperial Academy to his sedan chair, opened the curtain, and froze again: “Why are you still here?”

“Waiting for Zhao-daren to be released, ah,” Yan Mingting said with a smile.

After Zhao Yelan sat down, he saw him poking his head out to look around, and asked: “What are you looking for?”

“Has the Emperor come to see you today?”

“No.”

Yan Mingting sat back again and said: “Someone really announced that Zhong Yuehong would enter the palace today, but it was the Empress.”

Zhao Yelan nodded: “It is no wonder that the Emperor didn’t come to the Imperial Academy today. The Empress likely went to see him.”

What this said was that the Imperial Academy was also a courtyard in the harem, just waiting to be favored. Yan Mingting frowned and said: “Yuehong didn’t dare come to the mansion, and went home directly, but sent someone to pass the news to me.”

“Let’s talk about it when we get back.”

In the study, Yan Mingting recounted Zhong Yuehong’s deeds that day.

The Empress sent a letter inviting Zhong Yuehong to the palace to enjoy the flowers. Zhong Yuehong didn’t have much appreciation for these scenes of red flowers, willows, and greenery, and just listened to the Empress nattering on and reading some literary poems. Although she couldn’t understand them, she knew that the general meaning was to praise the flowers for their beauty.

It was a lot of work to say one thing, Zhong Yuehong thought.

During dinner, Zhong Yuehong clearly felt two scrutinizing eyes. Her already rough eating habits were not fit to be displayed, and she nervously knocked over two dishes.

The Empress thoughtfully and generously sent someone to replace the dishes again, and she praised the Empress as much as possible in an extremely over enthusiastic manner. But she was not a person of literary talent, and the words of praise were very plainspoken, making the Empress laugh.

She looked at the Emperor again, secretly pinched her thigh, and her face flushed slightly. With eyes filled with admiration, she praised the Emperor with the same words, but the other party showed no expression, just frowning and eating with indifference.

During the dinner, the Empress expressed her affection for her again and kindly called her younger sister. Zhong Yuehong suppressed the distaste in her heart, and responded delicately with “sister.”

Zhao Xuan’s chopsticks paused. Seeing that she was wearing fine attire and wanted to flatter him, he felt indescribably strange and left Kunning Palace after finishing his meal in a hurry.

“Will this really work?” Yan Mingting asked. “Are you sure the Emperor won’t like Yuehong?”

“He is a contradictory man who likes neither flatterers nor sycophants. He doesn’t like people who compete for fame and fortune, but he is in a high position and is surrounded by these two kinds of people, so deep down, he doesn’t like anyone. As long as he dislikes Yuehong’s flattery, he will also dislike the Empress, and then carefully consider the pros and cons of Yuehong’s entry to the harem. In fact, with his heart, he should have already made his considerations. He only needs a light push to help him make up his mind.” Zhao Yelan picked up a candle wick and rekindled the flame.

Yan Mingting nodded: “Does Yuehong need to do anything else?”

“There have been a lot of outsiders in the city lately. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, take her to patrol,” Zhao Yelan said.

“I will.”

The next day, the Emperor visited the Imperial Academy again in person and summoned Zhao Yelan to play chess.

As the two sat on each side, Zhao Xuan asked: “I heard you lost two chess games in a row yesterday. What is going on?”

Zhao Yelan coughed twice with a pale face and said with a smile: “Chess games always go back and forth, how can I win all the time?”

“You are willing to lose to him, but not to me?” There seemed to be a hint of bitterness and jealousy in his tone.

Zhao Yelan smiled: “Yesterday, my physical condition was not good.”

“The weather has been pretty good recently, isn’t your health better?” Zhao Xuan asked with concern.

Zhao Yelan shook his head helplessly and smiled: “It is better, but I have headaches occasionally. Your Majesty, let’s begin.”

The round passed quickly, and Zhao Xuan sighed: “Why did you win again?”

“Because His Majesty is not paying attention.” Zhao Yelan picked up the chess pieces and rolled them into the chess box one by one with crisp, clacking sounds.

Zhao Xuan’s eyes inadvertently fell on his slender hands, and he said bluntly: “The Empress suggested that I accept Zhong Yuehong as my concubine.”

“What about His Majesty’s own thoughts?”

If they hadn’t seen Zhong Yuehong last night, perhaps she would have been a concubine within a few days. Zhao Xuan sighed, “I thought she had wisdom, but yesterday in Kunning Palace, she kept currying favor with the Empress. With rough manners and a simple mind, it would be difficult for her to become a lady of the household.”

Zhao Yelan rubbed a chess piece and said with a smile: “Your Majesty, you are too greedy. Lieutenant General Zhong is a military official, after all. You didn’t think her manners were rough when she was killing enemies outside, but now that she is to be included in the harem, you want her to be beautiful and intelligent, and leave behind her independence?”

Zhao Xuan rubbed his eyebrows: “I am naturally aware of the dilemma, but I suspect that she has been won over by the Empress. If she has the ambition to climb higher and really enters the harem, wouldn’t it be reduced to a stream of competition for favor?”

“It is as His Majesty says.” Zhao Yelan added, “That would be a great loss for His Majesty.”

“Loss?”

“Nowadays the world is peaceful. Zhong Yuehong’s position as a female military official seems to be useless, and the Empress thinks she is an easy pawn to win over. If His Majesty truly summons her into the harem as a favor to the Empress in return for nothing, what is the benefit to His Majesty? Secondly, since His Majesty said she was simple-minded, it would be difficult for her to gain a foothold in this harem without the grace of god. But she is also a resounding heroine within the hearts of the soldiers. If she is accepted as a concubine, how can they see their heroine be treated badly? Unless His Majesty is willing to spoil her forever, but can he do it? Furthermore, there have never been female military officials in this dynasty. Now that Zhong Yuehong has returned triumphantly, she has become a role model among the people. Many women are now willing to follow her example. If you let them see the indomitable female lieutenant general finally collapse in the back courtyard of the deep palace due to conspiracies and tricks, at that time, the hearts and minds of the people and the army will truly be lost, ah.”

Zhao Xuan frowned, taking a deep look at him: “It seems that you object to her entering the harem.”

“Yes.”

“How do you know she doesn’t want to enter the harem? What if she wants to?”

“Willing or not, I have explained my reasoning. Whether you listen or not is up to you, Your Majesty.” Zhao Yelan closed the chess box. “This official is still busy with government affairs, so he cannot accompany His Majesty. Chess players will be invited over.”

“Why are you getting angry?” Zhao Xuan laughingly stopped him. “It’s all right, I’m just asking casually. In fact, I already rejected the Empress last night. It is most appropriate to let Zhong Yuehong remain in her original position.”

“Then why did Your Majesty come to ask about this?” Zhao Yelan looked up at him.

Zhao Xuan thought to himself: Because I wanted to see you angry.

Ever since Zhao Yelan got married and was dismissed, he always acted in a “you can do whatever you want” manner. To put it bluntly, he was good and obedient, but in fact, he was disappointed with Zhao Xuan, and he could see it.

These days, he had stabilized the laws and discipline of the Imperial court, but he couldn’t help but miss the days when he and Zhao Yelan talked about everything. Thinking over it last night, he first thought of Zhong Yuehong’s vulgar behavior in Kunning Palace, and then his mind wandered to Zhao Yelan’s words and demeanor, and he fell asleep in a daze. In his dreams, the two played chess all night long.

He sacrificed Zhao Yelan in exchange for the stability of the throne, but no matter how ignorant he was, he would take pity on his people.

Looking at the slightly angry person in front of him who was becoming more and more familiar, Zhao Xuan smiled and asked: “You are very concerned about the matter of accepting a concubine?”

Zhao Yelan did not deny it, nodding blatantly. In any case, he still had a lot of reasons for him to give up accepting Zhong Yuehong as his concubine.

Zhao Xuan didn’t ask any more questions, and pulled him back to the chess table for a second game. Even though he lost, he was still in a good mood, but it was not early and it was time to return to the palace.

Before leaving, he looked at Zhao Yelan again: “Do you have anything else to say?”

Zhao Yelan blurted out: “Your Majesty, it is time for you to consider the issue of your heirs.”

Zhao Xuan’s face froze: “What?”

“The concubine election is coming up soon, and many people will enter the harem. This is a good opportunity. Your Majesty, you must hurry up.”

Zhao Yelan learned from Eunuch Gao that the Emperor stayed in the Imperial study at night and rarely stepped into the harem. There were only a few concubines in the harem, and he had been on the throne for a year with nothing to show for it. A while ago, the officials were advising about this every day, so the general election was scheduled in order to fill the harem.

He suggested: “If His Majesty doesn’t want to make a spectacle concerning concubines, he can let the Empress give birth to a prince first, so that the prince can be established as soon as possible……”

“Enough! Why are you just like those old stubborn ones!”

Zhao Xuan flicked his sleeves and left the Imperial Academy in a fit of pique. When he was about to reach the palace, he heard a commotion outside and lifted the curtain to ask: “What is that noise?”

The entourage replied: “Answering Your Majesty, it seems that Lieutenant General Zhong has captured a fleeing thief, and the people are cheering for her.”

Zhao Xuan looked over at the woman on a horse in the distance, looking very imposing with long hair flying and a man tied up with a whip.

He suddenly remembered Zhao Yelan’s words: “Not all women are vainly trying to obtain the grace of the throne. Some people are good at feminine arts, so naturally there are others who are good at martial arts. The way of a ruler is to protect them, instead of telling them to change.”

Zhao Xuan’s heart was touched. Thinking back to the early years when the two of them were at each other’s sides day and night, behind all their deliberations, the goal was to let all the common people escape from the former Emperor. When exactly did strategy become the most important thing to him?

As the sun set, the remaining clouds on the horizon were dyed red.

When Zhao Yelan stepped into the General’s Mansion, Yan Mingting greeted him in the foyer with a restless appearance, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

“It should be fine.” Zhao Yelan surmised that he was waiting on the results.

But Yan Mingting asked: “Why did you come back so late?”

“After talking with the Emperor for a time, it happened that he had already rejected the Empress last night,” Zhao Yelan said.

“He really went to the Imperial Academy to look for you?” Yan Mingting straightened his expression. “Did you only talk about Yuehong?”

“En.” Zhao Yelan sat down, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and saw that he didn’t seem to believe him. Thinking about it, he added: “There was also the matter of the dragon heir.”

“Dragon heir?” Yan Mingting immediately moved to the side.

“En.” This was the foyer, and Zhao Yelan didn’t want to talk too much about the royal family. In order to avoid being overheard by interested people, he got up and walked to the study, hearing a burst of brisk footsteps behind him.

He turned his head and saw Yan Mingting walking two steps and running back three steps, going back and forth very much like a fool about to be beaten.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing, I just think……a dragon heir is good, a dragon heir is very good, how could the Emperor not have a dragon heir!” Yan Mingting laughed loudly.

“Keep your voice down.” Zhao Yelan quickly covered his mouth, looking at the servants coming and going in a hurry. “Are you not afraid that others will hear you talking about the royal family?”

Yan Mingting pressed his wrist, but did not take it away immediately. He rubbed it casually, then smiled and said: “Zhao-daren has taught me a lesson.”

His lips parted slightly as he spoke, touching the palm of his hand. Zhao Yelan quickly withdrew it and continued walking with his hands behind his back.

Yan Mingting gazed at his back with a smile on his face for a moment, and suddenly said: “Mengting, you are on the same hands and feet.”^[1]

“……What does it matter to you?” Zhao Yelan paused and turned around to give him a hard look, but saw an indescribable cunning hidden in his smile. Only then did he realize that he was walking with his hands behind his back – behind his back! How could he be walking with the same hands and feet?

Yan Mingting leaned against a beam and looked at him with a smile: “Mengting, where did your thoughts go?”

---

[1] When the left hand and left foot move at the same time, the right hand and right foot move at the same time. ⮐

---

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Chapter Thirty-Eight <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Forty

It was shocking enough to take the initiative to sit on his lap, but Xia Xingchi still thought it wasn’t enough. He adjusted his sitting posture and leaned into Li Chengyuan’s arms, and even tidied his collar casually and intimately.

The scene froze for a time and everyone was dumbfounded, as if watching the terrifying spectacle of Mars colliding with the earth.

No one was unaware of Mr. Li’s temper. Xia Xingchi probably thought that his life was too long.

Prior to this, don’t even mention such intimate contact, just being able to attend the same banquet as him was a considerable honor.

Shouldn’t he be tossed to the ground on the spot?

But Li Chengyuan only pursed his lips slightly and watched with faint indifference to see what other outrageous things he would do.

Xia Xingchi indeed lived up to expectations, and reached out to decisively hold Li Chengyuan’s cold hand.

Then he quickly turned his head to look at Xia Yu as he climbed up from the ground, saying loudly and with extreme outrage: “Xia Yu, I won’t allow you to say such things about my husband!”

“I’ve already said that whether in sickness or in health, I want to be with him. Don’t try to provoke us to break up!”

The scene grew even more silent.

Xia Xingchi’s fastball fiercely struck back those covert words, and nobody knew what Xia Yu had said before being kicked to the ground.

Words such as “break up” led to infinite imaginings.

Between the two were the sensitive identities of the true and false young masters, who were doomed to either be victims or beneficiaries. No matter how affectionately they called out ge, it was impossible for them to be as close as brothers.

When the people present looked at Xia Yu, their expressions gradually became more inscrutable. Xia Xingchi heaved a sigh of relief. Sure enough, one had to fight fire with fire.

Xia Pingjian alone had a livid face, looking like he wanted to tear apart that little bastard Xia Xingchi on the spot.

Not only did he beat up his precious son, but he made him take such a big loss. It was madness.

The little abacus in Xia Xingchi’s mind was calculating at lightning speed, and he knew that he could only rely on Li Chengyuan.

Xia Xingchi had been observing the changes in his expression ever since he sat on his lap.

The mercurial big villain didn’t appear to be displeased by his overstepping, and only gazed at him calmly from beginning to end.

Although this look was absolutely terrifying, he was definitely more reliable than the vicious Xia father and son who wanted to sharpen their teeth and bite him to death.

Xia Xingchi took a deep breath to prepare himself. He continued to hold Li Chengyuan’s cold hand, warming it unthinkingly, and said with affection: “Mr. Li, do you believe in love at first sight?”

— As the villain protagonist of the victims’ alliance, boss, you must save me, or I will be beaten to death when I go home tonight.

“As soon as I saw you……”

Xia Xingchi didn’t finish his sentence, as he suddenly saw Li Chengyuan withdraw his fixed, terrifying gaze. He changed his attitude faster than turning the page of a book, and his mood seemed to improve at once.

There was a hint of a smile in his deep voice as he whispered in Xia Xhingchi’s ear: “I believe.”

Xia Xingchi: “……?”

He didn’t have time to react to this strange script direction, and only felt his whole body become weightless!

Incredibly, he was once again lifted up and carried by Li Chengyuan!

In full view of everyone, Li Chengyuan looked less like he was here to get engaged, and more like he was kidnapping a bride.

Everyone was filled with shock and wonder. No matter what, they had never imagined that Li Chengyuan would actually marry someone from the already crumbling Xia family.

Let’s talk about the embarrassing situations of these two sons — the one who was well-educated and raised richly was not his own son, but his biological child was raised poverty-stricken and wild, and was simply the wrong sort of goods.

Xia Xingchi was especially confused. He had just wanted Li Chengyuan to not break off the engagement on the spot, and to lend him the title of “fiance” to back him up, so as not to go back and be beaten to death by the Xia father and son.

With no emotional foundation in the first place, coupled with the poor performance of kicking the ball into his own goal just now, who would have thought that things would develop in such a strange direction?

In a short time, he had been carried in his arms twice.

He didn’t know if it was intentional or not, but Li Chengyuan was not stable at all, as if he would drop Xia Xingchi on the ground at any moment.

It made Xia Xingchi subconsciously want to hug his neck, putting a “seat belt” on himself like he had done in the bathroom.

But at present, he already knew that this was the big villain boss. He didn’t dare to act rashly at all, and only dared to carefully and silently grasp Li Chengyuan’s shirt.

A light, cold fragrance still lingered in his nose, and there seemed to be some safe haven-like trustworthiness within that powerful and terrifying dangerous aura.

In order to concentrate amongst the chaos and bewilderment, Xia Xingchi would only stare at the button of that person’s shirt, almost staring himself cross-eyed before giving up.

In the eyes of outsiders, it looked like he was leaning intimately into Mr. Li’s arms.

Heedless of the following engagement ceremony, Li Chengyuan took the engagement ring from the secretary, leisurely and calmly locking it on Xia Xingchi’s middle finger.

Rather than wearing a ring, it was more like wearing handcuffs.

Once you put it on, you were stuck.

Then he directly carried the person and turned to depart, leaving behind a group of people who stared at each other mutely, each more dazed than the other.

– – –

“……Mr. Li, do you think we have some misunderstandings, ah?”

When leaving the engagement banquet, the sky was completely dark.

Xia Xingchi stared nervously at the capital’s night scene passing by outside the vehicle window, really unable to figure out why he had been forcefully abducted.

No one spoke, and there was silence for a long time. Just when Xia Xingchi thought he wouldn’t answer, he heard Li Chengyuan say with a fake smile: “Love at first sight.”

Xia Xingchi: “……”

No one would believe this answer unless they were crazy. That the callous and ruthless villain fell in love with a cannon fodder passer-by at first sight was less likely than an ATM machine spitting out free banknotes.

Repeatedly stepping on landmines today, in addition to the death and chaos that night when he transmigrated into the book, and thinking about being forcibly abducted now —

Then the next step must be bloody, horrifying torture, ah!

Xia Xingchi immediately shuddered at the picture that formed in his head.

He recalled one of his most profound memories of a scene later on in the book:

When Li Chengyuan fell ill, he was so weak that he could barely stand up, but even sitting in a wheelchair couldn’t stop him from going crazy.

Followed by bodyguards and the assistant pushing the wheelchair, he held a needle in one hand, laughing as he used the other hand to slowly bleed someone.

Then he threw the person into the ocean to feed the sharks, smiling as he watched the mad horror movie scene of a blood-stained sea.

In this book where moral values were distorted and the protagonist and the villain were gong and shou, the concept of a legal system in this society was quite weak, and it was almost impossible to reason with a crazy villain.

Xia Xingchi immediately trembled in fear.

He had always had a bad habit where the more nervous and timid he was, the more he couldn’t control his mouth, unable to keep from talking to ease the atmosphere:

“Sir, although I don’t want to miss out on love……I also honestly don’t want to lose my legs. I won’t dare to randomly talk about love at first sight anymore.”

“I’m begging you, sir, forget about Xia Xingchi by Daming Lake,^[1] let me jump into the lake myself, okay? At least there won’t be any sharks in it……”

Li Chengyuan ignored his babbling, just leaning back in the seat and closing his eyes to rest.

The more Xia Xingchi thought, the more frightened he became. In the silent compartment, all that remained was his heart beating like a drum.

It was impossible to ask the big villain to let him go.

Xia Xinchi came to a decision, and while chattering and continuing to perform stand-up comedy, he quietly lowered his head to study the lock button on this Rolls Royce —

Just at the moment when the vehicle slowed down slightly for the red light ahead, Xia Xingchi immediately pressed the unlock button, pushed the door handle, and jumped out of the car at lightning speed!

Then, bang, his whole body slammed into the motionless car door.

Xia Xingchi: ……?

I don’t know if saying mmp^[2] is appropriate, but I must speak.

At that ringing noise, Li Chengyuan, who had been stubbornly refusing to listen, finally opened his eyes and turned his head to look over.

Although his face was still expressionless, the moment the two looked at each other, Xia Xingchi could clearly see the instant burst of anger and violence in his eyes.

— So this was what he looked like when he was truly angry.

This thought instantly appeared in Xia Xingchi’s mind. Even the previous rude words and pawing didn’t make him as angry as trying to jump out of the car and escape.

Xia Xingchi’s non-existent tail suddenly puffed up in fright. Li Chengyuan’s gaze made his scalp go numb, and he quibbled with a dry smile: “I……was testing the quality of the door for you. After all, driving safety is very, very important.”

“I didn’t expect the quality to be quite so good, hahaha……ha.”

Driver Xiao Wu heard the noise in the back seat and dared not speak out. He could only admire in his heart: 

As expected of Mr. Li, the child locks on the doors that he arranged in advance actually worked, and the doors couldn’t be opened from inside the car.

The air pressure in the car was getting lower and lower, practically crushing the breath out of people.

Co-pilot secretary Ye silently looked back in the rearview mirror, but when she met the dark, cold gaze of her boss, she quickly turned her head and didn’t dare to peek anymore.

Li Chenyuan had always been temperamental, and it may only be a matter of a second to irritate him.

“Xia Xingchi.” This was the first time he had called out his full name. “Where are you trying to run again?”

His voice was inherently low, with an innate maliciousness and sense of oppression, especially when he was in a bad mood.

Xia Xingchi couldn’t help being distracted from the panic. What was this “again?”

Could it be that the chaos of that night when he transmigrated could also be considered as running away?

Sir, are you speaking sense? At that time, only a fool would not run away from that situation, ah!

Before he had time to speak, Li Chengyuan actually bullied him directly, and the distance between them narrowed in an instant.

He was forced to retreat again and again, until at last his back was against the door of the car and there was nowhere to hide.

Who would have guessed that the location of the villain’s minefield was so particular and strange, and that inadvertently stepping on it would be so scary?

Xia Xingchi was nearly scared into the famous painting “The Scream.” This time, he even choked back his cursing without a word, and could only clench his right fist and consider whether he could win the fight.

When Li Chengyuan was not suffering from hypoglycemia, he could easily put people on the ground.

It showed that his sickly and frail handsome appearance couldn’t be believed. Not to mention he had gradually recovered now, and a fight with him would only result in a loss.

The automatic privacy screen had closed at some point without a sound, and the spacious rear seat instantly became a nearly airtight space.

That scorching breath was getting closer and closer, and Xia Xingchi was pinned against the corner of the car. He had to look up directly into the crazy and terrifying eyes of the big villain.

The atmosphere was instantly tense. In the face of the cruel, insane villain, it would be a lie to say that he was not afraid.

Li Chengyuan’s eyes were like a fierce beast staring at its prey, which was definitely not the behavior of a normal, clear-headed person. 

This was what he looked like after his inverse scale was touched.

Could it be that some butterfly effect was accidentally triggered, and not only did the marriage go forward without reason, but Li Chengyuan went crazy ahead of time?

He doesn’t want to strangle me now, does he? As soon as this idea popped up, Xia Xingchi, who was not very courageous from the beginning, was frightened out of his wits.

He clenched his fists nervously, and something suddenly pinched between his fingers —

It was that fully-jeweled pigeon egg diamond ring.

As if he had reached some sort of enlightenment, a miraculous halo of inspiration flashed across his panicked brain, and suddenly there was a justification:

He can’t kill me, because I’m his fiance!

Having reached enlightenment, Xia Xingchi gritted his teeth and directly grabbed the collar of Li Chengyuan’s shirt with one hand, pressing the back of his neck with the other —

Then closed his eyes and kissed him hard!

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[1] Daming Lake is a popular scenic attraction in Jinan, and also became an internet meme. For example, ‘Confucius by Daming Lake,’ ‘Washington by Daming Lake,’ etc. ⮐

[2] 媽賣批, or mmp, literally means “your mom is a prostitute,” but is usually used in place of “son of a bitch.” ⮐

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Chapter Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Five

There was silence in the room, and several people around Zhong Yuehong reached out to support her, not knowing what to say for a moment.

If an ordinary woman entered the palace, she would consider it a stroke of luck and be very happy, just waiting to bathe in the Emperor’s favor, to bring honor to her ancestors, and to share in prosperity.

However, Zhong Yuehong……

Everyone could see her dejected expression. There was no trace of joy on her face, and it was obvious that she was unwilling.

But if the Emperor insisted on welcoming her into the palace, then what would be her fate?

“Yuehong, you……” Just as He Cuizhang was about to speak, Zhong Yuehong pushed him away and staggered out.

“Yuehong!” He Cuizhang shouted, looking anxiously at Yan Mingting. “General, what should we do?”

“You guys go check on her first, don’t let her do anything stupid,” Yan Mingting ordered.

Everyone chased after her, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Only then did Yan Mingting walk out of the room with a serious expression, and a somewhat determined stride.

“Where are you going?” Zhao Yelan hurried up to hold onto him.

“I’m going to reason with the Emperor,” Yan Mingting said in a powerful and resonating voice.

“Don’t go for now.” Zhao Yelan stood in front of him.

“I only just promised Auntie that I would find a good husband for her. The Emperor will definitely not be a good match. Not to mention that as a person who has practiced martial arts and swords, there are no such twists and turns in her mind. How could she survive after entering the harem?” Yan Mingting bypassed him and walked forward, his steps so fast that it was difficult to keep up.

Zhao Yelan shouted, out of breath: “All right, you go then! Maybe when you return, you will bring me back a death sentence!”

Yan Mingting gave a sudden pause and turned back in disbelief. After thinking for a moment, he fell back again: “What do you mean? A death sentence for whom?”

“For me, naturally. I am the one who passed the information to you without authorization,” Zhao Yelan said.

Yan Mingting was forced to calm down, and said in a low voice: “Could it be that this matter is not a foregone conclusion yet?”

“Nonsense!” Zhao Yelan gave him a sharp, gouging look. He appeared to be incensed, and kicked him twice. “Had I known you would be so reckless, I wouldn’t have told you all and would have waited for the palanquin to take her directly to the palace gate.”

“I’m sorry, I was impulsive.” Yan Mingting patted him on the back and went to the study together with him. He closed the door and windows, and asked quietly, “Where did your news come from?”

“You don’t need to worry about it, I have my ways. Just know that if you suddenly went to reason with the Emperor, I, and my spies, would all be discovered, and he would definitely not let me off easily!” Zhao Yelan fumed.

“I was wrong, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have done it. Kick me a few more times, ba.” Yan Mingting apologized over and over, stretching out his leg. After being kicked several more times, he asked: “So what is the situation now? Is there a way out?”

Zhao Yelan had vented his anger and regained his composure: “There is still a glimmer of hope, because this matter was proposed by the Empress.”

The harem election was imminent, and the Empress had no heirs, so she thought that before many newcomers entered the palace, she would show her respect to the Emperor first. Therefore, she thought of Zhong Yuehong at the Imperial examination banquet and proposed to call her into the harem.

In this way, the Empress gained a good reputation with the Emperor, and thought she had done a favor for Zhong Yuehong. Which woman didn’t want to jump through the Dragon Gate and become the master of each palace in the harem?

Zhong Yuehong’s appearance was ordinary, there was no possibility of competing for favor, and her mother was even more vulnerable. The influence of the harem was very extensive. When the time came, the first person she went to for refuge would be the Empress. This was the Empress’s wishful thinking.

And she also predicted that the Emperor would be tempted. Not liking it was one thing, but suitability was another. The soldiers in Zhong Yuehong’s hands alone would be enough to move the Emperor, not to mention that he would have no worries about her extended family.

“The Emperor is still considering it. It should be that he has not yet made a decision, otherwise this would have already been drafted. However, without interference, he will likely agree.” Zhao Yelan paused. “For him, this pairing causes no harm in the slightest.”

Yan Mingting knocked on the table angrily: “Should we just let them decide? Is it true that all women in the world belong to the royal family?”

Zhao Yelan gazed at him for a long time, then said abruptly: “What if the Emperor truly wants to marry her by force? What will you do?”

“I……” Yan Mingting clenched his fists. “I will send her out.”

“She is just a subordinate, are you willing to offend the Emperor for her?”

“You’ve never seen her fight desperately on the battlefield.” Seeing his indignant look, Zhao Yelan couldn’t help but raise his hand and touch his head. Both of them froze for a moment. 

Yan Mingting looked up, and when their eyes met, Zhao Yelan’s expression shifted at once. He said, “This is bad.”

“What is it?”

“If even you are willing to offend the Emperor, what about those lieutenants who are with her day in and day out?” Zhao Yelan walked out in a hurry. “Get a horse ready! We’re going to the city gate!”

Yan Mingting swiftly mounted his horse, saw Zhao Yelan following him, and asked: “Are you going too?”

“I’m afraid you will be persuaded by them!” Zhao Yelan very much suspected that he wouldn’t be able to bear it, and would let those people run away.

At the gate of the city, a carriage galloped by, its wheels rolling through the two treadmarks in the road.

Mother Zhong sat in the carriage with tears streaming down her face, tightly clutching Zhong Yuehong’s hand: “Hong’er, do you really want to……”

The carriage abruptly came to a stop. Mother Zhong fell backwards and was caught by Zhong Yuehong.

The two heard He Cuizhang saying to the gatekeeper with a smile: “Brother, do us a favor. The family’s old man is sick and the doctors in the city are helpless, so we can only go out of the city to find other doctors.”

The gatekeeper looked into the carriage and saw two plainly dressed women, so he let them go. 

The carriage drove past the city gate. Zhong Yuehong had just breathed a sigh of relief when the carriage stopped again.

She asked: “What is the matter?”

“The General and Zhao-daren are in front……” He Cuizhang said.

Zhong Yuehong opened the curtain and saw a horse in front of the carriage, two people sitting on its back.

“What are you doing!” Zhao Yelan had almost fainted due to the speedy pursuit. Fortunately, they had arrived in time. He adjusted his breathing, and Yan Mingting reassured him from behind, repeating, “What are you doing?”

“General……” He Cuizhang was very ashamed, and the others chimed in, “General, can you just pretend you didn’t see us? If something goes wrong, we will take responsibility!”

“How will you take responsibility?” Zhao Yelan asked them condescendingly from horseback. “All land under heaven is the territory of the sovereign. Where do you expect to let her and her mother escape to? If you are caught, you will be criminals. Why should a lieutenant general with a great reputation be reduced to a guilty official? Aren’t there a few of you who have family members? To act recklessly only for a moment of loyalty is not loyalty at all, but stupidity! You may help her temporarily, but did you ever pause to think that the Yan family army would be implicated?”

Everyone was stunned by his words and lowered their heads, regretting their impulsiveness.

“My lord, that’s enough.” Zhong Yuehong jumped down from the carriage. Her eyes were reddened, and she cupped her hands in a bow. “Thanking my lord for the reminder, I will return immediately.”

After speaking, she turned and walked back to the city on foot, and the others followed.

When they passed through the city gate, the gatekeeper asked in surprise: “Weren’t you going to see a doctor? Why did you come back so soon?”

“Didn’t find one, a cure is impossible, he can only wait for death,” He Cuizhang sighed, leading the carriage to follow Zhong Yuehong.

The group of people were very somber as they escorted her and Mother Zhong all the way home. Mother Zhong finally couldn’t bear it any longer, and wept out loud.

Zhong Yuehong returned to her room. She saw the three dresses, picked up some scissors, and cut the beautiful cloth into pieces, saying in a dazed manner: “I don’t want, don’t want to wear dresses, I don’t want anything……”

Yan Mingting couldn’t endure it anymore, and went in to take the scissors from her hands: “Yuehong, things can turn around, so you calm down first.”

Zhong Yuehong slumped down on the ground. A person who had never cried on the battlefield sobbed bitterly at this moment: “General, I want to go back to the military camp, I don’t want to be in the capital anymore, it’s no good at all……”

Everyone else’s eyes were faintly red. Yan Mingting turned his face away and took a deep breath.

At this time, Zhao Yelan crouched down, took out a handkerchief, and wiped her crying face: “Do you trust me?”

Zhong Yuehong looked sideways at him, tears rolling down, and nodded slightly after a long while.

“All right, since you trust me, you must listen to me. Don’t make any trouble now, just go on as usual and don’t let anyone know that there is anything wrong,” Zhao Yelan said.

Zhong Yuehong was taken aback, and He Cuizhang asked hurriedly, “Zhao-daren, do you have any ideas?”

Zhao Yelan stood up and looked around: “At present, this news is something that I found out in advance. If you run away or behave abnormally now, it will definitely attract the attention of the Emperor, and it will be even more difficult to escape this predicament at that time. So everyone present, please keep calm and do not be impulsive like you were today.”

“Yes, yes, yes.” He Cuizhang and the others nodded repeatedly, as if they couldn’t wait to nod their heads off, and just hoped that he could come up with a way.

Zhao Yelan reached out a hand to help Zhong Yuehong up, and said: “Leave this matter to me. You will act the same as always, and I will notify you if something occurs. You refrain from making a mess of the situation first.”

Zhong Yuehong slowly nodded.

When the two left the Zhong residence, Yan Mingting asked in a low voice: “Do you really have a way?”

“I don’t dare to say for sure, but we needed to calm her down first lest she act under extreme agitation,” Zhao Yelan said. “Tomorrow, I will go to investigate what the Emperor has said.”

“You can’t go to court, so how will you see him? Go directly to the palace?”

“He will come to the Imperial Academy.”

Yan Mingting paused: “Why would he go to the Imperial Academy in person?”

“To play chess.”

“And to find you?”

“En, I’ll try to get him to come to me.” Zhao Yelan returned to the study, busy with thoughts about this plan, and didn’t notice the change in the other party’s expression at all.

“How can you be sure that he will come to play chess with you tomorrow?”

“I have my own ways. And even if it isn’t tomorrow, it will be in these next few days.” Zhao Yelan said, “Moreover, he is entangled in government affairs, so it is impossible for him to dwell on this matter. Perhaps he will be busy until the day of the general election.”

Yan Mingting frowned, and he remained silent for a while before asking suddenly: “Are you on good terms with him?”

Zhao Yelan stared blankly for a moment before realizing that it was Zhao Xuan he was asking about, and replied: “It is hard to say, the score depends on the situation.”

“Then elaborate according to the situation.”

“Are you so free?” Zhao Yelan raised his head and glared at him.

Yan Mingting didn’t bother him any further, but during dinner, he leaned in toward his ear and asked: “Do you know him well?”

Zhao Yelan nodded: “I do.”

Modestly, Zhao Yelan could guarantee that no one understood Zhao Xuan’s nature better than himself. Even Zhao Xuan may have forgotten those dark days, but they were still imprinted in his mind.

“What do you know? What is his favorite food?” Yan Mingting asked.

Zhao Yelan gave him a strange look: “What are you asking this for? Do you mean to……”

Rebel? He sounded out with his lips.

“How is that possible? I’m just asking casually.” Yan Mingting quickly busied himself with his meal.

When going to bed that night, Yan Mingting lay on the ground, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, and said: “Is he good-looking?”

“Don’t you have eyes, ah? Did you poke your eyes out when you went to see him?” Zhao Yelan was speechless.

“I’m just asking, do you think he’s good-looking?” Yan Mingting asked persistently.

“How could I not, all the civil and military officials in the court think he is handsome.”

Yan Mingting turned over indignantly, and asked after a while: “Then am I handsome?”

Zhao Yelan was about to fall asleep, but this woke him up. He picked up a nearby pillow and threw it at him: “Are you trying to cause trouble? Hurry up and sleep!”

“Just tell me, am I handsome or not?”

Yan Mingting had made it clear that he didn’t want him to sleep well, so Zhao Yelan sneered and said: “Shouldn’t you already know the answer? I still remember your big head and fat ears from when you were young.”

“Ah!” Yan Mingting crawled to his bedside in embarrassment, lit a candle, and held it under his chin to illuminate his face. “That was all in the past! Take a closer look at me now, am I handsome or not?”

When Zhao Yelan turned around, he was terrified: “What’s wrong with you, ah!”

Yan Mingting held up the candle and moved it around his face, asking with a smile: “Take a good look, handsome or not?”

“Handsome, handsome, handsome! You are the most handsome!” Zhao Yelan completely surrendered and suffered a crushing defeat.

“Then tell me, how am I handsome?”

“……” Zhao Yelan couldn’t endure any more, and grabbed his ears hard. “You are handsome because you have two eyes and a mouth!”

Yan Mingting was satisfied, then immediately realized that something was wrong: “What kind of handsome is this? Then let me ask you one last question.”

“If I fell into a river with him, which of us would you save first?”

Zhao Yelan turned over and got out of bed, rummaging through boxes and cabinets in search of something.

“What are you looking for?” Yan Mingting asked curiously.

“Where is my crossbow? Either you die tonight or I die!”

“……There’s no need to be a pair of wild mandarin ducks in the underworld.”^[1]

“……….”

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[1] At Chinese weddings, it’s common to see motifs of Mandarin ducks on various decorations. In Chinese culture, Mandarin ducks are believed to be extremely faithful to their partner, and are symbols of love, devotion, affection and fidelity. ⮐

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Chapter Thirty-Seven <<Table of Contents >> Chapter Thirty-Nine

When first signing the marriage contract with the Chu family, Huo Tinglan had taken Ye Ci’s mood into consideration, and also feared that exposure to the media would lead to curious prying eyes and rumors that would affect Ye Ci’s studies. Therefore, they only went through a set of customs and formalities, and the marriage was kept secret from the outside world. Later, Ye Ci confessed the marriage to his classmates, which caused some waves in school, but the reaction from the outside world was not too big. After all, the members of the Huo family were not celebrities with a social media following, so it was unlikely that the entertainment media would care about the minutiae of their lives.

After Ye Ci’s college entrance examination, Huo Tinglan put the wedding on the agenda. After officially announcing the news of the marriage to the media, Ye Ci’s situation was completely different from before. The media reporters who followed the announcement appeared at the speed of light, and even when they went to the convenience store to buy something, they might encounter paparazzi secretly taking pictures. Moreover, in recent years, the writing style of inland entertainment media seemed to have been infected by the gossip tabloids in the Hong Kong area, and most of the news published was in this style – “Huo Tinglan’s wedding is coming soon. His twelve-years-younger fiance was originally the eldest son of the third branch of the Chu family, and is tender and cute.” “The huo husband and wife showed their love on the horseback riding field, and Huo Tinglan cared for and accompanied the other throughout the whole process.” “How rich is this local tyrant? The patriarch of the Huo family married with a dowry of over 100 million”……The wording was extremely exaggerated, and Ye Ci’s face was red with embarrassment, his bare toes frequently curling against the floor.

The public relations team under Huo Tinglan’s special assistant had been monitoring the trend of public opinion, and false or extremely negative news was either unable to be published or taken down within a short time. Huo Tinglan had long been accustomed to interviews and media reports, and didn’t give them much thought at all, but Ye Ci had never encountered this scene, and despite Huo Tinglan’s advice, he often couldn’t help but pull out his phone to search for news about himself.

“……Forget tender and cute.” In the VIP lounge on the third floor of the shooting club, Ye Ci sat on the sofa and flipped through the news, scratching his hair in embarrassment. “And then, ‘sweet and lovely’……”

Who was sweet and lovely?!

If you used such basic misnomers in the college entrance examination, you would lose points!

“And this one, it doesn’ look like, like I’m 1.8 meters, but 1.75 meters.” Ye Ci anxiously licked his dry lips over and over, pointing to a sneak photo accompanying the news piece anld feeling like self-realization was an eternal injustice. “And isn’t this just a normal hug? Why write that I buried myself in his arms and acted spoiled, I’m not a person who acts spoiled at every turn……”

Naturally, due to his soft and well-behaved appearance, he appeared to outsiders as spoiled and cute……Huo Tinglan nodded slightly and avoided the important issues while embracing the trivial: “Don’t focus on that, let’s talk.”

“I’m not focusing on it, but they wrote without basis.” The dignity of his inner Alpha was damaged, and Ye Ci said angrily, “A man who is 1.8 meters tall can’t, can’t be described like that.”

“En, the media are writing without basis,” Huo Tinglan answered the Little Gentleman, unconscionably perfunctory.

“Let, let the public relations team please withdraw it.” Ye Ci shook Huo Tinglan’s wrist. “Can it be done?”

And he said he was not a person who acted spoiled at every turn.

He was perfectly proficient at acting like a baby.

“This…….” Huo Tinglan endured, pretended to be troubled, and sighed. “Baby, these can’t be counted as rumors, after all, so how can they be withdrawn?”

Ye Ci was silent for a moment, his eyes vigilant: “Do you think that what they wrote……sounds accurate?”

Huo Tinglan remained silent and used his fist to cover his mouth, turning his head to the shooting range outside and pretending to look at the scenery.

“I look sweet? Ye Ci stared blankly, pointing to his face and then to his legs. He was wearing a pair of overalls today with the trousers tucked into his boots, which made his long legs look straight and thin, dashing and handsome.

Huo Tinglan deliberately didn’t look at him.

“Huo-shushu!” Ye Ci was anxious, so he got up and moved closer to Huo Tinglan, leaning one arm on the back of the sofa and leaning down on him, relentless in his desire to settle the matter.

“They should, should use ‘handsome’ instead of ‘sweet’……” Seeing Huo Tinglan turning his face to look into the distance, Ye Ci turned his head back with one hand to force Huo Tinglan to look directly at his face. The sweetness in his bones shone through the illusion of strength. “Huo-shuhu, I’m being serious now.”

Huo Tinglan’s true colors were exposed. He scoffed and took advantage of the opportunity to grab him and kiss him hard. There was no one else in the lounge, so he turned over and pressed Ye Ci into the sofa, heartily sucking and biting at soft flesh and the dimples on Ye Ci’s face. In line with the entertainment gossip accounts, he said lightly: “You’re sweet all over, baby, so sweet I’m going to die……”

Ye Ci’s cheeks and lips were red from being ravished. After a long while, he struggled out from between Huo Tinglan’s chest and the couch cushions and pulled his clothes into place. Unconvinced and unable to deal with Huo Tinglan and the unscrupulous media, he could only glare insipidly.

Huo Tinglan was amused by his aggrieved appearance and raised his hands in compromise, saying: “How about I ask them to write a few public relations drafts that describe you well……how should they describe you?” Huo Tinglan pondered for a moment, drew his eyes across the entirety of Ye Ci’s body, and said mischievously, “Masculine and mighty?”

That look was somewhat insidious. Ye Ci choked and didn’t know where his mind had jumped to, but his face became even redder and he muttered: “That not, not necessary……can you be a little more serious?”

“I understand.” Huo Tinglan had his fill of teasing children and showed his reliable side again. “Which report is it? Send me the link, and I will ask someone to deal with it.”

It was time to be serious. He couldn’t let this trivial matter trouble Ye Ci.

Ye Ci forwarded the news link to him, and then heaved a sigh of relief.

It could be seen that the burden on his ‘cool guy’ side was very heavy.

“Want to go downstairs and play a little longer?” Huo Tinglan gave a brief order to his assistant, then picked up his phone. “I made an agreement with the person in charge that the sniper rifle from Cheytak’s new factory can be tested.”

Ye Ci was startled and immediately forgot about the gossip media, his eyes so fiery that they could burn Huo Tinglan through: “Really?!”

The shape of the gun was as cool as a prop in a sci-fi movie. It weighed 14.06kg and took a little effort for him to hold it in one hand. The last time he came to play, he had looked eagerly at the front of the display cabinet for a long time and felt that even if he could touch one, he would be satisfied.

Domestic weapons control was extremely strict, and for security reasons, many high-end firearms in this officially operated shooting experience hall were not open to ordinary members. They were locked in a display cabinet all year round, and only very senior members could enjoy them under the full escort of the shooting coach.

“Really.” Huo Tinglan pointed at his own face.

Ye Ci promptly leaned forward in tacit agreement and kissed him on each cheek.

“Let’s go downstairs.” Huo Tinglan glanced at his watch. “Can we play until two o’clock? Madam Lin asked the designer to come over at 2:30.”

“Yes!” Ye Ci had already sped down like a gust of wind.

Lin Yao was the sort of person who loved ostentation and saving face, so she naturally wanted to make her only son’s wedding the top priority in her life. She insisted on having a special wedding and felt that an Alpha’s taste was unreliable, so she simply took on the heavy responsibility and communicated with the wedding planning team in full swing every day. The wedding venue selected was an ancient castle in a foreign country that had been converted into a history museum. It was also one of the six largest palaces in the world, and rent for an exhibition hall was over 100,000 euros. The real difficulty was that the number of openings was extremely limited, and only a few couples were selected each year. She had to go through a lot of scrutiny, but Lin Yao stubbornly won one of those openings.

Lin Yao was concerned about the event venue up until then, not to mention the outfit design, but it was a pity that the male omega couldn’t wear a wedding dress. The design of a mens outfit should be based on simplicity, which left her with a lot of room to play.

Different from the traditional wedding where wedding pictures were taken beforehand, Lin Yao’s planning meant that the groom could not see the bride in his wedding outfit before the ceremony. This concentrated the surprise in the last moment, and even the toughest groom would often cry on the spot at that first glance. The wedding pictures could be taken later. Perhaps Lin Yao’s arrangement was sort of kitsch, because Huo Tinglan hadn’t cried since he was five years old……

In addition to the main outfits during the ceremony, the two grooms needed to change from dress clothes to casual clothes several times for the afterparties during the three-day wedding process. In the end, there were about ten sets each. Just one would make people dizzy, especially Ye Ci, who was a complete foreigner in this respect. Fortunately, Lin Yao saw this as a fun thing. She didn’t mind the hard work, and had complete control of the design. Ye Ci only needed to empty his mind and act as a model for the designer.

Of course, there were not only these things that needed to be done before the wedding, but there were also many miscellaneous and trivial matters. Nearly a hundred handwritten letters from Ye Ci had been sent out. He usually didn’t feel that he had many friends, but when he held the invitations, he found that there were quite a few people that he could invite.

Apart from Cheng Xiao and his pack of rogues, there was Class 7. Ye Ci had a good relationship with the rest of his classmates, and he was close to several Omegas in other classes.

On the eve of the wedding, Ye Ci boarded Huo Tinglan’s private jet along with a group of friends and classmates who had been invited to the wedding. With deep sorrow, Jiang Yan lamented that Ye Ci’s face, which was already so small that it could make people jealous, seemed to be thinner again, and his chin was sharper than the last time they met. Lin Yao got worked up and declared that Ye Ci had to eat five meals per day to urgently gain weight in the next two days, so as not to shrink his waistline. After all, a change in size meant that all ten sets of outfits would have to be altered.

“Can you have mercy on an Omega like me who only eats a little but still gets fat?!” Jiang Yan grabbed the clothes around Ye Ci’s waist and complained to Lin Yao, “Auntie, he must have lost weight behind our backs, look at his waist, ah. You take charge of him!”

The sweater was loose and bulky. Nothing could be seen at first, but then Jiang Yan gripped the excess fabric tightly and stretched it back to outline a strong, thin waist. Ye Ci smiled and broke Jiang Yan’s grip. The plane hadn’t taken off yet, and the two were laughing and joking on the sofa, with only Lin Yao complaining miserably: “Tinglan really doesn’t know how to take good care of you……”

“How can that be? There is no Alpha who is more considerate than Tinglan. It’s only that Xiao Ci has not been able to gain weight since he was a child……” Ye Hongjun hurriedly defended Huo Tinglan.

Huo Tinglan, who was sitting on the sofa beside her, sighed helplessly and echoed: “I also want to say that Xiao Ci has gained a few pounds with great difficulty, and during this period of time, you……”

The scale of the wedding was so big, and there were so many processes to go through. All the weight that Ye Ci had gained was tossed away. It wasn’t that he didn’t take care of himself, but that he was just exhausted.

Lin Yao treated Ye Hongjun affectionately, but turned her head silently to give her son a murderous look.

“……” This was someone that even Huo Chanyu couldn’t afford to offend. Huo Tinglan had no choice but to surrender unconditionally: “Blame me for not taking care of Xiao Ci.”

“I will try hard. In the next two days, I must……eat more at dinner and drink more milk tea.” In order to quell the dispute, Ye Ci seriously issued a military order, vowing to be fat enough that he would fit the outfits perfectly.

“Listen to what he just said, ah, I’ve quit milk tea for half a month!” Grief-stricken, Jiang Yan turned his head and wailed at Ye Ci’s group of Omega groomsmen. The groomsmen complained loudly, wishing to donate their extra meat to Ye Ci.

Huo Tinglan had never seen Ye Ci talking and laughing so cheerfully with his peers in his last life. There were not many chances to see it in this life, so he didn’t think these children were noisy at all. With a smile on his face the whole time, he looked at Ye Ci tenderly, as if he couldn’t get enough of him.

A couple of little Omegas noticed and whispered in Ye Ci’s ear.

“Mr. Huo has been watching you.” 

“He can’t take his eyes off you, ah!”

“Oh.” Ye Ci pretended to be calm, but his thin skin was burned through. He quickly glanced at Huo Tinglan. Those eyes were so gentle that his heart palpitated for a moment, and he didn’t have the nerve to raise his eyes again for a long while.

The plane took off in the morning. After a 10-hour flight, the first batch of guests arrived at their destination smoothly. After landing, they arranged for pick-up, accommodations, and dinner, but there was a lot of hustle and bustle, and everyone was very cheerful. The group of teenagers who had just escaped the bitterness of their third year of high school not long ago were all excited, chattering and laughing non-stop like a group of cute and noisy chickens.

The venue layout, the rehearsal……those took some more work. The first guests to arrive were well-received. The groomsmen on both sides followed the rehearsal process, and the others were responsible for eating, drinking, and having fun in the local area. The Huo family took care of the bill, and it was almost like being tourists.

On the day of the wedding, Ye Ci was taken to the dressing room at dawn by the good sisters Lin Yao and Ye Hongjun to take care of styling. In order to maintain a sense of mystery, the dressing rooms of the two grooms were separated by more than half the hotel, and neither could see the other before the ceremony officially started.

Ye Ci was young, with red lips and white teeth. He looked good on camera, and makeup would destroy his fresh and youthful look, so they just performed some skin care and left his hairstyle mainly natural. Ye Ci seemed to be cooperating sincerely, but his big amber eyes kept looking away, restless.

“Is the hair styling finished?” Lin Yao stepped into the dressing room in high-heeled shoes, holding a bunch of bridal veils and a small crown in her hands. She said affectionately, “Xiao Ci is well-behaved. Put this on after the hair styling is finished……”

As if afraid of something, Ye Ci’s eyes widened suddenly. The frightened cat jumped up and was about to run away, but Ye Hongjun pressed him back down with a smile, and comforted him softly: “It must be worn by Omegas when they are married. There is no one who doesn’t wear it……”

“It, it won’t look good on me.” Ye Ci’s inner Alpha was crushed by the thin, light layer of a veil. He struggled in vain, and seeing that he couldn’t escape, he begged, “Can I not wear the crown? Can the veil be replaced with a non-embroidered one?”

How could Lin Yao spare him? The crown that Ye Ci was talking about, that is, the bride’s tiara, was designed by Lin Yao at a high price, and the diamonds inlaid on it alone cost nearly two million.

“Aiya, this tiara is specially designed for a male Omega. Look at this style, it doesn’t have a feminine appearance. Without it, the outfit you’re wearing will look too plain, and it won’t look like you’re getting married……” It was too late to change anything now. Lin Yao calmed him down gently and tenderly while instructing the stylist, “Quickly, put it on.”

Ye Ci, a beautiful young man with exquisite features, looked good wearing a veil. There was almost no sense of disobedience, but Ye Ci still felt uncomfortable all over, wishing to tuck the veil into his collar.

There was still more than two hours before the wedding officially started, and he was afraid of being looked at, so he hid in the dressing room with a red face and refused to go out. He’d had a large glass of fruit juice with breakfast and was feeling it now, but he didn’t even want to go to the toilet, so his legs were shaking. After a few shakes, Ye Hongjun noticed the signs, so he had to brace himself and go to the restroom. Fortunately, it was right next to the dressing room. After just a few steps, he bowed his head in shame, as if he had just stolen millions from someone.

The wedding started at twelve o’clock noon. Several exhibition halls in the palace had already been cleared, and now were full of guests attending the wedding banquet. A red carpet was spread all the way from the stage to the door of the exhibition hall. Sunlight poured in through the stained glass windows on one side of the corridor, casting warm light onto the red carpet and extending forward like road signs. After setting off from the hotel, Ye Ci had gradually entered a state of being so nervous that he couldn’t sit still. He didn’t worry about the veil and tiara anymore, and just listened to the wedding music inside the door and the voice of the master of ceremonies.

“….Next, let’s welcome the other groom with warm applause……”

“Go, Xiaci Ci.” Ye Hongjun smiled and handed him a small bouquet of lilies, patting him on the back.

Ye Ci stepped onto the red carpet.

It may have been that the carpet was too soft, because his already unsteady steps suddenly staggered. Ye Ci had an introverted temperament, after all, so it was inevitable that he would be nervous on this occasion. The palms holding the bouquet were covered in slippery sweat.

Two attendants opened the door at just the right time, and sound burst out suddenly. Behind the door, at the end of the red carpet, Huo Tinglan was wearing a pure black outfit with his back facing the entrance. His shoulders were straight, his figure tall and strong. The moment he saw that figure, Ye Ci’s wildly beating heart was soothed out of its stage fright, and the frequency of his heartbeat eased. The red carpet was very long, and Ye Ci’s steps became steadier as he walked, passing through the beaming guests and noise to stand behind Huo Tinglan.

Ye Ci took a deep breath. His cheeks puffed up childishly, and he let the air out again, blowing the hair on his forehead and the veil in front of his eyes straight up: “Phew –”

Some of the closer guests noticed this little detail and laughed in good humor. Huo Tinglan’s shoulders also trembled slightly, as if he had heard Ye Ci’s nervous exhalation.

After a moment of mental preparation, Ye Ci raised his hand, patted Huo Tinglan’s shoulder, and whispered, “Tinglan.”

Huo Tinglan turned around.

Ye Ci stood tall on the bright red carpet, fresh and high-spirited, gazing up at him through a layer of tulle. His slender frame was wrapped in white dress clothes that set off the red beneath his feet. He was like a pearl buried in a red brocade box, radiant and priceless, a precious treasure.

Huo Tingla raised his eyes in surprise. He had never seen Ye Ci wearing a veil, and Ye Ci didn’t say anything about it in his previous life.

He didn’t expect……

Huo Tinglan looked down at Ye Ci with curved lips, and after a few seconds of gazing at each other, he reached out and pulled Ye Ci into his arms. Arching his broad shoulders slightly, he pressed his burning eyes against Ye Ci’s shoulder and remained silent.

“……Don’t, don’t cry.” Ye Ci stroked Huo Tinglan’s back and then, as if infected, he pursed his lips as his eyes reddened.

“Baby.”

“En?”

“I married you.”

“Me, me too.”

He never admitted defeat.

Huo Tinglan smiled indulgently: “En.”

The two simply embraced for a while at the end of the red carpet.

The hall was filled with music and laughter. It was noisy, but gave people an inexplicable feeling of tranquil warmth.

Huo Tinglan straightened up, his eyes as deep as black jade. Ye Ci raised his hands to hold his face, and wiped away the wet marks at the corners of his eyes with his thumbs.

Then Huo Tinglan lifted the veil and leaned over to kiss Ye Ci’s forehead amidst the cheers and applause of all the guests.

The camera froze this moment for eternity.

Wispy gauze like white mist rose and fell again, enveloping the two together, and a series of continuous shots faithfully recorded this process.

In the frame, Huo Tinglan held Ye Ci in his arms. The young man was tall and slender, his lean shoulders hugged by the tall Alpha. He looked happy and content, like a small boat moored in a calm harbor.

From now on, there would be no more wind and rain. There would only be the warm sun.

【The End】

T/N: And that’s it! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed translating it!

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Extra 8: Ye Ci’s Boyfriend Power << Table of Contents

The streets were bustling with activity, and the mouths of the small merchants and peddlers walking around were sweet. When they saw girls, they spoke a few words of flattery and a lot of jewelry, hairpins, and silk handkerchiefs were sold.

“It’s been so busy these days.” Yan Mingting took him back to the mansion and said anxiously, “With so many people, it would be easy for accidents to happen.”

As soon as he said this, a woman’s cry sounded in the distance: “Help, there is a thief!”

Yan Mingting rushed over immediately and saw a maid supporting her young lady. She immediately pointed to the suspicious person in the crowd.

Without saying a word, he squeezed into the crowd and pulled the man to the ground. He patted down his body and took out a purse embroidered with peonies. Fortunately there were officers and soldiers passing by, so he handed the man off to the government and then went back with the purse.

“Is this purse yours?”

“Just so, just so.” The maid happily took it.

When the lady raised her head and saw Yan Mingting’s face clearly, she was stunned for a moment. A blush appeared on her face and she saluted: “Many thanks to gongzi. Daring to ask gongzi’s name and surname, so that I may come to the door and thank him another day.”

“No need, it would be too troublesome.” Yan Mingting left directly.

“Isn’t that General Yan?” The people around said.

The lady asked: “General Yan? General Yan Mingting?”

Yan Mingting turned to look for Zhao Yelan, but couldn’t see him anywhere. He quickly asked the people nearby, but they all denied seeing him. He found another remote place and vigorously checked it for traces. 

In the end, he did find something. He used those signs to follow the trail, and finally stopped at a small farmyard. It was Zhong Yuehong’s home, and there was still smoke coming from the roof.

He walked in curiously and found Zhao Yelan sitting beneath the locust tree in the front courtyard for shade. There was a wooden basin in front of him, and he was peeling the peas in his hands.

“Why did you come here?” 

Zhao Yelan raised his head to glance at him. Without pausing his work, he said: “Have you caught the thief?”

“En, just a petty thief.” Yan Mingting walked up to him and saw that he was very skilled in his movements. He crouched to the side and picked up a handful of peas as well. “You still haven’t answered me, why did you come here all of a sudden?”

“Aiyo, the General is here too.” Mother Zhong emerged from the house, trotted over, and wiped the water on her apron with her hands, saying with a smile, “Just now, Yuehong brought Zhao-daren back, and now Zhao-daren is helping to pick vegetables, how embarrassing. I’ll do the rest, leave it to me.”

Saying this, she brought all the remaining peas into the kitchen, calling Zhong Yuehong, who was kindling the fire, out to entertain the guests.

Zhong Yuehong wiped away her sweat, and when she saw Yan Mingting coming, she explained with some embarrassment: “A-Niang and I were out just now and ran into Zhao-daren. The situation was a bit chaotic at that time, so I took Zhao-daren away first, and A-Niang insisted on inviting Zhao-daren home for dinner……I’m just afraid that the rice noodles at home won’t get to Zhao-daren’s mouth.”

Zhao Yelan usually ate fine things, as they all knew well, but she didn’t want to say this in front of A-Niang and embarrass her. She guessed that Zhao Yelan was of the same mind, as he put up a show of resistance before capitulating.

“General, you came just in time, take him back quickly.” Zhong Yuehong glanced at her busy mother in the kitchen and whispered, “I’ll tell her you were in a hurry.”

Yan Mingting looked at her, and then at the silent Zhao Yelan, and suddenly said with a smile: “Yuehong, is there anyone who treats guests like you? Zhao-daren has finished peeling the peas for you, and he hasn’t even had a chance to swallow his saliva, much less talk, before you open your mouth to drive people away.”

“I don’t mean it that way!” Zhong Yuehong waved her hands again and again. “I’m just afraid that our humble house won’t be able to entertain my lord.”

“Nonsense, he is here for the second time. If he really disliked this place, you would not be able to invite him even if you carried a big sedan chair, ah. He even peeled the peas for you, and he never does that in the mansion. Can’t you let him taste the fruits of his labor? It’s a hot day and you still haven’t gotten him some water to drink!” Yan Mingting scolded her severely and then covertly winked.

Zhong Yuehong belatedly understood his hint, and nodded hastily: “I, I’m going to serve the water right now, wait for me, my lord!”

“This girl is really inexperienced.” While pondering this, Yan Mingting looked up to observe Zhao Yelan’s expression, only to find that the other party was looking at him with a half-smile. “In hindsight, I must educate her well.”

Zhao Yelan took the opportunity to push his head down and said: “You’re just so clever, huh?”

Yan Mingting laughed, crouching down to grab his robe. Zhao Yelan quickly picked it up.

When Zhong Yuehong came out with a cup of water, she saw the two of them talking, laughing, and arguing under the locust tree and was stunned for a moment at the door, unable to move her feet.

The sunlight fell on the treetops, shining down to illuminate their profiles so fair and warm. Who would have thought that the notorious Zhao Yelan would bend the corners of his mouth in a smile in a humble courtyard, and that their heroic General Yan would be as childish as a young boy.

She put the cup under the eaves without bothering them and went into the kitchen to continue building the fire, but there was an unwitting smile on her face. “A-Niang, tell me, what is love like?”

Mother Zhong looked at her ecstatically. “Girl, do you have a man of your dreams?”

“No, I’m just curious,” Zhong Yuehong said with her hands on her face.

“It doesn’t matter, when you meet that person, you will definitely know.” Mother Zhong was very pleased. It seemed that her daughter was getting older and finally becoming enlightened. She wanted to see the girl’s love grow. “Have you ever thought about who you want to marry in the future?”

Zhong Yuehong thought for a while and then said decisively: “In any case, they cannot be a fickle and disloyal person!”

Mother Zhong knew that she was bearing a grudge against her father again and sighed: “It is common for wealthy families to have three wives and four concubines……”

“Who wants to marry those fellows with numerous concubines? I, Zhong Yuehong, won’t share with others. Whoever wants to do so may do so, but I will not. Moreover, who says that a wealthy family must have three wives and four concubines? The General married a man, and did he take concubines? In the end, those people are just greedy!” Zhong Yuehong said indignantly.

Mother Zhong smiled helplessly and comforted her: “All right, then A-Niang will go to the temple to pay respects tomorrow, and pray for our Yuehong to quickly meet a peerless hero who will love only her.”

Her words caused Zhong Yuehong to smile in amusement.

Lunch was soon ready. There was stewed chicken soup and some home-cooked dishes with fried pork and vegetables, as well as hot pea rice.

“Auntie has worked hard.” Yan Mingting scooped up a large bowl of rice and ate it up happily.

“The craftsmanship of the food the two lords are about to eat is not very good, ba.” Mother Zhong smiled shyly.

“Well, I love to eat these home cooked dishes, they’re delicious.” As Yan Mingting spoke, he subtly nudged Zhao Yelan with his knee.

Zhao Yelan cast him a look and then met Mother Zhong’s honest and earnest gaze, saying: “En……me too.”

Yan Mingting and Zhong Yuehong lowered their heads to suppress their smiles at the same time.

Zhao Yelan: “……”

After the meal, Mother Zhong still had to go out to the stall, so Zhong Yuehong was left to look after the house and sent them off together.

“Auntie, is there something you want to say?” Seeing her constantly rubbing her sleeves, Yan Mingting hesitated to speak, saying, “We are not outsiders, so if there is anything you want to say, just say it.”

“Ai……” Mother Zhong glanced back, and when they were a distance from the house, she said: “General, my lord, there is one thing I would like to ask the two of you for your help with. Your vision is wider than mine, and you should know many young talents, right?”

Yan Mingting immediately guessed what she meant: “You want to choose a son-in-law for Yuehong?”

“How could I dare choose a son-in-law, ah, who am I?” Mother Zhong waved her hands with a smile, sighing, “I’m just afraid that she will be cheated. If you have someone who you think is suitable for her, can you help make a match for her?”

“Certainly, but is that her intention?”

“I look at her and it is as if she has been enlightened.”

“That’s no problem, if I see a suitable one, I will look into it for you. As for success or failure, it still depends on her wishes.”

“Thank you, General, I really don’t know how to thank you. I will kowtow to you here.” Mother Zhong tried to kneel down in tears of gratitude, but was stopped by the two simultaneously.

“Don’t be so polite, Yuehong is also someone who has been at my side for many years. I have regarded her as my own sister, and we have all been concerned about her marriage. You can rest assured, ba.” Yan Mingting coaxed her away by talking nonsense.

When the two returned to the mansion, Yan Mingting actually discussed the young talents in the capital with Zhao Yelan: “Tell me, what kind of talent is suitable for Yuehong? In the end, should it be a literary talent or a martial arts master?”

“How can it be so cut-and-dry?” Zhao Yelan took out a chess book. “This is not the same as playing chess, with regulations and methods. She must find a good match herself.”

“It’s not like we have the full power to make decisions for her, we can just help her pay attention.” Yan Mingting sat across from him and watched him begin to play chess, his gaze involuntarily fixed on his nimble hands.

The sounds of the pieces moving were crisp and unhurried, out of tune with his heartbeat.

“Then do you have someone you are optimistic about?” Zhao Yelan fiddled with the chess pieces while flipping through the chess book, but didn’t look at him.

“In my opinion, Kan Quan is a good candidate. Unfortunately, he already has a family, ai.”

Kan Quan loved his wife like his life, which was well-known in court. Even though he was now favored by the Emperor and had seen quite a few beautiful flowers, he had never considered taking concubines, so Yan Mingting had a good impression of him.

Zhao Yelan snapped his fingers and said with amusement: “Is he a good person who doesn’t take concubines?”

“That is only natural. At least he doesn’t have so many tricks, look how upright he is.”

Zhao Yelan was touching his black mole, rubbing it with his finger for a moment as he propped up his jaw, the corner of his mouth raised in a subtle arc: “Why do I feel that there is a deeper implication in your words?”

“Cough!” Yan Mingting cleared his throat, straightened his robes, and said in an upright manner, “Yes, men like us are really rare in the world, ah! Kan Quan’s wife understands this very well, and she worships him and shows every care towards him. This is why he is perfectly happy to be good to her alone, ah.”

Zhao Yelan smiled and said: “It sounds to me like you want to find a girl like his wife, ah.”

“Huh?” Yan Mingting clicked his tongue in amazement. “What kind of ears do you have, you don’t understand at all.”

“Heh, get out of here and don’t disturb my chess game!” Zhao Yelan drove him out, closed the door, and returned to the table to set up the game, but found that one piece was missing.

He bent down and looked around, and suddenly heard someone knocking on the window. He looked up and saw Yan Mingting leaning against the window, playing with the white chess piece in his hand and smiling at him provocatively.

“Yan Mingting!” Zhao Yelan picked up his crossbow and chased after him angrily, shooting all over the yard. The servants gathered tremblingly in the corridor to watch the scene of their General jumping up and down like a monkey.

The next day, Zhao Yelan finished his breakfast and was about to go to the Imperial Academy. Unexpectedly, as soon as he went out, he saw a woman standing outside the gate with her maid. She was accidentally bumped into by someone, sending the things in her arms scattering to the ground. The maid scolded the fleeing man a few times and then went to pick up the things on the ground.

One of the boxes happened to fall by Zhao Yelan’s feet. He bent down to pick it up, and almost touched another hand.

The young lady abruptly withdrew her hand, and when she looked up, she was taken aback again!

Zhao Yelan handed her the things and prepared to wordlessly get on the sedan chair, but was stopped by the young lady: “Many thanks to gongzi. Daring to ask gongzi’s name and surname, so that I may come to the door and thank him another day.”

Zhao Yelan looked at her doubtfully, then turned to look at the gate of the General’s Mansion. It was so obvious, could it be that she was blind?

He didn’t waste any more time and directly got onto the sedan chair, setting out for the Imperial Academy.

“Miss, what is wrong with you?” The maid patted the frozen person. “Shall we go thank the General?”

“He’s so callous, oh!” The miss came back to her senses, eyes shining. “As expected of the capital. Why are there so many beautiful men, each more handsome than the other, who like to ignore people? At first glance, they are better than those other common people, ah, I love the capital!”

“Miss, he came out of the General’s Mansion, he is not a common person at first glance,” the maid reminded.

“Uncommon is just right, this is worthy of me.” 

“However, the General’s Mansion already has two masters. The one just now might be Zhao Yelan, the one who married the General.”

“Right……”

“Then should we still give thanks? These things are broken.”

“Yes, of course we will thank them! Let’s go back and prepare these gifts again.” The miss’s eyes gleamed, jumping for joy as she made up her mind. “It’s good to feast your eyes, ah, seeing two beautiful men at once, how can there be such a blessing!”

The maid: “……”

When Zhao Yelan returned to the mansion in the evening, he received a report that the group of lieutenant generals had come to the mansion again. He nodded and went back to the room to change out of his official uniform.

“My lord, today’s things are very fresh,” Xiao Gao whispered, coming in with a basket.

Zhao Yelan paused, took the basket, and gave him a meaningful look. Xiao Gao immediately went to close the doors and windows.

Zhao Yelan took out the letter and looked it over carefully. His brow furrowed in an instant and never relaxed.

After burning the note, he strode to the armory. From a long distance away, he could hear that group of people laughing and chatting nonstop, as well as the sound of fighting.

“Zhao-daren, why are you here?” He Cuizhang was practicing his new boxing techniques, and when he saw him at the door, he put away his fists with a smile.

Zhao Yelan looked directly at Yan Mingting: “I have something to tell you.”

“What’s the matter?” Yan Mingting smiled as he walked towards him.

“Maybe he wants to speak privately.” One of them laughed and pushed Yan Mingting forward. “The General is not coming back soon.”

“Don’t mess around,” Yan Mingting pretended to reprimand, but his face was full of joy. Upon approach, he saw that there was something odd about his expression and asked doubtfully, “What is it? Is something wrong?”

Zhao Yelan inadvertently glanced at Zhong Yuehong, and she stepped forward in confusion: “Is it about me?”

Seeing that he did not deny it, Yan Mingting was about to take him back to his room when Zhong Yuehong said: “My lord, you might as well just say it straight. These are not outsiders.”

“Yeah, if something has happened, we can help,” He Cuizhang said, and the others also gathered around, waiting for him to speak.

Zhao Yelan took a deep breath and said: “Zhong Yuehong, she……may be called into the harem.”

Hearing this, everyone was astonished for a moment, and then stared at Zhong Yuehong.

Zhong Yuehong’s face turned pale, and the nine-tailed whip in her hand fell weakly to the ground.

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

Xia Xingchi finally realized that something was wrong and stiffly turned his head to look at Li Chengyuan. Then there was a loud “Boom!” in his brain.

The sound of his entire being cracking.

What had he just said?

He said he loved his fiance to the point of death, thinking about him day and night — the person himself was standing right in front of him, but he didn’t recognize him!

Handsome, pale, and weak, with an odd moody temper……he was truly blind. Wasn’t this the terrifying crazy villain right in front of him?!

If Xia Xingchi had a tail, his fur would definitely be puffed up in alarm. Right then, his only thought was to find a hole to hide in at the speed of light.

But before he could escape, a deep, threatening voice as cold as an air-conditioner sounded next to his ear: “Do you think that if you leave now, you will step on your fiance’s ‘minefield?’”

The last two words were slightly accentuated, clearly imitating what he had said.

Xia Xingchi realized that in hindsight, social death was a small matter, but treading on lightning was a fatal one.

In front of the ruthless and merciless villain, he had used his life to perform a personal disco dance on top of his minefield.

Li Chengyuan had probably concealed his fierce aura before, but now that the truth was revealed, even movements like sitting down with a blank face and holding a cup of tea were full of a strong sense of oppression.

His slender fingers tapped lightly on the table a few times, and Xia Xingchi’s heart suddenly jumped.

He racked his brains to remember when he might have offended God. He was so unlucky —

After just being struck by lighting, once he was reborn, he still wasn’t far from death: first, he fell into the villain’s bathtub, then he forced him into the bathroom to stuff him with food, and finally he had a glib tongue and talked nonsense in front of him.

The guests gathered together, whether on purpose or by chance. The reason there had been almost no one on the first floor during the chase just now was because Li Chengyuan entered the venue and went up to the second floor, and everyone followed.

Some came to seek cooperation with Li Chengyuan, some came to pretend to be familiar with him, and others simply came to watch Young Master Xia, who “made a lucky marriage by chance.”

There were different opinions in these circles regarding the matter of this marriage. The most common one was “Mr. Li is here to withdraw the engagement today.”

After all, there was no one who didn’t know that he was indifferent and ruthless, and that he took the initiative to propose marriage was less reliable than the sun rising from the north.

Xia Xingchi took a deep breath and silently told himself that as long as he wasn’t awkward, others wouldn’t be awkward.

The epic social death and the onlooking crowd did not keep him from quickly jumping into the play to perform.

They saw the piety and sincerity on his face: “Mr. Li, do you feel that this is our fate?”

— The evil fate of being struck by lightning.

Li Chengyuan sipped his tea. The corners of his lips seemed to twitch slightly, and he said with indifference: “Since it is ‘to the point of death and having no appetite,’ there will always be some response.”

Xia Xingchi: ……

Sir, can you speak well and cease repeatedly whipping the corpse?

Although it could be clearly seen from this angle, in fact, Li Chengyan hadn’t smiled at all. Instead, his eyes were full of coldness, and it was just a mechanical movement of the corners of his mouth.

Everyone seemed to have discovered some big news. Faced with his obvious and clumsy flattery, Mr. Li actually acknowledged it with a smile?

Xia Pingjian on the side was especially happy. He thought the cheap son who came to him halfway was a waste, and didn’t expect Mr. Li to like him so much.

He immediately began to think about how to use his son to make more money.

After all, Xia Xingchi had a weak character and was easy to control, just a coward who didn’t dare say anything when he was slapped around casually.

At this moment, there was a sudden commotion from behind the crowd.

The atmosphere that had finally eased a little was then brutally broken —

A dark, burly, iron tower of a man could be seen rampaging like a cannonball through the crowd!

This person was wearing an inappropriate vest and shorts, his exaggerated muscles bursting out as his eyes wandered among the crowd, as if he was searching for something.

On his face was a sad little daughter-in-law expression that didn’t match his rough appearance.

Xi Xingchi was taken aback for a moment. How could there be random people breaking into this kind of place?

Then he couldn’t wait to give him a thumbs up. No matter what was going on, he thanked this buddy for saving him from an embarrassing death.

He stretched out his head to take a curious look, but Li Chengyuan calmly raised a finger. The bodyguards understood immediately and stood in front of Xia Xingchi to block him.

At the same time, it also blocked his probing eyes, and he could only hear the wailing accusations of the big muscled dude: “Are you engaged now? How could you do this to me, ah! I can’t live a day without you!”

Xia Xingchi’s melon-eating^[1] antenna instantly sprung up. According to his experience reading countless dog blood stories, this person’s goal was probably — Li Chengyuan!

Unexpectedly, the crazy villain had such strong tastes? His love life was glossed over in the original text, and it only said that he was ruthless and lonely until his death.

As a big boss who surpassed the protagonist in popularity, if this was written, it would really break the hearts of his countless fans.

Xia Xingchi didn’t think it would be a big deal to fan the flames a little as he watched the excitement, and began to think, as the “fiance” who wanted to rob someone of what they cherished, what kind of script should he use?

He was very excited to participate in the relationship battlefield for the first time in his life.

Against expectations, the strong man took out a small handkerchief at this time and wiped the snot and tears with a dainty gesture: 

“How many years have we been together, you scumbag!”

“How can you get engaged to someone else for the sake of money?!”

The picture was so eye-catching, exaggerated, and strange, that the surrounding audience couldn’t bear to look directly at it, and some inadvertently laughed out loud.

Xia Xingchi wanted to laugh too, but after a second of pause, he suddenly realized something was wrong — wait? Who are you saying wants money?

He was dumb as a wooden chicken for a moment and just listened to the other party continue to express deep feelings. Then the person shouted on the spot: “Xiao Chi! I know you must have been forced, I’ll take you away!”

Xia Xingchi: ?

A small head was immediately filled with big question marks. He was happily watching the show, but who would have thought that the clown was actually himself?

The reason why he excluded himself in the first place was because the original owner was not only cannon fodder with no love life, but he was also a straight man. No matter what, he never would have had an ex-boyfriend.

“Hey, buddy? Have you got the wrong person? ‘I’ don’t —”

Don’t like men……?

Before he finished speaking, Xia Xingchi abruptly shut up. This was a trap!

Whoever hired this voluptuous, flamboyant hunk didn’t intend to frame him in a bad light, but to anger the straight male original owner who was being forced to marry.

Let the already unstable “Xia Xingchi” be homophobic and angrily yell in public, “I don’t like men at all,” or “gays are disgusting.”

“I don’t know you!” Xia Xingchi quickly changed his words.

He cleared his throat and said aloud: “It’s useless even if you have a crush on me! Because I only have Mr. Li in my heart, and I love him! Just give up!”

After that voice sounded, the surroundings went silent.

Xia Xingchi glanced in fear from the corner of his eye and saw that amidst the sudden farce, Li Chengyuan was the only one sitting to the side calmly.

He continued to drink his tea sedately and looked over with a cool expression after hearing Xia Xingchi’s speech.

Xia Xingchi felt terrified after seeing it. For a moment, he couldn’t discern the big boss’s thoughts or mood, but a subtle intuition flashed through his mind —

Li Chengyuan was eating this up.

So he bit the bullet and pretended to be calm, continuing in a sonorous voice: “I’m not going, and I don’t agree to call off the engagement. Because for the rest of my life, it must be Mr. Li!”

“It was love at first sight! Whether rich or poor, in sickness or in health, nothing can stop me from being with Mr. Li except death!”

“I’m willing!”

As a master of many trades, Xia Xingchi took the classic lines of a wedding master of ceremonies and slightly modified them. Not only did he recite them with deep feeling, but he also played multiple roles himself.

He automatically substituted the word “Money” for “Mr. Li” when speaking, and the feelings immediately came from the heart, more sincere than actual gold, comparable to an Oscar-winning actor.

Thanks to Xia Yu, rumors had begun to spread long before the engagement. Everyone thought they were about to watch an escape-the-marriage drama, but were instead dumbstruck by Xia Xingchi’s staunch and heartfelt attitude.

The brawny man was even more confused. He even forgot to keep making dainty gestures, stumbling in his act and unable to find the rest of his words.

He had never seen such a thick-skinned person who did not act in accordance with the routine.

It was said that this Xia Xingchi was cowardly, fragile, and had low self-esteem. But if this was low self-esteem, then what was self-confidence?

Xia Xingchi had guessed correctly, the crazy man’s preferences were truly strange, and he was very pleased by this comedy performance.

Li Chengyuan smiled as if he was finally satisfied, and raised his hand to signal the bodyguards to take the man down and end this farce.

The “wall of nuts”^[2] bodyguards in front of him finally moved, and Xia Xingchi breathed a sigh of relief at last.

Although he had thick skin, he had no less of a sense of shame than others. His face was red when he said these words, but fortunately others only thought he was shy after confessing his affection.

The things that originally should have ensured victory today, whether the covert incitement, the blatant chasing, or even having to stage this farce, all of them failed without exception?!

— Unacceptable, he must not let them take away his opportunity to marry Mr. Li. It should be him!

Xia Yu gritted his teeth and made gestures imperceptibly amidst the crowd that meant “price increase” and “must be completed.”

As a result, the previous situation was reversed. The strongman had thought that the mission was over and was ready to be subdued without a fight, but when he received the signal, for money’s sake, he promptly turned around and began to wrestle with the bodyguards!

The scene became chaotic in an instant, and even Xia Xingchi was taken aback, thinking that rich people really knew how to play. Had this engagement banquet changed from a bitter drama to a martial arts action movie?

Xia Yu immediately seized the opportunity and went straight into battle.

He rushed forward to hold Xia Xingchi’s hand, still innocent, sincere, and anxious: “Xingchi-ge, we need to work this out, don’t let them fight over you anymore! Even if our family doesn’t want to lose face, you can’t compromise Mr. Li’s face either, ah!”

He was reasonable and considerate of Mr. Li and the overall situation, unlike himself, who only provoked rotten love battles and didn’t step forward to stop them.

Xia Xingchi thought to himself that although these words were beautiful, they were all deceptive and empty. The person was like a teapot letting out steam.

Tilting his head to estimate the thickness of the teapot spirit’s skin, he hard Xia Yu speak again: “Xingchi-ge, even if you think Mr. Li is not in good health, he has care workers and nurses taking care of him after all, so you definitely don’t need to look after him! Stop making trouble, be sensible and get married.”

The volume of this sentence was so low that others may not hear it, but it just so happened that Li Chengyuan could “accidentally” overhear it from such a distance.

The acting was so realistic that those who didn’t know otherwise would really think that the original owner was disgusted with his fiance’s poor health at home day after day.

This statement was consistent with Xia Yu’s previously released rumors: It was said that not only did Xia Xingchi not want to get engaged, but he also prattled on self-importantly, saying that he would not for a moment be a nanny and would never take care of a troublesome, sickly, short-lived seedling.

As soon as those words were spoken, Xia Xingchi’s expression abruptly changed, and his hair stood on end.

— Where is the teapot in front of me? This is essentially a high explosive suicide-style attack!

Xia Yu had clearly already revealed his intentions in the end, and dared to say anything just to cheat him.

He couldn’t accurately estimate the lethality of these words at all, since he didn’t know enough about Li Chengyuan.

“I dislike that he is unhealthy.” This was the crazy villain’s inverse scale, and whoever touched it would be finished.

Xia Xingchi immediately shuddered, and the bloody and terrifying plot in the later part of the novel surfaced involuntarily in his mind.

Just as he was thinking, a cold gaze fell upon him. Li Chengyuan turned his head slowly and looked over with a blank expression on his face, the whole scene like the terrifying moment in a horror movie when a ghost twists its head around backwards.

Xia Xingchi: ! ?

Boss, ah, we have to be reasonable, I didn’t say this, so why are you staring at me!

As a man of action, Xia Xingchi had always responded very quickly. He didn’t have much time to think, so he had no choice but to quickly choose the best plan to belatedly salvage the situation.

Behold, he performed a beautiful and skillful standard side kick on the spot. Caught off guard, Xia Yu, the criminal ringleader, was kicked hard to the ground!

In the wake of Xia Yu’s screams, the martial arts scene over there ended with the bodyguards pinning the strongman to the ground.

Yet more twists and turns were added to the story, and everyone was shocked to see the new sensation of the real and fake young masters fighting in public, thinking to themselves, what sort of lively day is this where hundreds of melons are blooming?^[3]

The most shocking person was Xia Xingchi himself. No matter what, they never thought that someone of Xia Xingchi’s weak and cowardly character would dare to do something so straightforwardly and without hesitation.

This waste was obviously brighter when light shone upon him and seemed like a good person, moving people to tears with his compassionate and willful courtship……had he lost his mind?

Surprisingly, this was not enough, and Xia Xingchi took two steps forward under everyone’s watchful eyes, then boldly and confidently sat on Li Chengyuan’s lap!

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[1] Eating melons means to watch the drama from the sidelines. Picture him sitting there casually munching on popcorn and enjoying the show. ⮐

[2] The “wall of nuts” is a defensive plant in the game “Plants vs Zombies,” and can block the zombies so that the plants have more time to attack. ⮐

[3] This likely is a pun on the idiom “a hundred flowers bloom,” which refers to free expression of the arts. In this case, a hundred melons blooming would mean lots of good entertainment to watch from the sidelines. ⮐

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Chapter Two << Table of Contents >> Chapter Four

Embarrassing things always got more embarrassing the more you recalled them. Xia Xingchi’s toes curled so much that he almost grabbed the floor with them. Let alone falling into the other party’s arms, it should be said that the entire night was really too ridiculous and crazy.

He had thought that the world was so big that, as cannon fodder, he would never meet the handsome and wealthy passer-by NPC again, but unexpectedly, he met the enemy on a narrow road.

Why the hell did his unlucky self always open the door for bad fortune? Bad luck had come home again.

“Why were you running?” Li Chengyuan just looked at Xia Xingchi expressionlessly.

The atmosphere froze for a moment. Xia Xingchi had no choice but to answer awkwardly: “I was exercising. Life lies in movement!”^[1]

Saying this, he moved back a few steps, trying to maintain his distance from this intimidating beauty. At the same time, he faintly heard the voices of those pampered rich boys growing nearer: 

“Fuck! Did this kid take the wrong medicine today?!”

“Where did he go? I have to beat him up and let him know why the flowers are so red!”^[2]

“It’s not enough, look at this bottle of wine. When I find him, I’ll pour the wine on his head first and then smash his head with the bottle! I’ll kill him!”

— Outrageous, the current rich second generation was really cruel. If they had a disagreement, they would crack open somebody’s head.

Xia Xingchi realized that his choice of hiding place was rather unfortunate, as those people happened to be coming to wash the red wine off their faces.

Of the thirty-six stratagems,^[3] running away was the best policy. But now he would run into them if he went out, so he decided to follow the original plan and find a cubicle, lock the door, and hide.

As a result, just as he was about to do so, the gloomy and frightening beauty staggered a step with a paling face, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

“Ah? What’s wrong with you!” Xia Xingchi was taken aback. Seeing that he had nearly passed out, he quickly reached out to assist him. Could it be because he had bumped his head?

His voice as he said this was a bit loud, and as a consequence, it was heard by the bastards outside and their steps suddenly accelerated! They were running wildly toward him!

Xia Xingchi couldn’t leave the person he had injured alone, so he had no choice but to grab the man who was on the verge of collapse and forcefully drag him at lightning speed into a bathroom stall to hide together.

As soon as the door closed, he heard the group of second-generation ancestors talking with foul mouths:

“Where is he? Wasn’t that obviously his voice?”

“Yeah, that idiot must be inside! Let’s wash our faces first, and then find him after.”

The bathroom stall was a bit narrow, and the two had to stand quite close to each other.

Xia Xingchi saw that the other party’s face and lips were terribly pale. He could barely stand, but was so concerned with cleanliness that he didn’t want to touch his surroundings, so Xia Xingchi had to hold him with both hands and try to help him stay upright.

But the other was disgusted and pushed him away a little irritably.

It stood to reason that although the collision just now was quite hard, it shouldn’t have caused a concussion. It didn’t seem like a blackmail attempt, and this person looked like the extremely wealthy sort.

“Are you dizzy? Is there any discomfort?” Xia Xingchi asked in a whisper that was covered up by the sound of water outside.

Hitting one’s head was not a trivial matter, and if he killed someone, his life was over.

Seeing that he had been silent for a long time, but his face was getting worse and worse, Xia Xingchi had no choice but to take out his cell phone and dial while asking quietly: “Can I call 120 for you?”^[4]

Li Chengyuan pursed his lips. After the ringing in his ears subsided, he could hear what Xia Xingchi was saying.

Naturally, he disagreed. He took his phone with a frown and hung it up, saying shortly at last: “It’s just low blood sugar.”

“……Ah?”

Of course it was a good thing if it wasn’t due to hitting his head, but how could such a fine person suddenly have hypoglycemia?

Doubtfully, Xia Xingchi swiftly took out a large handful of free chocolates that he had recently collected and peeled a piece, holding it to his mouth.

Li Chengyuan turned his head away, even more disgusted.

Eating things in the toilet. Those hands were still fumbling just now, but he could figure it out.

This was not clear to Xi Xinchi, so he thought, could it be that the beauty was too good-looking and was afraid of being drugged and kidnapped?

In all honesty, who could pack up and take away a grown man who was nearly 1.9 meters tall!

“It’s really not poisoned, look at me.” Xia Xingchi broke off half the chocolate and put it in his mouth, then handed over the other half. “Ah — open up!”

Seeing that this man’s eyes were out of focus, he guessed that it wouldn’t be long before he lost consciousness, but yet he still refused to cooperate and open his mouth.

In desperation, Xia Xingchi simply forcibly pushed him against the door, and then ruthlessly stuffed the chocolate into his mouth!

Li Chengyuan was so dizzy that he didn’t react for a moment. When he regained his senses, the sweet thing had already melted on the tip of his tongue.

Li Chengyuan: “……”

He took a deep breath. This was the first time he had been force-fed in a public bathroom.

If the person in front of him was someone else, he would twist his head off.

His expression was obviously a little angry. When the sound of water outside the door stopped, Xia Xingchi quickly covered his mouth to keep him from making a sound.

The handful of people outside began to search:

“Let’s kick open all the doors one by one. We’ll definitely find him.”

“Fuck off, what the hell will you do if you kick open the door on your dad? We’ll all be scolded!”

“I have a way! I remember he was wearing a pair of white leather shoes and a white suit today. Let’s bend down and look at each of them?”

Xia Xingchi looked down. His shoes were black and white, which was a little eye-catching.

These people were like glue that couldn’t be shaken off.

Most likely, this was on Xia Yu’s orders. Whether it was beating him violently or trapping him here to make it look like he was escaping the marriage, the engagement banquet would be disrupted either way.

Only in this way could Xia Yu rise to the top.

Xia Xingchi didn’t know what had gone wrong. There was a slight change in the original plot: 

Originally, the engagement banquet was not held so early, and Li Chengyuan came for the purpose of annulling the engagement, while the original owner had a mental breakdown and fled the marriage on the spot.

In short, neither of them wanted to get married. Whether sooner or later, the result should be the dissolution of the engagement.

But two days ago, that crazy villain Li Chengyuan suddenly brought up this marriage contract with the Xia family, specifying that he wanted to marry immediately.

This was simply fantastic. 

Not to mention the financial gains, countless people were willing to pay money just for a look at his face. In other words, Li Chengyuan’s social status and the solid strength of the Li Group were no longer something that the Xia family or anyone else could compete with.

Therefore, Xia Yu wished that he was the one who got engaged, but it was a pity that Xia Xingchi was the first young master by blood, and according to tradition, it could only be him.

The sound of footsteps outside the door continued, accompanied by cursing as they bent over to look at people’s shoes without shame.

Li Chengyuan’s hypoglycemia symptoms were alleviated, and he was about to expressionlessly open the door, but Xia Xingchi quickly grabbed him and whispered: “Don’t go out! If I’m exposed, they’ll really smash my skull!”

This was the truth.

This group of socialites were full of swagger, but the original owner was treated worse than a dog, unloved by his parents and frequently beaten. In the original text, his head was smashed in.

Xia Xingchi bent down quickly and began to untie his shoelaces and take off his shoes as the sound of footsteps outside the door got closer and closer —

At that very moment, his feet suddenly left the ground and his whole body was suspended in the air!

To his surprise, he was lifted up horizontally without warning.

At the same time, a shadow happened to be cast outside the door as someone looked at the shoes in this stall.

This “head-smashing hide-and-seek” was too stimulating. Xia Xingchi instinctively held his breath, staring nervously at the shadow.

He had lost his parents when he was young, and no one had hugged him in his memory. This was the first time in his life.

Inexperienced, he was subconsciously afraid of being dropped, and hugged Li Chengyuan’s neck tightly with a furiously beating heart, not daring to let go. The crisp, cool fragrance of his body lingered in his nose, like a reassuring and reliable haven in a storm.

After a long, long time, the shadow in front of the door finally left.

Xia Xingchi breathed a sigh of relief.

He hurriedly struggled to stand up on his own, and was about to pat Li Chengyuan’s shoulder to express his gratitude —

The black shadow outside the door reappeared again in a surprise attack!

“Fuck! Sure enough, he’s here! You really thought you could fool us, ah.”

“Why are there two people in there? Could it be that he actually has a lover? 

“What? Did we just happen to catch them in the act? We’re just in time to beat this pair of dogs to death!”

As they spoke, the flimsy door was kicked hard from the outside!

Immediately following the second and third kicks, the fragile door lock made a terrible sound, as if it was about to crack.

Xia Xingchi hurriedly pulled Li Chengyuan back. In his previous life, he had been beaten more than once or twice in the bathroom, and knew that the door would be kicked open within a few blows.

Although his heart beat like a drum, his mind was still very clear and rational. He turned to Li Chengyuan and planned quickly: “Sir, I’m sorry to trouble you, ah. When this group of idiots kicks open the door in a moment, you run away. If I hold them back, they probably won’t chase after you.”

Xia Xingchi thought to himself that the man in front of him was so young and looked so amazing, yet he wasn’t known within the rich second generation. It was likely because his wealth was slightly inferior. If this group of bullying socialites beat them together, it was over for him.

The man was noncommittal and just looked at Xia Xingchi calmly, as if he didn’t care about the commotion outside the door.

While the two were conversing, the door lock was overwhelmed and finally collapsed, flying out with a rupturing sound!

The noise made Xia Xingchi flinch. At this moment, he didn’t pay attention to anything else, quickly pushing him as he said loudly: “Run!”

Unexpectedly, the man stood there motionless.

Xia Xingchi: “……?”

“Aren’t you very arrogant?” One person was holding the wine bottle as he shouted angrily, “Weren’t you very tough when you poured wine on laozi’s head just now?”

“Is it fucking great to be engaged to Mr. Li? Do you think he cares if you live or die? Or are you happy to be a little white-faced mistress?”

Xia Xingchi didn’t speak. Obviously, he didn’t hope that the villainous fiance whom he had never seen before would suddenly appear and save him.

He clenched his fists silently, prepared to fight one against five.

It was an old tradition within this group of socialites to finish the harsh words first before moving on to beating people. It stood to reason that this was a good time for the others to speak up, but at this moment, the scene was strangely frozen.

Not only did no one make a sound, but the person who had spoken was smacked hard on the back.

Who would have thought that this angry, high-spirited person would not take the hint, but thought the smack was a signal to leap into action!

He hefted the wine bottle, aimed straight at Xia Xingchi’s head, and chopped down viciously!

The bottle seemed to split the air. Xia Xingchi was very experienced and did not dodge it, but directly raised his hands, ready to catch the opponent’s wrist and give him the most ruthless over-the-shoulder throw.

Unexpectedly, someone moved faster than him —

The next second, the person and the wine bottle simultaneously flew in a rainbow-like parabola and hit the ground hard!

The entire action was understated but extremely ruthless.

Xia Xingchi was shocked, and turned to stare at Li Chengyuan. 

For god’s sake, the sick and weak beauty who was as untouchable as a fragile object was so skillful?

“Fuck!” The person who was thrown to the ground howled and cursed. “Fuck your mother……what are you doing standing there stupidly! Go, ah! Kill this idiot!”

The handful of people still looked at each other in blank dismay.

They came to a unanimous answer as they looked at each other, and were so immersed in horror that they even forgot how to speak.

Li Chengyuan seldom showed his face, so juniors like them naturally had no opportunity to meet him.

But the elders were afraid that this group of second-generation ancestors would start trouble, so they either described him or took out photos for them to look at carefully. In this way, they wouldn’t offend this untouchable person just because they didn’t know who he was.

After Li Chengyuan came to power, it took only one year for the Li Group to climb to the pinnacle of wealth and power. Its assets were incomparably abundant and strong, and there was no one who didn’t fear it.

Even if their fathers arrived, these several people would have to hurry and apologize.

The most adaptable of them reacted the fastest, and actually slapped himself loudly on the spot!

“My dog mouth can’t spit out ivory!^[5] It was me who failed to recognize an important person. You should take me as garbage! I’m just a fart!”

Xia Xingchi, who had rolled up his sleeves and was prepared to fight: ?

The scene was comical and amusing all of a sudden. The speed of this dramatic change of attitude was comparable to the speed of turning pages in quantum fluctuation speed reading. ^[6]

He turned to look at Li Chengyuan in doubt. From the reactions of these people, could it be that he really was the young master of a prominent wealthy family?

Good god, he had grabbed him and hid in a toilet stall with him, and even forced him to eat chocolate in such an environment!

But for now, all sorts of doubts were put aside for the time being. Now that the situation had reversed, Xia Xingchi was quite adept at things such as the fox pretending to be a tiger.

He promptly grinned and rubbed salt in the wound, asking the rest of them: “Young masters, do you need my help slapping yourselves?”

Those people looked at each other. They had offended one far superior in power, and when they went back, their respective fathers would beat them to death. 

Seeing Li Chengyuan’s cold and indifferent eyes sweep over them like a deep pool in an ancient well, their hearts shivered. Gritting their teeth unwillingly, they slapped themselves.

For a while, the whole bathroom was full of “pa pa” sounds. The scene was extremely ridiculous, and Xia Xingchi held in his laughter with great difficulty as he followed the unknown handsome young master.

Before leaving, he didn’t forget to kick the idiot on the ground who had just tried to hit him with a wine bottle. The person was still ignorant as he cursed and yelled, and one of his companions “helped” by covering his mouth and slapping him a few times.

Xia Xingchi couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

– – –

“Sir, do you have a famous reputation, ah?” Xia Xingchi tilted his head.

Li Chengyuan just walked forward with no expression on his face. He seemed to be in a bad mood, and didn’t talk to him.

Xia Xingchi was not annoyed at being ignored, and saw that there was a self-service barbecue on the second floor, which smelled and looked expensive.

It happened to be meal time, and he was hungry. Xia Xingchi immediately said: “Never mind, anyway, thanks for your help! If we’re lucky enough, we’ll meet again!”

Just as he was about to leave, the man finally said: “Have you gone to see your fiance?”

Xia Xingchi was taken aback. Most of the people who came to the engagement banquet didn’t know him, this country boy who had switched to a position he wasn’t trained for, and only thought he was a passer-by.

Perhaps he overheard when the idiot called him by name and insulted him. Since he had been recognized, Xia Xingchi could only answer in embarrassment: “My fiance……of course I saw him!”

There was no other way. It was said that the original owner did meet Li Chengyuan, so if he said he had never seen him, he would absolutely blow his cover.

When Li Chengyuan heard these words, he just gave him an inexplicable look.

Xia Xingchi immediately and irrationally felt a sense of oppression. The other party clearly hadn’t done anything and showed no expression, but he seemed to be condescendingly examining him.

The two were at a stalemate for a moment, and at last the man said calmly: “So what is he like?”

This eased the atmosphere just right, and Xia Xingchi heaved a sigh of relief. It was clear to him that this was probably another person who was curious about Li Chengyuan.

After all, even though it was rumored that Li Chengyuan had a cruel personality and used methods that made people’s hair stand on end, everyone was still eagerly looking forward to being able to climb up and get close to this big boss.

Xia Xingchi could only tilt his head and think about the contents of the book, pretending to know his fiance very well: “He’s — super good-looking! In the whole book, ahem……he’s the height of handsomeness worldwide! But his temper is terrible. If you want to get close, don’t step on his minefield, ah.”

Hearing this, Li Chengyuan asked with a half-smile: “For example?”

Xia Xingchi kept his mouth shut. He actually didn’t want to talk too much with a stranger he had met by chance.

But thinking that it was thanks to this man that he was saved from the catastrophe of having his head bashed in, it could be regarded as a life debt, and he must repay his kindness.

Like a little hedgehog stealing fruit, he looked around furtively first to make sure there was no one else around, especially the big villain he was talking about. Then he whispered: “For example, he is not in good health and has been ill all year round. Don’t ask about his health when you meet him, otherwise he might get annoyed. Furthermore, you sometimes can’t judge his mood by his expression. He might be very happy one second, and then suddenly become angry the next. He’s really crazy and terrifying!”

— The kind that might kill someone.

The crazy boss in the book was strong, cruel, and perverted. It was a pity that he was so sickly and would die of a sudden illness in half a year, otherwise the book would have to have a bad ending.

“So terrible, ah,” Li Chengyuan’s smile became wider after hearing this, but his voice became even colder.

He lowered his head slightly and asked next to Xia Xingchi’s ear: “Then do you want to escape from the marriage?”

Xia Xingchi completely didn’t notice that he was replying to a question that would offend people no matter how he answered it, and just felt that the other party had suddenly gotten too close. The safe social distance had been exceeded, so he quickly took a step back.

He didn’t know why he was encountering so many people tempting him away from marriage today. Xia Yu jumped into the pit himself in order to pull out the radish, but he didn’t know what this beauty’s aim was. Fighting against injustice?

No matter what the reason was, Xia Xingchi took out all his prepared lines and spoke in a cadence: “Of course not! I love Li Chengyuan to the point of death. I miss him every day and have no appetite, and my dreams are full of him — I only want to marry him! The person I love the most is him!”

This was absolutely true. Thinking of Li Chengyuan’s net worth in the hundreds of billions, Xia Xingchi really missed him in his dreams and loved his money to the point of death, sincerely and deeply.

His expression was sincere and unpretentious, his black eyes shining.

Li Chengyuan sneered mockingly. 

Xia Xingchi thought that his acting skills were being questioned and said in abrupt dissatisfaction: “You don’t believe me? How can you doubt my sincerity —”

Before he could finish speaking, a fat middle-aged man trotted over. He was Xia Xingchi’s cheap father, Xia Pingjian.

He estimated that this guy wanted to spray spittle again and teach him how to behave in front of others.

Then he would abduct him and bring him to see Li Chengyuan, and put on a public performance while selling his son for glory.

Xia Xingchi was about to run away, but Xia Pingjian said with an apologetic smile: “Mr. Li, I wanted to find Xingchi to meet you just now, but I didn’t expect him to be here with you.”

Fine, you didn’t come to abduct me to meet……wait.

Who is this next to me?!

T/N: This story is too much fun, I have to continue it.

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[1] “Life lies in movement” is a motto originating from the French philosopher Voltaire, who espoused the importance of physical fitness. ⮐

[2] “Why are the flowers so red” is a an old song that has been used in several films, usually as background music during sad scenes. So he’s basically saying he’s going to hurt him/ruin his day. ⮐

[3] The Thirty-Six Stratagems is a Chinese essay used to illustrate a series of stratagems used in politics, war, and civil interaction. ⮐

[4] 120 is the emergency number in China. ⮐

[5] “No ivory comes from a dog’s mouth” means “No good words can be expected to come from the mouth of a scoundrel.” ⮐

[6] Quantum fluctuation speed reading is a pseudoscience in mainland China where students flip through a book at a very high speed and learn to retain all of the information at a glance. Something about “using quantum fluctuations to create photographic memory and multi-dimensional perception.” Yes, people actually pay money for this…… ⮐

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Chapter One << Table of Contents >> Chapter Three

The moonlight was like water, and the night wind blew. The branches in the courtyard rustled, and a dark fragrance drifted in through the carved window.

The two people sat side by side on the bed, poised for a long conversation.

Zhao Yelan sat motionless, silently staring at a speck of dust on the ground as if he were viewing a flower.

Yan Mingting scratched his head, and then rubbed his hands, unable to calm down at all. Glancing at the other party furtively from the corner of his eye, he couldn’t sit still, so he got up and walked around the room in order to defeat the fire in his heart.

The hug just now was originally just an act of feeling sorry for the other party’s self-sacrificing move, but at some point it had gradually changed.

He began to covet the strange fragrance that he disliked the most, and was careful not to overdo it and hurt the other. Immersed in such a quiet night, he wanted to hug this thin figure all the time, and his breathing became slow and light.

When the other person pushed him away, there was a sense of emptiness and loneliness.

“Stop pacing, it hurts my eyes,” Zhao Yelan said.

Yan Mingting smiled awkwardly and walked to his side. He cautiously made as if to sit down, and when the other party didn’t kick him, he sat with peace of mind.

“How was your chat with Li Jinyu?” Zhao Yelan asked with his face averted.

“Very good, he confessed to me the cause of Li Yanran’s death.”

“She didn’t die of illness?”

“No.” Yan Mingting sighed deeply. “She committed suicide.”

“Why?” Zhao Yelan was a little surprised. Li Yanran was born to an influential family, and would be part of the Yan family by the orders of her parents and the words of the matchmaker. Clearly she was in a good situation, so why would she kill herself?

“Because of the late Emperor.”

Li Yanran had reached marriageable age and was also close to the Yan family, so the Empress Dowager personally wrote an invitation to her during the birthday banquet, inviting her to enjoy a hundred flowers feast^[1] together. But when she entered the palace for the first time, she caught the attention of the late Emperor.

The late Emperor only knew that the Li family had a daughter, but had never seen her before. At the birthday banquet, he found her dignified, gentle and pleasant. Not showing the slightest regard for the relationship between an Emperor and his subjects, he summoned her to the Imperial study and took her by force.

Afterwards, Li Yanran feared that the Yan family would make a lot of trouble if they found out about it, and she was also afraid that the Li family would be implicated if she did not enter the harem. In desperation, she committed suicide by drinking poison.

The room was quiet for a while before Zhao Yelan said: “She was a rather strong woman.”

“Yes, ah.” Yan Mingting promptly punched the wall.

Zhao Yelan immediately looked at him, and then stared at his hand perplexingly.

“This dog Emperor is really……” Although Yan Mingting knew the etiquette of respect and inferiority, he never had much contact with the late Emperor and only knew that he was fatuous and cruel, and didn’t have any good impressions of him.

“Hush.” Zhao Yelan quickly raised a hand to cover his mouth. “You know that you are talking about the late Emperor, but those who don’t know will think that you are cursing His Majesty. Be careful, the walls have ears.”

Yan Mingting nodded, lowered his eyes, and stared at his hand. All the air he exhaled hit the palm of that hand. 

Zhao Yelan retracted it as if nothing had happened and said: “No wonder Li Jinyu stood on the sidelines without lifting a finger when the throne was won. Only when Zhao Xuan forced the Emperor to abdicate with the Imperial army in the end, he opened the old Emperor’s closed door with his own hands and led the way to him.”

Yan Mingting nodded. “Yes, no matter who came to force the old Emperor to abdicate, he would have helped them.”

After solving the mystery of Li Yanran’s death, Zhao Yelan asked: “Did you tell him about your father?”

“How is that possible? That is too big of a deal, and my relationship with him is not close enough to divulge the whole story.” Yan Mingting said, “I just told him that I thought Li Yanran’s death was strange, and I wanted to find out where all the ‘evil star’ rumors came from.”

“……Then why did you tell me everything?” Zhao Yelan asked.

“You are my wife, ah.” Yan Mingting smiled and tapped Zhao Yelan’s head. “And you’re clever here.”

Zhao Yelan batted his hand away. Hearing him grunt, he intuitively looked at his hand. “Did you hurt yourself just now?”

Yan Mingting remained silent.

Zhao Yelan leaned over to look at his hand, and Yan Mingting stretched it out for him to examine, the corners of his mouth curling up: “Are you concerned for me?”

Seeing that there was no injury, Zhao Yelan immediately threw it back: “I’m just afraid that if your hand is broken, you won’t be able to protect me. Useless thing.”

“Don’t worry, I can protect you even with a broken hand,” Yan Mingting said confidently, puffing out his chest.

“You’re rather proud,” Zhao Yelan scoffed, and went back to the topic. “Then have you asked him about the Gu poison in Nanjiang?

“Yes, I asked what kind of poison Li Yanran used, and happened to bring up the matter of Nanjiang. He said that what Li Yanran used was arsenic, which has nothing to do with Nanjiang. Because the poisons brought into Beijing from Nanjiang are strictly controlled, after passing through the guards at the Imperial Hospital, they are used for research purposes and these courtiers could only view them when they were displayed,” Yan Mingting said.

“Tai Hospital……no wonder Yao Muze had heard about this poison from his master. It seems we must go and find his master at the Imperial hospital.”

“En, tomorrow I will go to Yao Muze to inquire about his master’s whereabouts, and see if I can invite him over.” Yan Mingting remembered another matter and asked, “By the way, does the Emperor really know that you are the owner of the gambling hall?”

“I just said that to scare him.” Zhao Yelan lifted the blanket. “The Emperor is busy with government affairs, how can he take care of everyone’s private business? I warn you, if you tell anyone about this, I will make things difficult for you.”

“I know, I know, go to sleep, ba.”

Yan Mingting patted his blanket and then skilfully made his bed on the floor, looking back at the person who had just laid down. Taking advantage of his inattention, he moved the blanket a little closer to the side of the bed, looked at the nearby bed, and closed his eyes contentedly.

A day later, Yao Muze was invited to treat Zhao Yelan again, and prescribed a few more medications.

Zhao Yelan said softly: “You’ve worked hard.”

“It’s nothing, it is my job to cure patients.” Yao Muze smiled.

Yan Mingting interjected at the ideal time: “Yao-gongzi, can his physical condition be cured if we invite a master?”

“Hmm……” Yao Muze pondered, “Perhaps. My shifu has treated many difficult and miscellaneous diseases. Zhao-daren’s illness should be a certain success, it is only that I am not a good student.”

Yan Mingting said joyfully: “Then can the master be invited to come to the mansion?”

“I’m afraid this is a bit troublesome,” Yao Muze said. “Since Shifu resigned, he has been traveling abroad, only going to poor villages and remote places to treat people for free, but he refused to go to Beijing. This time I came to the capital to take the exam at the Imperial Hospital, and he drew a clear line with me, and refused to answer my letters. Even I don’t know where he is now.”

After sending Yao Muze away, the disappointment on Yan Mingting’s face was obvious.

Zhao Yelan took a sip of tea and said: “Don’t you have a lot of subordinates? Just send people to the backcountry to check one place at a time.”

“That’s the only way to go, but it will take some time.” Yan Mingting put his sword on the table dejectedly and wiped it absent-mindedly.

“So many years have been spent on this old case, why are you so anxious at this time? Now that the situation is gradually becoming clear, isn’t it better than before?” Zhao Yelan said.

“I’m in no hurry, it doesn’t matter if I take my time.” Yan Mingting turned his head to gaze at him and said seriously, “But he can cure your illness.”

Zhao Yelan paused and put down the teacup, his long eyelashes trembling and then lowering slightly to cover up the sentiment in his eyes. “Not necessarily. Many people have examined my illness. It is only a matter of taking some medicine to control it.”

“But you have to try. Since the other party was the court envoy, he should have some real skills.” After Yan Mingting spoke, he hurried out and arranged for his subordinates to start the search.

Looking at the empty door, Zhao Yelan was silent for a time, then took another sip of tea. He didn’t know if the water temperature was too high or there were too many tea leaves, but his chest felt terribly blocked up.

The weather was getting warmer and the rain was less. Gao Tan looked at the sun every day and couldn’t help but be joyful – his lord coughed a lot less these days and was also in a good mood. He went to the Imperial Academy to read books and play chess every day, and after returning home, he would trot about with General Yan, his complexion visibly improving.

And since his lord married into the General’s Mansion, he himself had relaxed a lot. It was no longer necessary to be by his lord’s side all the time as in the past. Anyway, with the General looking after him, he was often sent away, so he had his own time to buy delicious snacks and play with the servants in the mansion.

But then came another sort of trouble. That is, when the General returned to the mansion every day, if he did not see his lord at first sight, he would look for him everywhere: “Where is your family’s lord?”

One day he got confused and replied to the General: “I don’t know……perhaps in the study?”

Unexpectedly, the General gave him a rare reprimand and then hurried to the study. When he saw that Zhao Yelan was indeed playing chess in the study, he immediately put on a smiling face. 

Up to now, Xiao Gao had become accustomed to guarding the front courtyard every day, and as soon as the General came back, he would immediately report the exact location of his lord and then go to play.

This day, Xiao Gao crouched in front of the main hall to feed the rabbit, and when he heard footsteps, he called out: “General, my lord is in the main hall.”

“What? He’s in the mansion?” The figure who had just arrived at the door suddenly paused, and then hid outside the door again.

“What are you doing sneaking around and not coming in?” Zhao Yelan saw Yan Mingting’s elusive figure at a glance, and the other party poked his head through the door to give him a simple and honest smile.

“Why aren’t you in the study today?” Yan Mingting said awkwardly.

“Why?” Zhao Yelan walked to the door suspiciously and saw that he had his hands behind his back. “Take out your hands.”

Yan Mingting stiffly revealed his hands, which were filled with a variety of fruits and flowers, and foisted them onto the guard next to him: “Come, come, you’ve worked hard, take these to quench your thirst.”

Zhao Yelan scoffed coldly and turned around to walk into the main hall: “General Yan is truly romantic and capable, he has won the hearts of so many young girls just by going about.”

It would soon be the day of the harem draft. These days, the capital had gathered beautiful women from around the world, so naturally there were women with open folk customs. Seeing a man she liked on the street, she would throw fruits and flowers.

Yan Mingting was originally well-born, with an extraordinary bearing, so he could attract countless eyes just by standing in place.

“I’m wronged, ah.” Yan Mingting immediately chased after him and tried to explain, “I just met them outside the door. They forced it into my hands, and when I wanted to return it to them, they had already run away.”

“They?” Zhao Yelan sneered. “How many concubines do you plan on taking?”

“I don’t want to take concubines!” Yan Mingting said.

“Take a concubine?” Housekeeper Qin heard this and asked, “General, are you going to take a concubine?”

Zhao Yelan raised his eyebrows: “Yes, ah, hurry up and tidy a few rooms, the new owners will come into the house in a few days.”

“There’s no such thing! Uncle Qin, go and do your work first, and leave us alone.” Yan Mingting quickly persuaded Housekeeper Qin to leave, then gritted his teeth and dragged Zhao Yelan out of the house.

“What are you going to do!?” Zhao Yelan exclaimed.

A quarter of an hour later, the two of them stood on the street. Zhao Yelan was puzzled and turned around to leave. Unexpectedly, an apple was stuffed into his chest by a beautiful woman.

He couldn’t react in time, and when he picked it up to have a look, many women crowded in around him. Some put flowers on his head, some put flowers and fruits in his arms, and some asked him about his age, family background, and whether he was married.

He managed to escape from the throng and looked at Yan Mingting in embarrassment, but Yan Mingting was leaning against the door of a nearby restaurant and laughing.

He picked up a fruit and hurled it at him, and the other party caught it in his hand, then led him into the alley next to him.

Zhao Yelan was still pelting his back with the remaining fruit, but the other party stopped without a care, looked back at him, and stomped his foot: “Hmph, Zhao-daren was flirting in front of me! Let me tell you, if you want to find another woman behind my back, there is no way!”

This performer!

Zhao Yelan took a deep breath. Ever since he met this scoundrel, he had become angry much more often, almost every day!

He turned around to leave, but the other party dragged him back again. He stepped back in disarray until he came to a stop leaning against a wall. Raising his head to look at the person in front of him, he saw him suddenly raise a hand. Thinking that he was going to do something, he subconsciously closed his eyes.

“These flowers and plants, why keep them?” Yan Mingting took the thin flower stems out of his hair and inserted a jade hairpin instead, as if performing a magic trick. After examining it carefully for a moment, he was very satisfied. “En, it looks good this way.”

Zhao Yelan was stunned. Opening his eyes doubtfully, he took off the jade hairpin. The jade body was transparent, the color fresh and tender. Shaped like a floating cloud, shimmered in the sunlight. He liked it very much and forgot to be angry, but he still did not forget to confirm: “Expensive?”

“Expensive. It is a relic of the former royal family. There is no second one in the world.”

Only then was Zhao Yelan satisfied: “Put it on for me properly.”

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[1] The hundred flowers feast is a famous delicacy in which edible flowers are cooked and arranged beautifully. ⮐

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