Chapter 8 – What Grudge?

After breakfast, Fang Yang said goodbye to Feng Ye, who was still deep in thought.

The two of them were tasked with different areas. Feng Ye had to clean the martial arts training square, while Fang Yang had to tidy up the meditation hall in front of the square.

Feng Ye unconsciously waved to Fang Yang, walking toward the martial arts square in a daze.

“Does Fellow Daoist Feng Ye have to do this every day?”

Hao Chen’s voice brought Feng Ye’s wandering soul back. He stared in shock at the broom in his hand, only then realizing that he had arrived in the square.

And there was still that tail following him, unable to be shaken off.

Feng Ye suppressed his misgivings and swung the broom vigorously, sweeping up dust half a person high. Hao Chen was forced to step back by the raised dust, and spread his fan to cover his mouth and nose.

Feng Ye then replied unhurriedly: “It’s a sect assignment. I have to do it. After all, I’m only a junior disciple in the outer sect.”

When he heard Feng Ye’s last sentence, Hao Chen’s lips curled into a playful smile behind his fan.

According to his observations yesterday and today, Feng Ye was indeed useless in many aspects, and didn’t seek to make progress. But the more Feng Ye was like this, the more Hao Chen felt that this person was a hidden talent.

Although he still didn’t know how strong his opponent was, the wisdom he displayed in verbal confrontation with him should not be underestimated.

Such a person had sneaked into Lingxiao Sword Sect under the identity of a deceased individual, and was pretending to be a hopeless case. What was he planning?

Hao Chen’s interest in Feng Ye was growing stronger and stronger. Even though Feng Ye wasn’t his original purpose for coming here, for this person, Hao Chen’s original purpose could be set aside for the time being.

Hao Chen’s eyes and nose were hidden behind his fan, and Feng Ye could only see his curved eyebrows.

This fellow seems to be smiling at all times, a cunning old fox, Feng Ye thought to himself.

Although Hao Chen appeared to be in his twenties, a young master in his prime, Feng Ye felt – with a bit of prejudice – that under Hao Chen’s youthful appearance there must be an old fox who had lived for who knows how many years, shamelessly pretending to be young.

Although he himself had no right to point fingers at Hao Chen.

“What else does Fellow Daoist Feng Ye do every day aside from sweeping the floor?” Hao Chen asked again.

Feng Ye didn’t want to bother with him, so he withdrew his attention and said while he swept: “Sleep.”

Thinking of the events the previous day, Hao Chen’s mouth twitched. He made a quick recovery and persisted in asking: “And besides that?”

Feng Ye was about to say “eat,” but Hao Chen likely knew he was going to say that, and took the lead to block that option: “Besides eating, sleeping, and sweeping the floor, does Fellow Daoist Feng Ye have any other pursuits?”

Feng Ye looked at Hao Chen intently. He placed the broom in front of him and held the handle with both hands, pretending to think for a moment. Then he nodded with a serious expression: “I do.”

Hao Chen’s eyes lit up. He saw Feng Ye maintain a serious look as he said: “Killing the rooster.”

Hao Chen: “……”

The false smile froze on his face.

The moment Hao Chen was put in an awkward position, the smile on Feng Ye’s face became sincere. He felt relaxed from head to toe, and even the sunlight seemed brighter.

Whistling, he continued to happily sweep the floor and contribute his part to keeping the sect clean and tidy.

Hao Chen stood in the sun for a long while. Feng Ye had already moved some distance forward, and Hao Chen dithered for a moment before deciding to look for another chance to break through.

Like Feng Ye, he had realized how difficult the other party was to deal with.

Obtaining information from such a person was as difficult as climbing to the sky, but…..it was entirely different with Fang Yang.

Fang Yang was wiping the tables in the meditation hall when he saw Hao Chen approaching, waving his fan. Out of politeness, Fang Yang temporarily set his work aside and walked to the door to greet him: “Hao…..uh…..”

Fang Yang hesitated, uncertain how to address Hao Chen. This was his Useless Shixiong’s friend, and it seemed a bit confusing to directly call him ‘Fellow Daoist Hao Chen.’”

Hao Chen said considerately: “Call me Hao-dage.”

“Oh, Hao-dage,” Fang Yang called out obediently.

Hao Chen looked at the wiping cloth in Fang Yang’s hand and said with fake concern: “You have to do odd jobs each day? Is it the same for your shixiong?”

Fang Yang nodded, adding: “Sometimes my shixiong oversleeps and doesn’t have time, so I’ll help him.”

Oversleeps? Hao Chen raised his eyebrows. He didn’t believe that Feng Ye was actually a lazy person. Then there must be some other reason why Feng Ye overslept, such as…..what did he get up to at night?

Hao Chen said in a seemingly casual tone: “Your shixiong is probably busy at night.”

He had originally intended to take advantage of the situation and keep Fang Yang talking. It would be best if he could tell him the specific times Feng Ye was away at night, and where he went.

Unexpectedly, Fang Yang shook his head: “He’s not. Shixiong goes to bed on time every night. He goes to bed when it gets dark, and sleeps until sishi the next day. Even thunder doesn’t wake him up.”

Hao Chen tapped his chin with the handle of his fan. He still didn’t believe it. Feng Ye was probably just pretending to go to bed so early. Once the door was closed, he could leave without anyone noticing, thanks to the fact that the junior disciples around him hadn’t even reached the Foundation Building stage.

But Fang Yang likely didn’t know anything about it. Hao Chen knew he wouldn’t find anything if he continued digging, so he chose another topic: “Speaking of which, I discussed the Dao beneath the moonlight with your shixiong a month ago. Your shixiong speaks eloquently, and I consider him to be a close friend. How is it that he’s changed so much in just one month?”

Hao Chen didn’t bat an eyelid when he said this, and Fang Yang was completely ignorant. He just hesitated a moment before replying honestly: “I don’t know. I only met him a month ago. Before that, although we live close together, we barely interacted with each other.”

One month ago…..the timing was right. Hao Chen continued: “What happened a month ago?”

Fang Yang recounted the entire process of his encounter with Feng Ye: “I saw that Shixiong was trapped in a corner by Lu Chengye, so I helped him out.”

“And Lu Chengye is still alive?” Hao Chen suddenly asked such a strange question.

Fang Yang stared blankly for a moment, replying subconsciously: “He’s alive, ah. He threatened us yesterday.”

Hao Chen frowned in thought and didn’t speak for a while.

Fang Yang observed Hao Chen’s expression, somewhat confused. He thought for a moment and suddenly remembered something: “Oh, right. A month ago, Shixiong changed his name.”

“Oh?” Hao Chen’s pondering was interrupted, and he raised an eyebrow with interest.

Fang Yang divulged everything with no hesitation: “A month ago, my shixiong had just come back from training outside. Two days later, the Lu Chengye incident happened and he met me, and then he changed his name.”

“Why did he change his name?” Hao Chen asked curiously.

Hao Chen wasn’t actually surprised by Feng Ye’s odd behavior a month prior. One month ago was when he spied the body, and it was likely after he left that Feng Ye took the body, impersonated the man, and returned to Lingxiao Sword Sect.

The surprising thing was that changing his name would draw a lot of attention. Ordinary people received their names from their parents, and wouldn’t change them rashly. Feng Ye was very low-key in his conduct with others, so much so that he could even tolerate someone like Lu Chengye bullying him. Why would he change his name when doing so would draw the attention of others? 

He thought Fang Yang would find it a little strange, but Fang Yang said as a matter of course: “Isn’t this a very normal thing?”

Hao Chen: “ ? ” Was it that he’d been asleep too long, or did mortal customs change so quickly?

Fang Yang explained: “Many people in our sect change their names, ah. Because their original names were too ugly, like Goudan, Gousheng…..”^[1]

Lingxiao Sword sect did not take family background into consideration when recruiting disciples, only aptitude. Some disciples who came from poor families didn’t even know a few characters before coming to the sect. Their parents naturally didn’t possess much education, so with the idea that giving a child a cheap name would make spirits less likely to notice them, they chose their names so casually.

And after a year of study, even if there wasn’t much improvement in their cultivation, their horizons had definitely expanded a lot. Names like Goudan and Gousheng stood out from the crowd among a group of peers with immortal temperaments.

Disregarding everything else, when sparring with others and introducing themselves, it was normal for others to say, “I am xx from xx sect, please give me some advice.” But these disciples would say, “I am Chen Goudan from Lingxiao Sword Sect, please give me some advice.”

There was no need for comparison. Just saying the name out loud made a person feel that they had already lost.

Thus, there were people every year who changed their names. This was not uncommon among all of the major sects.

Fang Yang asked in surprise: “Hao-dage, is there no one in your Tiangong Pavilion who’s changed their name?”

Hao Chen was speechless. Just like his fake friend, his identity as a disciple of Tiangong Pavilion was also fake. He had been in a high position for a long time, so he naturally wasn’t aware of the affairs of these low-level disciples. Faced with Fang Yang’s question, he just smiled and prevaricated.

Since this was the case, it probably wasn’t surprising that Feng Ye would change his name. Regardless of whether he changed it just because the original name was ugly, or if it was for some other reason, his actions did not draw attention.

This wandering soul of unknown origin had infiltrated Lingxiao Sword Sect a month ago using the identity of the original owner. He acted in a low-key, cautious manner, and his purpose was unknown. 

Hao Chen could roughly deduce the time of Feng Ye’s arrival, although it was of no use to him. He still knew nothing about Feng Ye’s true identity.

But judging from Feng Ye’s style of action, he probably wouldn’t reveal any flaws in front of Fang Yang.

So Hao Chen asked without much hope: “Has your shixiong displayed any odd opinions or actions?”

Contrary to his expectations, Fang Yang nodded once more.

Hao Chen straightened up, ready to listen carefully to Fang Yang’s words.

Fang Yang recalled the scene of calling for Feng Ye to get up in the morning, and commented expressionlessly: “He wants to kill the rooster.”

Hao Chen: “……”

Hao Chen: “ ? ? ? ”

What grudge did this fellow have against roosters?

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[1] Goudan 狗蛋 and Gousheng 狗剩 = Dog egg, Dog leftovers. ⮐

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Chapter 7 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 9

Dates: the most romantic way for a couple to spend time together aside from their honeymoon.

The perfect accompaniments to this word were a good day, good weather, and a young couple in love.

Wancheng was geographically located on the edge of a basin. It was overcast all year round, with very thick clouds, and it was difficult to find a sunny day, especially in winter.

The weather wasn’t always good, but sometimes it was just good enough.

He Chuzhou was already prepared to bring a small umbrella, accompany Pei Xi to watch a movie and eat a candlelit dinner, and walk home in the rain.

As it turned out, the weather forecast showed that there would be rare good weather this weekend.

“How about the weekend?”

He Chuzhou asked Pei Xi’s opinion as he used a watering can to water the flowers on the balcony.

Pei Xi was seated on a rattan chair, holding Pei Yueliang in his arms: “I’ll be at the company this weekend.”

He Chuzhou watered the lucky bamboo for a second longer.

Pei Xi: “But only for a short while in the morning.”

He Chuzhou beamed: “Then it’s settled?”

Pei Xi nodded: “But you have to come pick me up at the company.”

He Chuzhou cheerfully set down the watering can and crouched to pick up Yueliang, raising one of her cat paws to bat at Pei Xi: “Xiao He will get up early to send you to the company and wait for you in the office~”

*

*

He Chuzhou had taken Pei Xi to the company many times, but this was his first time going to Pei Xi’s office.

The style of his office was as cold as his personality, with a white background and gray or dark gray accents. There were a few green plants, which when placed next to the computer, gave off a sense of refreshing solitude.

Pei Xi was working. He Chuzhou held his coffee silently for a while, then got up and began to take a look around.

Most of the things here were work-related, and there weren’t many personal items. But because of his relationship with Pei Xi, He Chuzhou didn’t feel bored at all. On the contrary, he felt a sense of closeness to Pei Xi’s daily life.

He Chuzhou knew very well that this was called “once you love someone, you even love the crows on the roof of his house,” but this was the first time he’d experienced it in such a concrete way. He liked it a lot.

The bookshelves were neatly arranged in a row. He stroked his chin and thought for a couple of seconds, then picked the winner. He turned it over with the flap facing outwards, and what was originally just a random book suddenly became very noticeable.

And pleasing to the eye.

Xinxin’s office had traces of him in it.

He clapped his hands in satisfaction and continued his inspection. Very soon, he found a stuffed pig inside the bookshelf.

It was the one he’d caught.

He remembered how Pei Xi had taken it reluctantly that day, and had thought he’d gotten rid of it long ago.

He picked up the pig with great interest, and when he turned around, he caught Pei Xi’s eyes darting away from him. Walking over, he leaned against the desk and waved the little pig in front of Pei Xi.

Pei Xi looked straight ahead: “What are you doing?”

He Chuzhou: “You like this pig so much?”

Pei Xi: “I don’t like it.”

He Chuzhou: “Oh, you don’t like it, but you still put it in your office?”

Pei Xi: “Should I have thrown it into the trash can?”

Answering a question with a question was very typical of a person who didn’t want to admit something.

Amused, He Chuzhou kissed the little pig and then pressed the kissed spot against Pei Xi’s cheek: “Baby, you’re so cute. The little pig is cute too. There’s no shame in liking it.”

Pei Xi finally stopped and looked up at him.

He Chuzhou: “Hm?”

Pei Xi: “You’re right, I like it a lot.”

The corners of He Chuzhou’s lips rose.

Pei Xi: “Do you know why?”

He Chuzhou: “Because it’s cute.”

Pei Xi: “Because it looks a lot like you.”

He Chuzhou: “…..? ? ?”

He Chuzhou was stunned.

He Chuzhou was dumbfounded.

When Pei-calico said this before, he could at least comfort himself that his sequelae had affected his eyesight, but now it had happened a second time.

The world was always changing. People wouldn’t walk into the same river twice, but he could still fall into the same pit of self-doubt a second time: “Why? How are we similar?”

Pei Xi: “Didn’t you say it’s cute?”

He Chuzhou: “It is cute.”

Pei Xi: “Then why are you unhappy that you look like it?”

He Chuzhou: “…..Who would be happy to be called as cute as a pig?”

Pei Xi: “You wouldn’t?”

He Chuzhou: “You would?”

Pei Xi: “I would.”

He Chuzhou was speechless, but quickly noticed the deep smile in Pei Xi’s eyes and felt relieved. 

“Okay, I look like the pig.”

He held the little pig up in front of his face with both hands: “Fortunately, my partner praised me for my good looks some time ago.”

“……”

Amused by his shamelessness, Pei Xi crumpled up a piece of scrap paper and threw it straight at him.

He Chuzhou dodged it easily and then used the pig to tease Pei Xi, grinning with a face that looked like it deserved a beating.

The paper ball fell to the floor and rolled around before stopping at the feet of Xiao Gu, whose knocks were ignored until he had to carefully push open the door and peer inside.

Pei Xi raised his head. Their eyes met.

Xiao Gu rubbed his hands awkwardly and explained in a hurry: “President Pei, I knocked on the door, but you didn’t seem to hear me. Um…..”

His gaze drifted toward He Chuzhou, and he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to greet him.

Pei Xi: “Don’t pay attention to him. Just talk.”

He Chuzhou smiled and raised the pig in greeting.

Xiau Gu quickly threw out a greeting to him and said to Pei Xi: “The staff accompanying the inspectors at the amusement park are ready. You can go now.”

Pei Xi: “Understood. I’ll be there right away.”

Xiao Gu left the office, considerately closing the door for them.

In He Chuzhou’s hands, the little pig’s head immediately drooped: “Didn’t you say you’d only work a short while in the morning?”

Pei Xi corrected him: “I said I’d only work a short while at the company.”

The little pig’s head drooped even lower: “So my wife still has to go out into the field, ah?”

Pei Xi hummed: “There’s a newly completed project undergoing trial operations. We need to go and inspect the user experience.”

Their date time was unexpectedly compressed, and so was He Chuzhou’s happiness. He let out a sigh.

Pei Xi: “Do you not want to go with me?”

He Chuzhou and the little pig raised their heads simultaneously: “I want to, of course I do. Why would I not?”

“Isn’t it just inspecting a project? Today I’m not only your attendant, but also your temporary assistant who will serve you tea and water, and your dedicated driver who’ll go wherever you tell him to. Let’s go!”

*

*

There were personnel at the site who were specifically responsible for receiving the guests and introducing them to the subsequent operations. Xiao Gu temporarily resigned, and Pei Xi had a new assistant.

It was only when they arrived at their destination that He Chuzhou realized that the project was a newly-constructed large-scale theme park.

He was once again bursting with joy.

An amusement park. What a great place, ah!

He found a parking spot and led Pei Xi out of the car, happily prepared to begin their company-funded date.

Five minutes later.

Having fallen behind the crowd, He Chuzhou gazed expressionlessly at Pei Xi, who was surrounded by the introduction personnel five steps away: “……”

Fine, it wasn’t a bit problem.

The amusement park was very beautiful, and he could enjoy the scenery.

The roller coaster was quite pretty, with an outline quite similar to a lemon.

The bumper boat pool was quite interesting. The water inside it looked a lot like the bottle of white vinegar at home.

“Big brother, what’s wrong?”

A childish voice sounded. He Chuzhou looked over and down to find a little boy in a melon-shaped hat staring at him: “Mama says you can’t look sad at the happiest place in the world.”

He Chuzhou raised an eyebrow: “Why is that?”

The little boy said seriously: “Because you’ll get spanked.”

He Chuzhou was amused by him, and felt a little less depressed: “What’s your name, Brother?”

The little boy: “Just call me Little Melon.”

He Chuzhou exclaimed: “That name really suits you! Just call me Xiao He. Where is your mother?”

Little Melon pointed to the ice cream shop not far behind them: “She’s resting in there and told me to walk around by myself.”

The group of people in front came to a stop. He Chuzhou leaned against the railing beside him, a breeze blowing through his hair: “That’s cool. Isn’t she afraid of losing her child?”

Little Melon pointed at the children’s watch on his wrist: “Don’t worry, if I leave Mama’s sight, she’ll call me so I don’t get lost.”

He Chuzhou gave a thumbs up: “Cool!”

“It’s pretty good.” Little Melon grinned happily and asked: “What about you?”

He Chuzhou: “Me? My mom didn’t come. I’m on a date with my partner.”

Little Melon: “Your partner? Oh, I get it, you’re upset because you’re lost? Do you want to use my watch to call your partner?”

He Chuzhou thought it was quite interesting: “You can’t call my partner. He’s with someone else and can’t pay attention to me.”

Little Melon: “Ah, you’re so pitiful.”

He Chuzhou: “Yeah, I also think I’m very—”

“Very what?”

The introduction personnel had dispersed at some point, and Pei Xi came over to hold his hand.

“Very happy. So happy that there’s almost smoke coming out of me.” He Chuzhou took Pei Xi’s hand in his palm and said: “Midday break?”

“I’ve got a good grasp on the situation, so I had them leave first.” Pei Xi asked: “What were you talking about just now?”

“We were talking about Melon-brother’s kids phone watch.” He Chuzhou asked: “So, is our President Pei’s time mine from now on?”

Pei Xi raised an eyebrow, which could be considered as his agreement.

Delighted, He Chuzhou stood up straight. He was about to say something when Little Melon said suddenly and innocently: “Xiao He, why are you talking nonsense? You were obviously going to say that you’re so pitiful because your partner is spending time with others instead of you, and you’re jealous.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou: “………”

Under his boyfriend’s leisurely gaze, He Chuzhou silently turned his head to look at Little Melon: “Brother, does your mom spank you often?”

Little Melon was surprised: “How did you know?”

He Chuzhou: “Does it work?”

Little Melon: “No, a lot of a time it’s a mystery why she spanks me.”

He Chuzhou: “Listen to me, don’t be obstinate. Trust in your mother’s judgment.”

Safety inspections had just been completed on the amusement park, and it was in the initial trial operation stage. Those in attendance had registered for the mini program in advance, and there were more staff than guests in the venue.

Little Melon’s mother had “fallen in battle” at the pirate ship, and he was worried about not having a companion. Now that he’d met these two brothers, he happily followed them around.

Little Melon asked them: “This is the children’s area. Why aren’t you over there in the adult area?”

He Chuzhou said shamelessly: “Who says we’re adults? We’re children too.”

Little Melon: “I’m seven years old. How old are you?”

He Chuzhou: “I’m…..seventeen.”

Pei Xi sent him a mild glance.

He Chuzhou leaned close to his ear and whispered: “When out in the wild, one must choose their own identity.”

Little Melon covered his mouth in shock: “You’re only seventeen? But you look so old!”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Pei Xi pursed his lips and turned his head, clearing his throat.

He Chuzhou smiled with gritted teeth: “I’m not old, I’m young. It’s you who’s too young.”

“Okay.” His fresh brain, which had gone through less than one cycle of use, still believed this nonsense. “Your boyfriend looks younger than you. Is he seventeen too?”

“Eighteen.” Pei Xi’s expression didn’t change. “He has to call me ‘ge.’”

Little Melon gave an “oh.” His sharp eyes spotted an ice racing ride not far away, and he grew excited: “Brothers, do you want to play that together? It’s so much fun!”

He Chuzhou cooperated: “Okay, Little Bro! Let’s go, I’ll treat you!”

Pei Xi had no interest in this kind of amusement ride and stood outside the ice rink to watch them play.

He Chuzhou stared at the QR code at the entrance for a moment, then turned and waved at Pei Xi, saying very smoothly: “Ge, come and pay.”

Of course, there was no need to pay. Pei Xi simply scanned the QR code and a key came out.

Little Melon ran in and out, waving vigorously toward the ice cream shop in the distance. Then he ran back and got into a car with He Chuzhou.

Despite being so young, Little Melon drove very well and accelerated while diving circles around the enclosure.

He Chuzhou, this big man, was having a blast sitting in the child-sized passenger seat, and didn’t feel embarrassed at all.

When he passed by Pei Xi, the latter just saw a joyous afterimage, and the picture he took looked as if He Chuzhou’s soul had freed itself from his body.

Upon reaching the eighth circle, He Chuzhou found that the spot where Pei Xi had been standing was empty.

“Oh my god, where’s my wife? Has he been abducted again?”

He quickly told the little bro to apply the brakes. The two of them disembarked and left the enclosure. Pei Xi came over and brought each of them a children’s ice cream.

Little Melon: “Wow, thank you, Gege!”

He Chuzhou took the small treat into his hand and stared at it for a moment. He bit off Doraemon’s head in one bite and shivered from the cold: “Thank you, Gege.”

Pei Xi: “…..Shut up.”

It was impossible for him to shut up.

The entire time, He Chuzhou continued to deliberately call him “gege.” Pei Xi had a headache from hearing it, and even buying him three ice creams still didn’t stop him from talking.

“Is that not what you want to hear?”

He Chuzhou leaned over and opened his mouth with a broad grin, waiting for a certain person to feed him ice cream: “It’s just a term of address. I’ll call you anything you want to hear.”

Pei Xi chuckled: “Then call me Daddy.”

He Chuzhou: “Dad—wu?”

Pei Xi stuffed the ice cream into his mouth, ears blooming red: “Shut up, you fool.”

Little Melon was called away by his mother, and He Chuzhou’s little third wheel bro was gone. He held Pei Xi’s hand as they walked, looking through the photos Pei Xi had taken of him.

“Does this one look good?”

“Oh, this one looks good.”

“This one too!”

“And this one, and this one. Wow, amazing! My wife is so good at taking photos!”

Pei Xi took a casual glance and saw that his figure was so blurry that nothing about it could be called good-looking.

He Chuzhou spotted the carousel and gestured pointedly: “Da-ge?”

Pei Xi smiled faintly: “Do you really think you’re seventeen years old?”

He Chuzhou estimated: “Even if I was a hundred years old, I could still ride this thing if someone helped me up, right? Want to try it?”

Pei Xi looked at the carousel. A couple had just rotated in their direction, seated on a romantic pegasus. With arms outstretched, they swayed to the rhythm, smiling and intoxicated by the romantic music.

Pei Xi observed for a moment, they turned to He Chuzhou with raised eyebrows.

The latter was silent for a bit, then took out his cell phone: “This is a nice background. Come and take a photo with me.”

Pei Xi was photographed with He Chuzhou’s arm around his shoulders.

In the photo, He Chuzhou’s chin was raised slightly as he leaned his head against Pei Xi with a bright, proud smile.

Pei Xi was gazing at the camera with a placid expression. The sunlight fell on his cold features, illuminating the arc of comfort and relaxation to his eyes.

He Chuzhou admired it happily, then clicked ‘save’ with satisfaction: “The angle is perfect. Another one, wife, can you…..never mind.”

Pei Xi frowned: “What?”

He Chuzhou touched his mouth and said: “Your skills aren’t good, you biter. I won’t be able to eat hot pot in the evening.”

“……”

Pei Xi grasped his chin and kissed him hard, using force to prove that he wouldn’t bite him again.

He Chuzhou grinned triumphantly and used the opportunity to snap a quick photo.

“Um, excuse me.”

A crisp, sweet female voice sounded behind them. Pei Xi reacted at once and pushed He Chuzhou away.

Turning around, there was a sweet-looking young girl looking at them with bright eyes, a selfie stick in hand.

“Yes?” he answered.

The girl: “I’m a streamer, and I just happened to win a spot in today’s trial run. Would it be okay if I interview you two about your experience? Don’t worry! The camera is facing me right now, and I won’t film you unless you agree.”

“This girl is really interesting.”

He Chuzhou put away his phone and whispered to Pei Xi: “She only comes to interview people when they kiss.”

Pei Xi: “…..Don’t speak.”

The young girl wore an expectant look: “Is it okay?”

Pei Xi was ambivalent, and He Chuzhou was happy to help his wife promote his project: “Sure, ah, what do you need for the interview?”

The girl smiled happily, adjusting her equipment to point the camera at them: “It’s just some simple questions. First of all, what is your relationship?”

He Chuzhou was amused: “Isn’t it obvious? He’s my —”

Pei Xi: “Stepfather.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

The girl: “ ? ”

The live broadcast room: “? ? ? ? ? ? ? ”

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Chapter 66 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 68

Because the hosts couldn’t wait, the wedding banquet was prepared in a rush and all of the guests were pulled in to help. Some looked helpless, and some cursed, but in short, they tried their best to satisfy the demands of their capricious hosts.

Li Xingruo waited for Liu Zhenqing to change clothes and come out, and fixed his hair. The jade crown and red robes made him look even more beautiful in the mirror.

Li Xingruo looked at him in the mirror and exclaimed: “I don’t know if it’s because appearance is determined by the heart, or because of the blood relationship, but I feel like you’re looking more and more like your previous self.”

“Really?” Liu Zhenqing looked at his reflection. He saw this face every day and didn’t seem to have noticed any changes.

Li Xingruo nodded. His eyebrows were somewhat longer, and his eyes were like peach blossoms. The contours of his face had also become more defined, and weren’t as round as before.

With this thought in mind, Li Xingruo picked up the ink and drew a few strokes on his eyebrows, then dotted two moles near the tip of his left eye. As she placed the dots, she unexpectedly discovered that there were actually faint black moles forming there.

When she finished, Li Xingruo took another look and was stunned.

Liu Zhenqing turned to look into the mirror and was also given a shock. In a trance, he seemed to really be looking into the eyes of his past self.

That person was Liu Xiting, known all across the world for his talent and unrivaled beauty.

Liu Zhenqing smiled faintly into the mirror and nodded with satisfaction.

Li Xingruo was briefly frozen, but upon seeing his arrogant appearance, she lost interest in appreciating his looks.

Just as she was about to say something, there was noise outside.

Liu Zhenqing said with some uncertainty: “What’s going on?”

Li Xingruo didn’t know either. When she went to take a look, Yunci and Yunqian ran over excitedly as if to deliver a battle report.

“Second Uncle has broken through the first door.”

The people waiting outside feared that the wedding would be too simple, so they started up a game of breaking in to steal the bride.

Liu Zhenqing’s goalkeepers were Liu Qiao, Qiao Jin, Han Ye, Song Xingmu, and Yi Chuan.

Besides Huo Fenglie himself, the people helping him break in were He Lan, Bai Su, Qin Yu, and Yue Xuqian.

In terms of martial arts, Liu Zhenqing had a better chance of winning, but when it came to literary skill, Huo Fenglie’s side completely crushed everyone else.

The two sides were evenly matched to some extent, and the game was lively.

Very soon, the second door was broken through. The third door was Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie’s bedroom.

“For the last game, we’ll compete with this.” Song Xingmu cunningly threw out an extremely complex Rubik’s Cube, which he’d found in Liu Zhenqing’s toy collection.

This thing stumped everyone. Although Bai Su had enjoyed playing it before, he’d never seen this level of difficulty.

Everyone looked toward Yue Xuqian, feeling that he was the only one who had a chance of solving it. Although Yue Xuqian was intelligent, his face turned green when he saw so many layers. He turned to Huo Fenglie and said: “Perhaps you can say some sweet words and coax that person out. It’ll take me an hour to solve this thing.”

In the next moment, Huo Fenglie reached out and took the cube, then started to twist it.

Bai Su instantly thought of something and said with a smile: “Right, how did I forget Zhanyuan’s good at this too?”

Since Huo Fenglie rarely played, nobody had really considered having Huo Fenglie give it a try.

But it was so difficult, it would probably take…..

Song Xingmu and the others, who were initially full of confidence and prepared to embarrass Huo Fenglie, saw that Huo Fenglie’s hand speed practically left behind afterimages. Moreover, the solved section was getting larger and larger. From beginning to end, Huo Fenglie never stopped to think.

Within an incense stick of time, the Rubik’s Cube was restored.

Everyone stared at Huo Fenglie in amazement, once again shocked by his ability.

“When the instructors at the Imperial Academy praised Zhanyuan before, I thought they were exaggerating. This guy has the brains of a top scholar,” Bai Su said.

Yue Xuqian smiled and said: “He’s intelligent. He just doesn’t like to show it off.”

“Isn’t he fighting to marry a wife this time?” He Lan said to Qin Yu, who was watching the show with a smile on his face. “Indeed, one must find a way to get one’s wife in hand.”

Under the focus of dangerous eyes, Qin Yu suddenly felt ill at ease.

“We lost.” Yi Chuan looked at Song Xingmu.

Song Xingmu stared with wide, disbelieving eyes: “You brat……” He clearly remembered that Huo Fenglie had been no good at this as a child!

Liu Qiao also frowned and sent Huo Fenglie a puzzled look. “Strange,” he murmured.

Qiao Jin immediately took notice: “What’s strange? Did he cheat?”

Liu Qiao shook his head: “I remember Master saying that the Second Young Master was clumsy in this regard.”

Song Xingmu was quick to nod in agreement: “Right, ah. Oh, I get it. This toy is from your storeroom, so you must have played with it countless times.”

As they were talking, the door behind them opened and everyone focused their eyes on it.

In an instant, they were all struck dumb.

The spring sunshine seemed to automatically focus on that person, a circle of light lingering around him.

Since he was a familiar face, they couldn’t exactly say they were amazed. But compared to Huo Fenglie’s tall, heroic, red-robed figure, Liu Zhenqing was charming and beautiful. He was like an entirely different person. No, it was as if time had rewound, and they were looking at the Liu Zhenqing from their memories once more.

He was like an immortal exiled to the mortal world, in the splendor of his prime.

Even Huo Fenglie was astonished. The light in his eyes seemed to be made of stardust, with love as boundless as the sea. He murmured: “Qing-ge.”

Liu Zhenqing wasn’t standing properly, leaning against the doorframe with mischief in his eyes. His features were lively, the corners of his mouth raised in a half-moon arc. His figure was like a willow in the wind, his skin like ice and snow, and his bones must be carved out of jade. Transformed by the soul inside, he was exquisite and beautiful, free and unrestrained.

“Fenglie, it turns out you’re really good at playing with the Rubik’s Cube, ah.” Liu Zhenqing spoke in a rising tone. It sounded teasing, with a hint of wanting to settle the score later. Slender white fingers slowly hooked the jade cube hanging at his waist.

The crowd didn’t react at first, but when Li Xingruo came out from behind, she couldn’t help but expose this Second Uncle’s tricks.

“It couldn’t be helped. You didn’t spend enough time with him in the past, so he had to use a few tricks to get you to pay more attention to him. He might not be any worse than you in this aspect. If you don’t believe me, you two can compare skills later.”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly before immediately returning to his senses, his face blushing as red as his wedding robes.

Everyone finally understood what was going on and looked at Huo Fenglie in disbelief.

How unexpected, ah. He seemed so loyal and honest, but was unexpectedly black-bellied when it came to attracting a beauty’s attention!

Huo Fenglie disregarded everyone’s teasing and walked forward to stand at the bottom of the stairs. He put his arms around Liu Zhenqing and looked up at him like a guilty puppy, which made Liu Zhenqing laugh.

“Qing-ge, I’m here to pick you up.”

Liu Zhenqing stopped teasing him and gave a soft hum. The mischief in his eyes turned into tenderness.

Huo Fenglie’s eyes lit up and he lifted Liu Zhenqing horizontally.

Liu Zhenqing felt a bit helpless, but didn’t put up a struggle: “We should walk holding hands for this part.”

This implied that the two people would support each other in their life together and share their joys and sorrows.

But Huo Fenglie walked forward steadily. Holding tight to Liu Zhenqing, he said: “I want to carry you.”

Liu Zhenqing naturally didn’t protest, and could only receive the laughter of the crowd as he was carried into the hall safely and effortlessly by his husband.

The only one sitting in the foyer and not joining in was his master.

His master was leisurely drinking tea, and straightened his posture when he saw them coming. It was his first time serving as someone’s parent, so he was a bit nervous.

Soon after, Li Xingruo took her seat as head of the family.

Huo Fenglie set Liu Zhenqing down. Yunci and Yunqian happily brought a big red scarf to the two of them.

Each of them held one end and looked at the other. The red scarf connected the two people like a red thread.

Yue Xuqian, the only one among them who was married, directly served as the master of ceremonies.

The room was full of joy, happiness, and excitement.

First, they bowed to heaven and earth and thanked the gods for their mercy, for allowing Liu Zhenqing to come back, and for letting Huo Fenglie wait.

Second, they bowed to their parents, relatives, and friends, thanking them for their aid in a time of crisis, which had allowed them to escape from their predicament and regain their freedom.

Third, the husbands bowed to each other. Huo Fenglie gazed at him infatuatedly, and Liu Zhenqing seemed to be somewhat flustered and nervous for once.

With this bow to each other, they would be together forever, remaining so in life and in death.

The ceremony was over!

Time to head to the bridal chamber.

Huo Fenglie eagerly stood and picked up Liu Zhenqing, then flew into the air.

Before anyone could start jeering, they were gone.

“Does this mean we’re not allowed to make trouble at the bridal chamber?”

“Does this mean we’re not allowed to pull them out to drink?”

“Does this mean we’re not allowed to delay their spring night?”

“But……isn’t it daytime now, ah?”

“Hehe, for Huo Fenglie, daytime isn’t enough!”

“Mature guests should know how to entertain themselves!”

“The competition just now wasn’t very satisfying. Come on, ah, let’s drink to decide the winner! The last one to fall down wins, how about that!”

“Okay!”

“Okay!”

“Okay!”

Song Xingmu, however, stopped Yi Chuan for a moment: “Don’t drink too much, you. You’re more likely to hit people when you’re drunk, and I’m always the victim!”

Yi Chuan rolled his eyes, thinking that his hitting people was better than Song Xingmu’s hooliganism.

Qiao Jin was uncommonly enthusiastic about inciting others, his eyes drifting toward Liu Qiao. After all, he could only gain a little advantage when Liu Qiao wasn’t quite sober. Liu Qiao had a clueless look on his face, still lamenting that his master had gotten married.

He Lan took out two jars and placed them in front of Qin Yu with a sneer: “There’s only wine in these.”

Qin Yu just gave him a cold glance, determined not to be provoked.

And the remaining few people who were there just to drink wedding wine were waiting to watch the show. Everyone had their own thoughts and agendas.

Inside the bedroom, Liu Zhenqing was carried directly to the bed by Huo Fenglie. They kissed with great emotion, as if trying to kiss each other right down to the soul.

When they let go of each other, they were both dazed and hot.

It obviously wasn’t their first time, but the feeling at this moment was as exciting as if it were.

Liu Zhenqing thought Huo Fenglie would get straight to the point, but he was pulled up again.

Before Liu Zhenqing could react, Huo Fenglie had covered his face with a red veil.

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. He asked with a smile: “What is this for?”

There was no need for such a thing when two men were marrying.

Huo Fenglie had difficulty with his words: “In my dream……it was like this.”

Liu Zhenqing tilted his head. He couldn’t see Huo Fenglie’s expression through the veil, and could only guess and imagine.

Huo Fenglie had said that after he fell in love, he had watched himself lift the veil from Liu Zhenqing countless times.

Perhaps this was an obsession of his, and he wanted to reproduce it.

It was rare for Er-gou to make such a willful request.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and sat upright.

Red gauze curtains. A dragon and phoenix wedding bed. And the most beautiful person in the world sitting in wait at the bedside with a red veil over his face.

The red robes burned Huo Fenglie’s eyes like fire.

Slowly, he lifted the veil. His features were as picturesque as a painting, his skin like flawless white jade, and his beauty was like a blazing flame, scorching Huo Fenglie’s heart.

If the beating heart could be removed from his chest, he would definitely put Qing-ge inside to replace it.

Huo Fenglie held Liu Zhenqing’s cheek and said with deep feeling: “Qing-ge…..”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes gleamed, and he said with sudden seductiveness: “Husband.”

Huo Fenglie’s dark eyes seemed to ignite in an instant, and his body froze.

Liu Zhenqing took in his silly appearance and said with a smile: “Husband?”

In the next moment, that figure leaned down, and Liu Zhenqing could no longer utter a complete sentence in such a teasing tone.

---

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Wedding Extra 3 << Table of Contents >> Wedding Extra 5

Huo Fenglie was not unwilling to tattoo him. It was just that he couldn’t bear for anything extra to be put on Liu Zhenqing’s body, and didn’t want him to hurt in the slightest. Even though there was something to relieve the pain, in Huo Fenglie’s heart, Liu Zhenqing was delicate and fragile. Even if he was bitten by a mosquito, Huo Fenglie would blame himself for not taking proper precautions – the exception being the marks he created himself.

So although Liu Zhenqing had brought it up several times, he’d avoided it. Unexpectedly, Qing-ge had truly made up his mind.

Huo Fenglie let out a faint sigh. He took the box and sat down at the bedside, then leaned down and placed a kiss on Liu Zhenqing’s back.

But Liu Zhenqing had already fallen asleep. He only felt a slight itchy pain spread along his lower back as he slept.

With the help of medicine from Medical Valley, Liu Zhenqing felt nothing at all when he awoke the next morning.

Although he lost memories when he got drunk, he knew the plan he had set. So when he saw the opened box nearby, the corners of his mouth curled up and he jumped out of Huo Fenglie’s arms, rushing to the mirror.

In the mirror, his white underclothes slowly slid down to his waist. There was an obvious patch of pink on his lower back which hadn’t quite healed yet.

Liu Zhenqing was exhilarated, and wanted to find something to warm it up and see how it looked, but its location on his back wouldn’t make it easy. Just as he was gesticulating around the room, Huo Fenglie took him into his arms.

Huo Fenglie gazed at that skin in the mirror with some helplessness and some heartache. He gently stroked it with a hand while adding some internal force.

Liu Zhenqing felt his lower back begin to heat up and leaned happily into Huo Fenglie’s arms, waiting for him to finish.

Very soon, Huo Fenglie’s hand moved away. Liu Zhenqing held one of Huo Fenglie’s arms to steady himself, then turned his head to look into the mirror behind him.

His waist-length hair was covering some of it. Without waiting for Liu Zhenqing to speak, Huo Fenglie understood and raised his hand with only a slight frown, hooking that long hair over his shoulder.

The mirror reflected the two of them intimately close, but Liu Zhenqing’s entire focus was on his lower back.

A dark red hue had appeared on his jade-white skin, like a mature crimson rose growing from the crook of his waist, charming and tender. The three characters for ‘Huo Fenglie’ appeared clearly. The handwriting style was very true to Huo Fenglie’s personality, understated and extremely restrained, yet with an unconcealable sense of resoluteness. It was like a stamp, indicating that the person whose name was engraved there belonged to him.

Liu Zhenqing stared at it in a daze. It was certainly not painful, but a certain feeling went deep into his bones and made his heart ripple.

He couldn’t help but reach down to touch it, an inexplicable sense of security lingering in his heart.

It was completely different from the humiliation and pain he felt when someone else carved their name into him all those years ago. Liu Zhenqing now felt as if he was enslaved by Huo Fenglie’s love, and a freedom-loving person such as himself was only too delighted to be enslaved and possessed.

It seemed like only in this way could he feel connected and bound to his body, that he truly belonged to this world and to the person in front of him.

Huo Fenglie lowered his gaze, his eyes hot and dry as they fixed on that small crevice.

When the tattoo was finished last night and he saw his name on Qing-ge’s body, the shock almost made him lose his mind, and he wished he could ignore the fact that Qing-ge was asleep and do something contrary to their agreement. He wanted to keep Qing-ge’s body warm so that his name would always be present.

In this way, he would feel that he possessed Qing-ge even more firmly.

He had to admit that he had some regrets. If he could have tattooed it earlier……

Huo Fenglie’s eyes darkened. The hand that was originally supporting this person slowly touched the tattoo, then moved uncontrollably downward.

Liu Zhenqing let out a cry of surprise when he was grabbed by the waist and set on the table in front of the mirror.

This caused his clothes to slide down even more. Due to the movement, the curves of his back, waist, and even the little curves below appeared extremely clear within such close proximity to the mirror.

With Huo Fenglie standing to close to him, Liu Zhenqing naturally felt a certain something. He went from being stunned to his lips curving up, and he hooked his legs around the other with bad intentions.

When he clung to that person’s muscular waist, Huo Fenglie’s breathing changed.

“What are you doing? Misbehaving?” Liu Zhenqing’s breath was as sweet as orchids as he deliberately raised his head and moved closer.

Huo Fenglie stared at the person in front of him with cavernous eyes, his breath gusting directly onto Liu Zhenqing’s face. The jut of his throat rolled a few times before he said with difficulty: “Qing-ge…..can’t we get married earlier?”

“Er-gou is so impatient, ah,” Liu Zhenqing said with intentional displeasure.

Huo Fenglie slowly lowered his head and pursed his lips. His drooping expression fully revealed his current grievance.

Liu Zhenqing was so amused by the sight that he lifted a hand to touch the other’s head. Just as he was about to say something, there was a knock on the door. The housekeeper had come to warn them that guests were arriving.

The two of them exchanged glances.

Liu Zhenqing’s lips curved as he said: “If our friends are all here, we’ll marry today.”

Huo Fenglie’s eyes instantly lit up. He quickly got ready with Liu Zhenqing, and as soon as they exited the rooms, he picked the other up and flew to the pier with him.

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s expression, Liu Zhenqing could only laugh: “Even He Lan isn’t in as much of a hurry, you impatient thing.”

A blush flashed across Huo Fenglie’s face, but he still quickened his pace and rushed to the pier.

Bai Su would definitely come. It was just unknown if Qin Yu would arrive early.

However, Liu Zhenqing was wrong about one thing. No matter how impatient he was, he couldn’t be more impatient than He Lan.

Because when they arrived, they saw He Lan leap into the air from the pier without even waiting for the ship to dock.

There were two people standing at the bow — Bai Su and Qin Yu.

The moment He Lan set eyes on Qin Yu, his blood practically boiled. But when he rushed up to him and tried to speak, he didn’t know what to say.

There were no major changes to Qin Yu’s appearance, but the face that had been so gloomy in the capital now appeared much brighter.

Qin Yu regarded him with calm eyes that contained no ripples, which took the wind out of He Lan’s sails.

But He Lan was unaware that when Qin Yu saw his familiar form standing on the pier, a hint of bewilderment had crossed his cold face, and his eyes flashed with a bright gleam.

The only one to see this was Bai Su.

Bai Su looked at the two of them staring at each other and covered a secret smile with his fan. He didn’t disturb them.

In the end, it was Qin Yu who spoke first: “Long time no see.”

This greeting almost made He Lan choke. He was especially vexed by Qin Yu’s behavior. He wanted to pretend like nothing happened? Hilarious!

He Lan’s eyes changed, flashing with the danger of a hunter catching sight of prey. Qin Yu’s back tensed almost instinctively.

In the next moment, He Lan suddenly raised a hand toward him. Qin Yu naturally wasn’t one to be bullied, and reached up to block it.

They would often exchange blows when they met in the past, so Bai Su wasn’t surprised. 

He just watched as He Lan grabbed Qin Yu’s wrist and tried to pull him into his arms. His intentions were exceedingly obvious, but Qin Yu was like a heavy weight and didn’t move at all. Only his hand moved a little when it was pulled.

The two of them seemed to be competing with each other.

Qin Yu frowned: “We’ve just met and you’re fighting me. Does the Deputy Commander think I’m a fugitive to be caught by his Jinyiwei?”

Confronted by Qin Yu’s familiar tone, it was as if some conditioned reflex had been triggered within He Lan. His surging emotions calmed, and he said with a rakish smile: “That mouth of yours sure is sweeter when it’s covered up.”

Qin Yu hadn’t expected him to actually say such a thing! His expression immediately changed.

Others would think he just didn’t want Qin Yu to talk, but Qin Yu knew He Lan was threatening him, and the key point was what might be used to cover his mouth.

Seeing Qin Yu’s change of expression, He Lan finally felt that he had the upper hand. So what if he’d been running around for a year? Could it be possible that he had become a pining woman?

He Lan said nonchalantly: “So you know I’ve been promoted to Deputy Commander. It seems that even on the run, you still paid close attention to me.”

As He Lan spoke, he teasingly twirled his fingers around Qin Yu’s wrist.

“Since you paid so much attention to me, why didn’t you come back to find me?”

Qin Yu sneered and said: “I just heard Yuzhou mention it.”

He Lan turned toward Bai Su, who blinked his eyes. When he started to open his mouth with a helpless expression, Qin Yu also turned to him, and his warning look rendered Bai Su unable to speak.

Why pull him into the two brothers’ relationship issues? Such misery, ah!

When he turned around, he caught sight of his savior. Bai Su immediately waved his hands and shouted: “Zhanyuan! Brother Liu!”

He Lan and Qin Yu’s current rhythm was interrupted.

Huo Fenglie flew up with Liu Zhenqing, and Bai Su hurried forward to greet them warmly.

Qin Yu also looked like he was going to greet them, but his hand was captured. He could only say with displeasure: “Let go.”

He Lan raised his eyebrows and slowly released his hand.

Qin Yu walked past him with a cold expression, but at the moment the two of them crossed paths, he felt He Lan lean toward him.

Qin Yu was about to evade, but then he heard He Lan’s almost hoarse voice: “Let’s wait for Zhanyuan to get married first. We can deal with our affairs afterward.”

Qin Yu turned his head away unhappily. He Lan’s tone made it seem as if he owed something or had committed a wrong.

But when he turned his head, he met a pair of fierce eyes. That look was too familiar. He had seen it countless times in a trance. Qin Yu’s heart trembled, and countless frightening memories flashed through his mind in an instant.

Memories that penetrated deep into his bones made his body start to tremble, but he showed nothing on his face.

He Lan narrowed his eyes slightly and said: “You can’t run away. I can hold a grudge very well!”

Qin Yu’s breathing was somewhat unstable due to the fierceness coming off He Lan. He was going to ignore him and keep going, but when he walked past, he felt a hard slap on the perky part of his rear. “I remember everything, and I’ll make you pay it back slowly.”

There was only one shameless person in the world who dared to act like a ruffian toward him, Qin Yu.

Qin Yu’s veins pulsed, and his anger flared. Just as he was about to take action, he saw Huo Fenglie and the others looking at him.

Qin Yu could only hold back.

Liu Zhenqing asked with a smile: “Why did you come together?”

Qin Yu: “Because of a chance encounter.”

Bai Su: “I was traveling to paint landscapes, and happened to meet him in the west. When I received the invitation, I pulled him along with me.”

“It turns out you didn’t receive the invitation Yue Xuqian left in the west,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Qin Yu shook his head.

“Then this was very fortunate.” Liu Zhenqing smiled. He could see He Lan standing behind Qin Yu with a fierce look in his eyes from beginning to end, like a wolf that had missed ten meals. His eyes were practically green, yet still out of sorts when looking at Qin Yu.

Liu Zhenqing felt that he was still a person who enjoyed helping others. So he said with a smile: “I felt certain that you would come.”

He spoke these words specifically to Qin Yu, which puzzled the others around.

Liu Zhenqing said naturally: “After all, isn’t it Fenglie’s wedding banquet? You regard Fenglie as your best brother, so you naturally wouldn’t miss it.”

There was nothing wrong with this statement.

Qin Yu nodded, and Bai Su smiled.

But He Lan’s expression behind them changed.

Yes, ah, the person who had run away and vanished without a trace had shamelessly showed up for Huo Fenglie’s wedding, not worried at all about how to explain himself to He Lan if he met him here.

As expected, ah! As expected, this scumbag cared more about Huo Fenglie, even though he was about to get married!

The gleam in He Lan’s eyes grew even more dangerous.

Liu Zhenqing felt that he had accomplished his mission, and retreated after his success. 

He was promoting a happy match on a happy day, and certainly wasn’t just watching the fun.

But at this time, Huo Fenglie discreetly tugged on his sleeve from behind. Liu Zhenqing turned to find Huo Fenglie giving him an expectant look. Although his expression wasn’t obvious, his eyes were bright.

He looked as if he wanted the other person to make a promise to him right away.

Liu Zhenqing let out a pfft. Yes, it was time to fulfill his promise and give him a name and status in advance. He turned around and bowed to everyone in a serious manner, saying: “The weather is nice, and since everyone’s here, Fenglie and I will marry today!”

---

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Wedding Extra 2 << Table of Contents >> Wedding Extra 4

The next day, Pei Xi received two memos.

Pei-calico had rebelled, and told Pei Xi two small secrets.

One was that He Chuzhou had once taken him on a day trip to the aquarium and took a lot of photos, which were hidden in the bottom drawer of the cabinet by the window.

One was that yesterday, on the sidewalk of Wancheng Secondary School, He Chuzhou had expressed his desire to see him in a school uniform.

Although Pei-calico didn’t know why He Chuzhou told him to keep it a secret after telling him this wish, to keep it in his heart like he did with the aquarium and not write it down, that didn’t stop him from secretly leaking the information.

Actually…..it didn’t count as leaking information. He had just informed his better-at-remembering self.

This was Pei-calico’s view.

But Pei Xi knew very well that it was himself He Chuzhou wanted to hide this from.

With the aquarium, he’d been worried he would overthink things.

What was worth hiding about a school uniform?

He couldn’t figure it out.

Why did he have so many secrets with his confused self? Why weren’t there any with him?

How vexing.

He wasn’t very happy, but his hands were very honest. Closing the memos first, he opened the call log, found Xie Ling, and dialed the number.

“A school uniform? Why?”

Xie Ling was worthy of being called an expert in romance, and swiftly came to the logical answer: “Oh, I get it. There’s a saying that one would reject a male model rather than reject a high school boy. Are you trying to confuse He Chuzhou with this? Where did you come up with the idea?”

Pei Xi: “We’re already together.”

Xie Ling: “But I think this method is a bit risky. He Chuzhou is already interested in you, and if he can’t hold back, he’ll turn into a beast. You’ll be the one who suffers, but if you’re willing to endure this suffering, I have no objections.”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi: “Xie Ling, we’re together. We’re dating. He’s officially my lover.”

Xie Ling: “But to be on the safe side, I still suggest you prepare something in your pocket in advance – ah? What?”

Pei Xi: “Have you been drinking?”

Xie Ling: “I just had a bowl of fermented glutinous rice, that should be considered a small drink, right? No way,  you guys are together? There’s no need to pursue? ? ?”

Pei Xi: “En.”

Xie Ling: “Oh my god! What’s going on? When did this happen? How did it develop? Was it he who took the initiative or you? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Pei Xi: “Do you want to hear about the confession, or do you want to hear about the high school uniform later?”

Xie Ling: “The high school uniform, of course!”

Pei Xi: “Okay, so can you get one for me?”

“No problem at all. Wanzhong just changed their school uniform. I’ll ask my nephew to give you his previous set, the one you wore when you were in school.”

“But my nephew is still in school today. You’ll have to wait until he comes home at noon tomorrow, okay?”

Tomorrow…..

Pei Xi bit his lip in thought. Pei-calico would be on duty tomorrow, so it was reasonable for him to receive the school uniform.

It was just right that he didn’t have to say anything. Pei-calico could just play freely, which was very convenient overall.

Pei Xi: “Okay. Tomorrow, then. I’ll give you the address and you can just send it directly to me. Sorry for the trouble.”

Xie Ling: “It’s no trouble, no trouble, Brother. I’m happy to do it.”

Just as he finished being polite, he heard the busy tone after the phone was hung up. When he looked, the phone had returned to the home screen.

“Just like that?”

Muttering to himself, Xie Ling came to a sudden realization: “No, why should I choose between the two? I’ve contributed so much, can’t I hear both?”

“Fuck, I lost out!”

*

*

Pei Xi planned everything out, but reality defied the best-laid plans. 

When he woke up, he wasn’t amnesiac.

This was the second time.

The first time was when He Chuzhou was on a business trip and Pei Xi slept on the plane on the way to see him.

He’d thought it was an accident, but now it seemed he would have to reconsider.

The courier rang the doorbell, and Pei Xi was just thankful that He Chuzhou wasn’t home.

But just as he was about to tear open the express bag, the door clicked. The person who’d been away from home had returned.

He Xingxing reacted very quickly. The moment He Chuzhou stepped inside, he rushed over with a wagging tail to give him a warm welcome.

Pei Xi was faster than him. As soon as the door was pushed open a crack, he immediately threw the half-opened express bag on the floor and kicked it under the sofa with a guilty conscience.

But He Chuzhou’s eyes were even faster than the two of them, and he peered over: “Xinxin, what did you drop under the sofa just now?”

Pei Xi: “Nothing!”

He Chuzhou: “……En?”

It was difficult not to overreact when one felt guilty. The more Pei Xi tried to hide it, the more obvious it became, so he slowed his tone and abruptly changed the subject: “Didn’t you go to inspect a construction site? Why are you back so early?”

He Chuzhou put down the key and walked over: “The inspection didn’t take long. It was still early, so I wanted to come back and take you to the hospital.”

Pei Xi: “What for?”

“Of course it’s to check whether or not you’ve recovered from your side effects.”

He Chuzhou touched his forehead with the back of his hand and said happily: “You woke up without any confusion, which is a good sign. This has been going on for so long. It’s about time for things to get better.”

Pei Xi: “It’s fine if it takes a little longer. There are only slight signs of recovery right now, and the doctor said it’ll basically heal by itself…..what are you looking at?!”

He took a hasty step back to block He Chuzhou’s line of sight.

“You dropped something.”

He Chuzhou pointed toward the bottom of the sofa: “I really did see it just now. Do you need my help — huh?”

His words were cut off abruptly by Pei Xi’s kiss.

It was truly sudden and loud, with a clear and pleasant “muah” that made He Chuzhou’s black pupils immediately brighten from 40 watts to 800: “Wife?”

Pei Xi let go of his tie with lingering panic and gave an unclear hum.

“Why are you rewarding me all of a sudden?”

He Chuzhou enveloped Pei Xi’s hand and made him hold his tie again. He liked the feeling of being in the other’s hands and being controlled by him in a domineering way.

If humans could grow tails, he feared that in front of Pei Xi, his would really rotate until it flew off.

Pei Xi: “It’s not a reward. It’s just…..in celebration.”

He Chuzhou: “In celebration of what?”

Pei Xi uttered flustered nonsense: “In celebration of…..the fact that I’ve remembered for two days in a row that I’m just your boyfriend, not your wife.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

His dog tail rotated half as fast.

Pei Xi was keenly aware of his change in mood. Fearing that the topic change would fail and he’d remember the express delivery again, Pei Xi simply hooked his collar: “Then it’s in celebration of the fact that I love you a little more than I did yesterday.”

After saying this, he pressed down on the back of He Chuzhou’s neck and kissed him again almost rudely.

This unilateral initiative lasted only for the blink of an eye.

In the next second, He Chuzhou’s hands automatically cruised to his lower back and pressed Pei Xi toward him as he impatiently deepened this tickling kiss.

Other than the day he confessed his feelings, this was the first time Xinxin had kissed him while in his right mind.

And he also said he loved him.

That he loved him more than he did yesterday.

He was so joyful and excited that his dog tail was wagging with fur flying all over the sky. The colorful bubbles inside him were about to burst out from every pore and flood the entire house.

No matter how many times it happened, Pei Xi couldn’t adapt to the strong, enthusiastic way He Chuzhou expressed himself.

He was suppressed to the point that he had no room to resist, and could only choose to resign himself and try to reciprocate under the other’s seduction.

But he also possessed the clumsiness of the unlearned, especially when he was overwhelmed like this.

He forgot to relax, forgot to put away his teeth. When he bumped into He Chuzhou, what he got in return was not the freedom to breathe, but another, more forceful invasion. 

As his retreat was hindered, he pulled the person in front of him and stumbled onto the sofa, putting himself entirely into an inescapable dilemma.

When his breathing and heartbeat were in a state of chaos, the greedy kisses began to spread along the corner of his lips to the side of his face, lingering at his pale earlobe for a moment before kissing it too.

An uncontrollably gasp escaped from his mouth, and his grip on He Chuzhou’s shoulders tightened at once. All of the strength in his back drained away, leaving him completely limp.

He heard a low, husky chuckle in his ear. A murmured “baby” seemed to be spun out of spider silk, circling around the tip of his tongue countless times.

There was a buzzing sound in his ears, and he began to lose control of his body as marks spread wildly from the side of his neck to his shoulder, then to his chest……

Under the unrestrained attention from his lover, an accidental reaction became a matter of course.

The fabric around his waist was lifted up a bit, and fingertips caressed him with restrained force. Pei Xi shuddered and clenched his teeth.

His slightly contracted pupils revealed a nervousness that even he himself was unaware of, and clearly reflected He Chuzhou’s dark, flickering expression.

He Chuzhou nuzzled his nose soothingly. Suppressing his restlessness, he asked him in a hoarse voice, “Are you scared?” 

These three words successfully stunned Pei Xi.

Scared?

This word didn’t seem to exist in his dictionary. He had never been afraid of anything before, and he wasn’t afraid now.

He was just…..nervous…..when facing the unknown.

But because he knew this person in front of him, he wanted to learn, and was excited to the point of trembling.

Unfortunately, he was unable to perfectly organize his words at this moment. He Chuzhou interpreted his silence as an answer and smiled indulgently: “Don’t be afraid. We can use another method.”

When He Chuzhou was halfway through this so-called other method, Pei Xi couldn’t help but hold his wrist, and his eyes flickered with floundering helplessness.

He had to admit, fear was certainly present among his emotions.

But he didn’t stop He Chuzhou’s actions.

He Chuzhou also didn’t stop, but instead murmured extraneous words in his ear in a voice that made his head even more muddled: 

“Baby, do you still want to be my little brother now?”

“That’s not possible. In most families, gege’s and didi’s aren’t like this, don’t you agree?”

“You know, when you said before that we’d break up after you recovered, I was so disappointed. I almost wanted to tie you to the headboard and correct your phrasing ten thousand times.”

“But don’t worry, I couldn’t bear to do it. It must be uncomfortable to be tied up, ah. As soon as your eyes turned red, I wouldn’t be able to keep from hugging you.”

“Just like now.”

“Baby, your eyes are so red, so pretty. Are you going to cry?”

“Is it painful or uncomfortable?”

“Tell me.”

Pei Xi didn’t answer.

He bit his lower lip hard, then closed his eyes and turned his head away, not daring to let a sound escape his throat.

He Chuzhou took in all the changes in his expression and exhaled heavily. He gripped his jaw and kissed him roughly, swallowing all of the sounds that were about to come out of him.

With his palm and fingertips exerting force, he could feel the other’s knees rising and falling repeatedly, rubbing against his waist helplessly as he sought help from the culprit who started it all.

The volcanic energy in his body was eager to erupt, and Pei Xi’s mind was about to collapse.

Moving back slightly, He Chuzhou pressed his forehead against Pei Xi’s. Their breaths became entangled: “What little secret is someone hiding under the couch?”

“I hid…..hid…..”

On the verge of revealing the truth, Pei Xi was brought back to his senses by the last bit of vigilance he had left: “What…..I didn’t hide anything…..”

He Chuzhou played a malicious trick. Pei Xi’s body reflexively tried to curl up, but was unable to. With a pitiful, twisted expression, his eyes became redder and even more aggrieved.

He Chuzhou gazed at him unblinkingly. His voice grew hoarse and deep, and it was no longer evident whose attention was being scattered: “Is it…..a surprise?”

“Yes, a surprise…..” Pei Xi’s eyes were filled with moisture. “I want…..to go on a date with you.”

He Chuzhou: “A date?”

Pei Xi responded faintly, feeling that he had found a way out: “Yeah, that’s it, a date…..Aaah!”

Surging waves suddenly swept over his whole body.

A muffled moan escaped his throat. Fingertips sank deeply into his hair, and his trembling was soothed by a hug as tears finally rolled down from the corners of his eyes.

He Chuzhou’s eyes were completely dark. His heartbeat accelerated, and his nearly-depleted willpower suppressed what was about to explode.

Pei Xi raised his head. He closed his eyes and bit the other’s Adam’s apple tenderly.

“Okay, let’s go on a date.”

“Wherever you want to go, Baby, I’ll follow.”

---

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Chapter 65 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 67

This was the first time Liu Zhenqing had encountered a situation where someone was so difficult to coax. It really took him a lot of effort, and he was ultimately able to coax the two children into submission by promising them they could stay here as long as they wanted.

Liu Zhenqing really suspected that Li Xingruo had done this on purpose. They couldn’t be exposed in the capital, but after traveling for such a long time, couldn’t she have given the children some psychological preparation in advance? What would they have done if the children were frightened by this sudden encounter?

Faced with Liu Zhenqing’s penetrating gaze, Li Xingruo directly changed the subject and stated that she must go and pay a visit to their master.

Yunci and Yunqian adjusted their moods well, and actively helped prepare for the wedding banquet.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie brought the remaining four people to the courtyard to sit down and drink tea.

Liu Zhenqing immediately noticed the unhealed wound on Song Xingmu’s face and chuckled: “There is a knife above the character for lust.”

Song Xingmu turned his head to give Yi Chuan a look of blame: “Look, you made people laugh at me.”

Yi Chuan slanted a glance at him and then ignored him. He was aware that dishonest people such as them would make fun. 

Although Yi Chuan gave no response, Song Xingmu wouldn’t allow Liu Zhenqing to mock him, and said at once: “It’s because I went to see Miss Xi Ran that Xiao Chuanchuan got mad at me.”

Yi Chuan spat out a mouthful of tea. He sent Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie a wary glance, as he had also heard about the romantic affairs of the past.

Liu Zhenqing’s expression went stiff, and he looked at Song Xingmu with a twitching mouth.

Song Xingmru was all smiles as he said: “Before I left, Miss Xi Ran asked where I was going. I didn’t tell her.”

Huo Fenglie looked toward Liu Zhenqing.

Yue Xuqian was also someone who liked to watch a good show and fan the flames. He said: “By the way, my aunt…..”

“Cough, cough, cough.” Liu Zhenqing abruptly started to cough.

Huo Fenglie immediately poured him a cup of tea, and Liu Zhenqing said hurriedly: “The tea made by Fenglie is still the best.”

Song Xingmu gave him a taunting look.

As Liu Zhenqing and Song Xingmu bickered, Huo Fenglie asked He Lan and Yue Xuqian about the situation outside.

What Huo Fenglie was concerned about naturally wasn’t the capital, but the border. Although they had escaped alone, he naturally couldn’t help but worry about the Huo Family Army he left behind.

“The Huo family has no heir for the time being, and most of the troops have been dispersed. However, your deputy generals control the majority of them, and the emperor still has faith in their ability to lead. The Kingdom of Xiheng is also a bit chaotic right now, so the border is still stable.”

“Chaotic?” Liu Zhenqing heard this and asked curiously.

Yue Xuqian nodded. He had left many spies in Xiheng when he’d helped them, so he was well aware of these details.

“Without Li Jinshu, the young emperor doesn’t have the ability to shoulder the task of leading, and other forces have their own agendas. How could there not be chaos?” As Yue Xuqian spoke, he gave Liu Zhenqing an admiring look. “It was you who, after being there a month, turned Xiheng upside down.”

“They had problems to begin with. I just made them ferment early,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile. “What about Li Jinshu?”

“He seems to have become abnormal since you stimulated him. Nowadays, he’s seeking out magicians all the time to summon your soul, and basically doesn’t care about the outside world,” Yue Xuqian said.

When Huo Fenglie heard the part about summoning Liu Zhenqing’s soul, his eyes instantly filled with displeasure. He could ignore other suitors sniffing around, but Li Jinshu…..

Liu Zhenqing sensed something and reached out to grasp Huo Fenglie’s hand on the table, clasping their fingers together as he said: “The only one who can summon me is Fenglie.”

After speaking, he took Huo Fenglie’s hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss.

All of Huo Fenglie’s discontent vanished when he was treated like this by Liu Zhenqing. He was exceedingly easy to coax.

The others could only give Liu Zhenqing a thumbs up.

However, He Lan and Song Xingmu were filled with envy and jealousy upon witnessing their harmonious relationship.

Although everyone thought Liu Zhenqing was only speaking sweet words, in fact, he really did feel this way in his heart.

He always felt that he had been summoned back by that master Huo Fenglie met. According to the situation back then, if he hadn’t returned, Huo Fenglie may not have been able to survive. That master had said that this country had been left behind by his disciple, a late emperor, and he had been guarding Great Zhou all this time.

When Liu Zhenqing was absent from the Great Zhou Dynasty, the surrounding countries were ready to make trouble, and there was a lack of successors among the military commanders. Huo Fenglie had fought countless life and death battles to stabilize Great Zhou. If he died early and there was no general to guard the country’s borders, then Great Zhou would basically become a meal on a platter for other countries.

Therefore, that master made a brocade box and told Huo Fenglie to wait for Liu Zhenqing to return and repay his debt of emotion. If that wasn’t the case, then he really had no idea why he had been pulled back.

As they talked, they brought up the topic of the wedding arrangements for the day after next.

“There actually aren’t that many people. They’re all acquaintances, and we’re only missing two right now,” Liu Zhenqing said.

When He Lan heard Liu Zhenqing say this, he immediately turned to look at Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie naturally knew what he wanted to ask, and said: “Bai Su should be here, but I’m not certain about Qin Yu.”

Bai Su had left the capital, and the beautiful scenery along the way was full of rest stops they had all been to in each other’s company, so he would be extremely easy to find.

He Lan’s brow furrowed, and his eyes fixed on Huo Fenglie. But the latter was looking at Yue Xuqian.

Yue Xuqian coughed and said: “I’m the one who sent out the invitations, but I only knew that they were in the west. The invitations could only be left at a shop opened by my Yue family, and although I had people spread a secret code, I didn’t know if they would show up or not. If they transferred to a different location this year, it will be hard to say.”

He Lan’s complexion was a little off. Liu Zhenqing raised his cup of tea in a toast, then called for the servants to prepare wine so that everyone could drink as they chatted. Soon afterwards, Liu Qiao and Qiao Jin arrived as well.

Among this group of people, aside from Yue Xuqian, who took one sip and then played with the children, everyone else drank to their heart’s content.

Liu Zhenqing got drunk, of course, and was held in the arms of Huo Fenglie, who prevented him from drinking more. But as soon as Liu Zhenqing drank, his restlessness bubbled up from head to foot, and he unhesitatingly teased Huo Fenglie in public. Huo Fenglie could only obediently let himself be bullied as he kept careful watch over him.

Although the two of them were among a crowd, they spoke sweetly to each other as if nobody else was around.

Yi Chuan and Liu Qiao were both forthright people. Liu Qiao was peerlessly skilled in martial arts, and Yi Chuan was also a martial arts fanatic, so he couldn’t help but ask Liu Qiao for advice. The two of them fought to their heart’s content and were in a good mood. Yi Chuan even laughed a few times with a rarely seen lack of restraint. He picked up a wine jug with his long knife and took a drink, then tossed it to Liu Qiao, who also boldly started to take a drink.

But before he could drink, Qiao Jin snatched the jug and threw it to the side at the grinning Song Xingmu.

“Who told you to drink from the same jar as others!” Qiao Jin said heatedly.

Liu Qiao wore an impatient look: “What are you doing?!”

Seeing that he didn’t seem to have much of a reaction, Qiao Jin simply blew his top: “Don’t you like to exchange moves? I’ll fight you!”

“Your martial arts skills are too weak,” Liu Qiao said bluntly.

Qiao Jin’s face immediately reddened in anger. Seeing him like this, Liu Qiao feared that he would go crazy on such an occasion, and could only relax his tone as he said: “I taught you your martial arts, so there won’t be anything new.”

When it came to coaxing people, Liu Qiao hadn’t learned any of Liu Zhenqing’s tricks at all. Even though none of those words were comforting, Qiao Jin was still momentarily stunned. After all, Liu Qiao had softened his attitude, which meant he was coaxing him.

He was actually coaxing him? The flush to Qiao Jin’s face gradually changed in meaning.

Yi Chuan’s sleeve was tugged by Song Xingrmu, and he looked back questioningly.

Song Xingmu slowly raised the jug of wine and drank directly from the place where Yi Chuan had just drunk.

Although he originally hadn’t thought much of it, after seeing Song Xingmu’s deliberate performance, Yi Chuan gave him a look of disgust and said: “Are you finished yet?”

Yi Chuan didn’t like Song Xingmu’s constant suggestive teasing. He was similarly irreverent toward everyone, but Yi Chuan just had an inexplicable aversion to it.

Song Xingmu gestured toward Liu Qiao and Qiao Jin, saying: “Don’t you see the overturned vinegar jar over there? I’m just warning you so that you don’t get beaten.”

“I see that you deserve a beating,” Yi Chuan said with a displeased frown.

Song Xingmu smiled and tugged at him: “Sure enough, Liu Zhenqing was right. Isn’t there a knife above the character for lust?”

Yi Chuan drew out his short knife. Song Xingmu hastily stood and pretended to run away: “Just kidding, just kidding.”

They were all having a lively time. To He Lan, who was silently nursing a drink to the side, all of these people seemed to be flirting. He was the only one who was really drinking.

The bitter taste of the wine coupled with the pale moonlight made him feel extremely lonely.

He Lan nearly broke the wine cup with the force of his next mouthful. He looked toward the moon and silently vowed, I’m making a note of this. Just wait!

At this time, a ship at sea could already see the illuminated island in the distance.

“Are we there?” Bai Su came out of the cabin and glanced at Qin Yu, who was drinking under the moon.

“We’ll reach shore by sunrise tomorrow.”

“He Lan and the others should have already arrived.” Bai Su smiled and sat opposite Qin Yu.

Qin Yu’s hand stiffened slightly around the wine.

Bai Su raised an eyebrow and said: “Give me a cup.”

Qin Yu poured wine for him.

Bai Su suddenly said: “The power of the Jinyiwei in the capital is at its peak. Before I left, He Lan had been promoted three levels, and many noble ladies had their sights set on him.”

Bai Su spoke casually, and Qin Yu listened casually.

But in the next moment, Bai Su said: “The wine is overflowing.”

Qin Yu then returned to his senses and stopped pouring.

Bai Su pursed his lips to hide a smile: “Do you want to know who He Lan…..”

“I’m not interested,” Qin Yu said resolutely. “But you’re no longer young. Isn’t your family urging you to marry?”

Bai Su’s humorous mood was disrupted, and he didn’t continue to poke fun about them.

It was late at night. Bai Su went back to rest, but Qin Yu couldn’t sleep. He just stood at the bow of the ship, gazing outward.

And at this time, He Lan had already walked to the pier with a wine jug in hand. Everyone had gone to rest, but he couldn’t sleep, so he came out to wait in expectation.

In the courtyard’s master bedroom, the drunk Liu Zhenqing continuously rubbed against Huo Fenglie, tormenting him endlessly.

But when Huo Fenglie kissed him, Liu Zhenqing pushed him away.

Huo Fenglie could only silently express his protest.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and lay on his side. Half drunk, he raised a hand and tickled Huo Fenglie’s chin, saying: “The things are on the small table.”

Huo Fenglie was taken aback, and the corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably. He thought Qing-ge felt sorry for him and was finally going to break the rules, but when he went over there and opened the box, he was dumbfounded.

Huo Fenglie turned around and saw Liu Zhenqing lying in bed with his shirt completely removed, revealing a large swathe of white back, a delicate waist, and sensual dimples.

“Qing-ge…..”

“Don’t delay. We agreed that I would get your name tattooed on my back, and you’d do it yourself. Hurry up, I’m drunk and not afraid of the pain or itching.” Liu Zhenqing was disoriented and looked like he was about to fall asleep, but he still threatened: “If I don’t see it tomorrow, don’t even think about entering the bridal chamber with me.”

---

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Wedding Extra 1 << Table of Contents >> Wedding Extra 3

Which decent guy fell in love and showed it off everywhere, but got caught and scolded by his mother all night for no reason?

He Chuzhou was exhausted, and his boyfriend refused to help him explain, just standing there watching him make a fool of himself.

Thus, he dreamed that night of being fiercely oppressed by Mrs. Chu from morning to night in the most mischievous part of his childhood.

Who said you couldn’t feel pain in dreams?

The feeling of having his ears pulled and twisted eight times until they were painful and numb was so real, so real that there seemed to be a cell phone next to his ear—

Huh?

He woke up in a daze and sleepily reached out to touch the pillow.

It really was his phone, and it was vibrating.

He tried hard to open his eyelids and swiped down to answer the call, mumbling: “Mom, what are you doing……”

“Checking in.” On the other side of the video screen, Mrs. Chu was sitting on a sofa, primed and ready. If she found something wrong, she would immediately head out the door with a whip.

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou rubbed his aching temples: “Checking in on what, ah? I’m at home. I told you it was a misunderstanding. The person I was talking about was Xinxin. You don’t even trust the character of your own son, ah.”

“I can manage what you eat and wear, but I can’t manage what’s in your head. Who knows what terrible things a person might learn outside?”

Mrs. Chu had her own logic and didn’t believe him at all: “How long have you been together with Xinxin? How many meals have you eaten with him? And you’re telling me you’re happily in love just now? I really think your brain was expelled from your body when I gave birth to you…..”

He Chuzhou turned over and lay on his side, putting the phone to his ear with a lazy yawn.

Pei-calico looked at him in quiet confusion. He was holding his phone in his hand, and game music could be faintly heard from it.

He was likely wondering why He Chuzhou was being scolded so early in the morning.

He Chuzhou almost laughed at the sight.

How could someone be so likeable just by lying down and playing games?

He leaned closer to those eyes and kissed one of them, causing Pei Xi to close one eyelid.

Oh, dear. His baby winked at him!

One more kiss!

Mrs Chu: “Who are you kissing?! Who’s next to you?!”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Aiyo, he got carried away and forgot there was a spectator.

He Chuzhou: “Xinxin, ah, who else could it be?”

Mrs. Chu: “Turn the camera around so I can see!”

He Chuzhou: “It’s so early in the morning that he hasn’t combed his hair or washed his face, and you’re demanding a video call. Mom, please leave your child some dignity.”

Mrs. Chu said with a glare: “What dignity does a child need? You brat, do you have a guilty conscience? Is the reason I can’t see the person lying beside you because — aiya, my dear Xinxin, good morning~”

Their eyes met unexpectedly, and Pei Xi replied in a daze: “Good morning.”

He Chuzhou yawned. When he heard Mrs. Chu’s change of tone, he smiled helplessly. At last, he could have some peace and quiet.

“Remember to wear more layers when going to work when the weather is this cold, and don’t forget to eat on time even when you have work to do. Tell me if there’s something you want to eat, and Mom will have it prepared and sent to you. The flu has been going around recently, so you should wear a mask when going to crowded places…..”

Mrs. Chu gave him meticulous instructions before hanging up the phone.

He Chuzhou tossed the phone aside and pulled Pei Xi into his arms to nuzzle him, then lowered his head and took a deep breath.

Ah, he was relaxed in mind and body!

Pei Xi was unused to his sudden fervor, and tried to push his head away: “Okay, stop sniffing, I’m not a cat.”

He Chuzhou corrected him: “There’s more to sniffing a cat than just this.”

Pei Xi: “What else is there?”

After he said this, his wrists were clamped and pressed down forcefully on either side of his head. A head nuzzled against his chest, making his already loose collar even messier.

He Chuzhou raised his head and hovered his upper body over Pei Xi, all smiles. “It should be like this, burying your head in its chest and belly.”

Below the mussed collar, a streak of red spread across his skin, climbing up to stain his neck, ears, and cheeks…..

Pei Xi broke away from him and silently pulled up the blankets, turning over to face away. It wasn’t until his face was no longer hot that he turned back: “Gege, did you get any gifts? Why are you in such a good mood?”

So good that he couldn’t resist. 

It was as if a block of wood suddenly had its meridians opened up. He liked it a lot, but…..he wasn’t used to it.

He Chuzhou: “Yeah, I received an amazing gift.”

Pei Xi was curious: “What is it?”

He Chuzhou pinched his little face: “It’s a secret. I’ll tell you later.”

It was always unpleasant to be kept in suspense.

Pei Xi’s face immediately fell. Without saying a word, he pushed the other party away and got out of bed, going to the bathroom to wash up.

He Chuzhou lifted the blankets and happily followed along.

The two of them crowded in front of the sink. Pei Xi didn’t want to be next to him, so he took one step to the left.

He Chuzhou’s eyes curved and he moved over shamelessly.

Pei Xi ignored him. He was about to leave after brushing his teeth, but He Chuzhou stopped him with one arm looped around his waist. He picked him up and set him on the dry countertop, then held his legs to keep him from jumping down.

Pei Xi frowned in displeasure: “What is it?”

He Chuzhou gargled a mouthful of water and spit after brushing his teeth, slowly setting down the cup and toothbrush.

— And then he proceeded to kiss Pei Xi.

The pure little lamb had never imagined that this was his intention.

Unable to adapt to such a rough kiss, Pei Xi was kissed to the point of tears, which were licked away carefully and gently. 

Pei Xi sluggishly looked at the marks on his lips.

He Chuzhou suppressed his laughter: “Aiya, you bumped me again. It hurts.”

Pei Xi turned his head away nervously: “Who told you to suddenly kiss me…..”

He Chuzhou murmured: “Fortunately, you didn’t bite me today. Otherwise I wouldn’t be able to eat well later.”

Pei Xi’s bad temper turned into hot white steam pouring from his head. He feigned calmness and pushed the other’s face away: “Chuzhou, you’re so strange today.”

The two people’s roles seemed to have been reversed all of a sudden. Obviously, no matter how proactive he was before, this person was indifferent. Why was he suddenly so……so difficult to deal with?

He Chuzhou: “Hm? I’m not strange, ah.”

Pei Xi insisted: “You really are.”

He Chuzhou: “How am I strange?”

Pei Xi: “You’re so…..so clingy.”

He Chuzhou grabbed his hand and kissed the back of it, sighing in grievance: “You don’t like my clinginess.”

Pei Xi quickly retorted: “I don’t dislike it, it’s just…..”

He Chuzhou: “Just what?”

Pei Xi pursed his lips: “I’m just a little unaccustomed to it.”

“It’s okay if you’re not used to it. You’ll be more used to it once you adapt.”

He Chuzhou held his face with a cheeky grin. Given an inch, he took a mile: “So do you want to accompany me to work later?”

Pei Xi stared blankly: “Ah?”

*

*

[Shocking! President He brought President Pei to the company!]

[Shocking! President He and President Pei came swaggering into the company!]

[/image/image]

[These photos are proof that when they came through the door, they were holding! Hands!]

[What door? Doesn’t President He always go directly to the top floor office from the underground parking lot?]

[Did he have a driver today?]

[No, I didn’t see one.]

[Don’t question it, everyone. President He just wants to show off. I understand, I was like that once too.]

[You’re not now?]

[He doesn’t have anyone to show off anymore, hahahahahahaha!]

[Pei, pei, pei! That’s unlucky, stay away from my CP.]

[Ai, ai, upstairs, upstairs.]

[Does anyone see them upstairs?]

[They took the president’s special elevator. Where can I see them?]

[There aren’t any visitors today, so the administrative department doesn’t have an excuse to go to the top floor. I really want to go up there for a stroll.]

[Open yours eyes, if your administrative department can’t go up, there are others who can, ah.]

[@Yun Ji, Assistant Yun! Assistant Yun!]

[Don’t @ him anymore. Assistant Yun is out in the field and likely won’t be back until the afternoon. He’s probably negotiating with suppliers right now.]

[Who else! Who else can go up!]

[Ahhhhhh I’ve been waiting for so long. It won’t end here, will it?]

[Cleaning auntie! The cleaning auntie can go up!]

[Come on, the last time I chatted with the cleaning auntie, I asked her if she knew what our company does, and she said confidently that our company has made four great inventions: airplanes, cigarette lighters, diesel engines, and tractors /smile]

[Who else do you expect to livestream for you?]

[Right! I just remembered.]

[@Linda, before Assistant Yun left, didn’t he give you documents to print out, stamp, and bring to President He?]

[Ahhhh yes, yes, yes! But Assistant Yun said it wasn’t urgent and to send them over tomorrow morning.]

[I’m so impatient, ah, how can I not be impatient? Go now, run, run!]

[They haven’t been stamped yet!]

[Come on, I’m in the stamp room waiting for you!]

[Come on!]

It only took 34 seconds to take the elevator from the sixth floor administrative department to the top floor.

Holding a stack of documents, Linda stepped gracefully out of the elevator in high heels, her footsteps clicking as she headed toward the president’s office.

If one listened carefully, they could discern a bit of tension and excitement from her intermittently faster pace.

The office door was tightly shut. Shouldering a heavy responsibility, she straightened her back and knocked three times: “President He, I’m here to deliver the administrative procurement documents for next quarter.”

When she heard the response “come in,” she took a deep breath, pressed the handle, and pushed the door open, walking inside without looking left or right.

“Please put it on my desk.”

He Chuzhu didn’t turn around when he spoke. He bent his knees and half-knelt beside the small coffee table in the reception area, handing a cup of tea that had just been stirred with milk and sugar to Pei Xi, who was sitting on the sofa: “It’s not hot. Try it and see if it’s sweet enough.”

Pei Xi accepted it and took a sip: “It’s not very sweet.”

He Chuzhou picked up a fork and chose a piece of blueberry mousse cake next to it, casually feeding it to his mouth: “It should be perfect served with cake.”

Linda set the documents down and left. Before closing the door, she stole a quick glance and saw that her family’s boss had his chin propped up and was gazing at the rival company’s boss like he was a treasure.

That pair of eyes was smiling so brightly that the word “doting” was practically stamped on his forehead.

The door clicked shut, hiding the rest of the scene.

Linda took another deep breath and remained calm, then took a step away and let out a silent scream: 

[Everyone! ! !]

[I lived up to your expectations! I saw them!]

[President He was serving tea, water, and small cakes to his wife, and his face nearly broke from smiling!]

[Irrefutable evidence that the billionaire boss is whipped!]

[Ahhhhh sweet and spicy! ! ! !]

*

*

Yun Ji’s work efficiency was getting better and better. He had originally planned to return in the afternoon, but he did so before lunch.

Therefore, he received another task: “I’m going to a meeting. You take your Pei-ge to have a look around.”

Yun Ji: “Around where?”

He Chuzhou: “Around wherever he likes.”

Yun Ji: “? ? ?”

Yun Ji: “It’s not like he doesn’t have his own company. Could looking around at yours be novel in any way? Right, Pei-ge?”

Pei Xi nodded: “It’s novel.”

Yun Ji: “……”

OK, FINE.

He had actually tried to win over one member of the couple to his side. What gall.

He Chuzhou entered the meeting room. There were no staff departments on the top floor – it was really boring, so Yun Ji could only take Pei Xi downstairs.

It was unknown who spread the rumor that the president’s wife was inspecting the company, but wherever they went, people straightened their backs and worked diligently.

When Pei Xi passed by, everyone yearned to look but didn’t dare. They only dared to look back and sneak a peek once he’d gone past them.

One peek wouldn’t do.

He looked better than in the photos.

Life was unfair, ah. Why did the boss get to eat so well?

Yun Ji, who was riding on someone else’s coattails, puffed out his chest. All of a sudden, he felt that this wasn’t a bad idea.

It was a good opportunity to compel these people who only cared about gossip every day to work hard.

“The technology department is up ahead. Although it seems busy now, it’s normally not so crowded. It just so happens that people from a game studio showed up today on account of some technical data.”

There were many independent studios within He Group’s gaming industry, and each one maintained an office outside of group headquarters. They only came here occasionally to swap reports or ask the technicians at headquarters for help with testing.

Pei Xi casually mentioned a game, which surprised Yun Ji: “Yeah, the people here today are the staff of the studio that made that game. Pei-ge, how did you know?”

Pei Xi: “Your cousin played it with me before.”

As for how he guessed correctly, it was purely coincidental. This was the only game he knew of.

Yun Ji was delighted: ‘What a coincidence, let’s go take a look.”

The new dungeon the technicians had just polished out for Escape From Death was considered to be the most difficult one of the season, and it was uncertain whether the clue logic was sufficient or if it would be too difficult for players.

Pei Xi was quiet as he watched them test the game, but then someone came up with the idea to let him try it. His refusal was unsuccessful, and a game-testing phone was stuffed into his hand.

According to his memory, it was his first time playing in this mode and he didn’t know what to do after entering. His character was trapped at the bottom of a foggy abyss, unable to move with his hands and feet tied.

Another person was a professional technician, and after asking a few questions, he went straight to his teammates: “Got it, got it. Don’t worry, President Pei, I’ll come and rescue you right away — eh?”

All of a sudden, his hands were empty. The technician looked back in surprise. He Chuzhou leaned against a desk in the back and naturally took over the hero’s task of rescuing the beauty: “We need to see how ordinary players play. What’s a pro like you doing here?”

The employee whose phone was stolen scratched his head with an awkward smile. He was embarrassed to say that he wanted to use his power for personal gain and take the president’s wife out for a spin. 

Pei Xi was initially worried that his poor performance would affect the test results for his teammates, but now that He Chuzhou was here, he felt relieved.

“What’s the name of his new level?” He Chuzhou asked.

A designer replied at once: “The Lost Abyss.”

He Chuzhou attempted to move forward: “The fog has a slowing effect. Are there torches around to disperse it?”

The designer was surprised. Many people had tried it just now, and when they experienced the fog delay, they just used their own abilities to break free of it.

If they couldn’t solve it,  they just went through at a snail’s pace.

He Chuzhou was the first one to think of using props to dispel the evil fog.

While He Chuzhou was looking around for a torch, the designer took the opportunity to note down the test records. It seemed that this level of difficulty was completely acceptable for players with quick reaction speed and a high IQ.

While searching for mission items, He Chuzhou asked Pei Xi about his situation: “Xinxin, what do you see around you?”

Pei Xi turned his perspective and described the things around him word for word.

He Chuzhou: “You can’t move your hands or feet?”

Pei Xi: “En.”

He Chuzhou indicated that he understood, and quickly located a torch to disperse the fog. When he walked over, he unexpectedly discovered that the torch could burn the vines.

He crossed a cliff to where Pei Xi was trapped. The vines automatically shrunk as he approached, and Pei Xi regained his freedom of movement.

“This level is well-done,” He Chuzhou praised.

Pei Xi exited the cave where he’d been imprisoned and saw a mountain road stretching upward with unidentified little flowers blooming on either side. “Indeed,” he agreed.

He Chuzhou crouched down and fiddled with them for a moment, then stood up with regret: “Tsk, the flowers can’t be picked. I wanted to give one to you. This needs to be fixed.”

Pei Xi’s lips curved as he said: “It’s alright. The roses at home haven’t withered yet.”

He Chuzhou: “Be careful, the road here isn’t easy to walk on. The vines will wrap around your ankles…..forget it, come here and I’ll carry you.”

Just as Pei Xi was picked up, the screen shook.

He was startled: “Chuzhou.”

“Don’t be afraid, I won’t drop you,” He Chuzhou said with a smile: “The dragon in the valley just turned over. I’ll take you to beat it up later.”

…….

The entire technology department had fallen silent at some point, apart from the gaming sounds coming from the speakers and the conversation between Pei Xi and He Chuzhou.

Their cell phone screens were displayed on two computers. One swordsman carried the other and leaped up the rock wall, skillfully controlling the character’s qinggong ability to step on the rocks floating midair.

The particle effects created a long, romantic stream of light and shadow behind them.

But other than a few technicians who were devoted to the game, almost all the rest held their breath with gleaming eyes and secretly took out their cell phones. Their fingertips made clicking sounds as they tapped on the screens.

When Pei Xi and He Chuzhou finally escaped, they looked up and saw that the technology department, which originally held only a dozen people, was now packed with people both inside and out.

And they were in the middle, surrounded.

When Pei Xi returned the phone to the technician, he couldn’t help but ask: “You guys called so many people over for testing?”

The technician was also confused: “I didn’t, ah. Do you all want to play?”

Everyone exchanged glances and nodded earnestly under their boss’s leisurely gaze: “Yes, it’s our responsibility to contribute to the development of the company’s gaming industry.”

The technician scratched his head: “But I only brought four phones today. I guess you can all queue up?”

“Ah, it’s a pity.”

“I have the will but not the strength.”

“In that case, I’ll wait until next time.”

“Me too, I’m leaving.”

“Why are you leaving? Don’t you want to contribute to the company?”

He Chuzhou tapped the desktop and smiled: “It doesn’t matter if there aren’t enough phones. It’ll only take a little bit of effort to install the internal beta version on their own phones.”

“Remember to write an 800-word experience report afterward and turn it in to me. I’ll help forward them to the studio as references for improvements.”

The designer was pleasantly surprised: “Really? That’s great! The opinions and suggestions of every test player are very valuable to me. Thank you all.”

“Everyone can line up and hand their phones over to us. Don’t worry, the company’s internet speed is good and the beta version will download quickly.”

“……”

“……”

“……”

He Chuzhou and Pei Xi got ready to go, but were stopped again: “President He, can you lend us President Pei for another couple of minutes? We want to test the adhesion level of new players to the game—”

“You want to what?”

He Chuzhou gave a scornful laugh: “Isn’t it presumptuous of you to borrow someone else’s wife? There are plenty of new players. Go find someone else.”

He led Pei Xi out, and the crowd automatically made way for them.

He Chuzhou thought of something when he reached the door, and turned to glance at the dejected crowd: “Right, finish your work before writing your reports.”

“Also, delete from the group the Methods for a Domineering CEO to Pursue His Wife. They’re all fake, don’t mislead people.”

“We’ve given you all shipping material. 800 words shouldn’t be too much, right?”

“……?”

“? ? ?”

“? ? ? ? ?”

“? ? ? ? ! ! ! ”

“……Wu.”

*

*

“I have nothing to do this afternoon. What do you want to eat?”

After getting in the car, He Chuzhou asked Pei Xi while fastening his seatbelt: “Do you want to eat out or at home?”

Pei Xi: “At home.”

He Chuzhou: “Alright, let’s go to the supermarket for groceries first.”

It was before evening rush hour, so the journey was smooth.

He Chuzhou tapped the steering wheel with his fingertips and hummed a brisk tune. Pei Xi looked at him in the rearview mirror and saw that the corners of his mouth had yet to flatten. He was obviously in a good mood.

Had getting a gift really made him so happy?

He stroked his seatbelt, and for the first time found it troubling that he was so ill that he couldn’t even remember what gift he had given him.

……Should he give him another one?

He really wanted to see He Chuzhou’s surprised expression when he received a gift.

But what should he give him?

He had no idea.

The vehicle came to a stop beside a sidewalk. There was a school nearby, so the red light time was extended to 120 seconds.

He Chuzhou saw that Pei Xi was in a daze again, wearing a troubled look as he thought about who knows what.

“Baby, what difficulties have you encountered?”

He reached out and tapped the back of Pei Xi’s hand: “Will you consider telling me?”

Pei Xi gave him a couple of glances, hesitating before he finally said: “Chuzhou, is there anything you want?”

He Chuzhou: “Want?”

Pei Xi nodded seriously.

He Chuzhou: “I really can’t think of anything right now. Why?”

Pei Xi: “It’s nothing, I’m just asking casually…..think about it carefully. Is there really nothing?”

“Hm…..”

As he tapped the steering wheel in thought, He Chuzhou’s eyes happened to sweep across the students on the roadside. His heart moved: “Actually, there is.”

Pei Xi’s eyes lit up. He asked at once: “What is it?”

He Chuzhou: “I want to see you in a school uniform.”

Pei Xi’s expression froze: “Does this count?”

He Chuzhou raised his eyebrows: “Why wouldn’t it? I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”

“But it’s been so long. I don’t know if my school uniform is still there……”

Pei Xi pondered for a moment. When there was less than a minute left on the red light, he rolled down the window and said to a pair of high school students standing outside the fence nearby: “Hello, classmates. Can you lend me a school uniform for a while? We’ll send you — wu?”

“No, no, no!”

He Chuzhou reacted belatedly and hurried to cover Pei Xi’s mouth.
While rolling up the car window, he apologized to the two wary students: “Don’t worry about him, haha, he’s just joking!”

---

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Chapter 64 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 66

Chapter 7 – The Culprit

“I’m going to kill the rooster.” This was Feng Ye’s initial thought after being forced to get up by Fang Yang.

“Shixiong, stop daydreaming!”

Fang Yang’s righteous words broke through Feng Ye’s sleepy haze, and he realized he had accidentally voiced his true feelings.

Fang Yang stood in front of Feng Ye’s bed with his hands on his hips. He lifted up the blanket wrapped around Feng Ye and said plaintively: “Shixiong, with your current level of cultivation, you can’t even kill a rooster!”

Feng Ye: “……” 

Although he had purposely created the image of a useless shixiong, he suddenly felt it had gone too far.

Feng Ye could only explain feebly: “Shidi, I’m not that weak…..”

Feng Ye’s mood was a bit complicated for a moment. He didn’t know whether to be happy about his successful disguise or to be upset that it was too successful.

Did his performance really make him look like such a piece of trash?

Judging from Fang Yang’s reaction, the answer was probably yes.

Feng Ye sat up in bed. Thanks to Fang Yang, he was completely awake.

“Shixiong, hurry up. Let’s practice swordplay for a while, then have breakfast, and then do chores after breakfast.” Fang Yang was holding a wooden sword in one hand. Although he remained standing there, he could no longer suppress the urgency in his words.

His schedule was set in stone, counting every second.

Unfortunately, Feng Ye didn’t have such thoughts. His movements were still sluggish even though he was awake, showing the reluctance of both his body and mind.

Fang Yang waited quietly for a while before finally becoming impatient. He saw that Feng Ye was deliberately buying time, so he just switched both wooden swords to one hand and used his free one to drag Feng Ye out.

“Ai, ai, ai, wait for me to put on my shoes!” Feng Ye only had a boot on one foot, with the other still bare, and hopped two steps on one leg as he was dragged by Fang Yang.

Seeing this, Fang Yang mercifully stopped, glaring like a tiger watching its prey as Feng Ye donned his footwear.

“Pff.” Hao Chen had woken early for some reason, and was leaning against the door as he watched this scene, unable to hold back a low chuckle. He tapped the handle of his closed fan against his lips, pretending he didn’t have a smile on his face.

Feng Ye looked up at Hao Chen while putting on his shoes. The previous night had been uneventful. Hao Chen had stayed in his room to rest and hadn’t done anything.

But this didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do anything. He probably knew that Feng Ye was keeping an eye on him, so he hadn’t made a move.

Feng Ye lowered his head and adjusted the legs of his trousers. In this posture, nobody could see his expression. His eyes narrowed slightly, and the sleepiness on his face vanished as he quickly considered what to do next.

As for Hao Chen’s reason and purpose for seeking him out, Feng Ye knew nothing. He also knew nothing about Hao Chen’s identity and strength. In such a situation where the details were unclear, the one who made the first move would be at a disadvantage.

In any case, he had plenty of patience. Sooner or later, he would wait for this old fox to show his tail.

The best strategy was to stay put to gain an advantage over the exhausted enemy. Feng Ye made his decision. He straightened his trouser legs, raised his head, and yawned as if he was still sleepy.

His performance was that of a completely hopeless waste. Seeing this, Fang Yang feared he would fall asleep again, so he pulled Feng Ye after him as he rushed out.

And Hao Chen remained standing there, supporting his chin with his fan. He sent a thoughtful look after Feng Ye’s unwilling back. 

When he returned to his senses, the two brothers had already run off.

He’d lost them.

Hao Chen was not in a hurry. He unfolded the fan in his hand and pulled a fan bone from the outermost section. This fan bone that looked like a bamboo slip abruptly turned into a black feather in his hand.

This feather had a beautiful luster beneath the sun, and although it was black, it gave off an inexplicable sense of brilliance.

Hao Chen swiftly threw the feather into the air, and instead of fluttering down, it transformed into a black crow.

It was an ordinary crow, just like any other. If one difference could be pointed out, it was that it was generally more beautiful than other crows, but it was overall commonplace.

“Caw – caw –” The ordinary crow called out twice, flapped its wings, and flew into the sky.

Looking down from the sky, the crow had a panoramic view of Lingxiao Sword Sect. Its black pupils scanned the ground like a hawk and quickly located its target.

Hao Chen, who had closed his eyes, opened them at that moment and walked leisurely in Feng Ye’s direction.

At the open space behind the mountain.

Fang Yang spoke earnestly to his shixiong, who was staring up at the sky: “Shixiong, stop daydreaming. A day’s plan starts in the morning. Hurry up and practice your swordplay.”

“Oh,” Feng Ye responded perfunctorily, and continued to look up at the sky without moving. Just then, a crow flew over his head.

It looked like an ordinary crow, without any trace of demonic aura or spiritual power on its body.

Am I imagining things? Feng Ye thought uncertainly.

“Shixiong!” Fang Yang called out again, hating iron for not being steel.

“En?” Fang Yang at last returned to his senses and looked over, only to see Fang Yang’s big face right in front of him.

Seeing that his Useless Shixiong was finally looking at him, Fang Yang stuffed a wooden sword into his hand and urged him to begin cultivating.

Feng Ye looked at Fang Yang, then at the wooden sword in his hand. He had originally intended to use the excuse that he’d only agreed to get up, not to practice swordplay with Fang Yang.

But he felt that if he really said those words, Fang Yang would be so angry that he’d want to part ways with him.

So, with great reluctance, Feng Ye grasped the hilt of the sword. The moment he took hold, the familiar sensation caused Feng Ye to unconsciously make an artful sword movement, his actions so agile that it seemed as if the sword was an extension of his arm.

This was certainly not something a person who was unfamiliar with swordsmanship could do.

Feng Ye sent Fang Yang a guilty look. Fortunately, Fang Yang had his back to him and hadn’t seen anything.

Just as Feng Ye breathed a sigh of relief, he saw a figure swaggering toward them not far away.

That ghost is still here, Feng Ye thought as he regarded Hao Chen.

Unlike the avoidant Feng Ye, Hao Chen smiled and raised his eyebrows when he saw Feng Ye, seemingly delighted: “Fellow Daoist Feng Ye walks so fast. I could barely keep up.”

Not fast enough to get rid of you, Feng Ye slandered inwardly.

But on the surface, he smiled with a hint of apology: “My shidi and I were so focused on practicing swordplay that we forgot about Fellow Daoist Hao Chen. Please don’t take offense.”

“No wonder, no wonder.” Hao Chen smiled and waved his fan. “I’ve long heard that the Lingxiao Sword Sect has excellent swordsmanship. I wonder if I can see it today?”

He looked at Feng Ye as he spoke, as if expecting him to demonstrate a few moves.

Feng Ye naturally would not do so. He knew he would be easily exposed when holding a sword, so he would never brandish one in front of Hao Chen.

However, before he could find an excuse to refuse, Fang Yang took the initiative to step in: “My shixiong’s swordsmanship…..I’ll do it.”

There was a dubious pause in his speech. Feng Ye could guess with his eyes closed what he was thinking. Useless Shixiong’s swordsmanship…..no, Useless Shixiong has no sword skills at all. In order not to lose face for Lingxiao Sword Sect in front of another sect’s disciple, Fang Yang took over the responsibility of demonstrating.

Feng Ye, who had perfectly imagined his fellow junior disciple’s mental journey: “……”

Although Fang Yang had indeed helped him out, he wasn’t happy about it.

Hao Chen’s mood at this moment was surprisingly similar to Feng Ye’s, somewhat speechless. He didn’t actually want to see a sword dance – he just wanted to test Feng Ye’s background, and hadn’t expected someone to disrupt him halfway.

But it was difficult to take back the words he had already spoken, so he could only smile and make a “please” gesture.

Feng Ye and Hao Chen each took a few steps back to leave some space for Fang Yang, then stood to his left and right, watching Fang Yang dance with the sword.

Fang Yang’s sword moves were not very complicated, and could be said to be quite basic. One chop, one cut, one slice, and one jab.

But his movements were fierce, and even though it was just a wooden sword, a sound like iron being unsheathed could be faintly heard.

Unfortunately…..he was still very lacking in skill. It looked impressive, but in fact had many flaws. His foundation was unstable, the angle of his sword was wrong, and force was applied in the wrong places. Wrong, wrong, wrong, nothing was right.

Feng Ye inwardly pointed out the flaws. It would have been better if he hadn’t watched. The more he watched, the more he itched to move. Although Fang Yang practiced very hard, he unfortunately lacked the guidance of a master. Even though he buried his head in practice and saw some improvement, most of it was in vain.

Feng Ye still admired his shidi of his. He wanted to give him some pointers, but…..Feng Ye glanced at Hao Chen from the corner of his eye and happened to meet his gaze.

Both of them smiled awkwardly but politely, then turned and pretended to attentively watch Fang Yang.

Hao Chen was really a nuisance. With him around, Feng Ye felt like he was being restricted everywhere.

He had to think of a way.

A way to avoid Hao Chen and communicate with Fang Yang. Feng Ye’s eyes shifted, and he suddenly had a good idea.

However, this idea still required some preparation, so Feng Ye set it aside for the time being, planning to do it when he returned to his room in the evening.

Clap, clap, clap. A burst of applause suddenly rang in his ears.

Feng Ye realized Fang Yang had finished his sword dance. Hao Chen cooperated very well by giving a round of applause, and Feng Ye also applauded quickly.

Although there were a lot of thorns he yearned to pluck out, for now, he decided to encourage his shidi first.

“Your reputation is well-deserved,” Hao Chen flattered with a smile. Feng Ye said nothing. Clapping against his conscience was already a huge concession.

Fang Yang scratched his head in embarrassment when he heard this. He had always practiced swordplay alone, and this was his first time doing it in front of others. In fact, he was actually a little nervous.

But judging from the reactions of the two audience members, his performance was pretty good.

Although these two audience members were equally useless, and their appreciation ability was questionable, Fang Yang still couldn’t suppress his joy.

He was so happy that he even forgot to urge Feng Ye to practice his swordplay, and instead shyly changed the subject: “That’s pretty much it. Let’s go get breakfast.”

This proposal was unanimously approved by the two losers, and the three of them went down the mountain to the cafeteria together.

Although they had gotten up very early, the trip back and forth took quite a bit of effort, and most of their fellow disciples had gotten up by now.

They met many of them along the way, all wearing black and white Daoist robes. Feng Ye and Fang Yang wore the same robes, and didn’t stand out.

But Hao Chen was different.

As a foreign disciple with unique clothing and a face that would stand out anywhere, Hao Chen drew the attention of other Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples along the way.

This was very normal, but it felt a bit strange to Feng Ye. It would have been fine if those people were only looking at Hao Chen, but their eyes would also drift toward him from time to time.

After being stared at by four or five groups of people in succession, Feng Ye couldn’t help but look back at them.

But as soon as he did so, those people looked away as if frightened.

Feng Ye: “ ? ”

Feng Ye doubtfully withdrew his gaze. He noticed from the corner of his eye that as soon as the group of people saw him turn back around, they immediately stared at him again, whispering to each other occasionally.

Feng Ye: “ ? ? ? ”

Have I been exposed? Feng Ye couldn’t help but think, touching his face.

It was still that ordinary face. His true appearance hadn’t been exposed.

Then what had gone wrong?

Feng Ye couldn’t even eat breakfast, endlessly wracking his brains.

And the culprit was sitting opposite Feng Ye, eating breakfast with an innocent look on his face.

---

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Chapter 6 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 8

He Chuzhou was struck dumb by Pei Xi’s words.

It was as if he had lost his soul. He forgot to breathe, forgot to blink, just staring at Pei Xi.

Time stretched out long enough that Pei Xi’s outburst of anger was completely exhausted. He felt such belated shame that he didn’t even have the courage to recall what he’d just said and done.

At a speed visible to the naked eye, a blush arose on the exposed part of his neck. He avoided eye contact, eyelashes trembling as he tried to escape from He Chuzhou’s embrace in shame and anger.

But the act of pushing away from him seemed to bring the other party back to his senses.

The arms around his waist tightened, and his feet left the floor as He Chuzhou simply picked him up and set him on the countertop.

The hand that had just gripped the other’s shirt clenched again in shock. Pei Xi raised his head in a fluster and met a pair of eyes that were frighteningly bright.

He Chuzhou said in a rising tone: “You like me?”

Pei Xi’s gaze shifted to the left: “…..En.”

He Chuzhou: “You’re in your right mind, and you like me?”

Pei Xi’s gaze shifted to the right: “…..En.”

He Chuzhou simply held his face and forced him to look directly into his eyes, which were wild with joy: “Xinxin, you like me?”

Pei Xi’s face was already blood-red, and he was unable to hide. His anger surged again, and he lowered his voice to whisper fiercely: “He Chuzhou, are you trying to annoy me? I already said yes, yes, yes. Why do you keep—”

The last part of his rebuke was abruptly swallowed between lips and teeth.

Unlike Pei Xi’s subtler kiss, He Chuzhou kissed him with great force. He only lingered between his lips for a brief moment before impatiently opening his teeth and delving deep, sweeping across every part.

It wasn’t gentle, and was even a little rough.

When it came to love, all of Pei Xi’s firsts were with He Chuzhou, including this deep kiss that went beyond the scope of his education.

Clearly, only his mouth was blocked, but he was so enveloped by He Chuzhou that he felt like he couldn’t breathe through his nose either. 

An indescribable numbness climbed up his spine, and his strength drained away. He took an urgent breath, only to be more deeply plundered.

The inside of He Chuzhou’s lower lip was clumsily bumped by Pei Xi several times, and even the tip of his tongue was bitten in the chaos, but he wasn’t angry in the least, and even laughed softly.

He attempted to be gentler, in order to slowly guide Pei Xi.

But once he felt Pei Xi’s attempted response, he couldn’t help but become fierce again, robbing the other person of every breath.

He was so happy that he didn’t know how to express it.

He liked him so much. So much that he didn’t know what to do.

When he realized that Pei Xi was truly out of breath and was trying to push him, he reluctantly pulled away. But he only retreated from between his teeth, his lips lingering against the other’s.

Pei Xi’s skin was entirely red, his breathing as irregular as the trembling of his eyelids.

He Chuzhou looked down at him, and his heart softened into a pool of sugar water, rippling back and forth in his chest.

“Xinxin, your teeth hit me.”

Although he complained of this grievance, his tone contained an unconcealable smile: “And you bit me too. Now the tip of my tongue is sore and numb.”

Pei Xi was in disbelief that he had the nerve to put the blame on him.

He could admit that he did bite him accidentally, but it was a soft bite, and he quickly let go once he noticed. It was Pei Xi who was kissed so hard by him that the root of his tongue was practically numb.

But he wasn’t as thick-skinned as the other party, and couldn’t bring himself to utter such a straightforward and shameful rebuttal.

As a result, a certain shameless person had the opportunity to keep talking: “But it looks like my kiss made you cry.”

He Chuzhou rubbed his fingertips across the slightly wet, red corners of his eyes with a bit of secret satisfaction and pride: “Let’s just call it a draw and not argue about it.”

Pei Xi: “……”

Pei Xi feigned calmness and pushed his hand away: “I’m not, you’re mistaken. Let go of me.”

He Chuzhou refused. Not only did he refuse to let him go, he hugged him even tighter and asked with bright eyes: “Xinxin, do you remember the ID of that boy I killed when we were playing games on my business trip?”

Pei Xi was somewhat puzzled: “Why are you asking this?”

He Chuzhou: “I’m just asking. Do you remember?”

Pei Xi could only answer: “Doesn’t Eat Coriander.”

He Chuzhou gave him a loud, forceful kiss. Before he could react, he continued to ask: “Do you remember where we picked up Xiao Yueliang?”

Pei Xi: “On the street downhill of Huainan Road?”

He Chuzhou couldn’t help but kiss him hard again: “Do you remember what clothes Mrs. Chu was wearing when you had dinner with her for the first time?”

Pei Xi: “A black coat and a light-colored shawl.”

After answering, he came to a sudden realization and covered He Chuzhou’s mouth: “You still don’t believe I’m in my right mind?”

“It’s not that I don’t believe it. I just want to be more certain.”

He Chuzhou took the opportunity to kiss his palm: “Xinxin, you don’t know how happy I am right now. I’m so happy that I’m going crazy. I even thought I was hallucinating because of the alcohol…..”

Pei Xi stared at him for a second. Pushing He Chuzhou’s head back, he picked up the half-cooled bowl of hangover soup and handed it to him again: “Drink up.”

Under He Chuzhou’s innocent gaze, he said sternly: “If you forget this tomorrow, I really will slap you.”

He Chuzhou drank it all in one gulp, then put down the bowl and took Pei Xi’s hand: “No need to wait for tomorrow. I’ll sober up tonight.”

Pei Xi frowned: “How will you do that?”

He Chuzhou: “Come on, I’ll take you somewhere~”

Ten minutes later.

Standing in front of the shelves, Pei Xi looked at the exuberant shopper pushing a cart next to him and was speechless for a while: “Your method for sobering up is to go to the supermarket in the middle of the night?”

“Yeah, walking more and taking in the cool breeze makes the alcohol fade faster.”

He Chuzhou took a bag of puffed snacks from a shelf, peered at the packaging, and tossed it into the cart: “En, some of these too.”

There were already a lot of things in the shopping cart, all of them picked out by He Chuzhou. Such was the quantity that the choices seemed random.

Pei Xi didn’t know what his basis for selection was, and asked in puzzlement: “You need so many things. Why didn’t you buy them before?”

He took a small hammer from the cart and didn’t understand: “What are you going to do with this?”

Taking the hammer, He Chuzhou turned it around and showed him the label. He said with great self-satisfaction: “Look, there’s a love heart on it.”

Pei Xi: “……?”

Pei Xi took out a hand towel made into the shape of a skirt: “Then what about this? Need I remind you that there are plenty of hand towels at home?”

He Chuzhou pointed at the hem of the skirt and said: “It has heart-patterned lace.”

Pei Xi: “ ? ? ? ”

Pei Xi: “What about this neck wrap? It’s too big for Xiao Yueliang, and too small for He Xingxing. Or do you plan to use it yourself?”

He Chuzhou: “It’s also good to hang on the wall as a decoration. Look here, it has a small pink heart pendant~”

Pei Xi: “……”

He watched as He Chuzhou tossed a heart-shaped omelette maker into the cart and finally understood the basis of his purchasing these things.

It was so ridiculous that Pei Xi really wanted to call him crazy.

But He Chuzhou argued that these were all testaments to his love. Otherwise, why could they be made into hearts when there were so many other shapes in the world? Why would they be placed in front of him when there were so many other places they could be put?

While Pei Xi was at a loss for words, He Chuzhou recalled something. With his belly pressed against the push handle of the cart, he tilted his head and confirmed seriously with Pei Xi: “Xinxin, we’re dating now, right?”

Pei Xi really didn’t want to pay attention to him right now: “Something like that.”

He Chuzhou: “My baby, this isn’t something casual.”

Pei Xi: “Whatever you say.”

“No, Xinxin, you have to confirm it. You can’t be so casual.”

He Chuzhou gave a hiss and began to whisper persistently: “Look, you like me and I like you, so logically speaking, we can date now.”

“We’ve met each other’s parents, and none of them object.”

“We’ve been living together for such a long time, and I warm your bed for you every day. We’re already ahead of eight hundred couples at the starting line.”

“We’ve kissed. That was my first kiss, Xinxin. I gave you my first kiss, so you have to be responsible for me.”

“What first kiss? Your first kiss was way before—”

Pei Xi couldn’t take it anymore, and was halfway through his retort when he suddenly noticed something from the corner of his eye. When he looked back, two girls next to the shelves blushed and turned around, pretending to be browsing.

Their ears were still pricked up.

Pei Xi: “…….”

He Chuzhou: “Xin—”

“Shut up!” Pei Xi raised his hands to cover his burning ears and strode forward: “We’re pretty much done, let’s go pay.”

He Chuzhou: “Then are we—”

Pei Xi: “Yes! We’re dating! You’re my boyfriend now. If you don’t leave with me, we’re breaking up right here.”

“ ! ”

Breaking up right after they started dating? 

That wouldn’t do!

He Chuzhou quickly followed him with the shopping cart.

He whispered “boyfriends” a couple of times as he walked at a brisk pace. A mirror on a shelf reflected his figure as he walked past, his expression all smiles.

Coincidentally, they ran into that auntie again when they were checking out.

He Chuzhou didn’t avoid her this time, and even took the initiative to say before she could open her mouth: “Oh, yes, I’m shopping here again with my wife.”

The auntie: “Yi?”

Pei Xi: “……”

The two girls had also come to pay, and were standing in the back. When they heard what He Chuzhou said, they exchanged glances and raised their hands to cover their smiles.

Pei Xi went outside empty-handed to cool down in the cold breeze.

He’d made the wrong decision.

He shouldn’t have rushed.

If he’d known that a certain person would be such a show-off now, he would have made him slowly pursue him until next year or the year after.

He Chuzhou had bought too many things. Pei Xi tried to help him carry them on the way back, but gave up halfway through.

This guy was endlessly obstinate right now.

When Pei Xi opened the door outside the front yard, not paying attention, there was sudden warmth pressed to his cheek as he was ambushed again. 

The white mist of a hot exhale was very evident in the cold air. He turned his head and waited for the mist to pass, then saw He Chuzhou’s eyes under the warm yellow street lights. Pei Xi was the sole thing reflected in them.

His heart skipped a beat, and he asked softly: “What is it?”

He Chuzhou’s smile made Pei Xi’s heart pound: “I suddenly remembered how you poured me some ice water before. It was so cute.”

After saying that, he thought for a moment and added: “No, not suddenly. You’re the only thing on my mind right now. This isn’t lovers’ prattle, just an objective fact.”

Pei Xi pursed his lips and said nothing.

He Chuzhou asked: “Why do you like me, ah?”

It couldn’t really be because of the bouquet of roses, right?

Pei Xi knew he would ask this, but hadn’t thought of an excuse yet, so he could only answer a question with a question: “Why do you guys like to ask these kinds of questions?”

“You guys?”

He Chuzhou stared blankly, then said in shock: “Who else has asked you?”

Pei Xi: “When my university roommate was in love, he asked his girlfriend this question every night over the phone.”

He Chuzhou heaved a sigh of relief and quickly kissed his fresh, warm boyfriend again to calm down.

Pei Xi: “And then his girlfriend broke up with him.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Pei Xi glanced at the man who’d suddenly become as quiet as a chicken, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

As he opened the door, he threw out a half-truth: “Because you’re nice to look at.”

*

*

Wu Qing: [I know, damn it, I know!]

Wu Qing: [I know you’re in that period where you’re head over heels in love! I know your wife praised you for being good-looking! But can you please stop trying to drag me into your love life? Am I a cheap person?]

Wu Qing: [Be careful showing off like this, or your wife’s superficial love for you might wear off tomorrow!]

He Chuzhou: [You’re superficial.]

He Chuzhou: [I’m a single tire. My mom only gave birth to me, a son. The only man in the world who looks like this is me. My wife likes my face, which means that he likes me the most in the world. / sun glasses / sunglasses]

He Chuzhou: [You know nothing about such profound love.]

Wu Qing: [Fuck you!]

Wu Qing: [Fine, fine, I know nothing.]

Wu Qing: [I’ll give you a free one-day tour of the blacklist.]

Wu Qing: [Get lost ! ! ! ! ]

He Chuzhou attempted to send an emoticon and actually saw the red exclamation point that indicated he’d been blocked. Tsk, tsk, as expected.

His damage threshold was only this high.

Then why was his damage so low when he played games?

He regretfully closed the chat box with Wu Qing, then opened his friend group chat and shared the good news of his love life once more.

Unfortunately, those inside had already heard about his marriage from Wu Qing, and responded to his insanity in a perfunctory manner.

He Chuzhou sought out Yun Ji.

Yun Ji was working overtime on plans for the next quarter, and after receiving this message, he was endlessly irritated.

Yun Ji: [Brother, it’s been so long. Don’t I already know you have a boyfriend? Why must you tell me again?]

Yun Ji: [I’m just a simple, hard-working employee. What’s the point of showing off your love life to me, ah, what’s the point?]

Yun Ji: [That’s enough about you two. Stop playing all kinds of weird games in front of me!]

Yun Ji: [Believe it or not, I won’t keep it a secret for you anymore! I’ll tell Auntie and she’ll hit you over the head!]

He Chuzhou felt that Yun Ji couldn’t afford to play.

And he wasn’t playing, ah, he was just sharing the joy.

Besides, Mrs. Chu wouldn’t hit him over the head—

Right, Mrs. Chu!

If there was anyone in the world who would share his joy at this moment, it was certainly her.

He happily found Mrs. Chu’s profile picture, copied and pasted the message, and sent it to her.

In the bathroom.

Pei Xi turned off the water and wiped it from his body. As he put on his clothes, he still didn’t understand how He Chuzhou was so easy to fool.

He was able to get away with it so easily by saying “Because you’re nice to look at.”

So what was the point of dithering for so long and not daring to speak up…..?

With mixed feelings, he went to the outer room and threw his clothes into the washing machine. Looking up, he saw his reflection in the mirror and was immediately dazed.

He looked the same as before.

But not entirely the same.

He couldn’t explain it. The fact that he had a boyfriend didn’t seem real.

He was really together with He Chuzhou.

It wasn’t a pretense to hide something, and it wasn’t his imagination due to his disordered memory. They were really together.

They had started a relationship when he was in his right mind.

His brain repeated this mantra countless times inside his skull, regardless of his will. It was an unfamiliar and complicated feeling.

He lifted a hand and placed it over his heart, as if he could feel the heat rising inside…..

“I didn’t, you’ve misunderstood.”

“No, Mom, listen to me—”

“Tsk!”

Sounds from the bedroom brought him back to his senses.

He put his hand down, opened the door, and walked out with a blush on his face. He was about to ask what was wrong when he heard Mrs. Chu’s voice sound from the speakerphone: “What kind of love are you in?”

“I’m asking you, who are you dating?!”

“Who are you dating when you already like Xinxin?!”

“Who did you learn to behave like this from? Or have you been bewitched by some short-sighted bimbo outside?!!”

“I’m telling you, if you dare to play the game of using someone and abandoning them, believe it or not, I’ll beat your head straight off!”

---

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Chapter 63 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 65

There was a mysterious island in the southern sea. It wasn’t very large, and was far away from other islands.

If pirates approached, they would almost certainly meet their ends. If there was a shipwreck, the people onboard would lose consciousness, and when they awoke, not only would their wounds be treated, but they would have plenty of food and water. Even a ship would already be approaching the coast.

But in most cases, the small island was inaccessible to ships that spied it at sea. There seemed to be undercurrents and reefs near it, and if a ship forced its way in, a shipwreck and death would follow.

Over time, this mysterious island was said to be the abode of gods. Some people wanted to find out what was there by relying on their wealth, but they were always forcibly persuaded to leave by the nearby navy.

“I heard that a pair of gods live there.”

“I heard there are treasures and secret tomes.”

“No, no, no, it’s just a retreat for a young couple.”

However, it was just an after-dinner conversation topic.

On a painted boat in Ming’an County, Miss Xi Ran was entertaining Song Xingmu. Listening to the boisterous conversations outside, she said with a smile: “That island is truly mysterious. Have you ever been there?”

Song Xingmu set down his wine glass with a smile and said: “It’s just a small island where people live in seclusion.”

As he spoke, there was a commotion outside. Song Xingmu stood up and straightened his sleeves, saying: “It seems he’s been caught.”

“You made Young Master Yi Chuan go catch the thief while you sit here drinking and having fun. You really know how to relax.” Xi Ran smiled and said, “How about we call Young Master Yi Chuan up and let him relax as well?”

Song Xingmu gave her a look, clearly displeased. Xi Ran said: “Never mind. Will you come tomorrow? I still have other news…..”

Song Xingmu waved a hand: “I won’t come tomorrow. I’m going on a long journey.”

Xi Ran was a bit puzzled and said: “It’s rare to see you travel far away.”

Song Xingmu smiled mysteriously and said: “I’m going to attend my friend’s wedding banquet.”

With that, Song Xingmu went downstairs to pick up Yi Chuan, who had already detained a man and sheathed the long and short swords at his waist. Seeing that Song Xingmu was slightly drunk again, he said impatiently: “You tricked me into doing hard labor again! You don’t do anything yourself!”

Song Xingmu just leaned over as if he had no spine, hanging an arm carelessly over Yi Chuan’s broad shoulders: “Aiyaya, those who are capable should do more work, right?”

“Your hand is healed now!” Yi Chuan narrowed his eyes dangerously. He had obviously reached the limit of his patience and was about to take action.

Song Xingrmu immediately coughed and said: “We’re setting off tomorrow. If you hurt me, they might misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand?” Yi Chuan stared blankly.

Song Xingmu hooked the ends of his fiery red hair and said: “They’ll misunderstand that I took advantage of you, so you beat me up.”

Yi Chuan thought he meant taking advantage of him doing all the work, but when he turned to see Song Xingmu’s sly smile, he followed the other’s obscene train of thought and grasped his meaning. In a flash, Yi Chuan became furious and Song Xingmu fled.

The next morning, the two men appeared at the docks. Instead of using their own vessel, they had waited for the Yue family’s ship.

Yue Xuqian was already waiting for them at the bow. They were all old acquaintances, so after saying their hellos, they jumped on board. 

Although Yue Xuqian was a modest gentleman, according to Liu Zhenqing, the Yue clan were all full of bad intentions. Seeing that Song Xingmu seemed to have a black eye, he smiled and said: “What happened?”

Song Xingmu shamelessly glanced toward Yi Chuan with a resentful look on his face.

Yi Chuan stoically pretended not to see it.

Yue Xuqian smiled and said: “Isn’t Brother Song a tender person? Did you tease Brother Yi too fiercely, so he hit you?”

Yi Chuan was instantly dumbfounded by his words. It took him a long moment to find his words and try to explain, “We’re…..not……it was because he only cares about enjoying himself and leaves me to suffer alone.”

Yue Xuqian immediately donned a look of innocence and gave an awkward cough, as if Yi Chuan had said something suggestive and made him uncomfortable. In any case, it had been determined that they were a couple.

Yi Chuan came to a realization and immediately glared at Song Xingmu to make him explain carefully.

Song Xingmu smiled and said: “It’s all my fault. I made Yi Chuan suffer.”

Yi Chuan could hardly breathe. He felt it was too easy for him to suffer a loss in such a situation, so he could only sit down and drink tea without responding.

The two men bullied an honest person for a while and then discussed the recent state of affairs. They had been helping Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing monitor the situation in the court this year.

“It’s said that the emperor has become moodier, and his health doesn’t seem to be good,” Yue Xuqian said.

“He didn’t send anyone to look for them in my area. I guess he really believes they’re dead.” Song Xingmu said with a sneer, “I’m afraid his bad health must be due to a guilty conscience.”

The two of them talked briefly about what gifts they’d brought. Yue Xuqian’s were normal, but Song Xingmu wore an extremely odd smile as he said: “I didn’t prepare anything expensive, just a small item that can add some fun to their lives. Liu Zhenqing will definitely like it.”

“Isn’t it my good brother who should like it?” Yue Xuqian smiled faintly.

“You don’t understand Liu Zhenqing.” Song Xingmu smiled mysteriously. He knew his brother’s dog nature too well.

Amidst pleasant conversation, the ship sailed for a long time before a familiar island came into sight on the vast sea. They slowly approached using a specially made nautical chart.

Very soon, they caught sight of a vessel already docked at the pier.

At this time, as he slept at home, Liu Zhenqing felt it had grown a bit noisy outside.

“Qing-ge…..”

Huo Fenglie’s voice roused him, and Liu Zhenqing let go of him where he had been clinging to him like a pillow.

The two were currently only wearing thin under robes, and their body heat seeped through those inner garments, not to mention other unusual places. 

Even though he wasn’t fully awake, Liu Zhenqing habitually teased Huo Fenglie by rubbing his legs against him with intention. Sure enough, he heard the other’s breathing catch.

He murmured innocently: “What’s wrong?”

Huo Fenglie’s voice was already hoarse: “Guests must be arriving.”

Liu Zhenqing went to sit up, but Huo Fenglie pulled him back down and held him in his arms.

Liu Zhenqing struggled a little: “What are you doing?”

“Qing-ge…..” Huo Fenglie’s voice became even rougher. His clear eyes were covered by an emotion-induced mist, blurring his rationality.

“We agreed not to sleep in the same room for three days before the wedding. You were disobedient, sneaking into my bed last night.” While scolding him, Liu Zhenqing also squirmed in Huo Fenglie’s arms, fanning the flames to the extreme.

Huo Fenglie knew very well that he was deliberately causing mischief. Making such a ridiculous request was just to make trouble for him.

Huo Fenglie really wanted to be vengeful and teach Qing-ge a lesson, but he only dared think about it. With a look from Liu Zhenqing, Huo Fenglie would instinctively obey him. At most, he could give him a strong kiss and then calm down using his internal force.

They were together day and night, and whether or not they were married was just a formality. In order to make the situation more interesting, Liu Zhenqing had come up with a “distance makes the heart grow fonder“ scheme to add a little fun. Seeing Huo Fenglie’s patient appearance always moved him.

Liu Zhenqing reclined in bed with a smile on his face, watching Huo Fenglie get up. The other sent him an aggrieved look, but when Liu Zhenqing lazily raised his arms, he still went forward to pick him up. Dressing him and tidying him up, he pampered him without limits.

Liu Zhenqing was finally able to realize his dream of calling it quits to be a lazy salted fish.

The two of them got ready and went out, arriving at a familiar courtyard.

With weeping willows, a peach grove, a stargazing tower, pavilions, streams, and a martial arts training ground, it was a near replica of the General’s Manor.

Huo Fenglie had spent a year slowly building it for Liu Zhenqing. He had said he wanted to live in seclusion with Liu Zhenqing in such a place, so he was determined to accomplish it.

They walked through the courtyard and went outside. Smoke could be seen rising from the pharmacy stoves, and they happened to meet Han Ye coming out. He had dark circles under his eyes, and yawned before saying speechlessly: “You guys just woke up?”

“Did you not sleep?” Liu Zhenqing asked curiously.

“I’m not like you!” he said with displeasure.

During this year, every time the master wanted to help his wicked disciple re-enter the medical profession, Liu Zhenqing declined for various reasons. Yet on the contrary, when Han Ye and the master visited together, the two medical disciples clashed and sometimes studied all night long.

It just so happened that there were some good things in the sea that could be used as medicine, so they were staying on the island temporarily to conduct research.

Liu Zhenqing asked: “Is Master asleep? Then why aren’t you?”

Han Ye rolled his eyes in a familiar manner. Clearly unwilling to talk to him, he turned to Huo Fenglie and said: “We don’t have enough basic medicinal ingredients. There will be many guests these two days, so more attention must be paid to what they will eat and drink at the wedding banquet. I also need to go into town for more medicinal herbs.”

Huo Fenglie nodded and said: “A ship on the east side will set sail.”

The wedding was being arranged by Huo Fenglie. Liu Zhenqing knew nothing about it, so Han Ye just went to Huo Fenglie for instructions.

As the two of them left the pharmacy and walked to the gate, red silk decorations could be seen, as well as servants replacing the lanterns. When they saw their lords coming, they all greeted them warmly. Although they didn’t dare say much to Huo Fenglie, they spoke to Liu Zhenqing very happily.

Soon after the two exited the gate, they saw a figure running toward them furiously.

Seeing that it was Qiao Jin, Liu Zhenqing said in surprise: “Is he one of the guests? What is he doing out here?”

“That’s probably not the case,” said Huo Fenglie.

Qiao Jin came to a stop, looking out of sorts: “It’s not me. The guests are on the shore.”

Liu Zhenqing asked curiously: “Then you…..”

“I came here last night.”

Lu Zhenqing instantly came to a realization and stifled his laughter: “So……you had another fight with Qiaoqiao last night? Is that why you were running away so angrily?

Qiao Jin’s expression turned ugly: “What do you care! Go pick up your guests!”

When Qiao Jin stormed away in a huff, Huo Fenglie still reminded him: “Liu Qiao is in the kitchen helping the aunties prepare food.”

QIao Jin immediately switched directions with a curse, seeming to scold Liu Qiao for having no conscience.

Liu Zhenqing really couldn’t hold back his laughter. After all, such scenes had been far too common the past year.

After following them here, Liu Qiao had refused to leave, but how could Qiao Jin agree to this? Even though he had the Western Shu Kingdom to manage, he still had to come here once a month. Fortunately, Western Shu was close to the sea and travel was fast, otherwise Liu Zhenqing suspected that most of his time would be spent on a ship.

It was just that Qiao Jin was no longer concealing his feelings, but Liu Qiao was slow to learn. Often, when Qiao Jin grew so excited that he was about to lose control, Liu Qiao would slap him back and Qiao Jin would rush to the riverbank after the conflict. Liu Zhenqing figured he was waiting for Liu Qiao to coax him. But this kind of thing was too difficult for Liu Qiao, so Qiao Jin would basically have to come back alone in a temper.

Liu Zhenqing laughed for a long time and walked along a path through the woods with Huo Fenglie. They were almost to the pier.

“I wonder who will arrive first,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

Huo Fenglie thought for a moment and said: “Song Xingmu?”

Liu Zhenqing was about to speak when he abruptly stopped, then hid timidly behind Huo Fenglie.

When Huo Fenglie looked over, his footsteps became a little unsteady.

There had been many people who didn’t find out about their escape until later, but there were two that they were most afraid of facing.

On the shore, the tall, upright He Lan had already walked to the end of the pier. Looking from left to right, he spied them at once. His entire handsome face filled with the joy and surprise of meeting someone he hadn’t seen in a long time.

Behind him was Li Xingruo, whom he had escorted there.

Being pulled along on either side of Li Xingruo were Yunci and Yunqian, who didn’t look as lively as they had before.

“Mother, what are we going here?”

“Mother, aren’t we returning to worship our ancestors?”

As she spoke, Yunci glanced around and paused. In the next moment, she let out a scream and released her mother’s hand, then suddenly rushed out.

Yunqian’s attention was also diverted by the sound. When he looked over, his face instantly paled and his lips trembled: “Second Uncle……Uncle Liu?”

Seeing the two children’s reactions, Liu Zhenqing inwardly cursed Li Xingruo to death for not telling her children the truth for an entire year.

What were he and Huo Fenglie supposed to do, ah?

Liu Zhenqing walked out with his head held high. He was about to apologize as he watched Yunci run toward him, but then the young girl threw herself into his arms.

“Uncle Liu! Uncle Liu! You didn’t come back on the seventh day, you didn’t come back at the Ghost Festival, why are you here…..wait, why are you warm?”

Huo Yunci realized something wasn’t right and looked up at once, staring at Liu Zhenqing in astonishment.

Right then, Huo Yunqian ran over too. He first stared at them in a daze for a brief moment, then grabbed Huo Fenglie’s and Liu Zhenqing’s wrists in each hand.

A few seconds later, Huo Yunqian cried: “Second Uncle, Uncle Liu, you’re not dead? You…..faked your deaths?”

“What!” Huo Yunci was speechless. Her eyes reddened, and she immediately turned back to look at her mother. When she saw that Li Xingruo didn’t seem surprised, she felt suddenly aggrieved. “You knew! You lied to us!”

Huo Yunci burst into tears, and Huo Yunqian couldn’t hold his back either.

“I’m sorry, it’s all our fault. We apologize, you can punish us however you want, all right?”

“We were wrong, don’t cry.”

Liu Zhenqing could only hug the both of them. He glared at Li Xingruo in displeasure, who glared back with absolute self-assurance. The two children were attending the Imperial Academy, and with so many eyes on them, how could she dare tell them the truth? The more upset they were, the more people outside would believe it.

Huo Fenglie, with a rare look of guilt and worry on his face, patted their shoulders as he stood behind Liu Zhenqing.

There was another ship about to dock at the beach. The people onboard also saw this scene and felt that they, as elders, hadn’t been very considerate.

Yue Xuqian spied He Lan, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, and gave him a smile and a wave. But He Lan’s eyes seemed to be scanning, searching.

Yue Xuqian had been the last person to see Qin Yu, and seeing this, he smiled and gestured to indicate that a certain person wasn’t aboard their ship.

He Lan didn’t seem surprised. Even if he had come, He Lan might not be able to see that heartless scumbag.

At this time, a horse-drawn carriage came slowly to the mainland port.

An elegant scholar was the first to emerge. He explained the matter of renting a vessel to the coachman, then turned back to the people inside the carriage and said: “The ship will likely be ready tomorrow. Let’s go into the city first and look around to see if we can find a better wedding gift. I keep feeling like what we brought isn’t satisfactory enough.”

“You’re too picky,” came a soft, reserved voice.

Bai Su smiled faintly and said: “We’re Zhanyuan’s brothers. We can’t lose face. Besides, it’s incredible that Zhanyuan is able to marry in this life, ah. It’ll only happen once, so we must prepare well. I’ll make preparations when you get married too.”

The person inside seemed to choke: “I can’t marry.”

Bai Su raised an eyebrow and smiled: “That’s not necessarily true.”

---

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Chapter 148 << Table of Contents >> Wedding Extra 2