Seeing as they were making so much noise, it was obvious that the guards outside had been completely wiped out.

Liu Zhenqing reacted calmly, calculating that the most likely option was that they had come here to deal Yi Chuan a finishing blow. He had initially thought that with notices posted all over the city asking for medical treatment, those people would not kill Yi Chuan since there was no need to do so.

Then the sounds came inside, and Liu Zhenqing looked through the gap in the closet door to see that they were rummaging around carefully, but not looking for anyone.

If they hadn’t come to deal with Yi Chuan, what were they there for?

But no matter what they were doing, with them in a state of digging three feet into the ground, it was only a matter of time before they were found.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Yi Chuan. He was holding the long sword tightly, but seeing the unnatural tremor in his hands, he knew his body was not strong enough to deal with the current situation.

Taking his hand, Liu Zhenqing wrote: Trust me.

Yi Chuan was taken aback, and looked at him in puzzlement.

Liu Zhenqing was holding a silver needle. When someone approached the door, he instantly took action before the other could pull away and stabbed one of Yi Chuan’s acupuncture points.

Yi Chuan was caught by surprise, and a mouthful of blood spurted out. Pulling Yi Chuan, Liu Zhenqing rolled through the cabinet door and onto the floor. Yi Chuan directly entered a death-like state, unable to move, but he could still faintly see and hear.

The people who had come to search were also shocked to see this situation.

Liu Zhenqing shouted: “What do you intend to do? Yi Chuan, help me, help me…..”

“Shut up!” Someone shouted, then looked at the gray-faced Yi Chuan. “He’s practically on his final breath, why are you counting on him?”

Having said this, he stopped looking at Yi Chuan, and Liu Zhenqing breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Zhenqing said hurriedly: “Who exactly are you? Enemies of Captain Song? Don’t kill me, I’m just Captain Song’s lover.”

Those people looked at Liu Zhenqing and exchanged glances. There seemed to be some disdain, but one person still came forward and said: “If the boss hadn’t taken a liking to you, I would really want to put a knife in a slut like you.”

It was novel for Liu Zhenqing to be insulted in such a way for the first time.

The hell? Slut?

The only person who would say this about him was Zhao Haicheng. The man pulled Liu Zhenqing up to a standing position and said: “Tell us, where is the portrait that Song Xingmu bought?”

Liu Zhenqing was puzzled for a moment. They were here for the portrait?

He felt suffocated. Looking at the beauty Er-gou was addicted to in the past, something was wrong.

“Don’t kill me, I know where it is. It’s on the study table in the courtyard next door,” Liu Zhenqing said decisively.

He thought that with luck, these people would leave after obtaining the portrait. However, his luck was not good.

Soon, the group that left to get the portrait returned with it, grabbed Liu Zhenqing, and carried him away.

“Wait, where are you taking me?” 

“It is not your place to ask.”

“No, if you intend to kill me, then let me die here. I don’t want to have an incomplete corpse.” Liu Zhenqing was getting the other party to talk. How could these petty thieves be Liu Zhenqing’s opponents? They immediately spoke.

“Shut up, we’re not going to kill you. We’re going to give you to our boss to cool his temper.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. Yi Chuan could hear, so he had to leave more news. He ventured: “Are you talking about…..Lieutenant General Zhao?!”

“It seems the boss wasn’t exaggerating when he praised you for being clever. Our boss is so great, but you actually disappointed him. After a few days, you will understand what an amazing person we follow.”

Having said this, he was about to drag Liu Zhenqing away.

Liu Zhenqing said while struggling: “Are you going to take me to the water village?! Aren’t you afraid that Captain Song’s people will find out?”

“The boss is not in the water village. He’s on the island. When we send you there, if the boss doesn’t want you, you’ll be thrown into the sea!” With that said, he no longer gave Liu Zhenqing any opportunities. He just picked him up and left.

Liu Zhenqing was calm and collected. He had finally left enough information.

Moreover, if they were to take him to the island, Song Xingmu’s fleet must flank them from the outside, and might even meet them halfway.

When he was thrown onto the boat, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but say: “What are you doing? Going against Captain Song, aren’t you afraid of dying?”

“Hmph, let’s see if he has any chance of surviving,” the man guarding Liu Zhenqing said.

“Captain Song has gone to sea. Aren’t you afraid you’ll encounter him?”

“He foolishly went off to fight pirates, how could he know……”

Liu Zhenqing: I think you are quite foolish.

“But you…..he will move heaven and earth for Yi Chuan, but you are just a plaything. Our boss showed you kindness, but you were too ignorant.”

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes and said: “He is only a lieutenant general. I…..”

“Bullshit. When we succeed, our boss will be the hero of the country, his status equivalent to the current general who guards the country. You’re being given a chance now, but you still don’t know how to cherish it. I warn you, when we get to the island, you had better take the initiative to make the boss happy, or…..” The man gave him a look of warning.

Liu Zhenqing critiqued internally, He is nothing compared to the general who guards the country. The general is mine. But Liu Zhenqing’s expression was shocked and uneasy. “What do you mean? You want to…..to…..”

“That’s right, rebel! Now that I’ve told you so much, you should understand, right? If you don’t become the boss’s person, you will die!”

Liu Zhenqing wanted to say more, but the guard was already annoyed and knocked him out directly. When he awoke, he was on a bed inside a room.

He quickly got up, but because he was still tied with rope, he could only sit up with difficulty. He looked up and saw that the portrait scroll on the table had not been opened, which meant nobody had come yet. Looking around again, he saw that the layout of the room was not simple. There was a desk for handling official business nearby, and a huge map hung on the wall behind the desk, including the sea region and the city on the shore. This was a customary decoration common among military officials. He was definitely in Zhao Haicheng’s rooms on the island.

Liu Zhenqing naturally knew this map by heart from when he and Song Xingmu fought together.

What was strange was that there was an area painted with vermillion on it. That area basically surrounded half the city with the coastline as one side, and seemed to follow the water veins of the underground river.

Liu Zhenqing was looking at it curiously when the door opened, and the sound of rapid footsteps could be heard along with an argument.

“Who told you to do this!” It was clearly Zhao Haicheng’s furious voice.

“But Boss, you were out of your mind a few days ago. Wasn’t it because you couldn’t buy the painting, and something about Young Master Huo? We were afraid that something big would happen and the painting would be destroyed, so we took it in advance. It just so happened that Young Master Huo was there, so it was convenient…..doesn’t the boss like him? Then keep him by your side, lest he die. Anyway, Song Xingmu is still at sea. Nobody will find him.”

They obviously looked down on Liu Zhenqing, but wanted their boss to be happy, so they did this.

Zhao Haicheng didn’t know that this matter was beneficial to Liu Zhenqing. As long as he didn’t go berserk, his safety was still guaranteed.

Sure enough, when Zhao Haicheng walked in, he saw Liu Zhenqing curled up and trembling on the bed, and was dumbstruck. He turned around and said impatiently: “Get out.”

When the group of subordinates saw this situation, they promptly concluded that the boss had accepted their kind gesture. They ran out happily and were considerate enough to close the door.

Liu Zhenqing shook when he heard the movement.

The room was quiet for a while. Finally, Zhao Haicheng said: “Don’t be so afraid, you won’t be killed.”

Zhao Haicheng’s tone was very bad, not as gentle and soft as in the past.

When Liu Zhenqing looked up, his eyes were red. Zhao Haicheng was stunned, and stood up as if he had been stimulated. “Who are you showing this look to!”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. Shouldn’t he pretend to be afraid? How did he turn out to be so crazy?

He didn’t know, so he could only look at him blankly.

Facing this appearance of his, Zhao Haicheng became even angrier. He walked directly to the bed, grabbed his chin, and scoffed coldly: “You really know how to arouse a man’s interest. That night in the alley, was it because of that expression that you hooked two men?”

Liu Zhenqing: ……

It seemed that after his many dramas, his image in Zhao Haicheng’s heart had changed completely, and now he was a coquettish slut.

Liu Zhenqing revealed a look of disbelief.

Zhao Haicheng scoffed: “Unfortunately, I respected you so much in the beginning and tried to help you.”

Wearing a frightened expression, Liu Zhenqing said, “I don’t need it. You kidnapped me here when I was about to leave.”

“Oh? Leave with that guard gege of yours?!” Zhao Haicheng gritted his teeth. “It’s a pity that you can’t leave. Now that you’re on the island, you must continue to follow us unless you no longer want to live.”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Zhao Haicheng with despair: “Are you unable to let go of me?”

Zhao Haicheng was stunned and let go of Liu Zhenqing, taking a step back. He murmured at once: “Where does it look like that?”

Liu Zhenqing thought he heard wrong and glanced at Zhao Haicheng.

Zhao Haicheng seemed to suddenly come to his senses. He took a big step back, but bumped into the table.

As the scroll rolled, it was already a little loose. It unfolded instantly, and a painting of a bride appeared before Liu Zhenqing.

Zhao Haicheng seemed to freeze for a moment, staring blankly. Then he gingerly placed the painting flat on the table, looking at it carefully. Finally, he rubbed the cheek of the person in the painting, landing on the two moles.

This gesture gave Liu Zhenqing goosebumps all over his body.

Wait, Zhao Haicheng…..liked him in the past?

But before Liu Zhenqing could be amazed, he saw Zhao Haicheng’s expression abruptly change as he hit the person in the painting with his fist. The hatred carried in that force was very obvious.

Liu Zhenqing was confused. This…..this was hate.

“Do you know the person in the painting?” Liu Zhenqing was curious to death, and couldn’t help moving to the side of the bed. His body was getting a little hot, likely because of his impatience.

Zhao Haicheng suddenly came to his senses, his face changing colors. Then he scoffed coldly and said, “I know them.”

“Oh? Who is it?”

Zhao Haicheng scoffed again: “You’ll be scared to death if I tell you.”

Liu Zhenqing: ……

“He is…..Liu Zhenqing, who brought disaster to the world nine years ago!”

Liu Zhenqing: This person knew him even in women’s clothing. How familiar was he with him, ah? Why didn’t he have any impression at all?

“This painting is clearly…..” Liu Zhenqing spoke cooperatively.

“It’s just that the artist painted on women’s clothing. Never in my life will I forget his appearance,” Zhao Haicheng said with gritted teeth.

Since he was unaware that he had dressed up, Zhao Haicheng just assumed it was painted on the artist’s whim. It seemed that this had nothing to do with the first trip south, but the second.

“Isn’t he dead? Why do you still hate him so much?” Liu Zhenqing feigned confusion and said, “Is it related to your rebellion?”

Zhao Haicheng abruptly looked at Liu Zhenqing, who hastily said: “Your brother told me on the boat.”

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Haicheng said: “Of course I hate him. If not for what he did back then, how…..how could so many people have died on our island, and how could we embark on the path of rebellion?”

Liu Zhenqing skewed his eyes and said: “You’re lying. Even though I never knew that person, I also heard that he summoned 30,000 troops to root out the pirates and protect the islands. Even though others curse him, why do you, the ones he protected, curse him? And where did so many people die on an island? Captain Song said that during his command, few people died unless they privately went out to sea.”

When it came to this, Liu Zhenqing was dumbfounded.

Wrong, wrong!

The statistics of the island residents were available every year, and there was no difference from year to year. There were clearly a lot of rebels on this island. Could it be that they were all in hiding during the inspections?

Although, it wasn’t impossible.

Could it be that so many of the original inhabitants died, and the rebels just filled in the gaps? The people who came for the inspection may not have known the island residents. They just counted the number of people — according to the statistics, once the original inhabitants of the island joined forces with the rebels, the inspectors would not have noticed at all.

Then the rebels could believably live on this island as the dead islanders, so no matter how they tracked the rebels, they could never be found.

In other words, the residents of this island really did die long ago, and according to Zhao Haicheng, it was because of him?!

Thinking of this, Liu Zhenqing should have felt a chill, but his body was becoming hotter and hotter. He knew medicine. Even though he was concentrating on other things at the moment, he could still feel that something was wrong with his body.

Liu Zhenqing forced himself to calm down, and made his first judgment. Those men must have done something when he was unconscious! Truly vile! When it came to drugs, this particular one needed a partner, ah!

It seemed that the person in front of him was unaware, so there was still room to maneuver. After all, Zhao Haicheng’s attention was elsewhere now. Liu Zhenqing could only covertly inflict pain on himself to delay the effects of the drug.

Liu Zhenqing’s question was reasonable, but it infuriated Zhao Haicheng.

Zhao Haicheng suddenly hit the portrait with his fist again, as if wishing he could kill the person in it.

“You have no idea what things a villain like him could do. Had he not been deliberately using the excuse of eradicating pirates in order to seek military power from the emperor, we wouldn’t have suffered this misfortune! Before, we occasionally encountered pirates when we went out to sea, but as long as we had enough supplies, everyone could still live. But he had to make a show out of getting rid of the pirates. It was he who gave us hope and then destroyed us all. Once he was gone, we were met with brutal reprisals. You guess what kind of hell this island went through eight years ago.”

The sorrowful look on Zhao Haicheng’s face and the hatred in his eyes stunned Liu Zhenqing at once, and even the heat in his body seemed to freeze over.

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

He likes darkness and doesn’t like lights, but at this time, he insists on turning on the lights so that I can see.

I no longer care about face, and call for help regardless. 

There are many doctors living downstairs, and several people are on duty every night, but no matter how much I shout, nobody comes to save me.

It’s as if we are trapped in a separate space, where it is just him and me.

“What do you think? Where is he?” He speaks in my ear, breathing against the skin behind my ear and on my neck.

I’ve given up struggling, or am unable to struggle. The portrait of my lover is less than five centimeters from my face. My upper body lays on the table and I cover my face with my hands, kneeling on the tatami mat. 

At first glance, it looks like I am kneeling to pay respects to my dead husband, but in fact, the hands and arms covering my face are shaking like chaff. The towel I’m wearing is now under my knees.

After a long moment, he sighs almost inaudibly: “Be good, stop crying.”

He lifts my upper body and makes me sit on his lap, then bends down to wipe my eyes with his fingers: “I haven’t done anything to you, why are you crying so pitifully?”

I don’t know if I cried so hard that he lost his mood, but after I give up fighting and hide my face to evade, he actually lets me off.

I’m forced to sit in his arms, my body exposed to the cool air.

He puts an arm around my shoulders, and I strive to bend down and reach for the towel that has fallen on the floor. 

As if deliberately teasing me, he holds me loosely at first and waits for me to reach out each time, then grabs my shoulders and drags me back. My fingers are always two centimeters short of reaching the piece of cloth.

This action also exposes my back to the light. A cold hand travels across my back, nails scratching my skin like the scales of a venomous snake. My hair stands on end wherever it touches.

I really don’t want to cry, but the anger and shame make my eyes well up with tears that hit the arm trapping me.

He sighs again and turns me over.

I lay on the floor, and his arms support me as he looks down at me from the side. That pair of bottomless eyes are like an exquisite and meticulous painting, but the painter didn’t add any finishing touches. They are a simple combination of deep black and pure white, and the black is like an endless night, the dark storm inside chilling and daunting.

His eyes curve as he smiles at me, and then he leans down and kisses me.

He seems addicted to this kind of skin-to-skin contact. During the first few days where I didn’t notice that anything was wrong, he kept me up late every night.

He is not a human being, but he has the qualities of a human man.

I stare at the ceiling with my eyes open and let it happen. After a long while, he raises his head contentedly, and I close my eyes, gasping for breath.

My body is finally covered with clothes. I immediately grasp hold of the thing I have lost and found and try to cover every inch of exposed skin. 

“Won’t you look at me?” He wipes the corners of my eyes with his thumbs and strokes my eyelashes. “I won’t force you if you don’t want it, but you won’t even give me a kiss?”

He picks me up, takes the bathrobe from my hands and dresses me neatly, and leans over to kiss my cheek.

“I only blame you for thinking he is good. Don’t be angry. I’ll be better than him.”

He cannot empathize with me, and fundamentally can’t understand that I’m not angry at all. Or it could be said that too many emotions have accumulated in my heart, making me numb to anger.

I was humiliated over and over again in front of my dead husband’s portrait. Even though nothing happened, it already exceeded my moral bottom line.

I regret wanting to take back the portrait. I don’t have the face to let Mingcheng’s portrait stay at home anymore.

“I will send Mincheng’s portrait back tomorrow.” My heart pounds as I say this.

I have lost him again.

I hope Mingcheng’s spirit in heaven won’t blame me.

But the “person” in front of me is very happy. When he hears what I said, his eyes light up. He drags me by my thighs and picks me up, his squinted eyes filled with light: “Why tomorrow? That woman doesn’t want him to stay here either, so why not let her take him back tonight?”

He says this, but suddenly refutes himself. “That won’t work, don’t let her come. Both siblings annoy me. I’ll go send him away.”

I turn him down: “You will scare the elders.”

When he hears this, he looks at me silently for a moment. His lips curl. “The deceased is gone, and it is always bad to reappear. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. It would be better to burn it and send it back to the cemetery.”

With that said, he puts me down and actually tries to touch Mingcheng’s portrait.

“Stop!” I quickly stop him and stand in front of the portrait.

He raises an eyebrow at me, still smiling, but his eyes are dark and deep. “What’s wrong? You won’t give it away, and you won’t throw it away. Do you love him so much? That’s fine, I won’t force you.”

He says this, but I can’t relax at all. There is absolutely nothing I can do against him, so I don’t dare offend him. I can only endure my anger and try to coax him: “I will try to send him back as soon as possible.”

He caresses my neck with the backs of his fingers. “Okay, ah, it’s all up to you. Let’s go rest now.”

I am extremely resistant to sleeping with him. Even if he doesn’t touch me, it is still a nightmare.

“What’s wrong? With him here, you don’t want to sleep? In that case, I also feel awkward…..” He sighs. “Then take him with you. You can look at him tonight.”

I’m stunned for a moment, and raise my head to look at him.

He smiles at me. His eyelashes are thick and long, and the corners of his lips curve beautifully, but the smile on his face scares me. “Who made him your true love? I can only bear it, A-Zhen. Let’s get married too, we’ll have a wedding at home, just the two of us. Oh, no, let’s add him too.”

“On the wedding night, you hold him close to your chest.” He lowers his head and presses his lips to the corner of mine as he speaks dirty words.

I push him away forcefully and grit my teeth, uttering one word: “Beast.”

He scoffs: “I’m a beast? Good. Anyway, in your eyes, I’m a nuisance that you can’t get rid of, so that’s fine. It doesn’t matter. After all, I can’t compare to him, so let me carry out this evildoing to the end.”

I don’t know what he’s going to do, but it definitely won’t be a good thing, so when he turns around, I quickly step forward and hug him from behind.

He pauses abruptly.

“I’ll rest with you. I’ll send him away too. Don’t do anything…..please.”

. . . . . . . .

At night, he embraces me from behind and coaxes me to sleep as usual. 

A hand passes under my arm and lands on my chest. Although he doesn’t fiddle around, his other arm goes around my waist. His fingers press and rub my belly.

I don’t know what life is like between other couples, but Mingcheng also liked to touch my belly, so I know what this means.

He doesn’t show anything on his face, and his warm voice also tells me to go to bed early.

But I know he is not at all what he appears to be.

He is bottling it up, and enduring it very hard.

“Good boy, why won’t you sleep?”

I’m on tenterhooks, but I also know that if I stay awake, it will only be more dangerous. However, I’m so anxious that it is difficult to sleep.

“Don’t be afraid of me.” I don’t know how many times he has sighed tonight. The hand he placed on my chest moves to my eyes, and the other hand goes outside the quilt to gently rub my body. “Have a good sleep.”

I fall asleep without knowing it, and have a dream that is neither short nor long.

In the dream, I actually go back to the day I got married.

There were many people at home that day, and the house was full of guests. Everyone wished us a happy marriage and a long life together.

I was very happy, and smiled until my face was stiff with fatigue.

Getting married was very tiring. Mingcheng and I toasted to many elders and were toasted by many people. It was so busy that I didn’t know what time it was, and I was so tired that I couldn’t endure it anymore. So I left Mingcheng and sneaked back to the room.

Although we were both men and couldn’t have children, for the sake of good fortune, our elders still covered our bed with longan and peanuts, which symbolized the early birth of a child.

I pushed them aside to make room for me to lie down. I intended to wait for Mingcheng to come back, but lying down was so comfortable that I actually fell asleep.

Later, I was woken up by a crunching sound. This was the sound of teeth breaking through a solid object. I almost thought it was a rat making trouble. When I opened my eyes in a daze, I realized that it was Mingcheng.

He was wearing the white wedding suit of the groom, with a jeweled rose brooch on his chest. The smell of alcohol on his body was very strong, and as he chewed, his long, dense eyelashes fluttered and his cheeks moved slightly.

His cold, jade-white hands held a handful of longan and peanuts.

“Mingcheng.”

I called out to him and he was stunned for a moment. He raised his eyes to look at me, and they were red with drunkenness.

I laughed at him with no trace of politeness. “You’re so funny, why are you eating the peanut shell too?”

He paused and took a closer look at the half peanut he held in his hand. His thick eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if he was studying some important document.

It took him a long time to reveal an astonished expression, and he finally figured out that he had bitten the peanut in half.

I couldn’t stop laughing. I complimented him on how cute he was, and took the initiative to kiss him.

When I kissed him, his face instantly turned red, and the soft light in his beautiful eyes shined with hope.

But in an instant, these eyes lost their pupils, and the kiss turned from sweet to forced. My gentle lover became a black and white portrait and was thrown to the ground, the ashes from the incense burner spilling out.

I was overwhelmed by shock and horror. Regardless of the evil ghost beside me, I cried and protected the portrait of my lover.

But the “person” at my side tried to stop me.

I was so angry that I raised my hand to hit him and told him to get out.

But his face was dripping with blood just like Mingcheng. There was a fatal wound on his neck that was left when he saved me, and his airway flowed open and closed as he spoke, blood pouring out.

“It’s me, A-Zhen.”

Two lines of bloody tears flowed from his eyes, dark red and black blood dripping from the corners.

I open my eyes suddenly and shout out loud: “Mingcheng—”

The room is already bright. The alarm clock on the table shows 8:30 a.m, and there is no one next to me.

My chest heaves violently, and the excessive breathing causes a golden light to appear before my eyes.

I stay in bed for a long while until a nurse knocks on my door at nine o’clock and tells me to take my medicine. After I take it, she tells me that this is the last day the doctor will stay in my home. I am in good condition, and the doctor can leave.

I take the medicine mechanically and nod in acquiescence.

My mind is still recalling the previous night’s dream.

I dreamt about him.

In the six months since he left, I have never dreamed about him.

Did he give me this dream?

His remains are not yet cold, and I am living with his imposter. Does he blame me?

I enter the room again where he is enshrined. His portrait is still on the table, and his smile remains the same.

But we are already separated from one another.

I pick up the portrait and hug it tightly to my chest. My tears have dried up and my soul has vanished.

But I can only send his portrait back.

I don’t send it back to the Wen house. I send it back to my mother.

For a long time after that, I obey that “person” because I know there is nothing I can do against him.

The fact that he is able to enter my old home means that the Black Nanjia was brought in by means unknown to me and hidden there. As long as he doesn’t want me to find it, I never will.

The Divine Attendant told me a long while ago that I wouldn’t be able to send him away. I think my heart is already dead like ashes. Fortunately he can’t get close to me during the day, so I can go to my mother’s house and pay respects to Mingcheng’s portrait.

In the next few days, I dream about Mingcheng several times. In the dreams, he is either smiling or sad, but maybe it is the forced guise when facing that other “person” that makes me so exhausted and grieving that I long for dreams of him. 

“You seem to sleep much better these days. You always used to go to bed very late. I’m very happy, A-Zhen.” He turns me over and embraces me face to face.

I raise my eyes and smile at him.

The two of us embrace sweetly like lovers.

Life has become very peaceful, but as each day passes, I can bear it less and less.

It is like the smile on one’s face when entertaining guests. If you smile for too long, it becomes stiff and painful.

I don’t know if he has noticed anything wrong with me, but I don’t care anymore. I start going to my mother’s house to offer incense to Mingcheng,

It is my only comfort, but gradually, I am no longer satisfied with this.

I find that after my life becomes calmer, I rarely dream of him.

I sleep with a ghost, but I can’t see him in my dreams.

Maybe he thinks I’ve betrayed him, and is disappointed in me.

The pain accumulates day by day, and finally, I make a very bold and foolish decision on my mother’s advice.

I seek out a shaman.

I intend to recall his soul.

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Chapter 26 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 28

Leaving the villa area, Pei Xi took a taxi home as quickly as he could. Upon entering the door, he went straight to the bathroom.

Less than half an hour passed before he opened the door and emerged with half-dried hair.

He didn’t have time to grab clothes before he went in, so he only had a bath towel around his waist. His upper body was dazzlingly white, and still looked slender with the thin layer of muscle covering it. 

In his hand, he held the ice seed jadeite bracelet he had just taken off his wrist in the bathroom, and he threw it on the bed like trash as soon as he entered the room.

Then he turned around and found a clean set of clothes in the closet. The white shirt was gathered up and buttoned to the top, completely covering the cold white of his chest.

The mirror against the wall to the side dutifully reflected the young man’s entire body.

He wore a suit, a neat tie, and was meticulously groomed from head to ankles, the aura of a superior wrapped within his unique cool calmness.

His cellphone, which was running low on battery, was still able to hold on for an incoming call.

There was just a number without a title. It was Xiao Gu, the temporary assistant assigned to him by the company.

Pei Xi picked up the car keys and walked out.

“No need, I will be at the company right away.”

“You should have finished the handover of Dong Han’s recent work. Print out the documents needed for today’s meeting and put them in my office.”

“Complete the information on the results of last week’s discussion as soon as possible. If there are any mistakes, go to the HR department yourself. I don’t need a troublesome assistant by my side.”

“Also, contact a local courier and tell him to go directly to the front desk when he arrives.”

Once he was done giving systematic instructions, Pei Xi hung up and stepped into the elevator.

Pei Group Headquarters.

Xiao Gu, who from beginning to end had only asked “Do I need to send the files to your email,” stared for a long time at the phone that had returned to its normal interface, then slowly turned his head.

“Isn’t it said that President Pei is easy to get along with and never puts excessive pressure on the employees around him?”

He held his cellphone with a look of despair: “Doesn’t your conscience hurt at all, deceiving my feelings like this?”

The two supervisors in front of him exchanged confused glances.

They were people who often dealt with Pei Xi at work, and although Pei Xi had a cold and unsmiling temperament, he was actually not difficult to get along with.

Why was he suddenly so confrontational today?

Who had provoked him?

“Maybe…..he wants to help you grow?”

“He just had an accident, which delayed his work, and Assistant Dong is taking a long vacation, so it’s normal for him to be a little emotional.”

“Relax, it will get better after a while.”

“Your work ability will definitely satisfy President Pei. I am optimistic about you.”

Xiao Gu lowered his head to look at his phone. Thinking of the phone call just now, he felt that the faces of these two people were full of deception. 

Would it really go smoothly?

Why did President Pei sound so…..fierce……ah……

*

*

Pei Xi arrived at the company before eleven o’clock.

The express courier had arrived one step ahead of him and was receiving other deliveries at the front desk.

Xiao Gu had estimated the time and was already waiting at the door, fully armed. When he saw him enter, he immediately went to greet him: “Hello, President Pei. I am Xiao Gu.”

Xiao Gu: “All of the meeting documents have been printed, bound, and placed in your office. The other information is still being prepared and will be handed over to you before 3pm at the latest.”

“Understood.”

Pei Xi handed him the ice seed jadeite bracelet that didn’t even have a packaging bag and said in a cold voice: “Send this to the He Group headquarters building.”

Xiao Gu quickly took it with both hands: “Okay, who is the recipient?”

“He Chuzhou.”

Pei Xi threw these two words down stiffly, then turned around and headed to the conference room with an expressionless face.

Oh, He Chuzhou.

……Ah? He Chuzhou?

Xiao Gu twisted his neck, as confused as the two front desk sisters who had listened from beginning to end with their ears perked up. 

“President Pei is sending something to President He?”

“Isn’t it said that these two people are incompatible?”

“No way, isn’t this the bracelet that was auctioned at a high price a couple days ago???”

One of the sisters spotted the hidden details with sharp eyes. She quickly tapped the phone twice and then raised it to show the other: “Look, here’s the industry news feed from the past two days. It was taken by President He.”

“It seems to be the item, ah.”

“Ninety-five million??!”

“Oh my god……”

Amidst the gasps, the young express delivery brother’s expression was stunned. He slowly looked at the bracelet, and the hand that was writing down the order shook.

This thing was just handed to him?

Didn’t his household have a safe?

“But why is it in President Pei’s hands?”

“A gift from President He?”

“??? What are you saying?”

“I. Under. Stand.”

The sister suddenly skewed her eyes, her face glowing red as she put away her phone: “The incompatibility between fire and water is just a cover-up. In fact, this is about spending a lot of money to win a beauty’s smile, but the beauty didn’t appreciate it in the end. Competing fiercely and unwilling to lag behind, the wife-chasing road is long~”

“…….”

The corners of her companion’s mouth twitched: “Jiejie, how did you come to this conclusion?”

“I’m speaking from experience.”

The sister smiled and said: “I’m just an ordinary scholar, don’t admire me too much.”

*

*

At the end of the meeting, all of the executives who left the high-level conference room were sweating profusely.

They hadn’t had such a speechless meeting in a long time.

They hadn’t had such great work pressure in a long time either.

Had their company lost a huge project recently?

It shouldn’t have?

Then why did it feel like the low pressure surrounding their immediate boss was about to blow up the conference room?

Small mistakes that were usually easily forgiven were now infinitely magnified, and serious warnings were given. Just one glance from him would send shivers down one’s spine.

Was the company going to lay off employees?

Was he preparing to take action against them???

There was a moment of panic among senior management, but Pei Xi knew nothing of how the meeting left their small minds in disarray.

After returning to his office, he first made a few internal calls to make follow-up work arrangements, then opened his mailbox and marked the newly received emails as read. Finally, he took the well bound documents on the side and began to process them.

It was only that the stack of documents was not very thick, and he hadn’t turned a page for over ten minutes.

No, he wasn’t reading them at all.

He covered his eyes irritably in the sunshine that filled the room.

As soon as there was silence, his mind was flooded by all of the stupid things he said and did to He Chuzhou the previous night when he was out of his mind. He couldn’t concentrate on his work at all.

Yes, he remembered it all.

From the phone call he made to He Chuzhou when he woke up at night to insisting that He Chuzhou hug him to sleep, he remembered everything clearly.

He had never expected that the so-called confused memory would actually lead him to think that scumbag was his husband.

Perhaps he should be grateful to He Chuzhou for not leaving him alone in the hospital, but he was too affected by subjective psychological factors and only felt sick.

Sick because of He Chuzhou’s skillfully coaxing words, because of his arms that had held countless men and women, and even more because of his bed that had been rocked by countless others.

Even after taking a thorough shower and changing clothes, he still felt as if he had that person’s scent on him, making him extremely disgusted.

Letting out a deep breath, he simply closed the documents and took the cell phone beside him. He found He Chuzhou’s phone number in his contacts and blocked it with one click.

This was purely an accident. He needed to treat it as if it had never happened. The same was true for He Chuzhou. He would not give He Chuzhou any chance to use this matter to threaten him or laugh at him.

Yes, threaten him.

He rubbed his forehead and began to recall whether he had left anything behind with He Chuzhou last night.

Call records proved nothing.

He had also sent back the bracelet.

He hadn’t signed the letter of guarantee. It was written solely by He Chuzhou, so he couldn’t use it as evidence…..

The phone rang suddenly, and his thoughts were interrupted. He answered with a frown: “What is it?”

The male voice on the other end contained a familiar smile. It was his schoolmate Xie Ling, who was now a well-known lawyer in the industry. They had kept in contact for many years after graduation. 

Xie Ling: “Some old classmates have come to Wancheng recently and invited us to get together tonight. Will you go?”

Pei Xi: “I won’t go, I’m busy.”

Xie Ling: “I guessed that would be the case. But your tone…..”

Xie Ling knew him well, and could tell that there was something wrong from just a few words: “Are you in a bad mood? Who messed with you?”

Pei Xi didn’t respond: “It’s nothing. I still have work to do, so I’ll hang up first.”

“Okay, if you don’t want to go, then don’t go.”

Xie Ling didn’t force him: “Actually, I told them a while ago that you would probably be too busy with work to spare the time, and wouldn’t accompany these drunkards—”

Pei Xi suddenly changed his words and interrupted: “Time and place.”

Xie Ling said reflexively: “Eight pm, Wanxiang Town, Xinjie street.”

Xie Ling: “Wait, why are you asking this? Do you plan to pick me up then? Are you so considerate?”

Pei Xi: “Understood. I will be there on time.”

Xie Ling: “?”

“Didn’t you just say you weren’t going?”

Xie Ling was delighted by his capriciousness: “Don’t say I didn’t warn you, those few are reincarnations of drunkards, and they won’t stop until they get drunk one by one.”

Pei Xi: “Understood.”

*

*

At 8 o’clock in the evening, Pei Xi arrived at Wanxiang Town on time.

He rarely attended gatherings with classmates, and was a rare visitor today. As soon as he entered the door, he was surrounded by enthusiastic old classmates and drank a whole cup.

Fortunately, it was just a cocktail and the alcohol content wasn’t high.

“That’s enough, ah. It’s not like you don’t know our top student can’t drink much, so don’t overwhelm him as soon as he comes in.”

Xie Ling raised his voice in a shout to rescue him, then led him away from the crowd to sit down on a corner sofa: “You’re actually here, ah. Do you need me to help block a few drinks later?”

Pei Xi: “No need.”

Xie Ling: “You really don’t want me to?”

Pei Xi nodded. Just then, the happily laughing class leader wandered over and insisted on honoring Pei Xi with a cup.

Pei Xi didn’t evade it, and drank at once.

Xie Ling felt that it was a rarity. He touched his chin while looking at him, and waited until the class leader left before speaking: “What sort of trouble could cause you to come out and get drunk?”

Pei Xi set down his cup: “There’s no trouble.”

Xie Ling: “Did He Chuzhou steal another project from you?”

When he heard that name, Pei Xi paused slightly and his face became colder: “No.”

Xie Ling felt that it should really be related to He Chuzhou: “Say, you guys are fighting too hard against each other. Why don’t you just discuss a win-win solution?”

“If your two leading companies cooperate, it would be easy to dominate the business district. Remember to hand over the contract to my agency, and I’ll give you a 9.2% discount on the agency fee.”

“We can’t cooperate.”

Pei Xi left no room to maneuver, breaking his fantasy: “The Pei and He groups will never cooperate.”

Okay, then.

Xie Ling smiled helplessly and didn’t dig deeper.

Pei Xi’s drinking capacity was indeed not very good, but he had a third round.

His nerves were numbed and his thoughts were so blurry that he didn’t have time to think about messy things, so he was just barely able to calm down.

Xie Ling helped stop a few drunk people who still wanted to come over and drink with him: “It’s too early to go. If you’re really dizzy, just close your eyes for a while and we’ll leave together later.”

Pei Xi nodded. Amidst the drunkenness, he reclined on the corner sofa and closed his eyes.

The noise in his ears never stopped.

There was constant laughter and quarreling. Pei Xi slept uneasily, and his mind was thrown into chaos. For a brief moment, his consciousness went blank, then the hustle and bustle returned in the next second. 

His shoulder was hit neither hard nor lightly. His eyelashes fluttered and his eyes opened. When he saw the lively scene in front of him, he was stunned for a moment, and his eyes flashed with confusion.

Xie Ling had just persuaded a drunkard who was already walking unsteadily, and turned around to find that his eyes were open: “You woke up? It will probably take them more than ten minutes. How about you sleep a little longer? Or I can just call a driver for you first.”

Pei Xi shook his head, and it was unknown what was on his mind.

Xie Ling felt that he seemed a little different after waking up, but couldn’t tell what it was. He reached out and waved a hand in front of him: “Are you still asleep?”

Pei Xi shook his head again.

Xie Ling thought he was just drowsy.

After looking at the situation in their box, he was about to call a driver over first when he suddenly heard Pei Xi ask: “Where is Chuzhou?”

Xie Ling abruptly stopped typing.

“What?”

He felt like he was hallucinating: “Who?”

But Pei Xi stopped talking.

Immediately afterwards, Xie Ling watched as Pei Xi opened the phone in front of him. After a moment of fiddling, he dragged the number marked “He Chuzhou” from the blacklist, then looked up: “I’m going out to make a phone call.”

Xie Ling: “? ? ?”

---

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Chapter 7 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 9

He Chuzhou accepted his fate the moment he opened his mouth.

In early autumn, the nighttime temperature was not very high. This person had just come from the hospital, and looked so fragile running around like this. His head wasn’t healed yet, and he could catch a cold due to the wind.

It was just a 500-word letter of guarantee. He would just write it. There should be a lot of templates online, so he would just copy one and be done.

“He Xingxing knocked over the trash can. I was cleaning it up.”

He threw the blame on the dog without any burden of conscience, then put away his phone and walked over to casually touch Pei Xi’s half-dried hair: “Why did you come out without blow drying it?”

Pei Xi’s voice also seemed to be soaked in water vapor, with a moist, soft tone: “I couldn’t find the hair dryer.”

This straightforward and obedient attitude suddenly made He Chuzhou’s hands itch, so he simply patted him again: “I think I put it in the bedroom. Come on, I’ll find it for you.”

The soft hair felt surprisingly good.

Pei Xi followed him into the bedroom and watched him take out a white hair dryer from the bedside table. He asked: “Chuzhou, have you finished writing your letter of guarantee?”

He Chuzhou had known he wouldn’t forget. He bent down and inserted the plug into the socket, handing the hair dryer to him: “I was just discussing work with someone. I’ll write it right away, you blow dry your hair first.”

“Okay,” Pei Xi said.

He Chuzhou planned to go to the study and find a piece of paper first, but as soon as he reached the door, he was stopped by Pei Xi.

He turned around: “Can’t find the switch?”

“No.” Pei Xi put his free hand on his stomach, as if feeling something. “I haven’t eaten in a long time.”

“Chuzhou, I’m so hungry.”

*

*
In the open kitchen connected to the living room, He Chuzhou stood in front of the refrigerator, selecting ingredients.

A person who had just been discharged from the hospital would be weak and shouldn’t eat heavy food. It was best to eat something light. Cooking seafood noodles should do it.

He Chuzhou boiled some water and put in a handful of noodles. The faint sound of the wind could be heard in the room, and he found that this night was truly fantastical.

He had taken Pei Xi home, was cooking noodles for Pei Xi, and would soon write a letter of guarantee for Pei Xi.

Heh, the level of novelty was no less than that of Ultraman proposing to Captain America. Who would believe it if he told them?

His cell phone suddenly vibrated. Looking at the caller ID, he clicked to answer: “What?”

A crisp “Ge” came from the receiver. There was no telling what He Aiyue was excited about in the middle of the night: “What are you busy with?”

He Chuzhou said casually: “Who told you I was busy?”

He Aiyue: “Aren’t you ‘bosses’ busy all day long?”

He Chuzhou: “I’m going to hang up.”

“Ai, don’t, don’t!” He Aiyue quickly stopped him with a laugh, then said in a flattering tone: “Something’s going on, ah. Your dear little sister has a small favor she needs your help with.”

He Chuzhou turned down the heat: “What small favor? You want me to help you with a test paper again?”

He Aiyue spoke with a sense of righteousness: “How could that be? I’ve finished all my test papers this week!”

He Chuzhou raised an eyebrow and glanced at the call interface. Was she sensible?

He Aiyue: “Actually, it’s a mathematics olympiad exercise book. There are still two units and I really can’t write anymore. Ge, there is more merit in saving a life than in building—”^[1]

He Chuzhou: “I messaged Mom.”

He Aiyue: “…..a pagoda…..”

He Aiyue: “Ah?”

He Aiyue: “Ahhhhhhh!”

He Aiyue: “Boss He! How could you stab me in the back without regard for martial ethics!”

He Chuzhou: “Second child, you flatter me.”

“Okay, we’re playing for keeps, right?”

He Aiyue’s attitude changed instantly: “Believe it or not, I’m going to tell Mom that you’re hiding a beauty at home. When she comes to the house and finds out that you’re still a single dog, she will bombard you for three days and three nights!”

He Chuzhou had long been immune to these petty fights, and after saying “do what you want,” he neatly hung up the phone.

Once the noodles were out of the pot, he set the bowl on the table. Pei Xi also opened the door and walked out slowly in slippers that didn’t fit his feet.

His blow-dried hair was soft and covered his forehead, making him look years younger than his actual age. He looked tall and straight, with fair skin and a beautiful appearance.

He Chuzhou turned his head and saw him. At the thought of He Aiyue’s threat just now, the corners of his mouth silently twitched.

Keeping a beauty hidden at home. From a rather strange perspective, He Aiyue indeed got it right this once.

“Come and eat.” He placed chopsticks on the bowl.

Pei Xi walked over and sat down, looking at the fragrant bowl of seafood noodles in front of him. Then he looked up at He Chuzhou, a little confused.

Could it be that he was allergic to seafood?

He Chuzhou: “If you can’t eat it, I’ll make you a —”

Pei Xi: “Chuzhou, when did you learn to cook?”

The two spoke almost simultaneously, and He Chuzhou paused for a few seconds after being interrupted: “What?”

Pei Xi repeated: “When did you learn to cook?”

He Chuzhou, who had always been a good cook, was silent for a moment, unsure how to answer: “Should…..should I not be able to?”

Pei Xi shook his head: “No, I’ve always been the one to cook for you.”

Okay, got it.

He Chuzhou’s expression didn’t change: “Did you forget that you spent a month teaching me?”

Pei Xi stared blankly: “Me?”

He Chuzhou: “Yes, you.”

Pei Xi’s eyes widened slightly, and after a moment, he let out a semi-comprehending “oh.”

He really didn’t remember much, but this was very reasonable, and not unacceptable.

Having rationalized it in his mind, he lowered his head and concentrated on eating noodles. And having muddled his way through again, He Chuzhou was considering whether to go to the study and copy a letter of guarantee now.

During this period, he took the time to reply to a few work messages. By the time he noticed that something was wrong, Pei Xi had practically his entire face buried in the bowl.

“Tsk, what are you doing?”

He swiftly reached out to grasp the back of this person’s neck, lifting him up: “How unpalatable must it be that you want to die eating it?”

Pei Xi had eaten most of it, but couldn’t finish the rest. When he was picked up, he put down his chopsticks and lowered his eyes, rubbing his temples: “I don’t want to die.”

That voice was also weaker than before.

He Chuzhou was really afraid that if he let go, he would fall and wash his hair in the bowl, so he used his other hand to move the bowl away: “Then what is your explanation?”

Pei Xi: “Dizzy.”

His voice was very low, almost like a mumble, and He Chuzhou didn’t hear clearly: “What sound?”^[2]

Pei Xi must have felt uncomfortable being grasped by him. He tilted his head to avoid his hand, then reached over and grabbed it, pulling it in front of him to press his forehead against it.

The broad palm was warm and dry, which put Pei Xi greatly at ease. He just held it and pressed the entire weight of his head on it, closing his eyes: “Dizzy. Feels bad.”

This time, He Chuzhou heard him clearly.

But what was more intuitive than the verbal explanation was that the temperature against his hand was significantly higher than a normal body temperature.

“What’s wrong with you?”

His brow furrowed: “When did you get a fever? Why didn’t you tell me until now?”

Pei Xi’s words were sticky: “I thought I was hungry, and I would be fine if I ate something.”

He Chuzhou: “Can not eating give a person a fever from hunger? What is with your roundabout way of thinking?”

“I’m just dizzy, I didn’t know I had a fever.”

Pei Xi turned his face around in his palm and whispered to him: “Chuzhou, I feel really uncomfortable. Please stop being fierce to me.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

This was considered fierce?

Forget it, what could he say?

He could only let out a long sigh and say, “I won’t be fierce to you.” Then he took him back to the room and placed him on the bed.

The bed in the master bedroom.

After all, there was no telling what the “man of the house” would do if he found out he wasn’t sleeping in the master bedroom.

After taking his temperature and confirming that it was a low fever, he found a fever reducer in the medicine box. He went to the kitchen to pour a glass of water and came back to watch this person take the pills.

“What’s wrong with that hospital, do they only care about serious illnesses and ignore the minor ones? You were discharged so easily without any trouble.”

Mentally exhausted, he helped Pei Xi pull up the quilt: “Go to sleep. It’s a low-grade fever, nothing serious. You should be fine when you get up in the morning.”

Half of Pei Xi’s face was sunken into a dark pillow. He was even more pale and bloodless, and exhaustion could be faintly seen on his features, but a pair of eyes continued to stare at him.

He Chuzhou: “What, don’t want to sleep?”

Pei Xi pressed his elbows on the quilt, holding down the corners of it: “The medicine hasn’t taken effect yet, and I still haven’t seen your letter of guarantee.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou could kowtow in admiration for him: “Okay, I’ll write it now. Just wait.”

He clapped his hands and was about to stand up, but Pei Xi grabbed him by the corner of his clothes: “Where are you going?”

He Chuzhou: “To the study, ah.”

Pei Xi: “You’re going to the study to write it?”

He Chuzhou raised an eyebrow: “Where else?”

“Can you not go to the study?”

Pei Xi moved his fingertips inward, drawing more fabric into his hands: “Just write it here, I don’t want to be alone.”

How could he copy it if he wrote it here? 

He Chuzhou made an excuse: “The pens and paper are in the study. There aren’t any here.”

“You can take them from the study.”

Pei Xi looked at him with misty eyes. His voice was slightly hoarse: “Chuzhou, I’m sick. I don’t want to be alone. Please stay with me for a while.”

“……”

He Chuzhou closed his eyes and slapped a palm to his forehead: “I’ll get the things and be back in half a minute.”

A minute later, He Chuzhou was sitting on the sofa, thinking hard about the contents of the letter of guarantee.

Guarantee that there would be no divorce.

Guarantee that he would not forget to pick him up in the future.

Guarantee not to call him President Pei again.

Guarantee……

What else needed to be guaranteed?

A guarantee that he would never bring anyone home again to bring trouble upon himself?

He really didn’t expect that after so many years, there would be a time when he would consume brain cells just to reach the word count for a composition.

“Is it very difficult to write?”

The voice came from the bed. Pei Xi lay on his side in bed, watching him. One of his hands came out of the blanket and was pressed under his cheek in a cute posture: “It’s okay if you write less.”

He Chuzhou felt as if he had received amnesty.

Pei Xi: “It doesn’t have to be 500. 480 is enough.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Thank you very much.

He rambled on and rounded the word count up to 482, rubbing his brow tiredly as he prepared to hand in the paper. He saw that the examiner had sat up at some point and was leaning on the bedside, playing with a bracelet.

The bright white ice seed jadeite had a clear and delicate color under the light. Only after being put on, compared to the cold, thin, white wrist, it also became second-rate.

Not long ago, the two of them were competing for this bracelet at the auction house, money flying everywhere.

The memory-addled Pei Xi liked this bracelet very much. He wanted to say something to He Chuzhou, but when he looked up, he found that the other person’s expression was indescribably strange.

“Chuzhou, what’s wrong?”

After speaking, he thought of something and held his wrist with some anxiety: “Is it because I can’t wear this?

“No.” He Chuzhou waved his hand and stood up to walk over. “It’s not something you can’t wear. If you like it, just wear it for fun first.”

In any case, his mother had bought a lot of new jewelry recently, so there was no rush to give her this. He could just send it in a couple of days.

Pei Xi caught the key word and wondered: “First?”

“No, you heard wrong.”

He Chuzhou calmly deceived him and handed him the letter of guarantee: “Here is the guarantee. Can you go to sleep now?”

Pei Xi took it and read it carefully: “En, it’s good overall, but the details are lacking. Chuzhou, it’s been so many years. How are your essay writing skills still so poor?”

This, He Chuzhou really couldn’t refute.

His poor composition was not a matter of a day or two. Ever since he was a child, his teachers commented that his connotations and meaning were forced.

“I’ve already performed above average. Teacher Pei, don’t be too picky.”

He took the letter of guarantee from Pei Xi’s hand and set it aside: “Okay, it’s very late. Go to sleep quickly.”

Pei Xi lay down and pulled up the quilt.

But two seconds later, under He Chuzhou’s puzzled gaze, he rose again with his upper body propped up and carefully put the guarantee in the cabinet drawer.

He Chuzhou was speechless: “Would you like to find a picture frame so you can hang it on the wall?”

Pei Xi blinked: “Can I?”

“No.” He Chuzhou heartlessly refused, covering his eyes: “Hurry and go to sleep.”

After a night of hard work and great effort, he was already very tired and sleepy, and just wanted him to go to sleep quickly so that he could rest.

In the middle of the night, He Xingxing would probably bite the tail of the cow cat several times in his dreams.

Pei Xi took his hand and said seriously: “Chuzhou, my fever seems to have gone away.”

“It’s gone? So soon?”

He Chengzhu was dubious and tried to touch his forehead, but his hand continued to be grabbed: “Let go and let me see if it’s really gone.”

But Pei Xi said: “You can’t touch with your hands. Lower your head.”

He Chuzhou didn’t doubt him. He sat on the edge of the bed and leaned down to touch his forehead to his, feeling heat from the other person’s skin: “How can you say it’s gone—”

A pair of arms wrapped around the back of his neck, interrupting his next words.

Pei Xi didn’t let him retreat. Their foreheads were pressed together, and the tips of their noses were almost touching. They were so close that he could clearly see his own reflection in the other’s eyes.

“I have a cold, you can’t kiss me.”

Pei Xi whispered: “But you can sleep behind me, so I won’t breathe on you and won’t infect you.”

Inexplicably, he went from sitting to lying down with someone in his arms.

The slight numbness at the base of his ears passed. He Chuzhou didn’t know where Pei Xi had learned this trick.

The sensation of the breath that had gusted against his lips moments ago lingered for a long time, and the warmth that filled his arms at this moment continued to spread.

He couldn’t quite adapt.

He could only be happy for Pei Xi that the person he was “married” to was not someone else.

Moving the arm that was being pressed down, he thought with complicated emotions.

If he were to be replaced by someone with bad intentions, there was no telling if there would be any bones left by morning.

This person usually had ten thousand eyes on the back of his head, but didn’t inherit any of them due to his amnesia.

……After being held in his arms for a night, would Pei Xi really not want to commit suicide when he woke up?

The anti-fever medication finally began to take effect and Pei Xi calmed, his breaths gradually becoming light and long.

He Chuzhou was also tired.

Pei Xi had a small frame, a good sleeping appearance, and a fluffy head. Holding him in his arms could also help him sleep. A wave of drowsiness flooded over him.

But he didn’t dare sleep. He feared that if he slept, Pei Xi would wake up and be so furious that he performed hara-kiri.

After making sure Pei Xi was asleep, he climbed up and rolled onto the sofa by the window, putting a blanket over his head.

The night had been full of turmoil and the chaos of war. He could finally sleep, and would be completely liberated when he sent this person away in the morning.

From the darkness of night to the dawn of daylight. He Chuzhou heard the everyday sound of the dog scratching at the door.

Lifting his eyelids, he vaguely saw in his sleepy state a figure sitting up in bed. The figure quickly changed clothes, opened the door, and left the room without stopping.

The dog took the opportunity to rush in and jumped on the sofa, starting to rub against He Chuzhou’s face and neck.

He Chuzhou pushed the dog’s head away in a daze, wondering, did he intend to go back by himself?

That was good. It saved him a trip. 

It was still early, so he planned to close his eyes for a while.

Just a couple seconds after closing his eyes, he opened them again. He looked at the empty bed, then at the door.

No way, Pei Xi was……okay?

---

[1] This is the full saying: “Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda.” (救人一命，胜造七级浮屠) ⮐

[2] He Chuzhou didn’t hear clearly and confused the ‘yun’ (晕) in dizzy with ‘yin’ for sound (音). ⮐

---

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Chapter 6 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 8

T/N: Thank you so much to Cocole and Coco for the Kofi donations! Here’s an extra chapter for each of you!

---

Pei Xi’s eyes flickered slightly: “You rarely call me that.”

Apparently that wasn’t it. His entire being was screaming that it wasn’t right.

He Chuzhou continued to think. When Pei Xi called him ‘Chuzhou’ on the phone, he directly used his surname and first name, so the corresponding answer should be: “Xixi?”

Pei Xi was still in a low mood: “You’ve only called me that once.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

In the next few short seconds, countless addresses he had heard between couples flashed through He Chuzhou’s mind.

Honey, baby, cutie, beloved, stinky pig, dummy, darling……

Just as he was about to select a few reliable ones, his examiner caught him off guard by handing him the answer: “You don’t like to call me Xinxin^[1] anymore?”

He Chuzhou’s “Baby” dissipated in his mouth.

“Xinxin?” He asked with some puzzlement.

The slightly intimate word felt very strange in his mouth, and was also very contradictory to Pei Xi. 

Wasn’t this a bit excessive?

Pei Xi thought he was being called, and hummed softly.

He Chuzhou had missed twice in a row, and made up for himself: “I don’t dislike it, I just think that what you want is more important. It doesn’t matter to me. En…..it’s all up to you.”

“I like it when you call me Xinxin.”

Pei Xi’s voice was soft and low, his expression unclear when he lowered his eyes: “It’s a nickname that only my family knows. If you don’t call me that, nobody will call me that.”

A…..a nickname?

He Chuzhou was overwhelmingly flattered, and muttered to himself: “Should I actually know this? No, do I deserve to call him this?”

Pei Xi didn’t hear clearly, and raised his head: “What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

He Chuzhou smiled as if nothing had happened and went along with his words: “Xinxin is pretty good. I like it too. Then let’s just…..get out of the car and go inside now?”

Pei Xi finally nodded, only when he had just turned sideways and stepped out with one foot, he immediately retracted it.

He Chuzhou sucked in a breath: “What’s wrong now?”

He even subconsciously looked down at the ground. His feet weren’t burned, were they?

Pei Xi: “I’m so tired.”

He Chuzhou: “Tired?”

Pei Xi, weakly: “I feel like I don’t have the strength to walk anymore.”

He Chuzhou: “……”

Fine, fine.

You are an ancestor. If you don’t want to walk, then you don’t want to walk. It’s not a big problem.

He Chuzhou bent down and picked him up.

Pei Xi hugged his neck extremely cooperatively. Tilting his head, he rested it comfortably on his shoulder with a clear conscience.

Closing the car door with his elbow, He Chuzhou locked it and walked out of the garage. Very quickly, he noticed that something was wrong with the feel of the weight in his arms.

“Why are a grown man’s waist and legs so thin?”

He hefted him and said disapprovingly: “You’re so light, and boney to the touch. Don’t you eat at home?”

Pei Xi replied: “Don’t we eat every meal together?”

He Chuzhou: ……Okay, just pretend he didn’t say anything.

Once he entered the door and put the person down, he crouched and took out a pair of brand new slippers from the bottom of the shoe cabinet, placing them in front of Pei Xi: “Wear these.”

Pei Xi regarded them carefully for a moment and came to a conclusion: “Chuzhou, the size is too large. These should be your slippers, where are mine?”

Naturally, yours are in your shoe cabinet.

Of course, he could only think this. He Chuzhou randomly found an excuse to deceive him: “I washed them during the day and they’re not dry. Put mine on first.”

Fortunately, Pei Xi was not suspicious and bent down to put on the new slippers.

When he looked up again after changing them, He Chuzhou had vanished from the huge living room and there was only a black and white border collie sitting next to him, staring curiously.

Pei Xi frowned slightly, a hint of caution in his eyes: “Who are you?”

He Chuzhou grabbed a clean set of pajamas and came out of the room. Pei Xi was still standing there without moving a step, staring intently at He Xingxing.

What was he doing?

Pei Xi quickly noticed him and looked over: “Chuzhou, did you forget to close a window when you went out?”

He pointed at He Xingxing: “A puppy came to visit.”

Pei Xi’s expression was very calm, but he was a little childish when he spoke of the puppy. The combination of the two created an inexplicable cuteness.

The “visiting” He Xingxing couldn’t really understand, but it didn’t matter. He just wagged his tail when faced with the guest brought back by his father.

He Chuzhou looked at He Xingxing, whose tail was wagging wildly, and then at Pei Xi, who seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, and suddenly wanted to laugh.

It was unclear who the visitor was. And the guilty one blamed the other party preemtively, bullying a puppy that couldn’t speak.

“My great-uncle’s family moved.”

He walked over while bullshiting: “They can’t keep a dog at the new house, so they sent him here.”

Pei Xi took the pajamas from him and asked: “So we have to keep it until death by old age?”

He Chuzhou withdrew his hand and said: “Whose death from old age?”

Pei Xi pointed at He Xingxing again.

He Chuzhou: “……”

He Chuzhou: “If nothing unexpected happens, then this is the case.”

Pei Xi: “Can’t you send it back to your great-uncle?”

“I can’t.”

He Chuzhou noticed that his furrowed brow had not relaxed, and asked casually: “What, you don’t like dogs?”

Pei Xi shook his head: “That’s not it.”

He Chuzhou: “Then why do you want to send him away?”

“Because I don’t like raising dogs.”

Pei Xi said: “Dogs need to go out every day. I heard that dog owners have to get up early to walk them during the coldest part of winter.”

He raised his head and shifted his gaze from He Xingxing to He Chuzhou’s face, looking unhappy: “I don’t want to get up early.”

For a moment, He Chuzhou thought there might be something wrong with his ears.

Had he actually heard Pei Xi say that he didn’t want to get up early?

A person who valued work more than anything else and wished he could devote all of his energy to his career, a model worker who was as involved in life as a robot, said he didn’t want to get up early?

This made He Chuzhou a little more interested: “So why did you get up early before?”

Pei Xi was puzzled: “Before? But I haven’t gotten up early in a long time.”

He Chuzhou choked, and could only change the question: “I mean, how did you get up earlier when you were in school?”

Pei Xi considered for a moment: “I set a lot of alarm clocks and set them far away from the bed.”

He Chuzhou: “Why did you set them far away from the bed?”

Pei Xi didn’t hide anything: “Because if they were too close, I might turn them off and fall asleep.”

Unexpectedly, President Pei, who was serious and meticulous in front of others, engaged in a battle of wits and valor while lying in bed.

He Chuzhou imagined this scene in his mind. The corners of his mouth rose and he was about to say something, when he heard Pei Xi say: “But no matter how many alarm clocks there are, they aren’t as useful as you.”

He Chuzhou: “?”

He Chuzhou: “What does this have to do with me?”

Pei Xi: “You call me sometimes. No matter how early it is, as long as I hear your voice, I won’t feel sleepy.”

He Chuzhou was speechless.

He hadn’t expected that the timeline of Pei Xi’s memory would be so long. It should be known that they didn’t even know each other existed before university.

Seeing that he hadn’t responded, Pei Xi wrinkled his nose inconspicuously and said in a disappointed voice: “You don’t remember?”

Damned if I can remember.

“You stayed in the hospital all night. You must not be feeling well.”

He Chuzhou coughed and avoided the topic: “Go shower first. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the dog and won’t make you get up early.”

Fortunately, Pei Xi did not dwell overly much on this issue since he had received a satisfactory answer, and obediently walked to the bathroom with the pajamas and slippers in his arms.

He Chuzhou breathed a sigh of relief. Pressing his temples, he glanced to the side at He Xingxing and gave him an extra treat. Pei Xi, who had already reached the bathroom door, turned around: “Chuzhou?”

“En?” He Chuzhou subconsciously raised his head.

“Remember to write a letter of guarantee.”

Holding his pajamas, Pei Xi stood at the door and said word by word: “The word count doesn’t need to be too high, just around 500. You can read it to me when I come out of the shower.”

“……”

The hand He Chuzhou was about to pet the dog with froze mid-air, neither moving nor retracting.

He Xingxing waited a long moment with the food in his mouth and couldn’t wait for this person touch his head. He had no choice but to swallow this treat, then took the initiative to jump high and nuzzle him.

It couldn’t be helped. His father was the only one who would spoil him.

*

*

Yun Ji: [The address of Pei Xi’s parents’ house?]

Yun Ji: [You want it now?]

Yun Ji: [To do what? Propose marriage?]

He Chuzhou: [Are you sick?]

He Chuzhou: [Don’t worry about it, just give it to me]

Yun Ji: [No, I don’t have it, ah. How would I know where his parents live?]

He Chuzhou: [What about their contact info?]

Yun Ji: [Not that either, ah. Do you think I’m some bigshot? But I do have his assistant’s info. Do you want it?]

He Chuzhou: [His assistant is still lying in the hospital. How could I contact him?]

He Chuzhou: [See if you can find someone who knows his parents’ contact info and address]

Yun Ji: [It’s possible, but it will take some time. It probably won’t happen for a while]

He Chuzhou: [Is 10 minutes enough?]

Yun Ji: [ ? ]

He Chuzhou: [I’ll give you 5 more minutes at the most]

Yun Ji: [Are you listening to what you’re saying?]

Yun Ji: [Cousin, I’m just your assistant, not your cow or horse, or your wishing well]

Yun Ji: [Why are you in such a hurry?]

It was difficult for He Chuzhou to explain.

He couldn’t just say that if he didn’t send this person away, he would have to write a 500-word letter of guarantee. He hadn’t written that sort of thing since he graduated from junior high school.

He Chuzhou: [There is a project to discuss]

Yun Ji: [Wow! How big is the project that it requires you to go in person?]

Yun Ji: [Besides, Old Mr. Pei has long stopped working on these things. If you have a project, it’s useless to go to him. You need to go to Pei Xi]

Yun Ji: [But Pei Xi also might not respond to you]

He Chuzhou: [Just do it]

Yun Ji: [You’re too much]

Yun Ji: [Just do it. Fine, fine, I’ll go and ask for you. Just wait]

Yun Ji: [By the way, remember to calculate overtime pay for me]

Yun Ji moved very quickly, at least faster than what he had said.

It took less than 10 minutes for the contact information to be sent over. It came with an address, down to the house number.

He Chuzhou: [ ? ]

He Chuzhou: [Didn’t you say it would take a while?]

Yun Ji: [ I suddenly remembered that I played ball with a distant cousin of Pei Xi. I just scrolled around and found that the WeChat account was still there]

He Chuzhou: [Excellent. Thanks]

He tossed a big red envelope to Yun Ji. Scrolling up to the contact information, he clicked on the phone and was about to make a call when there was the sound of a door opening and footsteps behind him. Pei Xi had come out after showering.

He Chuzhou was 188cm tall. Pei Xi was half a head shorter than him, and his body was more than a little smaller. The pajamas he wore were baggy, the collar was loose, and the fabric on the shoulders fell down his arms.

The cuffs covered the backs of his hands and the trouser legs covered his feet. That pale, clean body was wrapped in soft fabric as if he had stolen an adult’s clothes.

The redness of his skin caused by the heat had not faded, and there seemed to be a layer of moisture in his eyes, inexplicably reminding He Chuzou of when he had first gotten He Xingxing.

Weak and small, with pure, limpid eyes. Looking at He Chuzhou with trust and dependence, and so well-behaved that it made a person want to get their hands on him and pet him.

Except there was no tail to wag.

When he saw Pei Xi like this, He Chuzhou’s fingertips froze less than a centimeter away from the dial key and couldn’t continue.

And Pei Xi, completely unaware that he might be sent away soon, looked at him in confusion: “Chuzhou, what are you doing standing on the balcony?”

---

[1] Xinxin (心心) is a cutesy name that approximately mean’s “my heart.” ⮐

---

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Chapter 5 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 7

“Send troops,” Liu Zhenqing said directly. “Now that we have determined where the rebels are, there is no need to consider future issues. Since Zhao Haicheng told the governor that the evacuation deadline is in five days, regardless of whether or not there is a trap, the sooner we send troops, the better it is for us.”

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Huo Fenglie and Song Xingmu asked at the same time: “How many people are on the island?”

He Lan said: “There are less than five hundred people with combat effectiveness.”

Song Xingmu glanced at Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie, saying: “I can mobilize a thousand people here. They are my trusted subordinates.”

“You can go to sea in the name of purging pirates. As for the reason……Yi Chuan was injured and the Sea King is furious.” Liu Zhenqing cooperated tacitly.

Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing exchanged glances with a smile.

“The remaining troops on shore…..” Song Xingmu looked at Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie said: “I will go to nearby prefectures to mobilize troops. The fastest round-trip is three days. I will muster fifty thousand troops, enough to surround the entire city.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded and said: “Fenglie will go mobilize troops, and Brother Qin and Brother He will accompany Captain Song to prepare to go to sea. How about we start moving at noon today?”

Huo Fenglie and Song Xingmu nodded in tacit agreement. Qin Yu and He Lan were also about to nod, when they suddenly realized it was Liu Zhenqing giving orders, ah. Never mind Huo Fenglie, but why would Captain Song, who was senior to them, obey orders, ah? Although their hearts were full of surprise, Liu Zhenqing’s analysis and arrangements were good, so they could only listen.

When the discussion was over, Qin Yu grabbed Huo Fenglie with a serious expression.

Huo Fenglie stayed.

Unresigned, He Lan said: “What do you need to talk about again? Can’t I listen?”

He Lan stared closely at Qin Yu when he said this. Looking for Huo Fenglie as soon as they returned, he feared he had forgotten which man was with him last night!

But Qin Yu still said coldly: “No.”

“Yundu, you go out first.” Huo Fenglie cooperated.

“You! You guys!” He Lan took a deep breath and was about to get angry, when he heard Liu Zhenqing say: “Brother Qin hasn’t eaten anything up to now. Brother He, why don’t you go to the kitchen with me and find some food to bring him?”

Liu Zhenqing stepped forward to pull him away, but He Lan would only go down two steps.

After coming out, He Lan couldn’t help but complain: “He and I have been through thick and thin together, what can’t he tell me, ah? He’s so…..so heartless!”

Seeing how angry He Lan was, Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “You and they are brothers, so at least believe what they are talking about is serious.”

“Even though I know it’s serious business……”

“Don’t be jealous at this critical moment.”

He Lan immediately denied it: “I’m not, don’t talk nonsense.”

When they arrived at the kitchen, Liu Zhenqing watched as He Lan carefully selected something for Qin Yu, who was currently feeling unwell. He found it amusing, and couldn’t help but tease: “Speaking of which, the relationship between your Jinyiwei and the Dongchang is very bad. If you became brothers with Fenglie as a bridge between you, that would be fine, but if you were together, the bosses on both sides would certainly have something to say about it.”

He Lan said without hesitation, “Hmph, even if they are the bosses, no one can control who I want to be with!” 

Liu Zhenqing gave a treacherous smile, and even He Lan was embarrassed when he realized.

The two of them walked back, and Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but ask more about the island.

He heard He Lan say that the people on the islands, whether rebels or islanders, hated Liu Zhenqing very much. Even He Lan found this very strange. It was natural for the traitors to hate him, after all, it was Liu Zhenqing who had pushed them to this point. But what did the islanders have against Liu Zhenqing, ah? According to what Liu Zhenqing had done here, they should be grateful.

But it was very difficult to say. Weren’t there still people who said that Liu Zhenqing colluded with pirates for profit? Perhaps those who hated pirates were angry toward Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing constantly felt a strange uneasiness in his heart while listening to He Lan.

As for the martial arts master who knocked them out and sent them away, then went to the Huo Family courtyard to report the news, he was really not simple. There was a traitor among the rebels, or someone who was unwilling to join the conspiracy. Liu Zhenqing was biased toward someone really lending a hand. In any case, a smart rebel would think of a better way to use these two people than sending them out.

But how did that person know He Lan and Qin Yu? Not only must he know about them to arrange such a move, but also their relationship with Huo Fenglie. With such high martial arts skills, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but think of one person. But he wouldn’t hang around with rebels. Could it be…..because of that mission?

Liu Zhenqing didn’t allow himself to think too much. The more he thought, the more anxious he became.

“Done talking?” He Lan raised an eyebrow.

“En. You should rest as soon as possible. There are still three hours before noon.” When he finished speaking, Huo Fenglie pulled Liu Zhenqing over and walked out.

He Lan walked in with the food and saw Qin Yu sitting at the table with a solemn look on his face.

“Is there a problem that’s difficult to solve? I can help, ah. Don’t you believe in my capabilities?” He Lan handed over the food as he spoke.

Qin Yu raised his head and glanced at He Lan. He took the food and gave his thanks, and it was unknown if he was thanking him for the food or He Lan’s thoughts.

He lan was endlessly angry, and refused to stop asking insinuating questions, but Qin Yu turned a deaf ear, immersed in his own thoughts.

When he was done eating, Qin Yu raised his head at last and said impatiently: “I’m very tired, and my whole body hurts. We’re leaving at noon, so I need to rest now.”

These words stifled He Lan. After all, it was he who had caused Qin Yu’s fatigue.

He Lan coughed. “Then let me use my internal strength to massage you. The ointment used by the miracle doctor works very well. You can’t go to sleep until the massage is done, don’t delay business.”

As he spoke, He Lan took out the ointment he had hidden. 

Qin Yu turned a gloomy look toward him, then looked at the ointment in his hand.

He Lan reacted instantly with a cough. Not long ago, he had used this ointment to help Qin Yu…..

“Don’t think blindly, ah. I still know what’s right when it comes to serious matters. This is indeed for a massage.”

Qin Yu withdrew his gaze and walked directly to the bed in the inner room, acquiescing to He Lan’s proposal.

But when He Lan adjusted his mood and walked in with the ointment, he suddenly stopped breathing.

Qin Yu could be seen standing beside the bed and taking off all of his clothing, revealing his lean white back.

And there were various marks left by He Lan on that back, including the handprints on both sides of his slim waist.

He Lan’s eyes instantly reddened with desire. “You…..”

“Aren’t you going to massage me? Come on.”

Upon saying this, Qin Yu lay right down on the bed. He didn’t seem to care at all about the man behind him who had pressed him to the bed all night.

He Lan finally felt what it meant to drop a rock on his own foot, and adjusted his breathing several times before stepping forward.

He had originally planned to sit sideways on the edge of the bed, but his hands would be really weak like that. “Then let me get on top and massage. It will be more convenient.” He Lan was truly sincere when he said this.

Qin Yu hesitated for a moment, but still nodded.

He Lan jumped onto the bed and half-knelt over Qin Yu, not daring to sit down. But when he reached out to massage, he felt that the muscles under his hands were tight.

He Lan’s eyes flashed. As expected, Qin Yu was putting on a show of not caring. Now it was finally his turn to calm down.

As soon as He Lan was relaxed and proud, he became shameless and no longer held himself back. The movements of the massage became firmer and firmer, testing Qin Yu’s bottom line little by little and teasing him to the end.

At last, Qin Yu couldn’t bear it anymore: “He Yundu! If you can’t control that thing, I’ll help castrate you!”

He Lan’s lips rose: “There’s no way, it seems to get a little out of control when I’m facing you. In this posture, the residual memories compel me. When you asked me to come up, you should have expected this result. Or did you do it on purpose?”

Qin Yu said coldly: “I didn’t expect that you would still be a beast at this time. If you don’t want to massage me, then scram.”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t even taken off my pants yet, so I can’t be considered a beast. Besides, we have to leave at noon. No matter how shameless I am, I wouldn’t add any more to your burden.” He Lan continued to massage as he spoke.

Qin Yu found it laughable. He said it himself that he was shameless, yet thought himself infallible. 

“So you also know that you’re shameless?”

“It is you who makes me shameless.”

Qin Yu couldn’t be bothered to waste his words on him, and pretended that he couldn’t feel anything. In any case, this sort of fraternization appeared in various instances on the island. In his opinion, He Lan was just a stallion who couldn’t control himself, and he had long become accustomed to it.

“How about you tell me your little secret with Zhanyuan, and I’ll quit being shameless.”

Qin Yu scoffed coldly.

He Lan was at his wits end. He knew what Qin Yu was like, and if he refused to tell anyone, even torture to extract a confession would be useless.

He Lan couldn’t help but gripe: “If I had known, I would have asked last night when you were cooperating with everything. Torture might be useless, but that kind of forced confession might work.” When He Lan finished speaking, he shifted intentionally.

In a flash, Qin Yu looked back wrathfully at He Lan and shoved him away. “Get out of here, I don’t need you!”

He Lan hid back, watching Qin Yu’s red lips opening and closing. Although he was scolding him, it was still very seductive. He suddenly said: “You have such a hard mouth, so why is it so soft when you kiss? Could it be that I felt wrong?”

Qin Yu was stunned when He Lan suddenly rushed over, embraced him, and kissed him until he nearly suffocated. Only then did he realize that he had been pulled to lay on top of He Lan while He Lan’s hands continued to massage him, as if this posture was more beneficial.

Qin Yu tried to get up, but was restrained by He Lan.

“If you move again, I won’t hold back.” He Lan shifted threateningly.

Qin Yu’s face changed colors, and he really didn’t move for a while.

“Let me kiss you again to calm the fire.” He Lan raised an eyebrow and pressed forward.

Qin Yu’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe that he had given in so much and made this person so shameless.

As a result, one of He Lan’s hands continued to massage while the other held the back of Qin Yu’s head. After a period of resistance, He Lan finally got his wish. Qin Yu struggled but finally closed his eyes.

After the massage, He Lan really did stop acting like a scoundrel. Holding Qin Yu in his arms, they both fell into a deep sleep, conserving their energy for serious matters.

On the other side, Huo Fenglie told Liu Zhenqing the truth.

“He saw his adoptive father’s confidants coming and going on the island.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed slightly. “Who is the Dongchang loyal to now?”

Originally, the Dongchang and Jinyiwei should be entirely loyal to the emperor.

Huo Fenglie remained silent, because he didn’t know the answer. If they were loyal to the emperor, then what was happening with the current situation? If they weren’t loyal to the emperor, then what on earth was the Dongchang doing? Could the eunuchs be involved in politics or be loyal to someone else?

Liu Zhenqing suddenly opened his mouth: “No matter what the situation is or what the Dongchang is involved in, just pretend you don’t know. Do not tell Yuan Jue.” 

Huo Fenglie was a little surprised: “Why?”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie for a moment and then reached out to touch his firm and persistent face.

Huo Fenglie could only freeze, a bit lost as he looked at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes were somewhat dazed. He was worried. Even if there was a one in ten thousand chance, he was worried for the person most involved in all this, Huo Fenglie. He worried that Yuan Jue would want to do away with him. Wouldn’t both sides suffer?!

Perhaps his thoughts were too dark. And logically speaking, Yuan Jue had no reason to do away with the Huo family, which helped him protect the country. But Liu Zhenqing was still worried. He could not tolerate even the slight possibility. His Er-gou could not be harmed by others.

But in the face of the Huo family’s nature, Liu Zhenqing still couldn’t speak directly. He could only say: “Just don’t say anything for now. In any case, your brother is also involved, so let’s investigate slowly. Okay?”

Huo Fenglie regarded Liu Zhenqing for a moment, then nodded obediently and said: “Qin Yu also intends to rush back to the capital to investigate after the matter here is over.”

“He plans to deal with his adoptive father?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“He wants to make sure that his adoptive father was kept in the dark, and also wants to persuade him. I think this move is very dangerous, and I don’t agree with it, but Qin Yu has made up his mind.”

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie and said: “Rather than saying that he is loyal to Great Zhou, I think that he truly regards you as a brother and has his own set of right and wrong in his heart.”

Huo Fenglie said: “Me, He Lan, and Bai Su are all his brothers. If he is with the Dongchang, he will become our enemy. He has made his choice. He just asked me for one more thing.”

“If the Dongchang matter fails, does he want you to spare his adoptive father’s life?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Huo Fenglie nodded. “He said he would disappear with his adoptive father.”

Liu Zhenqing was momentarily stunned, thinking that if he left, what would He Lan do?

But if it really got to that point, it would be very difficult for the two, considering their identities.

After talking about Qin Yu’s affairs, he mentioned the arrangements for troop deployment.

“Qing-ge, travel will be difficult all the way. Let me prepare a riding outfit for you.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback: “Who said I intended to go with you?”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly for a moment, then said with a frown: “You’re not coming with me? Do you want to go to sea with Captain Song and the others?”

Smiling, Liu Zhenqing said: “You’re in a rush, and they need to go out to sea and wait for an opportunity. There may be a dangerous battle later, so why should I, a weak scholar, hold everyone back, ah? This matter isn’t complicated, and doesn’t require any further effort from me.”

“But you’ll be here alone,” Huo Fenglie said at once.

“Yi Chuan is still here recovering. Song Xingmu must have arranged guards, and the assassins still don’t know that we’re here. I’m not their main target, and it’s safe to stay in the other courtyard,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Huo Fenglie could not refute, but he would feel uneasy without Liu Zhenqing in front of him.

Looking at Huo Fenglie’s serious expression that carried a subtle hint of grievance, Liu Zhenqing’s heart melted. He couldn’t help but tease: “Can’t bear to leave me? You wish for me to be at your side at all times?”

Huo Fenglie froze. The words were so ambiguous that he didn’t dare answer.

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing grabbed Huo Fenglie and led him inside.

Before he could react, he had already been pulled to the bed.

Huo Fenglie was pushed onto the bed by Liu Zhenqing. Seeing that Liu Zhenqing was about to reach out and untie his outer garment, Huo Fenglie was dumbfounded by the other’s unpredictable behavior.

“Qing-ge!” Huo Fenglie grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s hands in shock.

Liu Zhenqing said, deadpan: “What are you doing?”

Huo Fenglie: Wasn’t that what he should be asking?

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s look of alarm, Liu Zhenqing smiled and said: “What’s wrong? Aren’t you leaving for three days?”

Huo Fenglie: So…..so what?

Liu Zhenqing raised an eyebrow and said: “No more acupuncture? A medicinal bath can be delayed, but acupuncture is still indispensable. I’ll give you an acupuncture point map when the time comes, so remember to find a doctor for acupuncture along the way. It can’t be skipped, understand?”

Without him as a burden, Huo Fenglie’s calculated time should be shorter. This extra time would help him in finding a doctor for acupuncture.

Upon hearing this, Huo Fenglie regained his composure and obediently took off his clothes so that Liu Zhenqing could begin the acupuncture. 

But after the acupuncture was finished, Liu Zhenqing did not go to rest, nor did he let him get dressed.

Huo Fenglie grabbed his clothes and looked at Liu Zhenqing. Although he still had a straight face, he looked pitiful.

Liu Zhenqing lay down and patted the bed next to him, saying: “Lie down and sleep for a while, you didn’t even get any rest last night. Build up your strength.”

“I…..”

“Sleep with me for a while. Be good.” After speaking, Liu Zhenqing closed his eyes. Sure enough, Huo Fenglie lay down after a moment in just his inner clothes.

Huo Fenglie had just calmed his breathing when Liu Zhenqing turned around and poked Huo Fenglie’s side. He turned to look.

Liu Zhenqing said with a smile: “Er-gou, although business is important, I must still remind you that your body is more important. Don’t mess around and make me angry.”

“I understand,” Huo Fenglie said.

“That’s the spirit. If you don’t obey, I will…..punish you.” Liu Zhenqing slowly drew closer with an indescribable sense of oppression. The distance continued to shrink until their noses touched. Liu Zhenqing could feeling Huo Fenglie’s breathing stop, and his pupils quivered slightly.

“I…..I understand.”

Liu Zhenqing’s lips rose slightly. His gaze slowly swept from Huo Fenglie’s nervous eyes to his lips, and Huo Fenglie noticed all of this. It caused his heart to beat like a drum. This highly suggestive act was too deceptive. Huo Fenglie clenched his fists nervously, lying on the bed like a wooden plank and not daring to move at all. 

Suddenly, Liu Zhenqing gave an “Ah,” as if the arm he was supporting himself with had slipped.

Huo Fenglie felt his lips being pressed softly, neither hard nor light. It was the same touch as the night before. It struck Huo Fenglie’s heart and soul like an overwhelming toxin, and at that moment, his fists clenched with a snapping sound.

“Aiyaya, so sorry, my arms are very sore.” As he spoke, Liu Zhenqing lay back and pretended nothing was wrong, as if he hadn’t kissed him just now. Like it was just a bump, and no one was taken advantage of at all.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth rose as he lay quietly with the lingering memory. It was time to say goodbye. If he didn’t kiss him, when would he get the chance? Since Er-gou wouldn’t take the initiative, he had to find a way.

But Huo Fenglie to the side didn’t dare turn his head to look, fearing that just one glance would make him lose control.

Was it intentional…..or unintentional? It should be…..unintentional.

Huo Fenglie truly felt as if his brain had been burned out, and didn’t dare think too much about it.

In the end, Liu Zhenqing was the only one who fell asleep without a care. After falling asleep, he still used Huo Fenglie as a pillow, clinging to him tightly. Huo Fenglie couldn’t rest at all, and could only let Liu Zhenqing hug him while watching silently. When he couldn’t help himself, he only dared to press a kiss to Qing-ge’s hair.

On the other side, Song Xingmu stayed quietly with Yi Chuan for a while until the time was up. When he stood and was about to leave, there was a tug on the hem of his clothes.

Song Xingmu turned and saw that Yi Chuan looked as if he intended to get up: “I want to go too.”

“What foolishness is this?” Amused, Song Xingmu pushed him back down.

Yi Chuan frowned. “I can still fight.”

“I’ve put notices up asking the entire city to find talented doctors to treat you. If you showed up on the boat with me, wouldn’t you be exposing me?” 

Song Xingmu had said that only with great fanfare would they believe that Song Xingmu was so angry that he went off in a rage to kill pirates.

“But you…..”

Song Xingmu raised his hand and said: “Even though one hand is disabled, my martial arts skills are still intact, and there will be others around. I’ll just be giving orders. You should recuperate well and wait for me to return victorious.”

Seeing that Yi Chuan wanted to say more, Song Xingmu suddenly laughed. Touching his chin, he examined Yi Chuan and said: “Yi Chuan, ah, you’re so worried, ah. I understand. Although you usually call me a pervert, you actually like me, right? Are you afraid that I will fall in love with someone else when I join other outstanding people?”

Yi Chuan expression immediately distorted. He grabbed the short sword to the side and launched it at Song Xingmu’s face.

Song Xingmu caught it with one hand. Yi Chuan was stunned when he saw this beautiful sword-dancing movement, just like when Song Xingmu would dance with a sword in the past.

Song Xingmu put the short sword on his waist and gave him a wink. “I’m leaving. Recuperate well. If your injuries have gotten worse when I return, see if I don’t spank you.”

At a quarter to noon, everyone gathered. 

Liu Zhenqing patted the horse Chen Jiangyue’s nose, whispering next to its ear: “Remember, bring Er-gou back to me safely.”

Chen Jiangyue huffed disdainfully, and its owner patted it. 

The other three people left one after another. Huo Fenglie sat on the horse and looked at Liu Zhenqing. His eyes were filled with tenderness and affection, which finally turned into the sentence: “Wait for me.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded with a smile and watched him leave.

After that, Liu Zhenqing stayed in Yi Chuan’s courtyard, waiting for news. He soon heard that Song Xingmu had left by boat. The plan was officially launched. Midway, he also received the painting from Lao Ding. Liu Zhenqing couldn’t be bothered to open it, and wanted to burn it on the spot.

But he thought about this five thousand taels of gold, ah, and the painting was bought by Huo Fenglie. It would be no good to destroy it directly. But Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help feeling sour when he thought of Huo Fenglie’s eyes gazing at the painting.

Okay, it was decided. He would wait for Huo Fenglie to come back before destroying it. If he dared to bare his teeth, then just wait and see.

Two days later, Yi Chuan was basically able to get out of bed, but still moved with difficulty. Liu Zhenqing stayed with him for a while, and when he prepared to go back, Yi Chuan suddenly grabbed him. His expression changed slightly as he pulled him toward the back room.

“There is killing intent. It’s the enemy,” Yi Chuan said succinctly, and stuffed him into the closet.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Yi Chuan, who was unsteady on his feet. How could he allow him to take risks? He pulled him into the closet as well. “We should hide together and take a look at the situation first.”

Soon after, a group of people rushed in and began rummaging through the house.

---

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Chapter Eighty-Nine << Table of Contents >> Chapter Ninety-One

The moon was bright and the stars were few. On a rare night when he didn’t have to work overtime, He Chuzhou was forced to give up his leisure time walking his dog and drive to the hospital.

Naturally, the dog didn’t come.

History tended to repeat itself.

Different time, same place. After catching up on his sleep and walking the dog, He Chuzhou once again stood at the door of the hospital ward, facing the same doctor as during the day and discussing the same topic about the same person.

He Chuzhou: “So he really has side effects?”

The doctor nodded affirmatively: “Judging from the current situation, that is indeed the case.”

Was this person a voice-con, repeating everything he said?

He Chuzhou asked again: “Then when will he recover?”

The doctor: “It could be as soon as three to five hours or as slow as three to five days. It could also be three to five weeks. I can’t say for sure.”

He Chuzhou’s head hurt when he heard this probability: “Why didn’t you contact his family?”

Speaking of this, the doctor was also very helpless: “The patient claimed that he had contacted his family and they would pick him up soon. We didn’t know that the person he contacted was you.”

Doctor: “He is now out of his coma. He doesn’t want anyone to touch his phone and insists that you are his family member. There is nothing we can do.”

This situation was indeed difficult to handle. He Chuzhou lifted his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose: “I’ll find a way to contact his family in a moment.”

The doctor had great trust in this warm-hearted passerby, and after saying, “We’ll trouble you,” he took the medical files and went elsewhere.

It was getting late now, and there were not many people left in the hallway of the inpatient department.

He Chuzhou turned and walked into the ward, and the eyes glued to him moved accordingly.

Pei Xi was looking at him.

This was really an unprecedented first.

It should be known that in the past, this person would have ignored him to the end. His boundaries were clearly drawn, and no matter when or where, he wouldn’t bother to look at him.

The change of attitude was so sudden that He Chuzhou couldn’t help but stop in front of the hospital bed and observe.

From the full, smooth forehead to the straight and narrow bridge of his nose, from the slightly drooping corners of his eyes hidden by long eyelashes to the moderately thin pursed lips. The cold white skin. The sharp jaw.

In fact, since returning to China a few years ago, He Chuzhou had heard others describe Pei Xi as “beautiful” more than once.

He had thought at first that it was an exaggeration, because it was really hard to imagine how a man could be described as beautiful.

Later, when he saw him with his own eyes, he unexpectedly found that describing Pei Xi with this word was practically a tailor-made fit.

It was impossible to deny that Pei Xi was beautiful. And it was not the androgynous sort of beauty. Viewed from a completely male perspective, it could be said that he was a beauty that was entirely pleasing to the eye.

It was a pity that his temperament was so cold and his style of behavior was overly strict. His entire being exuded an aura that would repel people thousands of miles away, and his extremely beautiful appearance was reduced to 8.8 points due to the alienation welded to his face.

Especially when facing He Chuzhou, the inexplicable disgust in his eyes practically solidified and fell out.

But the Pei Xi in front of him was nothing like the Pei Xi he knew well.

The long-condensed frost between his brows had melted completely, becoming a stream connecting snow-capped mountains on a plateau, enveloped in gentleness and delicacy beneath the coolness. When staring straight at a person, even his eyes were incredibly soft.

An unprecedented brain-addled Pei Xi.

It was quite novel.

He Chuzhou’s eyebrows shifted slightly and he bent down, putting himself and the patient at the same level as they looked at each other: “You’ve left so many relatives and friends without contact, and only took advantage of me. President Pei, are you touching porcelain to cheat me?”

Pei Xi sat back on the bed with the blanket pulled to his waist, staring at him without saying a word.

He Chuzhou: “Let’s talk it over, can you give your parents a call?”

Pei Xi pursed the corners of his mouth slightly, but still did not speak.

“What, are you worried about them knowing?”

After some thought, He Chuzhou changed his mind: “Otherwise, can you call a friend? Or a sibling?”

Pei Xi still did not speak.

He Chuzhou waited for a while and then simply stretched out his hand: “Then give me your phone and I’ll find someone suitable, okay?”

At this time, instead of saying anything, Pei Xi silently put his hand behind his back and stuffed his cellphone under the pillow, an action of silent refusal.

He Chuzhou didn’t understand. He straightened up and hissed: “President Pei, what are you—”

“He Chuzhou.”

The person who had long been silent was finally willing to speak.

It was just that his voice was off. There was a faint tremor in the calmness, and the expression wasn’t right, his eyes slightly red: “Do you want to divorce me?”

He Chuzhou: “……?”

He Chuzhou: “? ? ? ? ?”

*

*

“It’s my fault, I don’t want to divorce.”

“You’re not angry?”

“It’s not that I purposely didn’t pick you up, I was so busy with the things at hand that I forgot. I don’t intend to divorce you.”

Driving out of the hospital parking lot, He Chuzhou made pleasant remarks along the way, his words a bit frazzled. But the person in the passenger seat was still sulking, and firmly pointed the back of his head at him.

When he took the time to turn his head and look, Pei Xi’s appearance was reflected in the car window under the night sky. His expression was very mild, but he exuded grievance and sadness everywhere.

He Chuzhou was really at his wits end.

He had to retract his previous opinion at the hospital. A brain-addled Pei Xi was not novel, but troublesome.

Before this, he had never met anyone so difficult to coax. Even if that girl He Aiyue came, she would have to accept defeat.

He also hadn’t expected that Pei Xi’s memory problem was not simply a matter of confusion, but had directly edited and inserted brand new memories into his brain.

He Chuzhou, who had inexplicably become a “married person,” didn’t care much about this. After all, it was not him who should be sweating, but Pei Xi once he returned to his senses.

For such a person who could not tolerate things outside of his own views, when he realized what he had done during his confusion, there was no telling how revolted he would be.

As for the family member issue, he had brought him to the hospital, so he couldn’t actually leave him alone there. Since he couldn’t contact his real family members, he had to be taken back by his fake family member first.

But right now, what was the deal with being unable to coax him no matter how hard he tried?

He tapped the steering wheel from time to time, recalling the methods he used to coax He Aiyue in the past, and tried them all on Pei Xi one by one.

“Do you want milk tea?”

“Do you want to eat cake?”

“A new skirt…..do you want new clothes?”

“I can take you to the mall to ride the sightseeing train?”

It was no use.

It was no use at all.

After talking for a long time, the only response he got was the throaty female vocals of the music in the car.

He Chuzhou gave up.

If he couldn’t be coaxed, he wouldn’t coax him. If he wanted to be angry, then he could just be angry.

It was just one night’s work. Once he asked his assistant to contact the He family tomorrow and sent this person away, it would have nothing to do with him.

Twenty minutes later, the car drove steadily into a high-end residential area in the city center and stopped in the private parking space of a villa.

He Chuzhou shut off the engine and got out of the car. He closed the door and was about to lock the vehicle when he noticed that there had been no movement from the passenger side for a long time.

Puzzled, he walked around the car and opened the door. The patient he had brought back was still sitting in the passenger seat, unmoving.

Pei Xi had his hands clasped and sat in a well-behaved posture with his head lowered. From He Chuzhou’s perspective, only a bit of his fair profile and lowered eyelashes could be seen.

This reincarnation of a puffer fish had such a bad temper. He Chuzhou was also frustrated. He held the car door and said angrily: “How about we get out of the car first?”

President Pei still chose to remain silent.

“The lighting here isn’t good. Wouldn’t you rather be angry inside the house?”

“How about I drive you around a couple of times?”

“Are you going to sit here all night?”

“Princess, please get out of the car?”

After several repeated attempts, He Chuzhou finally lost his patience and simply leaned down to hold Pei Xi’s face in his palm, forcing him to look at him: “Ancestor, I’ve already apologized. Why are you still angry?”

Pei Xi pressed his chin against He Chuzhou’s warm, dry palm. His eyelashes trembled a few times before lifting up, and he finally spoke: “You just want to divorce me.”

……This troublemaker still wasn’t over it?

He Chuzhou frowned and was about to say something, but when his eyes met Pei Xi’s, he was so stunned that he couldn’t utter a single word.

Due to his nature, even if there was a problem with his memory, Pei Xi shouldn’t expose too much emotion on his face. His expression was perpetually calm, with a coldness that came from within his bones.

But just with the subtle changes in his eyes and tone of voice, he could still vividly convey his emotions, directly touching people’s hearts even more than an outstanding command of language.

For example, right now, the downturn in his voice and the sadness in his eyes easily gave He Chuzhou the misconception that he really deserved to die.

The impatience that had arisen immediately vanished.

Forget it, He Chuzhou thought. Why am I fussing over a person with a brain problem?

“Whoever wants to divorce you is a dog.”

He released his grip and helped push down a strand of hair sticking up on the back of Pei Xi’s head: “I really was busy and forgot. Didn’t I rush to pick you up as soon as you called me? I guarantee this won’t happen next time.”

Pei Xi didn’t answer immediately, but the expression in his eyes clearly eased.

Seeing that there was hope, He Chuzhou continued to work hard: “How about I write you a letter of guarantee when we get back with a seal and signature? Will you stop being angry then?”

Pei Xi: “…..That’s not it.”

When He Chuzhou heard this, he didn’t understand: “What?”

Pei Xi’s attitude softened, and he became a little more awkward, saying in a low voice: “It’s not because of that.”

He Chuzhou speculated: “You’re not angry because I forgot to pick you up?”

Pei Xi nodded slightly.

He Chuzhou: “Then what is it?”

Pei Xi raised his eyes to look at him again. His voice was not loud, but his words were clear: “You just called me President Pei.”

He Chuzhou: “?”

Pei Xi: “Twice.”

He Chuzhou: “? ?”

What was the problem with this? If not President Pei, what should he call him?

To be honest, He Chuzhou couldn’t understand it. But when he was thinking about how to ask, he suddenly felt fortune smile upon him.

Just like how a parent calling your full name indicated that you would be beaten soon, an unfamiliar address between husband and wife was either sexy or the prelude to a mystifying quarrel.

Judging by the current situation, it was obvious that there was no such sexy fun in the compilation of Pei Xi’s memories.

But if he couldn’t call him President Pei, what should he call him?

How could he know what kind of character Pei Xi had arranged for his “husband?”

Right, husband!

“It was just a little joke.”

Paying close attention to the emotional changes in Pei Xi’s eyes, he ventured: “…..Wife?”

---

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Chapter 4 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 6

I soak in the bathtub for a long time, until the water has cooled.

The bathroom mirror is covered with a light sheen of moisture. I stand in front of it looking at myself, and feel that my face is also a little blurry.

When I was a child, Mingcheng’s father said that I was the prettiest among the three children, but I know that he liked a gentle appearance. In fact, Mingcheng was the most beautiful. His appearance was dazzling and impeccable, with a robust handsomeness. 

I will never forget his loving face.

The bathroom light flickers suddenly and violently, and I even hear the buzzing sound of electricity.

Almost at the same time, I realize something is wrong and turn to run. But then the entire room falls into darkness, and with no one around, the bathroom door slowly turns on its own and locks with a click.

“Ugh….!” I am held in front of the sink by hands that hold my wrists behind my back. There is a dull pain in my wrist bones, as well as my hip bones that are pressed against the edge of the marble vanity.

I can’t see anyone in the dark, but another cold white face appears next to mine in the mirror.

This face has a high nose bridge, deep features, and lips that curve without smiling, but there are no pupils in those black eyes. His body seems to be slowly emerging from a black sea, carrying a cold, heavy darkness, eerie and strange.

I look in the mirror, and his eyes turn in my direction.

The face similar to Mingcheng’s makes me shudder.

I turn my head away, but he holds my chin with his cold hand and forces me to look in the mirror.

“I think you like this face a lot. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

He is not human. I can’t break free, so I look at him in the mirror. “It’s not this face that I like. You’re not him. Of course I’m not happy to see you.”

“Yes.” He raises his lips and nods with a smile. “You are unhappy when you see me, and you are afraid of me, but he is Wen Mingcheng, and so am I…..”

I interrupt him with a cold expression: “You are not Wen Mingcheng.”

His face darkens upon hearing these words, and his phoenix eyes with slightly raised tips are like exquisite but lifeless paintings, bottomless.

He suddenly tilts his head, curling his thin lips and pressing them against my ear as he says with a smile: “This isn’t easy to say, you know? When I saw that portrait, I had a feeling of familiarity. You yourself should know that my presence at your side must be inseparable from him.”

I lower my eyes and say nothing. What he says is true. This matter is definitely related to Mingcheng, but I believe that he loved me. No matter what his original intentions were, he didn’t intend to harm me.

So I say: “I’ll send you back.”

“Send me back? Back to where?” He raises his eyebrows mockingly, and his slender hand slips from my chin to my chest. During my struggle, it moves forcefully to the knot of the towel, teasingly holding it between two fingers. I grit my teeth hard and eye his fingertips. As long as he pulls with a little force, I will be bare. I feel extremely humiliated, but I’m helpless.

Then I feel him push me against the sink forcefully, and I begin to struggle in desperation.

Mingcheng was outwardly reserved and dignified. He was not obsessed with this aspect, but when he really wanted to do it, he let himself loose. And we had been together for more than ten years, so I was inevitably very experienced in this area.

So the person behind me only needs to make subtle actions, and I know what he’s going to do. My wrists hurt terribly from the violent struggle, and my eyes are red from the exertion. “Stop!”

Although he didn’t make it to the last step in front of the portrait just now, he still went too far. And that was in front of Mingcheng’s altar, which was tantamount to making me betray my lover in front of him……I really can’t bear it.

“Are you a beast? Do you still have any humanity?!”

When I say this, he suddenly turns me around and then irresistibly pushes my upper body down on the sink.

The sinktop is very spacious. I lay on my back with my upper body resting on the marble countertop. Because of this sudden change in posture, the gap between my legs becomes wider, and he takes a step forward.

My hair stands on end, and I can’t keep myself from shouting: “Get out of here! Don’t!”

He looks down at me with a cold smile on his face, and presses a hand to my chest with such force that I can’t move. “You think I have no humanity, but in your eyes, I am not a human being. I am a ghost, a monster, something terrible and evil. I don’t deserve to be Mingcheng.”

“But the other Wen Mingcheng was not a good person at all. I heard what you and that woman said. He did many unscrupulous things behind your back. He drove away your friends, tricked you into sleeping with him, and caused you to be beaten by your father. You lost your original fiance and had no choice but to marry him. There is probably much more besides. Even I, whom you hate, am here because of him.”

I see the deep anger in his eyes, and the sinister, taunting smile on his face. “But I have never harmed you, ah. You are devoted to him, but only fear and reject me. How is this fair?”

“You are afraid of me. What are you afraid of me for? I told you that I am Wen Mingcheng. From the moment I arrived, I knew that I was Wen Mingcheng. The unworthy person is him, not me.” He leans down directly above my body, looking right at me with eyes like a black abyss. “Think about it, didn’t we get along very well in the beginning? You called me husband, and you also liked me touching you when we shared a bed. We can obviously live happily, as long as you forget about him.”

“You only have to forget him. I am the better Mingcheng, and I will not be as short-lived as him. As long as you are willing, I will accompany your soul forever.”

His theory shocks me, and I am terrified by his last words.

If I had never discovered that he was an imposter, I really would have agreed to his strange request, and it is very likely that my soul would never again be able to break free…..

“He is him. You are you. He was wrong, but I forgive him. You are not human, you should go back to where you came from…..ah!”

Suddenly, he lowers his head and bites my neck hard. The pain makes it impossible for me to continue talking.

Then he kisses the side of my face with a smile. “If you forgave him because he died for you, I can do the same, ah. You can hit me in the head with a hammer again, or stab me through the heart with a knife. I can also do it myself for you. What kind of death do you want to see?”

In horror, I uncontrollably recall the dreadful experience of hammering him to death that night.

“Stop talking, stop talking!” 

“I insist on talking.” He chuckles a few times and straightens my face with both hands. His face is like a perfect mask, and there are dark waves in his eyes, like black holes that can suck away the soul.

“Since you have forgiven him, you should accept me. After all, I appeared because of him. It was impossible for him not to know what my appearance would mean, or what I would want to do. Frankly speaking, he offered you to me. You love him so much, but you refuse to listen to him?”

I can’t bear it anymore, and raise my hand to slap him. “Shut up, ah! It’s impossible, he wouldn’t do this!” 

His face turns slightly sideways by my hard slap. His eyelashes lower, and he is silent for a moment.

Because his eyes are concealed by the shadows of his eyelashes, I can’t see his expression clearly.

But he’s right. I am indeed afraid of him. Even though my fear has made me very numb, I am still afraid. I try my utmost to push him away, and he actually gets up.

But he stands tall in front of me and looks at me deeply with an unclear expression. This posture and gaze make me instinctually aware of the danger.

I put my hands on the sink to push myself up, and he suddenly holds my wrists.

The bathroom door clicks open on its own again.

He drags me out by force and throws me into the room where Mingcheng’s portrait is kept. After entering, he locks the door behind his back.

I crawl up from the ground at once, and he picks me up by the waist to press me firmly against the altar table.

At the side of my face is a burned out incense burner, and in front of me is Mingcheng’s black and white portrait.

He is smiling lightly in the photo, but in this atmosphere, I don’t dare to look at him.

With deep and profound malice, the person behind me leans toward my ear and says cruelly: “You believe in him. You think he is a good person and a good husband. Then do you think that he, who caused this situation today, will come and save you?”

“Don’t—”

He uses his fingers to untie the knot around my waist and hisses again: “Be good, scream a little quieter.”

---

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Chapter 25 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 27

Pei Xi felt as if he had fallen into a huge, dark space, sinkingly endlessly into this space where only he existed, unable to reach the bottom.

His ears picked up a jumble of sounds. Car horns blaring; shouting and cries; footsteps coming and going; the sound of wheels rolling…..

He occasionally bumped into an invisible wall at the edge due to the inexplicable shaking. Trembling in pain, he tried to raise his hand to touch it, but his arm seemed to weigh a thousand pounds and he couldn’t lift it no matter what.

There was a faint glare shining on his eyes through a thin film, and the surroundings gradually changed from noisy to quiet.

He tried hard to follow the direction of the light source, but his body became increasingly uncontrollable, floating up and down.

What……what was this?

Dull pain emanated from everywhere in his body. He watched helplessly as the light drifted away, leaving him farther and farther. He couldn’t catch up, and could only sink deeper into the darkness.

After an unknown period of silence, his ears finally captured the sounds of the outside world again.

The sounds of doors opening, footsteps, and small conversations.

Brighter light covered his face. His eyelids were so thin that the fine blood vessels could be seen, and could not hide the subtle movements of his eyes.

His eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes.

The pupils automatically adjusted in size as they adapted to the sunlight, until he could clearly see everything in the hospital ward.

……Hospital ward?

His mind was blank, half of his consciousness still in turmoil. For a moment, he couldn’t recall what had happened and why he was here.

A nurse happened to come in on her rounds and saw that he was awake. She quickened her pace and came to the bedside to carefully confirm his condition, then left the words “wait a moment” and turned to call the doctor.

He closed his eyes and turned his head. When he opened them again, he unexpectedly met the gaze of the person on the sofa.

The other person seemed to have just woken up, with a face full of sleepiness and depleted energy.

Pei Xi’s expression froze: “…..?”

Three minutes later.

The doctor stood at the door of the ward, explaining Pei Xi’s situation to the profusely yawning He Chuzhou.

“All of the necessary examinations have been done. It’s nothing serious, just a slight concussion that shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Looking at his physical condition alone, long-term overwork and lack of sleep have had a greater impact on his body than the car accident. He should remember to pay more attention to sleep, and balance work with rest.”

“But one thing we need to pay special attention to is that the patient’s brain was hit on a specific location. The possibility of uncontrolled side effects cannot be ruled out in the short term, and as a family member, you must be mentally prepared.”

“Uncontrolled side effects?”

He Chuzhou squinted his eyes, not understanding the meaning of this sentence: “What are uncontrolled side effects?”

The doctor gave a range of answers: “There may be drowsiness or memory impairment. We’re not sure exactly.”

He Chuzhou was baffled upon hearing this, and turned to look at the person sitting in the hospital bed.

Pei Xi had just woken up after sleeping all day and night, and the originally crisp and pressed suit had been replaced by a loose hospital gown. His hair was not as neatly combed as it usually was and his face and lips were still bloodless, giving him a pale, weak appearance.

The only thing was that the eyes that glanced over him were still lofty and contemptuous of all living beings.

Wasn’t this a good thing? Then what was wrong?

Besides, what did it have to do with him if he was truly confused? He had sent the person to the hospital and stayed with him all night, which could be considered a most benevolent and righteous act.

“Doctor, you’ve misunderstood.”

He Chuzhou retired after accomplishing a great task: “I’m just a passerby who was willing to help others, not his family. Now that he’s awake, have him contact his family later. I still have things to do, so I’ll leave first.”

After that, he concluded his farewells to the people inside and picked up his jacket, turning to leave.

The small sofa in the ward was ridiculously tiny. He was nearly 1.9 meters tall and didn’t sleep well all night. He just wanted to go back and catch up on his sleep.

The doctor was astonished, and waited until he was out of sight before clicking his tongue: “Today’s young people are truly warm-hearted, sending a stranger to the hospital and staying there for a day and a night.”

Pei Xi slowly shook his head. After a brief moment of blankness, he sorted out the turmoil and finally remembered the car accident.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he regained his senses, he heard himself saying to the doctor: “He stayed for a day and a night?”

The doctor walked into the ward: “Yes, ah. He followed the ambulance to the hospital and never left. You’ll have to thank him properly later.”

The doctor was unaware of the grudges between them that could not be explained in a few words. Pei Xi didn’t want to explain further, so he just gave a vague hum in response.

The doctor opened the medical record and repeated the medical instructions he had given He Chuzhou in more detail.

Similarly, Pei Xi didn’t think the side effects of a mild concussion could be serious. He only cared about one thing: “Can I be discharged from the hospital now?”

The doctor closed the medical record: “You can, but I suggest you stay in the hospital a few more days for observation. After all, it was your head that was hit, so you still need to pay more attention to it.”

Pei Xi felt that there was no major problem with him. He still had unfinished work, and didn’t want to waste time in the hospital.

But at present, he could clearly feel that his physical strength had not yet recovered. After much deliberation, the two parties decided to postpone the discharge until evening.

The cause of the car accident was very clear. It was due to the other driver’s misjudgment of road conditions when he forced a lane change. The other party was fully responsible.

Dong Han and the driver were more seriously injured than him and had not yet awoken. Although there were no serious problems, if they didn’t recuperate for a month or two, they probably wouldn’t be able to regain their strength.

Pei Xi would hand over subsequent matters of compensation to the lawyers later, and notified the company managers to grant Dong Han and the driver three months of paid leave. Then he logged into his mailbox on his phone and began processing important emails.

There was still some time until evening, so he couldn’t just lie down and do nothing.

Only, he had really overestimated his current state, and hadn’t read two thirds of an email before sleepiness hit him like a surging tide.

When he woke up again, it was already dark.

The streetlight outside illuminated the tops of lush trees, and the footsteps of the medical staff came and went briskly in the hallway.

There were no lights on in the ward, and with the light coming through the window, he could just barely see in the darkness.

Pei Xi opened his eyes and gazed at the ceiling. After a while, he sat up and looked around as if he had encountered something confusing and incomprehensible. His expression revealed a fragile and confused look that had never been seen on him before.

He stared at the nighttime scene outside the window for a long time and put the back of his hand against his forehead. Then he slowly reached for his cellphone on the bedside cabinet and made a call.

*

*

“He Xingxing, walk slower.”

“Slower.”

“Slow down a little more, are you trying to kill your father?”

“Tsk, don’t sniff the butts of others or you might get your head scratched.”

The border collie whined, wagging his tail as he sat and looked at the little cow on the flowerbed for a moment and then looking up at He Chuzhou. His black and white fur was shiny and smooth under the street lamp, very beautiful.

He Chuzhou crouched down with the leash and rubbed He Xingxing’s doggy head skillfully, joining him in staring at the black and white cow-patterned cat.

He Chuzhou: “Hm, you look like a couple.

He Xingxing: “Woof~”

He Chuzhou: “You really like it?”

He Xingxing: “Woof~~”

He Chuzhou: “It’s a pity, you two are a cat and a dog, and mixing species is not easy, ah.”

“Awoooo~”

He Xingxing began to howl, getting excited when he suddenly saw something. Standing on his hind legs, he took the leash from He Chuzhou’s hand and ran toward a spot nearby.

When he returned, he not only had the leash in his mouth, but also a snack bag that had been tossed away.

“Good dog. You’re worthy of being my son.”

He Chuzhou took the snack bag from the dog’s mouth and threw it into a trash can: “I’ll give you a reward later.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone rang.

He Chuzhou stroked He Xingxing’s ears with one hand and took out the phone with the other. When he saw the caller ID, there was a flash of surprise in his eyes.

Was this person calling at such an hour to pay back the medical expenses he had paid in advance?

He clicked to answer, but there was no activity on the other end of the phone.

He Chuzhou glanced at the screen again to make sure the call hadn’t hung up, and patiently put it back to his ear: “What is it, President Pei? Do you need advice on something that is difficult to say?”

“Chuzhou.”

At last, a cold voice came through the receiver. That one single word caused He Chuzhou to suspect that it was an auditory hallucination.

He Chuzhou: “…..What-zhou?”

“Chuzhou.”

The voice was Pei Xi’s, but the tone seemed to belong to a different person. It was no longer arrogant, and so light that it made a person’s ears soften, containing an imperceptible grievance: “It’s already dark, why haven’t you come to pick me up?”

Under the streetlamp, the little cow cat swung its tail as if about to leave. Upon seeing this, He Xingxing immediately went forward and tried to get close to it. The dog’s nose was already halfway up when he realized his father was not paying attention to him, and he looked back in confusion.

And not far away, his father was still crouching in place as if the top of his head had been struck by lightning, his face burnt on the outside and tender on the inside.

---

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Chapter 3 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 5

The two people on the bed quickly adapted to the light and looked up simultaneously.

Two pairs of big, watery eyes stared up at Pei Xi. Their cheeks were faintly red, their lips slightly open, and their eyes blinked from time to time, looking at him amorously.

“……”

Pei Xi looked at them in silence.

The young man on the bed leaned closer to him. He blinked for a long time with no response, so he simply twisted his body and leaned on the edge of the bed, trying to rub his head against Pei Xi’s legs.

As if facing a formidable enemy, Pei Xi swiftly took half a step back, finally remembering where that strange sense of familiarity came from.

Wasn’t this young man the one who followed He Chuzhou out of the hotel that morning?

Beep—

The sound of the door lock opening to a room card sounded again.

Pei Xi reflexively frowned when he saw the person he least wanted to see push open the door and come in.

And the latter was equally surprised to run into him here.

Flipping the room card in the palm of his hand, He Chuzhou leaned against the door without rushing in: “Old friend, why are you in my room?”

Pei Xi saw the room card in his hand and then glanced again at the lively and fragrant bed. How could he still not understand what was going on?

If he was just slightly nauseated at the elevator door earlier, he was well and truly sickened by everything in front of him now.

The sound of rapid footsteps came from afar, and the attendant who had just taken Pei Xi upstairs ran over panting: “President Pei, I’m extremely sorry. The situation was chaotic just now and I mistakenly gave you that room key—”

His voice cut off abruptly when he caught sight of the current situation in the room, and his expression froze at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The number of onlookers had increased inexplicably, and the two mostly naked people on the bed flushed with embarrassment. They turned over and tried to creep under the quilt piled to the side.

Faced with everything before him, Pei Xi tried his best to calm his emotions and breathing, then walked out without saying a word.

Unexpectedly, as he passed the door, a sudden wave of dizziness hit his head.

He almost lost his balance and fell down, but a hand fortunately held his arm in time: “Hey, are you okay?”

“Don’t touch me!”

Pei Xi shook him off with a composed expression. He held onto the wall to suppress the turmoil in his stomach, and strode away with frosty features.

The attendant who caused the incident stood there helplessly.

“Okay, go send him off.”

He Chuzhou waved his hand, seeming to have no intention of complaining: “I don’t need any help here.”

As if he had received amnesty, the attendant thanked him repeatedly before hastily chasing after Pei Xi.

He Chuzhou flicked his wrists and straightened up, walking into the room.

When he was at the door just now, his line of sight was blocked. He could only vaguely see someone on the bed, but didn’t know the specific situation.

When he drew closer and clearly saw the boldly dressed man and woman on the bed, he couldn’t help but bite his cheek with a sour expression.

Thinking back to the man standing beside the bed in a dilemma just now with a look of incomprehension on his face, he was suddenly unable to restrain his laughter.

Tsk, what a pity that he was late.

He was rather curious as to what the serious man’s reaction was upon lifting the quilt.

As He Chuzhou approached the bed, the young man recognized him. His face was obviously more confused than that of the woman’s.

Wasn’t this the person he gave money to find a place to eat hot and sour noodles that morning? Why was he bumping into him again?

Just when the two of them couldn’t figure out what was happening now, He Chuzhou leaned down and tore off the tape on their mouths and pulled the quilt back over them.

“You two…..” He Chuzhou said these two words leisurely.

The two people were holding the corners of the quilt, four eyes exposed as they rolled, deer-like, to look at him.

The faint blushes on their cheeks because of Pei Xi had not yet faded, and deepened once again due to He Chuzhou’s appearance.

Wancheng. Wancheng was truly a getaway paradise.

He Chuzhou: “Isn’t it embarrassing to be dressed like this and squeezed into the same bed for so long without being able to chat?”

The young man: “……”

The young woman: “……”

“I’m just joking.” 

He Chuzhou smiled and set the room card on the bedside table: “Here, I’ll put it here for you. You can rest for the night and then check out tomorrow morning. I’m going.”

Having said this, he turned and left the room, not forgetting to conscientiously close the door for them before leaving.

The two were left alone on the bed, looking at each other in dismay.

*

*

It was already after 11 o’clock when Pei Xi returned to Wancheng.

Before going back, he went to the company to pick up documents, and when he got home, he ate something casually and took some medicine. He just barely fell asleep in the early morning.

At 7a.m. the next day, his assistant sent a message saying that he had already connected with Mr. Zhang’s assistant. The meeting time was approximately 10 o’clock, and the location was still the hotel where the auction was held last night.

Because they had to run back and forth, the other party specifically included an apology in the email. It was just that Mr. Zhang had already arranged to stay abroad for a time after the auction.

He had a flight ticket for around 1 o’clock this afternoon, and feared he wouldn’t be able to catch it if he made the trip to Wancheng.

Pei Xi expressed his understanding, and as soon as the morning meeting concluded, he took the documents and rushed to the neighboring city for the appointment.

The car passed through the city and drove steadily onto the highway.

Somehow, after taking medicine and resting for a night, Pei Xi’s condition had not improved. On the contrary, there were faint signs of it worsening, the strength in his body slowly declining.

He just hoped that victory would come quickly. He really didn’t have enough energy to sustain himself in this state and deal with matters.

Dong Han, who was sitting in the passenger seat, kept taking frequent looks in the rearview mirror. After several times, this finally caught Pei Xi’s attention.

“What’s wrong?”

Pei Xi looked up from the documents and tiredly adjusted his glasses.

Belongings had similar qualities to their owners, and so did the glasses placed on Pei Xi’s face. Even the lenses and silver frames seemed to reflect a calm, cold light.

“President Pei.” Dong Han sounded a little uncertain: “The car behind us seems to have been following us since we left the city.”

Pei Xi didn’t take it to heart: “Perhaps it is just going the same way.”

Dong Han: “But that’s President He’s car.”

Pei Xi: “…….”

Pei Xi immediately turned his head. Sure enough, a black car was driving behind them not too distantly.

Pei Xi: “Are you sure that’s He Chuzhou’s car?”

Wasn’t he supposed to have rested at the hotel last night after the auction? Why had he appeared in Wancheng at this time?

“En, the license plate number is correct.”

Dong Han guessed: “Is it possible that President He is also going to see Mr. Zhang?”

This possibility could indeed not be ruled out.

And if this was the case, the situation was not very optimistic for them. He Chuzhou had been laying low during this period, and no one could tell what preparations he had made in secret. 

Pei Xi closed the document: “When you made an appointment with Mr. Zhang’s assistant, did he reveal that he had made an appointment with someone else at the same time?”

Dong Han answered in the negative and took out his cellphone: “President Pei, would you like me to contact Mr. Zhang’s assistant now and ask?”

Pei Xi stopped him: “No need.”

At this point, no matter what the other party’s answer was, he still had to go.

He was the one asking for something from the other party, and there was no point in asking too many questions. If Mr. Zhang was to misunderstand and think he meant to condemn him, it would do more harm than good.

But if He Chuzhou really……

Pei Xi: “Contact He Chuzhou’s assistant.”

Dong Han was a little surprised: “President Pei, what do you mean?”

Pei Xi: “Ask them directly if they are going to meet Mr. Zhang.”

Dong Han understood and immediately opened his cellphone to contact He Chuzhou’s assistant.

The call connected quickly, but after Dong Han said “Hello” at the beginning, there were no further words.

After a couple of seconds, he turned back to glance at Pei Xi, looking troubled.

Pei Xi: “What’s wrong?”

“President Pei, President He answered the phone.”

Dong Han held the phone lower: “He says there is no need to go to such trouble. If you want to know anything, you can ask him personally.”

A bit of impatience showed in Pei Xi’s eyes, and he reached out to take the phone, putting it to his ear: “It’s me.”

“I hear that. Morning.”

He Chuzhou’s voice came through the connection as casually as if this was a chat between acquaintances. It was no exaggeration to say that it was pleasant to the ears.

It was just that the voice that fell into Pei Xi’s ears was somewhat sarcastic.

It couldn’t be helped. Pei Xi’s negativity filter on him was too thick. No matter what he said or did, Pei Xi found him objectionable to see or listen to.

Uninterested in talking nonsense to him, Pei Xi asked straight to the point: “Are you going to meet Mr. Zhang?”

He Chuzhou was also very direct: “Yes.”

Sure enough.

Pei Xi suppressed his annoyance: “Mr. Zhang’s flight leaves at 1 o’clock today.”

He Chuzhou: “So our time is around 10a.m.”

Pei Xi was stunned. His was also at 10 o’clock, so Mr. Zhang actually planned to see them both at the same time.

How could they still discuss like this?

Lay their cards on the table and bid in person?

If He Chuzhou had expected that the meeting would be like this, based on Pei Xi’s understanding of him, he must have prepared to overwhelm him by surprise.

At this thought, Pei Xi’s expression turned even worse: “You knew I would make an appointment with Mr. Zhang today. Did you do this on purpose?”

He Chuzhou gave a brief laugh: “President Pei, you overestimate me. How could I know that you had an appointment today? It’s just a coincidence.”

Pei Xi didn’t believe a word he said: “What do you intend to do?”

He Chuzhou: “Discuss the land, of course. What else can I do?”

Pei Xi’s voice grew even colder: “You know that isn’t what I’m asking.”

“How can I know?”

He Chuzhou said in a relaxed tone: “President Pei, don’t forget that we have a fair, competitive relationship. Putting it this way, can I also ask you why you deliberately made an appointment on the same day as me?”

Pei Xi gripped the phone tightly, saying nothing.

“By the way, has President Pei had breakfast?”

He Chuzhou yawned, endlessly changing the topic: “We should have plenty of time when we get there soon. Do you want to go have a bowl of noodles together?”

Who wanted to eat with him?

Pei Xi suppressed his displeasure and was just about to hang up the phone.

“Pei Xi!”

But at this moment, He Chuzhou suddenly burst out with a loud shout: “Lower your head!”

Pei Yi was startled by him.

However, just as He Chuzhou finished speaking, there was a loud sound of friction from the front and bottom of the car simultaneously, and what followed was a sharp pain that exploded from the corner of his eye and the side of his head.

He had no time to react, and completely lost consciousness amidst the thunderous impact.

---

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Chapter 2 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 4