Two simple men’s rings were embedded in the black velvet cloth. They had a low-key, classic design that wasn’t too exaggerated, no problem to take to class or work. When he looked closely, he found that the relief patterns on the rings were antlers, a very thoughtful design.

Mu Nanqiao asked the question so easily, as if it was really just a gift. But Lu Qi was still trapped in his arms with his back pressed against his chest, and even through the thin winter jacket, he could feel his rapid heartbeat.

He was nervous, but Lu Qi was relaxed. Tilting his head slightly, he asked with a smile in his deer-like eyes: “Boss Mu, it needs to be made clear, are there any freebies that come with it?”

Mu Nanqiao, as the freebie, was amused by his cunning look. He lowered his head and kissed the side of his cheek that was blown by the cold wind: “There’s a freebie, a big, sleek fox who can run a household and make money. En, he can also warm the bed. Doesn’t that sound like a good deal?”

Lu Qi turned around and looked at him.

The fireworks in the sky were reflected in those beautiful fox eyes, like countless stars rising and falling. What remained unchanged was the figure he was gazing at.

Lu Qi knew what Mu Nanqiao was nervous about.

Looking back on the past year, time seemed to have accelerated. He had met a scumbag and received malicious messages from many people, and everything looked so dreadful. At this most terrible time, he met Mu Nanqiao.

The handsome and mysterious Mr. Fox.

He once hesitated over whether to accept this person he hadn’t known very long as his boyfriend or not. But later, he realized that he had already left traces in Mu Nanqiao’s life, and this person had been thinking about him for many years.

Mu Nanqiao’s psychiatrist had said that he may not have caught Lu Qi as a person, but as the beam of light from his boyhood. In other words, anyone who showed kindness to Mu Nanqiao at that time may have become this beam of light.

If he were a pedantic type of person, he might have struggled with this issue, but Lu Qi did not.

He didn’t need to think about what-ifs. The fact was, he was the one who appeared in that small window, pushed it open, and picked up the little fox covered in bruises.

The fireworks in the sky were coming to an end. In the midst of these grand, gorgeous fireworks, Lu Qi softly exhaled a misty breath.

“It’s okay…..” Mu Nanqiao spoke at this moment. “Baby, if you think our time together has been too short, I can ask next year…..”

“Short?” Lu Qi blinked and interrupted him gently, pointing at the brilliantly burning fireworks under the night sky. “Look, the fireworks actually burn for a very short time, but they’re very beautiful, ah. How many times in a lifetime can you see such beautiful fireworks?”

He stretched out his hand to Mu Nanqiao. His eyes were bright, and he raised his chin proudly. “Детка, be brave!”

For a moment, Mu Nanqiao had an illusion.

He seemed to have grabbed a stuffed marshmallow and kneaded it, causing the sweet syrup to flow out and fill up the holes in his body bit by bit, making the past that had trapped him feel like just a long dream.

The sun rose, and he awoke from his nightmare.

He had said the words “I love you” so many times that the turbulent emotions piled up in his chest were about to burst out, but he didn’t know what to say.

His love was deafening, but what came out of his mouth was: “Should I go down on one knee when proposing to make it more sincere?”

“Cough, no need…..” Lu Qi’s ears felt hot. “Don’t kneel to me during the New Year. If you kneel, I will have to give you lucky money…..”

Mu Nanqiao laughed softly. Under the dim light, his handsome face was incredibly gentle. He took Lu Qi’s cold fingertips and rubbed them twice. Taking the ring out of the small box, he put it on Lu Qi’s slender and beautiful finger.

He did so with such earnestness that his expression was almost pious. Finally, he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Lu Qi’s fingertips.

“Thank you, Baby…..” He whispered: “Not just for agreeing to my proposal, but for much, much more…..”

“You’re welcome.” Lu Qi calmly and confidently picked up the other ring. Taking Mu Nanqiao’s hand, he said in a brisk and cheerful voice: “Boss Mu, please give me more advice in the future.”

The finger he put the ring on was also slender, and their ten fingers intertwined.

“But, wearing it on the middle finger?” Lu Qi raised their clasped hands and asked uncertainly: “So we’re engaged? Then should I call you…..fiancé?”

Mu Nanqiao was stunned for a moment by this word. He still couldn’t adapt to this sudden surprise, feeling as if he was floating in the clouds. Lu Qi, on the other hand, spoke it calmly and only blushed afterwards. 

He couldn’t help but take this little deer into his arms. Mu Nanqiao kissed his hair and asked with a teasing smile: “So you want to wear it on your ring finger? Baby, do you want to call me…..husband?”

The cool, light woody fragrance on his body was carried by the winter night wind to surround Lu Qi. It was initially a bit cold, but when he was hugged, it didn’t seem to matter anymore. But Lu Qi was a little unconvinced, and asked with a scoff: “Why don’t you call me that?”

“Okay, ah.” The big fox didn’t mind at all, and called out softly and hoarsely in Lu Qi’s ear: “Husband…..”

Lu Qi: ……

Not only was it not cold anymore, it was actually a little hot.

Seeing that ear turn red, Mu Nanqiao laughed out loud in triumph and embraced Lu Qi, shaking him from side to side. “Baby, the wedding ring should have a pigeon egg diamond, this is just for convenience…..”

Lu Qi thought about a big jeweled diamond ring and couldn’t help but sigh: “You and my dad sometimes have rather the same aesthetics…..”

As soon as he finished speaking, the balcony door opened a crack and a very happy cough sounded. 

“Ahem…..” Lin Chunhe was turned sideways so as not to look at the two shameless hooligans. He waved. “You two, don’t get too cold. Come in quickly, cough, Xiao Mu…..”

When the two of them entered the house, Lin Chunhe took out a very festive red velvet box from behind his back. There was also a gilded dragon and phoenix printed on it. He handed the box to Mu Nanqiao and coughed awkwardly.

“Cough, this daughter-in-law, ah, or is it son-in-law?” The old father really couldn’t find a suitable identity for this big fellow. In the end, he waved his hand resignedly and said, “Anyway, you’re a good boy, Xiao Mu. Me and your auntie like you very much. This is a New Year’s gift for you. Take a look, do you like it?”

Mu Nanqiao and Lu Qi looked down at the box together, then exchanged glances, and finally couldn’t help but smile at each other.

The big gold bracelet was late, but it had arrived.

(The End)

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Chapter Fifty-Five << Table of Contents >> Extra

Liu Zhenqing pressed his temples: “Let’s steal them.”

“I can still afford one hundred taels,” Song Xingmu said with a smile.

“How can it be possible that his two brothers are only worth one hundred taels?” Liu Zhenqing said: “And…..if it’s a trap, we have to stay concealed.”

Song Xingmu suppressed a smile and said: “After saving them, don’t tell them that you spent five thousand taels of gold to buy a painting, but couldn’t pay one hundred taels to buy them.”

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but laugh when he heard this, and looked at Huo Fenglie.

Huo Fenglie pursed his lips in embarrassment.

Watching the bidding go one by one below, Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie took a closer look. There shouldn’t be any external injuries, but the effects of the drug were too strong. They could only sit paralyzed, unable to even speak, and completely at the mercy of others. But there was no need to worry about the poison. When he left his master, Liu Zhenqing was re-equipped with antidote pills.

The three people discussed the possible causes of the situation.

Song Xingmu said: “First, they were incidentally sold when they were escaping. After all, even with great martial arts skills, they were still on the sea. Second, it is possible that the enemy discovered their identities and are using them to draw us out.”

“But each point has its contradictions.”

“What are they?”

“For the first point, who arranged for the letter to be delivered?” Liu Zhenqing said: “In this state, they probably didn’t have a chance to send a letter to the Huo family.”

Song Xingmu said with a nod: “That makes sense.”

“If it is the second point, then they shouldn’t have been sent out together. Whether to keep one as a hostage, or separating them into two auctions to increase the probability of us finding out, these are more reasonable than sending them both out.”

“It seems we’ll only know when we save them,” Song Xingmu said.

Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie and said: “Be careful later.”

Huo Fenglie nodded.

“Don’t worry, I’ll have Yi Chuan go with him later. If they join forces, they can’t fail to save them.” Song Xingmu looked outside as he spoke. “That’s strange, why has he been gone for so long? Is there really some important news?”

At this time, Qin Yu had been sold at the auction below.

Although neither of them could move, the killing intent in Qin Yu’s eyes and the fury on He Lan’s face could still be seen.

The person who bought Qin Yu was a bloated uncle. One look at the way he spoke, and it was clear that he was interested in Qin Yu’s appearance. He then immediately wanted to buy the medicine, and followed the Pingjin Square people to the back. 

And the person who bought He Lan was a lady, who had also fallen in love with He Lan’s appearance. She had brought enough men with her, so she didn’t need to buy the medicine, and confidently sent her men to put a collar and chains on He Lan.

Although He Lan was furious, he still stared after Qin Yu.

Fortunately, Song Xingmu knew the people who bought them, so even if they couldn’t be rescued at the same time later, their whereabouts were still known. Song Xingmu also divulged the information in rigorous detail.

The auction soon ended, but Yi Chuan had not yet returned, and Zhao Haicheng and the governor were about to leave.

“This bastard,” Song Xingmu cursed. “Is it possible that he’s continuing to follow?”

“Perhaps he heard something important,” Liu Zhenqing said.

“The two parties that bought He Lan and Qin Yu are also leaving,” Huo Fenglie said.

Song Xingmu could only say: “Let’s go save them first. Yi Chuan said he has great martial arts skills, so let’s just wait for news.” 

Thus, the three of them went out together and chose the closest person, who was taking He Lan with her.

The thugs were holding the chain around He Lan’s neck. Because he had no strength, he was practically stumbling and crawling as he was dragged forward. But he still attempted to struggle, and frequently looked in the opposite direction, where Qin Yu had gone.

Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing were hiding out of sight, waiting for Huo Fenglie to launch a sneak attack and steal that person.

Because of He Lan’s struggling, he and the thugs fell to the rear of the procession. However, this gave Huo Fenglie an opportunity to attack. When they turned a corner, a blind spot appeared.

Huo Fenglie descended at once.

He Lan was still struggling with all his strength when a figure flashed out and the thug holding him from the front fell down. When he took a closer look, he was immediately ecstatic. 

Huo Fenglie broke He Lan’s chains and flew away with him.

The entire process took no longer than three seconds. Liu Zhenqing and Song Xingmu, who were hiding in the distance, silently observed.

When the buyer realized that person was gone, she was furious. She looked for him everywhere, but there was nothing unusual in the area.

Was it really not a trap?

When Huo Fenglie appeared with He Lan, he was about to turn back and look for Qin Yu, but was stopped by Liu Zhenqing: “I brought the antidote pills. Let’s let He Lan speak first.”

Huo Fenglie waited a moment for He Lan to take the antidote pill. After a while, He Lan opened his mouth and said: “Save Qin Yu!”

Huo Fenglie acted instantly, and Liu Zhenqing knew that what He Lan said proved this was not a trap.

As they waited for He Lan to regain his strength, Liu Zhenqing told him about the situation. Just as he was about to ask what had happened to them, he found that Song Xingmu was getting increasingly uneasy. Suddenly, a whistling signal arrow exploded somewhere in the sky.

Song Xingmu’s expression changed. He stood abruptly and said: “It’s Yi Chuan, something has happened to him!”

According to Yi Chuan’s martial arts skills and temperament, if it wasn’t a matter of life or death, he would never send such a signal. And once the signal was sent, the enemy would be even more ruthless.

Liu Zhenqing swiftly threw a bottle of medicine to Song Xingmu: “Red delays death, white detoxifies, go! Fenglie will arrive soon!”

He couldn’t carry around a bunch of pill bottles, and had randomly put a few different types of pills in the bottle. He had considered Qin Yu’s situation for a moment, but it was no problem if the toxin wasn’t detoxified in a timely manner.

Song Xingmu stopped talking and flew away at once.

Liu Zhenqing was just about to look at He Lan when he leaped up. “You hide well. I’ll go take over rescuing Qin Yu and ask Zhanyuan to rescue Yi Chuan as soon as possible!”

He Lan’s movements were still a little unsteady, but he took off as quickly as he could. It was impossible for him to go help Song Xingmu since his strength had not yet been restored. The best method was for him to take over Qin Yu’s rescue while Huo Fenglie rushed to save Yi Chuan.

He inwardly agreed with He Lan’s judgment. After all, Yi Chuan’s martial arts were stronger than Song Xingmu’s, and something had happened to Yi Chuan. Song Xingmu could only delay time at best, but might not be able to save him, so they could only depend on Huo Fenglie.

Liu Zhenqing obediently went to the dark alley beside the street, quietly blending into the night.

On the other side, Huo Fenglie had caught up with Qin Yu’s group, but the situation was not as good as He Lan’s. Qin Yu was brought into a carriage by the buyer.

Huo Fenglie thought for a moment, then attacked the horse directly. When the horse rushed out wildly with the carriage, Huo Fenglie followed.

When the carriage finally stopped, the buyer climbed out and vomited on the ground. Behind him, Huo Fenglie had already ducked inside.

Upon entering, he found Qin Yu unconscious. Huo Fenglie thought that the poisoned Qin Yu had been knocked out by the wild carriage, and felt awkward all of a sudden. There was nothing visible in the dark environment, so Huo Fenglie came out holding Qin Yu.

After coming out, he saw a whistling arrow explode in the sky. Huo Fenglie frowned slightly, but decided to take Qin Yu to meet up with the others first.

He ended up meeting He Lan halfway. He Lan quickly picked Qin Yu up and said asked, “Why is he unconscious?”

“He was knocked out. You guys…..”

He Lan hastily spoke again: “I saw that Captain Song’s expression changed drastically when he left, so I suppose something happened. Brother Liu is still hiding where he was.”

Huo Fenglie was about to turn around, but stopped in his tracks.

“You go, I’ll take Brother Qin to find Brother Liu! There’s nothing we can do to help now.”

Huo Fenglie nodded and headed off in the direction of the whistling arrow.

He Lan at last breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leave with the person in his arms. When the person moved, He Lan immediately said in surprise: “Zichuan?”

But when Qin Yu opened his eyes, there was something wrong with them, as if the calmness in them was gradually disappearing. Thin red marks also appeared on his neck. As soon as He Lan saw these marks, he recalled how the man who bought Qin Yu followed Pingjin Square back to buy medicine, and his expression changed slightly. It seemed that Qin Yu had been drugged again.

“Damn it, Laozi is going to kill them…..I’ll go back and get medicine first!”

Qin Yu had already begun to whimper in pain. This kind of drug was actually the most dangerous to a eunuch’s body. He Lan could only rush back with the person in his arms to find Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing was shocked to see this and said: “I gave all the medicine to Captain Song, didn’t you see?”

“You gave it all? I thought you kept at least a little?” He Lan sucked in a sharp breath.

“How could I have known he would be poisoned like this?” Liu Zhenqing was speechless.

Liu Zhenqing reached out to examine Qin Yu’s pulse and found that his skin was frighteningly hot. It also seemed that he had reached the limit of his endurance, but because the medicine also affected his strength, he couldn’t do anything even though he felt uncomfortable.

“Do…..I need to…..” He Lan glanced at Qin Yu’s blushing, amorous face. His heart jumped, but he still shook his head and said: “Right, I’ll go to Captain Song to get some medicine.”

“That’s very dangerous, ah. Look in the third room in the middle of the second floor, that’s mine and Fenglie’s guest room. I put medicine in the box next to the bed. With your qinggong, you can take Brother Qin back in time!” Liu Zhenqing pointed him in that direction.

He Lan returned to his senses and said: “You…..”

“Nobody will catch me, I’ll stay and wait for the others. Go quickly and do not delay detoxification. The longer the drug stays in his body, the greater the damage it will cause! Too much time has been wasted…..” Liu Zhenqing didn’t say anything further.

“What, will something happen?!” He Lan looked frightened.

Liu Zhenqing hastily said: “No, I just mean, if you delay for a long time, even if the poison is cured, the effects of the drug will continue. Brother Qin has suffered enough. You…..you can figure it out yourself.”

In any case, Liu Zhenqing also didn’t say much about the relationship between the two. Qin Yu’s body was no different from that of an ordinary man. For the good of his health, it was best to detoxify and give Qin Yu release.

He Lan didn’t dare to delay any longer, and flew away with this person first.

On the other side, when Huo Fenglie arrived, he saw Song Xingmu wearing a mask and holding Yi Chuan, who was unconscious and covered in blood. He was fighting to retreat. At least six enemies were also wearing masks, and it was unknown if Zhao Haicheng was among them. But their purpose was to kill Yi Chaun, and they weren’t after Song Xingmu’s life.

Huo Fenglie was wearing the mask given to him by Pingjin Square, and flew down directly to join the battle. Because of Huo Fenglie’s participation, Song Xingmu had time to give Yi Chuan medicine and watch anxiously.

The opponents’ combat effectiveness was quickly destroyed by Huo Fenglie’s arrival. Seeing that Huo Fenglie was a martial arts master, these people no longer cared to fight. White smoke instantly spread everywhere, containing medicinal effects that would cause people to lose their fighting ability. Huo Fenglie sensed that something was wrong and quickly covered his nose, backing away. Now he knew why Yi Chuan was defeated even though he should be stronger than these people. It turned out this was the method used.

He wouldn’t chase a desperate enemy, lest the tables turn. Huo Fenglie wanted to ensure the safety of the two remaining people, so he withdrew from the smoke’s range. When he arrived at Song Xingmu’s side, the smoke soon dissipated and the enemy vanished.

“How is he?”

“With the medicine given by Zhenqing, his condition is stable, but the wounds are also very troublesome. I need to take him back for treatment first.”

“To the water village?”

“No, my other courtyard. You come too when you’re done.”

Huo Fenglie nodded.

But Liu Zhenqing, who had been implicated in this matter, was holding his breath, not daring to make a sound.

Because just outside the entrance of the alley, several people were supporting each other and waiting for a carriage. Looking at those outfits, he feared they were the people who had attacked Yi Chuan. Considering the timing, it should be them.

“Damn it, what a failure!”

“At least Yi Chuan isn’t a threat to us in the short term.”

Liu Zhenqing: I am indeed unlucky, ah.

This really couldn’t be said. After all, this was the most secluded place in the entire area, very suitable for a person to hide. It could only be said that their judgment was about the same.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t know how many martial arts masters there were. He could only try his best to apply the breathing method taught to him by Huo Feihan and make his breathing as light as possible, so that it would be difficult for anyone who wasn’t a master to spot him. Although half of his attempts before had failed, now he had to take the risk.

Liu Zhenqing closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually became calmer. Sure enough, nobody outside noticed.

“Who was that who came after?”

“Who knows, he was wearing a mask, ah. He should be with Song Xingmu. Because of him, all of us are injured. I don’t think it’s worth it!”

“But his martial arts were too high for him to be a normal person. Where did he find a new guard?”

“Could it be…..Huo Fenglie. Wasn’t there news that his whereabouts are unknown? Maybe he’s already here! Huo Fenglie’s martial arts are very high…..”

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone couldn’t help but become anxious. “It doesn’t matter, let Zhao Haicheng test him out. He must have recognized Huo Fenglie’s portrait before.”

Liu Zhenqing’s pupils shrank. It seems that…..I’m still lucky. Wouldn’t it be troublesome if we let Huo Fenglie show up carelessly later?

Heaven had sent him a message. Moreover, Liu Zhenqing was rather surprised to hear that their attitudes were mild toward Zhao Haicheng.

Just as he was contemplating, the sound of a carriage arrived. Once everyone had left, Liu Zhenqing breathed a sigh of relief. It was safe now that the assassins had left, and he would just wait until everyone came back.

In light of those sounds, Liu Zhenqing stepped out of the alley slightly and stood by the street, watching the carriage depart and considering the direction it was headed.

Suddenly, there was the sound of horse hooves not far behind. Startled, Liu Zhenqing looked back and immediately made a quick judgment, knowing that it was too late.

While he was calm inwardly, his behavior revealed awkwardness and embarrassment. He even dared to raise his head and take a few glances until the horse stopped and the person on it dismounted.

“Young Master Huo?”

Liu Zhenqing greeted him with an embarrassed look: “Lieutenant General Zhao. What a coincidence, ah, that I met…..you.”

“Why are you here alone? What did you just see?” Zhao Haicheng’s voice was cold and full of scrutiny.

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

It turns out he has been following me.

I quickly take a step forward to avoid his touch, then turn around abruptly. There is nobody behind me. But as soon as I turn my head to look at the glass wall, I can see his silhouette.

He puts down his hand, but presses closer to me.

I grab a random person passing by me and ask: “Can you see anyone behind me?!”

“Someone is following me. He’s a very tall man. Can you see him?!”

The passerby looks at me like I’m crazy, and several girls eye me with fear and vigilance.

I see. It’s not that I got away from him, but that he didn’t let me see him.

I flee again, running aimlessly down the streets.

But as long as there is a reflective surface, I see his presence. Even when I try to take a taxi, I see his silhouette in the car window.

Wen Mingcheng’s mother is right. There is nothing I can do.

I panic, and I don’t know if I’m running in the direction of the Wei family house.

With the last of my awareness, I hear someone calling me.

“Mr. Wei? Mr. Wei, how are you?!”

I recognize this voice. It belongs to that young guard.

“Help me…..”

As if grasping a lifeline, I grip the hand he extends to me extremely hard. I try to tell him to take me back to the Wei family, and I try to tell him their address, but I unknowingly lose consciousness after speaking.

. . . . . . . .

Melodious piano music flows through the renovated villa.

The night sea breeze carries the fragrance of midsummer flowers as it drifts through the wide open windows. The scent of peonies is fragrant and intoxicating. The interior is neat and tidy, and the windows are bright and clean wherever the light shines.

And the round table next to the windowsill is still covered with a white lace tablecloth, with a goblet full of wine that is deep red and transparent.

The person playing the piano is probably quite happy. A song prelude begins with a light and graceful feeling.

I wake up and find myself lying on the living room sofa. The surrounding atmosphere is warm and comfortable, but I don’t feel relaxed. On the contrary, my heart is utterly cold.

Because this is not the Wei family house, but mine and Mingcheng’s marital home.

I am back again.

I have no power to resist. 

I move to get up from the sofa, but I realize that I’m completely naked. Naked, with only a thin blanket wrapped around my body.

“A-Zhen, you’re awake.” The sound of the piano had stopped at some point. ‘Wen Mingcheng’ slowly walks down from the second floor.

He seems to have dressed up with care. His clothes are very straight, and there is a white gem corsage on his chest. He smiles at me with a face so handsome that a person would not dare look for too long. His figure is tall and straight, with deep concave lines on his waist and back, and the undulations of his muscles are faintly visible beneath his clothes. His whole person shines under the lights, elegant as always, lambent like jade.

But I know this is all fake.

He is well-dressed, but I struggle to cover myself with the blanket.

I look up at him as he walks over. “……Why are you doing this?”

He curves his lips at me and stands next to the sofa, looking down at me: “You were covered in sweat. I thought it would be uncomfortable to sleep like that, so I gave you a bath.”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about!” I reach out a hand and grab his arm, numb to the fear.

I can really do nothing to him. I’m completely at his mercy. I am a madman in everyone’s eyes. Nobody can save me. I am completely desperate.

I am done.

I instinctively plead with him, humbly showing him my weakness. “I-I’m begging you, I’ll give you whatever you want. Please let me go. I’ll never ask what you are again. My husband invited you behind my back, I didn’t do this voluntarily. If you want to go back, I will send you there…..”

My emotions surge up violently. My state of mind is terrible and my body shakes uncontrollably, tears flowing from my eyes. I’m so choked up that every word I speak is difficult.

He listens silently to my incoherent, stammering words, and sends a deep look toward my hand holding his arm.

He is silent for more than ten seconds after listening to me. Grabbing my wrist, he takes my hand away before leaning down to kiss one of my eyes.

At such a close distance, I see that his eyes have no brilliance under the lights, like a bottomless black abyss. I stare at him, and he stares back at me.

His hands touch my face, the back of my ears, and my neck.

“But A-Zhen, I am your husband. I am Wen Mingcheng.”

I’m going crazy.

“Why does it have to be like this?! You clearly know that I know everything, so stop tormenting me! Please, I’m begging you…..”

I collapse on the sofa and put my head in my hands. The blanket slowly falls off my body, and I feel a chill down my spine. I begin to cry heartbreakingly, calling out for the Mingcheng who had brought me to this point.

I should look like a complete lunatic right now.

It’s possible that I’ve gone crazy.

The man before me looks at me with his head tilted, his expression one of heartache. He leans down to hug me, reaching out to touch my back, but there is no warmth on his body.

I raise my hand and slap him. 

He face is turned slightly away by me, but then he forcefully opens my teeth and kisses me.

It really hurts, and I try to push him away, but it’s like a mayfly trying to shake a tree.

At last, he releases my mouth.

I gasp like a dying fish, but he isn’t affected in any way.

“A-Zhen,” he says while looking at me quietly. There are emotions in those eyes that I can’t understand, and his voice is particularly clear in the empty house. “I know you think I’m abnormal. Yes, I’ve noticed it too.”

“I’m different from you. I don’t need to eat, I feel no pain, nor cold or heat. I can’t even enter the house during the day, and there is so much more.”

“But I knew that my name was Wen Mingcheng the moment I appeared. I also knew that you belong to me. I like your body very much, and your soul. I especially like the way you call me Mingcheng.”

“You say I’m not Wen Mingcheng, and perhaps I’m not.” His lips rise in a smile, the indents at the corners of his mouth particularly deep and sharp. There is great malice in that smile. “But I feel that loving him is not as good as loving me. Because for me to appear here instead of him, I think there should be a possibility…..”

“That he gave you to me.”

After he says these words, I have no strength to resist and no longer struggle.

I seem to be dead, and let him peel me out of the blanket.

Just like the first day he showed up, and just like when Mingcheng and I were newly married, I am carried toward the bedroom.

The bedroom door closes softly.

The room seems to have been sprayed with perfume, and has a soft, creamy scent.

I lay on the bed, watching him stand looking down at me from the foot of the bed. Tossing his jacket to the ground, he undoes his buttons one by one with his fingers…..

I suddenly roll over and hide under the bed in a ridiculous and embarrassing manner.

He doesn’t seem to have expected me to hide, and after a pause, he calls to me.

I watch as he walks to the side of the bed and lowers himself to one knee, stretching a hand under the bed.

“I don’t have that intention. Don’t be afraid.”

The floor is very cold, and the only things I can cover myself with are the clothes he threw on the ground. I wrap them tightly around my body, watching his hand reach closer and closer to me, and I duck back.

The space under the bed is very narrow, and my shoulder hits something. I subconsciously look back, and then I lose my breath again.

I have found the doll. It turns out that it was tied to the bottom of my bed.

No wonder. There was no electricity in the house that day, and the bottom of the bed was dark, as well as the doll. No wonder I searched the bottom of every bed and every corner of the house, but didn’t find anything.

It turns out it was sleeping with me every night.

I’m finally grabbed by the wrist and dragged out.

The jacket I’m holding onto is easily snatched away by him and thrown out of the room. He tosses me on the bed and holds me from behind, whispering for me to go to sleep. But I can feel the changes in his body.

They both lied to me.

Are they both beasts?

Everything is quiet during the second half of the night. The “person” next to me maintains his position of holding me. His eyes are closed.

I don’t know if he is really asleep, but what if he is deceiving me? I have been fooled so many times that it doesn’t matter.

I get out of bed and go to the closet to find clothes to put on. After fastening the buttons one by one, I go to the small garden and find a stainless steel hammer on the flower stand cabinet.

At two o’clock in the morning, I stand in front of my bed with this hammer.

The man on the bed is motionless.

It is so quiet at night that I can clearly hear the sound of the old-fashioned clock in the living room swinging.

After watching him silently for a while, I trace his outline again and again with my eyes, and ultimately lift the hammer high.

Then I smash it down hard on his head!

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Chapter 21 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 23

Although the Wei family’s background was not as good as the Wen family’s, they were in the Yuhua upper class and were not a small family. As the son my parents had when they were older, I was cherished more than a girl when I was a child. So Mingyi is right, I really was easy to deceive when I was young.

When I was a teenager, I fell in love with Mingcheng unknowingly. I think it was because Mingcheng was beautiful and gentle. Spring buds bloomed in my heart, and I was in love with him for a long time. However, there were many things that I didn’t think were a big deal when I was young. Now that I consider them as an adult, I find them somewhat thought-provoking.

Probably noticing that I’ve stopped talking, or that my expression isn’t right, Mingyi lets me go.

I turn my head slightly to look at her. Her face is dripping with tears, and the dark remnants of lipstick on her lips looked like dried blood, shocking against her cold white face.

Adults shouldn’t cry, let alone people in the Wen family, and Mingyi has a strong personality.

I think I’m the only one who has seen her cry as an adult.

When she sees me looking at her, her face relaxes a little and she raises her hand to roughly wipe away the tears on her face. Her expression is somewhat bitter: “A-Zhen, did you remember something? My brother isn’t as good as you thought, right? Do you remember coming out as gay your freshman year? You never thought our parents would know about it, did you?”

Yes, that incident was indeed unexpected. I had no intention of coming out so early.

My parents were very conservative people, so I was also somewhat conservative in my bones. I was only eighteen years old, and leaving home for the first time.

The most outrageous thing I ever did in eighteen years was on Valentine’s day my freshman year. Maybe it was because I was infected by the festive atmosphere, or many it was another reason, but I didn’t refuse when Mingcheng’s fingers reached for my collar.

In fact, after that night, when I woke up in bed the next morning and saw Mingcheng laying next to me, I didn’t feel happy, or like we had come together as lovers.

I just felt very scared and regretful.

Although same-sex marriage was legal at that time, the general public was not very accepting of same-sex people, and parents like mine were even less likely to accept it.

I liked Mingcheng, but I was scared when it came to this point.

I was so afraid that my older brother and parents would find out, and that Mingcheng’s parents would find out.

If they found out, I wouldn’t know how to face them. I should still be like a child in their hearts.

Maybe this kind of thing should have happened later on, but I knew it was too late for regrets. This was of my own free will. Nobody forced me, and I could only blame myself for not being clear-headed.

Of course, I could still be glad I wasn’t a girl, and that even though I had tasted the forbidden fruit, there would be no terrible consequences. I could also comfort myself that they were hundreds of miles away from my school and had no way of knowing.

I spent a long time anxious like this. Life went on as usual and nobody knew about my relationship with Mingcheng, not even my classmates.

Day by day, I gradually forgot about the fear.

And physical intimacy made our relationship closer.

Before, I was at least a little bit unfamiliar with the role change of Mingcheng becoming my boyfriend, but after that, it became easier for me to accept him.

Our relationship heated up. In terms of study, I went to class and painted as usual every day, and my grades were very good.

It all went so well, and I felt so immeasurably happy that I began to celebrate the boldness of my Valentine’s Day adventure.

The Lantern Festival would arrive soon, and we decided to go home.

Because my teacher was Russian, he took me to study over the new year, and Mingcheng didn’t return home in order to accompany me. Thus, we didn’t go back for the New Year as freshmen, but had to go home for the Lantern Festival.

I happily prepared a lot of local university specialities with Mingcheng, and we brought gifts to our families. 

At that time, bullet trains were not yet popular, and there were no flights between the two cities. Our train ride hom was very tiring, but I was also very happy.

I missed my parents, my older brother, Mingyi, and my room and my bed so much.

Mingcheng and I brought the things home together. When I opened the door to my house, I was surprised to find four people in the living room. They were both sets of our parents.

I didn’t notice the tense atmosphere between them. Instead, like a fool, I ignored Mingcheng blocking me and ran to my dad. “Dad, did you miss me?”

What I got from my dad was a hard slap.

This slap was extremely hard. I had never been hit so forcefully by him. Hot liquid instantly flowed out of my nose and I fell to the floor in a panic, unable to breathe for a long time.

He tried to pull me up to continue beating me, and I curled up in fear. “Dad…..”

“Lao Wei, don’t hit the child.” Mingcheng’s parents stepped forward to stop him.

And Mingcheng quickly stepped forward to stand in front of me: “Uncle Wei!”

He was still a teenager, but he was tall and strong enough to block my figure.

My dad was furious, but when he looked at him, he suddenly smiled. However, his smile was very cruel and angry. He had said that Mingcheng was the sort of child to emulate, but that day he looked at Mingcheng with a dark expression and said: “Boy, you have real skill. I’ve misjudged you.”

Then, unceremoniously, he slapped Mingcheng in front of his parents.

This slap was harder than the one that hit me. The hit turned Mincheng’s head away.

I saw that the corners of his eyes and mouth were cracked. Blood flowed down the stark contours of his face. The veins on his neck bulged from the pain, but he still persisted in standing in front of me.

And when Mingcheng’s parents saw their son being beaten, they did nothing to stop it. They looked at their son with unclear meaning and dull eyes.

I was so scared that I cried and called out to my dad.

My dad gave me a deep look and pointed at the door, saying to the Wen family: “All of you, get out of here!”

When they walked to the courtyard, I saw that Uncle Wen, who had always been gentle and approachable, punched Mingcheng.

The young man was hit very hard. He staggered and leaned against the wall to steady himself, but the expression on his face was still calm.

I didn’t know if it was an illusion, but I thought he seemed to be smiling. His eyes were lowered and his face was covered in blood, but there was a strange and subtle upward trend to the corners of his lips.

I figured he was probably in a lot of pain, or beaten silly.

And my dad threw some papers and photos at me.

When I picked them up and took a look, my whole body suddenly went cold.

These were of Mingcheng and I. Room records, and several photos of us kissing under school surveillance.

I didn’t know where these things had come from. Perhaps a school teacher or a student discovered it and sent them secretly. 

It turned out that we had been discovered a long time ago.

And these hidden, invisible things were shown to my parents and the uncles and aunts in the Wen family.

I didn’t have the face to look at them.

“Mom and Dad!” I wasn’t mature enough at that time, and thought that this was a big deal. For a moment, I felt as if the sky had fallen, so ashamed that I couldn’t bear it. I collapsed to the floor and grabbed these things, holding them tightly in my arms as I cried and said I was wrong.

And my dad said with a sneer: “It doesn’t matter if you regret it now or regret it later. It’s all my fault for raising you to be so foolish. It’s my fault.”

He seemed to not want to look at me anymore. He walked past me with a cold face and said with a chuckle: “That is a wolf, A-Zhen. He started to bite as soon as he lost control. This is your choice. As your father, I wish you happiness.”

Although he said this, he practically announced that he would have no contact with the Wen family until he died. But after Uncle Wen came over many times, my dad relented.

Only our parents knew that we had fallen in love……

“How do you know this? Your parents probably didn’t tell you back then.” Taking a deep breath, I return from the memories of the past. My speaking voice is low and ugly.

We only told my older brother and Mingyi years later.

“Haven’t you already guessed?” Mingyi smiles miserably. “My brother found a way to send those things to your dad. Later, when I found out, I went to question him.”

I rub my face, no longer able to describe the feelings in my heart that are pricking me like needles. “…..What did he say?”

Wen Mingyi says: “He admitted it very frankly, with no regrets. A-Zhen, there are still many things that only our Wen family knows. He was a very awful person, so my parents would rather let me play with you than play with him. It was you who let him join us later on.”

Why did I let him in?

Because at that time, I thought he was very pitiful all alone, and I felt bad for him.

My head hurts. I feel dizzy and nauseous, and I don’t want to think about it anymore.

But there is one more thing I want to know.

“Do you know why Mingcheng insisted on going to Southeast Asia for our honeymoon?”

This is currently the most important thing.

But Mingyi looks at me with a frown when she hears this. “I don’t know, A-Zhen. Wasn’t it what you wanted to go? My brother pretends to be a completely good person in front of you and obeys your words. I thought you wanted to go to that hellish place.”

“Of course it wasn’t me! Does everybody think this?!”

That’s right, Wen Mingcheng did obey only me when in my presence, and didn’t look like someone who would like that sort of place. On the contrary, I often went abroad for inspiration and to collect cultural material. If I suddenly went to that sort of place, they would naturally think that I wanted to go. 

No wonder my mother kept persuading me, and not Mingcheng.

“Mingcheng wanted to go there, I had never heard of the place!”

After listening to my words, Mingyi’s face instantly becomes serious. She suddenly looks for her phone all over, and finally finds it on the armrest. Then she taps on the table anxiously and makes a phone call. 

The call goes through after a long time, and I can vaguely hear her talking to the person on the phone.

“……Xiao Yi?”

“Mom, why did my brother take A-Zhen abroad?”

The person on the other end of the line is silent for a long time.

Without waiting for a reply, Mingyi raises her voice louder, “You must know that, right?! What kind of person is my brother that you’re still helping him! Mom, if you commit too many sins, you will be punished, ah! Don’t you believe in Jesus?! Don’t you pray to him every day?”

Having seemingly been persuaded, Mother Wen finally speaks, her voice low and persistent: “Let A-Zhen speak.”

She actually knows I’m here.

I take the phone.

She suddenly starts crying.

She cries for about two minutes, her sobs muffled and eerie. After a long time, the crying stops. “Accept your fate, A-Zhen. There’s nothing you can do anyway, right?”

She hangs up the phone after that, and my heart sinks completely.

It turns out she knows.

She knows why Mingcheng went abroad, and also knows that he brought something back without my knowledge. She knows the true nature of the thing in my house, so she should also know my situation.

But she won’t tell me.

I have always regarded them as my own parents after marrying, but she is cruel enough to treat me like this.

The world is a huge lie called Wen Mingcheng.

Everyone lives with outside lies, and I live with internal lies.

What I believe in, what I love deeply, what I rely on, what I can’t lose, one day they tell me these are all scams.

And I don’t know the purpose behind this scam, but it’s possible that it is extremely scary.

Wen Mingcheng, my childhood sweetheart, my boyfriend, my husband.

He is part of my life.

But I no longer know if his tenderness and thoughtfulness are real. When our skin connected, did our hearts beat the same?

I really don’t understand why he did this to me. Did I hurt him somewhere?

I didn’t, ah. He is a considerate lover, but…..so am I.

I clearly followed his lead. I can’t understand him.

In a daze, I suddenly remember a poem I read in the library when I was a teenager.

“My love, please cover my eyes when you kiss me.”

I was just reading it at that time, but now I find that I am the one who has been blindfolded.

My dad called me a fool back then, and it turns out I really am.

“A-Zhen…..” Mingyi calls me from behind, but I don’t look back. 

The Wen family are all terrible. Wen Mingcheng’s subtle and involved thinking is sinister and paradoxical. Wen Mingyi disregards ethics and rebels against orthodoxy, and the Wen family parents help to perpetrate evil.

I must get away from them.

Rain starts to fall in the sky outside. It isn’t raining heavily, just drizzling. I wander onto the urban streets in a daze. Many high schoolers have just finished their evening self-study. They ride bicycles through the streets, their lights dividing into many pieces before merging again.

I seem to be reminded of my childhood.

Back then, I also got out of school at the same time. After school, Mingcheng and I would go to buy roasted sweet potatoes. Good-looking people also eat food that is pleasing to the eye. When he was a boy, his facial features were not as firm as when he was an adult. He was gentle and beautiful, and I secretly looked at him all the time.

Time flies, and I have been blindfolded by him for more than ten years.

Suddenly, lightning flashes across the sky.

When thunder sounds, I see my reflection in the glass wall of the building next to me.

There is another person standing next to me.

He is extremely tall, and stands behind me in the darkness with no expression on his face.

When he sees me looking at him, he takes a slow step forward and steadily stretches one hand toward my face…..

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Chapter 20 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 22

There were three people waiting for Zhao Haicheng in a private room, and when he came back, it was with a sullen face.

“Big Brother, why did you go alone?”

Zhao Haicheng did not answer.

Another said more insightfully: “There is a figure beside the Sea King who looks like that handsome young master. Big Brother, if you like him, just snatch him when this matter is over.”

Zhao Haicheng suddenly turned cold and said: “Remember, we are not bandits.”

The younger brother quickly apologized and said with a smile: “What I mean is that the young master is so handsome and elegant, and he should not be ruined by the Sea King. Now that he is stubbornly determined to make the wrong choice, you can only use extraordinary measures to persuade him. Since you like the man, let him see Big Brother’s glory!”

Zhao Haicheng abruptly looked at the younger brother who was speaking, his expression already quite unhappy.

The third person coughed and said: “Don’t speak nonsense. Big Brother respects that young master. By the way, Big Brother, there is only one person in their group that is certainly Yi Chuan. The other…..looks very tall. Is he another guard at his side, ah? Their actions tonight…..”

The first younger brother immediately said in a cold voice: “We can’t hesitate even if there is one more person. Our brother’s death cannot be in vain. Since it was Yi Chuan who did it, he must pay with his life. Moreover, something big is about to happen, and Yi Chuan can’t continue to be in the way. Without Yi Chuan, the Sea King will be easier to deal with in the future.”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about what the Sea King said yesterday,” the third person said. “He said those people were here to silence someone. Could it be…..”

“What nonsense are you speaking? We must trust our own people.”

Zhao Haicheng stopped him with a deep voice: “There is no need to argue. Whether or not Yi Chuan is at fault, there are only benefits to getting rid of him. And I believe Song Xingmu solely trusts Yi Chuan with certain things.”

On the other side, Huo Fenglie and Yi Chuan stepped forward decisively to pull them apart.

Song Xingmu also accused them of breaking up a loving couple, and deliberately taunted Huo Fenglie: “Yo, I can understand Yi Chuan’s behavior, he’s jealous. But why are you so anxious?”

Other than Liu Zhenqing, Huo Fenglie didn’t have the patience to go along with other people teasing him, so he just ignored him with a stern expression.

Furious, Yi Chuan said: “Who’s jealous! Don’t drag me into it!”

“How is it, Er-gou?” Liu Zhenqing inquired about his progress.

Huo Fenglie shook his head. No sign of He Lan or Qin Yu had been found.

Liu Zhenqing asked again: “When you were just coming here, did you bump into…..”

“Yes, ah, we bumped into Zhao Haicheng,” Yi Chuan said. “Why did he come here, ah?”

Song Xingmu promptly said with a laugh: “Perhaps he accidentally saw us together, and thinking that the young master he tried so hard to persuade is still with me, he was so angry that he lost his mind. It seems Zhao Haicheng is truly interested in you.”

Liu Zhenqing instantly felt awkward. To be honest, he was a straight man, and it always felt weird to be liked by a man. Except for Er-gou, of course.

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing and said with a slight frown: “Don’t go alone later.”

“Don’t worry, he won’t take him away by force,” Song Xingmu said with a smile. “He still has a bottom line.”

Liu Zhenqing suddenly said: “The fact that he still has a bottom line is what’s strange.”

“How is it strange?” Huo Fenglie asked.

Liu Zhenqing analyzed: “Wasn’t the military official who died in the water prison one of his people? His man had just died, and he was so impulsive with his questioning, which shows that he still has some loyalty toward his people. In this case, how could he come here tonight just for some entertainment? He must have a purpose.” 

Upon hearing this, Song Xingmu couldn’t help but frown: “You have a point.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Yi Chuan said.

Song Xingmu felt inexplicably uneasy for a moment, and reflexively wanted to refuse.

However, Huo Fenglie said in advance: “No, we just walked around. There are many martial arts masters in Pingjin Square, so it is easy to attract attention.”

Yi Chuan scratched his head and looked toward Song Xingmu.

Song Xingmu was about to speak, but Huo Fenglie suddenly stopped him.

Because the auction had already started, Huo Fenglie and company hadn’t closed the door just after they came in. Most of the guests had already taken their seats, and nobody would be running around to disturb people in a private room watching the auction.

There were very few guests who arrived later, like now.

An attendant guided a guest past their door.

Huo Fenglie and Liu Zhenqing didn’t react, but Song Xingmu and Yi Chuan were stunned on the spot.

Yi Chuan almost instantly went to the side of the door, covertly observing which room the man went to.

Song Xingmu also frowned slightly.

“What is it?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“That should be…..the governor.” Song Xingmu said softly: “That person looks like a peacemaker, but Yi Chuan followed him secretly, and he has close ties with my uncle.”

Sure enough, Yi Chuan soon returned: “He came looking for Zhao Haicheng.”

“Is it possible that the county governor is also involved?” Liu Zhenqing frowned.

Song Xingmu scoffed coldly, and heard Yi Chuan say: “No good, I need to go and listen. I’ll stay away from the main area. Now that Song Jing is out of the picture, they might be plotting something.”

When Yi Chuan finished speaking, he didn’t take action immediately. Instead, he looked toward Song Xingmu, as if waiting to be given an order.

Ultimately, Song Xingmu hesitated for a moment, then nodded and let Yi Chuan go. “Remember, keep your distance, and evacuate if anything happens.”

“Now that General Huo has come, do you think my martial arts skills are useless? I’m better than you now,” Yi Chuan said, dissatisfied.

Song Xingmu couldn’t help but poke at Yi Chuan. “But you are not as cautious as others. Go, and come back if you don’t hear anything of value when eavesdropping.”

Yi Chuan curled his lips resentfully, then left in a hurry.

However, looking at Yi Chuan’s departing figure, not only was Song Xingmu now feeling inexplicably uneasy, but even Liu Zhenqing felt that something was strange.

They discussed among themselves.

As a result, they didn’t know what items were being auctioned off below. Suddenly, there was a burst of exclamations, which seemed to set off a small surge in the auction.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I suppose there is no need to say more flattering words. Although the painting ‘The Goddess Marries’ is average in painting skills, the beauty in the painting has been judged by many painting experts to be the most beautiful woman in the world. However, no one knows who the woman in the painting is, hence the name. We just happened to acquire it. Since we already spent 5,000 taels on the purchase, the starting price is 6,000 taels!”

“Heavens, this is the highest price tonight.”

“This painting is worth it.”

“Who is the beauty in the painting? Who is it based on?”

“Weren’t you listening? Pingjin Square even went for a professional appraisal and couldn’t identify her.”

“It must be an immortal from the painter’s dreams. Otherwise, if there was such a stunning beauty in the world, how could nobody know about her?”

“Yes, ah, it can be seen that the wedding dress she’s wearing is clearly the standard in our region. We haven’t had a beauty of this level for hundreds of years, ah.”

“That’s right. It must be a goddess from a dream. I must get this painting!”

They saw a meter-long scroll depicting the top half of a bride in a red wedding dress and makeup. That woman was extremely beautiful, gorgeous but not vulgar, and charming but not seductive. The painting depicted her raising her hand to lift the red veil and look outside. A pair of peach blossom eyes seemed to look out from the scroll, shooting straight into everyone’s hearts. That expression was half angry and half happy, mesmerizing people. In addition, there were two moles near the tip of her left eye, red and black. After looking for a long time, one would feel overpowered by rapture.

The more people discussed, the more interested they became.

And at this time, in Zhao Haicheng’s room, the governor had arrived just as agreed. The group were putting up their guard when they were suddenly disturbed by the situation below.

The governor looked down, and his eyes lit up. He said in surprise: “What a beautiful woman.”

Zhao Haicheng was originally paying no attention to his surroundings. When he heard what the governor said, he glanced up. In the next moment, he stood and walked quickly to the door, as if he wanted a closer look.

But Yi Chuan, who was lying in the loft not far away, saw him acting strange. Looking over, his eyes opened wide in disbelief.

In Song Xingmu’s private room, Liu Zhenqing had already jumped up. Huo Fenglie stood almost at the same time with a look of astonishment on his face. Song Xingmu also froze while holding a teacup, then turned to look blankly at Liu Zhenqing as he said: “At that time…..who painted your portrait?”

Liu Zhenqing: I want to know too, ah!

What is ‘The Goddess Marries’ ? !

That was clearly the disguise he used when he and Song Xingmu pretended to be brides to capture Yi Chuan and the others. That was him in the painting!

It was completely presented with gender-changing makeup, and the painter also trended toward female looks. Ordinary people would not be able to tell that this painting was originally a man dressed as a woman, so people who hadn’t met Liu Zhenqing often wouldn’t recognize him. At most, they would think of those two moles as a coincidence, but those who were very familiar with Liu Zhenqing should still be able to tell that it was him.

Liu Zhenqing glanced at Huo Fenglie, because he and Song Xingmu had put on makeup in the Huo family courtyard at that time. There had also been a lot of people in the Huo family courtyard, and after so many years, he really didn’t know who painted it afterward.

Huo Fenglie was even more astonished, and said to Liu Zhenqing with a sullen expression: “I’m sorry, Qing-ge. I will tell Uncle Ding to investigate.”

Because the scene on the scroll happened just after putting on makeup, it must have been seen and painted in the Huo family courtyard.

“After so many years, it doesn’t matter. I supposed it was done incidentally by someone skilled at painting. I can only say that at least my name wasn’t added, otherwise I would have had another scandal.”

Liu Zhenqing was in a daze while looking at the portrait, and many memories from that year came to mind.

At that time, Liu Zhenqing had just put on makeup and was about to try on the veil. Li Xingruo to the side said with a dissatisfied look on her face: “Am I not a woman? Can’t you just let me go?”

Liu Zhenqing laughed and said: “You’re so rude that I fear you couldn’t do it. You’d just poison them to death or scare them away, so I’ll sacrifice myself.”

Li Xingruo mocked mercilessly: “I think you just want to wear women’s clothing. I’m embarrassed to say it, seeing how excited you are.”

Liu Zhenqing thought it was rather funny, but couldn’t admit it, so he lifted his veil and looked toward the door where Li Xingruo was sitting and said: “How can that be?”

There was already a circle of people standing outside the door watching the fun, and everyone was stunned when they saw such a scene.

The person guarding the door was Er-gou, who also stared at him blankly. 

Liu Zhenqing was rather proud when he saw everyone’s amazement. He stepped forward to tease Er-gou, saying: “Er-gou, look at Xiting-gege’s beautiful women’s clothes. You will also want to find a girl this beautiful in the future.”

After saying this, he walked around in front of Er-gou and gave him a wink.

Er-gou’s cheeks instantly turned red, and he stood uneasily with his head lowered.

Li Xingruo saw the dazed look on his face and couldn’t help but shake her head, saying: “Stop doing evil. If he looks at you like this too much, Er-gou will look down on other women and end up alone, ah! When the time comes, you will compensate him!”

“Tch, I just want to establish the correct sense of aesthetics for Er-gou so that he’s not as blind as gege when the time comes.”

Huo Feihan was organizing self-defense weapons for Liu Zhenqing nearby, and wore an innocent look upon hearing this.

Li Xingruo instantly flew into a rage. “You’re looking for a fight!”

Liu Zhenqing quickly ran away. The two Huo brothers stepped forward skillfully. One stopped Li Xingruo and the other stood in front of Liu Zhenqing until Song Xingmu surprised everyone when he packed up and came over.

However, everyone was in agreement that Liu Zhenqing was more beautiful than Song Xingmu. Song Xinmu held in his anger until they arrived on the pirate ship, where Yi Chuan’s family told him to choose a bride. Yi Chuan chose Song Xingmu at a glance, and was extremely firm. Song Xingmu stood with his head up high, absolutely elated.

So when he was pulled to worship and kissed with his veil lifted, he didn’t feel disgusted at all, but smug.

But Song Xingmu and Yi Chuan had to admit that Liu Zhenqing in women’s clothes was stunning.

Moreover, this “beauty” no longer existed in the world, and no one had the chance to see her, so it caused such a big reaction at the auction this time.

When he returned to his senses, he heard someone shout from below: “Two thousand taels!”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback: “Wait, wasn’t it six thousand taels just now? Why is the price reduced?”

Although it was very embarrassing, it was even more embarrassing for it to be depreciated and sold. 

Song Xingmu rolled his eyes at Liu Zhenqing and said: “Because the unit of bidding is no longer silver, but gold.”

Shocked, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but say: “So I still have such a way to make money.”

“Riiiight, but you currently don’t exist anymore.”

“Jealous?” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

“It’s only that I wasn’t painted back then, or my price would be higher.” Song Xingmu began to grow petty again, and directly shouted a price: “Two thousand one!”

“What are you doing?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“It’s better not to let your painting leak out,” Song Xingmu said with a smile.

As a result, Song Xingmu’s bid was quickly topped.

Song Xingmu was unresigned and continued to fight. After a few rounds, only he and one other person were left competing.

“Why does that sound like Zhao Haicheng’s voice to me, ah?” Song Xingmu smiled at Liu Zhenqing and said: “Is this considered a transference of love, or…..infatuation with the same person?”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched.

Zhao Haicheng raised the price again in the next second. 

But the people in that room were a little uneasy.

“Isn’t this too high? It’s already at three thousand six hundred taels of gold!” The governor said in shock: “Is Lieutenant General Zhao so wealthy?”

Several of his subordinates began to sweat. How could they be so wealthy? They didn’t know what had possessed their boss. Although it was beautiful, it was not desperately so. But to be honest, they also felt that the person in the portrait looked familiar. Was she really a goddess from a dream?”

Zhao Haicheng was still waiting for Song Xingmu to bid, knowing that it was certainly him who was competing for this portrait.

But in the next second, a low, chilly voice sounded.

“Five thousand taels!”

These words came out soon after! In an instant, everyone exclaimed, and even the Pingjin Square people were a little discomfited. Five thousand taels of gold was truly an unprecedented price.

The Pingjin Square people couldn’t help but look around, trying to determine who the guest was. As soon as they saw that it came from the direction of Song Xingmu’s private room, they believed that the other party was not speaking in vain.

They immediately double-checked to see if anyone was still bidding, but such a price should have frightened most of them. Nobody followed the bid, all of them talking about which nobleman was so ostentatious.

Right then in the private room, Liu Zhenqing had grabbed Huo Fenglie’s ear and was scolding him angrily: “Are you crazy? You prodigal son, five thousand taels of gold, ah! Just let Pingjin Square have it, it’s still my portrait, you, you, you…..”

He felt that someone had stolen his portrait, and felt aggrieved to have to spend money to buy it back.

Huo Fenglie remained calm and silent, allowing Liu Zhenqing to pull his ear.

“How can you have so much money? Don’t you just have two taels left on you…..”

“There is some in another courtyard. I’ll have Uncle Ding deliver it,” Huo Fenglie said.

Liu Zhenqing drew in a sharp breath and said: “You fool, that’s too much money!”

“Hey, hey, you didn’t stop me when I called out the price, ah,” Song Xingmu said with instant resentfulness.

“How can it be the same?” Liu Zhenqing said reflexively.

Song Xingmu cursed internally. Even before marriage, he knew that his friend was being snatched by the Huo family.

“I also planned to stop you when the time came, but I just wanted to cheat Zhao Haicheng out of money,” Liu Zhenqing complained.

When people from Pingjin Square came to collect the money, Huo Fenglie directly handed over his wallet. He gave part of it, and would pay the rest when he collected the goods. This was also a method of transaction, even if a deposit was collected.

Liu Zhenqing was extremely distressed when he saw the money being taken away. “In fact, I originally wanted to have Er-gou steal it after Zhao Haicheng bought it.”

Huo Fenglie…..

Song Xingmu patted his head and said cheekily: “Right, ah, this is our style. I was foolish too.”

Huo Fenglie didn’t respond at all. How could that painting be given to others? Even if it was bought in name only, he couldn’t bear it.

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s unrepentant appearance, Liu Zhenqing felt a little dissatisfied. But what was really on his mind was that Er-gou really liked the way he looked in the past.

Song Xingmu smiled with a provocation: “But it can be considered that General Huo spent a lot of money on a beauty. It’s a story that captures the imagination! But you have no money now. If you come across something you like later, you can ask me to buy it for you.”

Liu Zhenqing became even more unhappy. “I wasn’t here to buy anything anyway!”

Huo Fenglie knew that Liu Zhenqing was displeased and didn’t dare to get into more trouble. He could only say: “I’ll go look around again.”

Just as Liu Zhenqing was about to nod, he heard that slaves were being sold below

Song Xingmu said nonchalantly: “Wa, what’s happening tonight? There are actually beauties among these slaves? They also have good physiques. How about buying them?”

Huo Fenglie, who had stood up, looked down with Liu Zhenqing. Both of them were stunned.

“He Lan, Qin Yu!” Liu Zhenqing said in shock.

Huo Fenglie wore a grave expression: “Those chains shouldn’t hold them. They’ve been poisoned.”

“Hey, hey, you’re saying there are people from the Jinyiwei and Dongchang below?” Song Xingmu said in bewilderment.

Ten people could be seen sitting slumped on the stage below, and two of them turned out to be He Lan and Qin Yu! They were powerless, bound by chains, and were being auctioned off with the other slaves.

“As you can see, there are very good ones among these slaves. Everyone must seize this opportunity. As a rule, they are all pirates we received from the sea, and after buying, you are free to decide what to do with them! If you fear that the other party will resist, our medications can be purchased for continued control. Okay, for the first one, the starting price is one hundred taels.”

Liu Zhenqing turned to look at Huo Fenglie in astonishment and said: “What do we do? I don’t know if it’s a trap or…..”

“Buy them first.”

Liu Zhenqing narrowed his eyes. “You still have money?”

Huo Fenglie finally choked.

---

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

I didn’t take it seriously. 

My heart was tied to Mingcheng.

Perhaps my dispirited appearance was too obvious. One day while eating, my dad smacked my hand with his chopsticks and ridiculed me with a drooping face: “Your face is uglier than that braised duck. I’m going to die from anger, Lao Wen has a son, so why is he so worry-free…..”

My dad was very disappointed in me, and Mingcheng had stopped playing with me.

But when my dad mentioned Mingcheng again, I felt even worse. I looked down at my white rice, tears about ready to fall into the bowl.

I rewarded myself with a bowl of rice mixed with tears.

My dad looked at me in this dead state and likely couldn’t bear it anymore. After dinner, he called me to the study, scolded me up and down, and finally poured a drink to calm himself down.

After drinking enough water, he sat down with a sigh. “Forget it, what that Wen family boy has been advising me these days is somewhat reasonable, I think. Everyone has his own destiny, so you go ahead and learn your lousy painting.”

He waved his hand and told me to get out.

But I keenly picked up the information in my dad’s words.

Mingcheng pleaded for me?

He had been helping me persuade my dad these days?

Wow! I understood that he was truly generous and wouldn’t really ignore me.

I was happy, and the depression in my heart immediately dissipated.

At that time, every household still had a landline phone. So after I left my dad’s office, I couldn’t wait to call the Wen family, and pretended to be sophisticated. I didn’t say that I was looking for Mingcheng, and only said that I was looking for Mingyi. After talking for a long time, I finally asked her: “What is your brother doing? Homework?”

I wanted to take the opportunity to go to the Wen house and do my homework, and to see Mingcheng, whom I had lost and found.

But Mingyi told me that their aunt had gotten married recently. As the eldest child in the family, Mingcheng was going with his parents to send his aunt off, so he was not at home during this time.

No wonder I hadn’t seen him in the past few days.

I had really blamed him wrongly.

He was good.

The next time I saw Wen Mingcheng was at Auntie Wen’s wedding.

He was wearing a white suit, and the contours of his body were smooth and beautiful. With a gentle temperament and light smile, he just stood under the crystal lamp. A halo of light danced around him, as if he was meant to shine.

Many people were attracted to him, and I also saw him for the first time in the crowd.

My elder brother told me: “There are so many people, he won’t be able to hear you say hello to him.”

I thought the same, so I didn’t intend to greet him. But I thought that Mingcheng looked very good that day, so I took out the camera I had prepared early in the morning and pointed it at him.

I put him right in the center of my camera. Above his head was a feather crystal lamp, and behind him was a bouquet of decorative white roses.

And the moment I pressed the shutter, he suddenly raised his head as if sensing something.

The camera clicked, leaving this scene behind.

In the photo, the young Wen Mincheng stood in the bustling city, looking through the crowd at me from a distance.

At that moment, we seemed to be looking at each other.

My heart moved, and when my older brother urged me to hurry up, I hid the camera in my bag.

When the wedding began, Mingcheng and I finally reunited.

The two of us sat at the same table. The wedding banquet was sumptuous and the bride was very beautiful, but my eyes were secretly directed toward the person next to me.

The mottled light flickered across his face, making it look like a carefully crafted sculpture.

I was a little distracted, but he looked sideways at me after the bride walked down the carpet, and the light broke into a soft halo over his eyelashes. His eyes curved and he said softly: “A-Zhen, do you want to take out your camera and take some pictures?”

He must have seen my camera bag. I nodded subconsciously, but then I thought of something and felt guilty, so I stopped taking out the camera.

This feeling was truly strange. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t want Mingcheng to know that I had photographed him.

It was the first time I had such a feeling, and I didn’t know how to deal with it, stammering to find an excuse: “I think that……the camera cannot replicate the happiness of the bride, and doesn’t reflect the love between them. It’s easy to make people look ugly.”

He seemed very interested in what I had to say: “Oh? What should be done?”

What should be done? How should I know. But now that I had spoken, no matter what, I had to bite the bullet and pretentiously act cool.

“Hmmm…..wait for me to go back and paint it.”

This was absolutely pretentious.

I was talking nonsense with the mentality that Mingcheng would forget about it when I got back, but what I didn’t expect was that he didn’t forget, and came to ask me how my painting was going again and again.

Damn it, why didn’t I know that he had such a good relationship with his aunt?

Even after the wedding, he still remembered this matter.

Of course, I was so-so at painting, but I had no choice.

As a result, there was no problem with the composition and color of the painting, nor with the figures, but the bride and groom were smiling very strangely. Their smiles were bright, but looked more like they were networking than getting married.

I could honestly say I tried my best, but it was awkward for a high school student to paint romance.

And at that time, I didn’t understand what love and life-long blessings were at all.

This was my highest level painting, and I gave it to Mingcheng.

At that time, he was practicing cello in the conservatory. I entered the glass room, accompanied by low, elegant music. It was the season when peonies bloomed, and the pink flowers were round and delicate. There was a sweet fragrance in the air. Probably to prevent them from being burned by the strong sunlight at noon, thin white gauze was drawn around the glass room.

I showed him the wedding portrait I had painted. He raised his eyebrows at me as he took it, and there was a bit of amusement in his expression.

I suddenly realized that he was probably just teasing me, and didn’t actually want me to paint it.

This made me a little embarrassed, so I angrily told him to return it to me.

Not only did he refuse to give it back, but he shook his head and laughed at me unabashedly: “I wonder if the bride and groom holding hands should be more natural.”

What he said was rather tactful. I knew that the way they were holding hands didn’t make it appear that they were lovers, and that there was something a bit wrong. There was a different atmosphere between them than I had seen at weddings.

But I was just an ignorant bystander.

I observed other people’s love, but couldn’t empathize with it myself.

I snatched my painting back and turned my head, somewhat angry. “You don’t understand. And you can’t paint, so why are you telling me how to do it?”

Having been briefly scolded by me, he pondered for a moment and seemed to really be thinking about it.

A slight breeze blew at this time, and the white tulle was blown high by the wind before falling back gently.

Because I was close to the glass, half of my body was enveloped by the white tull when it fell down.

I moved to take it off, but a slender, well-proportioned hand stretched out in front of me.

It was Wen Mingcheng. He seemed to understand my problem, and smiled as he reached out to me: “A-Zhen, hold my hand.”

My eyelashes brushed the tulle. Looking at the world through this layer of white tulle, it seemed as if everything was coated in a dreamy, snow-white filter.

As if compelled, I held his hand.

The next moment, he suddenly took a step back and pulled me in front of him. 

I jumped forward because of his sudden movement, and the white tulle slid from my chest to the top of my head before slipping off.

He held my body steady and raised his head toward the glass wall to the side: “Look, A-Zhen. I think holding hands should be like this.”

The bright glass wall opposite was like a large mirror, showing the scene in the conservatory. More than a dozen types of delicately-colored flowers were either budding or in full bloom. The green branches of the weeping vines swayed with the breeze, and the white curtains rose and fell like clouds.

And in the center of the conservatory, two teenagers were leaning against each other and holding hands, the taller one holding the other halfway into his arms.

I saw Mingcheng and myself.

Looking at myself, I suddenly understood.

At this moment, I had become a person in the painting, and understood the state of mind of those two people.

I also knew how to paint it.

I remember.

That was when I fell in love with Mingcheng.

---

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Chapter 19 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 21

Once Lu Qi reconciled with his mom, they had a lot to talk about. He took his mobile phone and looked through the past four years of photos with her. Lu Qi didn’t like taking selfies very much, so most of the pictures on his phone were of landscapes and paintings. Then in the past year, Xiao Sanhua and Mu Nanqiao became frequent guests.

The mother and son talked in the master bedroom while Lin Chunhe and Mu Nanqiao chatted over tea in the living room. From time to time, Lin Chunhe’s hearty laughter could be heard. It seemed that the atmosphere was very harmonious. Lu Qi and his mom looked at each other and laughed.

“Okay…..” Lu Fangshu patted the back of Lu Qi’s hand and pointed outside. “Go accompany Xiao Mu, you must take good care of him after bringing him home. The two of you are tired from the trip here, so take a shower and go to bed.”

Lu Qi hummed in agreement and turned to push the door open. Looking at the wrinkles in the corners of his mom’s eyes, he said earnestly, “Mom, thank you.”

Thank you for being able to accept my differences.

Sitting in the living room and talking, Mu Nanqiao saw him come out. He stood up and said in a low voice: “Is Auntie going to sleep?”

“Yes, ah…..” Lu Qi nodded, and was about to ask his dad to go rest when the man who had his back turned to him suddenly turned his head. His reddened eyes startled Lu Qi, and he blinked in confusion, asking: “Dad, what’s wrong?”

Lin Chunhe was choked up, and stood to pat Lu Qi’s hand. He said seriously, “Son, please treat Xiao Mu well from now on……”

Lu Qi: ? ? ?

Then Lin Chunhe wiped his tears and went back to the bedroom.

He knew that his dad was prone to tears, but he wouldn’t cry out of nowhere. Lu Qi turned to glance at Mu Nanqiao, looking puzzled and curious. “What did you say to my dad?”

Mu Nanqiao wore an innocent expression, although his fox eyes made that innocence seem very unreliable.

“Uncle just said that he’s actually not very at ease. He said that my family is wealthy, and so many good things come into my eyes. That if I change my mind later, I should part with no hard feelings and not pester you to have someone on the side.” Mu Nanqiao said, “I can understand why he has this concern.”

Lu Qi was a little embarrassed, but what his dad said was true. Although it was hard to say who would suffer a loss when two men were together, his dad was naturally still partial to his own son.

Although he understood, Lu Qi was still somewhat embarrassed, and whispered: “My dad doesn’t know you yet. He has a bit of a stereotype about rich people. I’ll explain to him tomorrow…..”

“It’s okay, I already explained.” Mu Nanqiao smiled and lowered his voice, saying: “I told him how we met, and that after so many years, I’ve grown from a bullied kid into an adult who can take responsibility for his own actions…..”

“I am not at the hot-blooded age of seventeen or eighteen, and I’ve met all kinds of people over the years. If my heart could be moved by a glamorous appearance, then I wouldn’t be the same person…..” At this point, he paused. Those fox eyes curved with a silken warmth in them, looking at Lu Qi with heated intent. “There may be many butterflies in the world, but they are not the one that flew through the window when I was a teenager.”

He spoke so frankly, as if he had considered how to answer this test paper countless times in his mind. The answer was not empty verbal promises, but a frank reopening of old wounds.

It was very evident that the answer was perfect.

The bottom of Lu Qi’s heart felt sour, and he raised his hand, saying: “That is a great explanation. Come here, I’ll reward you with a hug.”

The big fox would never say no to candy brought to his mouth. He walked around the coffee table and came over to hug Lu Qi.

“It was you who taught me…..” He kissed Lu Qi’s ear and said with a chuckle: “That sincerity is a sure win.”

They were in the living room, and could only whisper. Lu Qi stood on tiptoe to kiss Mu Nanqiao’s ear and said: “It seems Boss Mu has already learned. It’s time to graduate.”

“Don’t want to.” Mu Nanqiao hugged him and shook him. “I’m going to repeat this grade for the rest of my life.”

. . . . . . .

It was the last day of the year. New Year’s Eve was written in festive red letters on the calendar, and although the highlights of New Year’s Eve were in the evening, the sporadic sounds of firecrackers had penetrated into every household since morning.

In addition to the firecrackers, there were also deliberately soft footsteps outside the door and extremely low voices in conversation.

Lu Qi rubbed his eyes, yawned, and turned over in a warm embrace to face Mu Nanqiao. He reached out to hug the other party’s slender waist and asked in a daze: “What time is it…..”

Mu Nanqiao glanced at his phone, then lowered his head to kiss the other’s forehead. “It’s half past six. You sleep a little longer, I’ll go see if Uncle and Auntie need help……”

But Lu Qi didn’t let go at all. He hugged Mu Nanqiao and nuzzled his chest. “Wait a minute, lay down for a while and we’ll go together. Otherwise, if my mom sees you getting up to help and me staying in bed, she’ll say that I’m lazy……”

Mu Nanqiao couldn’t resist his coquettishness at all, so he had no choice but to lay back down with him. He hugged the person in his arms and caressed him, as if coaxing a child.

“Why did you wake up so early today?” he asked softly.

His voice just after waking up was deep and low, very nice to hear, like a cello being played. It was really enjoyable to hear this kind of sound early in the morning. Lu Qi’s ears felt numb upon hearing it. He raised his hand to rub them and replied casually: “I went to bed early last night, ah, so of course I woke up early. You disturb me every day in bed, it’s strange that I’m able to get up…..”

There was natural resentment in his tone. The corners of Mu Nanqiao’s lips rose, and he said with a chuckle: “En, my bad.”

Lu Qi closed his eyes and muttered: “No sincerity at all…..”

He wanted nothing more than to act shamelessly again and make Mu Nanqiao have to deal with it a few times. The big fox would not be fooled like this, and didn’t answer. He just lowered his head and kissed him softly. Pretending to be confused, he asked: “What kind of sincerity does Lu Baby want?”

But when Lu Qi was going to speak, he kissed those newly opened lips with extreme ruthlessness.

On the last day of the year, in the room where Lu Qi had lived from childhood to adulthood, the two of them embraced each other and talked about irrelevant topics. The quilt was very warm, and their body temperatures blended together. This sort of temperature was enough to smooth away all the twists and turns of the year.

There was a lot of noise outside the room. When they heard the sounds of ingredients being prepared in the kitchen, the two of them got out of bed and began to work after washing up.

From time to time, people called to wish them a happy New Year, including Lin Chunhe’s suppliers and Lu Fangshu’s former colleagues. Mu Nanqiao sent big red envelopes to the company group, and employees grabbed them with joy. At first glance, the one with the best luck turned out to be Mu Chuanbai.

They ate something casual at noon. After working busily, they were finally able to take a break when it got dark. They only needed to wait until mealtime to put the prepared ingredients in, and the fragrance of the things that needed time to stew was already wafting out of the pot.

“It hasn’t been this lively in several years…..” Lin Chunhe said cheerfully. After that, he thought of something and looked at Mu Nanqiao. “Xiao Mu, ah, how are your parents celebrating the New Year? If it’s convenient, we can all get together to celebrate, ah.”

Mu Nanqiao was peeling nuts for Lu Qi, and pushed a small pile of peeled ones in front of him. When he heard this, he smiled and said: “Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but it will have to be next year. My parents are abroad right now.”

Lu Qi held the nuts like a little hamster and ate them, crunch, crunch. There was a sudden buzz, and he glanced at his mobile phone on the table.

Talia had sent him a big red envelope. The amount was relatively large, so it was a direct transfer, and there was also a “Happy New Year” in Russian. Finally, she asked him if it was convenient to make a video call. She and Mu Chuanbai also wanted to greet his parents.

Lu Qi blinked and looked at his parents. “Is it convenient?”

Lin Chunhe sat upright and assumed a diplomatic posture, nodding solemnly: “It is convenient.”

Lu Qi: ……

Someone who didn’t know would think his dad was about to hold some sort of trade talks.

When the video call connected, Talia and Mu Chuanbai appeared on the screen. Talia was as elegant and beautiful as ever, wearing a red sweater dress as she greeted Lu Qi warmly.

While the parents of the two families were chatting, Mu Nanqiao took Lu Qi to the balcony.

The balcony of Lu Qi’s house was open, and it was a bit cold when standing outside. Mu Nanqiao wrapped Lu Qi up in a scarf, leaving only a pair of round eyes. At this moment, those round deer eyes were looking at him in confusion, silently asking him his intentions.

It was rare to see Mu Nanqiao’s eyes suddenly dodge for a moment. He asked Lu Qi: “Do you still remember? When we lived in the Garden Community, if that scum hadn’t appeared, I would have set off fireworks for you.”

Of course Lu Qi remembered. But it couldn’t be that Mu Nanqiao mentioned it now because…..

Whiz—

A thin flame cut through the dark winter sky, flickering upward to suddenly explode in a sky full of stars. But this was just the beginning. All kinds of fireworks in various colors flickered and bloomed under the sky, layer upon layer of fiery trees and silver flowers blossoming in the night.

“Wow!” Lu Qi’s eyes were shining brightly. He wanted to tell his parents to come take a look, but the old couple were having a lively chat with Mr. and Mrs. Mu Chuanbai on the other end of the phone and clearly had no time to pay attention to him. 

Lu Qi looked up to watch. There was a smile in his eyes, and the small dimple on his left cheek appeared faintly. Thinking of something, he turned to look at Mu Nanqiao. “Such large-scale, long-term fireworks displays aren’t allowed in urban areas, right, ah? Could it be that Boss Mu used his monetary power?”

Mu Nanqiao gave a low hum of agreement: “On the surface, these fireworks are to promote several new projects launched by Mu Group in Yuncheng, so they have official approval…..”

His expression was somewhat unnatural, and his eyelashes were lowered. Upon closer inspection, there was clearly a trace of nervousness in those long, narrow fox eyes.

But Lu Qi’s attention was drawn by the fireworks. Hearing what he said, he felt a little distressed at the money he tossed out like running water. He leaned on the railing with his chin in his hand and watched seriously, but couldn’t help whispering, “Isn’t it a bit not worth it just for a short time, ah…..”

Standing behind him, Mu Nanqiao slowly exhaled and took a small box out of his jacket pocket.

He held the dark blue velvet box and ensconced Lu Qi from behind. Dangling the box in front of Lu Qi’s eyes, he whispered: “For this, I think it’s worth it.”

The scarf slipped off his head. Lu Qi looked at the exquisite little box and asked uncertainly: “What is this?”

He actually already had a guess in mind, mainly because the size of the small box was really suitable for holding some sort of metal jewelry with special significance.

The fireworks show was still going on, but Lu Qi couldn’t hear the sound of them exploding, because his heartbeat was so obvious and rapid, beating against his eardrums.

The small box was opened little by little in front of him, and the metal reflected a beautiful arc of light. He heard Mu Nanqiao ask in his ear:

“Lu Baby, will you accept this New Year’s gift?”

---

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

I like gentle and approachable people.

And I discovered that the Wen family brother was just this kind of person. He didn’t talk too much, and didn’t like to make mischief like us. He was as steady as an adult, but never censured us like an adult.

However, I still didn’t like playing with him. But he wasn’t angry with me, and just silently watched me playing with Mingyi.

He was very good, with no dissatisfaction or complaints. Like a quiet and beautiful shadow, he wasn’t noisy at all.

I didn’t mind having a shadow as a friend.

The days passed like this, until one year our families celebrated New Year’s Eve together. I couldn’t stand vigil, and fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, I was woken up by the sound of firecrackers. When I saw it was not New Year’s Eve yet, I went to go find some water to drink, but found someone in the living room. It was the figure of a teenager.

The young man had a slender neck, and the contours of his shoulders and back were neat and smooth. When sitting, his posture was upright and his waist was straight, like an exquisitely meticulous painting.

And when I found him, he was lowering his head slightly to play with the remaining window decorations that me and Mingyi had cut.

I rubbed my eyes and looked carefully, only to find that it was Wen Mingcheng. With his head slightly lowered, the vibrant lights outside reflected on his face, making the teenager appear to have deep features and thick eyelashes.

He was facing out the window with his face lowered. The tall bridge of his nose left a small shadow on his profile, and the shadow of his eyelashes gave a sense of natural-looking cosmetics.

He trimmed my half-cut rabbit window decoration bit by bit, and his expression looked very serious and careful.

The adults were playing mahjong upstairs, and Mingyi and I had already had several dreams on this lively night. But he was here alone, and didn’t even know that someone had come.

That was when I realized that he wanted to play with us.

It was just that I didn’t want to play with him, and he was too embarrassed to say anything.

I felt a little guilty.

He protected me like an older brother, but I ignored him.

He was good, and I was bad.

He was so pitiful.

. . . . . . .

I began to actively invite him to join in mine and Mingyi’s games. He was new to our games, but learned them very quickly. I was very patient with him due to my conscience, and Mingyi didn’t mind her brother joining.

We gradually became one whole, but later on in adolescence, I began to get closer to Mingcheng, who was a boy like me.

He was only one year older than me, but his path of growth had been very smooth, and he could even look back to teach and console me.

He grew up with me and tolerated my simplicity and ignorance. He tolerated my escapades during adolescence and was more gentle, considerate, and patient than a dear older brother.

I had several friends in our circle at that time, but I thought he was the best in the world.

We rarely quarreled, and only had one fight in high school.

At that time, I was determined to learn oil painting and did not want to inherit my father’s calligraphy. My father was greatly disappointed.

I didn’t understand his persistence. Wasn’t it enough for my brother to inherit his calligraphy?

After I said this to him, what I got was a slap in the face and a scolding. “Why did I create a son like you?!”

My face burned and my eyes were filled with tears, but I stubbornly refused to cry out or even let my tears fall. I endured the grievance and refused to give in. “Don’t you already have my older brother?! Just think of me as an accident.”

He locked me in the house and didn’t allow me to go out.

It rained continuously for the next few days, as if heaven felt sorry for me.

I was still a child at that time, and deliberately stood under the eaves and got wet in order to get back at my father.

But I was mistaken. My father was not distressed.

I was very cold and too embarrassed to go back, huddling under the eaves like a blanched quail.

My mindless act of self-harm did not move my father. He watched me from upstairs for a while, and perhaps because he was hungry, he asked the auntie to stew quail for dinner.

But I was moved by Mingcheng.

After I sneezed for the nth time, the drenching rain above my head suddenly stopped. I thought I had moved the heavens, but there was a high school uniform wrapped around me.

Mingcheng’s body always smelled good, and his school uniform also carried his scent and warm body temperature. The moment it was wrapped around me, some of the coldness vanished.

He probably found me soaking foolishly in the rain by accident after school was over. I saw his school bag tossed casually on the ground. Wearing his school uniform trousers, he knelt on one knee in front of me, holding an umbrella with one hand.

Because the umbrella was leaning toward me, the rain fell on him. It flowed in clear lines down his face, like dewdrops on fine, cold white porcelain. 

He frowned slightly, his face full of heartache and confusion: “What are you doing? Why do you want to hurt yourself for no reason?”

I wanted to ask that too.

I would never do anything so stupid again.

With his help, I would be able to get out of an embarrassing situation, go to his house with him to take a hot bath, and ask Auntie Wen to give me a warm bed.

I sneezed and hugged him like a lifeline, saying pitifully: “My dad disowned me, please let me go to your house.”

The skin texture of this boy who was about to enter adulthood was very firm and warm. He wiped the rain off my face. Not easily deceived by me, he asked: “What happened?”

I told him of my unfortunate experience, and accused my dad of being heartless and turning a blind eye to my misery.

Tears flowed down my face as I spoke, immersed in feelings of grievance and indignation.

I should look pathetic, so that he would sympathize with me and join me in accusing my dad. Or so I thought.

But in fact, he looked down at me for a moment and said: “A-Zhen, Uncle shouldn’t have hit you, but he is doing this for your own good. Inheriting the family business is what we as children should do, and you shouldn’t hurt yourself.”

He had always been very tolerant of me and supportive of my ideas. I didn’t expect that he actually had thoughts in this regard, just like my dad and older brother.

When I was denied by my dad and brother, I wasn’t sad. But I very much was when Mingcheng denied me.

He instructed me mildly.

I pushed him away and went back to my room in tears.

“A-Zhen!”

He called out to me from behind, but I ignored him.

I ignored him for several days after that.

I would rather get up half an hour early and leave early than go with him to school, and even refused to talk to him there.

Fortunately, he was in the class next door. As long as I didn’t leave the classroom, I wouldn’t have many chances to meet him. 

I was depressed like this for nearly a week. At first, he came to me frequently to try to apologize, but I ignored him with a cold face.

Over the next few days, he gradually disappeared and seemed to want nothing to do with me.

From the classroom window upstairs, I saw him walking downstairs with a few classmates, talking and laughing, as if he had forgotten about me.

This realization gave me a sudden sense of crisis. 

I felt even more sad, and there was a moment of helpless panic.

I comforted myself that it was all in my head, but after two days, he still hadn’t come to see me.

I was really a little panicked. I had only wanted to be angry with him, not lose him.

Probably because my expression was so obvious, my condition fell into the eyes of my deskmate.

During class, he poked my face with the cap of his pen. Seeing that I was startled due to my distraction, he laughed at me: “You seem like my lovelorn sister. Did somebody dump you?”

His parents were both in the entertainment industry, and he had obviously inherited the appearance of his parents, because he was quite handsome. But he always said things I didn’t like. I rolled my eyes at him, not in the mood to talk.

He didn’t care whether or not I wanted to talk to him. He looked at me silently for a while, then leaned over and said: “They say in private that you’re more beautiful than the school belle. I think they’re right. How are you so white?”

His eyes were practically glued to my face. I rolled up the chemistry paper he had almost completed to beat him away with.

When I was going through puberty, my facial bones hadn’t grown yet, and it was indeed difficult to tell whether I was male or female. People always mistook me for a girl, so this was my inverse scale.

I was about to get angry, but suddenly remembered something. My deskmate and Mingcheng were in the same department of the student association.

This seemed to let a bit of light come through the haze of depression I had been in for several days.

I began to give him favorable looks and eagerly share my snacks with him.

He was confused and flattered.

He insisted on taking me to his parents’ concerts, and also took me to meet many celebrity idols.

I was actually not interested in celebrities, but I complied with him.

Because I planned to fool my innocent deskmate for a few days and then ask him to put in a good word for me with Mingcheng to help me win him back.

But to my surprise, I saw my deskmate and Mingcheng talking that evening.

It seemed they had met by chance on the way home from school. The Wen family car stopped in front of him. Holding his school bag, he lowered his head and spoke to the person inside, looking a little reserved and at a loss. 

I saw that the person in the car had a beautifully sculpted figure.

It was Mingcheng.

I almost thought my intentions had been revealed. Guilty, I followed them secretly and watched them for a long time.

I was very curious about what they were saying, and also wanted to know what the relationship between him and my deskmate was. Were they saying anything about me?

When I went home to do my homework, I wrote it messily because I kept thinking about this matter.

After pondering it for a long time with no results, I planned to ask my deskmate directly the next day.

But he didn’t come that day.

I heard from my classmates that it seemed his celebrity parents were sending him to South Korea, and he left in a hurry.

My deskmate changed.

---

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Chapter 18 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 20

Liu Zhenqing really didn’t know how he had provoked this enemy. He wanted to ask more questions, but was afraid of arousing suspicion, so he could only remain silent.

Zhao Haicheng thought he had frightened Liu Zhenqing, and he was silent for a moment before speaking: “Young Master Huo, I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m not lying to you about the good relationship between Captain Song and Liu Zhenqing. I hope you can think about it clearly.”

Liu Zhenqing thought for a while and pretended to sigh sadly, appearing very hesitant.

This Zhao Haicheng was also pure and innocent. Seeing that he was upset, he immediately reined in his tone and said: “You…..don’t be sad, there are many good men in the world. Young Master Huo has an outstanding temperament and is very intelligent. Captain Song is not worthy of you.”

Facing Zhao Haicheng’s obvious stare, Liu Zhenqing could no longer pretend. Just at this time, the carriage arrived at the inn.

The coachman notified them, and only then did Zhao Haicheng stop trying to persuade him. He got off the carriage first, and when Liu Zhenqing was coming down, he took the initiative to stand under the carriage and stretch out his hand. Looking up, he waited for Liu Zhenqing to reach down.

But Liu Zhenqing pretended not to see, and jumped down from the carriage.

Zhao Haicheng stared blankly.

Once Liu Zhenqing stood firm, he said farewell.

Zhao Haicheng said: “How long will Young Master Huo be staying here?”

Liu Zhenqing said to himself: Isn’t your process for persuading someone to break up a little too fast?

“It shouldn’t be too long.” Liu Zhenqing could only speak according to the situation. “Me and him…..I can’t just leave.”

Zhao Haicheng frowned slightly but still said: “Leave as soon as possible. It isn’t safe here lately.”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes lit up, and he said: “Is…..is that the case? Is it pirates?”

Zhao Haicheng did not get carried away, and gave no answer. He just said: “If…..Young Master Huo encounters any difficulties in the future…..he can come to me. I will help.”

Damn, this was clearly trying to steal someone else’s lover.

Liu Zhenqing could only brace himself and say: “Thank you, Lieutenant General Zhao, for your kindness.”

Zhao Haicheng’s eyes softened a lot, and he said: “You go inside and rest early.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded, then turned around and walked into the inn.

Zhao Haicheng watched silently until his figure disappeared, then got on the carriage.

“Sir, where are you going……”

“Back to the water village.”

The coachman was confused for a moment. When he was about to get on and drive the horse forward, he hadn’t sat down yet when the horse ran off wildly. Zhao Haicheng inside was badly hit. When he tried to fly himself out, the carriage had already hit a stone pillar on the street and broke apart on the spot. Zhao Haicheng was also thrown out violently.

This made the quiet street lively for a while. Liu Zhenqing heard the noise when he returned to the room and opened the window to take a look. He suddenly said in surprise: “Was it you?”

Huo Fenglie landed beside Liu Zhenqing, his face completely dark: “He has the ambition of a wolf.”

Liu Zhenqing turned around and said: “Reckless.”

In fact, he was happy inside. That Huo Fenglie was jealous but still took the overall situation into consideration was what made Liu Zhenqing the most satisfied.

“But we need to investigate Zhao Haicheng very thoroughly.”

“I’ll go investigate. There’s no need for you to see him again.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. Remembering what happened on the ship previously, he said with a smile: “Oh? Why?”

“He has evil intentions toward you!” Huo Fenglie said in a deep voice.

“Then what are you agitated about?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Huo Fenglie choked for a moment. Just as he didn’t know what to say, someone suddenly knocked on the door.

The two stared, thinking that Zhao Haicheng had left and then returned.

Liu Zhenqing went to open the door and saw Uncle Ding sneaking around.

“You’re finally back. I’ve been waiting for you all night.” As soon as Uncle Ding came in, he gave them an engraved shell.

It said: April 20, Pingjin Square.

There was also a sketch of an eagle below.

“He Lan’s tattoo.” Huo Fenglie recognized it at a glance.

“A little beggar brought this at noon today. He said that a big brother gave him some silver and asked him to deliver it, but he didn’t know anything else.”

Perhaps it was He Lan. He wasn’t sure if they had come or not, so he could only have someone send a signal, and if they responded, they could assemble.

“The date mentioned is tomorrow. Where is Pingjin Square?” Liu Zhenqing asked Uncle Ding.

Uncle Ding said: “It is a very hidden auction house here. Many high-ranking officials like to go there to buy things and people, and tomorrow happens to be their auction day. However, only those with invitations can enter. Do the two of you want to go? I’ll get you invitations.”

“That isn’t necessary, someone will take us there,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie exchanged glances. Although they didn’t understand why it was this place, they had to make the trip there tomorrow.

Because he had so many things on his mind, after sending Uncle Ding away, Liu Zhenqing had no intention of teasing Huo Fenglie anymore. After acupuncture, he went to sleep early. Before he could go find Song Xingmu the next day, the man came running with Yi Chuan. He asked in a rush: “How was it? I heard that Zhao Haicheng got on your carriage last night.”

Huo Fenglie, who was delivering porridge to Liu Zhenqing, froze. His face turned grim.

Liu Zhenqing also recounted what had happened the night before a bit speechlessly.

Song Xingmu, who had a disruptive temperament, couldn’t stop laughing after hearing this. He repeatedly gave Liu Zhenqing a thumbs up, and even Yi Chuan on the side wore a bewildered expression.

“He likes men?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of him getting married or looking for a woman.” Song Xingmu smiled evilly and said, “Maybe that youngster is just in love. Why don’t you just sacrifice yourself as a honey trap?”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched. To the side, Huo Fenglie was passing food to Song Xingmu and just tossed him a bowl of white porridge. 

Song Xingmu was not angry, and added the side dishes himself with a smile.

“This is a really unexpected situation, ah. However…..” Song Xingmu said while eating, “It’s very strange, ah.”

“It really is strange. What kind of hatred is that? You said he is an island resident. Can you check on his situation?”

“I understand what you mean, but that was investigated a long while ago. At the least, his island has been the safest for many years, with almost no changes. Most of the residents on the island make a living by fishing, although sometimes family members are killed by pirates. Although it is sad, he shouldn’t hate me. Even during the time I was away, there were very few incidents.”

Yi Chuan said with a frown: “Very few is not none. The actions of pirates are sometimes undiscoverable, but even if there was such an accident, it shouldn’t make him hate you. Why did he hate Prime Minister Liu back then? He also went to the capital to complain.”

“Perhaps it is because of the rumors. Aren’t there some about collusion with pirates? I heard the storyteller say this.” Liu Zhenqing said, overcome with vexation, “Anyway, we know that his hatred is real, and he hinted at an incident happening soon. There is no need to think too much about other things. This is the priority.”

“What else?” Song Xingmu asked doubtfully.

Huo Fenglie opened his mouth and brought up the matter of Pingjin Square.

“Ah? I go there often. It should be open tonight.” Song Xingmu introduced Pingjin Square to them.

Pingjin Square was a place created by jianghu factions, and rare items or slaves were often auctioned. Most were of unknown origin.

They handled and resold things, regardless of whether they were good or evil. As long as you could afford it, you were the master. In a sense, they offered fair treatment to young and old alike.

It was said that before, the auction house was located elsewhere. It turned out that someone stole an heirloom belonging to a local official, and when it was sold to Pingjin Square, the official took people to go ask for it. Pingjin Square refused to hand it over and suggested that he could pay for it. When the official grew angry, a fight broke out and Pingjin Square was destroyed.

As a result, the official’s house caught fire the next day. Although there were no casualties, the manor burned down completely. The treasure was returned to Pingjin Square for another auction, and was finally taken away for a thousand taels.

“Since they came here, pirates and items stolen by pirates are often auctioned off,” Song Xingmu said.

“Pirates can be auctioned off?”

“Yes, ah, just like regular slaves. Many people buy them, some for revenge and to vent their anger, and some to use purely as human resources. They usually go for one hundred taels apiece,” Song Xingmu said.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie listened for a long time and had a general understanding.

The four of them went to investigate the household registrations of the island residents, checking them one by one. Just as Song Xingmu said, not much had changed, and it looked very peaceful. In fact, as long as the island residents did not go to sea, pretty much nothing would happen, because pirates rarely attacked the islands. After all, Liu Zhenqing had designed a message transmission device like the Great Wall in ancient times, letting the islands serve as defense towers for one another.

It was said that they were currently abandoned because many of the island residents had come ashore. A great many islands were deserted, so they were no longer used. However, there were also frequent navy patrols, so even if one went to sea, it was relatively safe if they chose a good time.

Such a contradictory status quo was really confusing.

Very soon, they boarded a carriage at night and went to Pingjin Square.

A luxurious underground pavilion was hidden under the restaurant.

Everyone needed to wear a mask when entering. Except for Pingjin Square, who sent the invitations, everyone else’s identities were quite conveniently unknown.

After entering, they were taken to Song Xingmu’s exclusive seats.

Huo Fenglie lowered his head and said to Liu Zhenqing: “I’m going out for a while.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded.

Seeing that Huo Fenglie was about to leave, Song Xingmu asked curiously: “What are you going to do?”

Liu Zhenqing said on Huo Fenglie’s behalf: “To check and see if the others are on site, and then determine the nearby military force and defense situation.”

Song Xingmu was surprised that Huo Fenglie hadn’t said anything just now, but Liu Zhenqing was so clear about it.

Song Xingmu turned to Yi Chuan and said: “You two should go together. Yi Chuan is familiar with this place, and it will go faster.”

Yi Chuan nodded and went out with Huo Fenglie.

There were only two people left in the room, so it was easier to talk. Liu Zhenqing remembered something and said: “By the way, our two companions…..one originates from the Jinyiwei and the other from the Dongchang…..they were still young at that time and were not yet…..”

Song Xingmu instantly understood what Liu Zhenqing meant, and smiled: “Am I as inexperienced as a child? The Jinyiwei and Dongchang acted under orders back then. The winner is king and the loser is a bandit. There’s no point in holding a grudge.”

“As expected of you, ah,” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

Song Xingmu said in turn: “On the contrary, it’s you I don’t get.”

Liu Zhenqing blinked in confusion.

Song Xingmu suddenly said in deadly earnest: “It’s hard for me to speak with Huo Fenglie here. After all, he’s from the Huo family. Now it’s just the two of us. Let me tell it to you straight, no one in the royal family is worthy of you. I thought that according to your character, even if you got such an ending in your last life, wouldn’t you not bother with revenge? You should have just dropped the idea with frustration. I didn’t expect that…..you’re busy running around again for the safety of Great Zhou.”

Liu Zhenqing hid nothing, saying directly: “In the beginning, it was exactly as you said. I wanted to stay out of it and be a carefree person who doesn’t bother with the world of mortals. I also didn’t want to recognize anyone, but…..after being forced to get involved, I’ve found various things that might be related to the debt I left behind in my previous life, so…..I can’t let it go.”

“What debt?” Song Xingmu asked.

“It’s better that you don’t know,” Liu Zhenqing said.

Song Xingmu knew that he shouldn’t continue asking when he saw that Liu Zhenqing was showing almost the same cold expression as when he was Prime Minister Liu in his last life.

So he joked: “I think it’s a love debt. Because of your Er-gou?”

Liu Zhenqing chuckled and said: “That’s right, the most important thing is this love debt. Because Er-gou is here, the other debts don’t matter. You don’t know, but he has loved me since a long time ago. Isn’t that cute?”

Song Xingmu couldn’t imagine General Huo being cute, but seeing Liu Zhenqing’s expression, he understood. At least he wasn’t bitter, didn’t care about his stigma, and was still very happy. This was much, much better than the previous Prime Minister Liu, and it seemed as if he could see the dazzling young Xiting of the past.

“So you know. He told you?” Song Xingmu couldn’t bear the sight of Liu Zhenqing showing off. 

In the end, this sentence sealed Liu Zhenqing’s doom. The corners of his mouth twitched and he said: “I discovered it myself. Ai, you have been with men, tell me what it’s like.”

As Liu Zhenqing spoke, he tugged at Song Xingmu to appeal to him, like a love novice seeking advice from a love master.

Song Xingmu didn’t expect such a strange situation, and replied with a hard mouth: “Then he doesn’t like you, and everything is just your own imagination.”

Liu Zhenqing’s heart reflexively tightened, and he retorted at once: “I’m no fool! You can’t tell if he likes me through observation, ah. Besides, I’m so great…..there are so many people who have liked me, so why would Er-gou look down on me?”

Song Xingmu quarreled: “Where are you great? You like to play pranks, bully others, and have a lot of debts to pay. Not to mention, your current looks are not half as amazing as they were back then.”

Song Xingmu’s words were like a bolt from the blue.

Regardless of anything else, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but panic. Was it really because of his looks?

No wonder he can restrain himself no matter how I seduce him. It’s just that these looks aren’t enough. If I had my previous appearance, he wouldn’t be able to restrain himself for a moment, ah.

Liu Zhenqing was thinking angrily, but then he changed his mind. He didn’t think that Er-gou was so superficial. Could it be that Er-gou treated him as a woman, but he couldn’t accept men at all?

Song Xingmu could only laugh when he saw his shifting expression. The Liu Zhenqing of the past would not be so casually fooled by him. Sure enough, after falling in love, Prime Minister Liu had also become Young Man Liu.

Song Xingmu stopped digging a hole for his brother and said: “But Yi Chuan and I both think he likes you.”

“Didn’t I just say that?” Liu Zhenqing let out a long breath. “He doted on me when he was young and is very good to me. Others cannot enjoy such treatment. You saw how he picked out fish bones for me during the meal today!”

“Isn’t it embarrassing to say that? You’re older than him!” Song Xingmu teased: “Forget him, what about you? Do you like him?”

Liu Zhenqing’s cheeks were slightly red. He pursed his lips and was about to speak, when a voice suddenly came from the door. He was startled, thinking that Huo Fenglie had returned.

But he only saw someone bump into the door seemingly by accident.

Even though they were all wearing masks, Song Xingmu recognized him at a glance.

“Yo, why is Lieutenant General Zhao here too?”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. He saw Zhao Haicheng look at him with burning eyes, then say in a low tone: “Captain Song, Young Master Huo, I’m sorry to bother you. I went to the wrong room.”

After saying this, he looked deeply at Liu Zhenqing, seeming greatly disappointed.

Song Xingmu nearly burst out laughing when he heard the words “Young Master Huo.” Then he embraced Liu Zhenqing and challenged Zhao Haicheng: “It’s fine, it’s fine. Today is a busy day. I brought my baby over to have a look.” After speaking, in front of Zhao Haicheng, he lifted Liu Zhenqing’s chin and said: “Baby, whatever you want later, I’ll buy it for you.”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched, but he still said cooperatively: “Okay.”

It seemed that Zhao Haicheng couldn’t stay any longer. Saying farewell, he turned and left without even opening the door. When he bumped into Huo Fenglie and Yi Chuan head-on, he didn’t look much, and just left with a dark face.

When the two returned to the door, they saw Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing in an embrace.

Their two faces darkened on the spot.

At this point, the auction began.

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

“What’s wrong, A-Zhen? You can accept my brother, but you can’t accept me?” In the dim light, the woman’s too-long dress clings to my calves.

The scent of her perfume is like claws crawling onto me little by little. Her body temperature seeps into my skin through the fabric of my clothes.

All of this is very suggestive, and I feel terrible.

One of my closest relatives has suddenly gone crazy.

The little sister I have known since childhood, my husband’s biological sibling whom I watched grow up, said this to me.

It’s like my husband is not the only one who has been replaced. I also no longer recognize Mingyi.

I suddenly grab the hands touching my waist and ask her with a cold expression: “Wen Mingyi, do you know what you’re saying?! Do you still know what shame is?!”

“Mingcheng is your big brother. Although I am a man, I’m also your older brother’s wife. Where have you put your ethics when you say this to me?” My chest feels tight and I take a breath, feeling sad and angry at the same time. If she ever had a falling out with Mingcheng for this reason, I will be very disappointed with her. In my anger, I start to speak without courtesy. “Mingyi, do you still have respect for us in your heart? Do you still have respect for yourself?”

“How am I disrespecting you by pursuing what I love? How am I not respecting myself? You are indeed my sister-in-law, but Sister-in-law, you are wrong about one thing. The disrespectful one among us three is Wen Mingcheng, not me.” She chuckles. It’s as if she doesn’t care about anything anymore, and has endured too long to bear it any longer. I don’t understand her, but I see the joy of revenge in her eyes.

“The Wei family is said to have passed its calligraphy and painting down for over four hundred years. It’s a pity that Professor Wei died suddenly overnight, and his eldest son was stabbed, severing the tendons in his right hand. The youngest son escaped disaster because he didn’t follow the family traditions, and in this way, his works became masterpieces. How many of them burned back then?”

My face slowly darkens as ancient memories are brought up.

Wen Mingyi looks at my face and smiles for a moment. “Auntie was nearly fifty at the time, but she suddenly became an object of pursuit for upper-class men. There is so much irony in this world, ah. Those so-called calligraphy enthusiasts alone were enough to cause you trouble, not to mention the threats to your life. At that time, my brother and I rushed back from Norway to take you to a foreign country for a while, but you really gave us a surprise, ah…..”

“The young master of the Wei family burned all of his father’s works in front of everyone, announcing that the Wei family would never exist again. You stood in front of your mother and blocked all eyes from her. You don’t know how many people were fascinated by that gesture, right? You don’t know how crazily my brother looked at you at that time.”

After saying this, she sweeps a ceramic handicraft placed on a cabinet to the ground. Fragments fly, and her tone is one of resentment and fury: “He obviously knew that I liked you. He obviously knew that our parents had wanted us to get married since we were young. We should have married, had children, and lived a peaceful life. But he insisted on robbing me, and on the first day he achieved his goal, he declared his sovereignty to me in the most vicious way. I will never forgive him.”

I frown, disagreeing with her words. “I never knew our elders wanted us to marry. And you’re mistaken, I was the one who liked Mingcheng first…..”

“Like hell it was you! You were played in circles by him, what do you know!” Her expression sinks as she rudely interrupts me, but then she suddenly laughs as if remembering something. “A-Zhen, ah, do you want to know why I hate him? Because the day you and my brother got engaged…..”

She abruptly leans toward my ear and says slowly and hoarsely: “When you were doing it in his room…..my brother made me listen outside the door for half of it.”

“I hated him to death. I wanted to kill him. But I thought it would be better if I was him.”

It’s like I’ve been struck by five lightning bolts. In an instant, the world is spinning before my eyes and there is a sharp ringing sound in my ears.

“Impossible!” I shove her away violently.

She staggers back two steps and bumps into the low cabinet beside her. The glass vase atop it crashes to the ground.

And after I take two quick steps toward the door, I suddenly begin to retch while holding onto it.

My eyes are hot and stinging due to the discomfort, and moisture blurs my vision.

“A-Zhen, you don’t feel very good. I don’t either. I didn’t want you to know, but you’re always thinking about him. You’ve practically tortured yourself crazy…..” She comes closer to me. It seems like she wants to comfort me, but I’m very resistant to contact with her and push her away again mercilessly. 

She makes no move to resist, and bumps into the cabinet behind her again. And I straighten up, give her a cold, severe look, and say the most outrageous thing I have said to her in so many years: “Don’t come near me.”

“It is me who liked Mingcheng first. I don’t believe in such a vulgar plot about brothers and sisters fighting over a person, and as for that disgusting matter, I’m more willing to believe Mingcheng than you.”

I turn around and push open the door, but she hugs me tightly from behind again.

“Don’t go! Why don’t you believe me?” She seems to be crying, and I hear her sob out: “I know what you’re afraid of, but A-Zhen, this is all true…..”

Her strength is actually no less than that of a man. If she wasn’t a woman, I may be tempted to fight her.

Warm drops of liquid fall on my shoulder, and I feel the fabric grow wet.

“It wasn’t you who liked him first. It’s you who were too naive and easy to deceive back then. Do you remember why you fell in love with him? A-Zhen, think about it……”

Why did I fall in love with Mingcheng?

I remember that the first person I liked was him. Do I need a reason to like someone?

Perhaps I do…..

Actually, I did have a better relationship with Mingyi when I was a kid. She was completely different from how she is now. She wore her hair in a small bun every day and was very well-behaved and cute, prone to blushing. I like people who blush easily, so I preferred her to the mature and steady Mingcheng.

I was still in good health when I was little, so I took her to catch grasshoppers and sparrows in the Wen family’s back gardens. I secretly picked Uncle Wen’s Turkish roses, encouraged Mingyi to take out her mother’s white porcelain tea set to play house, and led her to do all kinds of bad things.

Both families were amazingly indulgent. We were best friends.

And every time Mingyi and I played together, Mingcheng just watched us from afar. He was only one year older than me, but he looked like an adult in temperament. He looked at me with genial eyes, but there was a maturity in them that didn’t match his age. I was a little afraid of him, so I deliberately said that he was stiff and boring, and I didn’t want to take him with me no matter what.

But one time I wanted to steal my dad’s Ming Dynasty inkstone for Mingyi to use as a cutting board while playing house. The stool I was standing on shook, and at that moment, I knocked over the shelf and broke my dad’s favorite double phoenix white jade plate.

I was petrified when it broke.

Unfortunately, the parents of the two families had gathered together to talk about something that day, so the loud noise in the study attracted them all.

My dad had always been a strict father. When he walked to the door of the study with a sullen expression, I almost cried in front of all those people.

But at that moment, someone suddenly walked slowly in front of me to shield me.

It was Wen Mingcheng.

I didn’t know where he was before, but he seemed to descend from the sky to stand in front of me.

He was still a youngster at that time, his voice as smooth as pearls colliding as he apologized politely: “I’m very sorry, Uncle, I accidently broke your things. Please punish me.”

I looked at him blankly after being protected by him.

The adults did not punish Mingcheng. Only his mother gave him a strange look.

And that was also the first time I noticed the Wen family brother.

After that, Mingcheng entered our circle.

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Chapter 17 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 19