With profiteers, port guards, rebels, and pirates, things were really getting more complicated.

The two hid behind the stone sculpture and listened silently to the conversation between the three.

It was clear that the three of them had worked together many times, so they were familiar with one another. There were no scruples as they conversed.

“Management has been too strict lately. Can there be fewer ships? No matter how many there are, we can’t keep hiding,” the military official said.

“I also can’t do anything. If you don’t want the money, then don’t take it. Something happened to the Liu family in the capital, and I risked my life during this chaotic time to smuggle the goods,” Wang Qi said.

“What is in the transport?” The pirate asked.

“Don’t worry about this. After receiving the money, just take care of your subordinates and don’t make any plans for the Chamber of Commerce’s ships. If you violate this, we will suffer numerous casualties and attract the attention of others. Now that the Sea King is back, we must be more cautious.”

“Brother, it’s not that we won’t tell you. To be honest, we don’t know what is inside the ship either. We just provide the ships and waterways, and then falsify the records. We don’t even know where the ships end up going or who takes them over,” Wang Qi said with a smile.

The two people eavesdropping exchanged glances. It seemed that they had eavesdropped in vain. More useless information.

The pirate seemed to be disdainful, and said: “You Great Zhou people are really interesting. You don’t know anything and still dare to take random jobs?”

The two fell silent under his ridicule, and the military officer seemed a little unhappy. “To be honest, isn’t it good to have a safe and steady way of making money now? Brother, I heard that your men harassed a nearby island a few days ago. We have a good partnership, but we must not break our promises. With all of your ruckus, if I am transferred, we will no longer be able to cooperate in the future.”

Liu Zhenqing was a little surprised. The excuse given by this military officer was too far-fetched. The pirate didn’t understand, but he did. Even if pirates attacked the island, what did that have to do with him and the navy that managed the port? There was no interference in their cooperation at all. They were clearly deceiving the pirates. Could it be that while the military officer was making money, he also had somewhat of a conscience and wanted to bring peace to the people of the islands?

The fact that the islands in the outer sea had been spared from attacks in recent years was not entirely the result of Zhao Haicheng, but also this batch of transactions. Did Zhao Haicheng know about it? 

Just as he was pondering, Huo Fenglie standing beside him suddenly raised his arms and embraced him directly, bringing them close together. Having been hugged tightly, Liu Zhenqing was stunned for a moment. Although he was somewhat secretly delighted, he also understood rationally that Er-gou, that blockhead, would not use such little tricks.

Sure enough, he looked up and saw Huo Fenglie intricate the direction of the roof with his eyes.

So, they were not the only ones eavesdropping. There was someone lurking on the roof to listen in?

The pirate continued to say: “You are too cautious. Those who fight us have little to do with you, right? And we are here to help you, ah. The Sea King is back. If we don’t do something to stir things up, it won’t be good if they discover our partnership.”

“Are you trying to threaten me?”

“Of course not, we have worked together for many years. Aren’t we good brothers? We don’t want the Sea King to take over, so we must naturally think of more ways to take care of him. The last few times he went to sea, we unfortunately didn’t capture him. We attacked the island because we want him to go out to sea and attack us, so that we can catch him.”

“Ha, he’s the Sea King. You’re going to catch him?”

“Why can’t we catch him? When we catch him, he’ll just be a Sea Bastard!”

“Peace brings wealth, peace brings wealth,” Wang Qi quickly persuaded.

At this moment, there was a sudden boom from the roof, and a person descended through it, kicking away the screen in the middle. The three people shouted in surprise.

“Who is it?”

Instantly, there was the sound of fighting.

Liu Zhenqing also wanted to scream, because the screen that the man kicked away hit the stone sculpture directly, making it tilt and fall toward them. Although there was a wall blocking it, so it would not completely crush them, they were still slightly squashed. 

Liu Zhenqing was not injured, but he saw that Huo Fenglie’s back was pressing against the stone sculpture, and he must have suffered some of the force. Perhaps Huo Fenglie didn’t care, but Liu Zhenqing was still distressed. He raised his hands past Huo Fenglie’s waist, trying to push and help remove some of the pressure from Huo Fenglie. 

Huo Fenglie looked up and shook his head, indicating that it was unnecessary.

But Liu Zhenqing still insisted. Only, he was unaware that the pressure from behind was nothing to Huo Fenglie, and it was the pressure from the front that was the greatest. Initially, he was embracing Liu Zhenqing, but now Liu Zhenqing was also embracing his waist. Their bodies were extremely close, and the aroma of wine just now made him feel a little unfocused. If it wasn’t for the chaos outside, Huo Fenglie would certainly be in a different mood.

Two hissing sounds should be the sounds of swords being drawn, but Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie were blocked too tightly by the stone sculpture. Unless they pushed it away and looked out, they wouldn’t be able to see what was happening. Even the movement of stabilizing the stone sculpture would attract attention.

Liu Zhenqing was speechless. Given the current situation, he had already scolded the idiot who broke in dozens of times in his heart.

Wasn’t that person here to eavesdrop? Why was he so impatient even if he didn’t want to listen anymore, ah. And he came down right away. Why kick over the screen and make such noise? Was he not afraid that the people outside would hear his intrusion?

Where had this reckless man come from? Don’t involve these two in your recklessness, ah.

Suddenly, Huo Fenglie’s forehead bumped Liu Zhenqing’s. He looked at Huo Fenglie for a moment, and saw him indicating toward a certain part of the stone carving with his eyes. Liu Zhenqing took the opportunity to look over. It turned out that the stone sculpture had been cracked, and if the two of them tilted their heads, they could see through it. However, there was a fallen screen outside blocking it. If they wanted to see, they would have to poke through it.

Liu Zhenqing had a clear understanding and withdrew one hand, reaching for the dagger at his waist. He could use the dagger to silently cut through the embroidered cloth.

However, the two of them were too close to each other at the moment, making it very difficult for Liu Zhenqing to reach down. They couldn’t act rashly.

Liu Zhenqing could only feel around and try his best to grope for the place where the dagger was pressed. In the chaos, he felt as if he had touched the dagger. But it had a strange shape and felt different? The place his hand went was so crowded, so he didn’t think much about it. However, Huo Fengle’s body instantly tensed, and his breath became hot as it blew against Liu Zhenqing’s ear. His eyes widened, and he lowered his head in disbelief, staring at Liu Zhenqing.

Liu Zhenqing wasn’t paying attention and thought he had found the right thing, so he grabbed it with difficulty, only to hear Huo Fenglie take a sudden breath. A low, hoarse sound came from his throat.

Of his two hands, one was braced against the wall and the other was holding up part of the stone sculpture to prevent it from hitting Liu Zheqning, so he couldn’t free his hands at all. He could just barely move his body.

But Liu Zhenqing was startled by this. If they moved randomly, the stone sculpture and screen pressing on them would fall down and expose them.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t get a good grip, and looked up at Huo Fenglie in confusion, only to see that Huo Fenglie was very strange at this time. His face was red, and his eyes seemed deep and liquid, seemingly clear but…..murky. Huo Fenglie stared straight at him, and his heart suddenly pounded.

He inexplicably felt that the way Huo Fenglie was looking at him was particularly dangerous at this moment.

Suddenly, the knot of Huo Fenglie’s throat rolled, his brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was suppressing something.

Right then, Liu Zhenqing’s clever little head finally realized that something wasn’t right. Because the thing in his hand seemed to have changed…..

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t react. His face went red and his heart went still as he touched it. It seemed that it was still gradually changing. Huo Fenglie’s entire body trembled due to his actions, and his head suddenly dropped onto Liu Zhenqing’s neck. 

Naturally, Liu Zhenqing would not mess around at a critical moment, and let go of poor “little” Er-gou. He had turned to touch his side, but happened to touch in the wrong direction. Now, he successfully took out the dagger.

Liu Zhenqing appeared to be completely indifferent. He grabbed the dagger, bit the scabbard, and pulled the blade out with one hand. Then he looked at Huo Fenglie and raised his chin.

Huo Fenglie was still in a state of chaos. Before his bodily reaction could subside, he watched as Liu Zhenqing gave him a wink. 

At that moment, Huo Fenglie thought he understood wrong, but when he saw Liu Zhenqing biting the dagger sheath and leaning one end toward him, he still instinctively opened his mouth.

In an instant, the two of them exchanged the dagger scabbard. Huo Fenglie bit it, and the strange ambiguity flowed into the exchange of eyes between the two. Only then did Liu Zhenqing turn his head to cut open the screen. Only the slightly raised corners of his lips betrayed his good mood.

It was silent now. The fight was clearly over.

And Huo Fenglie already had flawless hearing. He could only embrace this person with a heated body, using his internal strength to suppress his impulses, his mind in a state of mush. The delicate dagger sheath in his mouth, inlaid with jade, was nearly broken by him. Every nerve in his head seemed to have been severed at that moment, and he didn’t have time to react when he was pulled back again.

The light from outside came out. Liu Zhenqing was already looking outside, and Huo Fenglie had to get closer for their own safety.

Out there was a man with two blades, one long and one short, with one of them against the pirate’s throat. The one in his backhand was across the military official’s throat, and one long, straight leg directly headlocked Wang Qi, who was kneeling on the floor.

One person and two blades had completely suppressed three people.

The two of them could only see the man’s back. He was very tall and short-haired, with braids underneath, a very rare hairstyle that looked a bit unruly.

He was unfamiliar to Huo Fenglie, but somewhat surprisingly familiar to Liu Zhenqing. After all, this hairstyle was uncommon. Coupled with the long and short blades in his hands, Liu Zhenqing seemed to be able to determine his identity.

“Good man, spare my life, I have something to say,” Wang Qi wailed.

“Hmph, don’t tell it to me, tell it to the Sea King!”

“The Sea Bastard? Sea King? You’re Song Xingmu’s subordinate!” The pirate immediately looked toward the military official.

The officials’ expression was already extremely ugly. It was obvious that he knew this person.

“Yi Chuan, what are you trying to do? Does Captain Song know you are here? Why don’t we…..sit down and talk.”

“Cut the shit, I told you to talk to the Sea King.” Yi Chuan was obstinate, and said without mercy: “Don’t move! Or my swords won’t discriminate, and no one will be left alive.”

“You want to capture us to meet Captain Song?” The military official’s face instantly paled, and he said directly to the two people in front of Yi Chuan: “You weigh for yourselves what should and shouldn’t be said.”

Yi Chuan promptly pressed the handle of his blade, and the military official’s neck flowed with red.

“It seems that Song Xingmu has been targeting me for a long while?” The military official said coldly and without fear. “We are just friends getting together. What do you mean by this? Aren’t you afraid I will inform the elder Commander Song?”

Yi Chuan scoffed coldly and couldn’t be bothered to speak.

The military official couldn’t help but say: “Yi Chuan, you are a fine man. You have been following Song Xingmu all this time and haven’t seen him promote you to an official position. Why not…..”

“Laozi doesn’t want to be an official, so stop talking nonsense and shut up.”

The military official skewed his eyes. He couldn’t help but think of some rumors, and said: “Could it be that you are actually attracted to Song Xingmu? If you like handsome men, I can help you find one…..”

If Yi Chuan was hot-tempered before, now he was directly enraged.

“You disgust me, you little fuck. Who likes men? Disgusting, disgusting!” Yi Chuan seemed to have been stimulated, and he flew into a rage, raising a hand to knock the military official unconscious.

Suddenly, the door opened and a group of people rushed in, one person walking slowly along with them.

The man didn’t walk with the energy of a martial artist. Instead, he swayed as if he had drunk too much. His hair was tied up casually, but the tips had a natural curl, with a reddish color at the end of the hair tail. A bead-like glass earring hung from one ear.

“Why are you here so late!” Yi Chuan said unhappily when he saw the visitor.

“Aiya, sorry, sorry. I finally bid and got Xi Ran, so I naturally couldn’t bear to part with a warm and fragrant body and wanted to stay for a while longer.”

“You! You Sea Bastard! You made me do that work, but you just…..I also want to see Lady Xi Ran!”

“This is what you’re focusing on? Wait, what is that new insult?”

“Captain Song!” The kidnapped military official couldn’t help but interrupt the conversation and argue for himself.

Song Xingmu smiled and finally looked at the military official, saying: “Xiao Li, you want to see the king of hell sooner rather than later?”

The words contained a smile, but instantly made the room feel cold. Speechless, the military official felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Song Xingmu did not waste any time, and said frankly: “Arrest the three of them for colluding with the pirate leader. I am not mistaken.”

He was not mistaken, but he didn’t tell the whole story. The expressions of the three criminals varied, and they didn’t know which crime was more likely to spare their lives.

Then they heard the military official shout: “Captain Song is arresting people randomly. How mighty. Commander Song will prove our innocence.”

As soon as these words came out, the other two immediately knew which direction to take.

“What leader of the pirates? I am just a foreign merchant.”

“General Song, we are dutiful merchants, there has been a misunderstanding.”

“Really? Then I will wait for my uncle to come to the door and explain for you.” Having said this, Song Xingmu raised his black-gloved hand and waved it, and the team members swiftly tied the three of them up and took them away.

Just as Yi Chuan was about to go out, he saw Song Xingmu close the door and look at him with his arms folded.

Yi Chuan’s expression changed slightly. “What are you doing?”

“What do you think?” Song Xingmu smiled.

Yi Chuan immediately turned hostile. “Despicable, you just don’t want me to go to Lady Xi Ran. You’ve already spent the money, can’t I go and talk to her? I hardly ever get to see her.”

The corners of Song Xingmu’s mouth twitched, and he walked forward slowly to approach Yi Chuan.

Every time Yi Chuan was approached like this by Song Xingmu, he felt an inexplicable sense of oppression. It was likely because he was beaten too hard when he was young and could no longer prop himself up. Even though Song Xingmu was no longer his opponent, he still felt suppressed.

“What are you doing? You, you don’t want to take her. You don’t want to marry her, so why are you delaying my marriage?”

“You’re not marrying Xi Ran. If there is someone in a person’s heart, they will never marry.”

It wasn’t until he forced this person into the qin room that Song Xingmu smiled slightly and suddenly looked over. It was obvious that the two of them had known each other for ages and had a tacit understanding.

Yi Chuan’s eyes went cold at once, and he instantly pulled out his two swords, turning to face the stone sculpture behind them, which was also the direction Song Xingmu had looked just now.

“Who’s there? Come out!”

In the next second, Yi Chuan rushed over impatiently. The moment his blade was about to impact the screen, the screen and stone sculpture exploded and shattered in all directions.

Yi Chuan shielded himself with one blade and moved the other to shield Song Xingmu, otherwise they would have been hit by the debris.

A black shadow flashed, and Yi Chuan flew to intercept it.

After a quick aerial fight, it was obvious that of the two people embracing, only one of them knew martial arts.

Yi Chuan felt that this person was a master martial artist, but with the burden he was carrying, he could still be fought.

But he heard Song Xingmu call out: “Yi Chuan, don’t kill them. Perhaps these visitors are guests?”

And Liu Zhenqing didn’t want Huo Fenglie to fight. After all, the old injury had not fully healed yet, so it wasn’t suitable for him to fight against a master.

What’s more, there were two masters here.

So when he heard what Song Xingmu said, Liu Zhenqing changed his decision to not have contact with Song Xingmu for the time being.

“Then stop, these visitors are indeed guests.” 

Liu Zhenqing spoke out.

Huo Fenglie immediately stopped what he was doing, and fell to the side while carrying him. Yi Chuan also landed in front of Song Xingmu, constantly vigilant.

This scene was a little strange to Liu Zhenqing. Song Xingmu’s martial arts should be better than Yi Chuan’s, and he had beaten Yi Chuan to tears many times before. Why was it that Yi Chuan was the one taking action everywhere now? Moreover…..the long and short swords were Song Xingmu’s weapons.

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

The next morning, Mu Nanqiao seemed to have something to do and left very early. He wasn’t at home when Lu Qi got up, but breakfast was ready and packed in an insulated lunch box. There was a sticky note on the metal box, with three words in strong, flowing strokes: Please forgive me.

He also drew a crying fox.

Lu Qi thought to himself that the fox was still as ugly as ever, but he carefully took the note off and folded it up.

Mu Nanqiao had cooked pumpkin and millet porridge for him, along with egg pancakes and two side dishes. After Lu Qi finished eating, he cleaned the bowl. There was no need to use the dishwasher for so few things.

He wasn’t actually angry, just too embarrassed, like a child who had been caught misbehaving.

As he was washing the dishes, there was the electronic sound of the living room door opening. It opened and closed, and then someone was changing their shoes.

Lu Qi looked over and caught sight of Mu Nanqiao, who was wearing sportswear.

Ah! Facing this person, Lu Qi couldn’t help but scratch the ground with his toes and tap the phone with wet hands. Huh? It was already past nine in the morning, so why had Mu Nanqiao just finished running?

He raised his head and asked: “Why are you still at home?”

Mu Nanqiao felt wronged. Such a big man had a pitiful look on his face as he asked dejectedly: “Baby, don’t you want to see me at home?”

Lu Qi seemed to smell the fragrance of tea in the air. He wavered for a moment, then firmed up again and gave a weak scoff, “You…..stop selling misery. Clearly it was you last night who…..who went too far!”

“En, en, it’s my fault.” Mu Nanqiao nodded sincerely, but the words he said almost made Lu Qi jump up. “I really shouldn’t have made Wife Xiao Lu stain his painting…..”

Lu Qi rushed over and covered his mouth, the foam of the dish soap rubbing against Mu Nanqiao’s face. “You shut up…..”

Mu Nanqiao immediately hugged him with a triumphant smile in his fox-like eyes. His mouth got a taste of lemon flavor.

Pulling down Lu Qi’s hand, he carried him to the dining table in his arms. He casually took out a paper towel and carefully wiped each finger and the spaces between them, then kissed it again after wiping them dry.

Lu Qi retracted his hand and turned his head: “No kissing, I haven’t cooled off yet.”

So much like a little friend. Mu Nanqiao’s heart melted, and he nuzzled Lu Qi’s cheek with the tip of his nose since he refused to kiss him. “Lu Baby, tell me why you’re angry? You secretly drew me, and even without clothes. I’m not even angry, so why are you striking back unfairly? Huh?”

In this case, Lu Qi was indeed unreasonable. He hesitated for a moment, then whispered: “Really, I’m just…..so embarrassed, ah…..”

He was caught lusting over someone, and was so embarrassed that he wanted to dig through the floor and run away overnight.

Mu Nanqiao smiled and poked the small dimple on his cheek with his finger. “Baby, I’m your boyfriend, it’s perfectly normal for you to have such thoughts about me. Why are you so shy?”

“Because…..” Lu Qi spoke quietly, “Because…..when I made this painting…..you were not my boyfriend, ah.”

His voice gradually became smaller and smaller, like the buzz of a mosquito. “I…..you suddenly saw it last night, and I felt guilty, ah…..”

It turned out to be anger due to embarrassment.

Mu Nanqiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and took him off the dining table. “As long as you didn’t tell me the date, I wouldn’t have known when you painted it. Wouldn’t that be just fine?”

Lu Qi murmured: “But I would know it myself, ah……”

“So when did you start painting it?” Mu Nanqiao asked curiously.

In any case, he had already told him this much. Lu Qi abandoned himself to despair and said: “It was you who showed me your stomach muscles…..that time…..and then I had a dream about you…..”

Upon hearing this answer, Mu Nanqiao smiled even more happily. “It turns out to be that time. That’s really great, ah.”

Lu Qi looked at him doubtfully.

“Because at that time, I also wanted you.” Mu Nanqiao winked, his cunning fox-like eyes full of tenderness. “Doesn’t this count as running toward each other with open arms?”

Lu Qi: ……

It appeared so? Something seemed strange again…..

But Mu Nanqiao didn’t dwell on this anymore. Seeing that this person had been coaxed, he immediately changed the subject in a sensible manner.

“Didn’t you just ask me why I’m not at work?” Mu Nanqiao pulled him to the window and pointed downstairs. “Look, the gift for you has just arrived. I was going down to pick it up.”

Their home was on the top floor. Lu Qi was not afraid of heights, but he still couldn’t see anything when pressing against the glass. He looked around inquisitively: “What is it?”

Mu Nanqiao smiled and tugged him over for a kiss: “Go change clothes, and we’ll go down for a look.”

In the open space outside, a van was parked beside the square. It was the time for work and school, and nobody had stopped to watch, so Lu Qi easily saw the extremely cool motorcycle.

This vehicle had obviously been modified based on the original. The all-carbon body reflected no light, and it was decorated with bright golden medal strips on the streamlined part of the body, making the expensive vehicle look very futuristic.

It was like a futuristic machine driving out of a black hole, full of the forceful aesthetics of cold, hard metal.

No young man could resist being drawn to it. Lu Qi was not an exception. He felt like there was a little rabbit jumping around in his heart, and his bright eyes couldn’t look away.

Mu Nanqiao began to get jealous of this iron lump, and said sourly: “Baby, when will you look at me like this?”

Before he finished speaking, Lu Qi kissed him on the cheek with a mwah and asked uncertainly: “This…..is mine?”

“If I said no, then your kiss would be in vain.” Mu Nanqiao smiled and rubbed his head. “Go try it out.”

Lu Qi cheered, and the little deer ran toward the motorcycle with joy.

By the time all the procedures were completed, half a month had passed before Lu Qi could ride his motorcycle on the road. When they were completed that afternoon, Lu Qi went to the racetrack to train again with his new bike.

Meng Li walked around the vehicle with raised eyebrows: “Not bad, it’s top-notch in every aspect. There would be no problem taking it to a competition. How much did it cost you?”

Lu Qi: …..

He only knew that the price of the base model was 400,000. He checked this himself, as Mu Nanqiao never said. Lu Qi had never thought of buying a motorcycle before, and he couldn’t help but think that his dad’s two big gold bracelets might not be enough to redeem him.

Seeing that Lu Qi was at a loss, Meng Li clicked his tongue and asked pensively: “A gift from your boyfriend?”

“En.” Lu Qi nodded. He became obviously happy when his boyfriend was mentioned, with relaxed features and a smile.

Meng Li suddenly felt a sense of frustration.

He had shaved recently and specially matched his clothes. He was still very confident in his appearance, and used to be the one on his team who had the most female fans.

But Lu Qi didn’t seem to pay him any attention at all. When they spent time together, he only talked to him about motorcycle-related things and didn’t contact him privately at all.

During these days, he had gradually realized that Lu Qi was not a young master from a wealthy family, but that his boyfriend was probably the rich one and doted on him. Meng Li once suspected that Lu Qi was “kept” by a rich young master.

Now, seeing that Lu Qi was smiling so happily after being given a motorcycle, he couldn’t help but inform him, “I’m telling you, the base model of this bike costs 400,000, but after being modified to what it is now, it’s at least a million.”

Lu Qi: “Wow! So expensive!”

Meng Li paused for a moment and looked back at Lu Qi. Without waiting for Lu Qi to react further, he said a bit impatiently: “If he gave you such an expensive thing, he will inevitably try to get something more valuable from your body. If he gets tired of you one day, how will you pay him back for this?”

Lu Qi: ……

The smile on the perpetually gentle young man’s face gradually faded, and he frowned at him.

“Mr. Meng, you have crossed the line.” Lu Qi’s tone was harsh. He was obviously angry, and said very seriously, “Even if I dismantled it and sold it, I may not be able to get a million. What could he be after, my looks?”

He said softly: “My boyfriend is better-looking than me.”

Meng Li: ……

Really? He didn’t believe it.

Lu Qi didn’t intend to explain it to him anymore, so he waved his hand and said: “It ends here. Thank you for your instruction over the past month and a half. Starting tomorrow, I won’t be here. You can contact Assistant Zhang to be paid your balance.”

Meng Li hadn’t expected Lu Qi’s reaction to be so big, and asked in confusion: “What did I say wrong? When you accepted such an expensive gift from him, didn’t you think about the consequences?”

Lu Qi got on the motorcycle and braced his long legs on the ground. He was wearing a professional racing suit today, which made his waist more slender, his legs longer, and his gentle features sharper.

“If you insist on making it clear to me, I’ll tell you something else.” With a calm expression, Lu Qi said unhurriedly: “He gives me gifts. Whether it is a bowl with free shipping for 9 yuan or a million-yuan motorcycle, I like them all. I also like the handwritten cards and sticky notes he sends. They make me happy, and I want to smile when I see them. Is this because there is gold on the cards?”

Seeing that Meng Li could say nothing, Lu Qi continued: “You said he has a motive for giving me the bike. Then all he needed to do was deliver it. I would be incredibly happy, and I might agree to anything when I’m happy. Then wouldn’t his goal be achieved?”

“But he also gave me you as a gift.” Lu Qi curled his lips, showing his dislike for him as a coach for the first time. “Because he knows motorcycles are dangerous, and wants me to know how to avoid danger. He didn’t do it just to make me giddy with happiness, but really did it for my own good.”

Finally, Lu Qi asked: “Mr. Meng, do you think I am a fool?”

Meng Li shook his head, lost. 

Lu Qi blinked: “But I think you’re one.”

Meng Li: ……

For Lu Qi, this was a very harsh criticism. He felt a little embarrassed after saying it, but had no regrets. 

“As for what you said will happen after we break up……” Lu Qi said very firmly, “We will not break up. I like him, and I want to be with him for the rest of my life.”

This innocent confession was like a child playing house. When they grew up, many people no longer believed in “forever.” Meng Li wanted to laugh at his naivete, but when he saw those clean, clear eyes, he suddenly couldn’t say anything.

To be able to receive such warm love, a lifetime didn’t seem that long anymore.

The atmosphere was awkward between the two.

Lu Qi came to his senses and gave Meng Li a suspicious look. After a moment, he said warily: “Why do you keep driving a wedge between me and my boyfriend? You don’t like him, do you?!”

If Lin Yuan were here, he would definitely sigh and say that it felt like deja vu.

In any case, in the eyes of this little deer, the trees and flowers in the forest were also treasures, and he just didn’t know how good he was.

Meng Li couldn’t endure it anymore: “I’ve never met your boyfriend, okay? I’m…..”

A low, cold male voice floated with the wind, cutting off what Meng Li didn’t finish. That man said a word that Meng Li hadn’t heard before. It sounded like Russian. 

But the gloom on Lu Qi’s face instantly vanished. He raised a hand and said: “Why are you here?”

Expecting him to be Lu Qi’s boyfriend, Meng Li turned around to give him a hostile look, but didn’t foresee that he would have to raise his head slightly to look at him. His imposing manner suddenly dropped down a notch.

And the other party didn’t even look at him. He walked two steps over on long legs, and the flapping corners of his dark windbreaker didn’t even touch him. 

But even just passing by, the other party’s face was as good as any star’s. That leisurely yet threatening aura made a person want to automatically retreat.

Meng Li just wanted to find a crack in the ground and burrow into it. His employment contract and work handover were all handled through Assistant Zhang, and he never met with the boss behind him.

He had thought that Lu Qi’s boyfriend was a rich second-generation fool, but was slapped in the face by his own assumptions.

Mu Nanqiao held a bouquet of lilies in his arms. Lu Qi suddenly thought of something, and his eyes lit up. He asked quickly: “Is Auntie back?”

Pink perfume lilies were Aunt Talia’s favorite kind of flower, and it was this type that Mu Chuanbai had given her last time.

“You guessed right,” Mu Nanqiao said with a smile. “My mom will arrive in Shanghai in about an hour. Do you want to pick her up together?”

Needless to day, Lu Qi would definitely go. Only, although riding a motorcycle was cool, the flowers may be damaged by the strong breeze. So he lifted his long legs and dismounted again to stand beside Mu Nanqiao and take the bouquet.

He smiled slyly, like a kitten that had stolen a fish. With a little self-satisfaction at taking advantage, he said with a smile: “I’ll give them to Auntie for you.”

The flowers had originally been prepared for Lu Qi, so Mu Nanqiao naturally had no objections. He just patted Lu Qi on the back and said warmly: “I’ll take them first, you go change clothes.”

Lu Qi agreed and walked away briskly.

Only Meng Li was left in the venue, embarrassed and at a loss. He wanted to quietly walk away, but Mu Nanqiao made the first move.

When he passed by him again, Mu Nanqiao stopped. His voice was as frigid as the cold wind. “Although I feel that your poaching behavior is unprofessional, for the sake of you getting him to say ‘for the rest of my life,’ I’ll save you some face and pay the balance of the tuition fee. Don’t appear in front of him in the future.”

. . . . . . .

Even up until this potential love rival was eliminated by Mu Nanqiao, Lu Qi didn’t understand his intentions. Sitting in Mu Nanqiao’s passenger seat, he continued to ask: “Why did Auntie suddenly come back? Is her work in Russia finished?”

Mu Nanqiao tapped the steering wheel with his fingers. A hint of deep meaning flashed through his fox-like eyes, but his expression didn’t change.

“My mom is going to compete in a domestic talk show.” He said: “She came back this time mainly to prepare for it.”

“Wow…..” Lu Qi sighed at Talia’s greatness and casually asked: “Which show is it?”

Mu Nanqiao: “Art Stars: International Edition.”

Lu Qi nodded. When he thought about it, he felt that the name of this program was familiar. After some consideration, he sighed.

“This…..it seems that my mom loves watching this show…..”

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

T/N: This is my first foray into horror, you guys! I’m super excited. This one is short, only 37 chapters, and I really love it. It’s 1st person present tense, which is a bit different, but give it a chance! I have a feeling you’re going to enjoy it.

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I suspect that my husband is not who he is.

What I mean is, somebody is impersonating him.

And the thing impersonating him is probably not human.

I know that nobody in the 21st century believes in these beings anymore, but I’m not crazy. Really.

Of course, everyone except me thinks I’m crazy.

“A-Zhen, have you gone to Dr. Zhao for medicine recently? Oh, Mom doesn’t mean that. It’s just that Mom hasn’t accompanied you in a long time. How about Mom goes with you…..” My mother tries to persuade me as tactfully and gently as possible, her face full of caution for fear of agitating me a little.

You see, after telling my biological mother my conjecture, even she doesn’t believe me. She thinks I’m sick.

“Mom…..I think Brother’s illness seems to be much more serious. His eyes were so distracted just now…..”

I hear my sister-in-law say this to my mother when I slam the door angrily and leave my mother’s house.

Okay, let me just say that I was a little panicked a moment ago. I have a mental illness, but it is very mild. Just a little bit of schizophrenia.

I insist on taking medicine every day for my lover, and I am almost healed now. Even Dr. Zhao says that I will soon be like a normal person, so the problem is definitely not the schizophrenia. 

Even when I was at my worst, I didn’t suspect that Wen Mingcheng was not a human being!

He is the person I have loved for more than ten years, from childhood sweethearts to marriage. He saved me from schizophrenia and depression many times when I wanted to end my life. I once doubted I could suspect him either, ah!

Now, as he comes in and out of my home every day, the “Wen Mingcheng” who calls himself my husband is not really Mingcheng at all. Although they have the same appearance, the same body shape, the same personality, and the same habits, even in bed……damn, I can’t explain.

But please trust me!!

“I don’t believe it.” The man pushes up the glasses on the bridge of his nose and scans me from top to bottom with stern eyes.

I sit up straight reflexively, like a primary school student. After hearing this, I immediately retort: “Why don’t you believe it? Everything I said is true. He really isn’t him. You don’t know how panicked I feel every day when I see him. I don’t know if Mingcheng has been harmed by him…..”

Dr. Zhao raises his hand to interrupt me, then sighs deeply and pinches his brow with two fingers. From this angle, I can see the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. 

He is only in his early thirties, but seems much older after seeing me. I probably really worry him.

I suddenly lose the strength to speak, but the pain of not being trusted still burns me. My hands hang weakly on my knees. “But I’m really not lying to you…..”

“I believe you.”

My eyes light up and I raise my head quickly, as if having glimpsed hope. Unfortunately, Dr. Zhao pours cold water on me in the next sentence.

“But have you taken any medicine during this time?”

“I…..”

My head is muddled, and I lower it with a guilty conscience.

The answer is already obvious.

Dr. Zhao doesn’t speak for a full minute. His jaw tightens and he looks angry. Then he stands up gruffly, takes out a few boxes of medicine from the medicine cabinet in the back, and pours a glass of water. He says calmly: “You think I can trust you?”

Dr. Zhao is the personal doctor Mingcheng found for me. Over the years, in order to treat me, he has always kept medicine in his office. He will also count the time I finished taking it, and sometimes knock on the door in the middle of the night to deliver medicine to me. 

I haven’t taken medicine for a long time, and I feel bad for his painstaking efforts.

But it’s not that I didn’t take it on purpose. 

I really didn’t mean to.

It’s just, who wouldn’t be scared if they found out their husband was replaced, ah?!

If you didn’t know who the person sleeping next to you every day was, would you not be afraid?!

A normal person would be scared crazy, okay? And what’s more, I still have a mental illness.

Unfortunately, Dr. Zhao no longer believes me. I put the medicine in my mouth and raise my head, opening my mouth to drink the water he gives me. I swallow the medicine.

Because I don’t take medicine well, the two people who believe in me the most in this world don’t trust me either.

Who else can I speak to? Nobody believes me anymore. Can I call the police and say that my new husband is being impersonated by a ghost?

The police will think I’m sick, and then gently send me back to that thing. Although I’m sick, I am not stupid.

I can only go home.

But I dare not go home, at least not before 5:25 p.m. on a weekday……

. . . . . . .

A few days ago.

Yuhua city is located near the sea. In early summer, the breeze is cool and humid. After the morning fog dissipates, the smell of flowers and plants gently enters the room with the wind, refreshing the body.

This season is perfect for sleeping in. I don’t get up until after nine in the morning, and because I slept well, my body seems much lighter.

Like most young people nowadays, my mobile phone is my best friend, and the first thing I do after waking up is check my messages.

“Shocking! A famous director cheated with his godson!”

“Scary! A type of new swine fever is spreading in the United States!”

“Shocking! There has been a serious traffic accident. The traffic police warn you…..”

I delete all of these shocking comments with an expressionless face and click into the chat software.

Mingcheng: Breakfast is in the kitchen, it must be heated up before eating. If you have a bad stomach, don’t drink milk. And if you feel uncomfortable, call me. Remember to lock the door…..

I look at the time. Seven thirty-five.

I was still sleeping at that time, but Mingcheng had already personally prepared breakfast for me.

Wen Mingcheng. My first love, my lover, my new husband.

He is handsome, tall, and of noble birth, and is always gentle and considerate of me. No matter how squeamish, willful, fragile, and unhealthy I am, he remains as gentle as ever.

I have never seen negative emotions in him. He seems to have endless patience and love for me, from elementary school to high school, from falling in love to getting married. 

I receive his love and love him back.

I want to be with him forever.

I’m imagining it happily, when at this moment, my phone suddenly buzzes.

Mingyi: The art exhibition is scheduled for next month. Are you sure you can do it before my brother’s birthday? How many paintings do you have left?

This is Wen Mingyi, Mingcheng’s sister, and my sister-in-law. The three of us went to school together. I often bullied her when she was a child, but who would have thought that when she grew up, she would become a sports student? She still practices boxing, and her strength is superior to that of a weak man like me. The tables have really turned…..

Mingyi: Hey, looking at the replies, you haven’t gotten up yet, have you, kid?

I quickly reply to her: I got up and was painting. I promise to finish it, and…..there are only two paintings left to complete.

Mingyi: Only two paintings left? Looks like you’re sensible, kid.

Laughing to death. There are more than twenty left.

But I dare to lie to a woman like this who practices boxing, and I don’t panic at all.

Because the rest are the ones I want to save for the end to paint seriously, including my favorite, a portrait of Mingcheng, which I am an expert at.

His face and body are so deeply ingrained in my mind that I can naturally imagine them without him standing as a model.

In fact, I have been drawing him since I was a boy. Standing on the playground, playing cello in the classroom, secretly dozing off in class with his face propped up, at the graduation party.

Each one is radiant, beautiful, and charming.

During adolescence, other boys were discussing which girl was the prettiest, but I was secretly drawing him in my notebook.

His image was imprinted in my mind, painted on paper, and hidden in my heart.

It wasn’t until the summer after high school graduation that he was playing at my house and unintentionally found out what was on my mind.

Wen Mingcheng’s portraits were scattered everywhere. I stood at the door in humiliation, unable to speak. Tears fell almost instantly. I never cried, and had no idea I could cry so quickly.

And he looked straight at me.

The young man’s eyes were so scorching hot that they seemed to be able to pry out my soul. He came to me, still holding the pictures I had drawn in one hand.

He was very popular. Many people liked him, and almost all the girls in school had sent him love letters. I…..I, a homosexual, was ashamed of myself.

But in the next moment, he embraced me and pressed his lips to mine.

“Don’t worry. You like me, A-Zhen, and I like you too…..”

I was endlessly astounded.

And I am also endlessly astounded at present, because when I open the door, I find that Mingcheng, who is supposed to be at work, is actually in the living room.

He is still wearing a suit and matte leather shoes. On his left wrist he wears the sapphire Rolex I bought for him, and his right hand is carrying a men’s handbag. I know that his laptop and pen are inside. The tall bridge of his nose can be seen from his handsome side profile, and his skin is cold and white, like a white jade statue.

He just stands in the middle of the living room, motionless.

I’m stunned for more than ten seconds, and look at the clock on the wall and on the screen of my mobile phone several times.

9:59.

“Ding, ding, ding, it’s ten o’clock, brother, time to finish painting!”

My alarm suddenly rings, startling me.

Great, it’s ten o’clock now, and Mingcheng usually leaves for work before eight o’clock.

And right now he is as motionless as a puppet.

Fortunately, the sound of the alarm seems to disturb him. I see him pause and slowly turn around.

Mingcheng is very good-looking. Even though we have been together for more than ten years, I’m always stunned by his appearance.

The man standing in the middle of the living room has deep brows, a straight nose, and a natural upward tilt to his lips. Even if he isn’t smiling, there are three points of a smile on his face. His hair is like ink, and his skin is like snow. It’s the time of year where spring flowers are blooming outside, but the spring scenery in the small courtyard is outshined by him.

He looks straight at me, and after a long while, calls my name. As if he doesn’t recognize me, he even ends with a question mark: “A-Zhen?”

I don’t think there was anything wrong with his tone at this time. I just think his eyes are strange, as if there is a dark light flowing through them, sharp and obscure, like a beast in the deep forest.

As soon as I come into contact with them, my scalp goes numb and there is a chill down my spine.

I later realize that it was my biological survival instinct, but at this time, I only think it is Mingcheng. So I don’t take it to heart, and stupidly think that I have been blown by the cool wind.

“Mingcheng?” I walk up to him and raise my hands to hold his handsome face very intimately. “Why haven’t you gone to work? Isn’t it ten o’clock now? Why are you standing in the living room dressed up?”

He seems stunned by my three consecutive questions. He looks down at me, and his eyes move slightly. Then he throws his handbag on the sofa, hugs my waist, and buries his face in my neck.

I can’t see his eyes anymore.

“I don’t want to go to work this morning, can I cook for you? Have you eaten this morning?” His hands are very big as he rubs them on my back. I feel that his fingers are cold, his fingertips and nails gently sliding on my skin.

I feel uncomfortable for no reason, and goosebumps appear wherever they touch me.

But he is Wen Mingcheng, ah! What is wrong with him touching me? We have done the most intimate things.

I dismiss the strange feeling in my heart, smile, and hug him back. “Didn’t you bake banana chips for me? Of course I have something to eat.”

The hands rubbing my back pause abruptly.

It only takes a second for him to return to his normal state. Wen Mingcheng’s voice is still gentle and charming: “That’s right, ah, I just forgot.”

But I can’t laugh.

I don’t know why I called the sandwich banana chips, but he didn’t catch it……

At eleven o’clock in the morning, Wen Mingcheng makes soup in the kitchen.

The chicken soup is mellow and sweet, wafting from the kitchen to my nose to seduce me.

He still likes stewed chicken and grilled shrimp. When baking bread, he breaks off the crispiest parts for me to eat, and still rolls up his left sleeve but not the right.

He still has the habit of watching me drink a bowl of soup before a meal.

I lower my head and slowly drink the bowl of chicken soup he feeds me. He likes to feed me a bowl of soup or a cup of water with his own hands.

Sure enough, it is Mingcheng. I had actually thought he was strange just now, but I am the strange one. Could it be that my illness has recurred?

I’m actually still going over the banana chips and sandwich thing in my mind, but this is the conclusion I come to:

After eating, I must take medicine to treat my mental illness.

With this in mind, I eat faster than usual. I finish half a bowl of food in less than ten minutes, and also eat a lot of vegetables. I’m in poor health and take medicine all the time, so I actually have no appetite.

But as I eat, I discover that Mingcheng seemed to have even less of an appetite today. His chopsticks move to the food a few times, and it seems that he has only taken two bites in the past ten minutes. And his expression is obviously not very good when he eats it. His profile is tense, his slender brows slightly furrowed, and his lips are even faintly purple, as if he can’t breathe.

He looks a bit miserable like this, which makes me recall a choking child on TV, or that…..Heimlich maneuver?

Oh my god!

I stand up immediately and say: “Mingcheng, are you okay? Are you holding your breath, ah? You…..huh? Why are you still wearing a suit, ah, your tie is too tight. Take it off quickly…..”

I am impatient, and can do things faster with my hands than with my brain. Seeing that my favorite Mingcheng is uncomfortable, I can’t bear it for a second and hurry to remove his suit and tie.

The tie is fastened outside the collar of his shirt, and my movements inevitably open part of his collar.

……

………

One second, two seconds, ten seconds pass.

I stay where I am, staring blankly at my hands.

My pale hands are covered in blood. A hideous wound is bleeding on Mingcheng’s neck under his shirt, and the moment I opened his collar, bright red blood spurted out.

Like a fountain, I think to myself.

The blood breaks through the old crusted blood and spreads to half his body at a speed visible to the naked eye. It flows down from his dark suit pants and dyes the warm carpet red.

But Wen Mingcheng actually sits there calmly. He reaches up to his fountain-like neck and elegantly ties his tie. His voice overflows from his broken throat, and blood spurts out with every word. “You just hurt me, A-Zhen.”

He even has a gentle, coquettish tone.

I turn to look, and see his thick eyelashes.

There are no black pupils in the eyes underneath.

I hear myself let out the sharpest scream of my life.

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Table of Contents >> Chapter 2

Author: Sheng Xixi (升兮兮)

Synopsis:

I am home alone, planning my escape.

My new husband has gone to work.

But I know he actually hasn’t.

He is outside the door, looking through the peephole at me. He has been standing there all day long.

At 5:25 in the afternoon, he will open the door and pretend to have just gotten off a long day at work, saying: “A-Zhen, I worked very hard today. I missed you so much.”

I have to run away, because not only is “he” pretending to be my husband, but “he”…..isn’t a human being!

Now, I have three plans…..

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Tags: horror, supernatural, or is it psychological?, the world may never know, dubious consent, abuse, found family, happy ending?

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Chapter 1	Chapter 14	Chapter 27
Chapter 2	Chapter 15	Chapter 28
Chapter 3	Chapter 16	Chapter 29
Chapter 4	Chapter 17	Chapter 30
Chapter 5	Chapter 18	Chapter 31
Chapter 6	Chapter 19	Chapter 32
Chapter 7	Chapter 20	Chapter 33
Chapter 8	Chapter 21	Chapter 34
Chapter 9	Chapter 22	Chapter 35
Chapter 10	Chapter 23	Chapter 36
Chapter 11	Chapter 24	Chapter 37
Chapter 12	Chapter 25
Chapter 13	Chapter 26

Lu Qi didn’t expect that Mu Nanqiao was so capable. While eating wontons, he received a call from Mu Nanqiao’s assistant, saying that he had contacted a retired professional racer to coach him.

Lu Qi was simply flattered. He was worried that he wasn’t worthy of such great talent, so when he went to meet and the appointed place, he got there forty minutes early and sat at the coffee shop, drinking two cups of coffee by himself.

The other party arrived. Lu Qi’s position was on the second floor. When the doorbell rang, he glanced down subconsciously. It was a tall man with mid-length hair tied casually in a small bun at the back of his head. Wearing a pair of old jeans, he looked up the stairs as soon as he entered the door and immediately met Lu Qi’s eyes.

Lu Qi saw his face clearly. This person was a bit unkempt and unshaven, but he didn’t look very old, about thirty-five.

Retiring at this age…..

Lu Qi understood that the coach had most likely been injured, so he should be careful to avoid sensitive topics when conversing with him.

The man shuffled upstairs, raised his swollen eyelids, and looked at Lu Qi. “Young Master Lu?”

“Please just call me Lu Qi.” Lu Qi smiled and reached out to shake the other’s hand. “Hello, Teacher.”

The other party shook his hand perfunctorily and sat down opposite Lu Qi.

“You have a foundation…..” He took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth. He was not in a hurry to light it, and said in a hoarse voice: “Then let’s go to a professional venue this afternoon. My employer said that you need to learn to protect yourself…..”

He chuckled, his tone frivolous. “Young Master, if you are afraid of bumps, don’t play with motorcycles. The coin-operated rides in the amusement park are safe.”

Lu Qi frowned, a little annoyed by this man’s enigmatic aura.

“I haven’t asked your surname yet?” he asked with restraint.

“Meng. Meng Li.”

He thought he would see an expression of surprise and admiration on Lu Qi’s face, but it didn’t happen. The tender-skinned boy blinked his eyes and said without any superficialness: “Oh, hello Mr. Meng.”

Meng Li was out of sorts.

However, what made him even more unhappy was what came next.

The boy opposite, who was as clean and well-behaved as a little sheep, took a sip of coffee. When he set it down, the bone china cup and plate made a ding. He raised his head and looked directly at Meng Li with his clear black and white eyes.

“Mr. Meng, I don’t want to preach to you…..” His tone was gentle, unhurried, and sincere, as if he was attempting to reason with an ignorant child. “You may have had some bad experiences, but those things have nothing to do with me and were not caused by me, ah, so I shouldn’t suffer from your attitude.”

Meng Chi was stifled, and stared at him.

Lu Qi continued: “I believe that before hiring you, my boyfriend explained what sort of services we need and paid you part of the deposit first. If you feel that the teaching content makes you uncomfortable, you should have refused before you got paid instead of complaining now.”

This was well-founded and hard to refute.

Meng Li chuckled and looked Lu Qi up and down again. This time, his frivolous expression was much more restrained.

His friend had come to him and said that a very powerful boss wanted him to mentor someone. He didn’t want to take care of a child and didn’t want to embarrass his friend, so he made up his mind to go through the motions. This sort of young master from a wealthy family could not bear to be wronged. If he just put on an unfriendly expression, he would probably make a fuss and go home to find his parents.

But he didn’t expect that the other party would have a gentle attitude and a soft face, and still have a good temper.

Sure enough, Young Master Xiao Lu said: “If you are unwilling to teach me, you can terminate our employment relationship now.”

“I am willing.” Meng Li raised his eyebrows. “I think you’re quite interesting.”

Lu Qi: ……

He was embarrassed to say it, but he found this person quite uninteresting.

. . . . . . .

When they went back in the evening, Lu Qi and Mu Nanqiao made complaints about this matter.

One of them sat behind the desk and worked overtime, and the other sat in a small corner of the study and drew. Lu Qi chatted while drawing: “So would you say that this person is strange and inexplicable?”

Mu Nanqiao stopped typing, raised his eyebrows, and looked at Lu Qi.

The little friend really didn’t think that anything was wrong. After saying this, he scribbled and corrected on his tablet as usual, and from time to time picked up a piece of snowflake cake from the snack rack. When he didn’t hear a reply from Mu Nanqiao, he looked up and said: “But his skills are really good and he’ll teach me a lot.”

Mu Nanqiao took a deep breath, put down his work, and stood up.

When he saw him coming over, Lu Qi closed the tablet with a snap. The roots of his ears were suspiciously red as he stuttered, “What…..what are you doing?”

“Baby.” Mu Nanqiao leaned over and kneaded his earlobes, then slid down around his jawline. He gently grasped his chin and shook it, then narrowed his fox-like eyes and said dangerously: “You said he was what. Really. Good?”

Lu Qi blinked, realizing that there was ambiguity in what he just said.

“You know I’m talking about motorcycles…..” His face also turned red, and he retorted in a low voice: “Don’t deliberately seek out trouble……”

“But you haven’t praised me, ah.” Mu Nanqiao came over, unconvinced. He lowered his head and kissed Lu Qi’s lips gently, starting from the slightest taste at the corner of his lips and then their breaths intertwined. When Lu Qi tried to shy away, he raised his hand and pressed the back of Lu Qi’s neck, kneading it twice like a kitten.

When they separated, both of them were panting a little. Mu Nanqiao raised his hand and used his thumb to rub away the suspicious glimmer at the corners of Lu Qi’s lips, then asked in a low voice: “Is my technique good?”

Lu Qi saw through everything and blushed with a soft snort, “You’re just looking for an excuse to kiss me…..”

“Lu Baby is so smart. You can see everything.” Mu Nanqiao was not ashamed, and squeezed onto Lu Qi’s sofa. The single sofa was obviously not big enough, so he simply picked him up, placed him on his lap, and weighed him lightly.

That Meng whatever Li might have a crush on Lu Qi, but Mu Nanqiao did not intend to warn Lu Qi, nor did he intend to fire Meng Li.

Because Meng Li was indeed an experienced veteran racer, and as far as he could see, there was no one in Shanghai who knew motorcycles better than him. It was also because in Lu Qi’s few words, he sketched out a man who “couldn’t speak well” and treated awkwardness as fun. Lu Qi could not get along with such a person.

Even though he knew clearly that his boyfriend could not be poached, Mu Nanqiao was still unhappy. The hand holding Lu Qi dishonestly squeezed his waist twice.

Why did people have thoughts about his boyfriend? He really wanted to print “owned” on Lu Qi’s forehead.

“Ticklish.” Lu Qi held down his hand and patted it twice in dissatisfaction. “Okay, you’ve kissed me. Go to work quickly, I haven’t finished painting yet…..”

Mu Nanqiao pretended not to hear and put his chin on his shoulder and his hands around his waist, asking him in a lazy tone: “What is wifey drawing? Why won’t you let me see it? Is there anything that I, the Governor, cannot see?”

When he finished speaking, he looked sideways at Lu Qi.

The soft, cute lines on that face clearly showed signs of restlessness, and the redness at the base of his ears was fainter. Looking around with his round deer eyes, he finally touched the tip of his nose and said: “It’s just that…..the commission the financial responder requested, they asked that I don’t show it to anyone…..”

“Oh~” Mu Nanqiao smiled meaningfully. “So that’s it…..”

Touching that narrow waist with his finger, Mu Nanqiao said, “Forget it, I won’t look anymore.”

Lu Qi breathed a small sigh of relief.

Mu Nanqiao found him so cute that he couldn’t help but laugh. He leaned forward to kiss his ear, running his wet tongue across it and feeling the slight shiver on the back of the person in his arms with satisfaction.

Lu Qi was so ticklish that he hid. After struggling a couple of times, he felt something move and didn’t dare to move anymore. He opened his eyes wide and looked at Mu Nanqiao. “Are you…..”

“En.” Mu Nanqiao nodded without blushing.

His calmness left Lu Qi speechless for a moment. When he reacted, the hand that was originally lingering on his waist had slipped away.

He gave a hum and grasped Mu Nanqiao’s wrist.

“Baby……” Mu Nanqiao chuckled in his ear. His voice was low and lazy, enough to make a person muddle-headed.. He said with certainty: “You want me too.”

Both of them were caught red-handed, and Lu Qi was unable to refute. Mu Nanqiao’s hand moved neither fast nor slow, and his mouth was not idle. “Детка, are my skills good?”

Lu Qi bit his lip and refused to speak. Mu Nanqiao’s free hand intertwined with his fingers, then grabbed them and kissed his hand twice, naturally leading it down until it touched something cool. 

Beep—

The tablet lit up as it was unlocked by the fingerprint.

The drawing had been completed as a line draft. It was a bionic man lying in a large, opened gift box. Behind him were intricate red and blue lines, and the opened bow ribbon fell over the key parts. One long leg was bent, the joints and slender calves were covered with black metal, and a price tag hung on his ankle.

The lines and textures were perfect, with even some artistry.

Mu Nanqiao raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

The two-dimensional creation was not just a sketch. There was always a difference between such a thing and a real person, but the face of the android was very easy to identify. It was clearly his face.

“Baby…..” He leaned over and asked lightly in Lu Qi’s ear, “You’ve been caught doing bad things.”

Lu Qi was so embarrassed that he couldn’t look at it. He raised his hand to cover his eyes, but Mu Nanqiao tapped his wrist to stop him, coaxing him to look.

. . . . . . .

That night, Lu Qi threw Mu Nanqiao’s pillow out of the bedroom and locked him out.

Holding the pillow, Mu Nanqiao exchanged glances with the little black pig. The little black pig was still waiting for a chance to get in, but he was always implicated by this canine. Last time he lost his balls, and this time he was rejected by the big-eyed shit-shoveler and his calico wife. This was really unfair!

He stepped forward and mew, mew mewed like a baby. After a moment, the door opened a crack.

Overjoyed, the little black pig scurried into the bedroom. Mu Nanqiao wished he was a cat, but he was too big to fit through the crack in the door.

He looked like a big, abandoned fox dog, crying pitifully: “Lu Baby…..”

The door was closed mercilessly.

Unresigned, Mu Nanqiao pressed against the door and asked: “Why can the cat come in?”

Lu Qi’s slightly hoarse voice came from inside: “Because he has no balls. If you cut them off, I will let you in too.”

Mu Nanqiao: ……

He hugged the pillow honestly and went back to his bedroom.

---

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Chapter Forty-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Forty-Five

This place was a very lively and prosperous port city, with a large population of vendors and local people.

The inn they chose was also a decent one, not out of the ordinary in any way. Huo Fenglie inspected it, and the current environment was relatively safe.

After a day’s rest, the two planned to go out and have a look around.

Although there was no news about He Lan and Qin Yu hiding in the transport team, they could not sit still and wait for things to happen.

If they wanted to investigate the ship, they could only start from two angles. One was the Liu Family Chamber of Commerce, and the other was the port traffic records.

Although the people involved in the southern Imperial Examination case had been identified, the overall trial was proceeding very slowly. Students all over the country were concerned, officials at all levels were involved, and the obstacles were not minor. It was not as fast as the other two cases involved, so there was no news from the Liu family in the capital. They should still be detained for the time being.

Without the supervision of the Liu family for such a long time, the Chamber of Commerce had become impetuous and had hearts full of rebellion.

In Liu Zhenqing’s estimation, even if the Liu family was fine in the future, their ability to manage the Chamber of Commerce would be far less efficient. It seemed that the Chamber of Commerce their ancestors worked so hard to establish was nearly at its end.

There was a relatively large gathering place here for the Chamber of Commerce. If they snuck in, they could find out who was in charge of that section of water transportation.

The two of them had become perfect at doing such things, and soon discovered that this person’s name was Wang Qi. Although they truly wanted to kidnap him and interrogate him directly, the enemy would also know that they were here if he suddenly disappeared, which would not be conducive to their efforts. Therefore, they could only investigate secretly for the time being.

While Wang Qi was absent from his manor, the two of them sneaked in. The manor appeared ordinary, but Liu Zhenqing was well-informed when it came to fine products. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they were either antiques or precious jade, very luxurious. It was impossible to accumulate such wealth just through legitimate business. It seemed that he indeed received a lot of money from unknown sources.

Not long after the two of them sneaked into the study and checked the account books, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but frown. Every ship that set off from Wang Qi’s hands had detailed transportation records, but they had nothing to do with weapons, or differed greatly. If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have noticed anything unusual based on the account books.

“They’re really concealing it.” Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but say with a smile.

“The navy in charge of port inspection?” Huo Fenglie asked keenly.

Liu Zhenqing said with a chuckle: “Were they bribed not to inspect them, or are they just part of the same group? But with this method, no matter what they transport, no one will discover it.”

Just as the two were speaking, they heard a noise and hid after putting everything back in its place. Then they saw two little maids coming to clean the room.

Huo Fenglie intended to leave with Liu Zhenqing, but heard the two little maids chatting.

“Master will definitely not come back tonight. I even heard the Madam get angry in the back courtyard, saying that Master’s soul was snatched away by the courtesans of the Yaxiang Painted Boat.”

“As a man, he must make a pretense at flirting. And he is entertaining the navy general, so he will definitely go to the most famous Yaxiang Painted Boat.”

“I also think the Madam is ungracious. Ever since our master established a good relationship with the navy, the life of our family in the past two years has gotten better and better. No boss in the chamber of commerce is as rich as our master.”

“Hahaha, you’re right.”

The two little maids gossiped and laughed incessantly. Suddenly, they felt a gust of wind blow in from the window at the side of the study. They thought this was strange. Weren’t the windows closed?

Soon after, two figures appeared on the riverbank. It was bustling with people and lined with vendors, still busy even at night. It could be seen that this was the most prosperous place in the area. Looking around, there were several beautifully decorated boats parked on the branches of the wide river. Pieces of floating pink gauze covered the entire river like a dream.

Waves of beautiful songs floated to the riverbank, drawing passers-by in to stop and look around. With good eyesight, one could see the dancers swaying on the decks and the qin girl playing the lute. So lively.

“Big brother, would you like to see the shell bracelets? They are very cheap. They only cost a penny each. If you give them to a girl, she will like them.”

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie were looking around at the boats when they were stopped by a little girl walking toward them, peddling wares.

Liu Zhenqing looked down and saw that she was about six or seven years old. She was wearing coarse linen clothes, which were starched and washed out, and her skin was rough and nearly dark. There was a basket hanging on her body, which was decorated by various linked-together shells. The little girl smiled and raised the bracelet in her hand high. She smelled of sea water.

This was most likely the child of a fisherman’s family, coming out to sell things in order to supplement the family’s income. There were still many such children. 

Before Liu Zhenqing could do anything, Huo Fenglie had already paid the money, as if he knew Liu Zhenqing would be soft-hearted and look out for the child. He not only accepted the bracelet made of hard white shells, but also gave the little girl another four pennies.

The little girl took them in surprise and moved to pick out four more beautiful ones.

Huo Fenglie said directly: “No need, we are looking for the Yaxiang Painted Boat. Can you lead the way?”

The little girl’s eyes instantly lit up. This was simple. She accepted the money and led the way for the two of them.

Huo Fenglie gave the bracelet to Liu Zhenqing. After taking it, Liu Zhenqing smiled and wrapped it around the body of Huo Fenglie’s Chunjun sword. In an instant, the seemingly majestic cold black sword became a little cute.

Huo Fenglie also allowed Liu Zhenqing to casually decorate his sword that terrified his enemies.

The little girl couldn’t help but glance at it and mutter to herself, shouldn’t it be given to a girl?

Could it be that…..? The little girl also understood some things, and naturally knew that men could be together. Seeing that the two of them were good-looking, she couldn’t help but glance at them a few more times, which caught Liu Zhenqing’s attention. 

“What are you looking at?” Due to the fact that he didn’t look aggressive and asked the question with a smile, the girl naturally didn’t panic.

The little girl took this chance to say auspicious words: “The two big brothers match each other very well.”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly when he heard this.

Liu Zhenqing was also a little surprised, and couldn’t help but tease. He said: “How can you tell?”

Huo Fenglie glanced at Liu Zhenqing with restraint, thinking that he was joking with the child.

The little girl smiled and said: “It just feels that the two of you are very happy, the relationship kind of happy. I have seen many loving people standing together, and they all felt the same way you do. It just makes the people around you happy when they see it.”

The little girl didn’t know how to describe it. They were just pleasing to the eye.

Liu Zhenqing was a little embarrassed when he heard this. It turned out that this was the way they looked to outsiders. He hadn’t expected the girl to be so talkative. He turned to look at Huo Fenglie, and saw that Er-gou had already made like an ostrich and looked aside, pretending not to have heard. Somewhat unhappy, he said purposefully: “You are so clever and discerning. You guessed right. We are indeed a couple, and have been married for many years. Our love is extraordinary, oh.”

The little girl laughed.

Huo Fenglie, however, paused slightly and almost stopped in place. Fortunately, he had encountered similar situations before. Anyway, it was Qing-ge messing around, so it was his own fault if he took it took seriously.

Just as he was thinking this, he felt Qing-ge draw near. “Ai, this little lady is sharp, ah. Her eyes are like bright mirrors.”

Huo Fenglie suddenly had difficulty breathing. He looked at Liu Zhenqing at a loss, not daring to think about what this sentence meant. Liu Zhenqing straightened again and chatted with the girl.

“Little sister, do you often come out to sell things? Do you study?”

The Great Zhou Dynasty had once carried out reforms. Both men and women, regardless of their circumstances, were able to request education. There were small public classrooms everywhere to teach locals how to read, so even beggars could attend classes and learn free of charge. At the peak of the reforms, one could even receive a free meal after studying and passing an exam, and many poor people who could not afford to eat relied on this to fill their stomachs. Therefore, during the period when the Zhou Dynasty was at its peak, the overall quality of life for the common people was greatly improved. Only, subsequent emperors of Great Zhou gradually felt that this was unnecessary. This good practice was not passed down, but there were still free classes in many prosperous areas where both men and women could learn to read and write. And there must be such prosperity here.

“I am literate. It’s just that my grandma is my only family, and she usually sells dried fish to support us. She has been sick recently and can’t make dried fish, so me and my friends go out to sell things and make money.” As she spoke, she pointed toward the children nearby who were dressed the same as her. All they could do was search for the best-looking shells and make them into decorations. “It’s a pity that not many people like such beautiful shells, but the customers who come here are generous, and I can make several pennies in one night.” The little girl did not appear bitter when she spoke, but instead smiled optimistically.

“Your family?”

“We all live in a small fishing village on the east coast, and we originally came from the islands. Later, we were attacked by pirates and many of our relatives were lost. My mother went ashore with a full belly and died after giving birth to me.” The little girl’s emotions did not fluctuate much as she spoke of this incident. After all, she hadn’t experienced it personally.

There were many small islands in the waters of Ming’an County, and those islands had residents. When they came to the mainland to live, they were called islanders.

In fact, Liu Zhenqing had always felt that the lives of the residents on the islands were very precarious, and troops could not be stationed on the island at all times to protect them. He had hoped to move the island residents to the mainland, but leaving one’s hometown behind was not something that the adaptable and rootless Liu Zhenqing could relate to. They simply wanted to live on their own islands for generations, so migration was slow. There seemed to be many people like the little girl who had their families wiped out and fled to settle on the mainland. The local government arranged for them to settle permanently in small fishing villages.

Huo Fenglie had been silent all this time, but suddenly said: “Zhao Haicheng.”

Liu Zhenqing was taken aback. He had also thought of this person.

The little girl was very excited when she heard this and said: “You also know of Lieutenant General Zhao? I heard that he is also from a small island. He not only fights pirates, but he also always looks after us small island residents. Since he became an official, it is said that the remaining people on the island rarely have any accidents. Many people in our small fishing village have moved back. He is a great hero in our hearts!”

The two of them stared for a moment, and Huo Fenglie frowned slightly. Because that person had reported Liu Zhenqing, and he didn’t like him. But Liu Zhenqing could only chuckle. People were indeed multi-faceted and could not be generalized. Just like he was cursed at by the world, but some people would regard him as a good person.

The little girl chattered on about Zhao Haicheng, and it seemed that she truly admired him. Suddenly, she also made a small complaint: “But my grandma doesn’t like him. My grandma says that real heroes are not like him, but the ones who can change the destiny of generations. It’s too bad they missed the opportunity. I feel like what grandma says are just myths and legends, and that Lieutenant General Zhao can really help us.”

The little girl talked a lot, and in a few moments, she led them along the plank road to a huge painted boat.

“Well, this is it.”

Liu Zhenqing raised his head and looked over. Sure enough, Yaxiang Painted Boat was written on it, and it was also the largest painted boat in the entire expanse of water. Its level of sophistication was even more different. There was an endless stream of customers coming and going, and by the clothes they wore, they were either wealthy or noble. It was obviously a den of money.

Having brought the guests, the little girl left with a bound.

The two of them boarded the boat, and Liu Zhenqing quickly integrated into the lively atmosphere. Huo Fenglie still had a cold and uncomfortable expression, so no woman dared to solicit him as a customer.

Once the two of them took their seats, Liu Zhenqing began to lecture, “Don’t be so nervous. Take it easy. Or if that doesn’t work, just drink some wine. With you like this, how can we get information?”

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing in embarrassment. His imposing manner from the battlefield could not be casually covered up, so in the end, he had no choice but to lower his head and drink to conceal it.

Because they were sitting in a private seat in the inner cabin, a girl quickly came forward to greet them.

Liu Zhenqing was a flurry of words, using the ploy that they wanted to cooperate with the merchants who had river transportation channels, but was frustrated because there was no point at which to get his foot in the door. Using his good looks and selling misery, he made the girl feel distressed, and they soon learned that Wang Qi was indeed on the ship, and that he was in the top cabin. Their mother was personally entertaining him.

Not only that, but they also learned that there was currently an official’s family member and a foreign bodyguard in the room, who should be discussing cooperation.

The girl kindly suggested: “The young masters can attend the Flower Party later. Perhaps they will have a chance to chat.”

“What is the Flower Party?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

The girl gave a graceful and charming smile and said: “The young master is indeed a merchant, but he doesn’t know about the Flower Party. Then does the young master know who our most popular courtesan is?”

Liu Zhenqing shook his head.

The girl pretended to be mysterious and said: “The courtesan is already thirty-four this year.”

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie were both surprised. After all, the flowering period of courtesans was generally very short.

The girl explained in detail: “Our family’s top courtesan was the most beautiful woman in Jiangnan back then, a legendary beauty. She was awarded the title of number one courtesan in Jiangnan at the age of sixteen, and to this day, no one can steal her position. Even though she is in her thirties, there is still an endless stream of dignitaries who want to get close to her. But the top courtesan is no longer just selling her body. She owns this boat, and it is not easy to enter her palace. That is why we have the Flower Party. By chance, the top courtesan is holding a Flower Party, and Boss Wang’s crazy wife will definitely attend. Then the young master can just find a way to meet Boss Wang.”

But after the explanation, the two people in front of her wore strange looks. The girl was a little unhappy, thinking that they didn’t believe there was a courtesan in her thirties. She said with dissatisfaction: “If you two don’t believe it, you will find out later when you take a look. But don’t blame me for not warning you, you must not offend the courtesan, otherwise….the courtesan’s guests will not easily let off those who humiliate the lady.”

Liu Zhenqing quickly said with a smile: “I believe it, of course I believe it. Thank you, Sister, for clarifying my doubts.”

But Huo Fenglie suddenly said: “What is her name?”

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched, and he heard the girl speak a familiar name.

“Lady Xi Ran.”

Liu Zhenqing immediately coughed. He didn’t know if Huo Fenglie still remembered this person, and felt that it was a bit troublesome to explain, so he could only find an excuse to make the girl leave. 

“That….” Liu Zhenqing inexplicably had a guilty conscience.

Huo Fenglie changed the subject and said: “How do you plan to approach Wang Qi and his party later? Approach directly or observe secretly?”

Liu Zhenqing gave Huo Fenglie a suspicious look. Seeing his indifferent expression, he thought that he really didn’t remember. After all, Huo Fenglie was still young at that time and would have only heard a few rumors at most, so how could he remember it so deeply? But he didn’t see that the board beneath their feet was unnaturally cracked, and that there was an uncontrollable petty jealousy in those lowered eyes.

Liu Zhenqing thought for a moment. “It wouldn’t be appropriate to approach him directly. I don’t know if he has met Liu Xiaozhu, so I had better observe him secretly.”

Soon, the Flower Party began. The two of them went to the location pointed out by the girl and sat near the wing in advance, pretending to be drinking alone.

The entire hall became lively. The girl was right. Most people had come here for Xi Ran. He had originally thought that a courtesan such as Xi Ran would have redeemed herself long ago, and didn’t expect that she would just get a pleasure boat and continue living like this. It wasn’t that he was criticizing her life from a lofty position, he was just confused and lamenting.

The surrounding bustle quieted at once at a certain moment. Only the beaded curtain could be heard shaking, and someone walked out of the stands in the high corridor.

Her beauty was unchanged, and her looks were not lost. Her waist swayed as she walked like lotus flowers were growing with each step. Full of charm, soft and boneless, her every move was full of extraordinary presence. Compared to when they met in their youth, she had a more obsequious and enchanting spirit.

She still liked to wear bright red, like a blooming rose, and one seemed to be able to smell the fragrance of flowers on her from a distance.

Liu Zhenqing was dazed for a moment, and didn’t see Huo Fenglie looking at him with an ugly expression.

Xi Ran gazed around and lightly opened her red lips. Her voice was gentle and affectionate, making people’s bones numb just listening to it, but she spoke very directly. “Thank you all for coming tonight. I am fortunate to be so honored, so I won’t speak any nonsense. Tonight is the Flower Party, and the one who pays the highest price wins.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the bidding started below.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie saw Boss Wang walk out of a side room. Following him out was a man who looked like a military officer and another who looked like a martial arts practitioner. But no matter how they looked at him, they had a strange feeling. It was unknown whether this was because of his attire or his appearance. 

The three of them came to the corridor. They had likely had too much to drink, and were in high spirits, all of them participating in the bidding and poked fun at each other about who was going to win.

As Liu Zhenqing watched, he heard Huo Fenglie lower his head and say: “Wait for me here.”

Having said this, he quickly backed away and sneaked out of the room at a speed that no one could notice. The three people in front showed no reaction at all.

After a while, Huo Fenglie came out again and retreated with Liu Zhenqing without saying a word.

He had apparently surveyed the situation inside, and it was suitable for hiding and eavesdropping.

But this reminded Liu Zhenqing of the last time they did such a thing. It was really thrilling at the time, but it was a pity that he missed the opportunity.

Liu Zhenqing suppressed a smile and let Huo Fenglie lead him. “Ai? Is there any special incense in here?”

Huo Fenglie naturally knew what he was talking about, and said straightforwardly: “No.”

“Ah?” Liu Zhenqing’s tone was deliberately regretful, and then he said: “Should we hide under the bed?”

“No need. There is a large stone sculpture against the wall, which is a blind spot that can conceal us. Although those two people know martial arts, their talent is not high, and they will not notice us.”

Sure enough, the two soon entered the room, and Huo Fenglie stuffed Liu Zhenqing into the corner between the stone sculpture and the wall, with him standing a little outside. And this place was strictly a wing qin room. Even if someone came, they wouldn’t be able to look back behind the stone carving, not to mention that the three people talking in the middle hall were separated from them by a screen.

In the face of this generous eavesdropping scene, Liu Zhenqing instantly lost interest. So boring, ah.

Soon after, the three enemies came in. It was obvious that none of them had succeeded in the competition.

One of them said in a bad tone: “Hmph, I think it’s just a deliberate way to attract customers. We didn’t see our competitor in the end, so who knows if there was some internal collusion. If this boat reaches the sea, let’s see if our brothers…..”

The other two people were good-tempered and offered words of persuasion. 

But Liu Zhenqing no longer wanted to listen to what they said, because the first person to speak had an extremely strange accent, and his words…..

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing, who wrote one word on his hand: Pirate.

Huo Fenglie’s face instantly darkened.

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

There was only one apartment on the top floor, and when they got out of the elevator, they were right in front of their home. Even though he was well aware of this, when he was pressed to the wall by the elevator and kissed by Mu Nanqiao, Lu Qi still felt ashamed while outside. He grasped Mu Nanqiao’s tie and protested softly: “Let’s go…..into the house and kiss.”

Mu Nanqiao’s response was to embrace this person and swipe the fingerprint lock while kissing him.

Xiao Sanhua squatted at the door to welcome her big-eyed shit shoveler. Unexpectedly, the two shit shovelers came in together, and she almost got her tail stepped on. She meowed angrily and jumped onto the cat climbing frame, crouching on the scratching board throne. Looking down at the two-legged beasts, she tilted her head in confusion.

Mu Nanqiao had no intention to be bothered with that long-haired enemy. Lu Qi was incredibly docile tonight, quite indulgent in giving everything he asked for. His inexperienced lips and tongue responded to him, and even when his lips pulled away slightly, the kitten moved forward and licked with an unsatisfied appetite.

Mu Nanqiao would normally enjoy singing a long “one man show,” and now that there was a response today, his breathing quickly became rapid and he used a bit more strength to grip Lu Qi’s waist. Under the soft cotton T-shirt, Lu Qi shivered slightly from the warmth of his palms.

He was a little out of breath, but fortunately Mu Nanqiao’s kisses moved downward one by one, passing lightly and then hard across his chin and neck, and then he kissed his bobbing Adam’s apple heatedly.

Lu Qi seized Mu Nanqiao’s shirt, not only not protesting, but also trying to pull him closer. There was moisture at the tips of his eyes again, and he suddenly lifted his head to see two pairs of round eyes gleaming brightly in the darkness.

The little black pig and Xiao Sanhua were both lying on the cat climbing frame, leisurely watching the two-legged beasts play. Fortunately, the outline of Xiao Sanhua’s figure could at least be seen. If the little black pig closed his eyes, it would blend directly into the darkness.

These two little things had clearly given birth to four children, but their eyes were still innocent and confused.

Being stared at like this, Lu Qi knew that they didn’t understand anything, but he still couldn’t help curling his toes, pulling Mu Nanqiao’s hair, and pulling his lowered head away a bit.

“Hiss…..” Mu Nanqiao’s lips were wet, his pupils dark with heated emotions. He was a little aggrieved to be pulled away. If he had a pair of fox ears, they might have drooped by now.

“Baby…..” He said: “Can you grab a different place next time? Bald patches are so ugly…..”

His voice was low and hoarse, soaked with heat.

Lu Qi’s ears tingled when he heard it. “Let’s go upstairs…..ah! Don’t…..”

His waist was ticklish, but Mu Nanqiao’s fingers lingerd under the hem of his clothes as if playing a piano. It shocked him so much that he couldn’t help but arch his waist. Mu Nanqiao gave a low hum and frowned.

Lu Qi blinked, not daring to move anymore, and his legs froze uneasily.

Whoosh—

A pillow flew over, and the two little pigs were startled into running away. Mu Nanqiao lowered his head and kissed Lu Qi’s earlobe.

It was just that this kind of light touch had quickly turned into a kind of torture. Mu Nanqiao’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he couldn’t help but whisper something in Lu Qi’s ear.

Strong, slender fingers suggestively traced Lu Qi’s tense legs.

The request was tense with the effort of restraint, a bit pitiful. Lu Qi thought blankly at first: it seems possible…..

Although he was well-rounded, this request was obviously too explicit for the eyes of the sponsor daddies. Everyone spent money, and there was no reason not to “get it right in one step,” so Lu Qi didn’t think for a moment.

Mu Nanqiao kissed him gently on the cheek. Even though his breathing was warm and rapid, he still kissed him patiently: “Is it okay? Детка……”

Lu Qi tilted his head slightly to avoid Mu Nanqiao’s sight, making a small nasal sound of acquiescence.

“En.”

. . . . . . .

In the end, it was very late. Lu Qi had no memory of how he got back to the bedroom. He remembered being carried by Mu Nanqiao to bathe, and this troublesome fox kept coaxing him warmly and asking if the red area hurt.

How could it hurt, ah…..

Lu Qi thought vaguely that although it was a bit bigger, it was not a mace and would not puncture the skin. However, when it touched the water, the water temperature did feel rather hot and uncomfortable.

But Mu Nanqiao was restrained and moved very slowly. As if he was a fragile object, he carefully wet him and scrubbed him, kissing him twice from time to time. In the end, Lu Qi became impatient and wanted to sleep with a head of foam. Mu Nanqiao quickly dried him and stuffed him into bed.

After moving his two sore legs under the quilt, Lu Qi curled up in a ball with the quilt in his arms and fell asleep in a second. When Mu Nanqiao came out after bathing, he even heard a little snoring.

As subtle as a kitten, Mu Nanqaio wiped his hair as he stood by the bed looking down at him, unable to help raising his lips.

He tossed away the towel after drying his hair. Mu Nanqiao leaned over and touched Lu Qi’s soft hair. Lu Qi’s hair was blow-dried, but he did it so quickly that it blew all over the place. With this soft, fluffy hair on his head and his eyelashes hanging down obediently, he looked more like some kind of soft little animal with half his face sunk into the pillow.

A person couldn’t help but want to rub his soft belly.

While he was asleep, Mu Nanqiao lifted the quilt.

Those round knees were rubbed red and looked very pitiful. He massaged them a couple of times with his thumbs, then lifted his legs up a little. A small red mark could still be seen at the edge of his boxer briefs.

Mu Nanqiao sighed, feeling distressed. How should he protect this delicate person when the slightest touch made him cry or made marks on him. He really wanted to make a pocket to put him in and keep him on his body every day.

The phone vibrated. He picked it up to take a look, and it was his dad’s doctor texting  back.

[From your description, it isn’t a big problem. Just keep it clean and dry. If you’re really worried, just apply a bit of zinc oxide ointment]

Mu Nanqiao replied with his thanks and sent a red envelope.

[If you have nothing more to ask, the red mark won’t be visible tomorrow morning]

This reply flashed by, and after the transfer from Mu Nanqiao, he retracted it and replaced it with a simple: [You’re welcome (smile)]

Mu Nanqiao: ……

. . . . . . .

When Lu Qi opened his eyes the next day, it was already half past eight. He was not in his bedroom. After waking up, his brain began to work slowly, and he remembered that in the second half of the night, the sheets were so messed up that they couldn’t be seen on the bed. Probably because of this, Mu Nanqiao changed bedrooms.

He was the only one in bed at this moment, and Lu Qi rolled around slowly. Then he lay down on his stomach and made two pei, pei sounds. There was cat hair on the bed, which had been rubbed onto it the other day when he was holding Xiao Sanhua, and he ended up eating it all in his mouth.

Mu Nanqiao was still wearing loose sportswear when he returned. When he went upstairs and saw Lu Qi waking up, he raised his eyebrows in surprise: “Aren’t you going to sleep a little longer, Baby? Do you want some breakfast?”

Lu Qi looked at him with a fluffy little head of soft fur, his eyes growing increasingly angry.

How did this happen?

Why did he feel drowsy and sore all over? He looked at Mu Nanqiao again, with his handsome, radiant features and a pleased as punch look on his face.

He was just a big fox with shiny fur after drinking and eating enough.

Was he really such an essence-sucking vixen?!

Lu Qi regarded him warily, determined not to admit that he might be…..physically weak.

Mu Nanqiao was given an inexplicable look. He leaned over and pressed the back of his hand against Lu Qi’s forehead, frowning in puzzlement: “What’s wrong? Can you still have a fever even when I don’t go in?”

Lu Qi: ……

He swatted Mu Nanqiao’s hand away and said firmly: “Mu Nanqiao, I want to exercise with you!”

If it got to that point in the future, it would be too embarrassing if he fainted in bed!

It was a matter of dignity, and of planning ahead for a rainy day!

A glimmer of understanding flashed through Mu Nanqiao’s eyes. He suppressed his smile, putting a fist against his lips to cough. “Lu Baby, in fact, you only need to go to bed early and get up early. I will supervise you…..”

That pair of little deer eyes were full of determination: “I want to exercise!”

Mu Nanqiao: “……Okay. Starting tomorrow, you can follow me for a morning jog.”

. . . . . . .

After following along for more than a month, the weather was getting cooler, and it was late autumn in the blink of an eye. When he went out in the morning, his breath was a white mist. Lu Qi finally returned to his nature of staying in bed. He patted his tight waist and abdomen, revealed a satisfied smile, and continued to sleep while hugging the quilt.

Mu Nanqiao thought to himself, I can’t blame Lu Qi for not wanting to move. Last night, they had rubbed their heads and temples until very early in the morning. He had originally planned to stop, but Lu Qi’s reddened eyes were full of self-satisfaction, and he asked softly: Are you short of time? I don’t feel very tired today. Wu, you said my legs wont develop calluses…..”

His thoughtfulness had been interpreted to this extent. Of course Mu Nanqiao wanted to correct him, so Lu Qi cried profusely again that night and recognized reality once more while wiping his tears.

“Get some more sleep today.” Mu Nanqiao rubbed his head. I won’t make breakfast today. I’ll go directly to the company after my run and order your favorite wontons. Remember to eat them soon.”

Lu Qi semi-conscoiusly rubbed his hand, and laughed before even opening his eyes. “Mu Nanqiao…..you turned out to be a boyfriend who acts like a father, I like it so much…..”

These were more incomprehensible words, but he said he liked it, so no matter whether the words were positive or derogatory, they would always be a compliment to Mu Nanqiao.

He leaned over and kissed Lu Qi’s forehead again, whispering: “If you practice boxing in the afternoon, be careful not to injure yourself, okay?”

Lu Qi made a sound of agreement.

Yes, in addition to running with Mu Nanqiao, Lu Qi had also asked Mu Nanqiao to teach him boxing.

Once upon a time, boxing was a method of catharsis for Mu Nanqiao, who had nowhere to place his rage. Like a beast that was ready to break through its chains at any time, he was temporarily placated by repeated blows with all his strength behind them, but the next time fought back even more fiercely.

His coach once warned him that this method of exerting force was not advisable and would cause great damage to the body. In a few years, he would no longer be able to play this sport.

He wouldn’t listen back then, and all he could hear in his ears was the sound of the news playing on loop.

But now as he passed by the fitness room, the door was open and he incidentally glanced inside.

The sandbag hanging in the middle was adorned with a pair of exaggerated and tearful cartoon eyes drawn with a marker. Two pairs of boxing gloves hung on the wall, one black and one red, and below them was Lu Qi’s exclusive lounger sofa.

Lu Qi had long legs, and when he sat on it, it was a bit like sitting cross-legged on the ground. He would also sit there eating snacks and drawing.

The little deer had left many traces here. Like the sun, they fell all-pervasively on the unhealed disease, and today he finally realized that the wound had already scabbed.

Mu Nanqiao smiled and used his phone to order a small crab roe wonton for Lu Qi, noting that no chopped green onion was required.

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Chapter Forty-Two << Table of Contents >> Chapter Forty-Four

“So how exactly is the military now? Who is in power?” Liu Zhenqing asked the key question.

Uncle Ding said: “It has been a year. On the surface, the military power has been handed over, but the soldiers here have been changed several times, and the navy’s vitality is very low. Song Jing is basically the leader, and they are not as rigorous as our Huo Family Army. But to be honest, I do not understand Song Xingmu’s approach. He appears to have not learned from his mistakes. Although he has a good reputation, he is a bit careless. After a year back, there are quite a lot of rumors about his love affairs, and he has also fought against pirates several times, but he has never seemed to care about seizing power. Everyone is speculating that he is unwilling to compete with his uncle, and wants to take it easy.”

Liu Zhenqing didn’t think that Song Xingme would suddenly change his nature. He was afraid of a boring life, so it was likely that he had wicked intentions somewhere.

But Liu Zhenqing felt it was a bit strange. Other than Song Xingmu, everyone else in the Song family was average, ah. Could his uncle really have stopped Song Xingmu for a year?

“Uncle, since the emperor has dispatched troops, does that mean that Song Jing’s ability to lead troops in combat is not as good as Song Xingmu’s?”

Uncle Ding said with a nod: “It is indeed not as good as it should be. It should be said that they are not at the same level at all, but…..Song Jing has high-ranking military officer who is proficient in warfare, so his overall strength is not weak.”

“Who?” Huo Fenglie was more curious about the officer who was proficient in warfare.

“There is quite a story about him. His name is Zhao Haicheng. He came from a small island, and was young with great ability. When Great Zhou was collecting charges against that man, he went to the capital alone to file a complaint against Liu Zhenqing that when he was in Ming’an County, he colluded with pirates to raid the common people, and colluded with thieves to arrange an assassination. That was the time the emperor was attacked. This report was an outstanding achievement, and the emperor naturally gave him many rewards. This was an honor, and he had somewhat of a reputation. Some time after returning, he took the initiative to join Song Jing’s command, and then climbed step by step to his current position of lieutenant general. He also gradually honed his fighting skills, and I must say that he did contribute to the stability here. It is only that he doesn’t have any background when it comes to training soldiers, and he is still a bit behind. However, those soldiers have faced life and death with him, so they trust him more than they trust Song Xingmu. As a result, Song Jing still has the actual power.”

When Uncle Ding finished speaking, Liu Zhenqing poured him a cup of tea. With a grateful sound, he quickly drank the tea to moisten his mouth.

Huo Fenglie glanced at Liu Zhenqing, but he shook his head to indicate that he wasn’t familiar with this person. He was probably a person of some skill, and followed the trend to gain benefits by reporting him.

Hearing this, Liu Zhenqing more or less breathed a sigh of relief.

If the rebel ships could enter and leave the port here at will, then there must be something wrong with the management of the navy. As long as Song Xingmu was not completely in power, he could be trusted.

Uncle Ding finished his tea and said: “General, Young Master Liu, do you have any questions?”

Liu Zhenqing thought for a moment before asking curiously: “Song Xingmu should be in his thirties now. Did he marry?”

Uncle Ding hadn’t expected Liu Zhenqing to ask such a down-to-earth question. “Never. To put it bluntly, whose family’s good daughter or good young master would marry a man who lingers in places of revelry all day long with beautiful young women and intimate male friends, ah? And he didn’t seem to be interested in looking. Previously, relatives from the general’s family introduced him to people of a suitable age, but he refused.”

Liu Zhenqing was speechless for a moment. Sure enough, he still didn’t care. If he was said to be provocative, he did it invisibly and by accident. And Song Xingmu was a true libertine who hated being restrained. He could pass through thousands of flowers without letting a leaf touch his body. He was the true Sea King.

People often knocked on his door to force him to take responsibility, and he ran faster than a rabbit.

Just when he thought of something interesting, he suddenly heard Uncle Ding ask Huo Fenglie in a cautious tone: “General, I seem to have heard that you are not married yet, ah?”

Liu Zhenqing’s eyes widened at once, and his ears pricked up as he listened silently.

Uncle Ding could be considered an elder, and he was also an elder he was not very familiar with. It was rare for Huo Fenglie to show a completely uncooperative attitude.

“En.”

Uncle Ding said with concern: “General, look at Song Xingmu, can’t you learn from him, ah? How pitiful to have no companion at this advanced age, ah.”

Huo Fenglie had no idea how to answer.

Uncle Ding inquired again: “Have you not met anyone you like? Do you want me to introduce you?”

Sure enough, as one got older, it was easier to care about these kinds of things.

Liu Zhenqing saw that Huo Fenglie no longer wanted to cooperate, and planned to leave Uncle Ding a way out.

He skewed his eyes and suddenly said with an embarrassed expression: “Uncle Ding, you…..”

After speaking, he swept Huo Fenglie a coquettish and angry look.

Uncle Ding was stunned for a moment. Recalling what had happened just now, his eyes darted between them unconsciously. “Could it be that this old man’s eyes are bad?”

Hearing Uncle Ding say this with such an attitude, Huo Fenglie realized something instantly.

“No…..”

As a result, Liu Zhenqing held his hand as soon as the word came out. Their obviously clasped hands on the table immediately made Uncle Ding want to clutch his chest.

Looking at Liu Zhenqing in astonishment, Huo Fenglie saw him silently wink at him, as if wanting to put on an act for Uncle Ding.

Without waiting for Huo Fenglie’s response, Liu Zhenqing smiled and slowly clasped Huo Fenglie’s fingers in his hand. He could feel the stiffness in Huo Fenglie’s fingers and the cold sweat on his palm.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t look at Huo Fenglie’s expression, but smiled shyly at Uncle Ding.

Uncle Ding didn’t know whether to smile or not, or whether to be happy or not. After all, he found out Huo Fenglie had found a man, but was thankful that he found someone at all. The general should also be congratulated on this happy event, but he felt like something wasn’t right. Why did the general seem nervous?

“You said before that he is…..a friend?”

Liu Zhenqing said awkwardly:”Actually, we don’t know where we are going yet, so we don’t plan to make it public right now.”

Uncle Ding instantly understood that they had probably gotten together on the road, so they told outsiders that they were friends. It was because of him mentioning marriage that they had to speak of it publicly. 

“Blame me, blame me, I was talking nonsense just now. Young Master Liu is also…..also a good match for the general,” Uncle Ding had no choice but to boldly praise at this time.

“Thank you.” Liu Zhenqing look shy, but also gave his thanks generously, as if he was really meeting his lover’s side of the family.

When Huo Fenglie heard this, his hands shook uncontrollably.

“Congratulations, General…..Congratulations. When the time comes to marry, you must come south again to hold a wedding banquet, ah. Old Ding is shameless enough to ask you for a drink.”

“Don’t worry, if we get married, you will be invited.” Liu Zhenqing smiled and raised his glass. Uncle Ding also quickly raised his own, and Huo Fenglie realized in a daze that he was the only one out. He didn’t react until his clasped hand was shaken, and instinctively raised his cup in cooperation. Huo Fenglie became even more addled after drinking tea in place of wine.

Liu Zhenqing didn’t take the initiative to let go the entire time, and Huo Fenglie was also unable to move away. The two of them simply held hands on top of the table. Uncle Ding was filled with joy, and felt that the relationship between the general and the future general’s wife was pretty good. He no longer cared whether it was a man or a woman, and Old Ding was also open-minded. In any case, the Huo family already had an heir, and General Huo would not be put under too much pressure if he had no heirs.

They talked casually for a while about the situation here. After mentioning several shops that Song Xingmu often went to, the matter came to an end.

Uncle Ding knew that they had important things to do and didn’t bother them, leaving the teahouse afterward.

The storyteller had changed subjects and begun talking about Song Xingmu’s romantic history. It was bustling with noise down below. Only in this nook, a certain person awakened as if it had been a lifetime. His hand shook, and he felt Liu Zhenqing loosen his grip. He moved his fingers in front of Huo Fenglie and complained: “They’re all stiff.”

Huo Fenglie’s breathing was short, his brow furrowed, and there seemed to be some indescribable emotions in his eyes. “Qing-ge, why did you…..”

“Why did I pretend to be the person you like?” Liu Zhenqing said bluntly.

Huo Fengile choked for a moment, not knowing how to answer.

Liu Zhenqing tilted his head and asked in confusion: “Is that not it?”

Huo Fenglie’s pupils shrank and he looked at Liu Zhenqing in disbelief.

Then he heard Liu Zhenqing ask: “Weren’t you going to ask me this question?”

Huo Fenglie suddenly felt oppressed. He was almost frightened to the point of being unable to breathe just now, thinking that Liu Zhenqing was asking him why he wasn’t his sweetheart.

“Yes…..” Huo Fenglie said.

“Yes?!” Liu Zhenqing suddenly changed his tone, looking surprised.

Huo Fenglie was so out of sorts that he considered saying what he was thinking: I have a sweetheart.

He felt like he was going crazy.

Seeing Huo Fenglie’s expression, Liu Zhenqing knew it had come to an end, and said with a smile: “I thought you understood. It is normal for a family elder to care about you. If you didn’t silence him on this matter, he would waste a lot of time. Perhaps when reporting to you later, he would include private work and cleverly introduce someone to you. Regardless of whether you listen or not, family must worry about such matters. Why bother? Why not just put on an act and make him feel at ease?”

Huo Fenglie’s heart was pained as he looked at Liu Zhenqing. This move seemed to make sense, but it felt unnecessary. He had reason to suspect that Qing-ge was just playing around.

And this was really not a good thing for him, making him so greedy that he couldn’t control himself. He recalled the scene full of lies just now as if it was a dream, like falling through the clouds into the abyss at the moment he woke up. It was really difficult to bear.

Huo Fenglie gave a silent sigh and said against his convictions: “En, let’s go. We didn’t reset well all the way here, so let’s go to the inn.”

Liu Zhenqing stood up and said: “Let’s keep sharing.”

There was a slight pause in Huo Fenglie’s footsteps. “This is a large city, and every room at the inn has two beds.”

Liu Zhenqing said at once: “I’m aware. I was speaking of a room, not a bed.”

Huo Fenglie choked as he was bullied once again.

Liu Zhenqing shook his head with a smile and walked out triumphantly. Huo Fenglie could only follow behind in vexation.

There were indeed two beds at the inn, and Liu Zhenqing quickly chose one. When he lay back and put on his slippers, he felt a slight pain in his feet and hissed faintly.

“What’s wrong?” Huo Fenglie asked quickly, coming over.

Liu Zhenqing directly raised his feet to show him. During this period, they often abandoned carriages to avoid the soldiers in pursuit, so they walked a lot. His shoes were too new. Although there were no blisters on his feet, they were very red and felt like they had nearly reached a critical point.

“It…..hurts.”

Huo Fenglie said with a frown: “You lie down first.” After that, he turned around and asked an attendant to bring hot water while he went to look for the ointment they had brought with them. It was, after all, given to him by the Master. The medicines were quality goods, and included one used for muscle soreness, especially with massages. Huo Fenglie rummaged through them and brought it to Liu Zhenqing’s bedside.

Liu Zhenqing saw the familiar medicine bottle, then looked with a smile in his eyes at Huo Fenglie, who was earnestly making preparations.

When the hot water arrived, Liu Zhenqing soaked his feet first. As soon as he put his feet in, he saw Huo Fenglie go down on one knee, reaching out toward the water.

Liu Zhenqing quickly stopped him and said: “What are you doing?”

“Helping massage you,” Huo Fenglie said seriously, raising his head where he knelt beside the bed.

Such a pure expression made Liu Zhenqing’s heart tremble inexplicably.

“You are the general who protects the country. It’s fine if you massage me with ointment later, but if you reach into the water now just to wash my feet, it wouldn’t be appropriate.” Although Liu Zhenqing was slightly moved by Huo Fenglie, he was still in firm opposition.

But Huo Fenglie said: “It is appropriate. You have forgotten that you washed my feet when I was a child.”

As he spoke, he grasped Liu Zhenqing’s ankle almost forcefully. Although strong, the force was very gentle when holding it. Then he slowly put it into the water and moved to and fro very carefully, massaging it.

It was impossible for Liu Zhenqing to resist over and over again. He was resigned to seeing Huo Fenglie like this, but he did think of what Huo Fenglie said.

He smiled and said: “When you were so little, as small as a mite, it was normal for me to wash your feet. Back then, you slept in the same bed as me and I used you as a pillow. I certainly must wait upon you well first, ah. Speaking of, I even helped you bathe.”

Huo Fenglie looked embarrassed, and regretted bringing this matter up. Fortunately, his head was lowered and there was no need for Qing-ge to see.

“But then you seemed to suddenly stop letting me bathe you. Why was that, ah?”

At this time, Huo Fenglie couldn’t see that the corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth had raised with evil intentions. But he watched Liu Zhenqing raise one foot and hooked the inside of his wrist with round, white and pink toes through the water.

Huo Fenglie was asked a question he didn’t know how to answer, and then his hand was touched like this.

“I just…..got too big.”

Liu Zhenqing smiled evilly inside and said in a frivolous manner: “Where are you big?”

His tone of voice inexplicably reminded Huo Fenglie of some embarrassing memories: “I just grew up…..got older.”

“Oh, I understand. You were shy.”

“En. I grew up, and there was no need for others to bathe me. I wasn’t a child anymore.”

“Indeed…..not a child anymore.” There seemed to be a frivolous smile in Liu Zhenqing’s tone, which puzzled Huo Fenglie.

After washing his feet, he dried them with a clean cloth and placed them gently on the bed as if they were jade.

Then Huo Fenglie rubbed his hands together to warm them, and the ointment quickly melted due to his internal strength. Just as he was about to reach out, he saw Liu Zhenqing lay back on the pillows and lift his legs, placing his feet on Huo Fenglie’s legs where he sat on the bed.

The location was a bit dangerous, reminding Huo Fenglie of the teahouse.

He felt like Qing-ge was not going to make it easy for him today.

Huo Fenglie sat still and concentrated. He only wanted to make Liu Zhenqing’s feet feel better.

Liu Zhenqing suddenly said: “Actually…..whether it is a foot massage or a medicinal massage, I can do it myself. Why did you jump in?”

Huo Fenglie was taken aback, and suddenly realized that he was just accustomed to taking care of Liu Zhenqing. He was also afraid that taking too much care would cause Liu Zhenqing to have ill feelings.

“I have internal strength, and I’m good at massaging,” Huo Fenglie whispered.

“That’s true. It feels very good.”

Liu Zhenqing leaned back comfortably as he spoke. He was half-lying down, and his outer layers had been removed, leaving only his inner robe, relaxed and comfortable.

But as soon as Huo Fenglie raised his head, he promptly lowered it again and didn’t dare take another look.

Liu Zhenqing’s clothing had opened casually due to his movements, revealing light and shadow that provoked the imagination, as well as the looming bite mark on his neck. Although he had seen it a few times when they slept together, every time he saw it, he…..

No more. He couldn’t think about it anymore. Huo Fenglie abruptly changed the subject and said: “How did you and Song Xingmu meet?”

Liu Zhenqing was enjoying himself, and was about to groan with pleasure to stimulate Huo Fenglie. When he heard this question, he thought about it and said: “I met Song Xingmu when I first went south. It was probably around this time of year, and we met by chance on the road.”

As he spoke of this, Liu Zhenqing suddenly laughed.

They wanted to inquire about something at that time, so Liu Zhenqing and Li Xingruo encouraged Huo Feihan to talk to the locals.

As a result, Huo Feihan found a young man who looked rather stunning.

The two others looked at each other for a moment, and thought of something fun in tacit understanding.

Just when Huo Feihan opened his mouth, he and Li Xingruo shouted from behind.

Liu Zhenqing rushed up and grabbed Huo Feihan, saying with a resentful look on his face: “You just asked me to leave with you, and now you’re making an appointment with him. What do you mean by this?”

Li Xingruo also looked at him resentfully: “That’s right, how can you always play with and abandon our young master?”

Huo Feihan froze on the spot, pupils quivering. There were countless people around watching, pointing the finger of blame…..

Liu Zhenqing told Huo Fenglie about this experience without reservation.

Huo Fenglie was speechless: “You teased my Da-ge again.”

The more Liu Zhenqing thought about it, the funnier it became, and he was shaking with laughter in the end. “It was fun to tease your brother like that.You didn’t see it, your brother’s expression made me and your sister-in-law laugh for three days and three nights. It was worth it. It was totally worth it.”

Huo Fenglie shook his head helplessly, a relaxed expression on his face. “Then what does this have to do with Song Xingmu…..”

“The person your brother was chatting with was Song Xingmu. He believed it to be true, but his reaction was very interesting.”

“How so?”

“Contrary to expectations, he said arrogantly: What is wrong with choosing someone better?” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile, “That is how we got to know each other.”

They were of similar ages and had similar minds, so they naturally mixed together.

Huo Fenglie thought helplessly, other than his Da-ge, these were not ordinary people, so it was normal for them to spend time together.

Liu Zhenqing suddenly seemed to have thought of something, and said with a smile: “Hey, if you meet Song Xingmu, give him the ointment in your hand as a meeting gift. He will definitely like it.”

Huo Fenglie appeared puzzled. “Does he often fall and get injured?”

Smiling, Liu Zhenqing shook his head and said: “Didn’t I say? He doesn’t differentiate between men and women. Sometimes when meeting men, he requires good ointment. I asked my master, and this ointment is the most suitable.”

Huo Fenglie paused for a few seconds. Liu Zhenqing seemed to be smiling but not smiling, and it was as if he had been struck by lightning. The smooth feeling in his hands instantly became hot due to the melted ointment.

Qing-ge said…..he said…..

Why would he ask the senior miracle doctor this, ah !

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

Seeing Liu Zhenqing’s unhappy expression, Huo Fenglie said: “We will find out later when we meet the Huo family elders.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded. They had discussed it before. There was a Huo family villa here, so naturally, there were veterans of the Huo family staying here to take care of the villa and themselves.

Since their whereabouts could not be exposed, it was convenient to stay at the Huo family villa and have people come out to exchange information with them.

And it was also necessary to have these sorts of eyes and ears, because once news spread about He Lan and Qin Yu sneaking in, the first thing they would inevitably think of was the Huo family courtyard.

The two went to the busiest teahouse in the city and found the most remote seat. After Huo Fenglie provided refreshments for Liu Zhenqing, he left alone, then returned soon after finding someone to deliver a message. 

“So fast?” Liu Zhenqing said in surprise: “You’ve gone around in a circle.”

“I found a beggar to deliver a message,” Huo Fenglie said concisely.

Liu Zhenqing was dressed like a scholar, but he leaned toward the upright Huo Fenglie and looked up, the tips of his eyes raised. “Why? Don’t you trust me? Have the enemies not all been thrown off?”

As he spoke, his legs were restless under the table, swinging to gently hit Huo Fenglie’s knee.

Huo Fenglie gave Liu Zhenqing a helpless look and moved his legs, pouring tea for him. “Since the ship originated here, there must be spies around. It is better to take caution.”

“Ai, I can’t be a drag on you with my martial arts skills,” Liu Zhenqing said with feigned sadness.

Huo Fenglie should clearly know that Liu Zhenqing was joking, but he still said at once: “You are not. Thanking Qing-ge for his analysis along the way.”

Liu Zhenqing frowned and said: “You’re clearly giving me the cold shoulder.”

Huo Fenglie was immediately startled, and said: “I’m not.”

Liu Zhenqing complained with an aggrieved look, “Then why are you moving your legs away?”

Suddenly feeling powerless, Huo Fenglie could only move his legs back silently, allowing Liu Zhenqing to give him light, random touches and even rub against him.

It seemed he was teasing him deliberately. Huo Fenglie could only avert his eyes to hide the traces of confusion.

The storyteller on the high platform was eloquent as he spoke of General Huo’s past battles. This was a storyteller’s favorite content, and many of them added a few lines about the treacherous minister Liu. Nearly every town had similar storytelling content. Although it was old news, the people in the audience still listened with gusto and cheered, not knowing that in the corner, the hero being spoken of, the general who guarded the country, was uneasily enduring the meticulous torture of Prime Minister Liu.

Before long, Huo Fenglie said: “Here he comes.”

Liu Zhenqing followed Huo Fenglie’s gaze and saw a familiar-looking uncle standing at the door. A pair of tiger eyes honed on the battlefield shot back and forth between the teahouse seats. They were peerless, neither arrogant nor impetuous, but would not miss any target. 

When he looked where they were, his whole body trembled and his knees slightly bent, as if he wanted to kneel down and salute on the spot from a distance of more than ten meters.

However, the uncle also had a sense of proportion. After a moment of shock, he hastily lowered his head and walked over quickly, without attracting the attention of others.

It was not until he reached a position concealed by a screen that he went to one knee and saluted. “Veteran Ding Wu greets the general.”

“Uncle Ding, there is no need to salute when you see me.” Huo Fenglie raised his hand and a strong gust of wind formed a support, allowing Uncle Ding to stand up.

Uncle Ding smiled forthrightly and said: “General, although I have already retired, I still take pride in being part of the Huo Family Army. Saluting the general is what I like to do most. I usually don’t have the chance, and can only dream about it. Now that I’ve seen you, I can’t help but…..aiya, Uncle Ding talks too much.”

Those who retired from the Huo Family Army due to old age likely all had this mindset. Uncle Ding was just one of them.

Hearing his name and seeing that he seemed to be lame in one leg, Liu Zhenqing remembered who he was.

Uncle Ding was once a guard with Huo Fenglie’s father. Later, in order to save the old general, he was injured and had to retire. Thus, he was placed in a separate courtyard for retirement. But looking at his majestic, tiger-like appearance, he probably still had the battlefield spirit to rush into battle if given a blade.

Liu Zhenqing naturally knew him because he had stayed in the courtyard when he first went south.

Huo Fenglie was not the sort of person who could exchange small talk with others, so no matter how the people who met him usually behaved, they were the ones who talked the most.

Uncle Ding extended his greetings for a moment, then looked at Liu Zhenqing. “This is…..”

Liu Zhenqing gave a faint smile. He originally seemed completely harmless on the outside, and his smile was naturally pleasing to the eye. “Hello, Uncle Ding. This one is Liu Xiaozhu. I’m…..”

“Liu?” Uncle Ding’s expression instantly changed, and he regarded him with alert defensiveness.

Liu Zhenqing immediately became awkward and quieted down. Yes, this was how a person from the Huo family should react.

“Uncle Ding, he is my friend. He is working with me at this time.” Huo Fenglie said with a calm expression: “Uncle Ding, please take a seat.”

Uncle Ding hesitated obviously for a long moment with his gaze on Liu Zhenqing’s face, but in the end, he still had a military soul and believed whatever the general said.

“Hello, Young Master Liu. I offended you just now.”

“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Uncle Ding, sit down quickly,” Liu Zhenqing said politely.

When he saw how easy Liu Zhenqing was to talk to, his attitude softened slightly. He sat down and said in a low voice: “General, I heard that you appeared in two prefectures to handle cases. Why did you suddenly come here and use a code to lure me out?”

“I am working on the emperor’s behalf, so there is no need to ask about the rest. You only need to remember two things. First, our whereabouts are confidential and cannot be disclosed to anyone. Second, if someone sends a message to the courtyard, deliver it to the inn next door.”

Huo Fenglie’s tone was strict and serious. Uncle Ding immediately understood his meaning and accepted the military order.

“Uncle Ding, we only just arrived and are unaware of the situation here. Can you explain it in detail?” Liu Zhenqing asked.

Uncle Ding nodded and said: “What do the general and Young Master Liu wish to hear? The situation here has indeed been somewhat uneasy recently. Not to mention the persistent problem of the pirates who pop up frequently, the handover of naval and military power here has also been full of conflict lately.”

“Let’s talk about the issue of military power,” Liu Zhenqing said promptly.

Uncle Ding did his best to tell all he knew. “The conflict here actually started more than ten years ago. At that time, there were not 30,000 troops here. The Song family had controlled the local garrison for generations, but it was only a land force of 5,000 troops, so it was difficult to stabilize the seas. Back then, the pirate problem was much more serious than it is now. Not to mention the nearby islands, even the people along the coast had no peace, let alone maritime trade. Until the emperor’s southern tour…..”

As Uncle Ding was talking, the cheers outside suddenly grew louder, interrupting his words. The emotional storyteller was talking about something wonderful.

The content was similar to what Uncle Ding intended to say, so he stopped.

The storyteller could be heard saying excitedly: “The emperor was young at that time. It is said that he was on a southern tour, but in fact, it was the treacherous minister Liu Zhenqing who wanted to go south for an inspection in order to show off his power. Everyone, what do you think his real intention was for going south?”

The audience below was very cooperative. Some shouted that it was to attack the pirates, while others shouted that it was to eliminate dissidents. Then someone called out that it was to arrange an assassination. The hall fell quiet, and then fierce noise broke out.

Huo Fenglie had just gone to the northern battlefield at that point, traveling northwest with his brother. He had not heard about the specific situation with the southern tour.

Huo Fenglie glanced sideways at Liu Zhenqing, only to see that he was in a daze. The leg hitting him had paused.

The storyteller said: “You are all intelligent people, and have reached the same conclusions, but fighting against the pirates and eliminating dissidents are both lies. Abusing power for personal gain is the truth. Back then, an assassination took place in a coastal port not far from here. The emperor was even injured, but the treacherous minister Liu was fine. If it weren’t for Liu Zhenqing being exposed after his death when someone reported it, no one would have known that he arranged all of this. Not only did he threaten the emperor, but he also used this as an excuse to kill batch after batch of people who usually opposed him. He even put the blame on one of the rebel princes, using this as an excuse to continue to refuse the requests of the rebel princes to leave the capital. This led to the subsequent chaos of the Three Kings Rebellion. I will not go into detail here. I will only say that after this assassination incident, with the stroke of a pen, Prime Minister Liu told the emperor to grant the Song family 30,000 troops in order to establish a naval army. His reasoning was that the assassins may have been pirates colluding with the rebels, therefore the pirates who harmed others must also be punished.”

Someone below asked: “It seems that there was indeed a wave of great purges, and many pirates died. As a result, no pirates have dared to approach this place for a while.”

As soon as these words came out, everyone immediately objected. “There were more pirates later. It completely backfired.”

“It was purely for his own benefit, regardless of the consequences.”

The storyteller scoffed coldly: “Nobody was deceived by that kind of superficiality. In fact, this was an attempt by Prime Minister Liu to defy the military power of the Huo family by developing the Song family into his own military power. In order to prevent the veteran generals from being difficult to use, the youngest Captain Song was selected to take charge just after the military power was handed over. Prime Minister Liu thought he could take advantage of this to control the 30,000 troops, but unexpectedly, Captain Song did not welcome him, a treacherous official who played with power. Therefore, everything he did was not for us ordinary people at all. Even in the face of personal gain and power, his disobedience could be heard even in the southernmost parts of the Zhou Dynasty.”

Everyone echoed: “A rebel and a traitor, ah!I”

“As expected of the Sea King, he was able to withstand the pressure of the treacherous minister at a young age.”

Uncle Ding had sneered when he heard “Defy the Huo family’s military power.”

Huo Fenglie frowned and didn’t want to listen anymore. He looked at Liu Zhenqing and saw that his eyes were growing duller.

Since he didn’t know how to coax people, Huo Fenglie could only take the initiative to bump him gently with his leg. Hadn’t Qing-ge been having a lot of fun just now? He would just take the initiative to cooperate.

Sure enough, when he gave him a light nudge, Liu Zhenqing’s eyes instantly regained their brightness and he looked at Huo Fenglie with surprise.

Huo Fenglie lowered his head to drink tea, hiding his embarrassment. His leg only bumped slightly, as if drawing the other side to bump him back.

Liu Zhenqing couldn’t dwell on the upsetting things in the past. He couldn’t hear the insults and scoldings from the entire surprise. His mind was full of pleasant surprise.

Could it be that Er-gou had finally grown up and knew how to flirt with him? This seductive little thing.

Just as Liu Zhenqing pursed his lips and went to play along, he heard the storyteller above say in an extremely mocking tone: “At that time, the treacherous minister and Captain Song worked together as they went to eliminate the pirates, and he had impure intentions toward Captain Song. It was said that he learned that Captain Song did not discriminate between men and women, and also planned to send himself to his door to seek power, but was ultimately rejected. That is to say, even if Liu Zhenqing was beautiful enough to cause the downfall of cities and countries, our Captain Song remained unmoved!”

These words instantly aroused everyone’s excitement. It was as if they had glimpsed some gossip, and they exclaimed one after another.

“That wasn’t the first time the treacherous minister did such a thing. It is simply a disgrace to decency.”

“Although our Captain Song is usually self-indulgent and has countless attractive male and female confidants, at the critical moment, he was still not enchanted by beauty. Even had Liu Zhenqing stripped naked and stood in front of Song Xingmu, I dare to say that our Sea King would not take a glance.”

These words were to humiliate him.

The corners of Liu Zhenqing’s mouth twitched involuntarily. While he was speechless, he felt the leg that was gently nudging against him stop. Liu Zhenqing looked at Huo Fenglie and saw that his face was composed, with faint hints of anger. The murderous aura released seemed to have a physical form, and even Uncle Ding on the side could feel it. Almost all the hairs on his body stood on end.

Just as he felt uneasy all over because of this murderous aura, it vanished instantly.

Uncle Ding stared at Huo Fenglie in confusion and saw that his general appeared stiff, with his head lowered. His eyelashes trembled, and a large patch of faint red started from his neck and spread upwards.

Uncomprehending, he watched as Young Master Liu leaned forward and whispered to the general. Uncle Ding understood the current affairs and looked to the side, not eavesdropping, nor thinking much about the general’s strange behavior. Little did he know that the “shameless person” sitting opposite no longer used his legs to torment the general, but directly put his hand on Huo Fenglie’s thigh.

Then he took advantage of the situation to lean forward and speak, which not only made Huo Fenglie unable to sit still out of nervousness, but also prevented him from avoiding him. 

It seemed that it was Huo Fenglie himself who had ulterior motives, and Liu Zhenqing had pressed him accidentally when he came to talk.

“What the storyteller said is nonsense,” Liu Zhenqing said softly.

“En…..en, I know,” Huo Fenglie said stiffly.

Liu Zhenqing’s lips curved as he looked at Huo Fenglie’s gradually reddening earlobe. He had an inexplicable urge to bite it, but did not. He only leaned closer and whispered, making his breath blow on it, and watched it gradually turn a charming and tender red.

Liu Zhenqing smiled and said mischievously: “It is true that Captain Song did not discriminate between men and women, we worked together, and I indeed gave him impure looks.”

Huo Fenglie was stunned, and couldn’t help but look askance at Liu Zhenqing, his face turning livid by degrees.

Liu Zhenqing continued: “But they were definitely wrong when they said that if I took off my clothes and stood in front of Song Xingmu, he wouldn’t even look at me. I took them off, ah, and he couldn’t stop staring at me.”

Huo Fenglie’s pupils instantly shrank. Because he had only met Song Xingmu a few times as a child, it was impossible to distinguish Liu Zhenqing’s words at this time.

There was only the sound of a crack as the teacup in Huo Fenglie’s cup shattered. Uncle Ding was so startled that he turned around. Seeing the two of them so close, he immediately felt it was strange.

Huo Fenglie appeared uncontrollably sullen.

Liu Zhenqing glanced at the broken teacup and chuckled: “He also pointed to me and said, what beauty that can cause the downfall of cities and countries? He is even better looking than me.”

Huo Fenglie stood in amazement when these words came out.

Liu Zhenqing feigned sincerity as he said: “I’m speaking the truth. Your older brother was there at the time. The three of us bathed together, and he insisted on asking your brother to say which of us was the most handsome. Your brother pointed at me, and he was so angry that he went back to ask your sister-in-law, but she was petty about it.”

Huo Fenglie stared blankly as he thought of the Song Xingmu in his memory. It seemed…..it seemed that he was androgynous, but did belong to the category of an attractive man. His personality and behavior were also relatively frivolous.

Seeing that Huo Fenglie was stunned, Liu Zhenqing couldn’t hold back his smile. He felt that every time he was about to be stung by these worldly people, as long as Huo Fenglie was by his side, he always found a way to cheer him up. Even though…..it was all through bullying him. But Liu Zhenqing didn’t feel guilty at all.

“Back then, we were together for a month as we made plans to retaliate against the pirates. He was angry with me because he hated what I did at that time. He was a good brother to me and your older brother.” When Liu Zhenqing concluded, Huo Fenglie’s heart settled.

Huo Fenglie’s expression softened slightly. Although he still had many questions, he didn’t ask any further. He just coughed and pretended to be calm, reaching out to gently push away the hand still pressed to his leg and make Liu Zhenqing sit back.

“En, I understand.”

Seeing that the two of them seemed to have finished talking, Uncle Ding said: “Both of you heard what the storyteller said. That is basically all of it. Only, a lot of things were settled after the man’s death, and the military power here was in some disarray. Soon, the emperor issued an order shortly after he took office. Song Xingmu was transferred, and the military power was taken up by his uncle, Song Jing.”

“Isn’t it said that Song Xingmu and Liu Zhenqing had a bad relationship? That won him the hearts of the people, so why transfer him?”

Even Yuan Jue didn’t know of his relationship with Song Xingmu. This was what Liu Zhenqing was most confused about.

“It is said that he left his post without authorization, and his negligence led to a sneak attack by pirates along the coast, which caused heavy losses. It was a slap in the face of the new emperor who had just taken the throne, and an offense to the Great Zhou Dynasty. Someone complained to higher authorities, and the emperor issued the decree to punish him. No one from the Song family spoke up for him, so he was sent away.”

Liu Zhenqing was confounded when he heard this. Although the man was a bit careless, he still had a sense of responsibility and would never be so negligent. There might be some hidden facts in this. After all, it was a time of turmoil, and the remnants of the Three Kings were still on the run. In addition, the rebels now originated here, so Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but think a little more.

“And after that?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“Afterwards, he trained troops in the southern islands and led them to attack nearby rogue bandits from time to time. When he became famous, the people gave him the nickname ‘Sea King.’ Thus, the emperor transferred him back again, but when he came to take over the military power this time, it did not go smoothly. His father had passed away, and his relationship with his uncle was average. In the end, it was tantamount to seizing military power. The emperor had really handed him a problem. Although he was promoted, the family was uneasy about it, ah,” Uncle Ding said.

Liu Zhenqing knew well that Song Jing might not dare to have resentment toward the emperor, but he would definitely not spare a good look toward his nephew. But Song Xingmu was a free-spirited person, and probably didn’t care.

It was just that Yuan Jue’s arrangement felt a little out of place. What was his intention? To suppress the Song family? Let it fight internally and inhibit its development? Or was it something else?

Liu Zhenqing had too little information to figure out Yuan Jue’s plans. He had an inexplicable feeling.

It was no coincidence that they had followed the clues and tracked them down to Song Xingmu’s territory.

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Chapter Seventy-Three << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Five

T/N: Thanks so much to Ana for the Kofi donation! Here’s a double update! (Plus an extra since I haven’t updated in so long)

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Liu Zhenqing stopped teasing Er-gou and let him off the hook, feeling soft-hearted.

After Huo Fenglie fell asleep, Liu Zhenqing went to find his master to discuss follow-up treatment.

“At least ten days.”

“That won’t work.” Liu Zhenqing shook his head, saying, “We have other things to do.”

His master just glared and began to pull his ear. “Are you not able to learn? Do you want to make the same mistakes again?”

“Aiya, I’m not, la. How can this be considered making the same mistakes? I’m currently hiding behind everyone, and nobody can hurt me no matter what.” Liu Zhenqing quickly covered his ears and put distance between them.

His master naturally looked at Liu Zhenqing in disbelief.

Liu Zhenqing knew that he had no credibility in the eyes of his master, and could only say: “Ai, we have friends who took action first, and we can’t leave them alone. Plus, I’m only putting in a small effort this time, not to mention that Er-gou is following to protect me.”

With a wave of his hand, Liu Zhenqing said: “And although I want Er-gou to recover from his injuries, he can’t stay here forever. With the temperament of the Huo family, he won’t be able to bear it. Therefore, isn’t it up to Master to find a way to speed up the treatment?” After some thought, Liu Zhenqing said, “Of course, the first priority is Er-gou’s health.”

When he heard the last sentence, his master’s complexion finally improved a bit, and he also noticed that Liu Zhenqing’s state of mind was different from that in his past life. Now, in his heart, the people around him were more important than the common people.

At last, after Liu Zhenqing’s hard work, he came up with a solution. In fact, the follow-up was these auxiliary treatments. Since Liu Zhenqing could handle them like he did today, Huo Fenglie could work and recuperate at the same time.

In addition to acupuncture, subsequent medication could be changed to medicated baths once every few days. After the treatment was over, they would rush to Medicine Valley as soon as possible for the second stage of treatment.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie repeatedly confirmed with him that he had no problems using his internal force now, and his master instructed that he couldn’t go crazy again before his treatment was complete.

Hearing his master’s emphasis, Liu Zhenqing also engraved all of these precautions into his heart. Once again, he tried his utmost to learn all the medical skills related to Huo Fenglie’s condition from his master. Although his master taught him seriously, he never looked down upon him. 

His master probably had doubts about whether he failed to learn medical skills out of laziness or because he truly had no talent.

He planned to remain here temporarily and let Huo Fenglie receive treatment from his master. However, they soon received news.

After He Lan and Qin Yu snuck in, Yue Xuqian had asked his people to notify the informants along the river to at the minimum pay attention to where the ship ended up.

The news that came this morning was that the ship had entered the shipping area at a port in Ming’an County.

Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie were both slightly taken aback when they heard the name of the place.

Because the Huo family’s hometown was in the county next to Ming’an, every time they returned to their hometown to pay homage to their ancestors and visit relatives, they would inevitably pass through Ming’an County. The Huo family also had its own villa there, and Liu Zhenqing had lived there for a long time.

As a coastal area, Ming’an County also had the best port resources, so it was naturally a more prosperous area in the south. There were many ships coming and going, so it was easy for people to fish in troubled waters. Now that the ship had been brought to the sea, apart from waiting for He Lan and Qin Yu to return with news, they could only go to the local Liu Family Chamber of Commerce to investigate the problem with the shipping.

The two of them said their farewells to Yue Xuqian and the Master, setting off again without further delay.

Just halfway through the trip, they passed through a town to stay for the night. But when they were eating, something happened. 

Someone accidentally knocked over their dining table, and when the waiter was about to re-serve the food, Liu Zhenqing changed his mind and wanted to go back to the room to eat. Having said this, he took Huo Fenglie back to the room.

The food was served soon after, and Liu Zhenqing sat down with Huo Fenglie to eat. After a while, they two passed out at the table. At this time, a man in black broke into the room. Seeing that the two were unconscious, he raised a blade and slashed at their throats. 

But in the next second, a cold light flashed. Just as Liu Zhenqing sat up and stretched, four people had fallen in the room, and the fifth one was paralyzed on the ground with the Chunjun sword to his throat.

“You moved so slowly that my waist and back hurt.” Liu Zhenqing looked at the assassin peevishly and asked, “Do you want to die?”

The assassin scoffed coldly, and in the next second, he fell back.

“They are assassins, and won’t have any useful information. As annoying and worthless as flies.”

“Let’s go.”

Huo Fenglie shook the blood from his sword and took Liu Zhenqing elsewhere to rest in secret. Because the food had been wasted, Huo Fenglie went around to the kitchen and brought some roast chicken to fill Liu Zhenqing’s stomach.

Once the candles were lit in the new room, Liu Zhenqing read the note in his hand again while chewing on a chicken leg. It had been left by the person who overturned their dining table, taking advantage of the chaos. The person had left in the mix of people without showing his face. It warned of poisoning and assassins.

“This is the second time.” Liu Zhenqing said in a deep voice: “Those who wish to assassinate us must want to prevent us from investigating the rebels, and the one helping us must oppose them. And every time, they are one step ahead, warning us. There is clearly a traitor among the rebel forces, ah.”

Huo Fenglie glanced at Liu Zhenqing’s intrigued expression and said: “Then why doesn’t this person meet us and tell us directly? Or discuss cooperation.”

“That proves that they are not the emperor’s person, because you represent the emperor, and they do not want to cooperate with you. There are only two reasons why they would spare your life.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend?”

“Right, and the other reason is that, after all, you are the general who guards the country. Unless they were truly insane, who would want you to die? Wouldn’t that just throw Great Zhou into chaos?” Liu Zhenqing said with a smile.

Huo Fenglie couldn’t bear the teasing, and shook his head: “Without me, someone else would lead the army.”

“Then if one day you are no longer allowed to lead troops to fight, do you want to retire and live in seclusion?” Liu Zhenqing asked suddenly.

Huo Fenglie was startled for a moment, and turned to look at Liu Zhenqing.

The light and shadows of the candle flickered gently between the two of them, and Liu Zhenqing had a rare look of nervousness on his face.

Huo Fenglie said slowly: “I am not a qualified Huo family member.”

Liu Zhenqing momentarily froze and looked at Huo Fenglie in confusion. 

Huo Fenglie looked at Liu Zhenqing silently and said nothing.

The Huo family attached great importance to Great Zhou and the Yuan clan. He had been educated by the Huo family since he became sensible. He was obedient and teachable, but deep down in his heart, he was as stubborn as stone, and that major part of him was never influenced.

Even on his birthday, when he was young and didn’t know how to hide his thoughts, his elder brother and sister-in-law gave him gifts and asked him what he wanted to do in the future, because he had just been told by an Imperial Academy master to continue his studies.

He answered directly: “I want to practice the most advanced martial arts. I want to be a bodyguard.”

His brother thought he wanted to be an armed guard to protect the emperor, so he didn’t say much.

But his sister-in-law smiled and asked him why. Before he could answer, Liu Zhenqing finally came over, somewhat in disarray and muttering under his breath.

His brother quickly stepped forward to inspect him.

His sister-in-law asked: “You were called to attend a birthday party, did you get into trouble by provoking someone again halfway?”

“How could I have, it’s clearly……” Liu Zhenqing wiped his face and complained: “Sure enough, it’s not safe if the boss isn’t by my side. From now on, I should listen to Grandpa and arrange for a personal bodyguard.”

His brother didn’t respond, but his sister-in-law was taken aback when he heard this and turned to look at Huo Fenglie, who was quietly cleaning the stains on Liu Zhenqing’s hands.

“Indeed, you cause trouble too easily and don’t know martial arts. If you have a bodyguard to protect you, then no matter what you do in the future, the guard can handle it for you.”

Liu Zhenqing nodded in agreement, planning to choose a bodyguard in the future.

Sister-in-law poked the side of Huo Fenglie’s head and said out of nowhere: “You are really promising.”

Huo Fenglie touched his head without much of a reaction. At that time, he didn’t know what this feeling was called, and only knew that Liu Zhenqing needed a guard. Therefore, he wanted to be a guard, and didn’t want Qing-ge to be harmed in any way.

But later, he understood that what Qing-ge needed was not a guard, but someone who could help him stabilize Great Zhou.

So he forced himself to grow into such a person quickly, but still lost Qing-ge.

Liu Zhenqing had never thought about competing against the loyal soul of the Huo family, so he did not continue to ask. He had already prepared himself , and if Huo Fenglie said he wanted to be stationed at the border, he would try all the western-style fish.

Ai? Wait, when had he decided on that? No, no, he hadn’t thought about it!

How terrible!

Liu Zhenqing glared at Huo Fenglie with dissatisfaction for a moment, and then vented his anger: “Come on, take off your clothes, it’s time for treatment.”

Huo Fenglie immediately trembled. After the two of them hit the road, the most painful thing every day was the treatment process. He could drive this person out for the medicinal baths, but could not completely avoid the acupuncture.

He was familiar with those acupuncture points, and it was no exaggeration to say that he could pierce himself quickly and accurately.

But Qing-ge…..

Huo Fenglie could only tighten his nerves to avoid the dilemma of almost being discovered by Qing-ge last time.

Liu Zhenqing looked at the healthy wheat-colored skin under the candlelight and raised his hand with a smile on his face. Recently, he felt that the more he touched it, the more addicted he became. Firm and elastic, with smooth contours. He could feel the strength contained beneath the skin, and his hormones released invisibly.

Especially when he pretended to accidentally bump into two rosy spots, Er-gou’s reactions became more and more interesting. There was also the Shen Que point, which was a sensitive spot discovered by Liu Zhenqing. Every time he touched it, those firm abs would tremble slightly, which looked particularly sexy.

Liu Zhenqing suddenly stretched out his finger and pressed that point. Huo Fenglie instantly sucked in a cold breath of air and grabbed Liu Zhenqing’s hand at once. “Qing-ge!”

Liu Zhenqing looked up with an innocent expression and said: “Can’t I play for a while?”

Huo Fenglie choked. How could he be so bold and confdent?!

The word “no” lingered in Huo Fenglie’s mouth, but looking at Liu Zhenqing’s sincere face, it seemed like he would be petty by refusing. He could only inwardly suppress the urges caused by such teasing.

After he finally survived the treatment, Liu Zhenqing climbed onto the bed and began to take off his clothes.

Huo Fenglie’s expression stiffened. The fire in him had not completely subsided.

“Are you going to watch what I’m doing or go to sleep?” Liu Zhenqing said: “You don’t want me to sleep separately in this situation, right? If another assassin comes, I would just…..”

Liu Zhenqing made a slashing gesture across his neck, which instantly left Huo Fenglie speechless, and he could only lie down straight.

After lying down, Huo Fenglie quickly took his pillow and gave it to Liu Zhenqing.

Watching Huo Fenglie’s silent behavior, Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows and took it with a smile. “So attentive.”

Huo Fenglie felt that behind Liu Zhenqing’s teasing, his smile held murderous intent.

Sure enough, halfway through the night, Huo Fenglie suddenly opened his eyes when he felt his body being entangled. The pillow that Liu Zhenqing was supposed to be holding had long been thrown to his feet, and now he had become Liu Zhenqing’s pillow.

Huo Fenglie went blue in the face, because a certain person’s legs were not only bent up, but they also climbed higher from time to time. A hand stretched around him, into the skirt of his robes.

Gritting his teeth, Huo Fenglie tried to get up and retrieve the pillow to save himself.

The result of this was that when he moved, Liu Zhenqing practically climbed up to embrace Huo Fenglie. He drew close to Huo Fenglie’s neck with a hum, sounding hungry, as if he hadn’t eaten enough that night and was dreaming of food. Then he took a bite, showing no mercy.

Huo Fenglie naturally didn’t feel the pain, and only felt that everything was upended by that sensation.

He turned his head and tried to move his neck, but Liu Zhenqing just held the meat in his mouth and refused to move.

When he finally let go, he was restless for a moment, still wanting to lick away the delicious food.

Such torment caused Huo Fenglie’s bones to tremble slightly, and his qi and blood instantly concentrated at a certain place.

Huo Fenglie’s eyes darkened. Nearly losing control, he swiftly turned his head to look at the person holding him to do evil, and his arms unconsciously hugged him tightly. At the moment, Liu Zhenqing was lying on his shoulder, head tilted toward him slightly. A pair of red lips were so delicate and tender. Defenseless, ready to be plucked. It seemed that as long as he lowered his head, lowered his head…..

Moreover, Liu Zhenqing hadn’t even woken up when he made such a big movement. Didn’t this prove that no matter what he did, Liu Zhenqing wouldn’t find out?

Huo Fenglie slowly opened his mouth and moved closer to Liu Zhenqing, as if he wanted to kiss or devour him.

But in the next second, Huo Fenglie froze. He broke away from Liu Zhenqing’s arms at an almost twisted angle with great speed. He picked up the pillow and put it back, then his figure flashed behind the screen in the room.

And Liu Zhenqing opened his eyes slightly where he lay on the bed, a look of dissatisfaction on his face after failing a challenge. Moving his body, he looked outside the bed. The moonlight shone into the room and illuminated a silhouette on the screen.

He could see the man leaning against the screen awkwardly, but didn’t know what he was doing.

But soon, low breathing sketched a certain picture, and Liu Zhenqing raised his eyebrows. Progress, ah, let’s see how long Er-gou can endure it.

Satisfied, he turned over to go back to sleep, but the sound of breathing was like a whisper everywhere. Liu Zhenqing’s face gradually turned red with embarrassment, and he quickly covered himself with the quilt. If he continued to listen, he might also…..cough, cough, cough.

It was all Er-gou’s fault! Unpromising!

A night of enchanting dreams caused Liu Zhenqing’s entire person to feel unwell when he awoke. And Huo Fenglie, as if nothing was wrong, calmly arranged everything for them to continue on their way.

But with this kind of calmness, Liu Zhenqing asked to sleep on the same bed every night.

Assassins were pursuing them, after all. There was nothing that could be done.

However, Liu Zhenqing discovered that when Huo Fenglie encountered one of their pursuers, he would be extremely ruthless, as if venting his resentment.

And there was a person warning them from time to time along the way.

Of course, Liu Zhenqing and Huo Fenglie would not actually let others lead them by the nose. A planned detour successfully got rid of the two groups, and they finally arrived in Ming-an County.

“There are still 30,000 Eastern Navy troops stationed here?” Liu Zhenqing asked as they sat in a carriage into the city and looked at the bustling streets.

Huo Fenglie nodded.

Liu Zhenqing leaned against the carriage window and chuckled: “This is probably one of the few reforms I arranged that haven’t been overturned.”

“To keep the waters safe, your idea is quite right. There must be a strong army to deter pirates.”

Liu Zhenqing said: “It wasn’t my idea. It was something I thought of with your brother and that person back then, and was only implemented after I took power.”

“Are you talking about the Sea King, Song Xingmu? I remember that you became acquainted with him when you first went south with our family?” Huo Fenglie asked.

“Pfft, Sea King…..who gave him this title? There shouldn’t be any kings of a different surname in the Great Zhou Dynasty. It’s too inappropriate.” Liu Zhenqing couldn’t help but laugh.

Huo Fenglie explained: “The populace gave it to him. In the past year, he swept clean the southeastern sea area and made great achievements. The emperor transferred him back from the south, and he regained control of the 30,000 strong army here.” 

Liu Zhenqing stood in amazement when he heard this. “What? Song Xingmu was originally a young general here. I directly gave him military power back then. What do you mean by ‘regained control?’”

Shaking his head, Huo Fenglie said: “I don’t know. It was eight years ago. The emperor directly issued a transfer order, commanding him to go to the Southern Islands to train new recruits. But the Song family household remained unchanged.”

Liu Zhenqing’s expression changed. Didn’t that mean he was demoted? At that time, his relationship with Song Xingmu was not close. On the surface.

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Chapter Seventy-Two << Table of Contents >> Chapter Seventy-Four